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tearainread's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
Minor: Mental illness
wombat_88's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
southernbellebooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was such an interesting look at the fallout of gun violence. It was especially eerie because the act of violence itself was set in North Carolina. It was very well written and I felt like I really knew these characters.
musicalpopcorn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
let_therebebooks's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review Bryan Bliss' new novel out on 9/29!
Thoughts & Prayers by Bryan Bliss is a three-part novel that comes out at the end of September. This story follows three characters, Eleanor, Brendan and Claire a year after they survived a shooting at their high school and hid under a stairwell together.
I wanted this book to be so much more than it was. The topic was handled very well, as it is an emotional and delicate topic, but it felt like I was reading three different short stories, with no connection, and with nothing really happening. Each part seemed to deal with a different type of diagnosis in how they handled their grief. For example, we see PTSD in Claire, anger and resentment in Eleanor, and OCD in Brendan.
The first part follows our character Claire, who moved to Minnesota with her brother, who is a pro-skater, after the shooting. We follow her as she is processing the trauma and meets a group of guys at the skate park who befriend her and one of them, who is slightly disturbed, is also going through his own trauma so they connect. Claire is constantly on edge, making sure she can always see her closest exit and tries to avoid riding the bus and crowds at all cost, as it reminds her of the shooting and gives her some PTSD flashbacks. We see her struggle with her friendship with Dark because he presents himself as.. well, dark and refers to her PTSD as "The Monster" while connecting it with her love for the novel Frankenstein. Her story was the least connected with the other two, especially since she moved away. She mentions Eleanor once and how they use to be close friends.
The second part follows Eleanor, who is by far the best character of the three. She is a spitfire and a huge advocate for what she believes in, and doesn't let anyone tear her down. She is the "activist" out of the three and protested guns immediately after the shooting - causing a rise in her environment and lots of debating. She seems to have a lot of anger and resentment towards what happened, and to herself. Her story had the most action and had the best story line. I felt like of the three, hers truly flew by and I wish I had gotten more about her. She mentions Claire a few times but nothing about Brendan.
The third part follows Brendan, who goes by his Wizards & Warriors (a rip off of Dungeons and Dragons) name of Brazzen. To him, his world is a fantasy game. He refers to his friends as their characters, and his therapist. He carries a dice with him that he is constantly rolling in all avenues of his life to help make him feel "safe" and make decisions. He seemed to have a lot of OCD that was related to his trauma. He was very focused on this dice and when he wasn't able to roll it, we would see a glimpse of him having a bit of a panic attack. His story was very odd to me, and confusing. It was however, the most connected to the other two characters as he mentions both Claire and Eleanor several times.
I think I wanted more with this story and was expecting it to be different. It was interesting to see how the survivors were managing since the shooting but it felt like the three stories were so disconnected with one another that it felt more as if I was reading three short stories that did not relate. I felt like things were dragged out a little too and there was not much going on in any of the chapters, aside from Eleanor's. Overall the story felt very meh to me, which was disappointing because it is an important topic that should be discussed and explored.
Thoughts & Prayers by Bryan Bliss is a three-part novel that comes out at the end of September. This story follows three characters, Eleanor, Brendan and Claire a year after they survived a shooting at their high school and hid under a stairwell together.
I wanted this book to be so much more than it was. The topic was handled very well, as it is an emotional and delicate topic, but it felt like I was reading three different short stories, with no connection, and with nothing really happening. Each part seemed to deal with a different type of diagnosis in how they handled their grief. For example, we see PTSD in Claire, anger and resentment in Eleanor, and OCD in Brendan.
The first part follows our character Claire, who moved to Minnesota with her brother, who is a pro-skater, after the shooting. We follow her as she is processing the trauma and meets a group of guys at the skate park who befriend her and one of them, who is slightly disturbed, is also going through his own trauma so they connect. Claire is constantly on edge, making sure she can always see her closest exit and tries to avoid riding the bus and crowds at all cost, as it reminds her of the shooting and gives her some PTSD flashbacks. We see her struggle with her friendship with Dark because he presents himself as.. well, dark and refers to her PTSD as "The Monster" while connecting it with her love for the novel Frankenstein. Her story was the least connected with the other two, especially since she moved away. She mentions Eleanor once and how they use to be close friends.
The second part follows Eleanor, who is by far the best character of the three. She is a spitfire and a huge advocate for what she believes in, and doesn't let anyone tear her down. She is the "activist" out of the three and protested guns immediately after the shooting - causing a rise in her environment and lots of debating. She seems to have a lot of anger and resentment towards what happened, and to herself. Her story had the most action and had the best story line. I felt like of the three, hers truly flew by and I wish I had gotten more about her. She mentions Claire a few times but nothing about Brendan.
The third part follows Brendan, who goes by his Wizards & Warriors (a rip off of Dungeons and Dragons) name of Brazzen. To him, his world is a fantasy game. He refers to his friends as their characters, and his therapist. He carries a dice with him that he is constantly rolling in all avenues of his life to help make him feel "safe" and make decisions. He seemed to have a lot of OCD that was related to his trauma. He was very focused on this dice and when he wasn't able to roll it, we would see a glimpse of him having a bit of a panic attack. His story was very odd to me, and confusing. It was however, the most connected to the other two characters as he mentions both Claire and Eleanor several times.
I think I wanted more with this story and was expecting it to be different. It was interesting to see how the survivors were managing since the shooting but it felt like the three stories were so disconnected with one another that it felt more as if I was reading three short stories that did not relate. I felt like things were dragged out a little too and there was not much going on in any of the chapters, aside from Eleanor's. Overall the story felt very meh to me, which was disappointing because it is an important topic that should be discussed and explored.
lucsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I went into "Thoughts & Prayers" with an equal amount of high expectations and fear for an unrealistic positive spin. Thankfully this book didn't focus on "trying to understand" the shooter's perspective or in telling a cute little story about how activism and a sound argument can change people's minds and hearts easily.
Instead, this book chose to focus on the aftermath for people that were unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and it was all the more heartbreaking and meaningful for me as a reader for it.
"Thoughts & Prayers" is divided into three parts, each one focusing on the experiences of one person which had its pros and cons for me.
I liked seeing that everyone's reaction to a tragedy being different is valid and so is the amount of time it takes someone to be ready to get help and start on the path of healing. On the other hand, the short time we are able to spend with each character was one of my least favorite parts, mainly when it came to the way each story ended because there was little to none overlapping of the characters. We were with the characters through the worst part and then the moment the first sign of healing appeared we left them knowing we would never see them again.
Bryan Bliss was able to create not only great characters but believable teenagers which is something a lot of adults writing YA fail at. I loved to see the awkwardness, the feeling of being lost, the importance of friendships that are being created and destroyed when most characters are at the verge of adulthood while navigating their trauma, the difference being lucky enough to have a supportive family can make…
There was only one thing I disliked about this book: Bryan wrote two amazing (and I mean that in every sense of the word) female characters and he made them strong, interesting, smart but all three characters had only male friends in their closest circles. On one hand, it was wonderful to see boys being supportive, offering and looking for advice, talking about their feelings, caring for their friends and family in a way that boys are not usually allowed in books and real life but on the other hand, I really hated that there were no moments of sisterhood, no girls standing up for other girls, barely any mention of misogyny. It felt a bit like the "I'm not like the other girls" trope and I thought that everyone was passed that.
This was an incredibly well research book mostly when it came to the descriptions of depression, PTSD, and other mental health consequences of something awful happening as well as other people's reactions to it and how they will try to stifle change at any cost, including people's, including children's lives.
Thank you to Greenwillow Books and Edelweiss+ for this DRC.
Instead, this book chose to focus on the aftermath for people that were unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and it was all the more heartbreaking and meaningful for me as a reader for it.
"Thoughts & Prayers" is divided into three parts, each one focusing on the experiences of one person which had its pros and cons for me.
I liked seeing that everyone's reaction to a tragedy being different is valid and so is the amount of time it takes someone to be ready to get help and start on the path of healing. On the other hand, the short time we are able to spend with each character was one of my least favorite parts, mainly when it came to the way each story ended because there was little to none overlapping of the characters. We were with the characters through the worst part and then the moment the first sign of healing appeared we left them knowing we would never see them again.
Bryan Bliss was able to create not only great characters but believable teenagers which is something a lot of adults writing YA fail at. I loved to see the awkwardness, the feeling of being lost, the importance of friendships that are being created and destroyed when most characters are at the verge of adulthood while navigating their trauma, the difference being lucky enough to have a supportive family can make…
There was only one thing I disliked about this book: Bryan wrote two amazing (and I mean that in every sense of the word) female characters and he made them strong, interesting, smart but all three characters had only male friends in their closest circles. On one hand, it was wonderful to see boys being supportive, offering and looking for advice, talking about their feelings, caring for their friends and family in a way that boys are not usually allowed in books and real life but on the other hand, I really hated that there were no moments of sisterhood, no girls standing up for other girls, barely any mention of misogyny. It felt a bit like the "I'm not like the other girls" trope and I thought that everyone was passed that.
This was an incredibly well research book mostly when it came to the descriptions of depression, PTSD, and other mental health consequences of something awful happening as well as other people's reactions to it and how they will try to stifle change at any cost, including people's, including children's lives.
Thank you to Greenwillow Books and Edelweiss+ for this DRC.
ashleycmms's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Violence, Murder, Grief, Gun violence, Blood, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Alcoholism and Child abuse
mendezconzeta's review against another edition
4.0
Got to read this through a free copy from Edelweiss :D (reseña en inglés porque creo que va a ser mucho más útil para lectores de habla inglesa que para nosotres, les que hablamos español).
Let me get something straight from the beginning: I'm from Argentina. We don't have mass shootings, even less mass school shootings. In fact, I googled it because I'm almost 25 years old and couldn't remember a single one-- and found that the first Latin America mass school shooting happened in Argentina in 2004. We didn't have a mass school shooting since then, and if I googled more I might discover we didn't have many mass shootings in general, before and after that.
Having said that, I requested this book because even if we don't have them, we know about USA mass (school) shootings. I live-read about the Parkland mass school shooting in 2018 on Twitter, and follow some of the survivors on social media because of their fight against gun violence. I read on Wikipedia about these events, analysis on the perpetrator(s), about the aftermath of victims' families and survivors, and how these experiences changed them.
But -thank God- I don't know anything about mass shootings.
The book has three parts, each of them told in the perspective of two girls and one boy, respectively. All three of them hid together under a staircase a year ago, when someone started shooting their classmates on the hallway.
The first part is about Claire, a survivor that decided to move out of town after what happened. She and her brother, a now-retired professional skater since he decided to look after his sister after their parents died, survive day by day with Claire clearly having PTSD.
This is the only story that I didn't like that much. I don't think the third person narration does much for this character and her story, since she clearly has feelings we as readers can't access, and her reactions to and experiences with her new friends -Dark, Legs and my personal favorite, God- were kinda lost for me. It also felt as an unfinished story since it had so much more to explore! We just started getting into Dark's life and problems when the first part ended, but we can't get into them because it's not about him, it's not about their friendship, so we miss that as well. I also don't think the Frankestein and the Monster idea was 100% well executed; it felt kinda disconnected to the rest of the story, so it didn't do much for me as a reader.
But then we get into Eleanor's story-- and I truly liked it! I like Eleanor, could connect with her and her problems, and cheered for her when everyone else didn't. The narration switches to first person for this story and I think it gets better because now we got access to her feelings and thoughts, even when she didn't want to have them-- she wanted all of it to end, she wanted to kind of get over everything like the rest of the schools seemed to do. Even when her parents and her boyfriend tried really hard to understand her, they couldn't. Her boyfriend is also a survivor, but he wasn't hidden under that staircase while hearing the shooting and people dying. He doesn't /get/ it.
And last but not least, my favorite story of the three: the Brezzen's story.
After a year of hiding in his house and being homeschooled, Brendan's parents and psychologist decided that it's time for him to try and go back to school. He refuses at first, but his psychologist, who's been playing Wizard's & Warriors with him, helps him get into this adventure kind of as a quest for his character. He goes back to school with his hand-drawn map, reunites with some of his friends and has to spend his school hours in the same place a year ago someone shoot and killed four people. He even has to go through the same corridor, the same staircase.
I was a little confused at first because I have literally zero experience with Dungeon & Dragons kind of games, but once I started to get the slang I 100% got into the story. I loved how the game and strategy helped him go through some things and how anxiety-driven some of the scenes were. Brendan rolling the dice was great, since I recognized myself doing things with my hands when I start getting anxious, mostly at social gatherings.
I honestly think this is a really good book. I really enjoyed the writing and even if I didn't like Claire's story, I could totally /see/ her. Her reaction to some of their friends' actions, words or drawings were real and reflected the PTSD she's going through. I could see some of the survivor's fight in Eleanor's story and the reaction she ignited in some ignorant, violence-driven people. And I think Brendan's story is the best, because its coping mechanisms were great, and real, and authetic, and even enjoyable, because you cheered for him and wanted him to get better, to face his fears, to look at Medusa in the eye and say "I'm afraid and that's okay!!!" to her face.
Also, they all appear in each other's story, and that was a great detail.
I'm glad I read this book and I'm thankful that mass school shootings are accesible to young readers through fiction. You don't have to physically experience it (and I hope no one else has to, ever) to demand stricter gun regulations, fight for the end of gun violence and for a better mental universal healthcare. We all stand with survivors, we all ask for the same thing. And in the author's words, with a little bit of s spoiler for the acknowledgments: "I want to thank everyone who, like me, has had enough. The survivors. The activists. The everyday people who simple won't let this keep happening. Keep going. Keep going. We can fix this."
Let me get something straight from the beginning: I'm from Argentina. We don't have mass shootings, even less mass school shootings. In fact, I googled it because I'm almost 25 years old and couldn't remember a single one-- and found that the first Latin America mass school shooting happened in Argentina in 2004. We didn't have a mass school shooting since then, and if I googled more I might discover we didn't have many mass shootings in general, before and after that.
Having said that, I requested this book because even if we don't have them, we know about USA mass (school) shootings. I live-read about the Parkland mass school shooting in 2018 on Twitter, and follow some of the survivors on social media because of their fight against gun violence. I read on Wikipedia about these events, analysis on the perpetrator(s), about the aftermath of victims' families and survivors, and how these experiences changed them.
But -thank God- I don't know anything about mass shootings.
The book has three parts, each of them told in the perspective of two girls and one boy, respectively. All three of them hid together under a staircase a year ago, when someone started shooting their classmates on the hallway.
The first part is about Claire, a survivor that decided to move out of town after what happened. She and her brother, a now-retired professional skater since he decided to look after his sister after their parents died, survive day by day with Claire clearly having PTSD.
This is the only story that I didn't like that much. I don't think the third person narration does much for this character and her story, since she clearly has feelings we as readers can't access, and her reactions to and experiences with her new friends -Dark, Legs and my personal favorite, God- were kinda lost for me. It also felt as an unfinished story since it had so much more to explore! We just started getting into Dark's life and problems when the first part ended, but we can't get into them because it's not about him, it's not about their friendship, so we miss that as well. I also don't think the Frankestein and the Monster idea was 100% well executed; it felt kinda disconnected to the rest of the story, so it didn't do much for me as a reader.
But then we get into Eleanor's story-- and I truly liked it! I like Eleanor, could connect with her and her problems, and cheered for her when everyone else didn't. The narration switches to first person for this story and I think it gets better because now we got access to her feelings and thoughts, even when she didn't want to have them-- she wanted all of it to end, she wanted to kind of get over everything like the rest of the schools seemed to do. Even when her parents and her boyfriend tried really hard to understand her, they couldn't. Her boyfriend is also a survivor, but he wasn't hidden under that staircase while hearing the shooting and people dying. He doesn't /get/ it.
And last but not least, my favorite story of the three: the Brezzen's story.
After a year of hiding in his house and being homeschooled, Brendan's parents and psychologist decided that it's time for him to try and go back to school. He refuses at first, but his psychologist, who's been playing Wizard's & Warriors with him, helps him get into this adventure kind of as a quest for his character. He goes back to school with his hand-drawn map, reunites with some of his friends and has to spend his school hours in the same place a year ago someone shoot and killed four people. He even has to go through the same corridor, the same staircase.
I was a little confused at first because I have literally zero experience with Dungeon & Dragons kind of games, but once I started to get the slang I 100% got into the story. I loved how the game and strategy helped him go through some things and how anxiety-driven some of the scenes were. Brendan rolling the dice was great, since I recognized myself doing things with my hands when I start getting anxious, mostly at social gatherings.
I honestly think this is a really good book. I really enjoyed the writing and even if I didn't like Claire's story, I could totally /see/ her. Her reaction to some of their friends' actions, words or drawings were real and reflected the PTSD she's going through. I could see some of the survivor's fight in Eleanor's story and the reaction she ignited in some ignorant, violence-driven people. And I think Brendan's story is the best, because its coping mechanisms were great, and real, and authetic, and even enjoyable, because you cheered for him and wanted him to get better, to face his fears, to look at Medusa in the eye and say "I'm afraid and that's okay!!!" to her face.
Also, they all appear in each other's story, and that was a great detail.
I'm glad I read this book and I'm thankful that mass school shootings are accesible to young readers through fiction. You don't have to physically experience it (and I hope no one else has to, ever) to demand stricter gun regulations, fight for the end of gun violence and for a better mental universal healthcare. We all stand with survivors, we all ask for the same thing. And in the author's words, with a little bit of s spoiler for the acknowledgments: "I want to thank everyone who, like me, has had enough. The survivors. The activists. The everyday people who simple won't let this keep happening. Keep going. Keep going. We can fix this."
books_coffee_oxfordcommas's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Gun violence
twilfitt's review
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
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