stressejesse's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rissasreading's review
4.0
This was a wonderfully written novel and I feel like this was done with lots of love and even a touch of personal experience maybe? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the change in story from being Bo's perspective to his Sister Phoebe. This is a book that you know has to end one of a few ways but you still go "how will this end?". I read this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. I fell in love with the characters and they all felt familiar but so distinct. Well done!!
marksmass's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this book and would probably give it a 3&1/2 if I could; the reason that it doesn't score a full four or higher, is that I--and your opinion might differ greatly--found the middle section to be far too long to justify the length of the book. The first third and the final third are great--intriguing, thrilling, and highly entertaining, but, there is some definite sag in the middle with a lot of repetition and minimal furthering of both character and plot.
I went into this book cold, not having read any synopses--even the Goodreads one--and knowing nothing beyond the idea that the story is that of a boy, at a school for gifted children, that can manipulate time and was hooked from page 1. For me, this not-knowing proved a more interesting read, as it keeps a lot of the plot and the major plot points and characters you'll meet along the way unknown.
But, there's a lot more to this book than the 'children with gifts' cliche. It deals with depression, suicide, and mental illness, as well as what it takes to keep a family together, along with the currently very popular scenario of: what would you do if you had powers that you couldn't control? And how would you interact with those similar to you--the main character lives at a boarding school for the gifted--and those who can't, don't, or, won't understand you.
Read if you like your YA without a love triangle, Insta-love and a very vague whiff of sci-fi.
Recommended.
(Also, nice to read a YA book--for a slightly older audience--from a male protagonist's perspective and set in, not only the present; but, 'our/the real world')
I went into this book cold, not having read any synopses--even the Goodreads one--and knowing nothing beyond the idea that the story is that of a boy, at a school for gifted children, that can manipulate time and was hooked from page 1. For me, this not-knowing proved a more interesting read, as it keeps a lot of the plot and the major plot points and characters you'll meet along the way unknown.
But, there's a lot more to this book than the 'children with gifts' cliche. It deals with depression, suicide, and mental illness, as well as what it takes to keep a family together, along with the currently very popular scenario of: what would you do if you had powers that you couldn't control? And how would you interact with those similar to you--the main character lives at a boarding school for the gifted--and those who can't, don't, or, won't understand you.
Read if you like your YA without a love triangle, Insta-love and a very vague whiff of sci-fi.
Recommended.
(Also, nice to read a YA book--for a slightly older audience--from a male protagonist's perspective and set in, not only the present; but, 'our/the real world')
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
A World Without You by Beth Revis is a heartbreakingly realistic depiction of a seventeen year old young man's struggle with mental illness.
Attending the Berkshire Academy on an island off the Massachusetts coast, Bo believes the school is for gifted students who have "superpowers". His superpower is the ability to travel back in time, his girlfriend Sophía's gift is invisibility and his classmates' gifts range from telekinesis (Ryan) to pyrokinesis (Gwen) and speaking with the dead (Harold). Unfortunately, his assumptions could not be farther from the truth since, in actuality, he and his classmates are suffering from a wide range of mental illnesses. After Sophía commits suicide, Bo is convinced he time traveled with her back to 1692 where he accidentally left her. Frantically trying to "rescue" her, he sinks deeper into his delusions and as he becomes certain someone is trying to control his mind, Bo ignores evidence that conflicts with his belief he and his classmates have superpowers that the school is teaching them to manage.
Although Bo's perceptions are completely unreliable, his fear, anger, confusion and grief are all too real. Utterly convinced Sophía's disappearance is his fault, he is frantic to figure out how to use the "timestream" to get back to 1692 so he can rescue her before she falls victim to the Salem Witch Trials. His anger over everyone's insistence that she is dead is palpable as is his fervent belief that he and his classmates are at the Berkshire Academy to learn how to control their "superpowers". Some of his delusions are based on real life events, however, Bo's psychosis skews his perception about what is really happening around him. He believes, with all his heart, that his version of reality is correct, that any contradiction of his viewpoint is suspect and somehow altered by outside forces. Readers get an in-depth view of how his mind works as Bo desperately tries to bring Sophía back and these heart wrenching chapters are a true to life portrayal of how someone with a mental illness thinks and acts.
Although mostly written from Bo's point of view, occasional chapters from his sister Phoebe's perspective show the effects of his mental illness on the rest of the family. Through her eyes, readers see the disruption and destruction he wreaks when he is home. The emotional toll is high as everyone tries to keep the peace when he is around and Phoebe feels enormous pressure to be the "perfect" child in an effort to balance out Bo's problems.
A World Without You by Beth Revis is a heartachingly honest young adult novel that is as fascinating as it is poignant. This impressive story provides an informative, well-researched look into what someone suffering from delusions, paranoia or psychosis experiences on a day to day basis. Although the storyline occasionally gets a little bogged down and repetitive during Bo's attempts to find Sophía, the plot is refreshingly unique and quite compelling. A heartrending yet surprisingly hopeful novel that I found impossible to put down and highly recommend to readers of all ages.
Attending the Berkshire Academy on an island off the Massachusetts coast, Bo believes the school is for gifted students who have "superpowers". His superpower is the ability to travel back in time, his girlfriend Sophía's gift is invisibility and his classmates' gifts range from telekinesis (Ryan) to pyrokinesis (Gwen) and speaking with the dead (Harold). Unfortunately, his assumptions could not be farther from the truth since, in actuality, he and his classmates are suffering from a wide range of mental illnesses. After Sophía commits suicide, Bo is convinced he time traveled with her back to 1692 where he accidentally left her. Frantically trying to "rescue" her, he sinks deeper into his delusions and as he becomes certain someone is trying to control his mind, Bo ignores evidence that conflicts with his belief he and his classmates have superpowers that the school is teaching them to manage.
Although Bo's perceptions are completely unreliable, his fear, anger, confusion and grief are all too real. Utterly convinced Sophía's disappearance is his fault, he is frantic to figure out how to use the "timestream" to get back to 1692 so he can rescue her before she falls victim to the Salem Witch Trials. His anger over everyone's insistence that she is dead is palpable as is his fervent belief that he and his classmates are at the Berkshire Academy to learn how to control their "superpowers". Some of his delusions are based on real life events, however, Bo's psychosis skews his perception about what is really happening around him. He believes, with all his heart, that his version of reality is correct, that any contradiction of his viewpoint is suspect and somehow altered by outside forces. Readers get an in-depth view of how his mind works as Bo desperately tries to bring Sophía back and these heart wrenching chapters are a true to life portrayal of how someone with a mental illness thinks and acts.
Although mostly written from Bo's point of view, occasional chapters from his sister Phoebe's perspective show the effects of his mental illness on the rest of the family. Through her eyes, readers see the disruption and destruction he wreaks when he is home. The emotional toll is high as everyone tries to keep the peace when he is around and Phoebe feels enormous pressure to be the "perfect" child in an effort to balance out Bo's problems.
A World Without You by Beth Revis is a heartachingly honest young adult novel that is as fascinating as it is poignant. This impressive story provides an informative, well-researched look into what someone suffering from delusions, paranoia or psychosis experiences on a day to day basis. Although the storyline occasionally gets a little bogged down and repetitive during Bo's attempts to find Sophía, the plot is refreshingly unique and quite compelling. A heartrending yet surprisingly hopeful novel that I found impossible to put down and highly recommend to readers of all ages.
kayu99's review
5.0
Thought-provoking and touching. Even though readers quickly figure out what is actually going on, there is still that element of "what-if."
miruna_bezi16's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
kaymoon's review
3.0
What would've been a good plot twist was given away at the beginning of the book. I didn't enjoy reading from his sisters point of view. Overall the book was so repetitive with the pulling of the strings. It fell flat for me.
baggy_taster's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jang's review
1.0
It took me a while to finish reading such a short novel because the story just exhausted me. Add to that the fact that I never really found any connection with any of the characters from this book ughh.
The summary and the idea of A World Without You sound intriguing and promising at first read. This is a mental illness that is so rare and interesting that it will be impossible for anyone not to have their nose on this case. But the way the illness was explored in this book and the way the story of the main character was told really fell short.
The story was dragging and even boring when it should really be stimulating. Imagine a boy who believes he has control over time and can actually go back to the past attending a special school for kids with special needs, that sounds like the perfect ingredient for a perfect YA novel. But everything was so vague and reaching that it just became hard to relate to anyone in this book.
I've been a Titanic loyalist since '97 but even that Titanic blurb in this book was useless. It was so trivial and so extra that I just wished the book didn't touch that specific time period.
To be perfectly honest, I found myself more interested on the chapters that revolve around Phoebe than the ones that were told from Bo's POV.
Man I don't even know what I'm really trying to say here. I was just really disappointed. Nothing about this book was worth bragging about.
The summary and the idea of A World Without You sound intriguing and promising at first read. This is a mental illness that is so rare and interesting that it will be impossible for anyone not to have their nose on this case. But the way the illness was explored in this book and the way the story of the main character was told really fell short.
The story was dragging and even boring when it should really be stimulating. Imagine a boy who believes he has control over time and can actually go back to the past attending a special school for kids with special needs, that sounds like the perfect ingredient for a perfect YA novel. But everything was so vague and reaching that it just became hard to relate to anyone in this book.
I've been a Titanic loyalist since '97 but even that Titanic blurb in this book was useless. It was so trivial and so extra that I just wished the book didn't touch that specific time period.
To be perfectly honest, I found myself more interested on the chapters that revolve around Phoebe than the ones that were told from Bo's POV.
Man I don't even know what I'm really trying to say here. I was just really disappointed. Nothing about this book was worth bragging about.
pacifyedher's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0