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karlyo83's review against another edition
4.0
My Rating Style: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ticked nearly all the boxes ALMOST LOVED IT!!!
Josie and Jack live an unconventional lifestyle and have an unconventional relationship in their broken down home in Western Pennsylvania. The only adult that frequents their lives is their rage-prone father, a physicist whose erratic abusive behaviour eventually drives them away.
Jack leads Josie down a path of menacing wealthy socialites, eroticism and betrayal. Jack’s sociopathic tendencies emerge with a vengeance and Josie must decide which is stronger her love and devotion to her brother or her will to survive and flourish in a better life than the one she is living.
Excerpt
Once you’ve decided to tell the truth, it’s hard not to qualify it. The facts are the easy part. The sky is blue. Fire is hot. He hit he.
The problem is that it’s so often tempting to quality those facts: It sounds worse than it was. It sounds terrible when I say it like that.
Or there’s the other way out: rationalisation as absolution. It was awful, I shouldn’t have done it. I wasn’t thinking. You have to understand how I was feeling, what I’d been through.
Either way: I didn’t do it. BUT I didn’t stop him.
Another fairly short novel and my 100th of the year - YAY me!!! I really enjoyed this story it was a tragic and there is room to understand that things are not right in the home of Josie and Jack Raeburn. Their ‘love’ for one another is quite different to that of normal siblings and while there is no explicit incest content it is very heavily implied.
I was drawn in by the story of the siblings. They have a dead ‘Crazy Mary’ mother, an abusive absent father and only one another to rely on. Their bond is strong and intense and Jack is possessive of his younger sister to the point of abuse himself. Jack is messed up… but so is Josie. The story is quite sad and as we get further into it, it unravels their worlds even further. Decisions are made, deeds are done and eventually something has to give.
The story is told from Josie’s point of view throughout the entire novel and this works really well. I found it really well written and I could really feel the pain and fear coming off the page at times and I found myself really sympathising with Josie. Even though Jack is essentially a pretty bad brother you can also feel those tender moments that he truly cares for Josie… while few and far between.
Jack is a maverick and a sociopath he is always looking out for number one. If anything gets in his way people best watch out. Including anyone who dare look sideways at poor Josie. Unless of course that is going to benefit Jack in some way.
Josie is young, only 16, but she is old beyond her years in many ways… but oh so young in many others. She never knew her mother, who left with her big brother when she was small. Jack returned once Mary died and their bond was formed. Jack is her big brother, her saviour and the love of her life - although it isn’t quite clear how much love is shared.
This story isn’t as depressing as some of the others I have read this year however it weighed heavy on my heart in the way a story of abuse does. Some of the endurances that Josie goes through are truly challenging to read and I found myself wishing someone would help her. There does seem to be many people along the journey that seem like they might do just that… and you also find yourself wondering if Jack in fact is going to… but in the end well… You better read it to find out what happens in the end.
Overall I was glad I read this and I was glad it was my 100th book. The writing style was really easy to read and wasn’t a hand holding affair… you were able to draw some of your own conclusions and also get enough of the story to know what was going on. The ending was were it lost a star for me it was wrapped up a little too neatly for how many terrible things happened… but it didn’t ruin the overall story.
It probably wont be to everyone’s taste (I say that every time) but it was a really well written story that was just quite devastating. It is most definitely not a thriller… to be honest I don’t know what it is… a love story? A tale of despair? A redemption novel? It is all of this and more.
One I would recommend but keep your triggers in mind there is abusive behaviour of the mental and physical kind in here.
Josie and Jack live an unconventional lifestyle and have an unconventional relationship in their broken down home in Western Pennsylvania. The only adult that frequents their lives is their rage-prone father, a physicist whose erratic abusive behaviour eventually drives them away.
Jack leads Josie down a path of menacing wealthy socialites, eroticism and betrayal. Jack’s sociopathic tendencies emerge with a vengeance and Josie must decide which is stronger her love and devotion to her brother or her will to survive and flourish in a better life than the one she is living.
Excerpt
Once you’ve decided to tell the truth, it’s hard not to qualify it. The facts are the easy part. The sky is blue. Fire is hot. He hit he.
The problem is that it’s so often tempting to quality those facts: It sounds worse than it was. It sounds terrible when I say it like that.
Or there’s the other way out: rationalisation as absolution. It was awful, I shouldn’t have done it. I wasn’t thinking. You have to understand how I was feeling, what I’d been through.
Either way: I didn’t do it. BUT I didn’t stop him.
Another fairly short novel and my 100th of the year - YAY me!!! I really enjoyed this story it was a tragic and there is room to understand that things are not right in the home of Josie and Jack Raeburn. Their ‘love’ for one another is quite different to that of normal siblings and while there is no explicit incest content it is very heavily implied.
I was drawn in by the story of the siblings. They have a dead ‘Crazy Mary’ mother, an abusive absent father and only one another to rely on. Their bond is strong and intense and Jack is possessive of his younger sister to the point of abuse himself. Jack is messed up… but so is Josie. The story is quite sad and as we get further into it, it unravels their worlds even further. Decisions are made, deeds are done and eventually something has to give.
The story is told from Josie’s point of view throughout the entire novel and this works really well. I found it really well written and I could really feel the pain and fear coming off the page at times and I found myself really sympathising with Josie. Even though Jack is essentially a pretty bad brother you can also feel those tender moments that he truly cares for Josie… while few and far between.
Jack is a maverick and a sociopath he is always looking out for number one. If anything gets in his way people best watch out. Including anyone who dare look sideways at poor Josie. Unless of course that is going to benefit Jack in some way.
Josie is young, only 16, but she is old beyond her years in many ways… but oh so young in many others. She never knew her mother, who left with her big brother when she was small. Jack returned once Mary died and their bond was formed. Jack is her big brother, her saviour and the love of her life - although it isn’t quite clear how much love is shared.
This story isn’t as depressing as some of the others I have read this year however it weighed heavy on my heart in the way a story of abuse does. Some of the endurances that Josie goes through are truly challenging to read and I found myself wishing someone would help her. There does seem to be many people along the journey that seem like they might do just that… and you also find yourself wondering if Jack in fact is going to… but in the end well… You better read it to find out what happens in the end.
Overall I was glad I read this and I was glad it was my 100th book. The writing style was really easy to read and wasn’t a hand holding affair… you were able to draw some of your own conclusions and also get enough of the story to know what was going on. The ending was were it lost a star for me it was wrapped up a little too neatly for how many terrible things happened… but it didn’t ruin the overall story.
It probably wont be to everyone’s taste (I say that every time) but it was a really well written story that was just quite devastating. It is most definitely not a thriller… to be honest I don’t know what it is… a love story? A tale of despair? A redemption novel? It is all of this and more.
One I would recommend but keep your triggers in mind there is abusive behaviour of the mental and physical kind in here.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Dark and disturbing tale of two teen siblings who live with their more than eccentric college professor father. For a first book, I thought the plot flowed well and the overall tone helped add to the suspense.
themidinight_reader's review against another edition
2.0
——A CONFUSING CLUSTERFUCK.
SYNOPSIS :
Josie and Jack Raeburn, living in seclusion with their erratic physicist father, are driven away by his rage. Jack leads Josie into a perilous world of wealth and betrayal, where his sociopathic tendencies emerge. Now, Josie must choose between her love for her brother and her will to survive.
CHARACTERS :
Josie was, like, this really strange character, you know? She didn't seem to have any strong opinions about anything, not even stuff that mattered to her, like her boyfriend or where she wanted to live. It's like she just let her brother Jack run the show and went along with whatever happened. Honestly, she was such a ghost character that I couldn't even care about her. I mean, she didn't even seem to care about her own feelings! When she realized she was raped, she didn't even shed a tear! So, like, why should I care if she doesn't?
Jack on the other hand was a total trainwreck. I couldn't figure out what he wanted in life; he was just drowning in his own mess, dragging poor Josie down with him. Yeah, we were told he's a sociopath, but it doesn't excuse his messed-up actions. Like, what was his problem? Their dad wasn't even that bad, but he ran away without a plan and then brought Josie into his chaotic life too.
Also what's with his messed-up relationships? Everything seemed fine with his girlfriends at first, but then he turns into an abuser out of the blue. I get he's a sociopath, but then, what's his deal with Josie? One moment, he acts like she's the most important person, the next, he couldn't care less about her. It's like he's playing mind games. And when Josie gets raped, he talks a big talk about being there for her, but does nothing and whilst all this he never once abuses her. Why’s that? I mean, if the author wanted to show he's mentally unstable or something, she totally missed the mark. It's just frustrating to see such a messed-up character without any real explanation for his behavior.
ROMANCE :
Jack and his messed-up behavior god. It's like he has no idea what he wants and just messes with Josie's head for no reason. One minute he's pushing her to make some guy fall for her, and the next, he's beating the guy up for actually falling for her. Seriously, what's up with that? And then, he forces Josie to go away with another guy, but he flips out when he finds out that guy made a move on her. Talk about mixed signals! Is he bipolar or just mentally ill? We never get any clear explanation.
Their relationship is a total mind-boggler too. They have these strangely intimate moments like neck kisses and spooning, and there's definitely some jealousy going on, but they keep insisting they're just siblings. But when Jack's girlfriend confronts him about messing around with Josie, he goes crazy. What's going on there? Did they hook up? Well, it's a total mystery. Throughout the story, they never explicitly say they had sex, but there's this one mention of kissing in a flashback. So, who knows? We're left in the dark about that too.
SYNOPSIS :
Josie and Jack Raeburn, living in seclusion with their erratic physicist father, are driven away by his rage. Jack leads Josie into a perilous world of wealth and betrayal, where his sociopathic tendencies emerge. Now, Josie must choose between her love for her brother and her will to survive.
CHARACTERS :
Josie was, like, this really strange character, you know? She didn't seem to have any strong opinions about anything, not even stuff that mattered to her, like her boyfriend or where she wanted to live. It's like she just let her brother Jack run the show and went along with whatever happened. Honestly, she was such a ghost character that I couldn't even care about her. I mean, she didn't even seem to care about her own feelings! When she realized she was raped, she didn't even shed a tear! So, like, why should I care if she doesn't?
Jack on the other hand was a total trainwreck. I couldn't figure out what he wanted in life; he was just drowning in his own mess, dragging poor Josie down with him. Yeah, we were told he's a sociopath, but it doesn't excuse his messed-up actions. Like, what was his problem? Their dad wasn't even that bad, but he ran away without a plan and then brought Josie into his chaotic life too.
Also what's with his messed-up relationships? Everything seemed fine with his girlfriends at first, but then he turns into an abuser out of the blue. I get he's a sociopath, but then, what's his deal with Josie? One moment, he acts like she's the most important person, the next, he couldn't care less about her. It's like he's playing mind games. And when Josie gets raped, he talks a big talk about being there for her, but does nothing and whilst all this he never once abuses her. Why’s that? I mean, if the author wanted to show he's mentally unstable or something, she totally missed the mark. It's just frustrating to see such a messed-up character without any real explanation for his behavior.
ROMANCE :
Jack and his messed-up behavior god. It's like he has no idea what he wants and just messes with Josie's head for no reason. One minute he's pushing her to make some guy fall for her, and the next, he's beating the guy up for actually falling for her. Seriously, what's up with that? And then, he forces Josie to go away with another guy, but he flips out when he finds out that guy made a move on her. Talk about mixed signals! Is he bipolar or just mentally ill? We never get any clear explanation.
Their relationship is a total mind-boggler too. They have these strangely intimate moments like neck kisses and spooning, and there's definitely some jealousy going on, but they keep insisting they're just siblings. But when Jack's girlfriend confronts him about messing around with Josie, he goes crazy. What's going on there? Did they hook up? Well, it's a total mystery. Throughout the story, they never explicitly say they had sex, but there's this one mention of kissing in a flashback. So, who knows? We're left in the dark about that too.
zdkb24's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
dani17731's review against another edition
3.0
What the hell? Like really, what the hell? The last 1/3 of the book just ran off a cliff. I don't know what to think, but here I am, still thinking about this book days after I've finished it, so there's that.
7.5/10 I recommend you read this!
7.5/10 I recommend you read this!
feelgodinsideofher's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly I really loved this book I loved the characters I cant even believe it ended like that im still in shock(the movie was ass)
maiborromeo's review against another edition
4.0
Is this some kind of an incestuous story? or it's just being young? I really don't know what to think or feel but I know I felt sorry for the siblings.