crystalroses68'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
3.75
gorecki's review against another edition
4.0
Gritty, visceral, and giving a punch to the gut are three ways I could think of to describe this book. The Panopticon is the story of a trobuled teenager being failed by the system and by its social networks, but unlike so many other books on this topic, this one doesn't try to evoke feelings of pity and commiseration (though it still does!) with a sad teenager cooped up in a detention centre telling us their story in beautiful prose to wake understanding and pity in us. Instead, it tries to give us the cold and real view of what happens in the mind and life of a child that has been consistently let down by the people responsible for keeping it safe from the day it was born.
Anais Hendricks, a teenager of 15, raised in orphanages, foster care and juvenile centres, is driven to the Panopticon - a strict detention centre where she can be kept under constant monitoring for an attack she can't remember committing. And while she is waiting for her verdict and going through the events of her life trying to remember whether she did or did not commit the crime she's accused of, things keep happening and troubles keep multiplying.
I liked The Panopticon most of all because of it does not sugar-coat, glorify or romanticise the life of troubled teenagers. While so many books on the topic tend to get into a misery-fest trying to explain how everything wrong our characters do is because of their bad life and them being let down so many times, this book keeps pity at an arm's distance and gets its hands dirty. While you're still acutely aware that what you're reading is the story of a character who's been let down by both family and social services and left completely to their own devices at a fragile age, it's not its centrepiece. The main motor of this book is Anais's inability to stop, her consistently bad decisions and her inability to keep away from trouble, as well as the flaws of our social care systems and how even though the good intentions are there, the devices used are simply not working.
Anais's character is hard and angry, fighting for survival only to destroy her own life. In a sense - if so many other people have tried to wreck you, maybe it's time you took control and wrecked yourself?
Anais Hendricks, a teenager of 15, raised in orphanages, foster care and juvenile centres, is driven to the Panopticon - a strict detention centre where she can be kept under constant monitoring for an attack she can't remember committing. And while she is waiting for her verdict and going through the events of her life trying to remember whether she did or did not commit the crime she's accused of, things keep happening and troubles keep multiplying.
I liked The Panopticon most of all because of it does not sugar-coat, glorify or romanticise the life of troubled teenagers. While so many books on the topic tend to get into a misery-fest trying to explain how everything wrong our characters do is because of their bad life and them being let down so many times, this book keeps pity at an arm's distance and gets its hands dirty. While you're still acutely aware that what you're reading is the story of a character who's been let down by both family and social services and left completely to their own devices at a fragile age, it's not its centrepiece. The main motor of this book is Anais's inability to stop, her consistently bad decisions and her inability to keep away from trouble, as well as the flaws of our social care systems and how even though the good intentions are there, the devices used are simply not working.
Anais's character is hard and angry, fighting for survival only to destroy her own life. In a sense - if so many other people have tried to wreck you, maybe it's time you took control and wrecked yourself?
kilobravo'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jem_carstairs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Rape, Grief, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Self harm, Alcohol, Murder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Transphobia and Pedophilia
rlk7m's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing book. Even though the protagonist is fifteen years old, there is NOTHING young adult about this book. The language is abrasive and the scenes are at times too descriptive when you don't want them to be. It's heartbreaking and leaves you cheering. I'm really glad I got past the first few chapters, as it is a very worthwhile read.
garbutch's review against another edition
Edit: Put on hold at 184 pages because I keep moving and losing the book in the process. :(
What I've read is great and I will update this again when I can.
-
Disclaimer: Written while still unfinished.
Pretty much all the negative reviews of this are from privileged people, who can't either read or respect Scots as a dialect, who demonize drug users, rape survivors, children in care, and swearing.
I've not been through the same sorts of things as the protagonist, but I felt like her narrative of the world was pretty spot-on. I'm not in and out of jails, but I've been a homeless teenager and I've been that aspect of society that doesn't fit in with the kind of suburbian squares that are complaining of swearing. A lot of teenagers need this voice.
It's a YA novel, and I will die on that hill. Young people live these lives. Why should their experiences be kept isolated from all other children?
What I've read is great and I will update this again when I can.
-
Disclaimer: Written while still unfinished.
Pretty much all the negative reviews of this are from privileged people, who can't either read or respect Scots as a dialect, who demonize drug users, rape survivors, children in care, and swearing.
I've not been through the same sorts of things as the protagonist, but I felt like her narrative of the world was pretty spot-on. I'm not in and out of jails, but I've been a homeless teenager and I've been that aspect of society that doesn't fit in with the kind of suburbian squares that are complaining of swearing. A lot of teenagers need this voice.
It's a YA novel, and I will die on that hill. Young people live these lives. Why should their experiences be kept isolated from all other children?
dgrhms's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
drlucyc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
absolutely sublime. I fell for Anais hard and fast.