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stuckinafictionaluniverse's review
4.0
It takes a lot for a book to scare me. The last time I had shivers down my spine when reading, was in middle school. I read [b:Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire|6|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)|J.K. Rowling|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554006152l/6._SX50_.jpg|3046572], hiding under the covers late at night. When I put it down, I spent a good hour glancing at the door, prepared for a pale man with a snake-like face would walk in. Charm and strange managed to get under my skin, provoke deep emotion and shock me. It genuinely frightened me, and I was close to sleeping with the lights on.
I will keep my summary short because this book is a mindfuck and most of the fun is figuring out what’s going on. The story is told in two timelines: before and after. One follows Drew as a young boy, while the other is about Win’s life at boarding school, when he has left his old life and name behind him. He is still haunted by the ghosts of the past and battling against himself.
Despite being a short book, not much happens in the first half of Charm and Strange. Be patient. It starts off slow and sometimes I wondered what the point of it was. And then, it clicks. This is a psychological thriller that doesn’t completely rely on its ending, which I love. It’s not that single twist that comes completely out of the blue. We first receive vague traces of who Win used to be and who he is now. At last, Kuehn starts to give us tiny clues that eventually make up a whole picture. It’s ugly, dirty and unexpected. Once things are revealed, you start seeing the book in a whole different light, wondering why you didn’t pick up on it before.
This was emotionally draining to read. It certainly isn't for the faint of heart; it is for the curious ones who love all things dark and complex. The author puts us in the main character’s shoes, making us feel as lonely and lost as he is. Win thinks he’s going crazy, and is a completely unreliable narrator. The book is triggering and shocking, tackling nearly every taboo and heavy subject that there is. What I love about Stephanie Kuehn’s writing is that she is a master at showing, rather than telling. This is an incredibly risky story for YA, and the only possible way this could’ve been written for this age group is in a very clever sense, with great caution and thought.
Charm and strange is extremely dark and tragic, unflinching and ruthless. It is a wild tale that doesn’t spare any details. It has an isolated and incredibly lonely feel to it. It pushes boundaries, explores taboos and messes with your head. This is an extremely well-written psychological thriller that unravels with grace and anticipation. It is all of these things, but probably not what you think it is.
I will keep my summary short because this book is a mindfuck and most of the fun is figuring out what’s going on. The story is told in two timelines: before and after. One follows Drew as a young boy, while the other is about Win’s life at boarding school, when he has left his old life and name behind him. He is still haunted by the ghosts of the past and battling against himself.
Despite being a short book, not much happens in the first half of Charm and Strange. Be patient. It starts off slow and sometimes I wondered what the point of it was. And then, it clicks. This is a psychological thriller that doesn’t completely rely on its ending, which I love. It’s not that single twist that comes completely out of the blue. We first receive vague traces of who Win used to be and who he is now. At last, Kuehn starts to give us tiny clues that eventually make up a whole picture. It’s ugly, dirty and unexpected. Once things are revealed, you start seeing the book in a whole different light, wondering why you didn’t pick up on it before.
This was emotionally draining to read. It certainly isn't for the faint of heart; it is for the curious ones who love all things dark and complex. The author puts us in the main character’s shoes, making us feel as lonely and lost as he is. Win thinks he’s going crazy, and is a completely unreliable narrator. The book is triggering and shocking, tackling nearly every taboo and heavy subject that there is. What I love about Stephanie Kuehn’s writing is that she is a master at showing, rather than telling. This is an incredibly risky story for YA, and the only possible way this could’ve been written for this age group is in a very clever sense, with great caution and thought.
Charm and strange is extremely dark and tragic, unflinching and ruthless. It is a wild tale that doesn’t spare any details. It has an isolated and incredibly lonely feel to it. It pushes boundaries, explores taboos and messes with your head. This is an extremely well-written psychological thriller that unravels with grace and anticipation. It is all of these things, but probably not what you think it is.
gabrielab's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
inook_u's review
2.0
I can’t remember anything about this book whatsoever two stars sorry. - 29/05/2018
4.5 Stars. Full review will be on my blog. Link coming soon. Btw first book for #RainbowReadathon down. This boo was for blue.
4.5 Stars. Full review will be on my blog. Link coming soon. Btw first book for #RainbowReadathon down. This boo was for blue.
vegprincess's review against another edition
4.0
This book was good but just as I suspected, it hurt to read it. It was slightly predictable but well-written, with a good flow to the storyline. It went back in forth in time, chapter by chapter: one chapter in the present, the next in the past.
stefaniejane's review
5.0
I could see how this novel wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but it was a large steaming mug of Stefanie Jane Smith.
celjla212's review
4.0
Well, I must say this book is definitely not what I expected, though I felt the synopsis was rather vague so I wasn't too sure what to expect anyway. Drew/Win is a solitary boy who's attending boarding school. His story is told in rotating chapters, of the present time and the summer he was 10 years old when his life changed forever. The story was not an action filled one, but something kept the pages turning for me and I finished the book in one sitting, at 1:30 A.M.
It's extremely difficult to write this review without giving too much of the book away, but I'll just say this is something I believe readers will either love or hate with not much middle ground. The way the story builds will mean the twist at the end will either piss you off or sadly shock you.
I'm having a very hard time figuring out what else to say about Charm & Strange without spoiling it, so I'll just say that this book will definitely affect you, in one way or another, and it's very much worth a read.
It's extremely difficult to write this review without giving too much of the book away, but I'll just say this is something I believe readers will either love or hate with not much middle ground. The way the story builds will mean the twist at the end will either piss you off or sadly shock you.
I'm having a very hard time figuring out what else to say about Charm & Strange without spoiling it, so I'll just say that this book will definitely affect you, in one way or another, and it's very much worth a read.
dherzey's review
4.0
"No, we talked about matter -- most notably quarks, those tiniest possible components of everything. They come in six flavors, you know: up, down, top, bottom, charm and strange. I'll admit those talks helped me, and when I read about sea quarks, I understood why. They contain particles of matter and antimatter, and where the two touch, exists this constant stream of creation and annihilation. Scientists call this place "the sea".....
I am of the sea.
I am of instability.
I am of harsh, choppy waves roiling with all the up-ness, down-ness, top-ness, bottom-ness contained within my being.
I am of charm and strange.
Annihilation.
Creation.
Annihilation."
This book has both "charm" and "strange" but I think "dark, depressing and sad" could also describe the story better when you found out the truth.
So, what is Charm and Strange exactly? Believe me, when I began to read this book, I got no idea either. I just knew that there's this boy named Drew who changed his identity to Winston because of something tragic. There's also talk of wolves and lots of flashbacks on how it all began and what. It was quite muddy at first, with all the vagueness of Win's past and Drew's anger. There's "what" happened but no "why" it happened. Mostly, I just go with the flow yet mostly, I also wanted answers. I kept on reading, kept on trying to decipher Drew's actions, Win's desire to change. I still got no idea what's the story leading into, but I am intrigue. Drew's complexity had me in.
Then I started to know the "whys" and the story became much clearer to me but no less emotional. It was so, so sad. Depressing. Dark. Fucked-up. You can't help but feel for Drew. This book is no walk in the park. It was gritty and heartbreaking. I sympathize with Drew, this poor boy, and to Keith and Siobhan. Hell, my heart breaks for them.
Honestly, I didn't cry. I wasn't mind-fucked, either. I was a bit detached at the beginning so I wasn't wholly into it like I wish. But there's enough power in the story to still affect me greatly. And if you're like me, diving into this book without much idea what you're getting into, you might find a strange, little story about wolves. And yes, it is about wolves but go on, read a little further and watch this story spin into a sad, sad tale. A little psychological thriller brilliantly told.