Reviews

this was definitely a heavy book and pretty hard to read at times. it was difficult reading a book with such difficult topics and graphic scenes knowing the protagonists are extremely young. i enjoyed how insightful and reflective the characters were and the ways in which they were able to penetrate the superficiality of typical day to day conversation and discuss very intense philosophical questions about the meaning of life, death, god, etc. with such ease. a quick interesting read, definitely a strange twist towards the end but good to read something different than my usual picks

peachuuu's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

cutorious_sam's review against another edition

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5.0

this book broke my heart in the best and lightest of ways. two students who became friends through an awful shared trauma. they found solace in their writing of letters to each other. they learned about one another.

the end did have my heart race for a little. having bullied and been bullied it really is an awful feeling, not only going through it but to read it too.

my hope is that he stayed with his mom.

undateabl3's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

hey_annie's review against another edition

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3.0

I don’t even know what I should write about this book. I just feel really conflicted about it. Generally speaking it is a good book. I would give this book 3.5 to 4 stars, if I had to rate it. The book deals with very difficult, but important and relevant topics. I also think that the story managed to be well written, despite the short length. I can’t really put my finger on it, but something really rubbed me the wrong way. The story itself is uncomfortable, so it isn’t a surprise that I felt uncomfortable reading it. The main character was also quite interesting and acted in way that is understandable in that situation. The other characters were complex, even if they only had few lines. The novel had this weird kind of complexity, that you can’t really put into words. Even if the description of the situation was simple, it had this underlying depth. The author also didn’t shy away from showing the really nasty sides of abuse and bullying, while also portraying what it feels like to gain hope again.