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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
I got one of my first impressions that I wouldn't like the book when Julie, the first narrator of four, managed to insult her best friend and needlessly argue use of the word “ironic” by the fourth page. A couple paragraphs down, Julie and Katie's mother is introduced as this demon mom from Hell who favours her older daughter on the grounds that Katie's pretty and Julie's not. The trend continued through the rest of the book: Almost every character felt like a paper doll cut out of a stereotype, rather than a real person. They change, but they flow from stereotype to stereotype, only occasionally gaining some depth. The various characters' evolutions struck me as being well-planned and well-executed, but that didn't hold up well against the way all of the characters seemed fake.
To keep the story going over both states and see all sides, each of the main characters serves as a narrator for a total of four. For the most part, it was pretty easy to tell the characters apart by context (and the label at the head of the chapter identifying the speaker), but a couple of the narraters bothered me. While most of the book is in plain first-person prose, Kyle's sections are narrated in second person, and Katie will every now and then break into verse. These sorts of “creative” narration can work well for a book, but it didn't do anything for me here, instead feeling like a cheap trick.
More than the characters themselves, though, I was bothered by the plot, which revolves entirely around their sex lives. There is hardly a point throughout that doesn't involve one or more of the characters in a sexual relationship, which considering that the oldest character starts at eighteen and the youngest fourteen, bothered me. Don’t they have lives outside of their libidos? I have nothing against sex in books, but there's a point when I wonder what the motivation behind the novel was—write a book about teenagers, or write a book about teenagers having sex?
While Pieces of Us wasn't my cup of tea, if you're in the market for a steamy read that's not especially graphic or chock full of drama, you might want to look here.
To keep the story going over both states and see all sides, each of the main characters serves as a narrator for a total of four. For the most part, it was pretty easy to tell the characters apart by context (and the label at the head of the chapter identifying the speaker), but a couple of the narraters bothered me. While most of the book is in plain first-person prose, Kyle's sections are narrated in second person, and Katie will every now and then break into verse. These sorts of “creative” narration can work well for a book, but it didn't do anything for me here, instead feeling like a cheap trick.
More than the characters themselves, though, I was bothered by the plot, which revolves entirely around their sex lives. There is hardly a point throughout that doesn't involve one or more of the characters in a sexual relationship, which considering that the oldest character starts at eighteen and the youngest fourteen, bothered me. Don’t they have lives outside of their libidos? I have nothing against sex in books, but there's a point when I wonder what the motivation behind the novel was—write a book about teenagers, or write a book about teenagers having sex?
While Pieces of Us wasn't my cup of tea, if you're in the market for a steamy read that's not especially graphic or chock full of drama, you might want to look here.
This book honestly broke my heart. It is beautifully written and it made me very, very emotional. It's the kind of book where you have actually no words to describe them on a review. Just read it.
(This was originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
While I was reading, I found that this story struck an unexpected chord with me. Though many of the things in the novel are things I've never personally experienced, the reason why I actually devoured this novel is simply because I found that I could understand the difficulty of dealing with self-presentation, values and conflicting situations as a teenager - and this novel showcased much of that sort of thing.
While I was reading, I found that this story struck an unexpected chord with me. Though many of the things in the novel are things I've never personally experienced, the reason why I actually devoured this novel is simply because I found that I could understand the difficulty of dealing with self-presentation, values and conflicting situations as a teenager - and this novel showcased much of that sort of thing.
Oooohkay. So. Hm.
I actually don't even want to write about this. I read it, quickly. It's extremely dark, extremely disturbing, a horror novel masquerading as realistic fiction. It made me nauseous, and maybe that's the part of me that's a mother of a daughter now, because I couldn't help but think...how do you protect your babies from that?
I didn't like anything about it. I don't think it was gratuitous, and I don't think it was intentionally exploitative, I just. Don't want to think about it anymore, thank you.
I actually don't even want to write about this. I read it, quickly. It's extremely dark, extremely disturbing, a horror novel masquerading as realistic fiction. It made me nauseous, and maybe that's the part of me that's a mother of a daughter now, because I couldn't help but think...how do you protect your babies from that?
I didn't like anything about it. I don't think it was gratuitous, and I don't think it was intentionally exploitative, I just. Don't want to think about it anymore, thank you.
Every summer Katie and her sister Julie meet up with Alex and his brother Kyle at a lakeside community in New York. They leave behind their problems - which are legion - and find comfort in each other. But when a dark secret of one of them leaks out, the four are all left reeling by the far-reaching consequences.
This one goes straight into my five most disturbing reads of all time, with subject matter including rape, blackmail, cyberbullying, and emotional abuse. Margie Gelbwasser is clearly a very brave author - not only does she tackle these issues head on, she does it without providing us with any pleasant characters to root for. As if that isn't enough of a handicap to a novel's success, younger boy Kyle's parts are narrated in the second person, which is almost always thought to be a major mistake. Despite all this, Gelbwasser somehow just about pulls everything together to create a novel which is never less than compelling.
The two brothers in this quartet are Alex, an abusive playboy who practically forces his younger brother to take part in sex acts with various girls, and Kyle, the nearest thing we get to a likeable character and a born victim. From the other family, we get cheerleader Katie, who starts off the novel seeming to have the world - or at least her school - at her feet, and falls from grace spectacularly, and her younger sister Julie, constantly berated by their mother for being in Katie's shadow. Their mother is one of the most horrendously vile characters I've ever read about - I have rarely felt so utterly repulsed by a fictional person.
Given how relentlessly bleak this book is and the subject matter I've seen a fair few suggestions that it should be for over 18's only. As tempting as it is to agree with them, though, I think people saying this are missing the point. Yes, the events of the novel are truly horrific. Yes, it's thankfully rare for things like this to happen. But at the end of the day, sadly, this sort of stuff actually does happen to teens, and a book like this is important because it shows those suffering that they're not alone, and opens other eyes to some of the problems teens endure. What I would say to parents, though, is that if your child is reading this book, then you should find the time to read through yourself and discuss the issues with them. It will definitely provoke some serious conversation. With that proviso, I think I'm probably putting it in 'recommendation' territory because it is exceptionally powerful.
Gelbwasser's writing style is superb and I look forward to reading more from a very talented author - I can't help but hope, though, that the next book she tackles is a lighter read than this!
This one goes straight into my five most disturbing reads of all time, with subject matter including rape, blackmail, cyberbullying, and emotional abuse. Margie Gelbwasser is clearly a very brave author - not only does she tackle these issues head on, she does it without providing us with any pleasant characters to root for. As if that isn't enough of a handicap to a novel's success, younger boy Kyle's parts are narrated in the second person, which is almost always thought to be a major mistake. Despite all this, Gelbwasser somehow just about pulls everything together to create a novel which is never less than compelling.
The two brothers in this quartet are Alex, an abusive playboy who practically forces his younger brother to take part in sex acts with various girls, and Kyle, the nearest thing we get to a likeable character and a born victim. From the other family, we get cheerleader Katie, who starts off the novel seeming to have the world - or at least her school - at her feet, and falls from grace spectacularly, and her younger sister Julie, constantly berated by their mother for being in Katie's shadow. Their mother is one of the most horrendously vile characters I've ever read about - I have rarely felt so utterly repulsed by a fictional person.
Given how relentlessly bleak this book is and the subject matter I've seen a fair few suggestions that it should be for over 18's only. As tempting as it is to agree with them, though, I think people saying this are missing the point. Yes, the events of the novel are truly horrific. Yes, it's thankfully rare for things like this to happen. But at the end of the day, sadly, this sort of stuff actually does happen to teens, and a book like this is important because it shows those suffering that they're not alone, and opens other eyes to some of the problems teens endure. What I would say to parents, though, is that if your child is reading this book, then you should find the time to read through yourself and discuss the issues with them. It will definitely provoke some serious conversation. With that proviso, I think I'm probably putting it in 'recommendation' territory because it is exceptionally powerful.
Gelbwasser's writing style is superb and I look forward to reading more from a very talented author - I can't help but hope, though, that the next book she tackles is a lighter read than this!
4.5 stars
My thoughts
Cover: The blue sky, the green field , the swing set in motion on a summer day got my attention like that when i first say it last year on a IMM of christi at the story siren.That scene has a huge and important part in this great and touching YA.
Book When i first say it on netgalley i flipped out[ok that’s overdoing it a bit,i was really exited] i requested.Crossing my fingers and toes. BUT i got declined,I requested it again and got declined for the second time.I finally got aprroved.Thank you Flux. I though"need to read this soon".My contanious effort was not for nought.
Before i start this review, this is dark.I was prepared for it but got schocked still.It was meant to be schoking
These teens are f*cked up.I can’t believe the parents did not see their kids were hurting inside.But he that reality .A lot of parents are to buzzy to see or sence whats happening.I have to ad there were great parental figures. The grandpa and ma’s.
Some parts of the synopsis are abit misleading. A summer full of secrets. The story takes place over two years and not one summer.Some people might find the pacing a bit dragging.But in mine opinion it was needed to tell the story
The writing was nice to read and flowed smoothly. In four different pov’s that of Katie,Alex,Julie and Kyle’s.I have not read a other book that's written in 2nd person that i can remember.I loved.Love different pov but their chapters were a bit short at times. That only irked me. Non the less i could connect with them all. I would glad to jump through the pages to comfurt them. Probably there reaction could be’’wtf , who are you’’ lol
All four teens had 360 turn around[for the better or worst] in my opinion and character growth.The katie,julie,kyle and alex i first met were different at the end.katie was a bitch and alex a @shole.But i got to care for them.A huge plus.Kyle and Julie doubted themselves a lot but that changed[i gotta try to doubt myself]I felt connected to Kyle a lot and saw a couple of things of me in him[YA SAVES].I can say the secret that’s come to light liffted and helped with a lot of hurt and pain.And eventually a more grounded love for all of them to each other and close people around them
If you love dark topics , no let me rephrase that like reading about dark topics in contemporary YA.This not a light read.Kinda dark is an understamend.I recently read that book banners are trying to ban it of its language and real heart braking stuff teens encounter.Give it a try.I can't wait to read miss Gelbwasser other book, inconvenient.
thanks to Flux for approving my request of Pieces of Us
this review is also posted on roro is reading
this was part of the 2012 contemp challenge hosted by katiesbookblog.com
My thoughts
Cover: The blue sky, the green field , the swing set in motion on a summer day got my attention like that when i first say it last year on a IMM of christi at the story siren.That scene has a huge and important part in this great and touching YA.
Book When i first say it on netgalley i flipped out[ok that’s overdoing it a bit,i was really exited] i requested.Crossing my fingers and toes. BUT i got declined,I requested it again and got declined for the second time.I finally got aprroved.Thank you Flux. I though"need to read this soon".My contanious effort was not for nought.
Before i start this review, this is dark.I was prepared for it but got schocked still.It was meant to be schoking
These teens are f*cked up.I can’t believe the parents did not see their kids were hurting inside.But he that reality .A lot of parents are to buzzy to see or sence whats happening.I have to ad there were great parental figures. The grandpa and ma’s.
Some parts of the synopsis are abit misleading. A summer full of secrets. The story takes place over two years and not one summer.Some people might find the pacing a bit dragging.But in mine opinion it was needed to tell the story
The writing was nice to read and flowed smoothly. In four different pov’s that of Katie,Alex,Julie and Kyle’s.I have not read a other book that's written in 2nd person that i can remember.I loved.Love different pov but their chapters were a bit short at times. That only irked me. Non the less i could connect with them all. I would glad to jump through the pages to comfurt them. Probably there reaction could be’’wtf , who are you’’ lol
All four teens had 360 turn around[for the better or worst] in my opinion and character growth.The katie,julie,kyle and alex i first met were different at the end.katie was a bitch and alex a @shole.But i got to care for them.A huge plus.Kyle and Julie doubted themselves a lot but that changed[i gotta try to doubt myself]I felt connected to Kyle a lot and saw a couple of things of me in him[YA SAVES].I can say the secret that’s come to light liffted and helped with a lot of hurt and pain.And eventually a more grounded love for all of them to each other and close people around them
If you love dark topics , no let me rephrase that like reading about dark topics in contemporary YA.This not a light read.Kinda dark is an understamend.I recently read that book banners are trying to ban it of its language and real heart braking stuff teens encounter.Give it a try.I can't wait to read miss Gelbwasser other book, inconvenient.
thanks to Flux for approving my request of Pieces of Us
this review is also posted on roro is reading
this was part of the 2012 contemp challenge hosted by katiesbookblog.com
Wow. Pieces Of Us was an emotional hurricane of a book that despite all the anger and frustration I felt, I just couldn't put down.
I have to hand it to Gelbwasser, she had me from the first chapter. Even when I knew it was not gonna end well, I had to know, find out for myself. Like a car crush, I just couldn't look away. As I was reading I found myself feeling agitated, frustrated, angry and unbelievably sad that I couldn't do anything about Alex, I couldn't save Katie. I put the book down, tried to do other stuff to get my mind off it, but nothing would work. It was always about Alex,Katie,Julie and Kyle.
Each one of these kids was abused mentally or physically or both. Katie by her classmates, Julie by her insufferable, to put it lightly, mother, along with her own suffocating jealousy, Alex by his mom's boyfriends and dad's suicide and Kyle by his brother's dramatic character change. In my opinion, Kyle was the most likeable one, the originally "good" one. I liked how his chapters were in second person, like some faraway observant was documenting his life. like he couldn't trust himself to utter "I" for fear of realizing that all this was actually happening to him.
The character I felt the most animosity towards was first Alex and then Julie. However, as my anger towards their actions grew bigger and bigger, I realised that their behavior mostly stems from traumas of an awful childhood. Was that it though, I still wonder. When does psychological baggage stop and free will begin? How much of their bad behavior is justified? Can we all pin treating other people badly to childhood traumas and by doing that, can we automatically wash our hands of everything we do and never suffer any consequences? That's why in the end, I don't know if I felt sorry about those two. I feel like an awful person saying it but especially in Julie's case, she kinda chose to go down that path, regardless of whatever problems she had with her sister and her mom in the past. She craved for it, it seemed to me. She wanted it from the very beginning. She chose to bury her head in the sand as far as the Katie situation was concerned, telling herself that she is much stronger than her sister and that she can handle it. I really wanted to see how she and Alex ended up (no wonder they were the only ones who stayed to watch the chicken killings every year - chlling scenes, by the way!), but the ending was a bit abrupt and I guess we'll never know. I didn't like the ending at first, but in retrospect I am grateful to Gelbwasser for not prolonging their suffering and misery, or mine.
And how can I not be grateful to her for stirring up such strong feelings in me, even if they are a lot darker that what I'm used to? It was thrilling to get out of my comfort zone and read something this raw and real. So, thank you so much Margie Gelbwasser for writing Pieces Of Us :)
*****I had actually written half of this review when a GR friend informed me that people want Pieces Of Us banned because it has a blue cover and not a red one.
Wait. That's not it.
Oh, yes. Because it has a lot of sexual content for a YA novel. I knew it was something ridiculous like that.
Just when I thought I have finally understood people, they always surprise me and never in a good way. I will not try to educate people or make them less ignorant. They should know however, that Pieces of Us, apart from a YA book, it is also Realistic Fiction. Realistic Fiction=really happening. If you think these things are completely out of this world and don't happen, you're delusional, to say the least. What I am trying to say is that this is 2012 and whether you like it or not things change and the world goes forward, not backwards. Shocking, I know. It's called progress, deal with it.
I don't wish to be offensive, but when people who claim to be readers and book lovers want to to BAN a book, it simply drives me up the wall. Why don't we go back to the Middle Ages and just burn it instead? Tsk tsk tsk…
PS. If Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma is considered YA, then damn if Pieces Of Us isn't as well!!
I have to hand it to Gelbwasser, she had me from the first chapter. Even when I knew it was not gonna end well, I had to know, find out for myself. Like a car crush, I just couldn't look away. As I was reading I found myself feeling agitated, frustrated, angry and unbelievably sad that I couldn't do anything about Alex, I couldn't save Katie. I put the book down, tried to do other stuff to get my mind off it, but nothing would work. It was always about Alex,Katie,Julie and Kyle.
Each one of these kids was abused mentally or physically or both. Katie by her classmates, Julie by her insufferable, to put it lightly, mother, along with her own suffocating jealousy, Alex by his mom's boyfriends and dad's suicide and Kyle by his brother's dramatic character change. In my opinion, Kyle was the most likeable one, the originally "good" one. I liked how his chapters were in second person, like some faraway observant was documenting his life. like he couldn't trust himself to utter "I" for fear of realizing that all this was actually happening to him.
The character I felt the most animosity towards was first Alex and then Julie. However, as my anger towards their actions grew bigger and bigger, I realised that their behavior mostly stems from traumas of an awful childhood. Was that it though, I still wonder. When does psychological baggage stop and free will begin? How much of their bad behavior is justified? Can we all pin treating other people badly to childhood traumas and by doing that, can we automatically wash our hands of everything we do and never suffer any consequences? That's why in the end, I don't know if I felt sorry about those two. I feel like an awful person saying it but especially in Julie's case, she kinda chose to go down that path, regardless of whatever problems she had with her sister and her mom in the past. She craved for it, it seemed to me. She wanted it from the very beginning. She chose to bury her head in the sand as far as the Katie situation was concerned, telling herself that she is much stronger than her sister and that she can handle it. I really wanted to see how she and Alex ended up (no wonder they were the only ones who stayed to watch the chicken killings every year - chlling scenes, by the way!), but the ending was a bit abrupt and I guess we'll never know. I didn't like the ending at first, but in retrospect I am grateful to Gelbwasser for not prolonging their suffering and misery, or mine.
And how can I not be grateful to her for stirring up such strong feelings in me, even if they are a lot darker that what I'm used to? It was thrilling to get out of my comfort zone and read something this raw and real. So, thank you so much Margie Gelbwasser for writing Pieces Of Us :)
*****I had actually written half of this review when a GR friend informed me that people want Pieces Of Us banned because it has a blue cover and not a red one.
Wait. That's not it.
Oh, yes. Because it has a lot of sexual content for a YA novel. I knew it was something ridiculous like that.
Just when I thought I have finally understood people, they always surprise me and never in a good way. I will not try to educate people or make them less ignorant. They should know however, that Pieces of Us, apart from a YA book, it is also Realistic Fiction. Realistic Fiction=really happening. If you think these things are completely out of this world and don't happen, you're delusional, to say the least. What I am trying to say is that this is 2012 and whether you like it or not things change and the world goes forward, not backwards. Shocking, I know. It's called progress, deal with it.
I don't wish to be offensive, but when people who claim to be readers and book lovers want to to BAN a book, it simply drives me up the wall. Why don't we go back to the Middle Ages and just burn it instead? Tsk tsk tsk…
PS. If Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma is considered YA, then damn if Pieces Of Us isn't as well!!