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kitty_may12's review against another edition
this book is just so sad, it honestly took my breath away at times
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Child death, Bullying, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Abandonment and Classism
secre's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is one of those books that I really wish I had liked more than I actually did. It's a heavy book that deals with important topics, and by and large it handles them sensitively. Nathan's brother Al took his own life and Nathan is now struggling to comprehend a world without his brilliant brother in it. In his quest for answers, he finds that Nathan was hiding some troubling secrets. The novel is clearly trying to educate on how damaging bullying - even cyber bullying - can be and the long term effects it can have. It also depicts the effects of suicide on those closest to the individual.
With the topic matter being so raw, I almost feel guilty picking it apart, but I did find that the narrative dragged a bit and was slower than it needed to be suggesting that the book really could have done with being edited down. The first hundred and fifty pages just dragged and whilst things did click together as Nathan discovers more about Al's life and his final days, it took a long time to go anywhere. The message when it finally comes is important, but it's not as impactful as it could have been given tighter pacing and framing.
The writing style also didn't really work for me. The two character perspectives had the same 'voice', which is always problematic when they are meant to be very different characters. I also struggled with the dialects used; the overuse of 'wot' and 'summat' for example just grated on me. The characterisations felt fairly thin with few of the characters really leaping off the page at you. Nathan is perhaps the strongest character, but everybody else felt fairly lack lustre.
So in some ways an important book, but it's also one that didn't click with me the way I thought it would.
With the topic matter being so raw, I almost feel guilty picking it apart, but I did find that the narrative dragged a bit and was slower than it needed to be suggesting that the book really could have done with being edited down. The first hundred and fifty pages just dragged and whilst things did click together as Nathan discovers more about Al's life and his final days, it took a long time to go anywhere. The message when it finally comes is important, but it's not as impactful as it could have been given tighter pacing and framing.
The writing style also didn't really work for me. The two character perspectives had the same 'voice', which is always problematic when they are meant to be very different characters. I also struggled with the dialects used; the overuse of 'wot' and 'summat' for example just grated on me. The characterisations felt fairly thin with few of the characters really leaping off the page at you. Nathan is perhaps the strongest character, but everybody else felt fairly lack lustre.
So in some ways an important book, but it's also one that didn't click with me the way I thought it would.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
Minor: Toxic friendship
u2u's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
I would like to warn people before reading this, it’s a very dark read with lots of talks about suicide
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Toxic friendship, Homophobia, and Alcohol
teri_b's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
This is one compelling YA contemporary from beginning to end that does not shy away from difficult questions.
I listened to it on audiobook from the local library and at times had difficulties to stop listening, as I just needed to see respectively hear what happens next.
[However, the story told touches down on tough subjects as the two main protagonists deal with the suicide of their best mate, respectively their brother.
The story plays out in one of the largest social housing estates of the country and is placed at many intersections, for instance, of growing up, of coming to terms with having lost a loved one, of grief, guilt, anger, of dealing with family, friends, school, society, race, social media, bullying, but depicting also hope and kindness and friendship, art, space and imagination, you could say it takes the whole spectrum of life into view, from the worst to the best. (hide spoiler)]
It delivers a story that is compelling, haunting and thought provoking and brilliantly told.
I listened to it on audiobook from the local library and at times had difficulties to stop listening, as I just needed to see respectively hear what happens next.
[However, the story told touches down on tough subjects as the two main protagonists deal with the suicide of their best mate, respectively their brother.
The story plays out in one of the largest social housing estates of the country and is placed at many intersections, for instance, of growing up, of coming to terms with having lost a loved one, of grief, guilt, anger, of dealing with family, friends, school, society, race, social media, bullying, but depicting also hope and kindness and friendship, art, space and imagination, you could say it takes the whole spectrum of life into view, from the worst to the best. (hide spoiler)]
It delivers a story that is compelling, haunting and thought provoking and brilliantly told.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Body shaming
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use
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