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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
I would give this book a million stars if I could. In lieu of that, 5 heartfelt, emotional, wrenching stars. This is one of the best debuts I’ve ever read and easily in my top ten YA books. Nate, the mc, is so relatable, as is Cam. I love how this book explores morally gray areas and not-so-gray areas. SO GOOD.
I found this to be a fresh take (if not a bit distressing) on the coming-out story. I thought elements of religion, friendship, sexuality, and high school relationships were tackled with grace and good writing.
I close my eyes, letting myself remember. And as I bathe myself in memory, I see the ghosts of him and me on that first night we spent out here. Us. Lying on the trampoline and basking in the nebulousness of a world we knew nothing about. Not the people we became, but the people we used to be.
Two people joined by love: painted into the stars, protected by memory.
I have wanted to read Deposing Nathan from the moment I first heard about it but I kept putting it off because my intuition told me this book would destroy me. I can definitely said that I was right.
I don't read books that I know are going to be heartbreaking, very often. I don't like dealing with the emotions and memories it can bring up. Deposing Nathan hit so close to home that I kept having to stop and sit the book down and just breathe. It was tough sometimes. This book isn't very pretty. It is very triggering at times. But it is beautiful. And I couldn't stop reading no matter how many tears I had blurring my vision.
I won't go into all the reasons why this book hit so close to home, but I think everyone should read it at some point. I don't think you'll regret it.
First off, I can't stress enough how important these kind of books are - those that give voices to the marginalized. It takes a lot to write a book like this, to delve deep into issues like abuse, sexuality, and religion. Deposing Nathan accomplishes that and it comes with a unique structure, bound to hold you on the edge of your seat while giving you two distinct perspectives to the story.
The story depicts such complex narratives in a way that is easy to grasp as well as sure to leave a profound impact. You must absolutely check this book out!
The story depicts such complex narratives in a way that is easy to grasp as well as sure to leave a profound impact. You must absolutely check this book out!
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This book is not an easy read, but as in real life, there are moments of joy and beauty along with the tragedy. The novel begins after a terrible fight that is not completely explained - between Nathan and Cameron, who clearly have a troubled relationship. Cameron is being charged with assault of Nathan, and Nathan is being deposed. Then we flash back - Nathan is just a regular old teenager, a devout Catholic, enjoying his school/teenager years while not really thinking much about the future. Although his mother passed away when he was a child, he lives with his aunt and dad and thinks of them as his parents. When Nathan meets Cameron, an effervescent young man with a steel-trap memory, his life changes. Cameron brings a different energy to his life, and Nathan doesn't know what to think of it. The rest of the story unfolds over the school year, bringing Nathan to realizations he never thought he'd find, and pain he never thought he'd need to explore.
I really loved the plot of the book but I think it would have been a 5/5 for me if it was executed properly. I don’t know if it’s just me but I felt it was a little rushed. Besides that I loved the book.
The socially- and self-conscious dialogue is a little too on point and well delivered for high schoolers at times, but Deposing Nathan covers a lot of important ground and, for the most part, covers it well. Full review TK.