Scan barcode
trin's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sadkitty's review
4.0
This is the second book by Martin Wilson that I have read. Like, What They Always Tell Us, the narration is spectacular and rather lonely, because it is written from the viewpoint of two people who were there when a person close to them, Beth's brother and Josh's neighbour-cum-friend, Sam Walsh went missing.
He didn't turn up for three years. And in those circumstances, it is easier to think that he must have died by now. So that is what Beth and Josh do. But Sam is alive and he's back. And he is not the person they knew before he was kidnapped.
Given the plot of the story, I don't understand how people can be upset to find that it is not a fun read. Sam Walsh coming back is a very happy news, but it is enough to shake up the normal for the main characters. Martin Wilson once again manages to capture the emotions and the hope in such a hopeless situation and brings out the strength that humans possess but do not know of. The story is sad, the narration is sad, and something about the writing made me cry even in the beginning when I wasn't completely into the book.
It is an amazing book and I will keep cherishing it for years to come. It is sad but this is the kind of books that we all need. To give us hope even in the darkest of times. And to whisper to us that although there are several stories that are parts of us, they do not define us. They cannot limit us.
I love how upsetting this book is because you cannot understand how hopeful the message is without feeling all the sadness at first.
He didn't turn up for three years. And in those circumstances, it is easier to think that he must have died by now. So that is what Beth and Josh do. But Sam is alive and he's back. And he is not the person they knew before he was kidnapped.
Given the plot of the story, I don't understand how people can be upset to find that it is not a fun read. Sam Walsh coming back is a very happy news, but it is enough to shake up the normal for the main characters. Martin Wilson once again manages to capture the emotions and the hope in such a hopeless situation and brings out the strength that humans possess but do not know of. The story is sad, the narration is sad, and something about the writing made me cry even in the beginning when I wasn't completely into the book.
It is an amazing book and I will keep cherishing it for years to come. It is sad but this is the kind of books that we all need. To give us hope even in the darkest of times. And to whisper to us that although there are several stories that are parts of us, they do not define us. They cannot limit us.
I love how upsetting this book is because you cannot understand how hopeful the message is without feeling all the sadness at first.
hardlyworking's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A powerful tale of the aftermath of the kidnapping of a young boy and his return after three years, told by the last two people to see him before he disappeared: his older sister, Beth, and his childhood friend, Josh. The story proceeds as they try to reconnect with the missing boy, Sam, cope with changing relationships with family and friends, and resolve their feelings of guilt over things they kept secret on the day of the disappearance, information that might have made a difference. Details about what happened to Sam during his captivity are told by him to Josh over time so the reader is spared experiencing them directly. Nevertheless, Sam's descriptions of the violence and abuse he endured, including oblique references to child sexual abuse, as well as his perverse and confusing feelings of attachment to his captor are quite challenging. The reward for reading about such horror is in experiencing the start of the three characters' journeys to healing and the power and necessity of friendship and connection along the way.
kvreadsandrecs's review
3.0
Interesting, but overall, it felt really incomplete. Resolved too quickly and left a lot of dangling strings.
viviennemorgain's review
4.0
It was a difficult read. It was okay, but I prefer the other book of the author.
notblue's review
Yeah I’m probably not finishing this one. Now that I know that this is based on a real case (actually REALLY close) it feels... inappropriate.
kimlynn77's review
4.0
Really liked this book. Would like to see a continuation, perhaps with some Sam POV.
mswindell's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Explored some heavy topics for YA
alizalondon's review
2.0
Yikes, I was hoping for a dark, heart-wrenching story like Dark Room Etiquette, but this was poorly written and quite cringey. The biggest mistake in my opinion is choosing not to include Sam’s perspective despite the whole book being about him, instead having two extremely irritating POV characters with even more irritating subplots.
amysbrittain's review
4.0
3.5 stars for this YA book. Totally, totally hooked by the first 3/4 and read it fast as lightning. Felt unsatisfied by some of the too-easy minor resolutions and wanted more more more insight and peeks into the angst and torn emotions.