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bettielovesbooks's review
4.0
I have no words to describe this books, it made me feel so much, love, despair, anxiety, sadness, hope. The things the characters went through I wouldn’t wish on anyone, and all written and such a beautiful and imaginative way.
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
You know how, when you read a high fantasy, you start off confused because you don't know the world yet and then slowly, as you read, you find out more and more stuff and by the end, you familiar with everything (given that the book you're reading doesn't suck). Well, imagine that scenario, but the opposite.
Going into the novel, I though I had a fair idea of what I was getting myself into, a YA contemporary with featured a protagonist with a mental illness. After finishing, my reaction is on the lines of 'What just happened?'.
The author left a lot for the reader to speculate and while a part of me likes that, I have so many questions. But synopsis first: The protagonist is Ozzie and his boyfriend has disappeared. Like, not run away or gone missing, but erased from existence. No one remembers him and all traces that there was ever a guy names Tommy have vanished. But Ozzie remembers him and he's determined to find him. Even if everyone thinks he's delusional and the universe is rapidly shrinking.
Yes, you read correctly. The universe is shrinking. At least according to Ozzie it is. But that's not something I'm going to talk about. Just go with it, okay? This is a really good book with an increasingly intriguing plot. Of course, some might be bothered by the open-ended-ness of it and if you're one of those people who like their fiction to be more concrete, I'd suggest avoiding this one. But if you like strange stuff, this is a good choice. Still, I wanna know at least one thing because I do kinda like concrete stuff.
It's about Cal and Trent. Cal is the guy Ozzie teams up with to find his boyfriend and starts to like, despite not wanting to like him. Trent is a major douche. What I wanna know is what happened between the two of them. There's history there and I there were hints that stuff happened, but I don't know and it's bothering me.
And I'm sorry to those who haven't read the book to whom the above paragraph probably didn't make sense. I just have questions. And, before I turn the review into even more of a mess than it already feels like, let's talk characters.
We have Ozzie. Sarcastic, resilient Ozzie who can be a little self-absorbed but still cares deeply and is quite likable. We have Cal who is kind of broken. There's Trent the douchebag and two of Ozzie's friends, one of whom, Lua, is especially interesting. We also explore Ozzie's relationship with his parents, who are getting a divorce, and his brother, who's joining the army. Then, of course, there's Tommy, the maybe-imaginary boyfriend. We get chapters of moments that Ozzie remembers between himself and Tommy. Safe to say, there are a lot of people in Ozzie's complicated life and they're all balanced really well.
Also, this isn't a short book, but it doesn't feel long because it pulls you in. There are many unexpected turns. You could even say that all the turns are unexpected. It's really interesting, seeing what's going on and trying to guess what will happen next.
Overall, I've already told you to whom I'd recommend the book. It's a really good one and definitely worth checking out.
You know how, when you read a high fantasy, you start off confused because you don't know the world yet and then slowly, as you read, you find out more and more stuff and by the end, you familiar with everything (given that the book you're reading doesn't suck). Well, imagine that scenario, but the opposite.
Going into the novel, I though I had a fair idea of what I was getting myself into, a YA contemporary with featured a protagonist with a mental illness. After finishing, my reaction is on the lines of 'What just happened?'.
The author left a lot for the reader to speculate and while a part of me likes that, I have so many questions. But synopsis first: The protagonist is Ozzie and his boyfriend has disappeared. Like, not run away or gone missing, but erased from existence. No one remembers him and all traces that there was ever a guy names Tommy have vanished. But Ozzie remembers him and he's determined to find him. Even if everyone thinks he's delusional and the universe is rapidly shrinking.
Yes, you read correctly. The universe is shrinking. At least according to Ozzie it is. But that's not something I'm going to talk about. Just go with it, okay? This is a really good book with an increasingly intriguing plot. Of course, some might be bothered by the open-ended-ness of it and if you're one of those people who like their fiction to be more concrete, I'd suggest avoiding this one. But if you like strange stuff, this is a good choice. Still, I wanna know at least one thing because I do kinda like concrete stuff.
It's about Cal and Trent. Cal is the guy Ozzie teams up with to find his boyfriend and starts to like, despite not wanting to like him. Trent is a major douche. What I wanna know is what happened between the two of them. There's history there and I there were hints that stuff happened, but I don't know and it's bothering me.
And I'm sorry to those who haven't read the book to whom the above paragraph probably didn't make sense. I just have questions. And, before I turn the review into even more of a mess than it already feels like, let's talk characters.
We have Ozzie. Sarcastic, resilient Ozzie who can be a little self-absorbed but still cares deeply and is quite likable. We have Cal who is kind of broken. There's Trent the douchebag and two of Ozzie's friends, one of whom, Lua, is especially interesting. We also explore Ozzie's relationship with his parents, who are getting a divorce, and his brother, who's joining the army. Then, of course, there's Tommy, the maybe-imaginary boyfriend. We get chapters of moments that Ozzie remembers between himself and Tommy. Safe to say, there are a lot of people in Ozzie's complicated life and they're all balanced really well.
Also, this isn't a short book, but it doesn't feel long because it pulls you in. There are many unexpected turns. You could even say that all the turns are unexpected. It's really interesting, seeing what's going on and trying to guess what will happen next.
Overall, I've already told you to whom I'd recommend the book. It's a really good one and definitely worth checking out.
akookieforyou's review against another edition
4.0
"The funny thing is,' Calvin said, 'I thought I'd been breathing underwater this whole time, but I guess I've been drowning."
This books, in my opinion, isn't as good as We Are The Ants, but I still really liked it. It has a really interesting premise, and some really unique and different characters. I just didn't connect with this story the same way I had with the other one.
This books, in my opinion, isn't as good as We Are The Ants, but I still really liked it. It has a really interesting premise,
Spoiler
though a rather disappointing, and lackluster endingmilana2005's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Admittedly, it has been years since I’ve read this book, but I still feel strongly for it. Shaun David Hutchinson was the first author to make me fall in love with reading, this was the first book I reread.
jazz1e_01's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely love this book! This is without a shadow of a doubt my favorite book of all time!! I loved everything about the characters and their personalities,personal struggles and developments.
The structure of the chapter titles is gorgeously illustrated. As the numbers get so much smaller you can really tell when the panic starts to make decisions for mmc that change relationships they have within the universe.
I cannot recommend this book more! If you are looking for a little bit unrequited love - friends to lovers to friends. Lots of strong and emotionally intelligent queer characters, while there also being the queer characters that a still working out what is happening within the own heads.
There is a handful of trigger in this story that i cannot remember all of them, so read at your own risk.
The structure of the chapter titles is gorgeously illustrated. As the numbers get so much smaller you can really tell when the panic starts to make decisions for mmc that change relationships they have within the universe.
I cannot recommend this book more! If you are looking for a little bit unrequited love - friends to lovers to friends. Lots of strong and emotionally intelligent queer characters, while there also being the queer characters that a still working out what is happening within the own heads.
There is a handful of trigger in this story that i cannot remember all of them, so read at your own risk.
kvreadsandrecs's review against another edition
4.0
What a seriously bizarre read. I did, however, enjoy it. Made me think a whole lot about how I'm living my life. I guess that's what good books do?
ian_hasumi's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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? Yes
5.0
scooppy's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
OMG THAT WAS SO GOOOOOOOOOOOD. The ending made me real sad though but also kinda happy. Such a well written story that you might think is about science fiction and mystery but it is actually about a lot of things that are not so scifi like mental illness, growing up, abuse and a little bit of romance.
OMG THAT WAS SO GOOOOOOOOOOOD. The ending made me real sad though but also kinda happy. Such a well written story that you might think is about science fiction and mystery but it is actually about a lot of things that are not so scifi like mental illness, growing up, abuse and a little bit of romance.
jessicajessica101's review against another edition
5.0
4,5
« You can choose to be happy with what life gives you,” he said, “or spend your life miserable. I choose happiness. It’s really that simple. »
At the edge of the universe est un livre perturbant, totalement, et je pense qu'il a totalement tout embrouillé dans ma tête, tout le long du livre, je ne savais pas à quoi m'attendre, je ne savais pas quoi penser, ce qui s'était passé, ce qui allé se passer, tout était confus, j'étais dans le brouillard le plus total, et sans vouloir me vanter, ça m'arrive très rarement en lisant du YA.
Mais j'ai aimé cette sensation, tout simplement parce qu'ainsi, je me suis sentie encore plus proche de Ozzie. J'étais aussi confuse que lui, aussi perdue que lui, je ne comprendrais pas ce qui se passait, ce qui était vrai, ce qui était faux, tout ce que je savais c'était ce dont il se souvenait, et à quel point rien ne concordait, et je pense que c'était vraiment le but de l'auteur, nous montrer que parfois notre esprit est totalement sans dessus dessous, mais que ça ne veut pas dire pour autant qu'on ne peut pas retrouver notre route.
« Feelings are intangible,” he said. “You can’t see them, can’t touch them. You can hurt and no one would know. But physical pain is real. You can see blood and broken bones. It’s simple in a way feelings are not, and cutting makes the abstract pain of feelings substantial. »
Encore une fois, j'ai aimé dans ce livre toute la diversité de sujet que l'auteur a su mêler. Ce livre traite d'énormément de sujet lourds, et comme dans les autres livres de l'auteur, tout se mélange, tout nous confuse, mais à la fin, seul compte ce qu'on fait de ce qui nous est arrivé. Soit on laisse nos souvenirs nous détruire, soit on les combat et on les terrasse, c'est ce qu'à fait Ozzie, c'est qu'à fait Calvin, mais aussi Diego et Andrew, et j'ai encore une fois aimé cet aspect là de ce livre.
« I didn’t even need to check my phone to know that the universe had shrunk again, and the stars had vanished.
No. They hadn’t vanished. I’d given them away to someone who hadn’t deserved them, and I’d never get them back. »
// SPOILERS // L'histoire de ATEOTU est perturbante oui, elle est singulière et peut nous sembler totalement fantastique, mais je pense qu'elle représente plutôt bien l'univers des maladies mentales en général. Ozzie avait perdu tout ses repères suite au divorce de ses parents, au départ imminent de son frère, à sa rupture soudaine avec Tommy, et son cerveau pour se protéger a juste effacé Tommy, pour oublier à quel point il souffrait, et pour essayer de survivre, alors il a continuer à vivre sa vie, mais quelque chose manquait quelque chose ne collait pas totalement, il sentait que tout n'était pas comme avant, Tommy était le centre de son univers, et soudaine, cet univers se met à perdre de son ampleur, jusqu'à ne plus exister. Mais malgré tout, il se rattache à ses souvenirs, ses souvenirs heureux, et il s'y rattache dès que quelque chose n'allait pas (je suis la seule à avoir vite remarqué que dès qu'il se passait quelque chose de difficile pour Ozzie, l'univers rétrécissait plus vite et on avait juste après un chapitre avec un souvenir de Tommy ?)
En cela j'ai trouvé l'histoire et la morale de ce livre très belle ainsi que la fin, j'avoue que, l'éternelle romantique que je suis, était déçue, mais au vu du livre, l'auteur n'aurait clairement pas pu faire mieux.
PS : Les commentaires que j'avais lu qui disait que At the Edge of the Universe était un remake de We are the Ant, WTF ?
« You can choose to be happy with what life gives you,” he said, “or spend your life miserable. I choose happiness. It’s really that simple. »
At the edge of the universe est un livre perturbant, totalement, et je pense qu'il a totalement tout embrouillé dans ma tête, tout le long du livre, je ne savais pas à quoi m'attendre, je ne savais pas quoi penser, ce qui s'était passé, ce qui allé se passer, tout était confus, j'étais dans le brouillard le plus total, et sans vouloir me vanter, ça m'arrive très rarement en lisant du YA.
Mais j'ai aimé cette sensation, tout simplement parce qu'ainsi, je me suis sentie encore plus proche de Ozzie. J'étais aussi confuse que lui, aussi perdue que lui, je ne comprendrais pas ce qui se passait, ce qui était vrai, ce qui était faux, tout ce que je savais c'était ce dont il se souvenait, et à quel point rien ne concordait, et je pense que c'était vraiment le but de l'auteur, nous montrer que parfois notre esprit est totalement sans dessus dessous, mais que ça ne veut pas dire pour autant qu'on ne peut pas retrouver notre route.
« Feelings are intangible,” he said. “You can’t see them, can’t touch them. You can hurt and no one would know. But physical pain is real. You can see blood and broken bones. It’s simple in a way feelings are not, and cutting makes the abstract pain of feelings substantial. »
Encore une fois, j'ai aimé dans ce livre toute la diversité de sujet que l'auteur a su mêler. Ce livre traite d'énormément de sujet lourds, et comme dans les autres livres de l'auteur, tout se mélange, tout nous confuse, mais à la fin, seul compte ce qu'on fait de ce qui nous est arrivé. Soit on laisse nos souvenirs nous détruire, soit on les combat et on les terrasse, c'est ce qu'à fait Ozzie, c'est qu'à fait Calvin, mais aussi Diego et Andrew, et j'ai encore une fois aimé cet aspect là de ce livre.
« I didn’t even need to check my phone to know that the universe had shrunk again, and the stars had vanished.
No. They hadn’t vanished. I’d given them away to someone who hadn’t deserved them, and I’d never get them back. »
// SPOILERS // L'histoire de ATEOTU est perturbante oui, elle est singulière et peut nous sembler totalement fantastique, mais je pense qu'elle représente plutôt bien l'univers des maladies mentales en général. Ozzie avait perdu tout ses repères suite au divorce de ses parents, au départ imminent de son frère, à sa rupture soudaine avec Tommy, et son cerveau pour se protéger a juste effacé Tommy, pour oublier à quel point il souffrait, et pour essayer de survivre, alors il a continuer à vivre sa vie, mais quelque chose manquait quelque chose ne collait pas totalement, il sentait que tout n'était pas comme avant, Tommy était le centre de son univers, et soudaine, cet univers se met à perdre de son ampleur, jusqu'à ne plus exister. Mais malgré tout, il se rattache à ses souvenirs, ses souvenirs heureux, et il s'y rattache dès que quelque chose n'allait pas (je suis la seule à avoir vite remarqué que dès qu'il se passait quelque chose de difficile pour Ozzie, l'univers rétrécissait plus vite et on avait juste après un chapitre avec un souvenir de Tommy ?)
En cela j'ai trouvé l'histoire et la morale de ce livre très belle ainsi que la fin, j'avoue que, l'éternelle romantique que je suis, était déçue, mais au vu du livre, l'auteur n'aurait clairement pas pu faire mieux.
PS : Les commentaires que j'avais lu qui disait que At the Edge of the Universe était un remake de We are the Ant, WTF ?
jsncnrd's review against another edition
5.0
This book truly took a toll on my emotions. It made me feel feelings I did not know existed within me. At the Edge of the Universe is one of the saddest books I have ever read in my life. And I read a lot of sad books. It was also one of the most profoundly moving books I have ever read. It was as incredible look at the effects of trauma and the lengths that humans will go to to cope with grief and loss.
The concept was incredibly ambitious, and it was executed so flawlessly that it made me love the book even more. Ozzie was a fantastic main character, and he had a fascinating mind. BUT, I think Calvin was the best part of the book.
My heart ached as we delved deeper into Calvin’s plot line. He is one of my favorite characters in recent memory – one of the most complex and resilient. I cared so much about him, and I was truly rooting for him to find his happiness. Seeing him wade out into the sea at the edge of the universe, by himself, was one of the most powerful and emotional moments out of all the books I’ve read this year. HUGE trigger warning: Child sexual abuse is a topic that is difficult to write about, read about, and hear about. I think that Shaun portrayed its effects incredibly accurately – and it was done delicately and gracefully.
“No matter what happens, I want you to know that I care about you, Calvin Frye.” That line broke me into pieces. I couldn’t stop crying.
This book broke my fucking heart. It broke it more than once. There are a few books I’ve read in my life that make me emotional even just thinking about them – about the characters I loved and spent time with while reading their books. History Is All You Left Me, Here’s To Us, The Prettiest Star, From the Rooftops, and now – At the Edge of the Universe. This book will haunt me, but I think that's a good thing, because it left its mark on me.
If you can handle the emotionally heavy topics of suicide, self-harm, sexual abuse / assault, I would absolutely recommend this book.
The concept was incredibly ambitious, and it was executed so flawlessly that it made me love the book even more. Ozzie was a fantastic main character, and he had a fascinating mind. BUT, I think Calvin was the best part of the book.
My heart ached as we delved deeper into Calvin’s plot line. He is one of my favorite characters in recent memory – one of the most complex and resilient. I cared so much about him, and I was truly rooting for him to find his happiness. Seeing him wade out into the sea at the edge of the universe, by himself, was one of the most powerful and emotional moments out of all the books I’ve read this year. HUGE trigger warning: Child sexual abuse is a topic that is difficult to write about, read about, and hear about. I think that Shaun portrayed its effects incredibly accurately – and it was done delicately and gracefully.
“No matter what happens, I want you to know that I care about you, Calvin Frye.” That line broke me into pieces. I couldn’t stop crying.
This book broke my fucking heart. It broke it more than once. There are a few books I’ve read in my life that make me emotional even just thinking about them – about the characters I loved and spent time with while reading their books. History Is All You Left Me, Here’s To Us, The Prettiest Star, From the Rooftops, and now – At the Edge of the Universe. This book will haunt me, but I think that's a good thing, because it left its mark on me.
If you can handle the emotionally heavy topics of suicide, self-harm, sexual abuse / assault, I would absolutely recommend this book.