A review by taliatalksbooks
The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass wasn’t what I was expecting. I definitely liked some aspects, but others caused me to question of this was picked up for its plot of pure tokenism. First of all, this book involves heavy topics around a school shooting which is a hard topic to write about given the recent (and frankly not so recent) tragedies in US. While I loved the idea of the protagonist being a medium, and I loved the opening of the book and the “After” created by Douglass, but the fact that this character is speaking with the shooter who continues to violently harm and haunt is disturbing. I don’t typically get offended by books, and though I finished it, this book definitely felt like it was picked up because of the main characters identifies (black and homosexual). While I recognize the importance of highlighting mental illness and the effects it can have on the public if untreated or ignored, I felt like this book highlighted the attacker vs. memorializing the victims. The idea was there but the execution felt misguided in my opinion. 
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