kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Ultimatum by K.M. Walton is a poignant young adult novel about two very different brothers who are undergoing a life-altering event. Will this tragedy help them bridge the gap between them? Or will it pull them even farther apart?
Ten months apart in age, Vance and Oscar Irving are not at all close and in fact, they are complete opposites. Older brother Vance may look like the boys' now deceased mom, but he has much more in common with his hard partying, boisterous father. Vance is the gregarious, life of the party and he is a hotshot lacrosse who is quite popular. Oscar, on the hand, is the spitting image of his dad but he is much more introverted and retreats both psychically and emotionally when things turn adversarial. Now facing the death of their father who is in the final stages of liver failure, Vance and Oscar are independently realizing they will only have one another to rely on after he passes away. Will his death be the end of the brothers' strained relationship? Or can they find a way to overcome their differences and strengthen their fragile bond?
Ultimatum alternates back and forth between the brothers' perspectives and weaves back and forth in time. The present is written from Oscar's point of view and through his eyes, readers witness his uncertainty about his relationship with Vance. As he reflects on certain events from the past, it is very easy to feel the pain he has experienced at his brother's and father's indifference and their lack of understanding for the things that are important to him. He is much more introspective than Vance and Oscar is quite reflective as he faces his father's impending death.
Vance's chapters go back in time and focus on the events that have gone wrong in both his and his family's life. He is quite dismissive of Vance and his interests and he makes absolutely no effort to include his brother in his life. Instead, he numbs his emotions with drugs and alcohol and concentrates on making his dad proud of him. Vance is devoted to playing lacrosse and in fact, he is relying on the sport to pave his way to a college scholarship. He is well on his way to success when he makes a decision that has a detrimental impact on his future and in the aftermath, his relationship with his father is extremely tense. And just like Oscar, Vance is filled with regrets as he watches over his father's final days.
Ultimatum by K.M. Walton is a deeply affecting and emotional young adult novel that is ultimately uplifting as Vance and Oscar come to terms with the past and make plans for the future. The characters are richly drawn and imbued with strengths and weaknesses that are easy to relate to. Oscar is the more sympathetic of the brothers, but Vance undergoes the most growth by novel's end. A bittersweet yet hopeful young adult novel that I absolutely loved and highly recommend to readers of all ages.
Ultimatum by K.M. Walton is a poignant young adult novel about two very different brothers who are undergoing a life-altering event. Will this tragedy help them bridge the gap between them? Or will it pull them even farther apart?
Ten months apart in age, Vance and Oscar Irving are not at all close and in fact, they are complete opposites. Older brother Vance may look like the boys' now deceased mom, but he has much more in common with his hard partying, boisterous father. Vance is the gregarious, life of the party and he is a hotshot lacrosse who is quite popular. Oscar, on the hand, is the spitting image of his dad but he is much more introverted and retreats both psychically and emotionally when things turn adversarial. Now facing the death of their father who is in the final stages of liver failure, Vance and Oscar are independently realizing they will only have one another to rely on after he passes away. Will his death be the end of the brothers' strained relationship? Or can they find a way to overcome their differences and strengthen their fragile bond?
Ultimatum alternates back and forth between the brothers' perspectives and weaves back and forth in time. The present is written from Oscar's point of view and through his eyes, readers witness his uncertainty about his relationship with Vance. As he reflects on certain events from the past, it is very easy to feel the pain he has experienced at his brother's and father's indifference and their lack of understanding for the things that are important to him. He is much more introspective than Vance and Oscar is quite reflective as he faces his father's impending death.
Vance's chapters go back in time and focus on the events that have gone wrong in both his and his family's life. He is quite dismissive of Vance and his interests and he makes absolutely no effort to include his brother in his life. Instead, he numbs his emotions with drugs and alcohol and concentrates on making his dad proud of him. Vance is devoted to playing lacrosse and in fact, he is relying on the sport to pave his way to a college scholarship. He is well on his way to success when he makes a decision that has a detrimental impact on his future and in the aftermath, his relationship with his father is extremely tense. And just like Oscar, Vance is filled with regrets as he watches over his father's final days.
Ultimatum by K.M. Walton is a deeply affecting and emotional young adult novel that is ultimately uplifting as Vance and Oscar come to terms with the past and make plans for the future. The characters are richly drawn and imbued with strengths and weaknesses that are easy to relate to. Oscar is the more sympathetic of the brothers, but Vance undergoes the most growth by novel's end. A bittersweet yet hopeful young adult novel that I absolutely loved and highly recommend to readers of all ages.
kaylakaotik's review against another edition
5.0
I think the way the story was told was brilliant. You've got two different points of views telling two different parts of the story. Oscar leads us through present day events and Vance taking us from the past to the present. They work in perfect harmony, painting a full picture of what's happening to the brothers and how they got there.
Ultimatum tugs at your heartstrings throughout the entire book. Oscar and Vance are going through an incredibly difficult time, but the author doesn't sugarcoat it. The emotion feels real and believable.
Ultimatum is a heartbreaking story about grief and finding hope where you least expect it.
* This book was received from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
Ultimatum tugs at your heartstrings throughout the entire book. Oscar and Vance are going through an incredibly difficult time, but the author doesn't sugarcoat it. The emotion feels real and believable.
Ultimatum is a heartbreaking story about grief and finding hope where you least expect it.
* This book was received from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
savannahsprice's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a copy of ULTIMATUM from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
(4.5 stars)
I really, really liked this book. I saw it around pretty frequently for a couple days on various social media and I was wondering what it was about, so I went to NetGalley. The synopsis is a little blurry to what would happen in this book, but I enjoyed this nonetheless (even though I have no idea how I'd describe it to someone else).
d i s l i k e s:
Okay, I did really like this book, but it had its faults. For one, the writing wasn't mind-blowing or fantastic, but that didn't really affect the story; it was good enough for the telling to be drawn out perfectly.
Another thing I didn't like is the kinda lack of plot, I guess. ULTIMATUM could be called a finding-yourself or a family novel, but I just don't know how to describe it. Two brothers lose their dad, and go on a journey together. You can't really discern anything from that description.
l i k e s:
Despite the weak-ish plot and the writing, I enjoyed (is enjoyed the wrong word? liked? respected? I don't know) ULTIMATUM. The characters grew together beautifully and it was wonderful to see Vance's character development; Oscar's realization that his brother and father love him was great, too.
Despite the fact that I didn't like the writing, the story was told in a gripping and wonderful way that I really liked. I definitely won't forget this story for a while because of how it was told.
I recommend ULTIMATUM to anyone who can get their hands on it come March 7, and I hope everyone likes it.
(4.5 stars)
I really, really liked this book. I saw it around pretty frequently for a couple days on various social media and I was wondering what it was about, so I went to NetGalley. The synopsis is a little blurry to what would happen in this book, but I enjoyed this nonetheless (even though I have no idea how I'd describe it to someone else).
d i s l i k e s:
Okay, I did really like this book, but it had its faults. For one, the writing wasn't mind-blowing or fantastic, but that didn't really affect the story; it was good enough for the telling to be drawn out perfectly.
Another thing I didn't like is the kinda lack of plot, I guess. ULTIMATUM could be called a finding-yourself or a family novel, but I just don't know how to describe it. Two brothers lose their dad, and go on a journey together. You can't really discern anything from that description.
l i k e s:
Despite the weak-ish plot and the writing, I enjoyed (is enjoyed the wrong word? liked? respected? I don't know) ULTIMATUM. The characters grew together beautifully and it was wonderful to see Vance's character development; Oscar's realization that his brother and father love him was great, too.
Despite the fact that I didn't like the writing, the story was told in a gripping and wonderful way that I really liked. I definitely won't forget this story for a while because of how it was told.
I recommend ULTIMATUM to anyone who can get their hands on it come March 7, and I hope everyone likes it.
rainbows's review against another edition
4.0
K. M. Walton creates relatable characters that'll suck you into heartbreaking situations. Like Empty, this one made me cry.
sarahrita's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book free from the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
Please see my full reviews available at www.coffeeandtrainspotting.com.
Please see my full reviews available at www.coffeeandtrainspotting.com.
peytonh's review against another edition
5.0
this is honestly one of my favorite books, but that said, i’m a sucker for sibling stories
lindamcrateauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I won this book as a part of a giveaway, and judging from the cover I wasn't sure if it'd be my type of book. However, when I read it, it grabbed my heart and squeezed. I even cried a couple of times. It is heartbreaking, raw, and wonderful! K.M. Walton definitely understands the dynamics of complicated family connections, and did a good job in fleshing out these characters. I really identified with Oscar who is the artistic "weirdo" of the family as I am the same way. It was well written and a powerful story about two brothers coming together to learn what family truly is.
kimjunmyeon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
latifehasbani's review against another edition
4.0
Woah! This book is just so emotional! It portrays a broken family and the characters are so well described. We have Oscar that's really sweet and passionate and reclusive, but we also have Vance – the older brother – who's at every moment trying to prove his manhood and block away his feelings and by doing so he ends up having a more visible connection with their father. The thing is, throughout the story I always thought that the "villain" was Vance, and I'm not saying he's not rude because he was so harsh on others. However, after their mothers death, the family began falling apart and the more Vance joined his father by following the predetermined ideal of what it was to really be a man, Oscar was being left out and having to deal with all of his emotions on his own – mind you he didn't have any friends. In the end what came to me was that it wasn't just Vance's fault, but a mixture of aggressiveness and passiveness from both ends.
I believe it to be a must read for everybody, especially those with brothers and/or sisters. It doesn't, in my opinion, portray the reality of every single family, but it certainly shows how death can bring people together or tear them apart altogether...
I believe it to be a must read for everybody, especially those with brothers and/or sisters. It doesn't, in my opinion, portray the reality of every single family, but it certainly shows how death can bring people together or tear them apart altogether...
coloringpictures's review against another edition
3.0
This was a very cute read and I quite enjoyed it. Hits very close to home.