Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i swear, every time i read a book I'm like "this is my new favorite book" and that is exactly how i feel about this one. This book is 100% going to be in my top 10 favorites of the year, i cannot express how much i love this book and how much it really means to me.
a full review will be posted soon!
a full review will be posted soon!
4.5 stars.
The Wicker King was an experience. This story consists of multiple layers where not everything is laid out and tied up perfectly, and yet it was complete unto itself. Watching these two boys fall apart while they tried to keep each other standing ended up being such a compelling story. I really jived with the atmosphere because of the small-town sense of place. Not only that, but the author created a pervasive feeling of isolation coupled with the solitude the main characters found in each other. August was fascinating, primarily because of his unreliable narration; I particularly loved the way Ancrum depicted his pyromania as stemming from the need to feel something, to thaw and not be numb. And you can't really look at August without looking at Jack: they had such a tangled relationship, being foils to one another while reflecting deep-seated needs and wants.
I enjoyed the quiet nature of the romance—this was such an integral part of the plot, and the quiet, slow nature of that relationship was extremely satisfying. I'm not entirely sure what to make of Rina, because while I liked her and the way she fit with Jack and August, I felt a little distanced from her. The depiction of Jack and August's home lives highlighted how neglect can take different forms: August's relationship with his mother was heartbreaking but extremely fascinating to examine, but I found Jack's situation a little less effective, mainly because there weren't any real repercussions in the end. I also enjoyed the writing: short, almost like flash fiction pieces, with a brilliant use of multimedia that made for a visual read. The prose may not be the most sophisticated, but I don't think it needs to be.
I adored the tangle of dark and light elements Ancrum crafted in The Wicker King. Madness and mental illness, obsession and love...there were so many topics explored in this story, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's future works.
02/24/2020: While rereading the book, I looked at a Q&A Ancrum did that really put Jack's character and actions into perspective. I was able to appreciate him even more this time around, and I can't wait to reread The Legend of the Golden Raven
The Wicker King was an experience. This story consists of multiple layers where not everything is laid out and tied up perfectly, and yet it was complete unto itself. Watching these two boys fall apart while they tried to keep each other standing ended up being such a compelling story. I really jived with the atmosphere because of the small-town sense of place. Not only that, but the author created a pervasive feeling of isolation coupled with the solitude the main characters found in each other. August was fascinating, primarily because of his unreliable narration; I particularly loved the way Ancrum depicted his pyromania as stemming from the need to feel something, to thaw and not be numb. And you can't really look at August without looking at Jack: they had such a tangled relationship, being foils to one another while reflecting deep-seated needs and wants.
I enjoyed the quiet nature of the romance—this was such an integral part of the plot, and the quiet, slow nature of that relationship was extremely satisfying. I'm not entirely sure what to make of Rina, because while I liked her and the way she fit with Jack and August, I felt a little distanced from her. The depiction of Jack and August's home lives highlighted how neglect can take different forms: August's relationship with his mother was heartbreaking but extremely fascinating to examine, but I found Jack's situation a little less effective, mainly because there weren't any real repercussions in the end. I also enjoyed the writing: short, almost like flash fiction pieces, with a brilliant use of multimedia that made for a visual read. The prose may not be the most sophisticated, but I don't think it needs to be.
I adored the tangle of dark and light elements Ancrum crafted in The Wicker King. Madness and mental illness, obsession and love...there were so many topics explored in this story, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's future works.
02/24/2020: While rereading the book, I looked at a Q&A Ancrum did that really put Jack's character and actions into perspective. I was able to appreciate him even more this time around, and I can't wait to reread The Legend of the Golden Raven
I am extremely conflicted??? Going into this book, I was reasonably excited about reading it but I did not expect it to be so haunting. It was painful and beautiful, raw and captivating. I'm honestly quite blown away. The themes it discussed are sadly the reality for so many teens, and it was harrowing, to say the least. Part of me loved it and another part of me was sickened by it. It's so difficult to put into words. August and Jack's relationship was so profound and twisted and messed up in their continuous cycle of relying upon each other - as if physically eating away at each other. And this relationship manifests itself into something that they can no longer control. I think in her author's note, Ancrum put it quite well as they were an ouroboros. I think she really captured how this codependency plays out and how even if he wanted to, August couldn't leave Jack. The writing itself wasn't anything special, simple in fact but given the topic it covered I think this simplicity was what was needed. Anything more complex would've either distracted from the emotion in the story or just confused the reader. By no means was it perfect and I wouldn't go so far as to say it was an "enjoyable read" but it definitely leaves a resonating impact and chills in your bones. 4/5 stars
reading this book felt like someone was twisting a knife in my chest faster and faster the more i read. a must read.
I was excited for this book as I have really enjoyed the mental illness books I've read lately. The format of this book was amazing.
The characters were strong willed but sometimes it was hard to know who was whom. It took me awhile to realize who was whom.
The parents never being around seemed very tropeish which bothered me. I cant stand that trope.
Overall this book was very well written and deals with a topic that I haven't heard or read much about.
The characters were strong willed but sometimes it was hard to know who was whom. It took me awhile to realize who was whom.
The parents never being around seemed very tropeish which bothered me. I cant stand that trope.
Overall this book was very well written and deals with a topic that I haven't heard or read much about.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reread, didn’t enjoy it as much as i thought i would but it’s still very intriguing
So there's a quote by Toni Morrison that goes: "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it" ...and for the longest time I thought that there was never going to be a book exactly like the one I wanted to read, so naturally, I was going to write it. But a miracle happened, and I found the exact book that I wanted to read/write - The Wicker King, in all it's glory.
The craft, the story, the emotion... K. Ancrum got everything perfect in this heart-wrenching book.
This is one of those books that seem like it came from your own soul.
Absolutely beautiful and bittersweet.
The craft, the story, the emotion... K. Ancrum got everything perfect in this heart-wrenching book.
This is one of those books that seem like it came from your own soul.
Absolutely beautiful and bittersweet.