A review by fnnbnjmnks
Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton
2.0
Megan's story is a compelling one; why does she not speak? Who are the voices in her head? What happened to her best friend Hana and why is she so scared that it'll get out?
And finally, why, when she has never displayed any signs of homosexuality before, does she find herself wanting to kiss new girl Jasmine?
From the beginning of the book, I wanted to know why she didn't speak. The fact that she was mute did interest me, but the more I read the novel, the less I became interested in it. I'm not sure I followed the story fully either, due to its several different modes of formatting; does italics mean Megan is thinking? Or are her thoughts embedded into the narrative too? Do the italics signify someone else talking in her head? I'm not too sure.
I must be honest, I was not overly enamored by this text. I'm not sure what it was, but I found the narrative slightly clumsy. I understand that in order to tell a story about a mute girl, there may need to be other characters who 'never shut up' as Jasmine puts it, but there did seem to be too much of that in Unspeakable.
Also, the build up in the story seemed a bit unnecessary in the end. I was expecting something more than what actually happened, and while I understand that people can blame themselves for things, I wanted MORE to be revealed about Hana's death.
Having said that, the ending was good. Intense, interesting and somewhat unexpected in some parts - the ending made reading the whole thing worthwhile. As far as the Megan x Jasmine relationship though, I just wish there had been more signs of it throughout the text and not just in blatant 'she is gorgeous' type ordeals. Please.
If you are solely looking for a book which deals with LGBTQ* issues, then don't read this text. Message me and I'll give you other titles for that. It seemed unrealistic, in my opinion. But again that is just my opinion.
I would be interested to know how much experience Rushton has in LGBTQ* situations. Of course, if she is a cisgender straight person, it does not mean she can't (or shouldn't) write a book about LGBTQ* issues, I just wish (as we all know) that more LGBTQ* people had a stage to tell their stories, as I have ranted about in many writing workshops in the past. But alas.
I foresee people really taking to this book in a way that I didn't. And as an interesting exploration of mental health and LGBTQ* issues, I can understand why they might. I just think other people have tackled this issue better, so with all the hype this is getting on Goodreads, I was a little disappointed.
And finally, why, when she has never displayed any signs of homosexuality before, does she find herself wanting to kiss new girl Jasmine?
From the beginning of the book, I wanted to know why she didn't speak. The fact that she was mute did interest me, but the more I read the novel, the less I became interested in it. I'm not sure I followed the story fully either, due to its several different modes of formatting; does italics mean Megan is thinking? Or are her thoughts embedded into the narrative too? Do the italics signify someone else talking in her head? I'm not too sure.
I must be honest, I was not overly enamored by this text. I'm not sure what it was, but I found the narrative slightly clumsy. I understand that in order to tell a story about a mute girl, there may need to be other characters who 'never shut up' as Jasmine puts it, but there did seem to be too much of that in Unspeakable.
Also, the build up in the story seemed a bit unnecessary in the end. I was expecting something more than what actually happened, and while I understand that people can blame themselves for things, I wanted MORE to be revealed about Hana's death.
Having said that, the ending was good. Intense, interesting and somewhat unexpected in some parts - the ending made reading the whole thing worthwhile. As far as the Megan x Jasmine relationship though, I just wish there had been more signs of it throughout the text and not just in blatant 'she is gorgeous' type ordeals. Please.
If you are solely looking for a book which deals with LGBTQ* issues, then don't read this text. Message me and I'll give you other titles for that. It seemed unrealistic, in my opinion. But again that is just my opinion.
I would be interested to know how much experience Rushton has in LGBTQ* situations. Of course, if she is a cisgender straight person, it does not mean she can't (or shouldn't) write a book about LGBTQ* issues, I just wish (as we all know) that more LGBTQ* people had a stage to tell their stories, as I have ranted about in many writing workshops in the past. But alas.
I foresee people really taking to this book in a way that I didn't. And as an interesting exploration of mental health and LGBTQ* issues, I can understand why they might. I just think other people have tackled this issue better, so with all the hype this is getting on Goodreads, I was a little disappointed.