this is the kind of book that when im reading in public and someone asks what iām reading i never know what to say ā normally just say āweird horror bookā and thatās kinda exactly what this is.Ā
i feel like itās hard to review this book so i agree with all of the āwtf was this ā 5 starā reviews, i think thatās the most accurate review for this š
short review: incredible book until the last 30 pages
long ish review: i really did love this book. the set up was so good. the unreliable narrator was so well done and really had you questioning what was going to happen next at all times. i feel like the build up was just so good that the climax ended up being pretty anticlimactic. it felt very rushed at the end and therefore a bit disappointing. that being said ā iād still rec it! itās a really good read (more of a psychological thriller than a witchy-magical-book fyi!!)
iām horrible at reviews but this one was incredible. itās slow to start, i personally have a hard time with time jumps (this shifts between present day and the past every few chapters) and is very reflective so it takes a bit of effort to get into, but once you get about halfway you cannot put it down.
just finished this and it is so so so good. iāve heard a lot of people say itās overhyped and say āguys this author has written other things!!!ā but iāve read (well started) another of his books, and itās good donāt get me wrong but thereās a reason this book gets so much hype!!!
premise is really cool ā in this world you get notified by Death Cast around midnight of the day youāre going to die. society has integrated this so thereās special events for people living their last day and ways to find people to be with if you have no one.Ā
it follows two boys on their last day but also shares the stories of a few others (not hard to keep track of tho!). itās all about living your life to itās fullest potential and how to not have regrets.Ā
idk what else to say but as i got closer and closer to the end my heart was literally racing bc, like the title says āthey both die at the endā.
go into it knowing that it is for teens (but also written by someone who doesnāt know what teens do now)
know that there will be lots of (often cringe) talk surrounding sex and virginity
embrace the cringe and let it come full circle into camp territory.
do not take a shot every time u see the word āgawdā, āfrackā, or āVSBā
chapter 18/19 are fairly explicit
2 modern teen references are made in the entire book
donāt get me wrong ā this book is a fine read. it kept me interested and id still recommend it to people looking for queer lit, there was just a cringy child-ness to the main character and his inner monologue. iām also over reading (or watching) things strictly about teens and their sex lives.Ā
jay sort of gave me kurt hummel from glee but in 2020 vibes (only out gay kid in a small town w a dad who works on cars? literally kurt) andĀ i both loved and hated it. definitely a stereotype (which they are self aware of, itās brought up how stereotypical jay is).
POS
easy read
enjoyable cringe to a certain point
fun to hate read
MAJOR NEGS
jay is supposed to be 17/18 but acts more like a 14/15 year old while discussing extremely adult topics (not a vibe)
discussion of the impacts of stereotypes is mentioned but when covering the topic of racial stereotypes it gets really weirdā¦ aka the only POC in the books essentially says āi used to hate that iām asian and do xyz but now i embrace itā and coming from a white author it feels very āiām supposed to discuss race in my book bc itās the PC thing to doā but did not hit the mark at all
i donāt like giving negative reviews to queer lit (and i donāt think this is entirely negative ā like i said, i did enjoy it a lot!!) because there is so little of it and i always want to support queer art. that being said, while itās no great work of fiction, itās a nice quick and enjoyable read if you donāt mind the extreme cringe and constant (i mean constant) dialogue surrounding sex and virginity.
So so so so good. I could have read this in one sitting if I didnāt have to work (fuck capitalism bruh). At first glance itās a queer love story but i feel like the most important relationship in this book is the sibling relationship. The way they learn about each other, heal, and redefine their own version of family is so beautiful. It sort of sneaks up on you, just how heart warming this story is. warning for continuous (accidental) misgendering of the mc throughout the book (they arenāt out yet).
ā ļøTW!! major:Ā sexual assault a boy is drugged and a girl is forced to give him a blow job, the scene isnāt described until page 250 and the scene can be skipped revenge porn
minor: racism (mostly micro aggressions a and racist ājokesā from antagonists, nothing violent, not a main theme but obviously important to the main characters journey) homophobia (again nothing violent)
this was a really good but hard read. the writing style is beautiful and makes me want to read more by her. she has a way of writing realistic fiction in a way that feels like youāre reading a fantasy. some lgbtqia issues are addressed in a kind of cringe way but itās kind of endearing. pretty fast read but i took my time with it and iām glad i did.Ā
not major spoilers but kinda spoilers: they do a really good job of talking about selective memory loss after trauma(/spoiler>
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
reads like a drarry fan fiction but hear me out i mean that as the best compliment ever ā gay sports, enemies to lovers, evangelist parents force son to act like them ā very very good read !!!