Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

23 reviews

moon_bun07's review

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dark hopeful reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I did eventually finish this book but my god it was difficult. While the main character Beth certainly goes through it, I found her super unlikeable and got very frustrated by her actions. The second half definitely makes up for the first half. Themes in this books are definitely heavy so be forewarned. 
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ghostlyprince's review against another edition

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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

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herceia's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It took me a second to get into it but I’m really glad so stayed. The narrative is lovely and simple and very relatable to me, and I felt that journey and could empathize with it. At times it made me furious, bc I could detect the patterns of self destruction, but I always felt more empathy than judgment, which was nice. It’s a high school journey that I’m familiar with, and it really hit home. 
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jdeelee's review

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
this book is full of raw emotions that are really hard to face, but beautifully excavated in a way that is so real it's almost unbearable. at times it was hard to finish this book, but it was such an honest look into the connections that can be made amongst people, the ways we can heal and hurt and cry and love, that i was glad to finish. it's always an honor to read kelly loy gilbert's books.
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megloveswords12's review

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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

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princess72's review

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emotional 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

4.5

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half_bloodreader's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Asian & pansexual rep 

"I like to think it wouldn't have changed anything, that I understood then all the shortcomings of remorse and how impotent it is against the past. I like to think I recognized that you don't have to tell yourself things are fine to make it easier on another person, and that you don't have to turn your heart toward men who are suffering when they've brought it on themselves.

But probably that isn't true of me. After all, I would, at that point, have forgiven my own father everything on exchange for something as small as a phone call." 

Raw hard-hitting read told from the present looking back at the past. With this more informed perspective on history, the mc is able to analyse certain moments differently, notice the tipping point for changes, wonder. 

During my reading, I needed to take breaks to allow myself to feel everything this book elicited from me. 

Covers so many topics, there's so much to unpack:
 - mental health
 - Beth is biracial and struggles with feeling not Asian enough
 - Family pressure when it comes to studies & careers
 - Women making themselves small for men
 - Above all, friendship 

"What would it be like to admit that aloud - that you were angry, that the day had worn on you, to say those things, and to feel them, without worrying how they might look to whoever you were talking to? To let the ugly emotions you harbored, your anger and dissatisfaction and irritation, seep into your words without censoring them." 

Beth's relationship with her absent father affects everything in her life, her shortcomings, insecurities and feelings of inadequacy stemming from it. She clearly has abandonment issues to the point she studied what the patriarchal society wants from women, trying to make herself accommodating to everyone. So she won't be left behind again.
 
She is extremely unfair towards her mother, blaming her for the divorce, hurting a lovely relationship she could have. That was where she had me angry and lacking sympathy. So ungrateful to the one who is so giving and works hard for her. 

She will learn. 
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kaitlinlovesbooks's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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meg510's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Stressful to read as a parent and as a teacher because the kids witness difficult things and make stressful decisions and think troubling thoughts. 
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amandalorianxo's review

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I don’t even know where to begin but I’m looking forward to the next novel that Kelly Gilbert writes. The is novel follows five Asian American teens as they navigate their senior year. Unfortunately, Jason is having a particularly challenging year and it shakes the dynamic of the group. Beth, unfortunately due to her upbringing and her dad leaving the family, thinks that the only way to make sure Jason remains ok is for the group to be together. But she quickly realizes that no matter how selfless you portray yourself, it doesn’t mean other people are going to imitate your selflessness. This struck a chord with me, deeper than I originally thought, because I had two students during my time as a teacher attempt to unalive themselves (off campus.) It’s heartbreaking when you don’t know about or aren’t fully supportive of the resources provided. Gilbert wrote all of her characters in a such a distinct way and handled the topic of suicide and what it means to be a first generation child of immigrants (specifically Asian) so well that I was in tearing up more often than not. I also enjoyed the cover art and now that I’ve finished, I think it’s supposed to represent Beth and Jason. Highly recommend this novel (the author does have triggers warnings in the beginning of the novel.) 
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