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tashrow's review against another edition
5.0
Shiv is unable to live with her brother Declan’s death, particularly her own role in it. So she is sent to the Korsakoff Clinic where she hopes to be cured and be able to continue her life. Unable to see past her own guilt and loss, Shiv finds herself in an unusual clinic where she is first forced to focus on her brother and then forced to look directly at his death without turning away. She is joined in the clinic by several other teens who all lost people in different ways but all feel as responsible and guilty as Shiv does. As they are forced to see the truth of their loss, all of them react in different ways. When hope is highest though, the ground falls out below Shiv and she must figure out that saving someone else may be the answer to saving herself.
Bedford has created a very compelling read. He slowly reveals Shiv’s life before Declan’s death. Along the way, readers get to know Shiv and Declan and their warm and loving parents. They see directly what grief and loss do to people and the way their relationships are torn asunder. They also see how hard it is to return to life after such a loss. Bedford maintains a large level of complexity throughout the novel, moving into flashbacks and also showing Declan as a human rather than a lost angel. The relationship between the siblings is good until a gorgeous young man enters their lives and creates waves for both of them.
As the flashbacks to Declan’s final days continue, the tension in the book mounts. The pressure is also building in Shiv’s recovery as she starts to recover and then suffers setbacks. There are no easy answers here. Declan’s life as well as Shiv’s are complex. The therapy she undergoes is unusual but it is up to Shiv to really do the work of recovery.
Beautifully written and structured, this novel of recovery, pain and guilt weaves a mesmerizing web for the reader who is never quite sure how things are going to end. Appropriate for ages 15-17.
Bedford has created a very compelling read. He slowly reveals Shiv’s life before Declan’s death. Along the way, readers get to know Shiv and Declan and their warm and loving parents. They see directly what grief and loss do to people and the way their relationships are torn asunder. They also see how hard it is to return to life after such a loss. Bedford maintains a large level of complexity throughout the novel, moving into flashbacks and also showing Declan as a human rather than a lost angel. The relationship between the siblings is good until a gorgeous young man enters their lives and creates waves for both of them.
As the flashbacks to Declan’s final days continue, the tension in the book mounts. The pressure is also building in Shiv’s recovery as she starts to recover and then suffers setbacks. There are no easy answers here. Declan’s life as well as Shiv’s are complex. The therapy she undergoes is unusual but it is up to Shiv to really do the work of recovery.
Beautifully written and structured, this novel of recovery, pain and guilt weaves a mesmerizing web for the reader who is never quite sure how things are going to end. Appropriate for ages 15-17.
reader_fictions's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a little skeptical when there’s a YA book by a major publisher I’ve not heard of. Like, intellectually, I know that it’s a problem with the publisher’s marketing, but some of me really feels like the book’s not getting any attention so it’s probably terrible. That gut feeling is really hard for me to kick, and it totally had me side-eying Never Ending in my pile. My point is that I am glad I do not let this stupid, herd-following instinct drive me, because I would have missed out on a good book. Never Ending is a dark look at dealing with feelings of guilt following the death of a loved one.
Never Ending alternates between Shiv (short for Siobhan) in the present and her memories of the past. She’s dealing with her brother’s tragic death in Greece, which resulted in a total media circus. Bedford does the whole thing where the truth of what happens unfolds really slowly, so you don’t find out precisely how his death happened until near the end. When the novel opens, Shiv’s dad is driving her to a special sixty day psychiatric treatment course, because she’s not been coping after her brother Declan’s death. She’s been really destructive and unhealthy since then, overwhelmed by grief and guilt.
The Korsakoff Clinic only has six teens for the session, and it’s very targeted at teens who aren’t coping well and who feel guilty for the death of their loved one. I do really wonder how this clinic functions and if it’s a really expensive option for rich people, but whatever. The treatment they undergo there is really interesting, and also horrifically painful. The reactions to each thing vary from person to person, and I just find mental health really fascinating. It’s heartbreaking to watch Shiv go through all of this.
Everything that happens is very much from Shiv’s perspective. Like, it’s third person limited, but more than that Shiv is just so much in her own head at this point. Even as she befriends some other people at the clinic, she’s not really trying to understand them on a deep level. She’s too mired in her own life. Her progress feels very natural, with all the setbacks and difficulties along the way. I’m also just thrilled the book didn’t take a paranormal turn or make anything more melodramatic than it needed to be. There’s no demonization of psychiatrists either.
What really charmed me about Never Ending though were the flashbacks with Shiv’s family. When the reader meets her, she’s a shadow of who she once was. In the flashbacks, she’s this normal teenage girl, hoping for a romantic adventure on her holiday to Greece. Her family has this amazing connection and she’s truly best friends with Declan, who is actually amazing. The family has so many inside jokes and banters delightfully. It’s in comparing what was to what now is that the pain really got me in the heart.
While the story arc isn’t particularly surprising, Never Ending is a thoughtful look at death and survivor guilt. It’s a dark but beautiful story, recommended for readers who enjoy contemporaries that hurt the heart.
For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a little skeptical when there’s a YA book by a major publisher I’ve not heard of. Like, intellectually, I know that it’s a problem with the publisher’s marketing, but some of me really feels like the book’s not getting any attention so it’s probably terrible. That gut feeling is really hard for me to kick, and it totally had me side-eying Never Ending in my pile. My point is that I am glad I do not let this stupid, herd-following instinct drive me, because I would have missed out on a good book. Never Ending is a dark look at dealing with feelings of guilt following the death of a loved one.
Never Ending alternates between Shiv (short for Siobhan) in the present and her memories of the past. She’s dealing with her brother’s tragic death in Greece, which resulted in a total media circus. Bedford does the whole thing where the truth of what happens unfolds really slowly, so you don’t find out precisely how his death happened until near the end. When the novel opens, Shiv’s dad is driving her to a special sixty day psychiatric treatment course, because she’s not been coping after her brother Declan’s death. She’s been really destructive and unhealthy since then, overwhelmed by grief and guilt.
The Korsakoff Clinic only has six teens for the session, and it’s very targeted at teens who aren’t coping well and who feel guilty for the death of their loved one. I do really wonder how this clinic functions and if it’s a really expensive option for rich people, but whatever. The treatment they undergo there is really interesting, and also horrifically painful. The reactions to each thing vary from person to person, and I just find mental health really fascinating. It’s heartbreaking to watch Shiv go through all of this.
Everything that happens is very much from Shiv’s perspective. Like, it’s third person limited, but more than that Shiv is just so much in her own head at this point. Even as she befriends some other people at the clinic, she’s not really trying to understand them on a deep level. She’s too mired in her own life. Her progress feels very natural, with all the setbacks and difficulties along the way. I’m also just thrilled the book didn’t take a paranormal turn or make anything more melodramatic than it needed to be. There’s no demonization of psychiatrists either.
What really charmed me about Never Ending though were the flashbacks with Shiv’s family. When the reader meets her, she’s a shadow of who she once was. In the flashbacks, she’s this normal teenage girl, hoping for a romantic adventure on her holiday to Greece. Her family has this amazing connection and she’s truly best friends with Declan, who is actually amazing. The family has so many inside jokes and banters delightfully. It’s in comparing what was to what now is that the pain really got me in the heart.
While the story arc isn’t particularly surprising, Never Ending is a thoughtful look at death and survivor guilt. It’s a dark but beautiful story, recommended for readers who enjoy contemporaries that hurt the heart.
thecarefreenook's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely amazing. A bit book hungover still... Will update later.
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