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writingcaia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
It’d probably be 4⭐️ if I had read the first version of this novel which didn’t include the new ending chapter. Like the author I definitely believe Aaron deserved more happy endings, and I’m glad he wrote them.
Aaron is young adult boy living in a poor Bronx neighbourhood with his mom and brother, trying to find love and friendship and who he is, and to forget his dad’s suicide and his own attempt at the same.
In a world where technology can erase traumas and past pains, people will make choices that will reverberated, in not always a great way, throughout their lives.
This is a coming of age story with a fantasy twist.
It was a very touching tale of the need to forget, of the need to remember, of crippling memories, of choices that are not choices at all, and those that are but seem to be taken from us.
Aaron is young adult boy living in a poor Bronx neighbourhood with his mom and brother, trying to find love and friendship and who he is, and to forget his dad’s suicide and his own attempt at the same.
In a world where technology can erase traumas and past pains, people will make choices that will reverberated, in not always a great way, throughout their lives.
This is a coming of age story with a fantasy twist.
It was a very touching tale of the need to forget, of the need to remember, of crippling memories, of choices that are not choices at all, and those that are but seem to be taken from us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment
19becky97's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Violence
clarmentine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
i'm gonna be honest, i really wasn't expecting a lot going into this. i picked it up because tbdate has been getting all the rave (and i mean all the rave. my tiktok fyp has been filled with videos of people crying over it for the past two weeks now) but it didn't seem like a book i'd enjoy, so i looked through adam silvera's other works and found that this had plenty of good reviews for a debut novel. i really had no idea what the plot was—just that it was a sad book about a sad gay. and that's all it took for me to go and purchase a physical copy.
so i had no idea what i was expecting but i was immediately surprised by the amount of characters that were introduced right off the bat as you crack into the book, and then somehow i got kinda bored of the story and felt extremely underwhelmed. if i had done a bit more research on the plot i think i definitely would've been more enthusiastic about reading it, but the experience i had with all the shock i felt from the twists made me glad that i went into it not knowing a thing. aaron is such a relatable character who almost felt comforting and made me feel cozy and cared for in a way. i know his battles, i understand his struggles, and i felt so drawn to him as if he was my best friend and not thomas'. i wanted what was best for him and every time he had a wrong thought, i would yell at him through the pages as if he was gonna come to life just to hear my nagging. before him, i'd never seen someone who'd been so dead set on offing themselves turn into someone so full of hope and believed that they had the chance to be happy again. i want that for everyone—i want it for myself.
it's been a couple hours since i finished reading, and i still feel heavy and shaken by this story; especially the last 30+ pages. even though it wasn't the ending i was hoping for, it opened my eyes to the reality that happy endings can still happen—even if they're not the kind we'd imagined.i love you aaron and thomas you're endgame in the alternate sun warden comic i'm writing in my head idc idc
so i had no idea what i was expecting but i was immediately surprised by the amount of characters that were introduced right off the bat as you crack into the book, and then somehow i got kinda bored of the story and felt extremely underwhelmed. if i had done a bit more research on the plot i think i definitely would've been more enthusiastic about reading it, but the experience i had with all the shock i felt from the twists made me glad that i went into it not knowing a thing. aaron is such a relatable character who almost felt comforting and made me feel cozy and cared for in a way. i know his battles, i understand his struggles, and i felt so drawn to him as if he was my best friend and not thomas'. i wanted what was best for him and every time he had a wrong thought, i would yell at him through the pages as if he was gonna come to life just to hear my nagging. before him, i'd never seen someone who'd been so dead set on offing themselves turn into someone so full of hope and believed that they had the chance to be happy again. i want that for everyone—i want it for myself.
it's been a couple hours since i finished reading, and i still feel heavy and shaken by this story; especially the last 30+ pages. even though it wasn't the ending i was hoping for, it opened my eyes to the reality that happy endings can still happen—even if they're not the kind we'd imagined.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction
sophialindd's review
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
i loved this book, definitely tied for my favorite with aristotle and dante. if you struggle with any form of mental illness i definitely recommend being in a good head space for reading this (heavily deals with suicide and is mentioned often). i related to aaron in so many ways and i feel like the story explained what it’s like to be a teenager in a way. the story was unpredictable which made it impossible to put down until i finished. i honestly bought this book because i loved they both die at the end, but i’m so glad i did since it’s so underrated. i think there’s a sequel in the making and i’m really excited to read that when it comes out. i also think it’s being turned into a movie?!? i just hope whoever plays aaron looks like the illustration on the book cover that i have. <spoilers> i honestly don’t think a book has ever made me cry more. i felt every emotion aaron went through and i wanted him to find happiness so badly. every time something bad would happen to him i had to put down the book and take a deep breath because i felt so bad. the plot twist shocked me and made me go back to read some of the beginning since it completely changed the meaning of everything that happened. thomas made me so mad. he led on aaron so much then dated his ex girlfriend?!? that’s so messed up. if a sequel to this book does come out i really think thomas is going to come out and try to get with aaron which will make me so mad. and how could thomas date genevieve after she took advantage of aaron how she did... i would never forgive either of them if i were aaron (even though they stuck with him during his amnesia but still, what they did was unforgivable).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse
evthodo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Mental illness, and Homophobia
charliepryounger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
lish_e's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It turns out that this isn’t just a story of finding acceptance and love as a young person. Because I thought that’s the way the plot would go. I was interested in the concept of the Leteo procedure and how it would play a part in the plot.
I didn’t like Thomas to be honest. So I wasn’t really fond of the way the story seemed to unfold at first.
…And then the plot twist hit and it started to be more captivating.
I didn’t like Thomas to be honest. So I wasn’t really fond of the way the story seemed to unfold at first.
…And then the plot twist hit and it started to be more captivating.
From that point on it got really sad. Because Aaron just wanted to forget. And as he decides he wants to remember all of the bad events and his sexuality he can’t anymore. It made the story so much better in a heartbreaking way. Because this isn’t just a story where the main character ended up with a partner and everyone remained friends. That made it more realistic and therefore bittersweet because Aaron tries to find happiness within himself and not by getting together with one of his friends in the end while he forgets more and more about his life.
“And while I wait, happiness exists where I can get it. In these notebooks, where worlds of memories greet me, almost like a childhood friend who moved away for years and finally came back home.
I’m more happy than not. Don’t forget me.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Dementia, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse
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