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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
I recieved an ARC of this book via NetGalley.
I'm still thinking about the rating, it might change.
Okay, the premise was really original. I don't think I've ever read a YA about escapism, or about a teenage girl that lives a literal double life. But the execution was just... average? There was a sad backstory going on with a japanese escapist (is that how you call it lmao sorry I'm translating from spanish), but I don't think it was given enough time for me to get fully invested in it.
One of the side characters is a gay boy and has a lot of on-page time. It was a great surprise, as the gayer the merrier for me. His story was treated very respectfully, but not like the author was walking on egg shells. I wish more LGBT+ characters were treated like he was.
The acts made my anxiety S U F F E R, AND I'm claustrophobic. So maybe if you're in a extremely bad place mentally don't read this book right now, but it wasn't unbearable for me. I was just really glad I wasn't in her place.
I liked the writing!! I always appreciate a good written, easy to follow contemporary. And this was it, thankfully.
I'm still thinking about the rating, it might change.
Okay, the premise was really original. I don't think I've ever read a YA about escapism, or about a teenage girl that lives a literal double life. But the execution was just... average? There was a sad backstory going on with a japanese escapist (is that how you call it lmao sorry I'm translating from spanish), but I don't think it was given enough time for me to get fully invested in it.
One of the side characters is a gay boy and has a lot of on-page time. It was a great surprise, as the gayer the merrier for me. His story was treated very respectfully, but not like the author was walking on egg shells. I wish more LGBT+ characters were treated like he was.
The acts made my anxiety S U F F E R, AND I'm claustrophobic. So maybe if you're in a extremely bad place mentally don't read this book right now, but it wasn't unbearable for me. I was just really glad I wasn't in her place.
I liked the writing!! I always appreciate a good written, easy to follow contemporary. And this was it, thankfully.
“The Art of Escaping” is such a cute and memorable YA book. I like a book with different perspectives - this is told in the perspectives of Mattie, the young girl who is learning more about the escape art, Will, a boy who enters her world by accident and becomes her assistant, and Akiko Miyake, a world-renowned escape artist. The perspective changes help you understand better the story in the eyes of each of the characters. Even though it focuses mostly on Mattie and her quest to learn how to become an escape artist (a performer, not the criminal type, just to be clear), the main purpose of the book seems to be the idea of pursuing your passion, no matter how weird and specific it might be.
An amazing story about finding and living your truth, that I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun, feel-good read.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
(You can also find this review on my blog.)
cw: statutory rape, ableism, homophobic slurs, alcoholism, depression
Spoiler-free Review of an eARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley
This ended up being a relatively cute contemporary read that I worked my way through pretty quickly. The writing was good, the plot itself was very original, and the characters were well-developed. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it, and I think that’s because I didn’t feel invested enough in the story itself. At no point did I feel any concern that things wouldn’t turn out okay.
Maybe I’m just too distanced from high school now, but Mattie’s problems just… didn’t feel like real problems to me. She’s training to be an escapologist -- a death-defying badass -- but she’s terrified that people will find out and post something mean about her on LifeScape (this world’s version of Facebook). I feel like a story that focused more around her struggling through the training itself and less around her fears of exposure would have been more compelling for me.
There were actually more things (Mattie’s training aside) that didn’t feel fully fleshed out to me. Near the beginning, Mattie randomly has a nightmare about… LifeScape. This struck me as bizarre, but what struck me as more bizarre was that these (allegedly regular) nightmares didn’t come up again. Sure, her fear of being ridiculed on LifeScape came up a few more times, but it seemed more like an afterthought than anything else. I’m hoping this ends up more fully developed or pulled altogether from the finished copy.
The implication that Mattie’s secret double life and Will’s sexuality were on a similar level of potential life-destruction also made me uncomfortable. This is touched upon, but placing them side-by-side and making Mattie’s problems the main focus really felt to me like it was inadvertently minimizing the very real issue of coming out. I don’t think this was intentional by the author at all, but that was still the impact that I personally felt.
It also really caught me off guard and really upset me that Mattie is constantly disgusted by her brother’s inability to do anything when the narrative makes it clear that he is depressed and an alcoholic. To be fair, the author did note that the final copy clears up some ableist language, but I’m not sure how thoroughly this part of the plot was changed -- the implication is that Mattie thinks she can inspire her brother to pull himself together, or something? When it seems like he really needs help and everyone is just… letting him languish.
Besides that, there were a few other things that made me cringe. Mattie sleeps with her older brother’s drunken friend -- but she was 16 or 17 at the time, and he was in his mid-twenties. She also has hella “not like other girl” vibes. I think it’s fine to be different and quirky, but this treads dangerously on “I’m better than other girls because I do alternative things” territory. There are a couple other things, but mentioning them would be spoilers and I’m going to avoid that for now.
Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable read, but I worry about some of the content and hope things were cleaned up for the final copy.
cw: statutory rape, ableism, homophobic slurs, alcoholism, depression
Spoiler-free Review of an eARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley
This ended up being a relatively cute contemporary read that I worked my way through pretty quickly. The writing was good, the plot itself was very original, and the characters were well-developed. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it, and I think that’s because I didn’t feel invested enough in the story itself. At no point did I feel any concern that things wouldn’t turn out okay.
Maybe I’m just too distanced from high school now, but Mattie’s problems just… didn’t feel like real problems to me. She’s training to be an escapologist -- a death-defying badass -- but she’s terrified that people will find out and post something mean about her on LifeScape (this world’s version of Facebook). I feel like a story that focused more around her struggling through the training itself and less around her fears of exposure would have been more compelling for me.
There were actually more things (Mattie’s training aside) that didn’t feel fully fleshed out to me. Near the beginning, Mattie randomly has a nightmare about… LifeScape. This struck me as bizarre, but what struck me as more bizarre was that these (allegedly regular) nightmares didn’t come up again. Sure, her fear of being ridiculed on LifeScape came up a few more times, but it seemed more like an afterthought than anything else. I’m hoping this ends up more fully developed or pulled altogether from the finished copy.
The implication that Mattie’s secret double life and Will’s sexuality were on a similar level of potential life-destruction also made me uncomfortable. This is touched upon, but placing them side-by-side and making Mattie’s problems the main focus really felt to me like it was inadvertently minimizing the very real issue of coming out. I don’t think this was intentional by the author at all, but that was still the impact that I personally felt.
It also really caught me off guard and really upset me that Mattie is constantly disgusted by her brother’s inability to do anything when the narrative makes it clear that he is depressed and an alcoholic. To be fair, the author did note that the final copy clears up some ableist language, but I’m not sure how thoroughly this part of the plot was changed -- the implication is that Mattie thinks she can inspire her brother to pull himself together, or something? When it seems like he really needs help and everyone is just… letting him languish.
Besides that, there were a few other things that made me cringe. Mattie sleeps with her older brother’s drunken friend -- but she was 16 or 17 at the time, and he was in his mid-twenties. She also has hella “not like other girl” vibes. I think it’s fine to be different and quirky, but this treads dangerously on “I’m better than other girls because I do alternative things” territory. There are a couple other things, but mentioning them would be spoilers and I’m going to avoid that for now.
Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable read, but I worry about some of the content and hope things were cleaned up for the final copy.
I really enjoyed this book. At first I thought the format was weird with the texts between Mattie and Will at the very beginning but I went back and read that part again after finishing the book so now their conversation makes a lot more sense. I really learned a lot about escapologists and escapology. I loved going on Mattie’s journey with her while she learned how to perform her escape tricks. I enjoyed the parts from the miary as they called it. I was glad she made friends with Will with two L’s. I enjoyed watching their friendship bloom and her performing giving him the courage to finally come out of the closet to his family and to his girlfriend. I would love to read a sequel about their life in college and beyond.
Oh, how I do NOT miss high school!
I really enjoyed this book - It is so fun, and kept me entertained throughout the whole thing! There were some seriously nail-biting moments with daredevil Mattie, and I can totally see this becoming a movie that I would go see in a second!
Mattie is a high school junior who has some pretty quirky aspirations of becoming an escapologist. She's obsessed with Houdini and the like, but especially Akiko - an elite escapologist gone way before her time. But Mattie is determined to find Akiko's daughter and find out as much as she can. All the while, no-0ne in her life knows her secrets or desires to become this really cool performance artist. Not her parents or her family, or even her best, closest friend.
The story also has some snippets of Akikos past, the life she led, and the birth of her daughter, giving you some insight of the life of this mysterious performer and her equally closed-off daughter. We also meet Will, another one with some secrets, and several other really cool high school kids who are so well-developed, mature but fun. It pains me to think of how tough high school was, and how hard it is for kids just t be themselves.
The art of escapology is front and center, through training and Mattie's stage performances that literally have you holding your breath! But the art of escape is evident is other ways, with a lot of hiding from reality and fear of being found out.
This book is such a delight and hope it gets the attention it deserves.
I really enjoyed this book - It is so fun, and kept me entertained throughout the whole thing! There were some seriously nail-biting moments with daredevil Mattie, and I can totally see this becoming a movie that I would go see in a second!
Mattie is a high school junior who has some pretty quirky aspirations of becoming an escapologist. She's obsessed with Houdini and the like, but especially Akiko - an elite escapologist gone way before her time. But Mattie is determined to find Akiko's daughter and find out as much as she can. All the while, no-0ne in her life knows her secrets or desires to become this really cool performance artist. Not her parents or her family, or even her best, closest friend.
The story also has some snippets of Akikos past, the life she led, and the birth of her daughter, giving you some insight of the life of this mysterious performer and her equally closed-off daughter. We also meet Will, another one with some secrets, and several other really cool high school kids who are so well-developed, mature but fun. It pains me to think of how tough high school was, and how hard it is for kids just t be themselves.
The art of escapology is front and center, through training and Mattie's stage performances that literally have you holding your breath! But the art of escape is evident is other ways, with a lot of hiding from reality and fear of being found out.
This book is such a delight and hope it gets the attention it deserves.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan a lot more than I thought I would. This novel was a super cute contemporary and a fast, fun read. I loved seeing the characters grow and develop as the story went on. The friendship that starts between Mattie and Will, and later with Frankie and Stella, is an inspiring relationship that most people can connect with and would love to have in their own lives. Together, they overcome their fears and come into their own, as well as helping the people around them grow and learn. The character of Miyu was probably my favorite, I loved her attitude and learning about her and her mom Akiko. I would love to read a whole book based off of these two characters, and to learn more about their relationship. Overall, I really enjoyed this ya contemporary story, and would definitely recommend for all ages.
"There’s something romantic about a young girl sneaking out in the middle of the night to fulfill a lifelong dream. Unless you’re the girl. Then it’s just a giant, anxiety-provoking pain in the ass that turns you into a lying liar-face."
This is a really upbeat exploration of teenage friendship. I loved this book so much.
Our main character Mattie stalks Miyu, who is a 30-year-old agoraphobic. The reason being that hse is the daughter of the famous escape artist and has a secret that might help Mattie reach her dreams. After a series of brutal challenges, she teaches Mattie how to escape from restraints that are tied underwater, which is one of the biggest tricks of all time.
Mattie is a great main character. This is because she is super relatable and reliable. She is your average teenager, she has anxiety and is self-conscious, loving, and has pretty nifty passions. She has a best friend and that is about it. She isn't the popular girl and she isn't an overwritten character.
This book made me feel so many different things. It made me feel like life was right, like good wins in the end, it felt like I was really in the story. Like I was dreaming at times. It made me motivated to find something I love doing, and then actually start doing it. It made me interested in escapology which isn't a subject I had ever thought I would think about, let alone love!
There are some LGBTQ themes in this book and they are complex and honesty. I can't say if they are true or own voices but I liked them. I enjoyed the structure of them and the dual point of view made the book interesting.
As a whole I really enjoyed this super vibrant novel, it was so unique. I loved all the metaphors the author used and I loved the writing style immensely. The atmosphere of the high school felt real and not overly cliche or dramatic. Great book!
Recommended for: Fans of escapology, Houdini, fantasy fans, contemporary, people that love stories with a bit of magic, those looking for LGBT+ representation, anyone interested in stories set in a high school setting.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions are my own and are not reflective of that.
This is a really upbeat exploration of teenage friendship. I loved this book so much.
Our main character Mattie stalks Miyu, who is a 30-year-old agoraphobic. The reason being that hse is the daughter of the famous escape artist and has a secret that might help Mattie reach her dreams. After a series of brutal challenges, she teaches Mattie how to escape from restraints that are tied underwater, which is one of the biggest tricks of all time.
Mattie is a great main character. This is because she is super relatable and reliable. She is your average teenager, she has anxiety and is self-conscious, loving, and has pretty nifty passions. She has a best friend and that is about it. She isn't the popular girl and she isn't an overwritten character.
This book made me feel so many different things. It made me feel like life was right, like good wins in the end, it felt like I was really in the story. Like I was dreaming at times. It made me motivated to find something I love doing, and then actually start doing it. It made me interested in escapology which isn't a subject I had ever thought I would think about, let alone love!
There are some LGBTQ themes in this book and they are complex and honesty. I can't say if they are true or own voices but I liked them. I enjoyed the structure of them and the dual point of view made the book interesting.
As a whole I really enjoyed this super vibrant novel, it was so unique. I loved all the metaphors the author used and I loved the writing style immensely. The atmosphere of the high school felt real and not overly cliche or dramatic. Great book!
Recommended for: Fans of escapology, Houdini, fantasy fans, contemporary, people that love stories with a bit of magic, those looking for LGBT+ representation, anyone interested in stories set in a high school setting.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions are my own and are not reflective of that.