Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - Shy

A mix of Ondaatje and Darnielle, Porter’s portrayal of youth-at-risk is heartbreaking and insightful. The stream of consciousness style is a major win and does not detract from the story at all. Plus, the reading goes by so fast you forget you’re reading at all!

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aroreads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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bookish_wanderer's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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notcasino's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

It's an interesting book but the eriting style isn't something for me. Sometimes it's so loveable and relatble but sometimes it's also very confusing. I really don't know what to think about it.
It gives me really mixed feelings cause I like the topic but it's just... I don't know how to describe it.

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sunn_bleach's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm stuck between loving Porter's attachment to the novella and wanting him to write more. "Shy" is one of his more divisive books (and it lacks the magical realism bent of "Lanny" and "Grief..."), but it's a heartrender and it'll speak to anyone who either had a troubled childhood, has known troubled kids, or finds themselves standing at a lake wondering how many rocks it would take. I adore how much Shy connects with music, and that attachment is one of the greater tragedies within the story.

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ruei's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Porter ranks highly amongst my favourite authors, which makes this relatively low rating even more painful. Style-wise, the writing is as impeccable and boundary pushing as ever, but Shy as a character was so difficult to find relatable or understandable that it was hard to feel invested, especially when the direction the plot was going felt largely predictable.

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