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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
2.0
2/5
Have to say I was excited for this book. I love reading about people and how they handle trauma. But with this book I felt like there was too many things going on at once.
Have to say I was excited for this book. I love reading about people and how they handle trauma. But with this book I felt like there was too many things going on at once.
booktok_nooktalk's review
dark
emotional
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? N/A
4.0
alongreader's review
5.0
I said this recently about another book, and I'm saying it again now; some books are very difficult to review, because they are so good, it feels pointless trying to explain how good they are. This is one of those books.
Faith has made some unusual choices, which help the story stand out. We don't see the shooting; the book picks up in the aftermath, and though there's a flashback, it's all from Betty's point of view, and she never gets close enough to see what's happening. We get a few bits of information from her sister and mother, but nothing substantial. We never even learn exactly why the gunman did it; he was angry at a clerk, and while we can fill in the gaps, we're not told why.
The other choice that stands out is that neither her mother nor sister are injured in the shooting. In current terms, they are 'lucky'. They were not hurt. That doesn't stop any of them from suffering in various ways. I ... well, I can't say I 'loved' or 'enjoyed' it, but the fact that all three women reacted in completely different ways felt very true to life. No one experiences anything the same way as anyone else, so why would we not all react differently as well? The gunman's brother and mother are also reacting in different ways, and that's a perspective we very rarely get in any kind of real way.
I loved the maybe love interest/maybe friend interest, and Antonio is awesome as well.
This was hard to read in spots. But I definitely recommend it. I think this needs to be in classrooms and libraries and bedrooms all over the country and beyond.
Faith has made some unusual choices, which help the story stand out. We don't see the shooting; the book picks up in the aftermath, and though there's a flashback, it's all from Betty's point of view, and she never gets close enough to see what's happening. We get a few bits of information from her sister and mother, but nothing substantial. We never even learn exactly why the gunman did it; he was angry at a clerk, and while we can fill in the gaps, we're not told why.
The other choice that stands out is that neither her mother nor sister are injured in the shooting. In current terms, they are 'lucky'. They were not hurt. That doesn't stop any of them from suffering in various ways. I ... well, I can't say I 'loved' or 'enjoyed' it, but the fact that all three women reacted in completely different ways felt very true to life. No one experiences anything the same way as anyone else, so why would we not all react differently as well? The gunman's brother and mother are also reacting in different ways, and that's a perspective we very rarely get in any kind of real way.
I loved the maybe love interest/maybe friend interest, and Antonio is awesome as well.
This was hard to read in spots. But I definitely recommend it. I think this needs to be in classrooms and libraries and bedrooms all over the country and beyond.
blodeuedd's review
3.0
When it come to YA I do prefer those with depth. Which is strange for when it comes to adult I am all about romance.
And this one deals with so much. There is a shooting and it leaves a family in shambles. Betty wants to go to the bottom of things and learn why!? Her sister pulls away from everything and everyone. Her mother goes on a crusade. So we see all sides.
Betty does take it far and befriends the shooter's brother, and he is unaware of it, as is her family.
It is a tragic book. The family comes by unscathed, but the psychological trauma has cut deep. It is real and raw. I also listened to it just after one of the millionth school shootings and it does feel like you sometimes forget how much those that survive deal with.
A good thought provoking book
Great narration. It is a difficult subject and she does it well, she puts a face to all the characters.
And this one deals with so much. There is a shooting and it leaves a family in shambles. Betty wants to go to the bottom of things and learn why!? Her sister pulls away from everything and everyone. Her mother goes on a crusade. So we see all sides.
Betty does take it far and befriends the shooter's brother, and he is unaware of it, as is her family.
It is a tragic book. The family comes by unscathed, but the psychological trauma has cut deep. It is real and raw. I also listened to it just after one of the millionth school shootings and it does feel like you sometimes forget how much those that survive deal with.
A good thought provoking book
Great narration. It is a difficult subject and she does it well, she puts a face to all the characters.
zbrarian's review
3.0
This was a different read. A shooting occurs at a mall and throughout the story the reader in immersed in Betty’s PTSD, as a side- victim. Not even sure that’s the correct wording. Her mother and sister were right in the middle of the shooting, she was outside of the store when it happened. We see how she deals with her PTSD, as we see the path her mother and sister take. This was a hard read to get through. I didn’t really connect with the protagonist. To truly get to center of her PTSD, took a very long time. The relationship with the shooter’s brother was also drawn out. I would give this one 3.5 stars, just for the fact that we see the survivor’s side of a shooting and what it was like to come out the other side.
isobel_shobs's review
emotional
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? No
3.5