Reviews

Kermit's sister dies and he receives an unexpected invitation to join a club with other teens who have lost someone close to them. There he gets to know Matt, his long term crush and they begin to form a close relationship. Magoon is masterful in this novel - developing believable teenagers from diverse perspectives, reflecting the realities of grief in all its forms, exploring sexual identity with all its confusion and realities, and not shying away from discussing mental health. My initial interest in this book stemmed from the fact that it centered a boy experiencing the loss of his sister as my brother passed away. It met my expectations there - providing me with a mirror of grief and all its complexities - but shocked me by providing so much more.

story_sanctuary's review against another edition

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5.0

It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything by Kekla Magoon (I reviewed REIGN OF OUTLAWS in 2017), so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I love stories about grief and self-discovery, especially characters wrestling with their faith, and this one ticks all those boxes for sure.

The characterization in this book felt totally spot on to me. Each character had a distinct voice, and specific connections and relationships with Kermit. I especially loved his relationship with his sister, who we meet in memories, dreams, and through her voice in Kermit’s head.

I also loved Matt, though he scared me with his drinking and some other things. He’s absolutely charming. It was easy to believe everything he said and just immediately adore him.

THE MINUS ONE CLUB is a complex story about grief, which is exactly what I expected from the title and book summary. The club didn’t feature in the book as much as I thought it might. The story really centers on Kermit and Matt and their relationship and how each of them are processing their grief.

All in all, I truly enjoyed reading this book. I couldn’t put it down. The chapters are really short, and the story seems to move quickly, so I read this one in a single sitting. It only took a couple of hours, too. I definitely recommend the book to readers who like stories about processing grief or about identity and first love.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Review will post to my blog on 1/20/23.

kherbs's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

melm_'s review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed listening to this book, and the narrator made it even more enjoyable. The minus one club reminded me of the midnight club series on Netflix - they all had a secret club where they all connected because they were dying. Minus one club - but they’ve lost a close family member or friend. It was a heart wrenching, slightly triggering but it wasn’t heavy where I wanted to stop listening.

From the audiobook, I can tell there were short chapters and also it reminded me of books I’ve read by Elizabeth Acevedo - not written in verse but the story telling was somehow slightly poetic, prose probably. I look forward to reading more from this author.
There’s themes of grief, suicide, substance abuse, LGBTQ+, mental health struggles

Content Warnings

mamawash86's review

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challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.0

barbn's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

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