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dododenise's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
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
There’s something about Neal Shusterman’s writing that just works for me. I cannot let his stories go. He has great ideas and is able to execute them in a satisfying way. Same goes for this book:
In many ways I would describe this book as an educational book for social justice. It deals with topics with racism, homophobia, abuse… In many ways it’s very on the nose. But since this is a book for teens, I think it works. I think the book can teach white teens, straight teens, cis male teens about the injustices in our world. And it does so in a very interesting way, in a book full of mystery and scifi magic. The alternative worlds make for a great tool to do thought experiments on what could be, what has been and giving it a new angle.
In many ways Ash is an unreliable narrator. What I found interesting to clearly make his voice in the book him from the future, telling the story of what happened to him. So in the one hand you have Ash’s ignorance and confusion in the moment itself, as well as an Ash from the future providing commentary. I think it helps with focusing on the right themes, and making the right judgements for those who might otherwise take a wrong turn. Perhaps to some readers it might seem like Neal does not appreciate their intelligence of figuring it out themselves, but I liked it. Sometimes it’s nice to just be told what is going wrong to be able to focus on more details.
In many ways I would describe this book as an educational book for social justice. It deals with topics with racism, homophobia, abuse… In many ways it’s very on the nose. But since this is a book for teens, I think it works. I think the book can teach white teens, straight teens, cis male teens about the injustices in our world. And it does so in a very interesting way, in a book full of mystery and scifi magic. The alternative worlds make for a great tool to do thought experiments on what could be, what has been and giving it a new angle.
In many ways Ash is an unreliable narrator. What I found interesting to clearly make his voice in the book him from the future, telling the story of what happened to him. So in the one hand you have Ash’s ignorance and confusion in the moment itself, as well as an Ash from the future providing commentary. I think it helps with focusing on the right themes, and making the right judgements for those who might otherwise take a wrong turn. Perhaps to some readers it might seem like Neal does not appreciate their intelligence of figuring it out themselves, but I liked it. Sometimes it’s nice to just be told what is going wrong to be able to focus on more details.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Violence, Racism, Misogyny, and Hate crime
ms_sarah621's review
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m not sure how to put this into words. First, this was nothing what I thought it was going to be. I thought there was going to be a strong focus on concussions and the changing perspective of them in sports. I thought there would be some fantasy/sci-fi elements mixed in. However, it was not that. At first, I was into the changing realities and what was happening. The confusion, the mystery, the tension. It was intriguing and kept my interest, even though it was different from my expectations. Then, the political/social justice elements became stronger and stronger as I read. Now, it’s important for books to handle these tough topics. Yet, this book tried to handle too many of them at once. It just kept coming and coming, and I started to lose the point of the story. This really caused my enjoyment level to be smushed as I kept reading. This book was too much and didn’t cover the topic of concussions like I thought. It was still interesting, and I love Neal Shusterman’s writing. This was just not the one for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Car accident, Bullying, Hate crime, Outing, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Terminal illness, Police brutality, and Gun violence
kshertz's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book is seriously challenging. It would have been a good resistance book club pick. It’s like butterfly wings and the changes that seem small change the entire world. It made me think and reflect on the past, gender, racism, and future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, and Toxic relationship
kbergsten's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Excellent definitely recommend!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexism, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Medical content
emeraldelephant's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Racism, Homophobia, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Hate crime
betweentheshelves's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As a Neal Shusterman fan, I was really excited to read this. Neal Shusterman and alternate universes? Sounds like a match made in heaven, honestly.
Unfortunately, I think this book has a bit of a bumpy start. It took me a few chapters to get used to the voice, and the beginning is a little slow moving. Ash is changing worlds and it's a bit difficult at first to keep track of some of the events in his original world. For example, COVID was mentioned at one point, but I'm not sure how it factored in.
Nonetheless, despite the rocky start, my interest was peaked when the Edwards came in. When more and more changes start happening to Ash, the plot really starts to pick up. The last half of the book reads really quickly as the stakes become higher and higher. Though at times, the message seems a little heavy handed, the side characters make up for it. By the end of the book, I was rooting for Ash to make everything right.
By the end of the book, I'd say this felt a little like Every Day by David Levithan. Ash's identity changes a few times throughout, and it's unclear exactly where he ends up at the end. Given the pacing of the second half of this book, I think I would definitely read a second book set in this world.
Overall, despite the bumpy start, Shusterman leaves readers thinking by the end of this alternate universe adventure.
This had a bit of a bumpy start for me, but it picked up about halfway through. More to come in a full review tomorrow!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime
Minor: Drug use
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