You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
I think a lot of people get caught up on the descriptiveness/ slowness of this. But I’m really starting to appreciate stories like this. Very “Donna tart”.
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Finny never left anything alone, not when it was well enough, not when it was perfect.”
A Separate Peace follow two boys at a boarding school during the WWII era. They are trying to live their lives when there is a war going on half the world away. As they get close to enlistment age they start to feel the gravity of what is going on, but they are still young and a lot of this book has to do with their innocence.
Then comes an accident that badly hurts one of the boys and gives the other one a lot of stress as he may have caused the accident to occur. Both boys are distraught, and the rest of the book is them coming to terms with that.
The book had a very big surprise ending to me. I wouldn’t say it was a great ending, but I was definitely surprised by it. I thought the pacing of this book was a little slower than what I normally read. For being such a small novel it seemed to take me a good while to work through. Ultimately I liked the story, but it wasn’t anything to write home about.
A Separate Peace follow two boys at a boarding school during the WWII era. They are trying to live their lives when there is a war going on half the world away. As they get close to enlistment age they start to feel the gravity of what is going on, but they are still young and a lot of this book has to do with their innocence.
Then comes an accident that badly hurts one of the boys and gives the other one a lot of stress as he may have caused the accident to occur. Both boys are distraught, and the rest of the book is them coming to terms with that.
The book had a very big surprise ending to me. I wouldn’t say it was a great ending, but I was definitely surprised by it. I thought the pacing of this book was a little slower than what I normally read. For being such a small novel it seemed to take me a good while to work through. Ultimately I liked the story, but it wasn’t anything to write home about.
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An eternally profound take on war and a cornerstone of the dark academia genre. What a joy to revisit a work that has had such an impact on my literary perspective.
CW/TW: war themes, injury, toxic relationship, death, character death, mental illness, ableism, g-slur, racism, alcohol consumption
CW/TW: war themes, injury, toxic relationship, death, character death, mental illness, ableism, g-slur, racism, alcohol consumption
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in New England during WWII, this story revolves around Gene, a smart but lonely introvert and his best friend and exact opposite, Phineas, a handsome, outgoing, athlete. Together in a boys boarding school, they navigate a time where innocence is becoming scarce and are continually influenced by decisions to make for future military jobs. Gene struggles with his friendship with Phineas – a worldly charm, a symbol of peace, strength, and the way the world could be…it’s hard not to be jealous of a teenage god among people. But an incident while climbing a tree leaves both of them questioning everything they ever knew about the world, their friends,…and each other.
I wanted to like this book. I knew it was a bestseller and a classroom classic. I just did not. I finished it, but only because I was hoping something major would eventually happen. And to be fair, I did still think about it a few days after I finished it which is usually a good sign. But it’s still not something I would recommend too often or read again. Yes, there are some heartbreaking conversations, some hard truths that come to light, and even some cringe-worthy moments as you watch these character make some really insane decisions as teenage boys often do…but I really could not figure out why this book is as famous as it is.
I wanted to like this book. I knew it was a bestseller and a classroom classic. I just did not. I finished it, but only because I was hoping something major would eventually happen. And to be fair, I did still think about it a few days after I finished it which is usually a good sign. But it’s still not something I would recommend too often or read again. Yes, there are some heartbreaking conversations, some hard truths that come to light, and even some cringe-worthy moments as you watch these character make some really insane decisions as teenage boys often do…but I really could not figure out why this book is as famous as it is.
Somehow, I managed not to read A Separate Peace in my high school or college years. This from an English teacher. I was 100% absorbed in this tale from the turn of the first page. No matter your age, the story of two friends and the discovery of who they are, both as individuals and as a pair, captivates.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No