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ghostlyprince's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Moderate: Physical abuse, Ableism, Child abuse, and Racism
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, and Vomit
megloveswords12's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
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
Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
jessy_reads's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
If it was only based on enjoyment, this book would have gotten 4.5 stars. This book was great. When I started reading, I had no idea what I was getting into, but this is exactly the type of story that I love reading. I'm so glad I picked it up. After only a few pages, I fell in love with the group of friends, their unique personalities, and the way they shine just that bit brighter when they are together. Add to that Gilbert's beautiful writing, simple yet mesmerizing, and this story seems to be made just for me.
Unfortunately, I wish I could have gotten to read more about Jason's recovery and Jason's father's motives. This is what led to the lower rating than the premise of the story and the writing deserved. The ending was not entirely satisfying to me, but I know that it is very difficult for me to find a book focused on mental health that has a satisfying ending. Wrap it up neatly, and it seems unrealistic. Give a realistic ending by letting the character continue to suffer, and it won't feel like an ending.
Still, I loved this story. I loved the characters and just wanted to get to know them intimately. I loved their discussions, which I could recognize myself in. I loved how concerned they were for Jason, how considerate, while feeling so powerless too, and it is something that each of us can relate to. Finally, I thought Gilbert was able to achieve a nice balance between darkness and the "romantic" scenes. It is hard to do, build a romance while also showing the darkest side of the characters, but their friendship had built a solid foundation for the next step romantically. I loved getting to know Beth and Jason.
So, didn't know what i was getting into, but I'm so glad I picked this up! This is exactly my jam.
Unfortunately, I wish I could have gotten to read more about Jason's recovery and Jason's father's motives. This is what led to the lower rating than the premise of the story and the writing deserved. The ending was not entirely satisfying to me, but I know that it is very difficult for me to find a book focused on mental health that has a satisfying ending. Wrap it up neatly, and it seems unrealistic. Give a realistic ending by letting the character continue to suffer, and it won't feel like an ending.
Still, I loved this story. I loved the characters and just wanted to get to know them intimately. I loved their discussions, which I could recognize myself in. I loved how concerned they were for Jason, how considerate, while feeling so powerless too, and it is something that each of us can relate to. Finally, I thought Gilbert was able to achieve a nice balance between darkness and the "romantic" scenes. It is hard to do, build a romance while also showing the darkest side of the characters, but their friendship had built a solid foundation for the next step romantically. I loved getting to know Beth and Jason.
So, didn't know what i was getting into, but I'm so glad I picked this up! This is exactly my jam.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
thetealdeal's review
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
thesaltiestlibrarian's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.
TW: Attempted suicide, panic attacks, divorce, academic stress, microaggressions
Debuts are tricky. You know this person publishing their book is enamored with the idea of writing, and what writer doesn’t want to be published? You can’t say for certain whether or not you’ll like their style, because you’ve never read their work before. They are, after all, a debut author. And will the story stick? If it sounds interesting, you may as well dive in and see what you find. Sometimes what you get is a mixed bag. That’s what we have here in Kelly Loy Gilbert’s When We Were Infinite.
The story follows Beth and her friends--who are all Asian or Asian-American--as they navigate their senior year in high school in southern California. We get to trace their struggles over which college to attend, or even apply to, and how family pressures play into how a teenager shapes their future. Whether that pressure is good or bad depends on the family. When Beth and her friend Brandon witness some parental abuse in another friend, Jason’s, house, things start downhill. Jason attempts suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. He survives, and the friendships they’ve grown start to crackle and fracture. Can the five of them keep together, or will silence and other pressures separate them?
Beth herself is from what’s considered a “broken home.” With her father up-and-leaving when she was young, it’s been her and her mom for the long haul. That part really struck home. Beth’s anger at her father and mother comes across very naturally, and as someone who takes on more responsibility than anyone asks of me, I understand her tendency to bottle up and not want to talk about it. The character development for Beth, her mom, Jason, and Brandon was great. They all stood out as real people in tricky situations with no real solutions.
So why did I give this a three-star rating? Well, a few things.
For one, the writing bogs itself down at times. I myself am learning that less is more, and the desire to embellish won’t always help a passage. Gilbert’s prose leans too heavily on the purple side in the middle of the book, which may be possible to contribute to that dreaded Middle Section Syndrome--the longest, hardest part of the book to write. The ending and beginning were tight, though, so it did even out in the end.
Some of the tropes. Unfortunately, this book employed one of my least favorite tropes: noncommunication. When a simple conversation will fix something, HAVE THE CONVERSATION. Moments in this book felt repetitive because of the lack of communication between characters, and I get it, okay? They’re teenagers. The logic centers of their brains aren’t fully formed yet. But here’s the thing. Some of the tension in here leaned on people just not talking about important things, and if we want to break the circle of abuse and mental strain, we have to talk about stuff. I don’t care how painful it is. That was a misstep on Gilbert’s part, and a perpetuation of the “let’s not talk about stuff” trope was not a great one to see rearing its head in this age of purposeful communication.
Another trope I’m not super into is the broody boy. BEFORE YOU SCREAM AT ME, I understand Jaon’s home life was terrible for all the pressure he was under. But he’d known Sunny since Kindergarten, and he wouldn’t even talk to her? He wouldn’t even talk to Brandon , his best friend in the world??? That’s the edge for me. Sometimes Jason got mopey and (see above) could have talked to someone about it.
Sunny and Grace needed more life. They sounded too much like each other and got me confused when they spoke. If they’d been given a little more verve and life as themselves, this would have been a non-issue.
BUT.
Okay.
The ending. I swear, if it hadn’t ended the way it had, I’d be fuming right now. Endings are not strong points in a debut sometimes. But Gilbert really brought everything around and made the Sadness Slog worth it. I liked the burst of growth and development we got to see in Beth, and I loved that there was hope. A good 45 pages before the end really took off, I had plans to rant and rave about how you need hope in a book, even if it is like real life. Silly me, I’m glad I didn’t write anything up before hitting that 100% mark!
So it’s worth a read, if you’re feeling down! Do prepare for sadness, and please take care if you suffer with suicidal thoughts. I do, and Jason’s ordeal gave me palpitations. A solid three stars out of five.
TW: Attempted suicide, panic attacks, divorce, academic stress, microaggressions
Debuts are tricky. You know this person publishing their book is enamored with the idea of writing, and what writer doesn’t want to be published? You can’t say for certain whether or not you’ll like their style, because you’ve never read their work before. They are, after all, a debut author. And will the story stick? If it sounds interesting, you may as well dive in and see what you find. Sometimes what you get is a mixed bag. That’s what we have here in Kelly Loy Gilbert’s When We Were Infinite.
The story follows Beth and her friends--who are all Asian or Asian-American--as they navigate their senior year in high school in southern California. We get to trace their struggles over which college to attend, or even apply to, and how family pressures play into how a teenager shapes their future. Whether that pressure is good or bad depends on the family. When Beth and her friend Brandon witness some parental abuse in another friend, Jason’s, house, things start downhill. Jason attempts suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. He survives, and the friendships they’ve grown start to crackle and fracture. Can the five of them keep together, or will silence and other pressures separate them?
Beth herself is from what’s considered a “broken home.” With her father up-and-leaving when she was young, it’s been her and her mom for the long haul. That part really struck home. Beth’s anger at her father and mother comes across very naturally, and as someone who takes on more responsibility than anyone asks of me, I understand her tendency to bottle up and not want to talk about it. The character development for Beth, her mom, Jason, and Brandon was great. They all stood out as real people in tricky situations with no real solutions.
So why did I give this a three-star rating? Well, a few things.
For one, the writing bogs itself down at times. I myself am learning that less is more, and the desire to embellish won’t always help a passage. Gilbert’s prose leans too heavily on the purple side in the middle of the book, which may be possible to contribute to that dreaded Middle Section Syndrome--the longest, hardest part of the book to write. The ending and beginning were tight, though, so it did even out in the end.
Some of the tropes. Unfortunately, this book employed one of my least favorite tropes: noncommunication. When a simple conversation will fix something, HAVE THE CONVERSATION. Moments in this book felt repetitive because of the lack of communication between characters, and I get it, okay? They’re teenagers. The logic centers of their brains aren’t fully formed yet. But here’s the thing. Some of the tension in here leaned on people just not talking about important things, and if we want to break the circle of abuse and mental strain, we have to talk about stuff. I don’t care how painful it is. That was a misstep on Gilbert’s part, and a perpetuation of the “let’s not talk about stuff” trope was not a great one to see rearing its head in this age of purposeful communication.
Another trope I’m not super into is the broody boy. BEFORE YOU SCREAM AT ME, I understand Jaon’s home life was terrible for all the pressure he was under. But he’d known Sunny since Kindergarten, and he wouldn’t even talk to her? He wouldn’t even talk to Brandon , his best friend in the world??? That’s the edge for me. Sometimes Jason got mopey and (see above) could have talked to someone about it.
Sunny and Grace needed more life. They sounded too much like each other and got me confused when they spoke. If they’d been given a little more verve and life as themselves, this would have been a non-issue.
BUT.
Okay.
The ending. I swear, if it hadn’t ended the way it had, I’d be fuming right now. Endings are not strong points in a debut sometimes. But Gilbert really brought everything around and made the Sadness Slog worth it. I liked the burst of growth and development we got to see in Beth, and I loved that there was hope. A good 45 pages before the end really took off, I had plans to rant and rave about how you need hope in a book, even if it is like real life. Silly me, I’m glad I didn’t write anything up before hitting that 100% mark!
So it’s worth a read, if you’re feeling down! Do prepare for sadness, and please take care if you suffer with suicidal thoughts. I do, and Jason’s ordeal gave me palpitations. A solid three stars out of five.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
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