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bookobsessedmommy's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Icarus tries to live as inconspicuously as possible to keep his home life a secret, but is startled to realize that more people notice him and care about him than he could have imagined. I have never read a book quite like this before, with its combination of poetry and prose and dash of Latin. (Initially this threw me off, but the context, spirit of the language, and my remedial spanish made it knowable in a strange way.) The short chapters make the story go by quickly, and even though it jumps around a bit I rarely felt lost. Icarus is on this epic journey, and I rooted for him and everyone connected to him so hard. His friends are the absolute best, even the school associates who were ready to move heaven and earth for him. (Or one crappy dad.) Angus' arc, even though we don't hear much from him, is a complex mix of heartbreaking and infuriating. I think my biggest complaint is that I wanted more explanation on one specific situation. I cannot understand how the Helios situation persisted. Did he not need to be enrolled in school? Maybe the dad paid them off. Didn't his mom have calls? She never came to see him? She knows the dad is abusive, so why would she let him take him? Yes, this entire book is far fetched for a ton of reasons, but this one is like dust in my eye. I just can't ignore it. Elements of the resolution felt rushed to me, but this is one of those books I can see myself reading over and over because there is just so much meat on the bones. The author's note nearly made me cry, so I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from K. Ancrum.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Drug use, and Physical abuse
booking_along's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
can’t even formulate the words for this right now.
beautifully written, impactful story and memorable characters!
filled with heartbreak and hope, love and loss and hate and grief and dreams.
a story that has LGBTQ+ characters, chronic illness rep and so many other representations and moments that are beautiful!
beautifully written, impactful story and memorable characters!
filled with heartbreak and hope, love and loss and hate and grief and dreams.
a story that has LGBTQ+ characters, chronic illness rep and so many other representations and moments that are beautiful!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Confinement, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual content
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