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tigertheory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
The End of Loneliness was a Five Star-Read for me so obviously I had to pick up another Wells. Well.
First, the good parts. The novel is well-planned and it’s written in a way that feels like it’s been (albeit somewhat badly) translated from English which is a fun gimmick. I like Wells' style, even though you can tell that he’s more of a novelist than a poet (don’t know if it was necessary to include verse). At some points you can tell that he is not intimately familiar with US-American culture but overall I would say his picture of 1980s Americana holds up. Some points for the portrayal of men’s emotions and different ways to handle them which I appreciate, especially in YA.
The parts on grief and the loss of a parent (not a spoiler, that’s literally the first sentence) ring true – maybe even a bit too much; I was counting on this being a comfort read and it had me bawling. Too close to home.
Anyway.
I’m not a big fan of YA to begin with (never was, even as a teen) and this one felt both very rigid and simplistic in its construction and above all, decidedly male.The culmination of everything being sex was incredibly disappointing, especially with Kristie, who I found rather unlikeable throughout the whole story. Wells' women characters are lackluster (did anyone say Madonna-Whore-Complex?) but I guess it’s also Sam’s perspective that’s skewing this a bit. Overall, I feel like he could’ve done more with the story.
First, the good parts. The novel is well-planned and it’s written in a way that feels like it’s been (albeit somewhat badly) translated from English which is a fun gimmick. I like Wells' style, even though you can tell that he’s more of a novelist than a poet (don’t know if it was necessary to include verse). At some points you can tell that he is not intimately familiar with US-American culture but overall I would say his picture of 1980s Americana holds up. Some points for the portrayal of men’s emotions and different ways to handle them which I appreciate, especially in YA.
The parts on grief and the loss of a parent (not a spoiler, that’s literally the first sentence) ring true – maybe even a bit too much; I was counting on this being a comfort read and it had me bawling. Too close to home.
Anyway.
I’m not a big fan of YA to begin with (never was, even as a teen) and this one felt both very rigid and simplistic in its construction and above all, decidedly male.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Animal death and Sexual violence