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gabrielledurrett's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
savage_book_review's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Adam Silvera's trademark style of sensitively exploring the discovering and acceptance of sexuality through the lens of a teenage boy, complete with a sci-fi twist is on full display here, and it makes for a beautifully written, heart-wrenching, terrifying-and-yet-completely-relatable read.
Aaron is a fairly typical teen on the surface - always playing ridiculous games with his mates, taking the girlfriend who adores him out on dates and writing his own comic book. But his life hasn't been easy - he has the scar on his wrist to prove that. I cannot fault the characterisation; Silvera's writing perfectly captures that balance of a person being "normal" on the outside and yet struggling with trauma and their own demons on the inside. His is definitely not a sugar-coated existence, and Silvera has a real knack for making his lead characters so incredibly real, which just makes the 'fantastical' element that much more engaging.
In this case, it's name-dropped a few times early on in the story, and if you've read the author's other works it's not hard to take a stab at guessing what might be on the horizon. But likewise, he's all about giving you hope. And in this case, the twists and turns are perfectly timed to keep you engaged and to keep that hope burning in your chest.
The secondary characters are also well drawn, but ultimately the more central they are to the story, the more fleshed out they are. This does mean that people like Aaron's mother, brother and his old friends are there and interesting, but they just don't have the same depth to them. In turn, as Aaron's interactions with them are important catalysts in the story, it does leave the whole work feeling just a little bit 'thin' for me. I could have done with perhaps another hundred pages where the background story was developed and explored in more detail. That being said, I can potentially see this issue as perhaps being a writing device, as it does sort of fit with the POV. Nevertheless, I still feel like I needed more.
In a roundabout way, this story explores what might happen if a person could be "cured" of homosexuality. IMO, what's there to cure?! It's a beautiful illustration of what the struggles people go through when discovering their own preferences might feel like, and how the temptation of 'normality' might appeal, but that who you are will shine through no matter what. It's also a study in acceptance; even the harshest of days contribute to who you are. I can't say it's an uplifting read, but it holds a powerful message.
Absolutely worth the read!
Aaron is a fairly typical teen on the surface - always playing ridiculous games with his mates, taking the girlfriend who adores him out on dates and writing his own comic book. But his life hasn't been easy - he has the scar on his wrist to prove that. I cannot fault the characterisation; Silvera's writing perfectly captures that balance of a person being "normal" on the outside and yet struggling with trauma and their own demons on the inside. His is definitely not a sugar-coated existence, and Silvera has a real knack for making his lead characters so incredibly real, which just makes the 'fantastical' element that much more engaging.
In this case, it's name-dropped a few times early on in the story, and if you've read the author's other works it's not hard to take a stab at guessing what might be on the horizon. But likewise, he's all about giving you hope. And in this case, the twists and turns are perfectly timed to keep you engaged and to keep that hope burning in your chest.
The secondary characters are also well drawn, but ultimately the more central they are to the story, the more fleshed out they are. This does mean that people like Aaron's mother, brother and his old friends are there and interesting, but they just don't have the same depth to them. In turn, as Aaron's interactions with them are important catalysts in the story, it does leave the whole work feeling just a little bit 'thin' for me. I could have done with perhaps another hundred pages where the background story was developed and explored in more detail. That being said, I can potentially see this issue as perhaps being a writing device, as it does sort of fit with the POV. Nevertheless, I still feel like I needed more.
In a roundabout way, this story explores what might happen if a person could be "cured" of homosexuality. IMO, what's there to cure?! It's a beautiful illustration of what the struggles people go through when discovering their own preferences might feel like, and how the temptation of 'normality' might appeal, but that who you are will shine through no matter what. It's also a study in acceptance; even the harshest of days contribute to who you are. I can't say it's an uplifting read, but it holds a powerful message.
Absolutely worth the read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
katiechasingchapters's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Violence, and Suicide attempt
jennboyack_scott's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
chelseaabu1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
wiktoria_bojda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Self harm
blueacorn1991's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
dinipandareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Please be treated to my 3:30am profanity-laced thoughts after immediately finishing this book. I'm not sorry! I was WRECKED!! ðŸ˜
Holy fork, I was not ready for the magnitude of what-the-forkery this book would put me through. My head and heart are still reeling after finishing this and I don’t quite know what to do with myself. This is not (exactly) a happy book despite what the title may imply. Oh... I can’t get over how much Silvera has me forking turned around with this book! It hit so much harder than I expected it to, especially with the addition of the new chapter in this deluxe edition, and it had me aching with a longing for it to be so real. 🥺 I know this is a book that will stick with me for many years to come…
Honestly, there’s not much that I can say about this that won’t give the story away and I don’t know if it’s just my inability to see things coming in books, but I didn’t expect the direction it took at all. It’s a dark and depressing coming-of-age story that covers many deep subjects including homophobia, suicide/suicidal ideation, severe depression, domestic abuse, and amnesia amongst others. As much as I wanna say go into this not knowing what to expect in terms of the storyline, I would not pick this up if you’re not in the right headspace. <u>Please, please read the content and trigger warnings first!</u>
This has a slight magical realism/sci-fi element to it in the form of the Leteo Institute and its memory erasure/suppression procedure that’ll magic your bad memories away so that you can live your best life. The science and possibilities of it aren’t very well explained or explored but I didn’t mind because the central focus for me was on everything Aaron was experiencing in the now. There’s such a simple, evocative and enjoyable quality to Silvera’s writing that made it so easy for me to devour the pages. I practically finished this in one sitting (it’s currently 3:30am as I write this—who needs sleep, right?)! Although I was enjoying it enough until the 40% mark, I was admittedly a bit worried when it left me feeling slightly whelmed. But when the last few pages before Part Zero happened, it was like a flare went off and everything CLICKED and emotional combustion ensued.
I think another thing that made this book hit is that it’s so raw and the characters are so incredibly messy, confused, and volatile which makes them all the more realistic and relatable. The author breathes such life into these characters! My heart was torn apart reading Aaron’s story because it is like watching someone get hit over and over and over again. It's ugly and sad but also true. It hurt so much, even when he’s not always the most likeable character and there were plenty of times when I wanted to give him a good long shake but then I wanted to give him the biggest hug and protect him from everything. There’s so much anger, fear, sadness and desperation—some people are really SO forking VILE—but there is also a huge well of love, forgiveness, support and yes, happiness too. Silvera had me running the full gamut of emotions with this story that packs an immensely powerful punch!
I’m so glad that I came across and bought this Deluxe edition because the "More Happy Ending" was the soothing balm I desperately needed, even as it made my tears keep flowing. All of you lovers of Aaron and his story deserve to read that last bit too. 😠I’m gonna forever be wondering how Aaron’s doing and if he’s okay. I seriously didn’t expect to be bawling and snotty-ugly-crying to one of my first few reads of 2024 but HERE WE ARE. Thank you for your service, Adam Silvera!!!
Holy fork, I was not ready for the magnitude of what-the-forkery this book would put me through. My head and heart are still reeling after finishing this and I don’t quite know what to do with myself. This is not (exactly) a happy book despite what the title may imply. Oh... I can’t get over how much Silvera has me forking turned around with this book! It hit so much harder than I expected it to, especially with the addition of the new chapter in this deluxe edition, and it had me aching with a longing for it to be so real. 🥺 I know this is a book that will stick with me for many years to come…
Honestly, there’s not much that I can say about this that won’t give the story away and I don’t know if it’s just my inability to see things coming in books, but I didn’t expect the direction it took at all. It’s a dark and depressing coming-of-age story that covers many deep subjects including homophobia, suicide/suicidal ideation, severe depression, domestic abuse, and amnesia amongst others. As much as I wanna say go into this not knowing what to expect in terms of the storyline, I would not pick this up if you’re not in the right headspace. <u>Please, please read the content and trigger warnings first!</u>
This has a slight magical realism/sci-fi element to it in the form of the Leteo Institute and its memory erasure/suppression procedure that’ll magic your bad memories away so that you can live your best life. The science and possibilities of it aren’t very well explained or explored but I didn’t mind because the central focus for me was on everything Aaron was experiencing in the now. There’s such a simple, evocative and enjoyable quality to Silvera’s writing that made it so easy for me to devour the pages. I practically finished this in one sitting (it’s currently 3:30am as I write this—who needs sleep, right?)! Although I was enjoying it enough until the 40% mark, I was admittedly a bit worried when it left me feeling slightly whelmed. But when the last few pages before Part Zero happened, it was like a flare went off and everything CLICKED and emotional combustion ensued.
I think another thing that made this book hit is that it’s so raw and the characters are so incredibly messy, confused, and volatile which makes them all the more realistic and relatable. The author breathes such life into these characters! My heart was torn apart reading Aaron’s story because it is like watching someone get hit over and over and over again. It's ugly and sad but also true. It hurt so much, even when he’s not always the most likeable character and there were plenty of times when I wanted to give him a good long shake but then I wanted to give him the biggest hug and protect him from everything. There’s so much anger, fear, sadness and desperation—some people are really SO forking VILE—but there is also a huge well of love, forgiveness, support and yes, happiness too. Silvera had me running the full gamut of emotions with this story that packs an immensely powerful punch!
I’m so glad that I came across and bought this Deluxe edition because the "More Happy Ending" was the soothing balm I desperately needed, even as it made my tears keep flowing. All of you lovers of Aaron and his story deserve to read that last bit too. 😠I’m gonna forever be wondering how Aaron’s doing and if he’s okay. I seriously didn’t expect to be bawling and snotty-ugly-crying to one of my first few reads of 2024 but HERE WE ARE. Thank you for your service, Adam Silvera!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
ian_hasumi's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
telliot's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-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? Yes
2.5
This was really obvious that it was Silvera's first book. A lot of the characters and their dialogue was really unrealistic, there were some paragraphs where it felt like information was missing.
I liked the concept, but I felt like it was not executed very well.
I liked the concept, but I felt like it was not executed very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Death of parent, and Outing
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt