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goosemixtapes's review against another edition
3.0
in general, i just wanted more from this book - more development of the characters, more development of gus and kalyn's relationship (though their friendship WAS the strongest aspect of this book imo), more of a solid stance on prison abolition (not that every YA book can be expected to be prison abolitionist, but this one felt like it got halfway and never settled on "maybe prisons aren't great"), more of the main characters' parents' backstory. the backstory, in particular, made the ending reveals fall a little flat for me. the book isn't really a murder mystery, though there is a murder and the details are unknown - it's not a thriller, and so i can accept that maybe we aren't supposed to be able to guess the end, because gus and kalyn are in the dark, too. but everything seemed to wrap up very, very quickly, to the point where i almost wondered if the backstory should have been told in a dual timeline rather than summarized in one chapter (though i'm a slut for dual timelines, so maybe that's just me). also i kind of just couldn't stand phil; maybe that was the point, but i wasn't sure why he was necessary at all.
again, though, i really loved the friendship between gus and kalyn (and the rep!!! lesbian MC!! bi MC with cerebral palsy!! a healthy and completely nonromantic friendship between a guy & girl, the sort i would have killed for in middle school!!!), and all in all this was a fun read, even if it ended up a little unsatisfying.
again, though, i really loved the friendship between gus and kalyn (and the rep!!! lesbian MC!! bi MC with cerebral palsy!! a healthy and completely nonromantic friendship between a guy & girl, the sort i would have killed for in middle school!!!), and all in all this was a fun read, even if it ended up a little unsatisfying.
kthornette's review against another edition
4.0
read for Reading Challenge Champs: TBR Knockout !
Prompt: Book with no romance
I loved both Kayln and Gus’ POVs. They were such fun characters with in-depth backstories and development and it was cool to see them work out their friendship once their pasts intertwined on the surface.
Also, no romance was something refreshing to see.
Prompt: Book with no romance
I loved both Kayln and Gus’ POVs. They were such fun characters with in-depth backstories and development and it was cool to see them work out their friendship once their pasts intertwined on the surface.
Also, no romance was something refreshing to see.
thereadingchallengechallenge's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This book had everything I like in a YA contemporary-slash-mystery. An angry girl who likes girls and doesn't take shit from anyone. A physically disabled character who is more than his disability. A weird sidekick who slowly grows on you. And a satisfying though bittersweet ending that really makes you think about the ways humans treat each other. I loved this. Give Wild and Crooked a go if you like unlikable characters and plots a little left-of-centre.
jisnthome's review against another edition
4.0
It’s like Romeo and Juliet—if Romeo and Juliet weren’t star-crossed lovers and actually besties. Platonic soulmates, if you will. Wild and Crooked is a fast paced, multiple POV, chaotic telling of what it’s like to be chronically ill, gay, have a family member in jail, and be the type of person who plays D&D. All set in a small town.
eshults11's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
blok_sera_szwajcarskiego's review against another edition
5.0
SO GLAD I REJECTED SLEEP TO END THIS BOOK
beautiful
astonishing
so freaking humourous and heart-breaking
so so good
really reminded me about 'good girl's guide to murder' and actually managed to reach its level
I adore it with all my shattered heart
beautiful
astonishing
so freaking humourous and heart-breaking
so so good
really reminded me about 'good girl's guide to murder' and actually managed to reach its level
I adore it with all my shattered heart
morebedsidebooks's review against another edition
mysterious
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Ableism, Bullying, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Lesbophobia, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Classism
Also mentions conversion therapyjordandotcom's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so cathartic for me. Catharsis for what? I don’t know but I’m definitely crying.
biblioemily's review against another edition
4.0
There's enough swearing and the issues are complex enough that this is probably best for high school. I'd have no qualms about giving it to mature 8th graders with a warning about language/themes. One m.c. is pansexual and the other is a lesbian. And it's not a romance! Yay for an LGBTQ friendship story!
jessyhayward's review against another edition
2.0
I had high hopes for this story, being a lgbtq+ book focusing on platonic relationships and disabled characters. The plot and backstories sounded interesting, and to their credit, they were. I loved Gus and his chapters, and Kalyn was decent (although a tad boring).
Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book. The representation and characters were fine, but the writing was so, so monotonous. I reached 60% before I decided to just DNF this one. I was super bored, like need-a-nap bored, and honestly think this was a waste of time.
That being said, I may not be the target audience simply because I don’t usually read contemporary novels. If you do, give this a chance because again, this may be a personal taste issue.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book. The representation and characters were fine, but the writing was so, so monotonous. I reached 60% before I decided to just DNF this one. I was super bored, like need-a-nap bored, and honestly think this was a waste of time.
That being said, I may not be the target audience simply because I don’t usually read contemporary novels. If you do, give this a chance because again, this may be a personal taste issue.