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meganhardesty's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
cripcor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I don't even know what to say about this book. I've had it on my tbr FOREVER because of the cerebral palsy rep but like honestly,,,the book was just okay?? I definitely enjoyed gus's pov more than kalyn's. I would've liked if his character was explored more beyond 'disabled nerd who's dad got murdered' but alas...
Kalyn as a character had her good moments but overall she just screamed the 'I'm not like other girls' trope, which to be fair, she's not, nobody else in town has their dad in prison for murder. But like,,girlypop We Get It!!!
Maybe if I read more slow paced books I wouldn't have had an issue with this book's pace, but this book is over 400 pages and it's Slow as Hell, which makes it feel longer than it is, the twist didn't come till over halfway through and the reveal was honestly hard for me to follow. It was very confusing. I did enjoy Gus's story, and I liked the dynamic between him and Phil. (still unsure how I feel about Phil, he's a Weird kid for sure but I think he was also just,,,weirdly written, like beyond the point of it being part of his characterization)
the audiobook narration was pretty good!! Kept me from dnf'ing this tbh. All in all this book made me Tired and I think gus and Phil should kiss, The End
Kalyn as a character had her good moments but overall she just screamed the 'I'm not like other girls' trope, which to be fair, she's not, nobody else in town has their dad in prison for murder. But like,,girlypop We Get It!!!
Maybe if I read more slow paced books I wouldn't have had an issue with this book's pace, but this book is over 400 pages and it's Slow as Hell, which makes it feel longer than it is, the twist didn't come till over halfway through and the reveal was honestly hard for me to follow. It was very confusing. I did enjoy Gus's story, and I liked the dynamic between him and Phil. (still unsure how I feel about Phil, he's a Weird kid for sure but I think he was also just,,,weirdly written, like beyond the point of it being part of his characterization)
the audiobook narration was pretty good!! Kept me from dnf'ing this tbh. All in all this book made me Tired and I think gus and Phil should kiss, The End
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
In the small town of Samsboro, Kentucky, a high school golden boy named James Ellis was murdered by another high school student, Gary Spence. Seventeen years later, the son of the murdered boy and the daughter of the murderer meet and become friends.
Gus Peake and Kalyn Spence have both had rough childhoods. Gus's dad was murdered when he mother was only a few months pregnant. He was born with cerebral palsy, and his disability and his tragic backstory are all that anyone in his small town sees when they look at him. His mother is also extremely overprotective and treats him like a child. Kalyn has grown up half-wild, with a mother who's got some issues (I have to question the life choices of someone who seeks out a relationship with a convicted murderer), and she acts out a lot.
The two meet and become friends without knowing who the other is (Kalyn is attending school under a pseudonym and Gus has a different last name than his father). They're both misfits, and their growing bond is very sweet. It's completely platonic, as Kalyn is a lesbian (Gus is pansexual). That bond is tested when they learn each other's identities and when evidence surfaces that suggests that Gary Spence may not be guilty.
I'm fascinated by the aftermath of tragedy and how people deal with bad things years after the fact, and I'm drawn to books with this sort of story. It was interesting getting to see both sides of the aftermath of a murder, what it's like to be the son of a murder victim and what's it like to be the daughter of the murderer. It's also an insight into mob mentality: the townspeople of Samsboro don't take kindly to the suggestion that Gary Spence might be innocent, and there's a huge public outcry. Basically, everyone is awful to Kalyn in the name of supporting Gus, support he doesn't want or need. I had all the feels in the last third of the book as these two characters go through so much. It's also an interesting look at the power dynamics of "justice" when the victim is a rich golden boy and the alleged murderer is a poor kid.
My only complaint is that the solution of the mystery is a little disappointing, but this isn't really a mystery, and in the end, what really happened is only a small part of the bigger picture. This is really Gus and Kalyn's story.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Gus Peake and Kalyn Spence have both had rough childhoods. Gus's dad was murdered when he mother was only a few months pregnant. He was born with cerebral palsy, and his disability and his tragic backstory are all that anyone in his small town sees when they look at him. His mother is also extremely overprotective and treats him like a child. Kalyn has grown up half-wild, with a mother who's got some issues (I have to question the life choices of someone who seeks out a relationship with a convicted murderer), and she acts out a lot.
The two meet and become friends without knowing who the other is (Kalyn is attending school under a pseudonym and Gus has a different last name than his father). They're both misfits, and their growing bond is very sweet. It's completely platonic, as Kalyn is a lesbian (Gus is pansexual). That bond is tested when they learn each other's identities and when evidence surfaces that suggests that Gary Spence may not be guilty.
I'm fascinated by the aftermath of tragedy and how people deal with bad things years after the fact, and I'm drawn to books with this sort of story. It was interesting getting to see both sides of the aftermath of a murder, what it's like to be the son of a murder victim and what's it like to be the daughter of the murderer. It's also an insight into mob mentality: the townspeople of Samsboro don't take kindly to the suggestion that Gary Spence might be innocent, and there's a huge public outcry. Basically, everyone is awful to Kalyn in the name of supporting Gus, support he doesn't want or need. I had all the feels in the last third of the book as these two characters go through so much. It's also an interesting look at the power dynamics of "justice" when the victim is a rich golden boy and the alleged murderer is a poor kid.
My only complaint is that the solution of the mystery is a little disappointing, but this isn't really a mystery, and in the end, what really happened is only a small part of the bigger picture. This is really Gus and Kalyn's story.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
rainyrow555's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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? No
4.25
kaitlynbrianna's review against another edition
3.0
Ending was not super satisfying and there were way too many characters to keep track of but other than that this is really good as far as YA mysteries go. Gus is adorable and I have a soft spot for Phil
snapplespice's review against another edition
5.0
Although it may not appear to be so at first, this book is SO QUEER and I loveeeeee it. The queerness is built into the story in such a way that it almost creeps up on you, making you realize at the end how profoundly important it is to the entire story (and I don't just mean how Kalyn's lesbian identity isn't mentioned until a few chapters in). I'm always looking for books that have queer characters but whose plot isn't driven by their coming out stories or their queer-related trauma. That trauma is 100% in this story, but it's written in naturally and in a way that allows the characters to participate in other dialogues. It gets five stars from me for that reason. It doesn't meet my "favorite" status because there were multiple places where I lost track of character names and dialogue, and I also am unsure about Phil's character.
mckinlay's review against another edition
5.0
*I received an ARC from edelweiss and the publisher. this does not affect my review.*
Wow. this book was a RIDE! It was much more mystery than I was expecting, so obviously I don't want to say too much. But my goodness it was so refreshing to read a book about a m/f friendship that was never anything else.
I'd recommend this to someone who likes Courtney Summers, but would like to feel a little more hope, and to laugh.
Btw, I know i've seen a lot of people talk about pansexual rep in this. I'm guessing the author confirmed this on social media or something, but just know the word isn't used in the book. Though I do believe it's hinted at. Kayln, however, explicitly calls herself queer. And there's rep for cerebral palsy (which is in the book summary so I don't know why I'm repeating it) and.
Wow. this book was a RIDE! It was much more mystery than I was expecting, so obviously I don't want to say too much. But my goodness it was so refreshing to read a book about a m/f friendship that was never anything else.
I'd recommend this to someone who likes Courtney Summers, but would like to feel a little more hope, and to laugh.
Btw, I know i've seen a lot of people talk about pansexual rep in this. I'm guessing the author confirmed this on social media or something, but just know the word isn't used in the book. Though I do believe it's hinted at. Kayln, however, explicitly calls herself queer. And there's rep for cerebral palsy (which is in the book summary so I don't know why I'm repeating it) and
Spoiler
antisocial personality disordercruelcircles's review against another edition
stopped at 100 pages, this is not worth it. look at the 1 and 2 star reviews, they give proof to how this book irked me from the get go. it's quite problematic, the rep on the surface level seems alright but it's hurtful and this book makes me mad
goosemixtapes's review against another edition
3.0
in general, i just wanted more from this book - more development of the characters, more development of gus and kalyn's relationship (though their friendship WAS the strongest aspect of this book imo), more of a solid stance on prison abolition (not that every YA book can be expected to be prison abolitionist, but this one felt like it got halfway and never settled on "maybe prisons aren't great"), more of the main characters' parents' backstory. the backstory, in particular, made the ending reveals fall a little flat for me. the book isn't really a murder mystery, though there is a murder and the details are unknown - it's not a thriller, and so i can accept that maybe we aren't supposed to be able to guess the end, because gus and kalyn are in the dark, too. but everything seemed to wrap up very, very quickly, to the point where i almost wondered if the backstory should have been told in a dual timeline rather than summarized in one chapter (though i'm a slut for dual timelines, so maybe that's just me). also i kind of just couldn't stand phil; maybe that was the point, but i wasn't sure why he was necessary at all.
again, though, i really loved the friendship between gus and kalyn (and the rep!!! lesbian MC!! bi MC with cerebral palsy!! a healthy and completely nonromantic friendship between a guy & girl, the sort i would have killed for in middle school!!!), and all in all this was a fun read, even if it ended up a little unsatisfying.
again, though, i really loved the friendship between gus and kalyn (and the rep!!! lesbian MC!! bi MC with cerebral palsy!! a healthy and completely nonromantic friendship between a guy & girl, the sort i would have killed for in middle school!!!), and all in all this was a fun read, even if it ended up a little unsatisfying.
kthornette's review against another edition
4.0
read for Reading Challenge Champs: TBR Knockout !
Prompt: Book with no romance
I loved both Kayln and Gus’ POVs. They were such fun characters with in-depth backstories and development and it was cool to see them work out their friendship once their pasts intertwined on the surface.
Also, no romance was something refreshing to see.
Prompt: Book with no romance
I loved both Kayln and Gus’ POVs. They were such fun characters with in-depth backstories and development and it was cool to see them work out their friendship once their pasts intertwined on the surface.
Also, no romance was something refreshing to see.