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kgarciabug's review
5.0
Surrender is a story told like no other. Sonya Hartnett does a beautiful job weaving her words and making her story lyrical. This is the second book I've read by her and her style is really something to praise. I give it the highest remarks.
The story starts out with Anwell (later his name is changed to Gabriel) on his deathbed remembering his life and his friendship with the boy Finnigan. Anwell lives life on a leash. His parents are cold, abusive and uncaring. They tell him that everything he does brings shame to his family.
Then, Anwell meets Finnigan. Finnigan is as wild and unkept as Anwell is tame. They befriend each other and make a lifelong pact. Finnigan promises to be the bad and Anwell promises to be the good, in other words the angel Gabriel.
From there the plot line gets more complicated until the reader reaches the point that they question what is real and what isn't. I don't want to give any spoilers in this review though. This book definitely qualifies as one of my favorites and puts Sonya Hartnett as one of my favorite authors.
The story starts out with Anwell (later his name is changed to Gabriel) on his deathbed remembering his life and his friendship with the boy Finnigan. Anwell lives life on a leash. His parents are cold, abusive and uncaring. They tell him that everything he does brings shame to his family.
Then, Anwell meets Finnigan. Finnigan is as wild and unkept as Anwell is tame. They befriend each other and make a lifelong pact. Finnigan promises to be the bad and Anwell promises to be the good, in other words the angel Gabriel.
From there the plot line gets more complicated until the reader reaches the point that they question what is real and what isn't. I don't want to give any spoilers in this review though. This book definitely qualifies as one of my favorites and puts Sonya Hartnett as one of my favorite authors.
readingwithhippos's review
5.0
This book is so, so creepy. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Gabriel, the narrator, is dying from an unnamed illness. He's only twenty, but he spends his days wasting away in bed. He's never been able to forget the terrible thing he did when he was seven years old—Finnigan won't let him forget.
Finnigan is Gabriel's only friend. He lives wild, like an animal, and Gabriel never knows when he'll show up. But they're bound together no matter what. They made a pact when they were kids, and Finnigan at least is determined to keep it.
As Gabriel slowly sifts through his memories, the full horror of his past becomes clear. Finnigan is dangerous, remorseless. Gabriel depends on him, but he's also scared of what Finnigan might do—to him, to his family, and to the small town of Mulyan where they live. When fires start cropping up around town, destroying homes and possessions, the hapless constable has no idea who's behind it. Gabriel knows, but he also knows he can never tell.
I read with my mouth hanging open. I couldn't wait to get to the end, to find out the full history between Gabriel and his sinister shadow. I've read lots of great books with unreliable narrators, but this one stands apart. Hartnett's writing is lush, gorgeous, even as she's describing the unthinkable. Gabriel's voice is so convincing, I had to look up occasionally to make sure I wasn't being sucked down into the insanity along with him. Fortunately I was always reassured by the familiar trappings of my own little house. I was still in my favorite chair, the cat was still sleeping on his back in the sun. My coffee mug, long cooled, still sat on the table.
But Gabriel's twisted world felt so real, I wouldn't have been surprised to see flames.
See more of my book recommendations for grades 6-12 at www.read-or-die.com.
Gabriel, the narrator, is dying from an unnamed illness. He's only twenty, but he spends his days wasting away in bed. He's never been able to forget the terrible thing he did when he was seven years old—Finnigan won't let him forget.
Finnigan is Gabriel's only friend. He lives wild, like an animal, and Gabriel never knows when he'll show up. But they're bound together no matter what. They made a pact when they were kids, and Finnigan at least is determined to keep it.
As Gabriel slowly sifts through his memories, the full horror of his past becomes clear. Finnigan is dangerous, remorseless. Gabriel depends on him, but he's also scared of what Finnigan might do—to him, to his family, and to the small town of Mulyan where they live. When fires start cropping up around town, destroying homes and possessions, the hapless constable has no idea who's behind it. Gabriel knows, but he also knows he can never tell.
I read with my mouth hanging open. I couldn't wait to get to the end, to find out the full history between Gabriel and his sinister shadow. I've read lots of great books with unreliable narrators, but this one stands apart. Hartnett's writing is lush, gorgeous, even as she's describing the unthinkable. Gabriel's voice is so convincing, I had to look up occasionally to make sure I wasn't being sucked down into the insanity along with him. Fortunately I was always reassured by the familiar trappings of my own little house. I was still in my favorite chair, the cat was still sleeping on his back in the sun. My coffee mug, long cooled, still sat on the table.
But Gabriel's twisted world felt so real, I wouldn't have been surprised to see flames.
See more of my book recommendations for grades 6-12 at www.read-or-die.com.
beeblepebble's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emslund's review
2.0
Went back and forth between three and four starts on this. Four for the writing and style - which I found poetic and akin to the kind of prose writing I personally strive to write. Three because I did not like the plot/ending. While I usually am cool with a psychological twist, this one felt muddled and too vague for me to actually enjoy - I was left feeling confused to the point of seeking out reviews/plot summaries on the Internet to see if I was the only one that felt confused (or if the book's plot was just not well constructed for clarity), and then additionally felt confused as to what the author actually intended (and I dislike like that I have to think about author intention or the fact I have to doubt the writer's ability to create plot). Ultimately - a three. But this writing style deserves almost a five starts from me. Loved that.
grclnntt's review
dark
medium-paced
3.5
3.5 cuz cant tell if I enjoyed it or if it was a lot. This is the first book I read by this author though and I’ve picked up another book and so far I really enjoy her writing style and the dysfunctional stories. Will keep checking out her books
barbaramanatee's review
2.0
Interesting, but was it worth the sleep I lost that night because I was creeped out? Nope. Especially since I saw the "twist" coming a mile away. As soon as Finnigan told Anwell that he would be the devil to Gabriel's angel, I thought, "Oh dear. This kid has a split personality doesn't he?" I spent the rest of the book waiting for that reveal, which kind of ruined things for me.
I was also confused by a couple of plot points. So, were the bones being unburied Anwell's parents? Were there actually any bones at all? If Finnigan is not real, who killed the policeman? Maybe this was all explained; I read this pretty late at night, so I could have missed it.
I was also confused by a couple of plot points. So, were the bones being unburied Anwell's parents? Were there actually any bones at all? If Finnigan is not real, who killed the policeman? Maybe this was all explained; I read this pretty late at night, so I could have missed it.
sapphiccatacombs's review
3.0
the plot was wonderful, i love the dynamic between all the characters and how they are shown throughout the story although it was rather jumpy in the plot with flashbacks and going throughout the plot of the present and past.
sc104906's review
1.0
Gabriel is twenty years old and is dying. He looks back upon his life and the terrible occurrences throughout. When he was young, he met a local gypsy boy named Finnigan. The two decided that Finnigan would only do bad things while Gabriel would only do good things. If Gabriel needed something bad done, Finnigan would do it for him. The same was true with Gabriel. Finnigan keeps his promise and terrorizes the town with fires and numerous other bad deeds. These horrifying occurrences are complete with deaths and dog mutilations.
Gabriel spends his life atoning for a terrible mistake when he was younger. His unyielding parents and the memory of his disabled brother, and Finnigan, make his life unbearable.
I hated this book. The psychological aspects confused the plot to the point that I didn't understand what was going on. The descriptive gory details were something that I could have lived without. Not a fan.
Gabriel spends his life atoning for a terrible mistake when he was younger. His unyielding parents and the memory of his disabled brother, and Finnigan, make his life unbearable.
I hated this book. The psychological aspects confused the plot to the point that I didn't understand what was going on. The descriptive gory details were something that I could have lived without. Not a fan.
timeywimeybooks's review
2.0
This book's plot was nearly lost in the constant, never ending similes, metaphors and alliteration. It became increasingly annoying and I couldn't take the author seriously once I read the words "...ignorantly ignored...". It was an awful lot of padding for very little plot.
As for the mystery...I knew what the outcome would be from about the third chapter. Which I might not mind with a well told story to get me there, but that was missing here. I think I need to stop reading Printz award winners. I've been disappointed with nearly all of them, except for Markus Zusak's books.
As for the mystery...I knew what the outcome would be from about the third chapter. Which I might not mind with a well told story to get me there, but that was missing here. I think I need to stop reading Printz award winners. I've been disappointed with nearly all of them, except for Markus Zusak's books.