ikena's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
clarkf87's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4.75
“What a terrible feeling to love someone and not be able to help them.”
“It’s not what you take, it’s what you leave.”
“You are all the colors in one in full brightness.”
***𝑻𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑮𝑬𝑹 𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮: 𝑺𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏***
Violet Markey and Theodore Finch find themselves in the bell tower at school. Who stopped who from jumping? Regardless, they keep each others’ secret and form a trauma bond that turns into romance. But while Violet lives for the future, Finch lives moment by moment, and his time is almost up.
This heartbreaking, gut wrenching book was very well written but there were many moments I wanted to throw my phone and scream. Definitely ugly cried in the woods after I finished this one. Luckily the last hour of the book provides closure to bring you back to earth.
The author’s note at the end reveals that she lost her boyfriend in high school to suicide as well as others in her life, making this story very special and therapeutic to her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
resiii_05's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
charlizemills's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
an incredible book that has stuck with me for a long time. completely gut-wrenching
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
readingsokrates's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Eating disorder, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
ju_les's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
thebluntbibliophile's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.5
This one hit me right in the feels. Holy heck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Car accident
bookw0rmj1nx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
such an incredible, tragically beautiful book.
i wish we got to know more about violet’s magazine but I can see why it was left the way it was.
i wish we got to know more about violet’s magazine but I can see why it was left the way it was.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
bidoubill's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
(TW: heavy topics are brought up in this review, if you are triggered by mental illnesses, please skip this review and have a great day!)
I bought this book when it first came out and left it on the shelf because the main topic is one that hits close to home.
Then a movie came out (because every best seller needs a movie am I right…) and I watched it. I know you’ll say you should read the book first blablabla and most times I agree with you. But this time I don’t.
The movie I watched, even “enjoyed” to some extent.
BUT THE BOOK.
I usually put a book down when I don’t like it but I finished this one just to write a review. Bare with me as I try to word it out in a clear nice way.
As someone who has an understanding, and first hand experience of the main topics in this book I would never recommend it to someone. I’d go as far as to say it can cause so much harm if I’m the wrong hands (aka someone dealing with S.A and mental illnesses).
I understand this book was written by a survivor of suicide through the loss of a friend and it almost feels like an autobiography dedicated to the love Jennifer had for her friend, and I can get behind that. (note: everyone’s grieving process is different, and I am in no way undermining her grief, or the process she has gone through)
But the take she has on mental illness, and teenagers is appalling.
At no point was there any indication of character growth towards that, or any indication of help he could have gotten from others. So on one hand you have Violet, main character, good growth, she eventually grieves all her losses (without any counseling, help group, friend or family’s help but finch - like what), and Finch who was left for dead from the beginning of the book.
There’s a few topics that annoyed me in this book as well, and that in my eyes are cannot be overlooked as they are everywhere in the book.
- Talk of mental illnesses in the sense that some characters are simply restricted to their illness (such asself-harm, eating disorders, depression), and Finch is basically a glorified suicide victim,
-slut shaming,
- body shaming,
- Speech about the girls in the book (they are looked down upon),
- the lack of adult/parental figure. In fact there was literally NO ONE helping Finch to get better.dies on school grounds he will get a lawsuit, his dad with a new family, his so called friends who randomly pop into the story, and the help group with literally one session and no follow ups on that lead in the story.
Overall, this book is very disappointing and if you skip it, you won’t miss anything unfortunately..
I bought this book when it first came out and left it on the shelf because the main topic is one that hits close to home.
Then a movie came out (because every best seller needs a movie am I right…) and I watched it. I know you’ll say you should read the book first blablabla and most times I agree with you. But this time I don’t.
The movie I watched, even “enjoyed” to some extent.
BUT THE BOOK.
I usually put a book down when I don’t like it but I finished this one just to write a review. Bare with me as I try to word it out in a clear nice way.
As someone who has an understanding, and first hand experience of the main topics in this book I would never recommend it to someone. I’d go as far as to say it can cause so much harm if I’m the wrong hands (aka someone dealing with S.A and mental illnesses).
I understand this book was written by a survivor of suicide through the loss of a friend and it almost feels like an autobiography dedicated to the love Jennifer had for her friend, and I can get behind that. (note: everyone’s grieving process is different, and I am in no way undermining her grief, or the process she has gone through)
But the take she has on mental illness, and teenagers is appalling.
Spoiler
The book starts nice and gentle with 2 teens connecting under the circumstances of Violet - popular girl- dealing with the loss of her sister in a car accident, and Finch - outcast- dealing with bullying and depression (to make it short). The beginning is sweet as he kind of forces his way into her life and picks her up off the ground to “live again” after her sisters death. But on the other side you have his story. A glorified anti-hero who is at first portrayed as this cool, misunderstood, handsome so called “freak” with personal struggles, who towards the end is portrayed as someone who was trying to get better, and wanted to live. As a survivor myself, I can tell you I didn’t see it. (And I’m one to annotate and highlight my books).At no point was there any indication of character growth towards that, or any indication of help he could have gotten from others. So on one hand you have Violet, main character, good growth, she eventually grieves all her losses (without any counseling, help group, friend or family’s help but finch - like what), and Finch who was left for dead from the beginning of the book.
There’s a few topics that annoyed me in this book as well, and that in my eyes are cannot be overlooked as they are everywhere in the book.
- Talk of mental illnesses in the sense that some characters are simply restricted to their illness (such as
-
- body shaming,
- Speech about the girls in the book (they are looked down upon),
- the lack of adult/parental figure. In fact there was literally NO ONE helping Finch to get better.
Spoiler
His mother too worried about her own personal struggles, the COUNCELOR too busy explaining that if a studentOverall, this book is very disappointing and if you skip it, you won’t miss anything unfortunately..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Bullying, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Abandonment, Body shaming, Car accident, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Mental illness
littlems_bookworm's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I admit to have watching the movie before reading the book it was a challenge trying to not compare what I've seen to what I'm reading. This book was very emotional and most likely not, but maybe exactly what I needed to read. Finch's experience with "sleep and awake" were beautifully described and depicted throughout the entire thing it made so much sense, I related heavily. The author was able to describe what my whole teen life has felt like in plain worded terms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Self harm and Mental illness