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eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
Aaron Soto is sixteen years old and his family has recently suffered a great tragedy. He's struggling to find happiness, and his girlfriend and his new best friend, Thomas, are two people who help. But as he and Thomas get closer, he discovers things that he would rather not know and, lucky for him, there's a medical procedure that can help suppress memories. Now it's up to him to decide if forgetting is really the best option.
And from that, and the fact that the book is written by Adam Silvera, it's easy to guess why there's so much hype. Like, there are people promising heartbreak and blown minds. Unfortunately, I'm kinda disappointed. This is a good book but, and I hate that I'm saying this, it reads like it was written by a guy. You know, the kind of book you imagine that a guy in his early to mid-twenties would write; lacking an emotional punch. Because even though I liked the story and thought the characters were interesting, I didn't care like I was supposed to.
Aaron is dealing with depression and somewhat of a crisis of identity. He wants to be happy but doesn't know how. He wants things to be right but we all know what simply wanting something doesn't make it happen. He's so confused and desolate that it should've had me practically in tears. But there was nothing.
The pace of the book was also a bit fast. We didn't get enough time to marinate in the events and revelations. I didn't feel nearly enough of an emotions connection to any of the characters, which is something I feel is very important when you're reading a contemporary. I liked the addition of the memory suppressing procedure, Lateo. It was very interesting. At first it felt out-of-place but it was quite well incorporated in the world.
The story was really good and I loved how realistic it all was. The book isn't set in the best kind of neighbourhood and Adam Silvera doesn't try to censor what goes on in the place, which I applaud because this is something that kids live every day. The rest of the world needs to see that not every teenager's life is about highschool drama and prom dates. I mean, there's nothing wrong with those — there are some truly great stories told in that setting — but it was nice seeing something different.
Overall, I liked the book but I wish it made me care more. I still think it's worth a read though. And if not this one, then you should definitely the author's other books. History is All You Left Me, for example, is amazing.
Aaron Soto is sixteen years old and his family has recently suffered a great tragedy. He's struggling to find happiness, and his girlfriend and his new best friend, Thomas, are two people who help. But as he and Thomas get closer, he discovers things that he would rather not know and, lucky for him, there's a medical procedure that can help suppress memories. Now it's up to him to decide if forgetting is really the best option.
And from that, and the fact that the book is written by Adam Silvera, it's easy to guess why there's so much hype. Like, there are people promising heartbreak and blown minds. Unfortunately, I'm kinda disappointed. This is a good book but, and I hate that I'm saying this, it reads like it was written by a guy. You know, the kind of book you imagine that a guy in his early to mid-twenties would write; lacking an emotional punch. Because even though I liked the story and thought the characters were interesting, I didn't care like I was supposed to.
Aaron is dealing with depression and somewhat of a crisis of identity. He wants to be happy but doesn't know how. He wants things to be right but we all know what simply wanting something doesn't make it happen. He's so confused and desolate that it should've had me practically in tears. But there was nothing.
The pace of the book was also a bit fast. We didn't get enough time to marinate in the events and revelations. I didn't feel nearly enough of an emotions connection to any of the characters, which is something I feel is very important when you're reading a contemporary. I liked the addition of the memory suppressing procedure, Lateo. It was very interesting. At first it felt out-of-place but it was quite well incorporated in the world.
The story was really good and I loved how realistic it all was. The book isn't set in the best kind of neighbourhood and Adam Silvera doesn't try to censor what goes on in the place, which I applaud because this is something that kids live every day. The rest of the world needs to see that not every teenager's life is about highschool drama and prom dates. I mean, there's nothing wrong with those — there are some truly great stories told in that setting — but it was nice seeing something different.
Overall, I liked the book but I wish it made me care more. I still think it's worth a read though. And if not this one, then you should definitely the author's other books. History is All You Left Me, for example, is amazing.
faeriesparks's review
3.0
I enjoyed this book but I wasn't as blown away as most people seem to be. There was a lot of build-up to the story and for the longest time I was wondering when something would finally happen. But Adam Silvera tackled some important topics in this book (for example; sexuality isn't a choice and it can't just be erased) and I would still recommend it!
gdennis633's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
5.0
sethsparksss's review against another edition
5.0
"I'm more happy than not. Don't forget me."
Trust me, I won't Aaron. This book was such an amazing important book for me. It was heartbreaking. But yet it was such an eye opener and definitely an unforgettable book!
Trust me, I won't Aaron. This book was such an amazing important book for me. It was heartbreaking. But yet it was such an eye opener and definitely an unforgettable book!
dj68's review
3.0
Good, but not great.
At the beginning of the book too many side-characters are introduced, and except for two of them, they are so blandly described that you struggle to remember who is who for the rest of the book. Unless you make the characters really outstanding, not even seasoned writers with decades of books' worth can make it work - even Stephen King has been guilty of this in later years.
I didn't feel as much for the characters as I did with "They Both Die at the End" or "History is All You Left Me". Of course, this is Silvera's first book, so some rough edges are to be expected.
And now to the twist ...
*SPOILER*
All in all, worth a read, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.
At the beginning of the book too many side-characters are introduced, and except for two of them, they are so blandly described that you struggle to remember who is who for the rest of the book. Unless you make the characters really outstanding, not even seasoned writers with decades of books' worth can make it work - even Stephen King has been guilty of this in later years.
I didn't feel as much for the characters as I did with "They Both Die at the End" or "History is All You Left Me". Of course, this is Silvera's first book, so some rough edges are to be expected.
And now to the twist ...
*SPOILER*
Spoiler
When we a little more than halfway through the book learn that Aaron actually had the procedure at Leteo, I felt cheated. To me it was a cheap twist that just seemed like an afterthought. It made it all more confusing and made me doubt how much of the rest of the book was real or false memories or whatever. Overall the whole Leteo thing actually didn't sit well with me.All in all, worth a read, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.
alexan13's review against another edition
5.0
It's been a while since a book made me ugly cry. This book made me sob.
sovngarde's review against another edition
4.0
This book really hurt. I haven't gotten this emotional over a book in a long, long time.
annaper's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0