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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
this turned out to be very different from what i thought it was going to be and that's ok! this book honestly made my stomach hurt but it was very well written and unique so in the end, the pain was worth it.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
„Would you burn for me?”
Oh boy, I’m not even sure, if I can put into words what this book made me feel.
This is the story of August and Jack, childhood best friend, who are parts of completely different groups in high school but remain close friends outside of school nonetheless.
August feels a certain feeling of responsibility for Jack, after Jack saved August from drowning when they were kids. So, when Jack develops increasingly vivid hallucinations, August decides to do everything he can to help Jack, and that includes believing, that what only Jack can see is actually there.
Quickly they both fall down a rabbit hole, and they both grapple with losing their sanity while holding on to each other and each other only.
This book really was an emotional sucker punch.
The story follows August's perspective, as he tries to keep Jacks, as well as his own life together. Through it all he keeps hoping that whatever is going on with Jack, is something that can be fixed if he just plays along with the hallucinations, fulfilling a prophecy, that Jack has seen written in 'his world'.
The strong suit of this book has to be August and Jack’s friendship, which eventually turns into something co-dependent and then towards the end of the novel into something more romantic.
My heart broke, not just for August and how he tried to hold it all together, while both of their parents were blind to what is going on with the two. But also, for Jack as he loses his grip on reality.
Most heart-breaking have to be the parts of the book, when their friends, Rina, Roger, Peter or Alex, try to intervene and August tries to play it down or rationalize that this is what’s best for Jack.
As a reader, I found myself both drawn to Jack and August’s co-dependent relationship as well as hoping for someone to intervene to keep them from harm.
I have to mention the format of the novel as well. The chapters are short and often only give glimpses into August and Jack’s life, while still telling a coherent story. Additionally, the novel uses different sorts of mediums, like sketches, reports, playlists, notes or even photos. They make the story feel whole and I, as a reader, felt even closer to the characters.
As Jack and August fall further and further into Jack’s ‘world’, the pages turn more smudgy and eventually black. Which added an additional layer to the story and served as a constant reminder of the mental state these two were in.
Over all I enjoyed this novel immensely and rated it 5 out of 5 stars.
Oh boy, I’m not even sure, if I can put into words what this book made me feel.
This is the story of August and Jack, childhood best friend, who are parts of completely different groups in high school but remain close friends outside of school nonetheless.
August feels a certain feeling of responsibility for Jack, after Jack saved August from drowning when they were kids. So, when Jack develops increasingly vivid hallucinations, August decides to do everything he can to help Jack, and that includes believing, that what only Jack can see is actually there.
Quickly they both fall down a rabbit hole, and they both grapple with losing their sanity while holding on to each other and each other only.
This book really was an emotional sucker punch.
The story follows August's perspective, as he tries to keep Jacks, as well as his own life together. Through it all he keeps hoping that whatever is going on with Jack, is something that can be fixed if he just plays along with the hallucinations, fulfilling a prophecy, that Jack has seen written in 'his world'.
The strong suit of this book has to be August and Jack’s friendship, which eventually turns into something co-dependent and then towards the end of the novel into something more romantic.
My heart broke, not just for August and how he tried to hold it all together, while both of their parents were blind to what is going on with the two. But also, for Jack as he loses his grip on reality.
Most heart-breaking have to be the parts of the book, when their friends, Rina, Roger, Peter or Alex, try to intervene and August tries to play it down or rationalize that this is what’s best for Jack.
As a reader, I found myself both drawn to Jack and August’s co-dependent relationship as well as hoping for someone to intervene to keep them from harm.
I have to mention the format of the novel as well. The chapters are short and often only give glimpses into August and Jack’s life, while still telling a coherent story. Additionally, the novel uses different sorts of mediums, like sketches, reports, playlists, notes or even photos. They make the story feel whole and I, as a reader, felt even closer to the characters.
As Jack and August fall further and further into Jack’s ‘world’, the pages turn more smudgy and eventually black. Which added an additional layer to the story and served as a constant reminder of the mental state these two were in.
Over all I enjoyed this novel immensely and rated it 5 out of 5 stars.
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a twisty, strange, little mind-f of a book. Definitely could spend more time unpacking this one—the topics of mental illness in youth; youth who aren’t protected by society or parents and are forced to figure it out on their own; toxic dynamics in relationships, obsession, unstable forms of attachment. The style of the writing was fascinating and fit the slowly devolving mental state of the narrator—composed of short vignette type narration, paired with the gradual darkening of the pages and the text until it’s nearly all black. There’s pictures and documents mixed in, and overall just made for an intriguing consumption of story.
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this while listening to violent things by the brobecks. 10/10 experience, would recommend
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
It was entertaining & a quick read. The characters are going through something big and their struggles are relatable to some extent, but their personalities don't work for me, they feel one-dimensional. The writing style is interesting and I liked how dialog-heavy it was, but I feel like it'd work better for a different kind of story as it was kind of inconsistent in this. I didn't like the "twist" because what the fuck? Also the portrayal of the mental hospital at the end was... bad and things were awfully convenient.