Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Icarus by K. Ancrum

3 reviews

brep23's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25


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tandewrites's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 K. Ancrum is someone who I always describe as a 'once in a lifetime' kind of author, and the release of Icarus continues to prove it.

This is the story of Icarus Filiformis Gallagher, named after the plant rather than the Greek figure, the loneliest boy Ancrum has ever written, and Helios, the sun in his sky. It's an intimate reimagining of the tale of Icarus as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the son of the man he's been stealing from. It's part suspenseful thriller and part contemporary romance, and it's a return to the unconventional vignette chapters and sparse lyrical prose that made many of us fall in love with Ancrum through The Wicker King. This book is presented with such sincerity, consideration, and a deep understanding of our relationship to history and art. It's about found family, neglect, generational curses, and figuring out a way to escape your circumstances and chase the freedom you deserve.

The most distinct #OwnVoices representation from Icarus in comparison to Ancrum's other works is the intersex character, and he's seen through the eyes of someone who loves and understands him instantly without explanation, cowardice, or confusion. Representation in love interests is so valuable and important to me, seeing all the odd and ugly parts of yourself turned into something beautiful because someone loves you anyway, someone saying that you were made the same way as angels. There's also a reference to an intersex statue without a known creator within the book, and Ancrum says she chose it because it belongs to humanity now, and she liked the idea of a pivotal piece of art in the story being an artist unknown. It's also the acknowledgement that there have been people who exist outside of the sex binary longer than we have had the words to describe them, and instead, they have been documented in art.

Icarus's character also suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which I believe is also #OwnVoices representation. He complains of pain throughout the entire book and abuses his hypermobility to be good at sports (and breaking and entering). He's spent his life watching his father essentially breaking down and has begun to wear braces himself, inheriting it. Both are in complete unawareness of the root of their problems and both use insufficient coping mechanisms and physical supports. Helios noticing these symptoms and simply telling Icarus that EDS is a thing that exists circles back to one of the key themes in the novel: the act of noticing. Teenagers always notice, and they're the first to see when something is wrong with their friends. Icarus notices what Helios refuses to say, and Icarus's friends notice the bruises under his eyes and see through his jokes about his tiredness. Icarus tries to save Helios, without knowing a rescue mission is brewing for him too.

Ultimately, Icarus is a book about opening yourself up to weakness and vulnerability. There are so many books written about the weak learning to be strong, and less so about how hardening yourself to survive has a cost, and the bravery of beginning to remove that protection and allowing yourself to grow. But this one is a love letter to the value of emotional intimacy and human connection, as all Ancrum books are, and it never gets less heart-wrenching to read about. Icarus gives his time and companionship to a boy in a cage, and he nearly gives his life, and he does so without hesitation. He's also a character who has to learn about tenderness and how to hug people for the first time in his teens from his friends, and they choose to love him over and over again, no matter how many times he tries to push them away.

I think BookBrowse said it best: "...flying too close to the warmth of the sun, to the unique light offered by each person, is not a matter of gross overreach but is, in fact, a necessity, a basic condition of humanity and interconnectedness, even at the risk of violent crash and burn." 

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noble_nico's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Icarus is alone in life, but not by choice. His father, by trade an art restorer, is an absent caretaker, forcing a life of crime upon his son to try and heal from his own trauma. Icarus, too afraid to be caught, makes only surface level relationships with his classmates while trying to complete his senior year of high school. He has money saved and a plan to leave as soon as he turns eighteen. 
Everything changes when Icarus meets Helios, a boy who seems to be made for him, trapped by his abusive father.  

This book is a whirlwind of emotions in the best way possible. This book deals with heavy topics but it also highlights the simple joys of life, joys like being able to sit with the ones you love and just enjoy their company. 
The plot of this book is what drew me in, but the characters are what made me love it. While following Icarus through developing relationship with his classmates and with Helios, I grew to love them as much as Icarus does. All of the characters are written beautifully and every one of them is integral to the story. One character is revealed to have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and another is intersex. The representation of these are both very well done, being introduced into the story smoothly and treated with respect.
While there is a lot that happens in the book, the pacing is well timed. Nothing feels rushed and nothing drags. The only downside I feel is that all of the chapters are incredibly short. A few times the short chapters felt jarring where they cut apart what I feel should've been long scenes. Regardless of that the book read quickly, with every page being filled with such strong emotions that I had to take breaks to breath. 

Unlike the Greek myth, this book is not a tragedy, not for Icarus. In K. Ancrum's story Icarus gets to soar on his wings safely in the warmth of the sun. 


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