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cactuspunk's review
emotional
sad
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? Yes
5.0
This book was phenomenal. It perfectly encapsulated the bittersweet grief of growing up and moving on with your life while also tackling the emotional issues of trust, love, and personal control. Through his writing, Zack Smedley ripped out my heart over and over again as I watched Owen repeatedly find himself being hurt by the people around him. The inclusion of Owen's ASD and his struggle with change helped add to the impact of Owen's desire to maintain his status quo despite his acknowledgement of the pain it's caused him. Overall, this book stole my heart and soul which I highly recommend you allow it to as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Violence and War
calamityin's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Ableism
Moderate: Homophobia and Rape
legalplanner's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A YA book set to read like an episode of How to Get Away With Murder, start with the end and work back.
This was an amazing book. The first paragraph got me about freshman year starting out bad and then getting hit by an F250, had me laughing hysterically. The structure of journal entries vs. the story in present day was a nice touch to keep from having flashbacks or bogging down the story with all of that information being presented in the order it happened. I felt so much while reading this novel. The panic of Owen, the drive to have something done by his father, but more than anything the fear of admitting you've been sexually assaulted.
The journal entries were good use to admit who had assaulted Owen. I swore because it happened the day he came out that it was going to be a college student. I never expected it to be his girlfriend! HOWEVER that isa type of story that is important and I think needs to be read by high school students. Because your significant other can rape you. People should know that saying no means no.
I would love to see this used in a classroom setting because it was beautifully written and handled the hard topics well. We see the struggle with leaving and the struggle to put boundaries. But we watch Owen start to do it to a point where you're rooting for him so hard that you're crying when everything finally works out
I thought having the book separated into each year of school was a good way to make the story work. The journal entries functioned as a good flashback resource, and gave an insight into Owen that we may not have gotten otherwise. I also loved that you learned more details about Owen like how Autism Spectrum does not mean you can't be neurotypical in ways similar to Owen.
I gave this 5/5 stars because it perfectly discussed sexual assault (without making it too triggering), setting boundaries, recognizing abuse, learning its okay not to be okay, and its okay to not accept someone's apology. This book had so much going for it that even after finding out the twist in the middle I wanted to keep reading. I finished it in a day. I would gladly read another Zack Smedley book and would suggest this to everyone.
This was an amazing book. The first paragraph got me about freshman year starting out bad and then getting hit by an F250, had me laughing hysterically. The structure of journal entries vs. the story in present day was a nice touch to keep from having flashbacks or bogging down the story with all of that information being presented in the order it happened. I felt so much while reading this novel. The panic of Owen, the drive to have something done by his father, but more than anything the fear of admitting you've been sexually assaulted.
I would love to see this used in a classroom setting because it was beautifully written and handled the hard topics well. We see the struggle with leaving and the struggle to put boundaries. But we watch Owen start to do it to a point where you're rooting for him so hard that you're crying when everything finally works out
I thought having the book separated into each year of school was a good way to make the story work. The journal entries functioned as a good flashback resource, and gave an insight into Owen that we may not have gotten otherwise. I also loved that you learned more details about Owen like how Autism Spectrum does not mean you can't be neurotypical in ways similar to Owen.
I gave this 5/5 stars because it perfectly discussed sexual assault (without making it too triggering), setting boundaries, recognizing abuse, learning its okay not to be okay, and its okay to not accept someone's apology. This book had so much going for it that even after finding out the twist in the middle I wanted to keep reading. I finished it in a day. I would gladly read another Zack Smedley book and would suggest this to everyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Homophobia
Minor: Gaslighting, Outing, and Toxic relationship
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