Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
A good book tackling important issues for young adults, but a little simplistic for non-YA readers.
Deposing Nathan follows a young man’s realisation that he’s bisexual when drawn into a close relationship with a friend, and the impact on his family, girlfriend and faith. It was a very quick read and raised some interesting questions about the links between faith and sexuality. There are a couple of plot twists- one which was fairly obvious, the other less so. It’s quite simply written and the messages are made very clear, so not much is left up to the interpretation of the reader. I think I would have enjoyed it much more and found greater meaning in it if I had read it as a teenager- as an adult it felt too much like I was being hand-fed the key messages. A quick, enjoyable read but not one I’ll be recommending to others.
Deposing Nathan follows a young man’s realisation that he’s bisexual when drawn into a close relationship with a friend, and the impact on his family, girlfriend and faith. It was a very quick read and raised some interesting questions about the links between faith and sexuality. There are a couple of plot twists- one which was fairly obvious, the other less so. It’s quite simply written and the messages are made very clear, so not much is left up to the interpretation of the reader. I think I would have enjoyed it much more and found greater meaning in it if I had read it as a teenager- as an adult it felt too much like I was being hand-fed the key messages. A quick, enjoyable read but not one I’ll be recommending to others.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I sped through this book, it kept me hooked! I think I started it right before I got on the train and finished it right before my stop. So in like two hours. And yes I did cry on the train because of it. Shoutout to Spotify for playing “Are We Still Friends” by tyler the creator the second I finished the book… perfect song choice seriously
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book really blew me away. It was painful, emotional, and real. The ending really made me respect it all the more for not adhering to the typical YA novel ending and actually acknowledging the problems that had occurred with the relationship in the book. The characters were complex and believable; at the beginning and really throughout a lot of the book I alternated between hating and loving some characters. There were two twists in this book that I completely did not see coming, and the writing overall was so well done, very easily and deftly navigating between flashbacks and the present. I could recommend this book all day.
TW: emotional & physical abuse, homophobia & homophobic slurs, alcohol abuse
TW: emotional & physical abuse, homophobia & homophobic slurs, alcohol abuse
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail
In the end, a very dense, reasonably well-crafted read that doesn’t deliver on its promise.
Spoilers for Deposing Nathan.
I once reviewed a book with a statement along the lines of “This book felt like the story of people who tried to train for a marathon before deciding it was too hard and quitting. It’s plausible. It’s human. It doesn’t need to be a book.”
Here’s what works. The author writes that he wants to shine a light on marginalized youths, and gives us a main character taught by the religion he cherishes that to that being bisexual is fine, but acting on it is a mortal sin, He ends the book going to reopen lines of communication with God and see where the future takes him. He evolves on his beliefs and is openly bisexual. I appreciate that Nate doesn’t cast religion aside and is quick to find a new relationship with his faith. It’s less dramatic to read but is more realistic. For a book that isn’t very measured, that was a grounded moment.
Here’s what else works. The overall theme is life may be horrible and terrible, but hang on, keep fighting, and maybe some day it will get better. We don’t see it get better here. It ends bleakly, and there are some rays of sunshine for Nate, like the presence of his cousin who might help him find a path forward.
Here’s what doesn’t work. This book is written for marginalized youth. It sets us up with a character who adheres to his religion and considers his sexuality that he won’t acknowledge a sin, hates himself marginally for it, but mostly hates Cameron, the person he cares for, for causing him to sin in the first place. His aunt is a literal psychopath. Dolores Umbridge read this book and was quoted as saying “this bitch is fucking CRAZY.” I was truly waiting for the line where she admitted she knocked Nate’s mother off the boat to steal her life. She systematically takes away Nathan’s privacy, dignity, and base of support. She tortures him to the point where it makes little narrative sense. A district attorney, for example, would not allow a sixteen year old to be manhandled during his deposition like that.
Nate rarely blames Lori for her abuse, focusing his anger on Cam for existing. As the abused become abusers themselves, he doesn’t protect Cam when he is assaulted and even pummels Cameron to within an inch of his life himself. He keeps his mouth shut for weeks as Aunt Lori frames Cameron for her attempted murder of Nate, despite Cam’s begging him to tell the truth. Then Nathan asks Cam out on a date. Like six times. Cameron, the smartest character in the book, declines.
Nathan, set up to elicit our sympathy, is the secondary antagonist in this book after Lori. He has a raw deal but never rises to the occasion, except to grudgingly admit the truth after it harms so many others. I can understand it’s difficult. Perhaps that’s the message for the marginalized kids reading this, to just speak up even if you haven’t already, but it’s just so bleak an ending. There had to be a better way.
There’s too much going on here. I had a religious tug of war and a psychopathic aunt who framed the boyfriend for attempted murder. Is this supposed to make marginalized readers feel better about their own circumstances? I don’t wish to take away from the fact there are many suffering right now as much as Nathan with abusive family members. I will go back to what I said in the beginning. Not everything needs to be a book. All of the hope comes in the years ahead for these characters, except for Cam. For the character that got the worst deal out of the entire book, he got a happy ending for himself. I wish we focused more on him.
What most concerned me about the ending is that Lori, whose assault of Nate was written as though she were the hand of God herself, disappears from the narrative entirely. She’s arrested. Her daughter lunges at her. That’s it. We get no comeuppance. She’s forgiven by Nathan for most of the book, and his Dad even later references Nathan coming out to “us.” and it felt like Lori was included in that. They were moving to Ohio for her and still go. She’s taking a plea deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if somehow she worms her way back into the picture in a few years. She was abusing her own daughter in Nathan’s dad’s home. He never saw it and she never felt comfortable going to him, so I’m left angered that she only got away with prosecution. We never had Nathan so much as feel anger at her for what she did. He even sold Cam away with a potential jail sentence in obeying her orders. When Nate’s dad tells him to go see Cam, it’s even written that Nathan obeys his Dad. I wish his character grew a spine at some point in the book.
In the end, this was a story of a boy who was processing his sexuality, had a boyfriend without label who physically and verbally abused him and was complicit in framing him for the boyfriend’s attempted murder, who found a better life for himself despite this. Perhaps that’s enough hope? I’m not sure. I wish this was Cam’s story. It felt like this book exonerated Nathan’s behavior because of what Lori did.
Spoilers for Deposing Nathan.
I once reviewed a book with a statement along the lines of “This book felt like the story of people who tried to train for a marathon before deciding it was too hard and quitting. It’s plausible. It’s human. It doesn’t need to be a book.”
Here’s what works. The author writes that he wants to shine a light on marginalized youths, and gives us a main character taught by the religion he cherishes that to that being bisexual is fine, but acting on it is a mortal sin, He ends the book going to reopen lines of communication with God and see where the future takes him. He evolves on his beliefs and is openly bisexual. I appreciate that Nate doesn’t cast religion aside and is quick to find a new relationship with his faith. It’s less dramatic to read but is more realistic. For a book that isn’t very measured, that was a grounded moment.
Here’s what else works. The overall theme is life may be horrible and terrible, but hang on, keep fighting, and maybe some day it will get better. We don’t see it get better here. It ends bleakly, and there are some rays of sunshine for Nate, like the presence of his cousin who might help him find a path forward.
Here’s what doesn’t work. This book is written for marginalized youth. It sets us up with a character who adheres to his religion and considers his sexuality that he won’t acknowledge a sin, hates himself marginally for it, but mostly hates Cameron, the person he cares for, for causing him to sin in the first place. His aunt is a literal psychopath. Dolores Umbridge read this book and was quoted as saying “this bitch is fucking CRAZY.” I was truly waiting for the line where she admitted she knocked Nate’s mother off the boat to steal her life. She systematically takes away Nathan’s privacy, dignity, and base of support. She tortures him to the point where it makes little narrative sense. A district attorney, for example, would not allow a sixteen year old to be manhandled during his deposition like that.
Nate rarely blames Lori for her abuse, focusing his anger on Cam for existing. As the abused become abusers themselves, he doesn’t protect Cam when he is assaulted and even pummels Cameron to within an inch of his life himself. He keeps his mouth shut for weeks as Aunt Lori frames Cameron for her attempted murder of Nate, despite Cam’s begging him to tell the truth. Then Nathan asks Cam out on a date. Like six times. Cameron, the smartest character in the book, declines.
Nathan, set up to elicit our sympathy, is the secondary antagonist in this book after Lori. He has a raw deal but never rises to the occasion, except to grudgingly admit the truth after it harms so many others. I can understand it’s difficult. Perhaps that’s the message for the marginalized kids reading this, to just speak up even if you haven’t already, but it’s just so bleak an ending. There had to be a better way.
There’s too much going on here. I had a religious tug of war and a psychopathic aunt who framed the boyfriend for attempted murder. Is this supposed to make marginalized readers feel better about their own circumstances? I don’t wish to take away from the fact there are many suffering right now as much as Nathan with abusive family members. I will go back to what I said in the beginning. Not everything needs to be a book. All of the hope comes in the years ahead for these characters, except for Cam. For the character that got the worst deal out of the entire book, he got a happy ending for himself. I wish we focused more on him.
What most concerned me about the ending is that Lori, whose assault of Nate was written as though she were the hand of God herself, disappears from the narrative entirely. She’s arrested. Her daughter lunges at her. That’s it. We get no comeuppance. She’s forgiven by Nathan for most of the book, and his Dad even later references Nathan coming out to “us.” and it felt like Lori was included in that. They were moving to Ohio for her and still go. She’s taking a plea deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if somehow she worms her way back into the picture in a few years. She was abusing her own daughter in Nathan’s dad’s home. He never saw it and she never felt comfortable going to him, so I’m left angered that she only got away with prosecution. We never had Nathan so much as feel anger at her for what she did. He even sold Cam away with a potential jail sentence in obeying her orders. When Nate’s dad tells him to go see Cam, it’s even written that Nathan obeys his Dad. I wish his character grew a spine at some point in the book.
In the end, this was a story of a boy who was processing his sexuality, had a boyfriend without label who physically and verbally abused him and was complicit in framing him for the boyfriend’s attempted murder, who found a better life for himself despite this. Perhaps that’s enough hope? I’m not sure. I wish this was Cam’s story. It felt like this book exonerated Nathan’s behavior because of what Lori did.
I would like to write a proper review for this but that is completely out of my emotional range right now. This isn't the story that's emotional because you'll cry throughout it, it's emotional because it's painful. It's written through an unreliable POV, Nathan, who is abused and monitored and controlled in every aspect of his life by his aunt who moves in with him and his dad when his mom passes. Going through the triviality of realizing and then processing and then denying his sexuality as something bad and sinful while thinking his life being so controlled and out of his hands is normal. It's such a deeply complex narrative, which leads to Nathan being one of the most fucked up assholes of a character I've had to read. Because despite all his trauma his actions throughout this story is unforgivable, and through the plot and the scenarios and the characters it's clear that you are not meant to be on his side. I have so much respect for this book, though. It's rough and it can be hard to handle and it's raw but there's so much care and delicacy put into the story that matters. I can't find words to say what I want to, but if you are someone who prefers the happy LGBTQ stories, this is absolutely not for you (which may be evident from the synopsis but this is an extra push). It's not one I'm going to ever forget though. This ones important.
i read this in a single sitting in one day. as in, i stayed up until 3:35 a.m. to finish this because i could not sleep until i knew how it ended. that’s how much i loved it, okay?
but...
here’s the thing, up until the last 4 pages, this was an EASY 5 stars, i was in love. but. that little thing called an ending happened.
observable fact: there will be two types of people after finishing this book:
thing 1: you will LOVE the ending and everything about it.
or
thing 2: you will absolutely HATE where the characters wrapped up and how everything concluded and it’s going to piss you off
spoiler alert: i’m thing 2
like i get it, i really do. i understand the message there, and the meaning behind it and why the characters ended off there, but that is NOT HOW I WANTED IT TO GO. and it was SO PERFECT. EVERYTHING. WAS SO. UTTERLY. PERFECT. AND A STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL DEPICTION OF FRIENDSHIP.
and then, all i could think was that’s how this is going to end?. i don’t understand. i don’t. i’m divided how to rate this. like it deserves 5 stars no doubt, but that ending pissed me off so d@rn much i don’t even know if i can rate this 4 stars i’m just AAAGHHH. i don’t know what to do. help. author, if you read this, dm me and explain your creative decision because i am upset. not just in a petty, petulant way but i am honestly upset.
but then again, is this not what art should do? challenge your views and make you question, make you second guess, make you uneasy or sad or thoughtful and, when it can serve the work as a whole, make you mad? i think that’s exactly what art should do. so maybe i do need to rate this higher, i just don’t know though.
one thing is sure however: i will be thinking about this stunningly raw and heartbreaking story for a looooooong time to come, it’s just that good. periodt.
UPDATE:
spoiler alert: i’m *actually* thing 1
i pushed this up to a 5 star rating, but it deserves every star in the known universe and beyond. i was right before: art must challenge the way you perceive and interact with the world. if you think art serves no purpose in upsetting you, when it needs to, you’re wrong.
i’m going to amend what i said before, i fully, wholeheartedly, and truly loved this ending. it’s taken a day of self reflecting but i understand it now. i was so torn. and don’t get me wrong, i still am. but this was so profound. these boys are heartbreaking, they truly are. they’re my little broken nuggets who i wanna just wrap in a blanket and hug and tell them it’ll all be okay and, zack, this was beautiful. that ending was so visceral i felt a physical weight on my chest while reading it.
i am MOVED by this stunning, raw, and beautifully heartbreaking debut. this story has carved it’s place and made it’s stake in my top 5 favorites of all time.
this story deserves and demands to be told, and it refuses to go about it quietly, and it was so d@rn perfect.
but...
here’s the thing, up until the last 4 pages, this was an EASY 5 stars, i was in love. but. that little thing called an ending happened.
observable fact: there will be two types of people after finishing this book:
thing 1: you will LOVE the ending and everything about it.
or
thing 2: you will absolutely HATE where the characters wrapped up and how everything concluded and it’s going to piss you off
spoiler alert: i’m thing 2
like i get it, i really do. i understand the message there, and the meaning behind it and why the characters ended off there, but that is NOT HOW I WANTED IT TO GO. and it was SO PERFECT. EVERYTHING. WAS SO. UTTERLY. PERFECT. AND A STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL DEPICTION OF FRIENDSHIP.
and then, all i could think was that’s how this is going to end?. i don’t understand. i don’t. i’m divided how to rate this. like it deserves 5 stars no doubt, but that ending pissed me off so d@rn much i don’t even know if i can rate this 4 stars i’m just AAAGHHH. i don’t know what to do. help. author, if you read this, dm me and explain your creative decision because i am upset. not just in a petty, petulant way but i am honestly upset.
but then again, is this not what art should do? challenge your views and make you question, make you second guess, make you uneasy or sad or thoughtful and, when it can serve the work as a whole, make you mad? i think that’s exactly what art should do. so maybe i do need to rate this higher, i just don’t know though.
one thing is sure however: i will be thinking about this stunningly raw and heartbreaking story for a looooooong time to come, it’s just that good. periodt.
UPDATE:
spoiler alert: i’m *actually* thing 1
i pushed this up to a 5 star rating, but it deserves every star in the known universe and beyond. i was right before: art must challenge the way you perceive and interact with the world. if you think art serves no purpose in upsetting you, when it needs to, you’re wrong.
i’m going to amend what i said before, i fully, wholeheartedly, and truly loved this ending. it’s taken a day of self reflecting but i understand it now. i was so torn. and don’t get me wrong, i still am. but this was so profound. these boys are heartbreaking, they truly are. they’re my little broken nuggets who i wanna just wrap in a blanket and hug and tell them it’ll all be okay and, zack, this was beautiful. that ending was so visceral i felt a physical weight on my chest while reading it.
i am MOVED by this stunning, raw, and beautifully heartbreaking debut. this story has carved it’s place and made it’s stake in my top 5 favorites of all time.
this story deserves and demands to be told, and it refuses to go about it quietly, and it was so d@rn perfect.
-read this book and thank me later
-friends to lovers trope
-sexuality and religion
-i say, prepare your heart
-insightful
-contemporary, ya, lgbt
-now one of my favourites of all time
-an easy 5/5
(content warning: cursing, verbal and physical abuse, violence)
i knew it was gonna be a good book. i knew when reading chapter one. i knew when i was half way. i knew when i wasn’t even finished yet. i knew. it’s exhilarating to know that. it‘s not every month, or not even every year you come across a good book that you’ll love with all your heart for the rest of your life. it’s quite a euphoric experience really.
it’s a good thing that i’m happy because i am also wrecked. it balances out, at least.
(contains spoiler)
if i didn’t journal what i felt and if i didn’t saved quotes, i wouldn’t remember being happy because i am a mess. a mess! i’m telling you, my brain is so bias in negative i can’t stop crying. and i can’t pinpoint exactly what i’m crying about because everything that happened is just so sad. everything that happened to Nate. everything that happened to Cam. everything that happened to both of them. it just breaks my heart. and i know i’m not being articulate. it’s hard to be when you’re talking about a good book and (or that’s just an excuse and actually i’m just a bad writer).
Nate. Nate and i were similar. like Nate, i was a bad friend.
my friend and i, we were inseparable. we get each other. she was the only person i’ve been truly honest with. i was almost dependent to her. i fake sickness when i knew she was going to be absent in the next day. i couldn’t stomach the idea of a day in school without her (i hated school). one day, we had a big fight. i don’t even remember what it was about but i avoided her for a week. i wouldn’t look in her direction, walk in her direction, even talk when she was around. i had a fragile ego and a big pride and so it continued for three months. she tried talking to me. oh, how she tried. i was stubborn and childish and a jerk and she was nothing but persistent. she never gave up on me.
reading this book was personal because the MCs become attached to me. but it is especially personal because it felt like reliving my past.
“
-friends to lovers trope
-sexuality and religion
-i say, prepare your heart
-insightful
-contemporary, ya, lgbt
-now one of my favourites of all time
-an easy 5/5
(content warning: cursing, verbal and physical abuse, violence)
i knew it was gonna be a good book. i knew when reading chapter one. i knew when i was half way. i knew when i wasn’t even finished yet. i knew. it’s exhilarating to know that. it‘s not every month, or not even every year you come across a good book that you’ll love with all your heart for the rest of your life. it’s quite a euphoric experience really.
it’s a good thing that i’m happy because i am also wrecked. it balances out, at least.
(contains spoiler)
if i didn’t journal what i felt and if i didn’t saved quotes, i wouldn’t remember being happy because i am a mess. a mess! i’m telling you, my brain is so bias in negative i can’t stop crying. and i can’t pinpoint exactly what i’m crying about because everything that happened is just so sad. everything that happened to Nate. everything that happened to Cam. everything that happened to both of them. it just breaks my heart. and i know i’m not being articulate. it’s hard to be when you’re talking about a good book and (or that’s just an excuse and actually i’m just a bad writer).
Nate. Nate and i were similar. like Nate, i was a bad friend.
my friend and i, we were inseparable. we get each other. she was the only person i’ve been truly honest with. i was almost dependent to her. i fake sickness when i knew she was going to be absent in the next day. i couldn’t stomach the idea of a day in school without her (i hated school). one day, we had a big fight. i don’t even remember what it was about but i avoided her for a week. i wouldn’t look in her direction, walk in her direction, even talk when she was around. i had a fragile ego and a big pride and so it continued for three months. she tried talking to me. oh, how she tried. i was stubborn and childish and a jerk and she was nothing but persistent. she never gave up on me.
reading this book was personal because the MCs become attached to me. but it is especially personal because it felt like reliving my past.
“