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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
THAT WAS SO INCREDIBLE. Neal Shusterman, you are the man.
Wow, just... This book! It was very deep emotional ride through all of it. I started it thinking that it would be just another contemporary maybe no so centered on romance, but oh boy I got so much more than that!! Just the concept is really interesting and how Neal Shusterman developed it, well, A+ for you, Neal. I didn't give it 5 stars because... Um, now I realised I haveno reasons to not give it five stars!
The character development was amazing. I loved how true and honest were all the characters. The one I liked the most was Tennyson (I could relate a lot to him), but they were all marvelous.
So, basically this was a book to think about and of course Shusterman's writing style was wonderful as ever.
The character development was amazing. I loved how true and honest were all the characters. The one I liked the most was Tennyson (I could relate a lot to him), but they were all marvelous.
So, basically this was a book to think about and of course Shusterman's writing style was wonderful as ever.
Thank you neal shusterman for being you and making me feel all the feelings. Absolute necessary read for shusterman fans even though it is an old book!
I liked this well enough. It's a bit cheesy, mainly due the its writing. Some of the dialogue is a bit unrealistic, and the narration contains a lot of un-ironic exclamation marks. I think I has a good message overall, but I do have to compare it to Shusterman's more recent works. To put it simply, he's gotten better, and it shows. That's a positive for his more recent novels, but not necessarily for his earlier ones. Bruiser is a fine book, but it's not great. I like the exploration of how bullies can be redeemed, as well as how negative emotions are often better than no emotions at all. The characters are fine; I cared about them more than I care about most characters. But for a story about emotions, I didn't feel all that strongly throughout this story.
3/5 stars
3/5 stars
Who are you and what have you done to my Neal Shusterman!?
All because we longed for healing and happiness—as if happiness is a state of being. But it’s not. Happiness is a vector. It’s movement. Like my own momentum across the pool, joy can only be defined by the speed at which you’re moving away from pain.
I read this on a whim, intrigued by the premise, thinking it'll be some light fantasy romance read, but how so wrong I was! I didn't know what I was signing up for when I started but halfway through I realized it's much more than what I intended to. But I am just so glad I read it because this book? This book is original and heart wrenchingly beautiful.
"I’ve always considered myself so strong, so willful; but here is the truth: I don’t even have the strength of will to steal back my own misery."
You don't just read and wait for the couple to end up together, don't follow the characters uncovering the mystery of the gift/superpower the hero possesses. No, you just watch what happens and how their lives play out because of it. You wouldn't know what to expect, but you just read and observe every word because its just that good. I don't want to go into that, because everything I want to say feels spoilerish, but I can and need to say a few things.
The story is told from 4 POV's. A lot, I know, but each voice is so distinct and unique that you won't find it troubling at all. I enjoyed each one so much, especially Brewster's free verse, it was so very well done.
You brought us a new light,
But that light is false.
So is darkness better
Than a heartfelt lie?
What if we could live without emotional pain forever? Before this book, I would've said "wow, that would be great," but now? I am not so sure. What's life without pain anyway? It sure is not happiness, it'll be numb. I've never thought much about emotions in this light this book has portrayed before, but now I feel and understand how important it is to own them. That your emotions are also one of the things that makes you you. You don't grow if you don't feel anything, the pain, sorrow, hurt, grief, heartbreak and despair, but be in a constant state of contentment. It is okay to not be okay. We are humans who are designed to experience a whole range of emotions after all. We should only be worried if we feel nothing.
“What’s the point of living if you’re going to hate the world? Guard your heart if you have to, but don’t shut it away.”
Overall, Bruiser took my breath away in a good way. I loved it so much. I don't know how I didn't have it in me to read [a:Neal Shusterman|19564|Neal Shusterman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1246977170p2/19564.jpg] before. Have I been living under a rock? I should definitely check his other books out. It both excites and scares me that there are so many amazing books out there, excited to find and read them and scared that I wouldn't be able to read many uff. Anyway, I am so glad I have the power to feel emotions(even the bad stuff, I am trying), thanks to this book. So, read this book and own your emotions y'all.
I read this on a whim, intrigued by the premise, thinking it'll be some light fantasy romance read, but how so wrong I was! I didn't know what I was signing up for when I started but halfway through I realized it's much more than what I intended to. But I am just so glad I read it because this book? This book is original and heart wrenchingly beautiful.
"I’ve always considered myself so strong, so willful; but here is the truth: I don’t even have the strength of will to steal back my own misery."
You don't just read and wait for the couple to end up together, don't follow the characters uncovering the mystery of the gift/superpower the hero possesses. No, you just watch what happens and how their lives play out because of it. You wouldn't know what to expect, but you just read and observe every word because its just that good. I don't want to go into that, because everything I want to say feels spoilerish, but I can and need to say a few things.
The story is told from 4 POV's. A lot, I know, but each voice is so distinct and unique that you won't find it troubling at all. I enjoyed each one so much, especially Brewster's free verse, it was so very well done.
You brought us a new light,
But that light is false.
So is darkness better
Than a heartfelt lie?
What if we could live without emotional pain forever? Before this book, I would've said "wow, that would be great," but now? I am not so sure. What's life without pain anyway? It sure is not happiness, it'll be numb. I've never thought much about emotions in this light this book has portrayed before, but now I feel and understand how important it is to own them. That your emotions are also one of the things that makes you you. You don't grow if you don't feel anything, the pain, sorrow, hurt, grief, heartbreak and despair, but be in a constant state of contentment. It is okay to not be okay. We are humans who are designed to experience a whole range of emotions after all. We should only be worried if we feel nothing.
“What’s the point of living if you’re going to hate the world? Guard your heart if you have to, but don’t shut it away.”
Overall, Bruiser took my breath away in a good way. I loved it so much. I don't know how I didn't have it in me to read [a:Neal Shusterman|19564|Neal Shusterman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1246977170p2/19564.jpg] before. Have I been living under a rock? I should definitely check his other books out. It both excites and scares me that there are so many amazing books out there, excited to find and read them and scared that I wouldn't be able to read many uff. Anyway, I am so glad I have the power to feel emotions(even the bad stuff, I am trying), thanks to this book. So, read this book and own your emotions y'all.
Just kind of meh. I like shusterman but this one didn’t do it for me. I can understand why it catches the attention of my students though and can appreciate it for that!
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one and pleasantly surprised.
I loved the premise of this story surrounding a stoic young man who absorbs the pain from the people he cares about. Told in alternating POVs by two sets of very different siblings, I loved that the focus of this book was on family relationships rather than some vapid love triangle.
This book became more and more difficult to read, however, as Brewster aka Bruiser, starts absorbing more and more pain. The trauma he suffers for letting others into his heart came quite close to breaking my own. This type of story, with some graphic depictions of child abuse, might not be everyone's cup of tea. None the less, this book is exquisitely written and definitely something fresh for the YA scene.
I loved the premise of this story surrounding a stoic young man who absorbs the pain from the people he cares about. Told in alternating POVs by two sets of very different siblings, I loved that the focus of this book was on family relationships rather than some vapid love triangle.
This book became more and more difficult to read, however, as Brewster aka Bruiser, starts absorbing more and more pain. The trauma he suffers for letting others into his heart came quite close to breaking my own. This type of story, with some graphic depictions of child abuse, might not be everyone's cup of tea. None the less, this book is exquisitely written and definitely something fresh for the YA scene.
This is a great read. The depth of emotion and character explored in this short novel is truly remarkable.