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michaellouisdixon's review against another edition
4.0
Part of the experience in reading Michael Rowe's October was a triggering flashback to my junior high and high school years. While I did not experience the same reasons for being bullied as Mikey Childress did, I experienced some life altering punishment at the hands of my peers. Michael Rowe captures that feeling and anguish perfectly. What follows, for Mikey, is like the darkest fantasies that crossed my own mind.
Mr. Rowe mentions that there has been interest in a film adaptation of October. I think it would be an excellent and relevant piece to translate to the screen.
My only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer. I wanted to spend more time with Mikey and Wroxy. I have another complaint which is not really a complaint--I didn't like the end even though I knew that it was necessary.
MLD
Mr. Rowe mentions that there has been interest in a film adaptation of October. I think it would be an excellent and relevant piece to translate to the screen.
My only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer. I wanted to spend more time with Mikey and Wroxy. I have another complaint which is not really a complaint--I didn't like the end even though I knew that it was necessary.
MLD
danidamico's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Eh, no está mal, pero esperaba un libro diferente, cuando leí la sinopsis me imaginé algo con otro estilo temático y narrativo. No sé por qué, pero imaginaba algo similar a Jennifer's Body o a las novelas de Grady Hendrix, con ese humor perverso que le aporta cierta frescura. Pero no, October es 100% oscuro, no tiene sentido del humor ni nada que aporte un poco de liviandad. Es un libro muy pesado, lleno de odio.
En cuanto a la parte del bullying, habiendo sido víctima yo misma, siento que el autor retrató bastante bien ese sufrimiento y los efectos que el maltrato constante pueden tener en un adolescente. Sin embargo, me costó empatizar con Mikey, sobre todo por la manera en la que trata a Wroxy, su mejor amiga. Nunca podría imaginarme a mí misma cagándome tanto en mi mejor amigo y tirándole tanta mierda. No sé, es difícil juzgar a un personaje que está pasando por una situación difícil, pero la realidad es que no me importaba mucho lo que le terminara pasando a Mikey. Se puede tener un personaje desagradable como protagonista, pero inclusive siendo una mala persona tiene que importarte o al menos interesarte lo que le pueda ocurrir. Tiene que haber algún tipo de fascinación, y en este caso yo no la sentí.
Después, el otro problema que tuve es que me pareció bastante juvenil y unidimensional el modo de escribir del autor. Me resultó similar a un libro de R.L. Stine, lo cual no tiene nada de malo, de vez en cuando me gusta leer ese tipo de ficción. El problema es que October no está presentado como YA, sino como una novela de terror adulto, cosa que, en mí opinión, no es. Se siente como una novela con ciertas escenas explícitas y fuertes, pero narrada como un librito YA noventoso al que le falta mayor profundidad. Narrar escenas de asesinato animal o de sexo no significan que un texto sea maduro. También es cierto que la historia tiene muchos clichés y lugares comunes, nada de lo que sucede te sorprende.
En fin, no me gustó mucho. De todos modos, no me parece terrible, por eso le puse tres estrellas y no menos, pero dudo volver a leerlo.
En cuanto a la parte del bullying, habiendo sido víctima yo misma, siento que el autor retrató bastante bien ese sufrimiento y los efectos que el maltrato constante pueden tener en un adolescente. Sin embargo, me costó empatizar con Mikey, sobre todo por la manera en la que trata a Wroxy, su mejor amiga. Nunca podría imaginarme a mí misma cagándome tanto en mi mejor amigo y tirándole tanta mierda. No sé, es difícil juzgar a un personaje que está pasando por una situación difícil, pero la realidad es que no me importaba mucho lo que le terminara pasando a Mikey. Se puede tener un personaje desagradable como protagonista, pero inclusive siendo una mala persona tiene que importarte o al menos interesarte lo que le pueda ocurrir. Tiene que haber algún tipo de fascinación, y en este caso yo no la sentí.
Después, el otro problema que tuve es que me pareció bastante juvenil y unidimensional el modo de escribir del autor. Me resultó similar a un libro de R.L. Stine, lo cual no tiene nada de malo, de vez en cuando me gusta leer ese tipo de ficción. El problema es que October no está presentado como YA, sino como una novela de terror adulto, cosa que, en mí opinión, no es. Se siente como una novela con ciertas escenas explícitas y fuertes, pero narrada como un librito YA noventoso al que le falta mayor profundidad. Narrar escenas de asesinato animal o de sexo no significan que un texto sea maduro. También es cierto que la historia tiene muchos clichés y lugares comunes, nada de lo que sucede te sorprende.
En fin, no me gustó mucho. De todos modos, no me parece terrible, por eso le puse tres estrellas y no menos, pero dudo volver a leerlo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Bullying, and Homophobia
charshorrorcorner's review
4.0
4.5/5 stars!
Just look at that gorgeous cover! One would never guess the pain hiding behind it, but it's there. It's there in spades.
In a small Canadian town, two awkward teens are just trying to make it through high school. Mikey, a young gay man, and his best friend Wroxy, a loaner and a goth girl, try to support each other as best they can. But Wroxy can't protect Mikey from the jock bullies and it seems no one else can either. After witnessing something in the woods, and then soon after going through the worst experience of his life, Mikey decides he's had enough and takes matters into his own hands. Will he exact his revenge upon the jocks? Can he do it on his own? You'll have to read this novella to find out.
As in both ENTER, NIGHT and WILD FELL Michael Rowe's bewitching prose captured my attention and held it tight. His characters are so well developed it's easy to understand their motivations. They are also so human that the reader cannot help but to empathize with them. Then, once Rowe has you in his clutches, he puts those characters through hell and you're just along for the ride.
OCTOBER will join Rowe's last two books on my list of favorites. It's beautifully written, evocative, brutal and surprising all at once. I only wish it could have been a little longer.
Highly recommended to fans of LGBT and dark , dark fiction!
You can find a copy here: October
*I bought this e-book with my own hard earned money and this is my honest opinion.*
Just look at that gorgeous cover! One would never guess the pain hiding behind it, but it's there. It's there in spades.
In a small Canadian town, two awkward teens are just trying to make it through high school. Mikey, a young gay man, and his best friend Wroxy, a loaner and a goth girl, try to support each other as best they can. But Wroxy can't protect Mikey from the jock bullies and it seems no one else can either. After witnessing something in the woods, and then soon after going through the worst experience of his life, Mikey decides he's had enough and takes matters into his own hands. Will he exact his revenge upon the jocks? Can he do it on his own? You'll have to read this novella to find out.
As in both ENTER, NIGHT and WILD FELL Michael Rowe's bewitching prose captured my attention and held it tight. His characters are so well developed it's easy to understand their motivations. They are also so human that the reader cannot help but to empathize with them. Then, once Rowe has you in his clutches, he puts those characters through hell and you're just along for the ride.
OCTOBER will join Rowe's last two books on my list of favorites. It's beautifully written, evocative, brutal and surprising all at once. I only wish it could have been a little longer.
Highly recommended to fans of LGBT and dark , dark fiction!
You can find a copy here: October
*I bought this e-book with my own hard earned money and this is my honest opinion.*
ctgt's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to the audiobook and while I didn't love the narration I really enjoyed the story. Tale of two teenage outcasts, a boy struggling with his sexual orientation and a goth girl who end up best friends as they deal with the typical high school bullying. Add in a local urban legend about a coven of witches in the local forest and you have the framework for the story. The legend is an interesting angle but the story is really about kids and their struggle to figure out who they are and how they fit in to the often unforgiving world around them.
8/10
8/10
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