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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
5/5 stars
"It's not cute when people try to 'fix' each other. It's cringey and dysfunctional. We both need to already have our shit worked out before we bring anyone else into it."
I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting to read this book in a few hours, with my gut hurting and tears streaming down my face.
It's hard when you are figuring out yourself. You can love and hate those close to you. You can love and hate yourself. It's all hard, and the author painted this in such a raw way that really stabs at my heart.
This book will be a memory I won't forget.
Also, if this story had followed any other character, Nathan wouldn't have looked too good. In fact, it would have made him seem like a messed up insensitive asshole. I'm glad it was given in his pov....too many stories try to make the mc look like the good guy. And although Nathan definitely was a victim in many ways, he also handled things poorly which had great repercussions with his friends.
He's a flawed character and I appreciate that.
"It's not cute when people try to 'fix' each other. It's cringey and dysfunctional. We both need to already have our shit worked out before we bring anyone else into it."
I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting to read this book in a few hours, with my gut hurting and tears streaming down my face.
It's hard when you are figuring out yourself. You can love and hate those close to you. You can love and hate yourself. It's all hard, and the author painted this in such a raw way that really stabs at my heart.
This book will be a memory I won't forget.
Also, if this story had followed any other character, Nathan wouldn't have looked too good. In fact, it would have made him seem like a messed up insensitive asshole. I'm glad it was given in his pov....too many stories try to make the mc look like the good guy. And although Nathan definitely was a victim in many ways, he also handled things poorly which had great repercussions with his friends.
He's a flawed character and I appreciate that.
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Been a hot sec since I’ve read YA. I forgot how easy it can be to breeze through a good one. Important topic, important conversations, sweet, young romance, and an antagonist easy to despise. The ending was great. Love me open-ended stories.
4 1/2 stars. Did I think [b:Deposing Nathan|41150338|Deposing Nathan|Zack Smedley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547894337l/41150338._SY75_.jpg|61536492] was a good book? Well, if by that you mean “did it completely destroy me?” then yeah, it’s a good book.
It only appeared on my radar after my GR friend Amy said "I hated this book. And it was phenomenal" which, you know, how could I turn away from a statement like that? And it sums the book up completely. I devoured it in two sittings, completely immersed in the lives of these characters in a way I haven't felt from YA Contemporary in a while.
Sometimes the best kinds of stories are those that take a familiar concept - in this case, a religious teenager figuring out he might not be straight - and breathe new life into it. While Nate wrestling with his sexuality is at the core of this book, it's also about several complex, nuanced characters, about religion (as someone who doesn't usually care for this in books, I thought it was done surprisingly well), and about abuse.
What made this an especially emotive read for me is the way it explored some of the grey areas of abuse that precede the more overt kind. The gradual crossing of the fine lines between protective and abusive. Thinking back over it right now, I have bumps rising along my arms. My response to this book was deep and visceral; I can't stop thinking about it.
I also think one of the things that made this book stand out is that the characters were charismatic and their dialogue really funny. Even in scenes where there was little plot progression, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it because of the hilarious conversations between Nate and others.
Many parts of this book had me on the edge of my seat, or else on the edge of tears. And the ending damn near broke me.
I'm going to take this opportunity to recommend a song I recently discovered that seems quite relevant - Either by Fancy Hagood.
It only appeared on my radar after my GR friend Amy said "I hated this book. And it was phenomenal" which, you know, how could I turn away from a statement like that? And it sums the book up completely. I devoured it in two sittings, completely immersed in the lives of these characters in a way I haven't felt from YA Contemporary in a while.
Sometimes the best kinds of stories are those that take a familiar concept - in this case, a religious teenager figuring out he might not be straight - and breathe new life into it. While Nate wrestling with his sexuality is at the core of this book, it's also about several complex, nuanced characters, about religion (as someone who doesn't usually care for this in books, I thought it was done surprisingly well), and about abuse.
What made this an especially emotive read for me is the way it explored some of the grey areas of abuse that precede the more overt kind. The gradual crossing of the fine lines between protective and abusive. Thinking back over it right now, I have bumps rising along my arms. My response to this book was deep and visceral; I can't stop thinking about it.
I also think one of the things that made this book stand out is that the characters were charismatic and their dialogue really funny. Even in scenes where there was little plot progression, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it because of the hilarious conversations between Nate and others.
Many parts of this book had me on the edge of my seat, or else on the edge of tears. And the ending damn near broke me.
I'm going to take this opportunity to recommend a song I recently discovered that seems quite relevant - Either by Fancy Hagood.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book hurt, a lot. And it did so in a totally realistic, yet destructive way.
The portrayal of abuse and control was so well done that you couldn't not feel it. It felt like Nate was trapped, so much that he couldn't even notice how wrong the situation was. So much that he might even feel guilty for everything that happened. And the manipulation, the changing moods, the sweet words to soothe it all... it was frightening.
As for Cam and Nate's relationship, they both have flaws, and don't always bring the best in each other. Yet, it was a journey that was probably worth living for the both of them. Maybe if they had started off under different circumstances they might have worked out fine from the beginning. But they didn't. I think I agree with what Cam says at the end, though, as sad as it is.
Nate hurt Cam on various occasions, and some of his actions are just inexcusable. Yet Cam can also be very demanding, and between what Cam wants, what aunt Lori asks, and what Nate himself needs, it is inevitable that he feels like he's being teared apart. Because whatever he'll do, whatever he'll choose, it will make some people unhappy, and it will cost him something (friends, love, freedom, trust...). And being told what is right from so many persons makes it hard to decide it for oneself, free from claws and pulls.
The portrayal of abuse and control was so well done that you couldn't not feel it. It felt like Nate was trapped, so much that he couldn't even notice how wrong the situation was. So much that he might even feel guilty for everything that happened. And the manipulation, the changing moods, the sweet words to soothe it all... it was frightening.
As for Cam and Nate's relationship, they both have flaws, and don't always bring the best in each other. Yet, it was a journey that was probably worth living for the both of them. Maybe if they had started off under different circumstances they might have worked out fine from the beginning. But they didn't. I think I agree with what Cam says at the end, though, as sad as it is.
Nate hurt Cam on various occasions, and some of his actions are just inexcusable. Yet Cam can also be very demanding, and between what Cam wants, what aunt Lori asks, and what Nate himself needs, it is inevitable that he feels like he's being teared apart. Because whatever he'll do, whatever he'll choose, it will make some people unhappy, and it will cost him something (friends, love, freedom, trust...). And being told what is right from so many persons makes it hard to decide it for oneself, free from claws and pulls.
I have only just read the last page of Deposing Nathan, and I am already writing this review. If you know anything about my reviewing style, you'll know that's a rare occurrence. However this book affected me so deeply, and I have so many things flying through my head, that I have to write them down. It's necessary. So if half of this review descends into a babbling, incoherent mess just know that's because those are my exact emotions at this point. This book was raw. It was beautiful. It was devastating. I'm an exhausted, emotional mess, and I'm not even upset about it.
The way that this book unabashedly explores so many moral quandaries that most YA generally tends to avoid, is what really hooked me in. From the beginning, this is a story that isn't afraid to talk about the big things. See, Nate was raised in a family that is very religious. His relationship with God is one in which he strongly believes that anything outside of what the church teaches will lead him on the wrong path. To his aunt and his father, Nate is a good boy. He attends church regularly, gets good grades, has the perfect girlfriend, and is pretty much your all around average teen. There isn't anything else he wants in his life. Until, that is, he meets Cam.
As I watched these two meet for the first time, and their relationship started to evolve, I was helpless to look away. Smedley hasn't just created flat characters in Nate and Cam. Oh, no. These two are probably the most introspective teens that I have ever met in my life. They know that they have flaws. They acknowledge them, and mull through them, and fight all the battles inside that we've all been through at some point right there on the page. Some of Nate's thoughts, especially once he suspects that he might have actual feelings for Cam, are brutal. When his aunt reacts to his new feelings with anger, and eventually descends into physical violence to keep them apart, you'd be hard pressed not to want to gather this boy into your arms and hug him until it stops hurting. I cried, friends. I bawled. I'm not going to lie to you. There is nothing on these pages to stand between Nate and Cam's emotions, and yours. Yet, I wouldn't have it any other way.
There are simply perfect moments in this book. Snapshots full of smiles and love. Snapshots of confusion and anger. It's like watching someone grow up right in front of you, with all the messiness that brings. Then, just when I thought that this book couldn't possibly impress me any further, the ending elegantly tackled the idea of toxic relationships in a way that made me start to sob all over again. We live in this book filled world of happy endings, and perfectly tied bows. Unfortunately, as we all well know, that's not normally how life works. The ending of this book was perfection, because it wraps things up in a way that feels realistic. The last few paragraphs of this book will get you, and you'll be thinking about them for hours afterwards. Trust me on this.
When I started this review, I was so concerned about being able to fairly portray to you how impressive and important this book is. I'm tearing up thinking about my journey, and how essential this book will be for so many people. Zack Smedley has written something special. This is a book about self acceptance, and self worth. It's a book about the relationship between strict religious upbringing and self discovery. It's a story about family, love, and growing up. This story is big, and brave, and brings such an important voice to the current YA space.
I'll leave you with a quote, because I don't know what else to say. Well, no actually, I'll end by saying that I recommend this book with every single last fiber of my being. Please, read this.
"If you think you have to earn enough points on someone's rubric for them to accept you, then either you're wrong to assume they won't love you for who you are, or they never loved you in the first place."
The way that this book unabashedly explores so many moral quandaries that most YA generally tends to avoid, is what really hooked me in. From the beginning, this is a story that isn't afraid to talk about the big things. See, Nate was raised in a family that is very religious. His relationship with God is one in which he strongly believes that anything outside of what the church teaches will lead him on the wrong path. To his aunt and his father, Nate is a good boy. He attends church regularly, gets good grades, has the perfect girlfriend, and is pretty much your all around average teen. There isn't anything else he wants in his life. Until, that is, he meets Cam.
As I watched these two meet for the first time, and their relationship started to evolve, I was helpless to look away. Smedley hasn't just created flat characters in Nate and Cam. Oh, no. These two are probably the most introspective teens that I have ever met in my life. They know that they have flaws. They acknowledge them, and mull through them, and fight all the battles inside that we've all been through at some point right there on the page. Some of Nate's thoughts, especially once he suspects that he might have actual feelings for Cam, are brutal. When his aunt reacts to his new feelings with anger, and eventually descends into physical violence to keep them apart, you'd be hard pressed not to want to gather this boy into your arms and hug him until it stops hurting. I cried, friends. I bawled. I'm not going to lie to you. There is nothing on these pages to stand between Nate and Cam's emotions, and yours. Yet, I wouldn't have it any other way.
There are simply perfect moments in this book. Snapshots full of smiles and love. Snapshots of confusion and anger. It's like watching someone grow up right in front of you, with all the messiness that brings. Then, just when I thought that this book couldn't possibly impress me any further, the ending elegantly tackled the idea of toxic relationships in a way that made me start to sob all over again. We live in this book filled world of happy endings, and perfectly tied bows. Unfortunately, as we all well know, that's not normally how life works. The ending of this book was perfection, because it wraps things up in a way that feels realistic. The last few paragraphs of this book will get you, and you'll be thinking about them for hours afterwards. Trust me on this.
When I started this review, I was so concerned about being able to fairly portray to you how impressive and important this book is. I'm tearing up thinking about my journey, and how essential this book will be for so many people. Zack Smedley has written something special. This is a book about self acceptance, and self worth. It's a book about the relationship between strict religious upbringing and self discovery. It's a story about family, love, and growing up. This story is big, and brave, and brings such an important voice to the current YA space.
I'll leave you with a quote, because I don't know what else to say. Well, no actually, I'll end by saying that I recommend this book with every single last fiber of my being. Please, read this.
"If you think you have to earn enough points on someone's rubric for them to accept you, then either you're wrong to assume they won't love you for who you are, or they never loved you in the first place."
Do you ever finish a book that you ended up loving so much that you have a physical reaction to it? Like, you put the book down and feel your heart swell, stomach drop, and stare at the wall unsure of how to proceed with the evening? That was this my experience with Deposing Nathan.
I don’t know where to begin with this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a young adult novel and I am blown away by how good it was. To say this was a quick read is an understatement. With
I don’t know where to begin with this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a young adult novel and I am blown away by how good it was. To say this was a quick read is an understatement. With
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced