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cloreadsbooks1364's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I went into this book expecting to be brought to tears by the topic of su!cide, but instead was just disappointed the whole way through.
Pros:
1. Good concept
2. Aaron's dad and Tillie's mother were so sweet.
Cons:
1. Aaron's lyrics were in such a light grey I couldn't read them. Oh well, hope they didn't affect the plot.
2. Aaron makes a joke about autistic people, gets called out, then thinks "if I weren't alive you wouldn't be mad at me, you'd think I'm great". But of course they're mad, you made an abelist joke! (As an autistic person this made me sad, as it was so similar to the jokes I often hear in school.)
3. Aaron mentions thinking how all men have pen!ses, which is just not true and as a trans person I was massively disappointed.
4. Molly fantasises hugging the problematic author Sarah J Maas (a racist z!onist) and her whole personality was just "I'm a popular girl who's secretly a SJM-loving geek".
5. In a time jump, a trans kid in 2051 is sad because his mother doesn't fully accept him. It'd be so easy to make this a happier chapter. It also kinda felt like the author went "oh no I've no trans rep, let's stick in this one teen 31 years in the future with no personality who exists for A SINGLE PAGE".
Everything not mentioned above was just unremarkable in neither a good or bad way.
Pros:
1. Good concept
2. Aaron's dad and Tillie's mother were so sweet.
Cons:
1. Aaron's lyrics were in such a light grey I couldn't read them. Oh well, hope they didn't affect the plot.
2. Aaron makes a joke about autistic people, gets called out, then thinks "if I weren't alive you wouldn't be mad at me, you'd think I'm great". But of course they're mad, you made an abelist joke! (As an autistic person this made me sad, as it was so similar to the jokes I often hear in school.)
3. Aaron mentions thinking how all men have pen!ses, which is just not true and as a trans person I was massively disappointed.
4. Molly fantasises hugging the problematic author Sarah J Maas (a racist z!onist) and her whole personality was just "I'm a popular girl who's secretly a SJM-loving geek".
5. In a time jump, a trans kid in 2051 is sad because his mother doesn't fully accept him. It'd be so easy to make this a happier chapter. It also kinda felt like the author went "oh no I've no trans rep, let's stick in this one teen 31 years in the future with no personality who exists for A SINGLE PAGE".
Everything not mentioned above was just unremarkable in neither a good or bad way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
zabcia's review against another edition
4.0
85%
In the afterword the author says someone once told him it was "deeply irresponsible" to discuss suicide with the youth, and I wholeheartedly disagree with whoever said that to him: I think it is vital to discuss the topic, and to do so in-depth, as this book did. Demystifying the feelings that surround and ultimately cause suicide is the best way to prevent it from happening; hearing someone say "you matter, you're not alone" is not even close to enough to stop someone from going through with it, but knowing that others have had the exact same feelings and they managed to survive them just might.
In the afterword the author says someone once told him it was "deeply irresponsible" to discuss suicide with the youth, and I wholeheartedly disagree with whoever said that to him: I think it is vital to discuss the topic, and to do so in-depth, as this book did. Demystifying the feelings that surround and ultimately cause suicide is the best way to prevent it from happening; hearing someone say "you matter, you're not alone" is not even close to enough to stop someone from going through with it, but knowing that others have had the exact same feelings and they managed to survive them just might.
buddy524's review against another edition
4.0
Such an important book that will mean so much to many. It can be tough reading books about suicide, but the author approaches it thoughtfully. The structure works well. Some parts could’ve been fleshed out more.
hrobison11's review against another edition
4.0
This book was incredibly intense.
I am so pleased that the author chose to write all the options for the situation. It made it very dynamic.
I’m sad I won’t know the lyrics Aaron wrote, but don’t choice on the publishers part is real.
I would recommend this to any individual who feels like they are alone. This was a solid reminder that you aren’t, and there’s always another option.
I am so pleased that the author chose to write all the options for the situation. It made it very dynamic.
I’m sad I won’t know the lyrics Aaron wrote, but don’t choice on the publishers part is real.
I would recommend this to any individual who feels like they are alone. This was a solid reminder that you aren’t, and there’s always another option.
declandrum's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
3.25
I like the message of the book but I did expect more and I would have liked a bit more of character development.
jacehan's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Perhaps it should be no surprise I liked this book, considering one of my favorite musicals is If/Then. In particular, the way part C played out, with the lingering ripples, and how part D put together things we knew from parts A and B in new and interesting ways, brought the book to a satisfying conclusion.
roeckitcody's review against another edition
i'm really not certain how i felt about this one - some parts i really enjoyed but i felt a little disconnected from a lot of this and something inside me felt uneasy about it all. I'm gonna let it sit for a bit - but I probs won't rate this.
grilled_chisi's review against another edition
5.0
As someone who is going to get a MSW to become an LGBT Therapist, this is an invaluable and emotional reminder of what does and doesn’t work in therapy and what teens need. From a narrative perspective, it becomes difficult to read because of the gravity of the situation, but the relationship that forms throughout is beautiful and tender and so real.
So ya I cried
So ya I cried
margot_psd's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Young adult really is not for me. I have to stop picking up those books because I'm just past that target audience and this is only serving to make me relive my teenage years (they were bad). I related a lot to both protagonists because I've been there. Being 10 years older now I've gained a lot of perspective but I remember those feelings. I wish we'd explored more of their relationships with their therapists/friends/parents as this felt very surface level. Really irked by the teenage-speech-to-words style of writing! Stop putting 4 likes in a singular sentence I beg of you! This book got repetitive midway through and just did not lighten up. There was a hopeful message at the end but fuck, what a depressing read.