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halem13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Self harm, Violence, Racism, Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Slavery
sunshinesyst3m's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Do you know those books that completely wreck your feelings and ruin your life but is so genuinely amazing that you recommend it to all of your friends? This is one of those books. please read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Gore, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Racism, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Police brutality
amplawrence's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Violence, Death, Mental illness, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Slavery and Rape
rosegoldteacher's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
As someone with severe anxiety, a lot of this book was difficult to listen to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Mass/school shootings
sofiajearally's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Even though I did like it, I am disappointed in this book because I really wanted to LOVE it.
The thing that I enjoyed the most was Alex's and Isiah's relationship and how it blossoms as the story goes. How gentle Alex gets with his little brother, and how loving and trusting Isiah is... How they show their love for each other without any shame, because there shouldn't be any shame in that, despite what society says. The softness and the tenderness shine through. It made me teary and even weep many times. I wish we had more of it, but that's the whole point of the book, so...
Unfortunately, that was just 200 pages out of more than 300. The pacing felt off to me, especially the beginning which was dragging. The last 40 pages, after the main event, were also tedious to go through; I honestly didn't care for it and it seemed weirdly laid out to me.
The writing was repetitive, I honestly got sick of Alex "cancelling visions of him unlocking his phone then unlocking it". I think the author should have given more credit to her readers and assume that we would remember how these visions work without spelling it out for us every single damn time. Repetitive also in the concepts and ideas that the characters have, especially concerning how to break the curse. They seemed to have a breakthrough every time but it was always the same idea. Again. We get it.
There were also elements that I personally didn't care that much about, like the romantic subplot but that's personal I guess. The take of the author on the other themes explored in the book: family, legacy, racism, anxiety, was nicely done. The "joy in the face of adversity" theme was, I thought, beautiful, and written with true sincerity and love from the author. I hope she gets to write that book about Black boy joy because I have no doubt it will be amazing.
Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations and I feel like so much more could have been done with the same premises, plot and characters.
The thing that I enjoyed the most was Alex's and Isiah's relationship and how it blossoms as the story goes. How gentle Alex gets with his little brother, and how loving and trusting Isiah is... How they show their love for each other without any shame, because there shouldn't be any shame in that, despite what society says. The softness and the tenderness shine through. It made me teary and even weep many times. I wish we had more of it, but that's the whole point of the book, so...
Unfortunately, that was just 200 pages out of more than 300. The pacing felt off to me, especially the beginning which was dragging. The last 40 pages, after the main event, were also tedious to go through; I honestly didn't care for it and it seemed weirdly laid out to me.
The writing was repetitive, I honestly got sick of Alex "cancelling visions of him unlocking his phone then unlocking it". I think the author should have given more credit to her readers and assume that we would remember how these visions work without spelling it out for us every single damn time. Repetitive also in the concepts and ideas that the characters have, especially concerning how to break the curse. They seemed to have a breakthrough every time but it was always the same idea. Again. We get it.
There were also elements that I personally didn't care that much about, like the romantic subplot but that's personal I guess. The take of the author on the other themes explored in the book: family, legacy, racism, anxiety, was nicely done. The "joy in the face of adversity" theme was, I thought, beautiful, and written with true sincerity and love from the author. I hope she gets to write that book about Black boy joy because I have no doubt it will be amazing.
Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations and I feel like so much more could have been done with the same premises, plot and characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Car accident, and Grief
Minor: Police brutality and Blood
kaidoz's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book had an interesting premise and lived up to it. It also included reflection on the current state of how black boys in America must live.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gore, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Self harm, Car accident, and Cursing
Minor: Slavery, Sexual content, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Cost of Knowing is a perfectly decent book. There were a lot of themes we’ve seen before – ones that are still important, don’t get me wrong – but from an objective storytelling point of view these themes are not especially unique. I think my favorite part of this book was at the very end in the authors note. Brittney Morris shared that she set out to write a book about joy and found that before she could do that, she had to write a book about joy-despite. I really like how she expressed that, and it’s something I’m going to keep in mind as I continue to read books similar to The Cost of Knowing.
This book is about Alex and Isaiah. Ever since their parents’ death, Alex can see into the future. The longer he touches an object in the palm of his hand, the long he can see it. For him, it’s a curse. He finds himself living in a place of fear and anxiety and he just wants it to go away.
From a character point of view, I think Isaiah was my favorite. Isaiah is the most honest characterin the book and the best motivated. He seems to be the only one taking time to understand his world… despite the fact that for the first half the book, Isaiah early leaves his room. My main concern about characterization was how abruptly individual behaviors changed. A single comment would adjust the course of the relationship – for good or bad. Direct actions didn’t seem to have any long-lasting consequences. In fact, the most spontaneous and unthinking the characters were being, the more the story moved forward.
Morris’s writing style is easy to read. It’s light on descriptor and spends most the time in the characters heads unravelling their thoughts. I think I’d like a better overall balance, but it wasn’t bad, especially considering she was inhabiting a character with a slightly different life experience from her own. The thing that bothered me most about the story from a technical point of view were he first fifty pages. Everything that happened in the fist fifty pages was summarized in the book’s summary blurb. The beginning of the book was far too slow and then it wrapped up and people moved on far too quickly. It made the pacing a little wonky.
Should you read The Cost of Knowing? Absolutely yes! It’s a sibling story, a quiet sort of superpower story, a story calling out racism of all shades, and it is a book about overcoming your fears. It’s an overall enjoyable read and certainly something I’d recommend picking up at your library. It’s also a quick read, which are nice to throw inhere or there. It’s not going to make you cry like Dear Martin or something similar, but it is nevertheless a worthy novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Self harm and Slavery
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