A review by mixxroxy
The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

It's tough to rate this book. It's a story about two young high schoolers both in similar situations. One of them goes down a dark path. A path of grief, loneliness and hatred. Those dark feelings build and build and burn this lonely child inside out. And when that doesn't work they turn those feelings outward using mass violence at school. His story is paralleled with another boy in a similar situation. Another boy who is lonely, confused, and ostracized. The story hinges on if this second boy will follow in the path of the first or will he make his own way in the world. The writing is dark and brutal and somewhat poetic. But it is a tough read. 

I'm rating it as low as I did because it just wasn't really a book for me. The hopelessness in it isn't exactly overwhelming but it's heavy. Also, there are some choices that are made, some odd things that feel a bit out of place in the book near the end and left me feeling a little off kilter but I don't think the author intended it that way. 

Despite these feelings, whenever I'm in the right mood, I think I'd like to read another book from Douglass in the future. If you're okay with all the trigger warnings it's an interesting spooky albeit very dark and sad book. 
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