Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Yanni's Story by N.R. Walker

1 review

galleytrot's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

READ: Jan 2024 
FORMAT: Audio 

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 5 / 5⭐ 
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4.5 / 5⭐ 
FINAL – OVERALL: 4.75 / 5⭐ 

Yanni’s Story is a spinoff from Walker’s Spencer Cohen series, and it details Yanni’s path to a healthy, fulfilling future after experiencing homelessness and escaping a physically- and emotionally-abusive relationship. What Yanni needs more than anything is a system of support, stability, family, and friendship in order to get back on his feet once Spencer pulls him off the street, pouring him into the lap of the Acacia Foundation. Between the sheltering of Helen Landon, the schooling of her husband Allan, the shared experience of his share house roommates, the aid of a wise therapist, and the endless patience and understanding from Peter, Yanni finds himself surrounded by those rooting for him to find his peace. 

It's been a while since I went through the Spencer Cohen series, and I held off on reading this one because I generally only think of Walker’s works when I’m in the mood for something more lighthearted. I never should have doubted this book, because while it absolutely deals with some rough themes and topics, it never does so in a way that feels anything less than hopeful, determined to progress and heal a little more at every turn. There are a number of scenes within that do demonstrate the utter unfairness of victims experiencing trauma, and one scene in particular mentions some especially heinous abuses, but it’s never done in a way that feels cruel to the reader. 

I’m grateful that Walker chose to combine the three parts of this story into a single release, exactly as I felt should have been done for their other series I’ve read in the past (Thomas Elkin, Spencer Cohen, Red Dirt Heart, etc.). I enjoyed the inclusion of a little light Daddy kink, and while I’m not completely on board with Walker’s portrayal of the lifestyle spectrum, it’s far from the worst depiction I’ve seen to date. I guess if there’s any nit to truly pick about this book, it would be how literally everything just seems to fall into place for Yanni, with just about every dream coming true. It’s true he does have his backslides and regressions, but there isn’t a single outside force to truly trip him up, and he’s surrounded by people ready to hand over everything he’s ever wanted. 

This book has representation for gays, bisexuals, and lesbians. A character with Down syndrome is depicted in a respectful role. Multiple characters are portrayed as non-white. 

The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
This book contains:
past and off-page emotional and physical abuses; mentions of past rapes and sexual violence; past homophobia leading to homelessness; panic attacks and anxiety; mentions of alcoholism; past parent death (heart attack); off-page PTSD response, panic attack; mentions of past cult-related atrocities including gang rape, incest; past suicide attempt; off-page assault, injuries, blood; past domestic abuse towards wife and child; mention of suicide; and, bullying.
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