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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I can't express how I felt about this book. This book was more intense than any other book I've read in a long time. I highly recommend this book.
I've read one other book by this author—Party. While I thought Random was better than Party, I think both suffer from the same problem. Tom Leveen has great ideas, that is clear. Party was a fascinating concept, and I really wanted to love it. Random was an even more enticing idea. But the execution just wasn't as strong as it could have been.
In Random, I do think Leveen has done a better job with the execution, though. It could be that he only had to manage one person's perspective, but it worked out better. I also think he deserves some credit for the topic he's writing on. The issue of bullying is so prominent right now in our society, and there is a lot of controversy surrounding culpability when bullying leads to suicide. So props to him for tackling the issue and doing it in a way that I think reflects how a young, selfish teenager would act in the situation he's created. I thought Tori's character was believable, even if she was self-centered and misguided in her motivations for her actions. And the tension Leveen builds between Tori and the people closest to her is really great; it kept me hanging on and wondering what was really happening under the surface, what things weren't being said.
My issues then came with the way he portrayed certain characters and played out their actions. I thought the brother was a pretty shallow character, and he seemed like more of an asshole than I think he really was. I remember the scene in particular that turned me off was when Tori is asking him to let her use his computer for something, and he refuses. It didn't make any sense to me at first (though it kind of makes more sense as the story goes on), and there was only one indication of why he wouldn't let her that came several paragraphs after they started arguing about it. It just didn't work with the way he had established the brother as this sort of self-righteous guy that was a victim of bullying and would seemingly have done something to help had he been in Tori's position.
I also think the ending came a little too easily. I like where he takes Tori's character by the end because I honestly don't think there would be some great change. Some people might be disappointed that she doesn't seem more transformed, but I don't think it would have been believable if she had given some strangely insightful and inspiring speech about how she had been wrong. The way he decides to play it out is more believable, but I do think he needed to give it more progression. It seems to happen way too quickly, and I don't see any indication of those changes any earlier in the book (or if there are any, they aren't strong enough and are too overpowered by her stubbornness to plead innocent).
Overall, though, I enjoyed the book. It kept me reading, and I'd recommend it to others.
In Random, I do think Leveen has done a better job with the execution, though. It could be that he only had to manage one person's perspective, but it worked out better. I also think he deserves some credit for the topic he's writing on. The issue of bullying is so prominent right now in our society, and there is a lot of controversy surrounding culpability when bullying leads to suicide. So props to him for tackling the issue and doing it in a way that I think reflects how a young, selfish teenager would act in the situation he's created. I thought Tori's character was believable, even if she was self-centered and misguided in her motivations for her actions. And the tension Leveen builds between Tori and the people closest to her is really great; it kept me hanging on and wondering what was really happening under the surface, what things weren't being said.
My issues then came with the way he portrayed certain characters and played out their actions. I thought the brother was a pretty shallow character, and he seemed like more of an asshole than I think he really was. I remember the scene in particular that turned me off was when Tori is asking him to let her use his computer for something, and he refuses. It didn't make any sense to me at first (though it kind of makes more sense as the story goes on), and there was only one indication of why he wouldn't let her that came several paragraphs after they started arguing about it. It just didn't work with the way he had established the brother as this sort of self-righteous guy that was a victim of bullying and would seemingly have done something to help had he been in Tori's position.
I also think the ending came a little too easily. I like where he takes Tori's character by the end because I honestly don't think there would be some great change. Some people might be disappointed that she doesn't seem more transformed, but I don't think it would have been believable if she had given some strangely insightful and inspiring speech about how she had been wrong. The way he decides to play it out is more believable, but I do think he needed to give it more progression. It seems to happen way too quickly, and I don't see any indication of those changes any earlier in the book (or if there are any, they aren't strong enough and are too overpowered by her stubbornness to plead innocent).
Overall, though, I enjoyed the book. It kept me reading, and I'd recommend it to others.
this one was fast paced and held my attention from the very beginning.
it also had a huge "holy shit" moment that i was very appreciative of. I had no idea what was going to happen next.
the only thing that sucked about this book is the ending was a little flat. like i wouldve liked to have known what happened with the trial and whatnot. AND i don't think that Tori was sorry. Maybe that's just because I would have been in Kevin's shoes but she KNEW what she was doing and kept doing it. And then her apology seemed more forced than of her own volition. so, i don't think she was sorry about what happened. i think she was sorry about having been caught doing something so disappointing.
it also had a huge "holy shit" moment that i was very appreciative of. I had no idea what was going to happen next.
the only thing that sucked about this book is the ending was a little flat. like i wouldve liked to have known what happened with the trial and whatnot. AND i don't think that Tori was sorry. Maybe that's just because I would have been in Kevin's shoes but she KNEW what she was doing and kept doing it. And then her apology seemed more forced than of her own volition. so, i don't think she was sorry about what happened. i think she was sorry about having been caught doing something so disappointing.
I just realized that my review of this from last week or so got deleted somehow, so forgive the new one that's not quite as detailed. I somehow ended up with Random on my shelf, and I'm not sure how but I'm glad I did. It reads like a love child between 13 Reasons Why and Law & Order: SVU which works for me, since I quite enjoy both. What's most interesting is that Mr. Leveen writes Random from the point of view of the assumed antagonist, but he makes you somehow empathize with them and question who really is the "bad guy" at the end of the day. I flew through this and read the whole thing in one evening, so give this one a go if the aforementioned shows are your style, because if they are, you'll like this.
I received an ARC of Random from the Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA. Random is marketed as a novel along the same lines of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and 13 Reasons Why by Jason Asher. I am a huge Lauren Oliver fan, reading Before I Fall made me cry in public – not that crying in public is something I make a habit of doing. Additionally, 13 Reasons Why has been staring at me from my to-read shelf since Christmas. All in all, it seemed like Random would be right up my alley!
Random introduces us to the Hershberger family, currently in a state of upheaval. Sixteen year old Victoria 'Tori' has irrevocably changed life forever when she becomes known as a member of the Canyon City Seven. The group of teenagers are being prosecuted for manslaughter following the suicide of a fellow student from online bullying. On the eve before the trial, Tori receives a phone call from a stranger, Andy, claiming to be on the verge of committing suicide. Andy tells Tori he dialed her number at random and it is up to her to prove to him that life is worth living before sunrise. Initially, Tori believes this to be an elaborate prank but as the night goes on it becomes apparent that Tori does hold yet another young man's life in her hands.
While I find the subject matter incredibly relevant, Random did not pack the same emotional punch as Before I Fall (hence the crying in public) while exploring the motives of high school bullying. I found Tori incredibly irritating and though the novel takes place in less than the span of 24 hours, I didn't feel Tori exhibit any growth, let alone express any remorse at the death of fellow student Kevin. We live in a world where anyone can hide behind a computer screen and say whatever vile or malicious comments come to mind without repercussions. Leevan attempts to explore the backlash of online cruelty. The chapters of Random are interspersed with facebook-esque posts from the past illustrating the evolution of Tori from her weak attempts to defend Kevin to the eventual acceptance her friends' online behavior to her ultimate betrayal of Kevin as she becomes a vicious bully herself.
There is a twist at the end of the novel involving Andy that I didn't see coming and I'm still not sure how I feel about it but I won't spoil it here. HOWEVER, the final scene did lead to a brief misting of my eyes. Random is poignant must-read for all online teenagers.
As seen on my blog http://keenlypeaches.wordpress.com
Random introduces us to the Hershberger family, currently in a state of upheaval. Sixteen year old Victoria 'Tori' has irrevocably changed life forever when she becomes known as a member of the Canyon City Seven. The group of teenagers are being prosecuted for manslaughter following the suicide of a fellow student from online bullying. On the eve before the trial, Tori receives a phone call from a stranger, Andy, claiming to be on the verge of committing suicide. Andy tells Tori he dialed her number at random and it is up to her to prove to him that life is worth living before sunrise. Initially, Tori believes this to be an elaborate prank but as the night goes on it becomes apparent that Tori does hold yet another young man's life in her hands.
While I find the subject matter incredibly relevant, Random did not pack the same emotional punch as Before I Fall (hence the crying in public) while exploring the motives of high school bullying. I found Tori incredibly irritating and though the novel takes place in less than the span of 24 hours, I didn't feel Tori exhibit any growth, let alone express any remorse at the death of fellow student Kevin. We live in a world where anyone can hide behind a computer screen and say whatever vile or malicious comments come to mind without repercussions. Leevan attempts to explore the backlash of online cruelty. The chapters of Random are interspersed with facebook-esque posts from the past illustrating the evolution of Tori from her weak attempts to defend Kevin to the eventual acceptance her friends' online behavior to her ultimate betrayal of Kevin as she becomes a vicious bully herself.
There is a twist at the end of the novel involving Andy that I didn't see coming and I'm still not sure how I feel about it but I won't spoil it here. HOWEVER, the final scene did lead to a brief misting of my eyes. Random is poignant must-read for all online teenagers.
As seen on my blog http://keenlypeaches.wordpress.com
Random by Tom Leveen is a young adult novel with a very current subject matter-- cyberbullying. It begins with Tori receiving a phone call and while it seems to be a wrong number, the caller makes her promise not to hang up. First he needs something from her; a reason not to kill himself. Tori isn't sure if he's serious, but it hits pretty closely to home considering Tori is already facing the threat of jail after her Facebook page became a exhibit in the trial for a classmate that committed suicide.
Unfortunately, even though this short novel managed to keep me hooked and reading, I both didn't like the main character, nor the big "twist" that happens at the end. It is an intense novel, but beneath that intensity there wasn't much that I'd have to recommend about this novel, which is disappointing because I have read a contemporary book--Zero--by Leveen a few years ago that I really enjoyed. I also can't really explain how weird and bad the ending is without major spoilers, but take my word, with Random you might as well skip finding out.
Unfortunately, even though this short novel managed to keep me hooked and reading, I both didn't like the main character, nor the big "twist" that happens at the end. It is an intense novel, but beneath that intensity there wasn't much that I'd have to recommend about this novel, which is disappointing because I have read a contemporary book--Zero--by Leveen a few years ago that I really enjoyed. I also can't really explain how weird and bad the ending is without major spoilers, but take my word, with Random you might as well skip finding out.
***Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars***
What started off incredibly, slowly deteriorated and made me upset with the characters, not with the issue at hand.
Tori is the only person in her town that thinks she's innocent. She didn't force her old friend Kevin to kill himself. So what if she jumped on the bandwago, and liked some of the jokes that were made about him? That doesn't make her a murderer. But she and some of her "friends" are on trial anyway, and are looking at ten years in prison if they are found guilty.
But the night before her court appearance, Tori receives a call from a random stranger, and he asks just one thing from her: a reason he shouldn't kill myself. What she first believes to be a joke, turns into a battle between life and death, and redemption for herself.
This novel wasn't what I hoped it would be. It was interesting and had a very powerful message, but I found it lacking. I wasn't attached to any of the characters, I was suspicious of everything. And I believed the conclusion was mean, not moving:
I did fly through this book, eager to find out what was going to happen. And the writing is really fantastic. But the conclusion really disappointed me. I wanted her to realize the tragedy of her actions on her own, not to be forced into it.
I think the issue of cyber-bullying is an important one, but this book wasn't the best example of how to deal with it. I just hoped for more.
What started off incredibly, slowly deteriorated and made me upset with the characters, not with the issue at hand.
Tori is the only person in her town that thinks she's innocent. She didn't force her old friend Kevin to kill himself. So what if she jumped on the bandwago, and liked some of the jokes that were made about him? That doesn't make her a murderer. But she and some of her "friends" are on trial anyway, and are looking at ten years in prison if they are found guilty.
But the night before her court appearance, Tori receives a call from a random stranger, and he asks just one thing from her: a reason he shouldn't kill myself. What she first believes to be a joke, turns into a battle between life and death, and redemption for herself.
This novel wasn't what I hoped it would be. It was interesting and had a very powerful message, but I found it lacking. I wasn't attached to any of the characters, I was suspicious of everything. And I believed the conclusion was mean, not moving:
Spoiler
Her brother and her friend Noah want her to realize that what she did was terrible, and that she isn't innocent; that she needs to think about the repercussions of her actions. SO THEY PLAN THIS WHOLE THING TO TRICK HER?! That is so not okay. I understand wanting to force someone to look at what they've done and want them to change her opinion. But to trick someone into thinking if they don't do everything right, they will forced someone to commit suicide? That is both unbelievable and cruel.I did fly through this book, eager to find out what was going to happen. And the writing is really fantastic. But the conclusion really disappointed me. I wanted her to realize the tragedy of her actions on her own, not to be forced into it.
I think the issue of cyber-bullying is an important one, but this book wasn't the best example of how to deal with it. I just hoped for more.
I wanted to love this book, I really did. Honestly, I hated the protagonist until the last few pages. She’s a bully, but she can’t see that. She can’t see that she’s really done anything wrong until the very end of this book! Just because you didn’t hand someone the gun, buy someone the rope, or pour the pills down the throat of someone that takes their life doesn’t mean that you didn’t add to their pain. Don’t make excuses for your bullying, don’t sit idly by, don’t be like the main character in this book!