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mellabella's review against another edition
3.0
There are people, (no matter what age) that stay in toxic relationships. For many reasons. That didn't stop me from wishing Max would grow a backbone and stop being Sadie's doormat. The book starts off with 17 year old besties Sadie and Max at a bus stop. They are in Nebraska (from Seattle) for the summer. They are visiting Sadie's (mostly absentee) mother Lark. Lark lives in a commune. Sadie likes attention, gets drunk often, and belittles Max. Max (who is also dealing with an emotionally stunted father and, a mother who was in a car accident that severely injured her back) is basically the person that everyone leans on. She takes care of everyone. Over the course of the book we see brief details of their friendship. The times Max cleaned up Sadie's messes. The time Sadie was not a good friend. There is a boy. Of course. But, its really not about him. There really is not YA "romance" either. Max evolves as a character throughout the book. The ending was slightly disappointing. But, I would recommend.
misha_ali's review against another edition
5.0
I have a soft spot for extremely self-aware YA heroines who deserve better and Max ticks all the boxes. I didn't really like any of the characters in this book, but they were all decently developed and interesting.
heather4994's review against another edition
3.0
Huh. I'm not sure how to review this one. Oh, I have plenty of opinions. But I'm not sure I can put them into the right words. I guess I'll just start with Max. She's the adult at home despite having two parents. That's only been the case for a year or so since her mother had an accident that put her in a wheelchair. She is depressed and her father looks to Max to hold the family together. But Max has been holding Sadie together for years. All because Sadie's mother left her with her father instead of taking her with her when she left. (I'll get to Sadie) I think in many ways, Max has enabled Sadie and used Sadie's and to a lesser extent her parent's reliance on her to rescue in Sadie's case and hold things together in her parents case, in other words to be the strong one, the reliable one, the parent, as an excuse to keep from living her own life. She describes herself as a shadow of Sadie, the one behind her, but tells frightening stories of how she has had to rescue and worry over Sadie. Still, Max lets Sadie walk all over her feelings, talk for her, have everything first, even if Max wants it.
Lark- Sadie's mom. Sadie is a chip off the old block only Lark has learned to be a bit more bearable. She isn't controlling and doesn't have a Max following her around but she isn't faithful to Doff a bit self centered if you ask me.
Doff- Very kind, introduced as Lark's mate and sometimes he is. He tends the animals on the farm so he never gets a day off, even if the others do. A quiet man. He enjoys his work.
Dylan-He is not the love interest you're led to believe in the synopsis so just don't get your hopes up for a romance. First impressions are the best. I'll leave it at that.
Then there's Sadie. Can you say spoiled, narcissistic, drama queen? That's Sadie. She drinks too much. She has sex with just about anyone when she's in that state. She embarrasses Max talking about her sexuality. She says other things that are entirely inappropriate and Max spends all her time, apologizing, cleaning up, holding her hair while she vomits, or looking for her. I'm not sure Max has enjoyed a party ever because she is always designated to watch Sadie. Sadie also does drugs. She has a stepmother and stepbrother along with her father and lives in what they call a "McMansion" a term I'm seeing a lot in YA these days. Sadie is so big, as in personality and so demanding, there really isn't any room for Max to be anything in her presence.
The World- So drama queen gets sent to spend the summer with her mother, Lark, on a farm in Nebraska and Max gets to tag along. The bus drops them off in the middle of corn fields and leaves them. Someone was supposed to meet them, but no one comes. The finally hitch a ride with a farmer and find out Lark's husband/boyfriend? was supposed to get them, but they don't have a clock so he forgot. Culture shock is too small to say when the girls get their tour of the farm and find out there are no real toilets, they share showers and they will be living in a trailer. Max learns early to love the work on the farm, but Sadie is full of complaints. She is controlling and unfortunately finds a girl who worships the ground she walks on and hates Max.
The people on the farm are very friendly and welcoming. Max thinks she is finding something she has been missing.
The Story- Max tells it in the first part with excerpts from Greek mythology and then like she's writing a journal entry or telling Sadie all these things about herself because Max knows her better than Sadie knows herself. But it's more personal, because Max shares things about herself, how she was scared, how she was in love and didn't want to share it with Sadie, how she is hurt by some of the things Sadie does. The second part is told present tense. Something happens that allows Max to live Sadie free for awhile. She doesn't have to watch out for Sadie. No taking care of her at all. And Max experiences freedom. Part III is also told in present tense and Sadie is back but Max is resentful of her being back. Max has changed. But Sadie is the same. This part of the story is the most climactic of the novel and the most telling as it shows Sadie for who she truly is and Max finally reaches clarity.
What I thought- The narration is sort of odd. I liked the narration in the first part and kind of thought it would have been good to carry it through the whole story. Maybe had a different ending. The kind a train wreck like Sadie would eventually end up in without a friend like Max to watch out for her. I think there is an awful lot of blame put on the fact that Sadie didn't have her mother. Really? Maybe she was just spoiled little rich girl who got away with murder. Maybe Sadie needed a stint in rehab and a NEW therapist as the one she was seeing obviously hadn't cleared any issues up. Maybe some parental control needed to be enforced. Or maybe Sadie is just a narcissist for which there is no cure and you have to decide if you're going to tolerate that person or not. But Max, she was definitely an enabler. Why? Was she insecure? She wasn't unattractive. I don't know when they first started being friends what the dynamic was so I can't say. I felt like Dylan was an unnecessary evil in the story. Could have totally done without that part of the story. But, I'm happy with the ending, however, just because I really didn't like Sadie, I'd love an epilogue to hear how she takes the news her mother delivers to her. She's just precious, like a piranha in pink pigtails. I do love that Amy Reed tackles tough issues in her books. If you haven't read any of her books, I suggest you try some. I especially enjoyed Crazy.
I received and e-arc from the publisher. This did not affect my review, thought or opinions of the book in any way.
Lark- Sadie's mom. Sadie is a chip off the old block only Lark has learned to be a bit more bearable. She isn't controlling and doesn't have a Max following her around but she isn't faithful to Doff a bit self centered if you ask me.
Doff- Very kind, introduced as Lark's mate and sometimes he is. He tends the animals on the farm so he never gets a day off, even if the others do. A quiet man. He enjoys his work.
Dylan-He is not the love interest you're led to believe in the synopsis so just don't get your hopes up for a romance. First impressions are the best. I'll leave it at that.
Then there's Sadie. Can you say spoiled, narcissistic, drama queen? That's Sadie. She drinks too much. She has sex with just about anyone when she's in that state. She embarrasses Max talking about her sexuality. She says other things that are entirely inappropriate and Max spends all her time, apologizing, cleaning up, holding her hair while she vomits, or looking for her. I'm not sure Max has enjoyed a party ever because she is always designated to watch Sadie. Sadie also does drugs. She has a stepmother and stepbrother along with her father and lives in what they call a "McMansion" a term I'm seeing a lot in YA these days. Sadie is so big, as in personality and so demanding, there really isn't any room for Max to be anything in her presence.
The World- So drama queen gets sent to spend the summer with her mother, Lark, on a farm in Nebraska and Max gets to tag along. The bus drops them off in the middle of corn fields and leaves them. Someone was supposed to meet them, but no one comes. The finally hitch a ride with a farmer and find out Lark's husband/boyfriend? was supposed to get them, but they don't have a clock so he forgot. Culture shock is too small to say when the girls get their tour of the farm and find out there are no real toilets, they share showers and they will be living in a trailer. Max learns early to love the work on the farm, but Sadie is full of complaints. She is controlling and unfortunately finds a girl who worships the ground she walks on and hates Max.
The people on the farm are very friendly and welcoming. Max thinks she is finding something she has been missing.
The Story- Max tells it in the first part with excerpts from Greek mythology and then like she's writing a journal entry or telling Sadie all these things about herself because Max knows her better than Sadie knows herself. But it's more personal, because Max shares things about herself, how she was scared, how she was in love and didn't want to share it with Sadie, how she is hurt by some of the things Sadie does. The second part is told present tense. Something happens that allows Max to live Sadie free for awhile. She doesn't have to watch out for Sadie. No taking care of her at all. And Max experiences freedom. Part III is also told in present tense and Sadie is back but Max is resentful of her being back. Max has changed. But Sadie is the same. This part of the story is the most climactic of the novel and the most telling as it shows Sadie for who she truly is and Max finally reaches clarity.
What I thought- The narration is sort of odd. I liked the narration in the first part and kind of thought it would have been good to carry it through the whole story. Maybe had a different ending. The kind a train wreck like Sadie would eventually end up in without a friend like Max to watch out for her. I think there is an awful lot of blame put on the fact that Sadie didn't have her mother. Really? Maybe she was just spoiled little rich girl who got away with murder. Maybe Sadie needed a stint in rehab and a NEW therapist as the one she was seeing obviously hadn't cleared any issues up. Maybe some parental control needed to be enforced. Or maybe Sadie is just a narcissist for which there is no cure and you have to decide if you're going to tolerate that person or not. But Max, she was definitely an enabler. Why? Was she insecure? She wasn't unattractive. I don't know when they first started being friends what the dynamic was so I can't say. I felt like Dylan was an unnecessary evil in the story. Could have totally done without that part of the story. But, I'm happy with the ending, however, just because I really didn't like Sadie, I'd love an epilogue to hear how she takes the news her mother delivers to her. She's just precious, like a piranha in pink pigtails. I do love that Amy Reed tackles tough issues in her books. If you haven't read any of her books, I suggest you try some. I especially enjoyed Crazy.
I received and e-arc from the publisher. This did not affect my review, thought or opinions of the book in any way.
danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written but definitely controversial. I had no idea what the novel was going to be about, but I certainly didn't expect it to be like this.
It was great though and I'd recommend it to fans of a more lyrical style of writing.
It was great though and I'd recommend it to fans of a more lyrical style of writing.
fullybookedwithdanielle's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely stunning. I first stumbled upon Beautiful by Amy Reed and thought it was one of the most mesmerizing stories I had ever read. Over You didn't let me down either.
I thought it was written beautifully, in a way that truly reflected how the protagonist thought. And how she thought was real, the self awareness she possessed was startling, in a good way. She questioned some of her actions, and if she thought it was bad, she let us know that she knew. People aren't perfect, and Reed portrays this perfectly. It wasn't a glossed over story that sort of said "hey! yeah, we aren't perfect!" as so many YA novels these days seem to claim to do. Amy Reed gets right down to the heart of it, exposing the darkest flaws of the characters. Every single character was well developed and told their own story.
What I liked most is how the farm seemed wonderful and magical at the beginning, but as summer went on, and Max became more acutely aware of herself, the farm seemed to turn more into this twisted nightmare, a little like the tales that were uniquely told at the beginning of some chapters.
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of the book! Brilliant.
I thought it was written beautifully, in a way that truly reflected how the protagonist thought. And how she thought was real, the self awareness she possessed was startling, in a good way. She questioned some of her actions, and if she thought it was bad, she let us know that she knew. People aren't perfect, and Reed portrays this perfectly. It wasn't a glossed over story that sort of said "hey! yeah, we aren't perfect!" as so many YA novels these days seem to claim to do. Amy Reed gets right down to the heart of it, exposing the darkest flaws of the characters. Every single character was well developed and told their own story.
What I liked most is how the farm seemed wonderful and magical at the beginning, but as summer went on, and Max became more acutely aware of herself, the farm seemed to turn more into this twisted nightmare, a little like the tales that were uniquely told at the beginning of some chapters.
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of the book! Brilliant.
letsgolesbians's review against another edition
2.0
2.5, rounding down.
I understand the need for stories about toxic friendships. I do. I have been in some of them, where one or both parties were just not good for each other. It happens. We need books about them. But this book was just so heavily one-sided. Sadie was a monster and Max had no confidence, and I could not for the life of me understand how they became friends. Remaining friends makes sense to me, and Max finally realizing how much she was being taken advantage of for years makes sense to me, her acting like a doormat in the first place makes sense to me. Sometimes people with strong personalities overpower those without; again, I've been on both sides. But Reed didn't give us any explanation as to why they were friends in the first place, how their friendship was at all beneficial to Max (I can guess, but actual reasons would have been great), or really anything that made me care about their friendship. I spent the entire book wanting Max to tell Sadie to fuck off. It didn't feel as complicated as friendships do in real life. The entire book seemed black and white without any shades of grey: Max was good, Doff was good, Old Glen was good, Sadie was bad, her mom was bad, Dylan was bad, etc. There are a lot of instances of people being judgmental in here and it's only called out sometimes. Max slut shames Sadie's mom, Dylan uses the word "dyke" and says it's okay because his ex is into women, annoying shit like that. And the privilege that's infused in this that I'm almost positive wasn't on purpose was ridiculous. There are references to slaves twice ("She'd be a horrible slave" and "it's like having my own personal slave") and ffs, can white women just not casually call people slaves? Slavery was not casual, slaves are not something to make a general reference to, so can you just stop? Do you really think slavery is funny?
Toxic friendship/sisterhood books are important, but this was not it for me.
I understand the need for stories about toxic friendships. I do. I have been in some of them, where one or both parties were just not good for each other. It happens. We need books about them. But this book was just so heavily one-sided. Sadie was a monster and Max had no confidence, and I could not for the life of me understand how they became friends. Remaining friends makes sense to me, and Max finally realizing how much she was being taken advantage of for years makes sense to me, her acting like a doormat in the first place makes sense to me. Sometimes people with strong personalities overpower those without; again, I've been on both sides. But Reed didn't give us any explanation as to why they were friends in the first place, how their friendship was at all beneficial to Max (I can guess, but actual reasons would have been great), or really anything that made me care about their friendship. I spent the entire book wanting Max to tell Sadie to fuck off. It didn't feel as complicated as friendships do in real life. The entire book seemed black and white without any shades of grey: Max was good, Doff was good, Old Glen was good, Sadie was bad, her mom was bad, Dylan was bad, etc. There are a lot of instances of people being judgmental in here and it's only called out sometimes. Max slut shames Sadie's mom, Dylan uses the word "dyke" and says it's okay because his ex is into women, annoying shit like that. And the privilege that's infused in this that I'm almost positive wasn't on purpose was ridiculous. There are references to slaves twice ("She'd be a horrible slave" and "it's like having my own personal slave") and ffs, can white women just not casually call people slaves? Slavery was not casual, slaves are not something to make a general reference to, so can you just stop? Do you really think slavery is funny?
Toxic friendship/sisterhood books are important, but this was not it for me.
tjlcody's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, not a bad book.
My biggest gripe is that it tended to get a bit heavy on the melodrama every now and then (dialogue and delivery-wise, less so on the actual events, though it did happen there too). On one hand you could argue that it works, since it's from Max's perspective and she would take it all Very Seriously, but it still came off as a bit over-dramatic and- I think "excessively poetic" might work too.
Like, the classical references were a bit over the top. Again, I get that it fits somewhat since Max is into classics, but some of the references just felt kind of... Convoluted, somewhat. Like some of the comparisons were somewhat obvious, but then others were just... Like, okay dude, we get it, you know mythology.
Then she gets outed in front of a bunch of small-town Nebraskans, and they weren't portrayed as a bunch of stereotypical hyper-religious homophobic hicks. (It's sad that this sort of thing pleasantly surprises me.)
My biggest gripe is that it tended to get a bit heavy on the melodrama every now and then (dialogue and delivery-wise, less so on the actual events, though it did happen there too). On one hand you could argue that it works, since it's from Max's perspective and she would take it all Very Seriously, but it still came off as a bit over-dramatic and- I think "excessively poetic" might work too.
Like, the classical references were a bit over the top. Again, I get that it fits somewhat since Max is into classics, but some of the references just felt kind of... Convoluted, somewhat. Like some of the comparisons were somewhat obvious, but then others were just... Like, okay dude, we get it, you know mythology.
Spoiler
Author gets a bonus for this, though: First, the main character is a bisexual girl whose story arc and character doesn't revolve around her being bisexual. Holy shit.Then she gets outed in front of a bunch of small-town Nebraskans, and they weren't portrayed as a bunch of stereotypical hyper-religious homophobic hicks. (It's sad that this sort of thing pleasantly surprises me.)
juliaarchibald's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
"And just like Eve, she was curious, not a becoming trait for a woman. What hubris it was to think for herself, to wonder, to do contrary to what she was told; what a crime to want to know what was in that famous box. In a moment of defiance, she opened it, releasing all the evil into the world. It spilled over the land like storm clouds; it darkened the sky black. The acrid smoke seeped into every pore of every soul, infecting mankind with a filth that could never be washed off.
This is what made her famous: her illicit box; that dirty, forbidden thing.
But no one ever talks about what was at the bottom of the box, hidden under layers upon layers of suffering. With the storm clouds thrashing in the sky grabbing all the attention, no one noticed the tiny pearl of light that remained at the bottom, the little crumb of hope like a lonely afterthought.
But shame is stronger than hope and of course the first woman invested that, too."
Amy Reed's latest novel comes with everything readers who have been fans of Reed have come to expect: compelling characters, a strong back story to all of those characters, fluid and strong writing, and a story line that keeps you going through to the end, never wanting to set the book down. What Over You adds that takes this book from being a really good one to an outstanding one is how it goes from being a story about a friendship -- an unhealthy one -- to being a story about independence and, at heart, about feminism.
Sadie's been kicked out of her house by her father for drinking too much, and she's being sent to live with her mother Lark on her farm in rural Nebraska. Sadie, unable to do anything alone or for herself, begs her friend Max to join her on the trip. She agrees, and the story begins as both wait at a bus stop to be picked up by Sadie's mother's boyfriend/stepfather/romantic partner.
Max is the one telling the story. Max lives for Sadie and would follow her anywhere. They're best friends; they love each other; they're connected at the hip. There have been times when Sadie's been Max's romantic interest, too, where the lines between best friend and romantic interest and the feelings therein have blurred a bit, and Sadie's allowed Max to indulge in those feelings.
Allowed.
But once the two girls get to the farm and find they're going to be housed together in a small trailer on a farm where sustainability and intentional living are the keys to success and happiness, Sadie contracts an illness that forces her to quarantine. Max can't handle it -- she can't be away from Sadie, can't be away from the girl who helped her find her way in the world. It's especially distressing at the farm, since this is the place where Max didn't necessarily want to fit in. Didn't necessarily want to be separated from Sadie because Sadie is her best friend and the person who helps direct the course of her life.
Of course, that forced separation is what Max needs to realize that Sadie is no friend.
Sadie is the kind of girl who needs to have power in a situation. Who needs to be doted upon. And Max realizes this when Sadie's illness means that Max is good for nothing BUT giving into Sadie's demands and wishes. Sadie doesn't love her; Sadie uses her.
There's another element to this story, and that comes in the form of Dylan. He's the boy Sadie had her eyes on when they first got to the farm, and he's the boy who Max finds herself spending a lot of time with now, as Sadie's taken sick. Slowly, Max finds herself falling for Dylan. He's mysterious and dark and aloof -- all of the things that Max found so compelling about Sadie.
He's her replacement, which means...he's not going to be good for Max either. Spoiler Though I saw it coming from miles away, he goes as far as Sadie does in abusing Max's good nature and good will -- but his advances are physical, are taunting in a very sexual and horrific manner.
So what's the point when Max says enough is enough?
Well. That's the farm. The point of the farm. It's the state of Nebraska. It's Max remembering her own passion for mythology. It's the entire idea of the phoenix, destroying herself and then rebuilding herself from the ashes.
Reed's method of doing this is spectacular. It's almost exceedingly simple and yet, it's perfect -- Spoiler the first part of the book, where Max is Sadie's shadow, the entire section is Max narrating Sadie's story for her. It's told through the "you," over and over. But when part two begins, we see the shift from Max narrating for Sadie to instead beginning to narrate for herself. It's the I. It's when she does the acting and the living and the action falls upon her entirely. It's when she embraces life on the farm. When she embraces LIFE (quite literally). And part three, while Max struggles with what it is she and Sadie are, as well as what it is she and Dylan are, she's rising from the ashes.
It's the phoenix. There are chapters interspersing the narrative which are tales of the different Greek myths -- like the section quoted above -- and the writing in them is downright spectacular. It's literary and engrossing and so perfectly captures Max's struggle and her passion all at once.
One of the strongest elements of this story (I mean, besides all of it) is that Max is bisexual. But this is never, ever the defining feature of the story. And where it would be so easy for the narrative to shift toward that, especially as Sadie herself blurts this out at a barn party in the middle of no where Nebraska (where you as a midwesterner bristle, worried about the reaction), you remember that teenagers are teenagers and that means sometimes their reactions to such heavy news about a person is no reaction at all because it is truly not a big deal. But Spoiler of course, this is what Dylan uses against Max in a disturbing, painful scene near the end of the book. It is, though, Max's decision to take ownership of her body, her decisions, her relationships, and her lifestyle back from any and everyone else. When she does that, even Dylan's sickening abuse of her sexuality against her is not a big deal. It's handled with such care.
Max is one of my favorite YA characters in a long time. I loved experiencing the world through her eyes, and there were many times I completely related to a lot of her struggle about identity and what it means to be a good person, what it means to love and express that, and what it means to be a good friend. It's not about narrating someone's story for them; it's about narrating your own. She also has a strong back story, which is one we don't get to know at all until Spoiler we finally get to see the world through her eyes. It takes her a long time to open it up, and when she does, things only snap further into place.
Reed is truly a gem in contemporary ya. This is the kind of book I can see teens I work with loving, especially as it's set in the midwest, as it's infused with life on a farm/in a small town, and yet it doesn't fall into the easy trappings or stereotypes of those sorts of teen lives at all.
Longer review to come, but this book is out-of-this-world good.
This is what made her famous: her illicit box; that dirty, forbidden thing.
But no one ever talks about what was at the bottom of the box, hidden under layers upon layers of suffering. With the storm clouds thrashing in the sky grabbing all the attention, no one noticed the tiny pearl of light that remained at the bottom, the little crumb of hope like a lonely afterthought.
But shame is stronger than hope and of course the first woman invested that, too."
Amy Reed's latest novel comes with everything readers who have been fans of Reed have come to expect: compelling characters, a strong back story to all of those characters, fluid and strong writing, and a story line that keeps you going through to the end, never wanting to set the book down. What Over You adds that takes this book from being a really good one to an outstanding one is how it goes from being a story about a friendship -- an unhealthy one -- to being a story about independence and, at heart, about feminism.
Sadie's been kicked out of her house by her father for drinking too much, and she's being sent to live with her mother Lark on her farm in rural Nebraska. Sadie, unable to do anything alone or for herself, begs her friend Max to join her on the trip. She agrees, and the story begins as both wait at a bus stop to be picked up by Sadie's mother's boyfriend/stepfather/romantic partner.
Max is the one telling the story. Max lives for Sadie and would follow her anywhere. They're best friends; they love each other; they're connected at the hip. There have been times when Sadie's been Max's romantic interest, too, where the lines between best friend and romantic interest and the feelings therein have blurred a bit, and Sadie's allowed Max to indulge in those feelings.
Allowed.
But once the two girls get to the farm and find they're going to be housed together in a small trailer on a farm where sustainability and intentional living are the keys to success and happiness, Sadie contracts an illness that forces her to quarantine. Max can't handle it -- she can't be away from Sadie, can't be away from the girl who helped her find her way in the world. It's especially distressing at the farm, since this is the place where Max didn't necessarily want to fit in. Didn't necessarily want to be separated from Sadie because Sadie is her best friend and the person who helps direct the course of her life.
Of course, that forced separation is what Max needs to realize that Sadie is no friend.
Sadie is the kind of girl who needs to have power in a situation. Who needs to be doted upon. And Max realizes this when Sadie's illness means that Max is good for nothing BUT giving into Sadie's demands and wishes. Sadie doesn't love her; Sadie uses her.
There's another element to this story, and that comes in the form of Dylan. He's the boy Sadie had her eyes on when they first got to the farm, and he's the boy who Max finds herself spending a lot of time with now, as Sadie's taken sick. Slowly, Max finds herself falling for Dylan. He's mysterious and dark and aloof -- all of the things that Max found so compelling about Sadie.
He's her replacement, which means...he's not going to be good for Max either. Spoiler Though I saw it coming from miles away, he goes as far as Sadie does in abusing Max's good nature and good will -- but his advances are physical, are taunting in a very sexual and horrific manner.
So what's the point when Max says enough is enough?
Well. That's the farm. The point of the farm. It's the state of Nebraska. It's Max remembering her own passion for mythology. It's the entire idea of the phoenix, destroying herself and then rebuilding herself from the ashes.
Reed's method of doing this is spectacular. It's almost exceedingly simple and yet, it's perfect -- Spoiler the first part of the book, where Max is Sadie's shadow, the entire section is Max narrating Sadie's story for her. It's told through the "you," over and over. But when part two begins, we see the shift from Max narrating for Sadie to instead beginning to narrate for herself. It's the I. It's when she does the acting and the living and the action falls upon her entirely. It's when she embraces life on the farm. When she embraces LIFE (quite literally). And part three, while Max struggles with what it is she and Sadie are, as well as what it is she and Dylan are, she's rising from the ashes.
It's the phoenix. There are chapters interspersing the narrative which are tales of the different Greek myths -- like the section quoted above -- and the writing in them is downright spectacular. It's literary and engrossing and so perfectly captures Max's struggle and her passion all at once.
One of the strongest elements of this story (I mean, besides all of it) is that Max is bisexual. But this is never, ever the defining feature of the story. And where it would be so easy for the narrative to shift toward that, especially as Sadie herself blurts this out at a barn party in the middle of no where Nebraska (where you as a midwesterner bristle, worried about the reaction), you remember that teenagers are teenagers and that means sometimes their reactions to such heavy news about a person is no reaction at all because it is truly not a big deal. But Spoiler of course, this is what Dylan uses against Max in a disturbing, painful scene near the end of the book. It is, though, Max's decision to take ownership of her body, her decisions, her relationships, and her lifestyle back from any and everyone else. When she does that, even Dylan's sickening abuse of her sexuality against her is not a big deal. It's handled with such care.
Max is one of my favorite YA characters in a long time. I loved experiencing the world through her eyes, and there were many times I completely related to a lot of her struggle about identity and what it means to be a good person, what it means to love and express that, and what it means to be a good friend. It's not about narrating someone's story for them; it's about narrating your own. She also has a strong back story, which is one we don't get to know at all until Spoiler we finally get to see the world through her eyes. It takes her a long time to open it up, and when she does, things only snap further into place.
Reed is truly a gem in contemporary ya. This is the kind of book I can see teens I work with loving, especially as it's set in the midwest, as it's infused with life on a farm/in a small town, and yet it doesn't fall into the easy trappings or stereotypes of those sorts of teen lives at all.
Longer review to come, but this book is out-of-this-world good.
missriki's review against another edition
4.0
This writing in this book is so unorthodox, yet so beautiful. The first part is written in a sort of second-person point of view, with Max addressing Sadie directly, using “you” and “we,” which took me a bit to get into, but once I did it really felt quite natural. It gives the narrative a really intimate and personal feel, like you are privy to Max’s private missives. Amy Reed writes damned beautiful prose, making heavy use of imagery and metaphor, and I loved the gentle juxtaposition to mythology throughout the book.
This book is generally pretty quiet in terms of plot, but it is an absolute study in character development. We see Max entrenched in this deeply toxic friendship with Sadie, at first unable to even make a decision for herself. In the beginning she leans on Sadie for everything, and hardly knows herself at all. Watching her emerge as a whole and complete person after Sadie falls ill is an enlightening journey. Her guilt over leaving Sadie behind is overshadowed by her excitement at being her own person, and the constant struggle she experiences captivated me.
In this novel, Max is bisexual, and there’s this nagging feeling that her feelings for Sadie might be of a sexual nature, yet not completely developed. There’s an intense homoerotic feel to their relationship, yet at the same time it doesn’t circumvent the point of the novel. It’s less about Max’s sexuality and more about her finding herself.
This book is beautifully written, with smart, stunning prose and striking imagery. The toxic friendship takes center stage, revealing intense and deeply conflicted characters. The book features a bisexual main character, but it is about more than her sexuality. It is a story about finding yourself and becoming the person you are meant to be.
This book is generally pretty quiet in terms of plot, but it is an absolute study in character development. We see Max entrenched in this deeply toxic friendship with Sadie, at first unable to even make a decision for herself. In the beginning she leans on Sadie for everything, and hardly knows herself at all. Watching her emerge as a whole and complete person after Sadie falls ill is an enlightening journey. Her guilt over leaving Sadie behind is overshadowed by her excitement at being her own person, and the constant struggle she experiences captivated me.
In this novel, Max is bisexual, and there’s this nagging feeling that her feelings for Sadie might be of a sexual nature, yet not completely developed. There’s an intense homoerotic feel to their relationship, yet at the same time it doesn’t circumvent the point of the novel. It’s less about Max’s sexuality and more about her finding herself.
This book is beautifully written, with smart, stunning prose and striking imagery. The toxic friendship takes center stage, revealing intense and deeply conflicted characters. The book features a bisexual main character, but it is about more than her sexuality. It is a story about finding yourself and becoming the person you are meant to be.