A review by hellphie
The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff
4.0
Human nature insists we assign intention to the events in our lives. We assume we know why someone else does the things they do. And we make judgements about them because of the images we shape. But no matter how hard we try, or how much we believe, we can never really know someone else’s story. In The Absolute Value of -1, Brezenoff demonstrates how our minimalist perceptions can not only narrow our views, but can detrimentally impact others’ lives and relationships. How we influence and change the people around us. How every relationship changes the fabric of our being, even if we never recognize that it is happening. The remove between us, our people, and the truth.
I’m not a huge fan of the first person, multiple pov structure. It often feels confused, frenetic, and kind of shallow. Honestly, I relate this style with terrible YA romances. I much prefer my novels in the third person omniscient. That being said, when the first person switch is done well, it serves to highlight the depth of the novel. I think Brezenoff does it really well. We get each character’s story in a complete chunk. Lily’s version. Noah’s version. Simon’s version (I’m not sure how I feel about Suzanne’s part. I will ponder while I write this). Each story builds a little more on the one before until we finally have the mostly complete picture. From the outside, these three kids are easy to write off as stoner slackers. They seem like the type of kids that don’t care about anything – not their families, not their friends, definitely not school. But we don’t know their story. And the reviews I’ve read that still make those claims after they’ve finished the novel… I don’t know what those people were reading, or if their lives have just been exceptionally blessed, but I think they’ve missed something crucial. Each of these teens has something different, but so very similar, that drives their actions.
Based on the book blurb, I was a little uncertain going into this book. Although the blurb is direct quotes from the novel, it highlights the potential love triangle more than the evolution of self on the way from adolescence to the cusp of adulthood. The space between who we are and who we want to be. The deep inner turmoil that either forces us to grow or shuts us off entirely. How hard it can be to ever be certain of anything. Even when we think we have everything down.
Complete review at https://hellphiesfiendishfiction.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/the-absolute-value-of-1-by-steve-brezenoff-sbrezenoff/
I’m not a huge fan of the first person, multiple pov structure. It often feels confused, frenetic, and kind of shallow. Honestly, I relate this style with terrible YA romances. I much prefer my novels in the third person omniscient. That being said, when the first person switch is done well, it serves to highlight the depth of the novel. I think Brezenoff does it really well. We get each character’s story in a complete chunk. Lily’s version. Noah’s version. Simon’s version (I’m not sure how I feel about Suzanne’s part. I will ponder while I write this). Each story builds a little more on the one before until we finally have the mostly complete picture. From the outside, these three kids are easy to write off as stoner slackers. They seem like the type of kids that don’t care about anything – not their families, not their friends, definitely not school. But we don’t know their story. And the reviews I’ve read that still make those claims after they’ve finished the novel… I don’t know what those people were reading, or if their lives have just been exceptionally blessed, but I think they’ve missed something crucial. Each of these teens has something different, but so very similar, that drives their actions.
Based on the book blurb, I was a little uncertain going into this book. Although the blurb is direct quotes from the novel, it highlights the potential love triangle more than the evolution of self on the way from adolescence to the cusp of adulthood. The space between who we are and who we want to be. The deep inner turmoil that either forces us to grow or shuts us off entirely. How hard it can be to ever be certain of anything. Even when we think we have everything down.
Complete review at https://hellphiesfiendishfiction.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/the-absolute-value-of-1-by-steve-brezenoff-sbrezenoff/