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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
kathrinellis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Der Roman hat mich durch eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt getrieben.
Ich konnte mich sehr gut mit dem Protagonisten identifizieren, habe mit ihm gelitten, gebangt, mich aber auch gefreut.
Es gab unheimlich viele kleine Details, welche zusammen mit dem herausragenden Schreibstil diese Geschichte so grandios machen.
Tatsächlich eines der besten Bücher, die ich in den letzten Jahren gelesen habe.
Ich konnte mich sehr gut mit dem Protagonisten identifizieren, habe mit ihm gelitten, gebangt, mich aber auch gefreut.
Es gab unheimlich viele kleine Details, welche zusammen mit dem herausragenden Schreibstil diese Geschichte so grandios machen.
Tatsächlich eines der besten Bücher, die ich in den letzten Jahren gelesen habe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Outing, and Alcohol
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