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downthebookhole's review against another edition
4.0
Strange. Baffling. Mysterious. Unique. Unexpected.
When I think of this book these are the words that come to mind. I have to also preface this review by saying that to read this book you need patience and to be able to continue reading although for a majority of the book you are completely confused and left in the dark in regards to just about everything. Although this is a semi short book, I personally felt like it took me a long time to read it all the way through. I kept getting frustrated and anxious, but by the end I was completely captivated, and in awe at the overall story and the deep feelings and meanings evoked by the story of "Win".
The book is full of mystery, secrets and twist that lead you to question what you thought was happening and what the outcome would be. It is told alternating between the past and present creating more confusion as you slowly learn parts of secrets that are all brought together towards the end and ties up all loose ends for the most part. The way this story was written was extremely unique and intriguing that although I had fits of frustration and anger I could not manage to put it down because I needed to know what happened and what was going on. There were also so many thoughtful and beautifully strung together sentences that were full of wisdom and made you think about life.
I don't want to really say much else because spoilers, but this was a wonderful debut novel by Stephanie Kuehn. If it doesn't sound like it I will state I truly did enjoy this novel in retrospect, I think the anger clouded my thoughts during the read because I was impatient and just wanted to know what was going on, but the beautifully written ending makes it all worth the read. It is definitely one of those books that I feel like people either hate or love, but I believe it is one to give a chance to, especially if you love being stumped and having no clue where the story will go.
When I think of this book these are the words that come to mind. I have to also preface this review by saying that to read this book you need patience and to be able to continue reading although for a majority of the book you are completely confused and left in the dark in regards to just about everything. Although this is a semi short book, I personally felt like it took me a long time to read it all the way through. I kept getting frustrated and anxious, but by the end I was completely captivated, and in awe at the overall story and the deep feelings and meanings evoked by the story of "Win".
The book is full of mystery, secrets and twist that lead you to question what you thought was happening and what the outcome would be. It is told alternating between the past and present creating more confusion as you slowly learn parts of secrets that are all brought together towards the end and ties up all loose ends for the most part. The way this story was written was extremely unique and intriguing that although I had fits of frustration and anger I could not manage to put it down because I needed to know what happened and what was going on. There were also so many thoughtful and beautifully strung together sentences that were full of wisdom and made you think about life.
I don't want to really say much else because spoilers, but this was a wonderful debut novel by Stephanie Kuehn. If it doesn't sound like it I will state I truly did enjoy this novel in retrospect, I think the anger clouded my thoughts during the read because I was impatient and just wanted to know what was going on, but the beautifully written ending makes it all worth the read. It is definitely one of those books that I feel like people either hate or love, but I believe it is one to give a chance to, especially if you love being stumped and having no clue where the story will go.
kreplehill's review against another edition
3.0
I would have given it a two, but it suddenly made sense in the final thirty pages. In retrospect, it was quite thoughtfully crafted but would be way over the heads of most teen readers.
jesscinco's review against another edition
4.0
Artfully written. This deals with some very sensitive issues; and may be triggering for some readers. I liked the writing style, and the way the plot kept you guessing about what happened in the past, and what would happen to the main character. I can see why this won the Morris Award, it's a good first novel, and shows a lot of promise from Kuehn.
charlie_x's review
2.0
I'm not sure what to say about this book. I didn't enjoy it, and I skimmed through the last 50 or so pages because I was so bored. I don't think any of the characters were interesting or developed (especially the main character, who wasn't really likeable), and the plot was all over the place. After reading the ending, I kind of get why it's written in such a skippy vague way, however I don't think it really achieved any of the mystery or suspense that it was trying to make. I just felt confused and honestly not much happens in this book. There just seems to be... no real point to most of the scenes. It just didn't work for me.
haley_j_casey's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more than I think I did, because from reading only one book of hers I already have high hopes for Stephanie Kuehn's writing. I think [b:Complicit|18404113|Complicit|Stephanie Kuehn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1383352823s/18404113.jpg|24573000] was a stronger novel because it surprised me a few times, while I felt like I saw most things coming/understood them more quickly in Charm & Strange. Still, well written, intriguing, and I liked the way everything wrapped up.
broccolibagel's review against another edition
5.0
Incredibly compelling read. Beautiful way to showcase the effects and coping mechanisms of childhood trauma.
machelriller's review against another edition
5.0
Charm & Strange is a BOOK. This is a mind- and genre-bending piece of fiction. This is what we need to talk about when we remind writers, readers, and reviewers that young adult books are also literature. Stephanie Kuehn approaches heavy and serious topics with frankness, delicacy, and huge amounts of talent. We need more books like this.
Read the rest of my review at Giant Squid Books.
Read the rest of my review at Giant Squid Books.
raeanne's review against another edition
5.0
TW:
This was quite the psychological thriller. It's not what you'd expect from the genre. From any of its genres. It's not for everyone, but I loved it. It's fascinating and fucked up. I couldn't put it down.
Don't read this if you want some feel-good inspiration porn. Don't read this if you want paranormal romance. Don't read it for YA high school drama. You won't find it here. Read it for Andrew. Everything else is fleeting background noise.
It's creepy, dark, and twisted. It's told in two narratives: past and present, antimatter and matter. The tension inside Win/Drew is incredible. He's an unreliable narrator...or is he? And which version of himself? What is going on in his family? What happened to them? Why is he like this? Is there an actual paranormal twist coming or not?
It's very much person vs. self. It's not a high school drama. You hear about it but it's second hand distraction. Same with romance, masturbation, and puberty. It's all about being inside Win/Drew's head. It's his story told in the only way he can: aloof, mysterious, guilty, and breaking down. His depiction, narration, and the writing work together to express it perfectly.
As much as he tries to push people away, to degrade, he's a sympathetic character. Even before the big reveals. His a passive experience, waiting for something to happen. His mistakes are in a pattern and when the pieces all fall together, it's heartbreaking and understandable.
The ending is sad, hopeful, and real. You do not slap a band-aid on this kind of thing. A relationship doesn't “fix” you. It's a long, hard fucking process. It's depressing? OF FUCKING COURSE IT IS! When reading the blurb and starting it, I can't imagine thinking it'd be a happy tale. It's honest from the get-go, even shrouded in mystery. It's Andrew's truth as he knows it the whole way through
Spoiler
Abuse, Suicide. It's not graphically detailed. It's wrapped in mystery the whole way through as Win/Drew tries to cope and live. As a survivor, that reveal wasn't completely surprising. I was worried about it for last half of the book at least as a possibility. But what happened with his family did surprise me.This was quite the psychological thriller. It's not what you'd expect from the genre. From any of its genres. It's not for everyone, but I loved it. It's fascinating and fucked up. I couldn't put it down.
Don't read this if you want some feel-good inspiration porn. Don't read this if you want paranormal romance. Don't read it for YA high school drama. You won't find it here. Read it for Andrew. Everything else is fleeting background noise.
It's creepy, dark, and twisted. It's told in two narratives: past and present, antimatter and matter. The tension inside Win/Drew is incredible. He's an unreliable narrator...or is he? And which version of himself? What is going on in his family? What happened to them? Why is he like this? Is there an actual paranormal twist coming or not?
It's very much person vs. self. It's not a high school drama. You hear about it but it's second hand distraction. Same with romance, masturbation, and puberty. It's all about being inside Win/Drew's head. It's his story told in the only way he can: aloof, mysterious, guilty, and breaking down. His depiction, narration, and the writing work together to express it perfectly.
As much as he tries to push people away, to degrade, he's a sympathetic character. Even before the big reveals. His a passive experience, waiting for something to happen. His mistakes are in a pattern and when the pieces all fall together, it's heartbreaking and understandable.
The ending is sad, hopeful, and real. You do not slap a band-aid on this kind of thing. A relationship doesn't “fix” you. It's a long, hard fucking process. It's depressing? OF FUCKING COURSE IT IS! When reading the blurb and starting it, I can't imagine thinking it'd be a happy tale. It's honest from the get-go, even shrouded in mystery. It's Andrew's truth as he knows it the whole way through
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
This one left my heart heavy but it’s a shining example of YA done right. Stephanie Kuehn has a background in psychology, and it shows in the dark, conflicted narration of her main character, known as Drew in his childhood and Win (short for Winston) as a teenager. Chapters alternate between a night Win spends at a party in the woods and Drew’s summertime visit to his grandparents’ house, details just out of reach until finally it all comes swirling together in a wave of crushing revelations. I can’t resist a well-executed dual timeline; I love picking up bread crumbs and anticipating where each half of the story is going to go. Kuehn confronts some very heavy issues, but her scenes are crafted so carefully and—dare I say it?—artistically. There’s nothing gratuitous here, just a heartbreaking story you won’t be able to put down.