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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Esse é o tipo de livro que eu sei que vai continuar na minha mente por muito tempo. Me surpreendi muito com o quão imersiva e profunda a escrita da autora é; os documentos, bilhetes e imagens presentes no livro também ajudaram nesse aspecto, tornando a experiência de leitura muito especial e única.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
The writing is certainly compelling. Each section has a heading and each chapter lasted anywhere between one and three pages, making it a quick and easily digestible read. The images also added to the story and I look forward to seeing the additions and edits that were not in my ARC copy. I was driven to finish the book in order to find out what happens to the characters, but I suppose I expected more from the ending than I got. It left me wanting resolution for the relationship between August and Jack and the state of their mental health. Their relationship is complex and twisted. Their reliance on one another for survival in the void of parental care started as endearing and quickly and in a state of August's self-awareness became unhealthy for both of them. Aesthetically, the book itself is gorgeous, unlike any other I've seen as it darkens from white to black in an ombré, mirroring the growing darkness in the mental states of the main characters.
The side characters like Rina, Alex, and the twins were compelling. I even liked Dr. Cho and wanted to know more about her. But this was August's story and the end of the book left it incomplete.
As for representation, mental illness was certainly on display, but I'm not sure how accurately it was portrayed. As for bi-representation, there was more implication than action.
As a whole, I liked the book, but the unresolved ending and the discomfort I felt in reading about the twisted relationship and how they were left alone to their own devices didn't sit well with me. Mental health is such an important issue, but neither of the main characters cared to seek help until it was too late, even when it was accessible.
This book left me with a lot to think about but I look forward to its release and discussing it with other readers.
The side characters like Rina, Alex, and the twins were compelling. I even liked Dr. Cho and wanted to know more about her. But this was August's story and the end of the book left it incomplete.
As for representation, mental illness was certainly on display, but I'm not sure how accurately it was portrayed. As for bi-representation, there was more implication than action.
As a whole, I liked the book, but the unresolved ending and the discomfort I felt in reading about the twisted relationship and how they were left alone to their own devices didn't sit well with me. Mental health is such an important issue, but neither of the main characters cared to seek help until it was too late, even when it was accessible.
This book left me with a lot to think about but I look forward to its release and discussing it with other readers.
K. Ancrum’s debut novel, The Wicker King, is nothing short of stunning.
The novel, written is short jabs of flash fiction, follows the friendship of August and Jack, two boys in different social circles, but friends since childhood. When Jack starts seeing things that no one else can see, August vows to help Jack solve the mysteries before his friend loses everything to the visions.
The writing is beautiful. Ancrum’s style—stark, deliberate, and surprising—forces the reader to pause and reflect at the end of every chapter. Every closing line lands with a haunting echo, a deliberate call for the reader to think more fully about the relationships laid bare. I found myself setting the book down every few lines, just to let them marinate—to think beyond what was being told, and to let the lines resonate.
This is not for lack of Ancrum’s writing. Her thoughtful prose are beautiful and subtle. The sparseness of her writing is a calculated decision to augment the characters and their emotions. The stripped down story is a narrative laid as bare as possible, free from embellishment. The prose only highlight the massive emotional journeys of the characters, never hinder them.
Ancrum’s novel is a subtle symphony about codependency, desire, and mental illness. It is an incredible debut novel, and a pleasure to read and reread many times over.
The novel, written is short jabs of flash fiction, follows the friendship of August and Jack, two boys in different social circles, but friends since childhood. When Jack starts seeing things that no one else can see, August vows to help Jack solve the mysteries before his friend loses everything to the visions.
The writing is beautiful. Ancrum’s style—stark, deliberate, and surprising—forces the reader to pause and reflect at the end of every chapter. Every closing line lands with a haunting echo, a deliberate call for the reader to think more fully about the relationships laid bare. I found myself setting the book down every few lines, just to let them marinate—to think beyond what was being told, and to let the lines resonate.
This is not for lack of Ancrum’s writing. Her thoughtful prose are beautiful and subtle. The sparseness of her writing is a calculated decision to augment the characters and their emotions. The stripped down story is a narrative laid as bare as possible, free from embellishment. The prose only highlight the massive emotional journeys of the characters, never hinder them.
Ancrum’s novel is a subtle symphony about codependency, desire, and mental illness. It is an incredible debut novel, and a pleasure to read and reread many times over.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've never read a book like this before. I was constantly trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't just like the characters. August and Jack had such an intense friendship, and when they were hurt it just squeezed my heart.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
medium-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
i absolutely adored this book. the only negative was the pacing, one page to the next being such a jump in the plot sometimes. but otherwise i truly adored this book more than i can say. so many thoughts on it, very very enjoyable to read
The Wicker King had been lingering on my TBR for a while, and when it was announced as the first read in the Dragons & Tea Book Club, it shot to the top of my TBR so I could participate. When I received my paperback copy in the mail, I actually initially though it was damaged as the pages slowly fade into the black the further along the novel progresses, which seemed an ominous sign for what I was getting into while reading.
As expected from both the description on the book design, The Wicker King is a tale of two teenagers spiraling into darkness, feeding off of each other's situations in a co-dependent relationship. There's Jack, more of the golden boy figure who's mental health is slowly deteriorating, and August, his unlikely friend since childhood who ends up along for the ride. The story chronicles their retreat from reality and into the world created by Jack's hallucinations that can only be truly known to them. The story was honestly much more disturbing and intense than I expected, not because of the hallucinations or almost paranormal feeling at times, but rather because of the co-dependency between August and Jack and August following Jack into his alternate world to a point where his involvement is more dangerous than Jack's because he has no control as he can't "see" what Jack does. The story is stark and raw in a way that I often haven't seen in YA fiction. While Jack and August's relationship is frightening in its intensity at times (and due to its circumstances), I did love seeing this unconditional love that they had for each other manifest in different ways, and their relationship is such a unique one. Though the story focuses on August and Jack's relationship, I also liked the portrayal of their friends who were on the "outside" and not involved with Jack's imagined world, but who all tried to help in their own way (Alex, Rina, the twins, etc.)
The narrative is formatted uniquely, including many multi media elements (playlists, pictures, copies of police reports, etc.) which add a level of intrigue and make the pages fly by. The actual narrative is told through a series of mini vignettes that only last a few pages at most but are like snapshots into August's life, becoming more intense and desperate feeling as the story progresses. It added the perfect urgent, anxiety inducing tone to the book that was helped along with the color change in page and text (although it became difficult to read at times because of the coloring, but I have a feeling this may have been due to the print quality of my paperback).
While this story isn't the kind I'd typically reach for, I really, truly appreciated the author's dedication and note at the end. You can tell she wrote this story with the intention of reaching teenagers who may be on their own or struggling or treading water the best they can, showcasing that even those with the best intentions and aspirations can get weighed down or make the wrong call but it's OK because they're doing the best they can. That is exactly the situation August was in throughout the course of the novel (and is even described as a "weird, young dad")- he's desperately trying to take care of himself and his peers when he's really at a stage where he needs to be cared for, which I think is just as important of a message as the great mental health rep in this book.
Overall: The Wicker King was a quite yet powerful read with an intriguing format and an ironic twist at the end. While it's personally not the type of book I'd typically reach for and therefore isn't a forever favorite of mine, I think it will resonate with many readers as a 5 star read and I'm very thankful that I read it. This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
As expected from both the description on the book design, The Wicker King is a tale of two teenagers spiraling into darkness, feeding off of each other's situations in a co-dependent relationship. There's Jack, more of the golden boy figure who's mental health is slowly deteriorating, and August, his unlikely friend since childhood who ends up along for the ride. The story chronicles their retreat from reality and into the world created by Jack's hallucinations that can only be truly known to them. The story was honestly much more disturbing and intense than I expected, not because of the hallucinations or almost paranormal feeling at times, but rather because of the co-dependency between August and Jack and August following Jack into his alternate world to a point where his involvement is more dangerous than Jack's because he has no control as he can't "see" what Jack does. The story is stark and raw in a way that I often haven't seen in YA fiction. While Jack and August's relationship is frightening in its intensity at times (and due to its circumstances), I did love seeing this unconditional love that they had for each other manifest in different ways, and their relationship is such a unique one. Though the story focuses on August and Jack's relationship, I also liked the portrayal of their friends who were on the "outside" and not involved with Jack's imagined world, but who all tried to help in their own way (Alex, Rina, the twins, etc.)
The narrative is formatted uniquely, including many multi media elements (playlists, pictures, copies of police reports, etc.) which add a level of intrigue and make the pages fly by. The actual narrative is told through a series of mini vignettes that only last a few pages at most but are like snapshots into August's life, becoming more intense and desperate feeling as the story progresses. It added the perfect urgent, anxiety inducing tone to the book that was helped along with the color change in page and text (although it became difficult to read at times because of the coloring, but I have a feeling this may have been due to the print quality of my paperback).
While this story isn't the kind I'd typically reach for, I really, truly appreciated the author's dedication and note at the end. You can tell she wrote this story with the intention of reaching teenagers who may be on their own or struggling or treading water the best they can, showcasing that even those with the best intentions and aspirations can get weighed down or make the wrong call but it's OK because they're doing the best they can. That is exactly the situation August was in throughout the course of the novel (and is even described as a "weird, young dad")- he's desperately trying to take care of himself and his peers when he's really at a stage where he needs to be cared for, which I think is just as important of a message as the great mental health rep in this book.
Overall: The Wicker King was a quite yet powerful read with an intriguing format and an ironic twist at the end. While it's personally not the type of book I'd typically reach for and therefore isn't a forever favorite of mine, I think it will resonate with many readers as a 5 star read and I'm very thankful that I read it. This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
Hmmmm...this book just really wasn't for me :(
Ahhh, so where do I start? Honestly, having read the first 40-50 pages, I thought I was going to love this but then...things started to go wrong in my opinion. I found it quite repetitive and tedious in parts and didn't really 'gel' with August or Jack, although August did make me smile a few times with some of the things he said. The middle section of the book was the weakest - I found it pretty boring and the story didn't flow; it was often fragmented and disjointed (I do understand the reasoning behind this as it is about mental health) but, I don't know, I felt pretty detached and removed from the whole thing until the last 50 pages or so when it started getting good again but by then it was too late.
I must say I was disappointed by the ending (the reason why Jack was experiencing these hallucinations) because there was a clear and logical explanation to explain away his illness but I didn't want that. I didn't want there to be any particular reason behind why he had these hallucinations - I would have found that premise more intriguing which probably explains why I preferred August, because in the end, I think actually he was the one with the mental illness - there was nothing "wrong" (and I use that term in the loosest possible way) with him per se except his attachment to and overdependence on Jack. August was, by far, the more complex of the two characters which did redeem TWK in some respects. As for the supporting cast - I couldn't care less about Gordie (urgh, she was insufferable), Carrie-Anne (hardly even in it) or Rina (she was pretty unforgettable to me) but the Whittaker twins were pretty entertaining.
In the end, I think this book had a lot of potential to be wonderful but the execution failed to paint the best picture - it was okay-ish but the overlong middle and that ending was the final nail in the coffin. It comes as no surprise to know that I won't be continuing on with this series - it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Ahhh, so where do I start? Honestly, having read the first 40-50 pages, I thought I was going to love this but then...things started to go wrong in my opinion. I found it quite repetitive and tedious in parts and didn't really 'gel' with August or Jack, although August did make me smile a few times with some of the things he said. The middle section of the book was the weakest - I found it pretty boring and the story didn't flow; it was often fragmented and disjointed (I do understand the reasoning behind this as it is about mental health) but, I don't know, I felt pretty detached and removed from the whole thing until the last 50 pages or so when it started getting good again but by then it was too late.
I must say I was disappointed by the ending (the reason why Jack was experiencing these hallucinations) because there was a clear and logical explanation to explain away his illness but I didn't want that. I didn't want there to be any particular reason behind why he had these hallucinations - I would have found that premise more intriguing which probably explains why I preferred August, because in the end, I think actually he was the one with the mental illness - there was nothing "wrong" (and I use that term in the loosest possible way) with him per se except his attachment to and overdependence on Jack. August was, by far, the more complex of the two characters which did redeem TWK in some respects. As for the supporting cast - I couldn't care less about Gordie (urgh, she was insufferable), Carrie-Anne (hardly even in it) or Rina (she was pretty unforgettable to me) but the Whittaker twins were pretty entertaining.
In the end, I think this book had a lot of potential to be wonderful but the execution failed to paint the best picture - it was okay-ish but the overlong middle and that ending was the final nail in the coffin. It comes as no surprise to know that I won't be continuing on with this series - it just wasn't my cup of tea.