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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
I read this book in one sitting and got completely sucked into the story. I enjoyed everything and thought the plot was amazing but I wasn’t personally a fan of the religious elements (just my personal viewpoints on religion which got in the way) but in general it’s a solid 4-4.5 stars!
Well written, nice shift back and forth between the deposition POV and the flashback. An interesting story of a young man trying to accept coming to terms with not only that he is bi, but accepting the fact that he has been verbally & mentally abused by his aunt. How his best friend is the one who helps him comes to this realization while also letting him go. At first, I thought that Cam was a snarky jerk but as the story went on, I realized he was just trying to help Nate. Nate was different from other YA characters. To see his struggle with catholic guilt to accepting his true identity was refreshing.
Quite predictable although there was a small twist but not a lot came of it.
Underwhelming ending.
2.5 stars
Underwhelming ending.
2.5 stars
I picked this book up because the author will be at the NoVaTeen Book Festival in March, which will likely have already happened by the time this review is posted.
I read this book so quickly. I honestly just couldn’t put it down. I was sucked into the story of the friendship between Nate and Cam. The wondering of how these two best friends ended up fighting to the point of a stabbing and ensuing court drama almost killed me. I had to know what happened. The suspense was so well done. The story flashes back and forth between the present, where Nate is giving a deposition, and the past, which is the story that he is telling for the deposition. We also get bits in between where Cam and Nate talk a few times in the present.
I was completely blown away by the plot twist at the end with what really happened that night. I will absolutely be reading more books by this author when he publishes them. The conversation of sexuality and religion was captivating and horrifying at the same time. I thought it discussed these ideas in a well thought out way. It wasn’t condemning religion or any sexuality.
I loved Cam and Nate as friends. I totally held out hope for them even though their relationship turned pretty toxic. I really loved the way things ended in the final pages.
Overall, I don’t know why people aren’t talking about this book because it’s absolutely one that should be shouted about. It’s full of conflict and mystery. It pulls at the heartstrings while also managing to infuriate. I loved every page.
I read this book so quickly. I honestly just couldn’t put it down. I was sucked into the story of the friendship between Nate and Cam. The wondering of how these two best friends ended up fighting to the point of a stabbing and ensuing court drama almost killed me. I had to know what happened. The suspense was so well done. The story flashes back and forth between the present, where Nate is giving a deposition, and the past, which is the story that he is telling for the deposition. We also get bits in between where Cam and Nate talk a few times in the present.
I was completely blown away by the plot twist at the end with what really happened that night. I will absolutely be reading more books by this author when he publishes them. The conversation of sexuality and religion was captivating and horrifying at the same time. I thought it discussed these ideas in a well thought out way. It wasn’t condemning religion or any sexuality.
I loved Cam and Nate as friends. I totally held out hope for them even though their relationship turned pretty toxic. I really loved the way things ended in the final pages.
Overall, I don’t know why people aren’t talking about this book because it’s absolutely one that should be shouted about. It’s full of conflict and mystery. It pulls at the heartstrings while also managing to infuriate. I loved every page.
This is one of the best YA books I've read so far this year. Rich in discussion potential and a springboard for introspection, the story is anything but predictable and keeps the reader thinking long after the last page. This is a book that needs to be read by more than just teens, though. It needs to be read by adults, too.
**I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Trigger Warnings: Internalized homophobia, homophobia, emotional and physical abuse
So to start with a small disclaimer that this book gave me so many emotions. Most of them were frustration. The type where you wish you could reach inside the book and just shake the character and tell them to make better choices!!
Deposing Nathan was fantastic, but I’ll be the first to say that Nathan is a real a**hole at times. Like he isn’t such a great person for most of the book which was the source of most of my frustration. Nathan is selfish and rude, and incredibly homophobic. Much of his homophobia sprouts from his firm religious beliefs. I wasn’t expecting religion to play such a big role in this book, but it does. Nathan and his family are devout Christians, and for Nathan, God is a very big part of his life.
You might be wondering why I’m giving this book such a good rating if the main character was such a douchebag. But that’s the point of the story, and that’s what makes it so much more meaningful. We’ve seen plenty of books where the main character struggles against the homophobia of others, people on the outside, but Nathan’s struggle is so much more meaningful because he’s trying to come to terms with himself. He’s realizing that what he’s feeling is against everything he believes in, and throughout the book, he struggles to consolidate one with the other.
You might think that the internalized homophobia and denial are the main themes of this book, but there is so much more that happens. Throughout his deposition, Nathan recounts his friendship with Cam. From the moment their friendship began Cam immediately starts challenging Nathan to expand his boundaries and break the rules a little. As great as it is to see Nathan make a genuine friend and break some of the extremely strict rules and guidelines set by his aunt, there are drawbacks. Drawback number one being Nathan's aunt.
From the get-go it's apparent that she's incredibly controlling, needing to be in charge of every aspect of Nathan's life. She disapproves of his friendship with Cameron, disliking Cameron's influence and the way he encourages Nathan to break some of her ironclad rules.
Besides the incredible plot and characters, I also really enjoyed the formatting of this book. I love when books mix the recounting of events that have already passed while mixing in events that are happening at the moment. I also love when books leave you guessing and trying to figure out what actually happened.
Deposing Nathan is a hard-hitting book which brings across a lot of important messages. 10/10 would recommend, but warning for immense frustration at all characters involved.
THAT END BROKE MY HEART, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT MADE ME FEEL A WARMTH IN MY HEART.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warning: Homophobia, Hate Crime, Child Abuse,
Deposing Nathan is testimony on how difficult sexuality and homophobia can be, even for the more privileged.
Let me get the one personal preference bit out the way first: I’m an atheist. I’m as anti-religious as possible without being an asshole. Thus, I did not connect with Nathan’s love and struggle with the Church. I kept thinking, “but WHY?” At least until the Mom connection was explained.
Now for the one unfavorable bit: I was justifiably pissed off in the beginning. I literally made a note that if SOMEONE didn’t start pointing out how awful and unreasonable SOMEONE ELSE was being, I was going to quit because fuck pretending that shit is okay.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to quit.
AS FAR AS HOW THINGS WENT….
->Bi boys!
->Love the dialogue between Nate & Cam
->Confronts the bi’s are cheaters head on
->Friends to lovers to….?
->Love the dichotomy between the loving sheltering and the punishment protection.
->Flew by, couldn’t put it down or stop thinking about it. Sticks with you afterwards too.
->I really did not expect basically everything after the gayness jumped out. Almost a Tiffany D. Jackson level of revelation. The difference being, looking back is a perturbing quiet “ohhhhhhhhhh shit” rather than Jackson’s signature “wait, WHAT?” mind fuck. If things turned out worse, it’d be more like the latter.
I’m not going to lie to you. This is not a HEA. This is not a “fun” coming of age and coming out. Don’t go reading this wanting fluff.
I was not expecting to love all the characters so damn much. Even Though Nate and Cam would’ve been assholes in other novels. Hell, Nate would’ve been one in this book without his POV. Well, he is at times, but an understandable asshole. Not a justified one, but you know.
I love how everything flips and I can’t even pinpoint where things turned around. Like Cam says, “I think that how you feel toward someone doesn’t really change. More like, your feelings eventually get to where they were always going to end up. You evolve.”
four-half-stars
I re-read the ending and damn it made me tear up all over again. If I could include it without spoiling, it’d be on my favorite quote list for sure.
Deposing Nathan is testimony on how difficult sexuality and homophobia can be, even for the more privileged.
Let me get the one personal preference bit out the way first: I’m an atheist. I’m as anti-religious as possible without being an asshole. Thus, I did not connect with Nathan’s love and struggle with the Church. I kept thinking, “but WHY?” At least until the Mom connection was explained.
Now for the one unfavorable bit: I was justifiably pissed off in the beginning. I literally made a note that if SOMEONE didn’t start pointing out how awful and unreasonable SOMEONE ELSE was being, I was going to quit because fuck pretending that shit is okay.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to quit.
AS FAR AS HOW THINGS WENT….
->Bi boys!
->Love the dialogue between Nate & Cam
->Confronts the bi’s are cheaters head on
->Friends to lovers to….?
->Love the dichotomy between the loving sheltering and the punishment protection.
->Flew by, couldn’t put it down or stop thinking about it. Sticks with you afterwards too.
->I really did not expect basically everything after the gayness jumped out. Almost a Tiffany D. Jackson level of revelation. The difference being, looking back is a perturbing quiet “ohhhhhhhhhh shit” rather than Jackson’s signature “wait, WHAT?” mind fuck. If things turned out worse, it’d be more like the latter.
I’m not going to lie to you. This is not a HEA. This is not a “fun” coming of age and coming out. Don’t go reading this wanting fluff.
I was not expecting to love all the characters so damn much. Even Though Nate and Cam would’ve been assholes in other novels. Hell, Nate would’ve been one in this book without his POV. Well, he is at times, but an understandable asshole. Not a justified one, but you know.
I love how everything flips and I can’t even pinpoint where things turned around. Like Cam says, “I think that how you feel toward someone doesn’t really change. More like, your feelings eventually get to where they were always going to end up. You evolve.”
four-half-stars
I re-read the ending and damn it made me tear up all over again. If I could include it without spoiling, it’d be on my favorite quote list for sure.