Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Wicker King

hooooooo boy oh boy. this book perfectly straddles the line between books i loved as a kid and stories that compel me as an adult

strongly, strongly recommend reading a physical copy of this one

Content Warnings

silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

And suddenly, with a jolt of horror, he realised that he couldn't live without it anymore. It was as much a part of him as anything now. He couldn't run from it any more than anyone could run out of their own skin. It would just keep coming back, over and over, curling up out of him, growling like hunger.
He would crave the burn until he was dead.
August curled up against the wall and put his head in his arms.
He gripped the lighter so tightly that his knuckles went white.

Trigger warnings: pyromania, violence, blood, neglect, mild sexual content, mention of homophobia, mental health issues, discussions of insanity, drug use, alcohol consumption, near-death experience, mention of suicide, disordered eating (no explicit depiction of eating disorders, but some of the content may still be triggering for those who are suffering)

This was such a beautiful, strange and unique book. I have never read a story told in quite this way, from the broken-up timeline to the mixed-media format where all the little inserts actually served to further the plot. I finished the entire thing in one evening, which I think really speaks for how engaging the story was.

I loved August and Jack from the first few pages; they felt very real to me despite the magical, fantastical undertones of the book. August lives with only his mother, who is severally depressed and unable to afford to look after her son. To avoid being looked down upon, he presents a very pristine and strait-laced image of himself to the world. Jack is the school's "golden boy" and an exceptional athlete, but he is forgotten by his parents and haunted by visions that no one else around him can see. The only time when the two can be truly themselves is when they are together. However, when Jack's condition starts to decline, their friendship and devotion to each other are put to the test.

K Ancrum wove so many themes that I absolutely adore into this novel: from the obsessive devotion to the building of new friendships; to discussions of mental health and the lengths that people are ready to go to support their loved ones. And how could I forget the queerness!

Her author's note is an absolutely integral part of the book as well. In particular, this quote spoke to me:
You deserve to heal and grow, too. You deserve to have someone to talk to about your problem; you deserve unconditional support; you deserve care and safety and all the things you need to thrive. Just because you may not have them doesn’t mean you don’t deserve them. If someone tells you that you don’t deserve those things, they are lying. Keep trying your best. Ask for help when you need it. Do your best to be brave, but it is okay not to be. If you drop the weight you’re carrying, it is okay. You can build yourself back up out of the pieces. If your mind stops listening to you, it’s not your fault. There are billions of us; you are not alone.

Beautiful writing, important message, some of my new favourite characters. I really do not need much else in a novel. 5/5 stars!

Content Warnings

spaghettii's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad 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

2.5

I was really holding out for a plot twist

Content Warnings

stelepami's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I flew through it. Read it in one evening. It made me cry.

I need to put together the mix tapes for the different characters.

Read the hard copy. The book's design is important to the storytelling.

Content Warnings

notpresent22's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is complex and not for the faint of heart. But in the end it’s a fascinating love story between two young boys as they struggle with a world that is letting them down. It’s the kind of story that makes you desperate to learn what happened after the final page but will likely never get an answer to.

Content Warnings

beforeviolets's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The imaginative playfulness of Bridge to Terabithia meets the grungy high school setting and character style of The Perks of Being a Wallflower meets the romanticized codependency of A Separate Peace.

A book that masterfully discusses mental illness, trauma, and the struggle of being teenager who has to grow up too quickly. This magical, emotional, and brilliant story illustrates how trauma can result not just from direct action but from indirect action and what it means to care and be cared for.

All my lonely burnt out gifted kids, give this one a read. And don't skip the dedication or the author's note.

TW:

schizophrenia/psychosis, mental illness, panic attacks, fire (pyromania), medical content, chronic illness, parental abuse/neglect, eating disorder, forced institutionalization, sexual content (brief mention), violence and blood (brief), underage drinking, toxic relationship

Content Warnings

polychromatic_hedgehog_parable's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I almost didn't finish this book, but I'm glad that I did, because the last section was really worth it to me :')

I really like how the book was formatted! :O Most chapter-type objects were about a page, each had a title, and they more often than not did not fall directly after the previous one. Like many vignettes.

https://kancrum.com/content-warnings/ K Ancrum seems like the bomb diggity

I think that the end was nice/cathartic for me due to:
- the drop in action
- antagonistic relationships with therapists
- showing weakness
- getting what you "need" but not what you need
idk. more to think about there.

I REALLY LOVED THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END. THE BOOK WAS WORTH IT JUST FOR THAT. ;~; <3

gotta find more polyam content

I've been engaging with a lot of kink content recently, and I really dislike how lots of it frames consent. Does no one else hold long conversations about these things before (or while??) instituting a dynamic? The "you haven't said 'no'" scene was helpful, but the book is also clearly aware that everyone depicted is a teen/people in general frequently do not make the best decisions for themselves and other due to many factors/codependency is rough. Absence of a "no" is not consent, and it seems like the book should know that lol.

(being too detail oriented: did teens text in 2003? I don't remember, but I'm feeling like most may not have?)

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