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a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
As with all the books in this series, this is about decisions - decisions whether to listen, to be heard, to change. It literally takes only one person to bring about impressive results. However it also takes knowledge, and this showed how vital it is to realize that every situation, motive, or action, always has two sides to its story. Jumping to conclusions can have just as dire consequences as inaction, and it was a tough lesson to learn.
This was also about growth. Kyle may be perfect in his ideas and determination, but he wasn't infallible. His one track mind on righting wrongs was almost too black and white, preventing him from seeing the whole picture and shutting off those people he had originally set out to protect and support. Of course he does come around and he does realize the error of his ways, but Goode is excellent at throwing wrenches into the most obvious of plans.
Here, Brad was able to shine the most. He had goals, he had heart, and though he meticulously planned his future and had it at his fingertips, he once again refused to make any more concessions on who he is and what he wants. I loved that about him.
For some reason, this was the hardest book to get through. Harsh in subject matter, I flinched at the pull no punches attitude. I wanted a 100% fairy tale ending for Kyle, and especially Brad, but real life isn't fair. Yes many things were resolved but they definitely have a tough road ahead. What continues is Goode's message of fostering community through his books, of reaching out to those who may feel alone and hopeless. Despite what may seem like a no-win situation, there is another alternative - you just have to take that first step and speak up.
This was also about growth. Kyle may be perfect in his ideas and determination, but he wasn't infallible. His one track mind on righting wrongs was almost too black and white, preventing him from seeing the whole picture and shutting off those people he had originally set out to protect and support. Of course he does come around and he does realize the error of his ways, but Goode is excellent at throwing wrenches into the most obvious of plans.
Here, Brad was able to shine the most. He had goals, he had heart, and though he meticulously planned his future and had it at his fingertips, he once again refused to make any more concessions on who he is and what he wants. I loved that about him.
For some reason, this was the hardest book to get through. Harsh in subject matter, I flinched at the pull no punches attitude. I wanted a 100% fairy tale ending for Kyle, and especially Brad, but real life isn't fair. Yes many things were resolved but they definitely have a tough road ahead. What continues is Goode's message of fostering community through his books, of reaching out to those who may feel alone and hopeless. Despite what may seem like a no-win situation, there is another alternative - you just have to take that first step and speak up.
ryanpfw's review against another edition
5.0
Incredibly strong.
The world is a depressing place, seeming more depressing every day. I could say this book isn’t entirely believable, that it’s naively optimistic, but as I write this, that works in its favor. It’s about Kyle Stilleno deciding to make the world a better place, being the one pebble in the pond, and succeeding. It’s messy. Not everyone survives. But it’s inspirational, and as the final chapter shows, it makes life just a little bit easier for someone else.
I adore the shit out of this series.
One plot point to add is we jump from narrator to narrator, backing up in time to bring us up to speed on the plot from their perspective. At times that jumbled me up as I was reading other books at the time, and sometimes you desperately wanted to see what happened but had to effectively start over and wait to catch up, but honestly, it works. These are well layered, fully realized characters in the end. Great stuff.
The world is a depressing place, seeming more depressing every day. I could say this book isn’t entirely believable, that it’s naively optimistic, but as I write this, that works in its favor. It’s about Kyle Stilleno deciding to make the world a better place, being the one pebble in the pond, and succeeding. It’s messy. Not everyone survives. But it’s inspirational, and as the final chapter shows, it makes life just a little bit easier for someone else.
I adore the shit out of this series.
One plot point to add is we jump from narrator to narrator, backing up in time to bring us up to speed on the plot from their perspective. At times that jumbled me up as I was reading other books at the time, and sometimes you desperately wanted to see what happened but had to effectively start over and wait to catch up, but honestly, it works. These are well layered, fully realized characters in the end. Great stuff.
dchrystal's review against another edition
5.0
Trying to gather my thoughts to write a review worthy of this book... not sure if that is even possible. Side note, I should NOT have read the last 10% of this book while at work... thankfully I am alone in the office the first hour... and that I wear water-proof mascara. :-)
liza5326's review against another edition
5.0
There are a few things I can guarantee will happen when I read a book by John Goode, especially one from the Foster High series: I am going to laugh, I am going to get angry, and at some point, I am going to cry like a baby. This was no exception. It picks up after the tragic events of End of Innocence and everyone is reeling from the loss of Kelly. You would think the bigotry and tragedy in Foster would stop there, but the hatred continues, another violent incident threatening to destroy the lives of Kyle, Brad, and the other student of Foster High. The emotional roller coaster had me up until 2 am because I had to finish it, I needed to know how it all ended. The varying POVs gave so much information, some going back to the first book, some even further. I just can't recommend this series enough!
anya_doesntmatter's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best books I have ever read in the MM genre not to mention the best book I have read thus far this year. What an ending to a beautiful series. John Goode, you did it again. I was riveted. I read this cover to cover in one sitting I was so on edge, dying to learn how this series would end. This last installment is very thought provoking and inspirational. I laughed and cried a few times, especially when the story ended. It was a bittersweet moment for me when I turned the last page because I knew I would be saying goodbye to Foster and all the characters I've grown to love.
Simply put, I love this series. Read it!
I would not recommend reading this as a standalone. Read the series from the beginning: [b:Maybe With a Chance of Certainty|12798818|Maybe With a Chance of Certainty (Tales from Foster High, #1)|John Goode|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386589241s/12798818.jpg|16453930]
valerie_lostmylifetobooks's review against another edition
4.0
Kyle and Brad, I miss you already.
I just want to say a superhuge thank you to you, guys, (and to John Goode of course) for making every day that I read this book a special one.
I'm always very early at school, half an hour sometimes, and I just went to sit at a table and read until the bell reminded me that, yes, I was in fact in a school and that, yes, I indeed had to hurry my ass up the stairs to not be late.
But every morning I woke up and looked forward to my busride and my half an hour at school, because I could spend it with Kyle and Brad and all the others. These books made me look at things from a new point of view, and I really like that about them. I like it that books can learn me things that school sometimes can't.
At the end of the book, I had this tune in my head and I found it fitting, so I'll mention it for a split second:
"I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line
You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line"
Anyway, thanks. Can't wait to hear from these boys again.
I just want to say a superhuge thank you to you, guys, (and to John Goode of course) for making every day that I read this book a special one.
I'm always very early at school, half an hour sometimes, and I just went to sit at a table and read until the bell reminded me that, yes, I was in fact in a school and that, yes, I indeed had to hurry my ass up the stairs to not be late.
But every morning I woke up and looked forward to my busride and my half an hour at school, because I could spend it with Kyle and Brad and all the others. These books made me look at things from a new point of view, and I really like that about them. I like it that books can learn me things that school sometimes can't.
At the end of the book, I had this tune in my head and I found it fitting, so I'll mention it for a split second:
"I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line
You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line"
Anyway, thanks. Can't wait to hear from these boys again.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This book finishes the Foster High series. I've become very attached to Brad and Kyle, and look forward to seeing them again as college students someday. But this story neatly wraps up the challenges of the town of Foster, and the fates of the people who live in it.
In some ways, this story is comfort-food. It's an affirmation that one person can change another person, and that if enough people do that, together they can change a town, and someday change the world.
Things happen in this book, both bad and good, but there is a pervasive sense of hope by the end. I appreciated that Kyle was allowed a few moments of being a jerk, and lost a little of his perfection and gained some humanity in the process. There were in fact, no perfect heroes and no pure villains in the story, just people with flaws and strengths and history. The effort to get the reader to empathize was well done, and if the eventual redemption was a bit universal across the characters, I think sometimes we all need that hope. Young adults most of all, perhaps.
I did feel that the device of showing the same scenes from more than one point of view led to too much repetition, particularly of dialogue, some of which I found myself skimming. It also resulted in a timeline that backtracked here and there, occasionally by years, and so this story didn't have the smooth flow of previous books in the series. On the positive side, the device gave us a deeper understanding of numerous characters and what motivated them. One of the hallmarks of a good story is that everyone's actions are well-motivated and understandable. There were no pure villains, just a lot of wrongdoing produced from old pain and hidden history.
This is one of several Young Adult books I've read lately that felt like a plea to teens, to learn from the painful experiences of those of us who came before. Like [b:Two Boys Kissing|17237214|Two Boys Kissing|David Levithan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364194940s/17237214.jpg|23756923], there were passages here which spoke eloquently and clearly the words I've more than once wanted to get some teenager to hear. And like with that book, I do wonder if this is something that a young audience will take away from the story, or something they will disregard as "grown-up preaching" and have to relearn through their own bitter experiences. But it never hurts to try, and I did read this in one straight marathon, eager to see not only Kyle and Brad, but Robbie, Tyler, Jennifer, Sammy and many others come through to the end of the story.
In some ways, this story is comfort-food. It's an affirmation that one person can change another person, and that if enough people do that, together they can change a town, and someday change the world.
Things happen in this book, both bad and good, but there is a pervasive sense of hope by the end. I appreciated that Kyle was allowed a few moments of being a jerk, and lost a little of his perfection and gained some humanity in the process. There were in fact, no perfect heroes and no pure villains in the story, just people with flaws and strengths and history. The effort to get the reader to empathize was well done, and if the eventual redemption was a bit universal across the characters, I think sometimes we all need that hope. Young adults most of all, perhaps.
I did feel that the device of showing the same scenes from more than one point of view led to too much repetition, particularly of dialogue, some of which I found myself skimming. It also resulted in a timeline that backtracked here and there, occasionally by years, and so this story didn't have the smooth flow of previous books in the series. On the positive side, the device gave us a deeper understanding of numerous characters and what motivated them. One of the hallmarks of a good story is that everyone's actions are well-motivated and understandable. There were no pure villains, just a lot of wrongdoing produced from old pain and hidden history.
This is one of several Young Adult books I've read lately that felt like a plea to teens, to learn from the painful experiences of those of us who came before. Like [b:Two Boys Kissing|17237214|Two Boys Kissing|David Levithan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364194940s/17237214.jpg|23756923], there were passages here which spoke eloquently and clearly the words I've more than once wanted to get some teenager to hear. And like with that book, I do wonder if this is something that a young audience will take away from the story, or something they will disregard as "grown-up preaching" and have to relearn through their own bitter experiences. But it never hurts to try, and I did read this in one straight marathon, eager to see not only Kyle and Brad, but Robbie, Tyler, Jennifer, Sammy and many others come through to the end of the story.
eitan's review against another edition
3.0
Muy intenso, demasiado dependiendo del caso. Mira que la saga empezó bien pero la evolución de los personajes (salvo Brad y Jennifer, entre unos pocos) es más bien nula y muy (demasiado) circunstancial. Además, hay otros aspectos del final del libro (nada de spoilers, tranqui) con los que no estoy de acuerdo. Pero entretiene, sirve para su función.
ordinarilybi's review against another edition
4.0
Da es eine Reihenfortsetzung ist, gilt wie immer leichter Spoileralarm, wenn ihr die vorherigen Bände nicht kennt und auch überhaupt nichts über diese wissen wollt.
3.5
_____________________________________
Durch homophobes Mobbing ist es nun zum Schlimmsten gekommen: Ein homosexueller Teenager, Kelly, hat sich das Leben genommen. Kyle und er hatten eine kurze, aber schwierige Zeit miteinander, aber noch sind es 151 Tage bis zum Schulabschluss und die will er nutzen. Um endlich etwas zu bewegen, um die Leute zum Aufwachen zu zwingen, um Kelly wenigstens ein bisschen Gerechtigkeit widerfahren zu lassen – und um dafür zu sorgen, dass so etwas nie wieder in Foster geschieht. 151 Tage hat er dazu Zeit, dann ist er raus aus Foster.
Doch Veränderung lässt sich nicht leicht herbeiführen und immer wieder funkt das Leben dazwischen; die Homophoben der Stadt geben keine Ruhe und auch kleinere Sorgen verfolgen Kyle. So zum Beispiel: Was wird nach dem Abschluss? Haben Brad und er überhaupt eine Zukunft außerhalb Fosters?
Was war das denn? Bisher hab ich alle Foster-Bücher sehr genossen, und das, was ich so an ihnen mochte, hat sich auch hier wieder gefunden. Der Autor hat sich in diesem Fall aber für eine Erzählweise entschieden, dich sich – in meinen Augen – als sehr unglücklich erwies. Bisweilen habe ich sogar in Betracht gezogen, das Buch abzubrechen.
Trotzdem ist das Buch, genau wie die anderen zuvor, ein ordentliches “Fuck you, homophobes!” Wer also auch mal wieder eine Erfolgsgeschichte braucht, in der auch Einzelne etwas verändern können, ist hier noch immer richtig. Ist natürlich alles fiktiv, aber dennoch mutmachend und irgendwie aufbauend.
Schön fand ich ja auch, dass hier wirklich alle Charaktere ihre guten und ihre schlechten Seiten haben. Gerade die Mütter, die ihre Kinder zwar zunächst vernachlässigt und im Stich gelassen haben, hören endlich zu und tun, was sie schon längst hätten tun sollen (bzw. einige von ihnen schon seit einer Weile machen): Sie beschützen ihre Kinder. Die Väter teilweise auch, yay! Über Robbie müssen wir wahrscheinlich nicht reden. Jen setzt aufreizende Outfits mit dem Wort “Schlampe” gleich, ist aber auch für ihre Freunde da und behält im Notfall einen ruhigen Kopf. Brad hat auch mal wieder seine Arschlochseiten (er mag es nicht, wenn Kerle sich nicht wie “Kerle” benehmen), und selbst unser Held (so kann er wohl genannt werden) Kyle muss alles auf eine Art und Weise verkomplizieren, die es fast scheinen lässt, als wollte er sich schlecht fühlen. Außerdem gibt’s Leute, die endlich mal ihre homophoben Vorurteile beiseite werfen, manche davon aber auch nicht so sehr, dass sie als “die Guten” gelten könnten. Kurz: Vieles ist problematisch, aber zum Teil ist das auch ein positiver Aspekt.
Und auch wenn es nach wie vor nur um schwule Cis-Männer geht, wurde immerhin ganz kurz ein bisexueller Charakter vorgestellt und positiv dargestellt. [An dieser Stelle bitte einen kleinen Freudentanz vorstellen.]
Dummerweise hätte ein Drittel vom Buch weggelassen werden können. Denn John Goode hatte die unglaublich schlechte Idee, Flashbacks einzufügen. Viele Flashbacks, und zudem Kapitel noch mal komplett neu aus einer anderen Perspektive zu erzählen. Das sieht dann so aus: Brad erlebt was, im nächsten Kapitel erleben wir es zum Teil aus Kyles Sicht, bis der dann woanders hingeht. Ab und an mag das angehen, es passierte aber viel zu oft. Viel schlimmer ist es jedoch, dass teilweise der komplette Inhalt aller bisherigen Bücher noch mal nacherzählt wird, zum Beispiel aus Jennifers Sicht. Blöd nur, dass da vielleicht eine oder zwei Szenen wichtig waren, der Rest dagegen absolut langweilig. Bisweilen war es richtig frustrierend, da später im Buch eine sehr ernste Situation angesprochen wird; die Erzählung unterbricht dann mitten in einer Szene, in der das Wohlergehen eines Charakters auf dem Spiel steht. Statt diese aber aufzulösen, wird die Lebensgeschichte eines anderen, involvierten Charakters erzählt. An allen anderen Stellen wäre das sehr willkommen, in dem Fall ist es eine zu stark gekünstelte Spannungserzeugung, die als solche nicht einmal funktioniert. So hat John Goode seine Geschichte einfach nur unnötig gestreckt; schade, denn wenn es “normal” weiterging, war das Buch eigentlich gut.
“151 Days” ist übrigens das letztes Buch aus Foster, aber nicht das letzte über Kyle, und wer auch immer an seiner Seite steht. (Ob das Brad ist, müsst ihr schon selbst nachlesen.) In der Hoffnung, dass der Autor entweder seine Rückblick-Technik verbessert, oder aber zu einer chronologischen Erzählweise zurückkehrt, bin ich dann wohl auch wieder dabei.
3.5
_____________________________________
Durch homophobes Mobbing ist es nun zum Schlimmsten gekommen: Ein homosexueller Teenager, Kelly, hat sich das Leben genommen. Kyle und er hatten eine kurze, aber schwierige Zeit miteinander, aber noch sind es 151 Tage bis zum Schulabschluss und die will er nutzen. Um endlich etwas zu bewegen, um die Leute zum Aufwachen zu zwingen, um Kelly wenigstens ein bisschen Gerechtigkeit widerfahren zu lassen – und um dafür zu sorgen, dass so etwas nie wieder in Foster geschieht. 151 Tage hat er dazu Zeit, dann ist er raus aus Foster.
Doch Veränderung lässt sich nicht leicht herbeiführen und immer wieder funkt das Leben dazwischen; die Homophoben der Stadt geben keine Ruhe und auch kleinere Sorgen verfolgen Kyle. So zum Beispiel: Was wird nach dem Abschluss? Haben Brad und er überhaupt eine Zukunft außerhalb Fosters?
Was war das denn? Bisher hab ich alle Foster-Bücher sehr genossen, und das, was ich so an ihnen mochte, hat sich auch hier wieder gefunden. Der Autor hat sich in diesem Fall aber für eine Erzählweise entschieden, dich sich – in meinen Augen – als sehr unglücklich erwies. Bisweilen habe ich sogar in Betracht gezogen, das Buch abzubrechen.
Trotzdem ist das Buch, genau wie die anderen zuvor, ein ordentliches “Fuck you, homophobes!” Wer also auch mal wieder eine Erfolgsgeschichte braucht, in der auch Einzelne etwas verändern können, ist hier noch immer richtig. Ist natürlich alles fiktiv, aber dennoch mutmachend und irgendwie aufbauend.
Schön fand ich ja auch, dass hier wirklich alle Charaktere ihre guten und ihre schlechten Seiten haben. Gerade die Mütter, die ihre Kinder zwar zunächst vernachlässigt und im Stich gelassen haben, hören endlich zu und tun, was sie schon längst hätten tun sollen (bzw. einige von ihnen schon seit einer Weile machen): Sie beschützen ihre Kinder. Die Väter teilweise auch, yay! Über Robbie müssen wir wahrscheinlich nicht reden. Jen setzt aufreizende Outfits mit dem Wort “Schlampe” gleich, ist aber auch für ihre Freunde da und behält im Notfall einen ruhigen Kopf. Brad hat auch mal wieder seine Arschlochseiten (er mag es nicht, wenn Kerle sich nicht wie “Kerle” benehmen), und selbst unser Held (so kann er wohl genannt werden) Kyle muss alles auf eine Art und Weise verkomplizieren, die es fast scheinen lässt, als wollte er sich schlecht fühlen. Außerdem gibt’s Leute, die endlich mal ihre homophoben Vorurteile beiseite werfen, manche davon aber auch nicht so sehr, dass sie als “die Guten” gelten könnten. Kurz: Vieles ist problematisch, aber zum Teil ist das auch ein positiver Aspekt.
Und auch wenn es nach wie vor nur um schwule Cis-Männer geht, wurde immerhin ganz kurz ein bisexueller Charakter vorgestellt und positiv dargestellt. [An dieser Stelle bitte einen kleinen Freudentanz vorstellen.]
Dummerweise hätte ein Drittel vom Buch weggelassen werden können. Denn John Goode hatte die unglaublich schlechte Idee, Flashbacks einzufügen. Viele Flashbacks, und zudem Kapitel noch mal komplett neu aus einer anderen Perspektive zu erzählen. Das sieht dann so aus: Brad erlebt was, im nächsten Kapitel erleben wir es zum Teil aus Kyles Sicht, bis der dann woanders hingeht. Ab und an mag das angehen, es passierte aber viel zu oft. Viel schlimmer ist es jedoch, dass teilweise der komplette Inhalt aller bisherigen Bücher noch mal nacherzählt wird, zum Beispiel aus Jennifers Sicht. Blöd nur, dass da vielleicht eine oder zwei Szenen wichtig waren, der Rest dagegen absolut langweilig. Bisweilen war es richtig frustrierend, da später im Buch eine sehr ernste Situation angesprochen wird; die Erzählung unterbricht dann mitten in einer Szene, in der das Wohlergehen eines Charakters auf dem Spiel steht. Statt diese aber aufzulösen, wird die Lebensgeschichte eines anderen, involvierten Charakters erzählt. An allen anderen Stellen wäre das sehr willkommen, in dem Fall ist es eine zu stark gekünstelte Spannungserzeugung, die als solche nicht einmal funktioniert. So hat John Goode seine Geschichte einfach nur unnötig gestreckt; schade, denn wenn es “normal” weiterging, war das Buch eigentlich gut.
“151 Days” ist übrigens das letztes Buch aus Foster, aber nicht das letzte über Kyle, und wer auch immer an seiner Seite steht. (Ob das Brad ist, müsst ihr schon selbst nachlesen.) In der Hoffnung, dass der Autor entweder seine Rückblick-Technik verbessert, oder aber zu einer chronologischen Erzählweise zurückkehrt, bin ich dann wohl auch wieder dabei.
riverreads's review against another edition
5.0
151 hopeful stars.
I started this book right after I finished [b:End of the Innocence|16145072|End of the Innocence (Tales from Foster High, #4)|John Goode|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352714749s/16145072.jpg|21978061] and Only in the middle of it I realized that there's another book before it, but that book is from another couple so I didn't affect the quality and I wasn't lost at all.
This book is about a lot of things, Kyle's vision to make a change in his school before he graduates, he doesn't want to let what happen in the previous christmas break be forgotten, he needs to make people see that change is necessary the problem is, he is not sure yet how.
There a few other storilnes mentioned here that are explored in other books of the series, which I loved because I was left very curious about three characters, about their past and future.
There a few POVs scatter throughout the book that made you understand the people in the story and the story whole a bit more, this I honestly felt it was too much BUT in didn't bothered me enough to change my rating because in the end those POVs made me apreciate the story as whole a little bit more.
I love what John goode has done with this series because it touches a lot of important issues that homosexual people and teenagers in general deal with all the time, yes things are changing but sadly not fast enough.
The thing is though, this book is not only about those things, this is a beautiful love story about two very different but very strong boys. My love and respect for Brad and Kyle only grew in this book, they had a lot of growing to do.
I liked finding out things about the past of this town and the last chapter gives you hope for the future, even if whatever books come next in the series are not set in the town we know that things are going to improve because in the end Kyle and Brad did it, they changed things.
I started this book right after I finished [b:End of the Innocence|16145072|End of the Innocence (Tales from Foster High, #4)|John Goode|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352714749s/16145072.jpg|21978061] and Only in the middle of it I realized that there's another book before it, but that book is from another couple so I didn't affect the quality and I wasn't lost at all.
This book is about a lot of things, Kyle's vision to make a change in his school before he graduates, he doesn't want to let what happen in the previous christmas break be forgotten, he needs to make people see that change is necessary the problem is, he is not sure yet how.
There a few other storilnes mentioned here that are explored in other books of the series, which I loved because I was left very curious about three characters, about their past and future.
There a few POVs scatter throughout the book that made you understand the people in the story and the story whole a bit more, this I honestly felt it was too much BUT in didn't bothered me enough to change my rating because in the end those POVs made me apreciate the story as whole a little bit more.
I love what John goode has done with this series because it touches a lot of important issues that homosexual people and teenagers in general deal with all the time, yes things are changing but sadly not fast enough.
The thing is though, this book is not only about those things, this is a beautiful love story about two very different but very strong boys. My love and respect for Brad and Kyle only grew in this book, they had a lot of growing to do.
I liked finding out things about the past of this town and the last chapter gives you hope for the future, even if whatever books come next in the series are not set in the town we know that things are going to improve because in the end Kyle and Brad did it, they changed things.
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