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maddoxx's review against another edition
5.0
I'm so incredibly in love with this book and I can't find the words to praise it the way it deserves. This book has a sort of raw emotion that rattled me to my bones. I recommend it to those who are struggling, who are always growing and learning. I recommend it to everyone with a beating heart in their chest.
ashleybartonsbff's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
aspring's review
5.0
i would like to have words with k ancrum pls
after reading icarus and having it fall to a favourite book of all time, i was nervous about reading this one but it gave me everything that i’m missing after finishing icarus. i love this book, i hate it, i love it & hate it and think all of these characters deserve softer hands to hold
after reading icarus and having it fall to a favourite book of all time, i was nervous about reading this one but it gave me everything that i’m missing after finishing icarus. i love this book, i hate it, i love it & hate it and think all of these characters deserve softer hands to hold
exquisite_tragedy's review against another edition
4.0
I’m still crying after reading that authors note. What a read.
aritheearies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
catrinmary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
what the—
charspages's review against another edition
5.0
"'Do they still sing songs of my victory?' August choked.
'They do. And they'll crescendo like beacons to the farthest reaches. With every new breath of life that forms in a world without darkness that came at the price of your hands and your mind.'"
actual live footage of me reading this book:
This book didn’t make a space for itself in my heart, it kicked down my door, beat me with a stick, and carved my heart straight out of my rib cage before taking off with all my love in it. Be still, my beating meat.
Y’all, it’s been literal days and I still haven’t found a general consensus amidst the cacophony of emotions I’m feeling in regards to this novel, so allow me to concoct a short, but sweet collection for demonstration purposes:
•aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
•whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck
•life is meaningless and the only source of joy is kayla ancrum’s writing
•don’t talk to me or i’ll kill myself
•whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
•what is happening
•i love one (1) man and his name is august bateman
•bury me
•six hours of uninterrupted, senseless screaming
Hope you enjoyed. The b-side of this mixtape will be released as soon as we get more content from Miss Ancrum. (WHEN. Kayla I am begging you. I will pay you five money to release this earlier.)
PLOT: 5 / 5
This book is very much like math class in the sense that I don’t understand shit all of what is happening.
This book is very much unlike math class in that I love every second of it.
[b:The Wicker King|33158541|The Wicker King|K. Ancrum|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499702888s/33158541.jpg|53851691] may be many things, but cliché is not one of them. Easy to understand isn’t really one of its attributes, either, but that's okay. It's confusing and wild and pretentious and utterly addictive.
This story takes so many unforeseeable twists and turns it almost gave me motion sickness. Like a riptide, it drags you under until you can’t breathe, then spits you out on the sand for brief moments of reprieve. The calm isn’t made to last, though, and secretly, you were hoping for more action, anyway. It’s addicting in a way that very few stories are. It’s addicting enough to read it all within four hours because you just need to know.
The Wicker King follows best friends August Bateman and Jack Rossi as they experience high school in the early 2000s. It is a time of mental and emotional distress, especially when Jack begins to develop strange visions that only grow more prominent and disturbing over time.
What you should be aware of before you start reading this is that this book glamorizes and romanticizes mental illness, and it does so heavily. What you should also be aware of is that it does this intentionally and that everything is tied into the plot and the character arcs of both August and Jack. This isn't one of these poorly researched "depression is crying prettily"-cases, this is an "my narrator is mentally ill and part of his mental illness is severely romanticizing this entire situation". This story is, by no means, easy to read, but it hits home hard. [a:K. Ancrum|16371347|K. Ancrum|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1548178808p2/16371347.jpg] has created something meaningful and almost sinister, something to stay on your mind for weeks to come.
CHARACTERS: 5 / 5
There are just about three ways to attract me, as a reader and as a person:
1. Arson.
2. Boys who are not afraid to show emotion.
3. The Gays.
That's pretty much it. It's like Kayla Ancrum looked into my head, saw this very comprehensive list, and compiled a book containing all three just for me personally. The Wicker King hits all my marks so hard I'm seeing stars.
AUGUST BATEMAN is young, broke, and filled with angst. He's always concerned with looking presentable, with making enough money to support himself and his deeply depressed mother, and with cooking meals so Jack will consume something other than cornflakes and Whiskey.
Like a coin, there's two sides to August: on the one hand, he is dependable, safe, and responsible. He's way mature for his age and always concerned with making a good impression. That is the side of him that everyone sees.
On the other hand, he is wild and burns with rage and pain and sadness. He likes to burn entire buildings to the ground, and he likes to watch the fire consume everything. He likes to follow Jack, into battle, into war, into death if need be. This is the part of him that's dark, and twisted, and only for those who bother to look behind his facade.
These wildly differing sides and his undying loyalty to Jack find their explanation very, very late in the book
And yet, even with those extremes, August remains a believable character. His actions are rooted in who he is and what he's been through, and he grows continually throughout the story. His desperation, how real he seemed, all of it made him easy to love.
JACK ROSSI is the human equivalent of a wildfire: he's a disaster that wreaks havoc, and August likes watching him burn. Jack is a jock, sporty, popular, on the other end of the social spectrum than August. And yet, they are loyal to one another.
Jack's alter-ego is called the Wicker King, and as the king, he is cruel, but merciful; he is dark, but hopeful; he is a savior, but needs to be saved. Every single moment when the lines blurred and Jack was more ancient trickster king than human boy chased goosebumps down my back.
In real life, he is little more than his high school's star-athlete, a rich boy with parents who couldn't care less for their only son. There's one moment in the novel where Jack waits for his father to come home for Christmas, and when he doesn't, I could feel my heart break into twelve billion pieces, right alongside Jack's. His heartbreak, his ache for love and validation, his moments of grandeur are all portrayed in a way so raw and real that I still get all choked up just thinking about it.
Jack has visions, hallucinations that grow increasingly more frequent and lucid as the plot progresses. At first, he sees only animals and things that no one else can see, but then, he begins seeing an entire world that is open only to him.
Jack's development is rapid, and frightening, and illustrates a downward spiral that takes others down with him without mercy. The more the pages dwindle, the more Jack's mind dwindles, too. As with August's strange fixation on his best friend, however, there is a very reasonable explanation at the end of the novel. Kayla Ancrum leaves nothing unsolved and treats both August and Jack with respect and dignity.
RINA MEDINA was an extremely refreshing addition to the cast. She's independent, casual, cool, and confident. She's super pretentious: reading poetry in a made-up language and dressing like she's on her way to a carnival party; not for one second, though, did she feel unbelievable or annoying. She supports August and Jack, helping them as their strange relationship progresses alongside their strange story, and she never stops supporting these two boys who spend entire afternoons on her carpet.
I also quite liked PETER and ROGER, the twins who are the first people to tell August that there's something seriously wrong with Jack. They were two pillars of support for August - as best as they could, anyway.
WORLD BUILDING: 5 / 5
The Wicker King may be set in an ordinary town in our ordinary world, but that doesn't mean that any single scene in it is ordinary. On the contrary: Kayla Ancrum crafts a fantasy world for Jack that is so tangible you almost picture yourself in it, and she expertly blurs the lines between reality and fantasy until you no longer know which is which.
Her settings are atmospheric and dark, and it was extremely hard to find a way back out of the story once you were immersed in it. Sometimes, I still feel the ghostly touches of August nearly drowning in his bathtub, or see the afterglow of Jack declaring himself the Wicker King, bathed in sunlight in the attic.
DIVERSITY: 5 / 5
Kayla Ancrum writes diverse characters like it's the easiest thing in the world. August seems to be (correct me if I'm wrong, please!) mixed, half African-American and half white. Rina is Asian, as is a doctor later in the story. Alex, one of August's friends, is plus-size.
Then there is, of course, the slow, almost painful transgression from friends-to-lovers between August and Jack. While neither of them specify their sexual orientation, it is obvious that they are both LGBT+. This doesn't take centerstage, though: this is not a story about struggling with one's sexuality, it's a story about two boys who cannot live with or without one another.
Most importantly, though, this book is one about mental illness. Both August and Jack are victims of parental neglect. August's mom is depressed, and Jack's parents don't give a shit about what happens to their son. Lonely and neglected, what blooms between them is more than a friendship and more than romantic love:
This is later specifically diagnosed and treated as they both spend time in a psychiatric hospital. It was the first time I've read about this condition, and Kayla Ancrum pictured it in a way that was nothing short of breath-taking.
WRITING STYLE: 5 / 5
The Wicker King is not a gentle book, on the contrary. It reads like a suckerpunch, but one I would gladly endure time and time again. Ancrum's writing is magnetic, poetic, at times painful. It is utterly enchanting, mind-blowing, and very, very emotional. That first kiss between August and Jack had me writing my vows.
That scene where Jack tattoos August made me wish for the ability to freeze time, just so I could preserve that exquisite cocktail of emotions forever.
That author's note at the end had me crying like a baby.
Kayla Ancrum, you have crafted something wonderful. I will never be the same after reading this book, and I pity everyone who hasn't read this story yet.
OVERALL RATING: 5 / 5
This book opened a door in me. It made my head spin and my heart hurt; it made me weep so badly I could barely even breathe. It made me laugh and smile and, most importantly, it left me in a puddle on my bed, unable to comprehend what I've just gone through.
This entire review is completely inadequate at portraying just how much I love this book, so let it suffice to say that if you want to do yourself a favor, you should read this book. And bring tissues.
'They do. And they'll crescendo like beacons to the farthest reaches. With every new breath of life that forms in a world without darkness that came at the price of your hands and your mind.'"
actual live footage of me reading this book:
This book didn’t make a space for itself in my heart, it kicked down my door, beat me with a stick, and carved my heart straight out of my rib cage before taking off with all my love in it. Be still, my beating meat.
Y’all, it’s been literal days and I still haven’t found a general consensus amidst the cacophony of emotions I’m feeling in regards to this novel, so allow me to concoct a short, but sweet collection for demonstration purposes:
•aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
•whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck
•life is meaningless and the only source of joy is kayla ancrum’s writing
•don’t talk to me or i’ll kill myself
•whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
•what is happening
•i love one (1) man and his name is august bateman
•bury me
•six hours of uninterrupted, senseless screaming
Hope you enjoyed. The b-side of this mixtape will be released as soon as we get more content from Miss Ancrum. (WHEN. Kayla I am begging you. I will pay you five money to release this earlier.)
PLOT: 5 / 5
This book is very much like math class in the sense that I don’t understand shit all of what is happening.
This book is very much unlike math class in that I love every second of it.
[b:The Wicker King|33158541|The Wicker King|K. Ancrum|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499702888s/33158541.jpg|53851691] may be many things, but cliché is not one of them. Easy to understand isn’t really one of its attributes, either, but that's okay. It's confusing and wild and pretentious and utterly addictive.
This story takes so many unforeseeable twists and turns it almost gave me motion sickness. Like a riptide, it drags you under until you can’t breathe, then spits you out on the sand for brief moments of reprieve. The calm isn’t made to last, though, and secretly, you were hoping for more action, anyway. It’s addicting in a way that very few stories are. It’s addicting enough to read it all within four hours because you just need to know.
The Wicker King follows best friends August Bateman and Jack Rossi as they experience high school in the early 2000s. It is a time of mental and emotional distress, especially when Jack begins to develop strange visions that only grow more prominent and disturbing over time.
What you should be aware of before you start reading this is that this book glamorizes and romanticizes mental illness, and it does so heavily. What you should also be aware of is that it does this intentionally and that everything is tied into the plot and the character arcs of both August and Jack. This isn't one of these poorly researched "depression is crying prettily"-cases, this is an "my narrator is mentally ill and part of his mental illness is severely romanticizing this entire situation". This story is, by no means, easy to read, but it hits home hard. [a:K. Ancrum|16371347|K. Ancrum|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1548178808p2/16371347.jpg] has created something meaningful and almost sinister, something to stay on your mind for weeks to come.
CHARACTERS: 5 / 5
There are just about three ways to attract me, as a reader and as a person:
1. Arson.
2. Boys who are not afraid to show emotion.
3. The Gays.
That's pretty much it. It's like Kayla Ancrum looked into my head, saw this very comprehensive list, and compiled a book containing all three just for me personally. The Wicker King hits all my marks so hard I'm seeing stars.
AUGUST BATEMAN is young, broke, and filled with angst. He's always concerned with looking presentable, with making enough money to support himself and his deeply depressed mother, and with cooking meals so Jack will consume something other than cornflakes and Whiskey.
Like a coin, there's two sides to August: on the one hand, he is dependable, safe, and responsible. He's way mature for his age and always concerned with making a good impression. That is the side of him that everyone sees.
On the other hand, he is wild and burns with rage and pain and sadness. He likes to burn entire buildings to the ground, and he likes to watch the fire consume everything. He likes to follow Jack, into battle, into war, into death if need be. This is the part of him that's dark, and twisted, and only for those who bother to look behind his facade.
These wildly differing sides and his undying loyalty to Jack find their explanation very, very late in the book
Spoiler
in August's co-dependency. It isn't that he doesn't want to live without Jack, it's that he cannot.And yet, even with those extremes, August remains a believable character. His actions are rooted in who he is and what he's been through, and he grows continually throughout the story. His desperation, how real he seemed, all of it made him easy to love.
JACK ROSSI is the human equivalent of a wildfire: he's a disaster that wreaks havoc, and August likes watching him burn. Jack is a jock, sporty, popular, on the other end of the social spectrum than August. And yet, they are loyal to one another.
Jack's alter-ego is called the Wicker King, and as the king, he is cruel, but merciful; he is dark, but hopeful; he is a savior, but needs to be saved. Every single moment when the lines blurred and Jack was more ancient trickster king than human boy chased goosebumps down my back.
In real life, he is little more than his high school's star-athlete, a rich boy with parents who couldn't care less for their only son. There's one moment in the novel where Jack waits for his father to come home for Christmas, and when he doesn't, I could feel my heart break into twelve billion pieces, right alongside Jack's. His heartbreak, his ache for love and validation, his moments of grandeur are all portrayed in a way so raw and real that I still get all choked up just thinking about it.
Jack has visions, hallucinations that grow increasingly more frequent and lucid as the plot progresses. At first, he sees only animals and things that no one else can see, but then, he begins seeing an entire world that is open only to him.
Spoiler
As the pages of the book turn darker, (I'm such a hoe for aesthetics, so this little touch nearly made me weep with joy) so do Jack's visions. The world he sees is endangered, doomed to die before his very eyes. Until fiction becomes reality and Jack and August go on a wild goosechase to save Jack's imaginary kingdom.Jack's development is rapid, and frightening, and illustrates a downward spiral that takes others down with him without mercy. The more the pages dwindle, the more Jack's mind dwindles, too. As with August's strange fixation on his best friend, however, there is a very reasonable explanation at the end of the novel. Kayla Ancrum leaves nothing unsolved and treats both August and Jack with respect and dignity.
RINA MEDINA was an extremely refreshing addition to the cast. She's independent, casual, cool, and confident. She's super pretentious: reading poetry in a made-up language and dressing like she's on her way to a carnival party; not for one second, though, did she feel unbelievable or annoying. She supports August and Jack, helping them as their strange relationship progresses alongside their strange story, and
Spoiler
even if she and August eventually hook up,I also quite liked PETER and ROGER, the twins who are the first people to tell August that there's something seriously wrong with Jack. They were two pillars of support for August - as best as they could, anyway.
WORLD BUILDING: 5 / 5
The Wicker King may be set in an ordinary town in our ordinary world, but that doesn't mean that any single scene in it is ordinary. On the contrary: Kayla Ancrum crafts a fantasy world for Jack that is so tangible you almost picture yourself in it, and she expertly blurs the lines between reality and fantasy until you no longer know which is which.
Her settings are atmospheric and dark, and it was extremely hard to find a way back out of the story once you were immersed in it. Sometimes, I still feel the ghostly touches of August nearly drowning in his bathtub, or see the afterglow of Jack declaring himself the Wicker King, bathed in sunlight in the attic.
DIVERSITY: 5 / 5
Kayla Ancrum writes diverse characters like it's the easiest thing in the world. August seems to be (correct me if I'm wrong, please!) mixed, half African-American and half white. Rina is Asian, as is a doctor later in the story. Alex, one of August's friends, is plus-size.
Then there is, of course, the slow, almost painful transgression from friends-to-lovers between August and Jack. While neither of them specify their sexual orientation, it is obvious that they are both LGBT+. This doesn't take centerstage, though: this is not a story about struggling with one's sexuality, it's a story about two boys who cannot live with or without one another.
Most importantly, though, this book is one about mental illness. Both August and Jack are victims of parental neglect. August's mom is depressed, and Jack's parents don't give a shit about what happens to their son. Lonely and neglected, what blooms between them is more than a friendship and more than romantic love:
Spoiler
it is co-dependency.This is later specifically diagnosed and treated as they both spend time in a psychiatric hospital. It was the first time I've read about this condition, and Kayla Ancrum pictured it in a way that was nothing short of breath-taking.
WRITING STYLE: 5 / 5
The Wicker King is not a gentle book, on the contrary. It reads like a suckerpunch, but one I would gladly endure time and time again. Ancrum's writing is magnetic, poetic, at times painful. It is utterly enchanting, mind-blowing, and very, very emotional. That first kiss between August and Jack had me writing my vows.
That scene where Jack tattoos August made me wish for the ability to freeze time, just so I could preserve that exquisite cocktail of emotions forever.
That author's note at the end had me crying like a baby.
Kayla Ancrum, you have crafted something wonderful. I will never be the same after reading this book, and I pity everyone who hasn't read this story yet.
OVERALL RATING: 5 / 5
This book opened a door in me. It made my head spin and my heart hurt; it made me weep so badly I could barely even breathe. It made me laugh and smile and, most importantly, it left me in a puddle on my bed, unable to comprehend what I've just gone through.
This entire review is completely inadequate at portraying just how much I love this book, so let it suffice to say that if you want to do yourself a favor, you should read this book. And bring tissues.