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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
An interesting perspective of a teenage drug-addict, presented in a not over-dramatic way. Lexie is a relatable character (to the extent that one can relate to someone from that societal group), and her journey is certain to intrigue. An additional bonus for London lovers - some descriptions of life in various boroughs.
First and foremost this book tackles many different issues and people from all walks of life and does it very well. However, I hated Lexi, I’m not sure if you’re supposed to like her but it made reading a bit unbearable. The end also seemed rushed and I guess a little too clean.
We first meet Lexi Volkov when she wakes up in the back of her brother’s car.
This was a really good opening. Straight in at the deep end, where the action is happening. None of this hanging around reading descriptions nonsense.
It was very good at creating a feeling of confusion. I didn’t know who Lexi was, what was happening to her or why. We soon discover that Lexi’s brother is taking her to a private island (that rather sounds like a spa to be honest, horses, pools, etc) as he is at the end of his tether with her following on from an overdose.
Lexi is who we are mainly focusing on in this book. She is rich, spoilt and can do what she likes, when she likes and at first I thought I was going to hate her but after a while and due to the author pulling absolutely no punches whatsoever, I really started to root for her and not just for her. We also meet other characters who are in rehab for a variety of reasons and as we get to know everyone, we want them to get better. The relationships between all of the other patients is so very important too. We can see how they support each other and when one is having a bad time, they all feel it and when one is happy and things are going well, the other patients are genuinely pleased for them.
We see all of these characters at their very worst. When they are desperate, scared, embarrassed and thankful.
There was a bit of a romance going on here too, which I really didn’t care for.
To me, rehab is not the real world. You go here because you are at your lowest. You need help and this is where you get it. You’re kind of in a bubble. Any relationship that you forge is surely going to be due to the fact that you and the other person are experiencing the same kind of encounter. I’m not saying that the friendships etc aren’t real, but that they need to be taken with a pinch of salt, and because of this, I didn’t understand the point of the romance.
This was a really good opening. Straight in at the deep end, where the action is happening. None of this hanging around reading descriptions nonsense.
It was very good at creating a feeling of confusion. I didn’t know who Lexi was, what was happening to her or why. We soon discover that Lexi’s brother is taking her to a private island (that rather sounds like a spa to be honest, horses, pools, etc) as he is at the end of his tether with her following on from an overdose.
Lexi is who we are mainly focusing on in this book. She is rich, spoilt and can do what she likes, when she likes and at first I thought I was going to hate her but after a while and due to the author pulling absolutely no punches whatsoever, I really started to root for her and not just for her. We also meet other characters who are in rehab for a variety of reasons and as we get to know everyone, we want them to get better. The relationships between all of the other patients is so very important too. We can see how they support each other and when one is having a bad time, they all feel it and when one is happy and things are going well, the other patients are genuinely pleased for them.
We see all of these characters at their very worst. When they are desperate, scared, embarrassed and thankful.
There was a bit of a romance going on here too, which I really didn’t care for.
To me, rehab is not the real world. You go here because you are at your lowest. You need help and this is where you get it. You’re kind of in a bubble. Any relationship that you forge is surely going to be due to the fact that you and the other person are experiencing the same kind of encounter. I’m not saying that the friendships etc aren’t real, but that they need to be taken with a pinch of salt, and because of this, I didn’t understand the point of the romance.
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A bit too YA for me but thats on me, it wasnt a surprise. Well written and thoughtful, if predictable.
Historien er god hvis du kjøper premissene som er lagt. Karakterene har en god og forholdsvis stor utvikling gjennom boka, og dette er kanskje det som driver romanen videre.
Historien er klassisk. Om avhengighet, spiseforstyrrelser, kjønnsidentitet, seksuell identitet, rus, familieforhold og selvhat.
Den omhandler mange vanskelige temaer, og går grundig til verks i beskrivelsen av detaljer - triggere har tydeligvis Dawson ingen problemer med å dele ut i fleng. Stiller meg undrende til hvorfor alle disse detaljene er med. Den «avskrekkende» effekten der kanskje har på de som ikke kjenner til psykiske lidelser og avhengighet fungerer ikke særlig avskrekkende for min del. Kanskje aller mest uinteressant og bekymringsverdig fordi det er triggende for mange.
Ville lest den på engelsk hvis jeg hadde mulighet, da oversettelsen var litt kronglete.
Alt i alt en god, typisk bok - egentlig det jeg forventer av den typen historie. Jeg blir nysgjerrig og drevet videre i såppass stor grad at jeg leser videre med engasjement.
Historien er klassisk. Om avhengighet, spiseforstyrrelser, kjønnsidentitet, seksuell identitet, rus, familieforhold og selvhat.
Den omhandler mange vanskelige temaer, og går grundig til verks i beskrivelsen av detaljer - triggere har tydeligvis Dawson ingen problemer med å dele ut i fleng. Stiller meg undrende til hvorfor alle disse detaljene er med. Den «avskrekkende» effekten der kanskje har på de som ikke kjenner til psykiske lidelser og avhengighet fungerer ikke særlig avskrekkende for min del. Kanskje aller mest uinteressant og bekymringsverdig fordi det er triggende for mange.
Ville lest den på engelsk hvis jeg hadde mulighet, da oversettelsen var litt kronglete.
Alt i alt en god, typisk bok - egentlig det jeg forventer av den typen historie. Jeg blir nysgjerrig og drevet videre i såppass stor grad at jeg leser videre med engasjement.
This is a great example of YA Fiction. I heard about it from The High Low podcast, where Dolly and Pandora interviewed Juno Dawson and explored YA fiction as a genre- as they pointed out, it's not necessarily aimed at teenagers and therefore does appeal to my age range. I feel somehow less embarrassed knowing I'm not the only one in my 20s to read YA...!
Anyway, this book was very well researched and written. Dawson has a punchy style, not necessarily developing 'likeable' characters but tackling big issues in a cut throat way. I didn't LIKE Lexi but I understood her, and it was nice to explore the emotional baggage of a character who was greatly flawed by their social position but was self aware enough to acknowledge this. I particularly liked the addition of Kendall, an anorexic character, and having a history of eating disorders, I found that Dawson managed to do it justice and properly encapsulate how anorexia is experienced. In particular, she didn't blame it on the need to look good, but rather on Kendall's exploration of what it meant to be her and to transition- the focus on identity rather than image.
Dawson is evidently a highly skilled writer and I plan to look into her other books. I would like to see how she explores other issues in a YA appropriate way, particularly her book on gender.
Anyway, this book was very well researched and written. Dawson has a punchy style, not necessarily developing 'likeable' characters but tackling big issues in a cut throat way. I didn't LIKE Lexi but I understood her, and it was nice to explore the emotional baggage of a character who was greatly flawed by their social position but was self aware enough to acknowledge this. I particularly liked the addition of Kendall, an anorexic character, and having a history of eating disorders, I found that Dawson managed to do it justice and properly encapsulate how anorexia is experienced. In particular, she didn't blame it on the need to look good, but rather on Kendall's exploration of what it meant to be her and to transition- the focus on identity rather than image.
Dawson is evidently a highly skilled writer and I plan to look into her other books. I would like to see how she explores other issues in a YA appropriate way, particularly her book on gender.
Ich bin nicht sicher, was ich hier noch hinzufügen könnte, was in den bisherigen Reviews nicht gesagt wurde.
Mit einem Wort: Wow. Definitiv eines der besten Bücher dieses Jahr. Erinnerte mich etwas an "Vier Könige" und wird mir wohl noch eine Weile im Kopf bleiben.
Mit einem Wort: Wow. Definitiv eines der besten Bücher dieses Jahr. Erinnerte mich etwas an "Vier Könige" und wird mir wohl noch eine Weile im Kopf bleiben.