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lilythebibliophile's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars
Trigger warnings for the book: Domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and murder
I first picked up this book at the end of 2020, and I was completely enthralled. So, of course, I put it down after the first chapter and waited 2 and a half years to finish it.
I had a feeling that this book could be one of my favorite books of all time, but I wasn't in the headspace to read anything good, you know? I knew that I was going to want to absorb every word on each page, and I just couldn't do that in that moment.
Anyways. The first 25% of the book was just as I remembered it. Every word on the page was intentional and deliberate, the eerie atmosphere of the book was perfectly maintained, and the narration of the characters was enthralling and mysterious.
Sidenote: the audiobook narrators for The Walls Around Us breathe life into the story in a way I have never experienced before. I honestly don't know if the characters are super developed or if the narrators just embodied (em-vocalized?) the characters so well that that they felt more real.
At a certain point during the story, the plot teetered off to the point where nothing was happening. The characters weren't developing, and nothing new was being introduced that could maintain my attention. This is very much a story that is meant to be predictable (for the most part), and yet I am still disappointed at how predictable it was. I won't spoil anything, but basically Nova Ren Suma is telling you the sky is blue the whole time, and the sky is actually blue. Where's the suspense in that?
My main issue with the story is that it is from the perspective of Amber and Violet, and not from the perspective of Amber and Ori. I understand the reasoning behind that stylistic choice, but it made the ending less victorious. Like, I know I'm supposed to feel happy, but I barely knew Ori, so I did not feel much towards her in the end.
Also, there's a little bit of lesbian erasure in the book that I found strange. Amber is describing that girls kiss other girls who look like their old boyfriends from before they were incarcerated, and I'm just like, "Can't the girls just kiss each other because like each other?" Idk.
Overall, Suma is clearly a talented writer, but the nonexistent plot points in The Walls Around Us and the weak character development of the "hero" in the story diminished its greatness.
Trigger warnings for the book: Domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and murder
I first picked up this book at the end of 2020, and I was completely enthralled. So, of course, I put it down after the first chapter and waited 2 and a half years to finish it.
I had a feeling that this book could be one of my favorite books of all time, but I wasn't in the headspace to read anything good, you know? I knew that I was going to want to absorb every word on each page, and I just couldn't do that in that moment.
Anyways. The first 25% of the book was just as I remembered it. Every word on the page was intentional and deliberate, the eerie atmosphere of the book was perfectly maintained, and the narration of the characters was enthralling and mysterious.
Sidenote: the audiobook narrators for The Walls Around Us breathe life into the story in a way I have never experienced before. I honestly don't know if the characters are super developed or if the narrators just embodied (em-vocalized?) the characters so well that that they felt more real.
At a certain point during the story, the plot teetered off to the point where nothing was happening. The characters weren't developing, and nothing new was being introduced that could maintain my attention. This is very much a story that is meant to be predictable (for the most part), and yet I am still disappointed at how predictable it was. I won't spoil anything, but basically Nova Ren Suma is telling you the sky is blue the whole time, and the sky is actually blue. Where's the suspense in that?
My main issue with the story is that it is from the perspective of Amber and Violet, and not from the perspective of Amber and Ori. I understand the reasoning behind that stylistic choice, but it made the ending less victorious. Like, I know I'm supposed to feel happy, but I barely knew Ori, so I did not feel much towards her in the end.
Also, there's a little bit of lesbian erasure in the book that I found strange. Amber is describing that girls kiss other girls who look like their old boyfriends from before they were incarcerated, and I'm just like, "Can't the girls just kiss each other because like each other?" Idk.
Overall, Suma is clearly a talented writer, but the nonexistent plot points in The Walls Around Us and the weak character development of the "hero" in the story diminished its greatness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Sexual assault
sometimes_samantha_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked it and how mysterious it was but the writing itself was hard to follow along with. It was a bit too poetic for me to follow and I didn't really warm up to any of the characters at all because the dialogue didn't feel natural to me. Idk maybe it was intentional and I didn't grasp it.
Overall the concept was interesting. It was a slow burn but it was satisfying to have your suspicions confirmed over the course of the book.
Overall the concept was interesting. It was a slow burn but it was satisfying to have your suspicions confirmed over the course of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Bullying, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Confinement, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Murder, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
thewoodlandbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Murder, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Classism, Racism, and Police brutality
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Confinement, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Drug use, and Gore
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Self harm, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Body shaming, and Suicide
ollieshark's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
**this book contains descriptions of homicide, death fantasies, beatings, poisoning and vomiting, blood, violence, and mentions of rape, self-harm, and suicide. if you are sensitive to these themes, this may not be a good read for you.**
i went into this book mostly blind and was delightfully confused until everything started falling into place. i didn't expect to enjoy it as much as i did, but i did, and that's something.
i have some issues with the prose, mainly in how amber and violet's voices are exactly the same except one's a dancer and the other is a prisoner. their manner of speaking and word choice does not differ from each other, and the only thing preventing me from getting the two confused is that violet dances and amber is an inmate. did you forget violet is a dancer destined for julliard? she's dancing at julliard in a couple of weeks. i also didn't like how meandering the narration tended to be. several sections repeated the same sentence structure multiple times, mostly in memories, and i skipped those parts because all of those minute details are unnecessary. some, yes, but not more than three in one paragraph.
aside from that, i have no complaints with the novel. i enjoyed several aspects of it, including the fact that romance is not a major factor in this ya novel (shocking, i know). though there are boyfriends, they aren't central to the story and in fact are very minor characters. i also love how the novel doesn't sugarcoat the crimes committed. though there is some unreliability in the narration, the crimes committed in the novel are just as gruesome and gory as they would be in an r-rated film. i'm also a fan of the prison/juvenile detention center aspect, as none of the other ya novels i've read have even touched the concept of teens being violent in such a way. usually the teen protagonists just show mercy.
this was a great read, if violent and squicky at times. i don't recommend this book if you've had bad experiences with the content listed at the top, but it makes for a great read if you're into horror/ghost stories. a perfect spooky season read, if you ask me.
i went into this book mostly blind and was delightfully confused until everything started falling into place. i didn't expect to enjoy it as much as i did, but i did, and that's something.
i have some issues with the prose, mainly in how amber and violet's voices are exactly the same except one's a dancer and the other is a prisoner. their manner of speaking and word choice does not differ from each other, and the only thing preventing me from getting the two confused is that violet dances and amber is an inmate. did you forget violet is a dancer destined for julliard? she's dancing at julliard in a couple of weeks. i also didn't like how meandering the narration tended to be. several sections repeated the same sentence structure multiple times, mostly in memories, and i skipped those parts because all of those minute details are unnecessary. some, yes, but not more than three in one paragraph.
aside from that, i have no complaints with the novel. i enjoyed several aspects of it, including the fact that romance is not a major factor in this ya novel (shocking, i know). though there are boyfriends, they aren't central to the story and in fact are very minor characters. i also love how the novel doesn't sugarcoat the crimes committed. though there is some unreliability in the narration, the crimes committed in the novel are just as gruesome and gory as they would be in an r-rated film. i'm also a fan of the prison/juvenile detention center aspect, as none of the other ya novels i've read have even touched the concept of teens being violent in such a way. usually the teen protagonists just show mercy.
this was a great read, if violent and squicky at times. i don't recommend this book if you've had bad experiences with the content listed at the top, but it makes for a great read if you're into horror/ghost stories. a perfect spooky season read, if you ask me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Addiction, Gore, Mental illness, and Suicide
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Self harm
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