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kateea7536's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
Wow. I’ve never read a book like this. It is so emotionally raw and vulnerable and filled with so much pondering of life and how it should be lived and what matters. This also encompassed identity, belonging, race, class, wealth, sex, love and friendship. SO MUCH was done within one book and it so sensitively handled every topic that it raised in a way that did not feel false or deliberate, but natural and heartfelt. I was blown away by how moving the prose was and how well written, including an extensive use of metaphor and description that was spellbinding and lyrical (although sometimes perhaps there were too many metaphors!). The only thing I would have loved was dates as well as locations of each chapter, since it was difficult to follow what Michael was doing in what order, but perhaps this was part of the experience, the idea that he was swimming through all these places and feeling searching for something. Ending was fantastic but I would’ve loved to have heard more from the characters perspective. I also felt frustrated at times that Michael didn’t tell people what he was feeling or reach out, but I understand that this is probably a very realistic for someone who feels this way.
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
waybeyondblue's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, and Police brutality
katiemack's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Do not read this book if you're not in a good place mentally; this book touches on loneliness, suicide, depression, and more. While it has an undercurrent of hope, Michael's long monologues about his despair bury it.
Of course, the sadness is written in a beautiful, lyrical way; JJ Bola's prolific abilities as a poet really shine through here. The dual voices for the two timelines (both of which chronicle Michael's experiences) were distracting at first, but they actually helped me differentiate between the different plot points more easily. There are some discrepancies (e.g., Michael's third-person perspective popping up in his first-person-perspective timeline) that will hopefully be fixed in the final, published version.
Overall, this is a beautiful but heart-wrenching little book. Read it for a good cry and some thought-provoking questions about identity and belonging.
Do not read this book if you're not in a good place mentally; this book touches on loneliness, suicide, depression, and more. While it has an undercurrent of hope, Michael's long monologues about his despair bury it.
Of course, the sadness is written in a beautiful, lyrical way; JJ Bola's prolific abilities as a poet really shine through here. The dual voices for the two timelines (both of which chronicle Michael's experiences) were distracting at first, but they actually helped me differentiate between the different plot points more easily. There are some discrepancies (e.g., Michael's third-person perspective popping up in his first-person-perspective timeline) that will hopefully be fixed in the final, published version.
Overall, this is a beautiful but heart-wrenching little book. Read it for a good cry and some thought-provoking questions about identity and belonging.
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Murder
loveroflibros's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
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