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lavieboheme215's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
katsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“It's so easy to get caught up in what people expect of you. Sometimes, you can just lose yourself.”
“It's funny how someone's perception of you can be formed without you even knowing it.”
“I couldn't tell her. I couldn't tell anyone. As long as I didn't say it aloud, it wasn't real.”
I kind of go back and forth about this book. On the one hand, I appreciate the conversation around domestic abuse as it's written here, palatable for younger audiences. However, I feel like, in some ways, it oversimplified the relationship. This is among the first few of Dessen's novels so it feels like she's still trying to find her voice in some ways. I wish she would have complicated the relationship with Rogerson just a little bit. Not that he needed a redemption arc but I think that young adults reading this novel would easily conclude that people like Rogerson are easy to spot. The abuser in the story could have just as easily been Mike instead of Rogerson. I think this could have been accomplished by spending a little more time with Rogerson and Caitlin during the "good times." I also think that diving further into Caitlin's relationship with her sister, Cass, also could have accomplished a similar result by explaining why Caitlin felt compelled to turn to someone like Rogerson. Otherwise, I felt like this was a pretty decent depiction of domestic abuse and the nuance that comes with it. (However, I've never actually been in an abusive relationship so I may not be the best judge.)
My only other major critique is how Rogerson is coded as a person of color. He is never actually given a specific ethnicity but is described as having and "olive complexion" and dreadlocks. I've read most, if not all, of Dessen's novels and she's never had a romantic interest who wasn't definitely white. (To the best of my knowledge.) So it feels gross that the one time the love interest could even in a tiny way be considered something other than white, he's a drug dealer and abuser. Come on. Dessen's lack of diversity is a critique I've seen before. I'm not saying she should start including people of color in her novels because, frankly, I severely doubt that she could write a character that isn't white well. I feel like the safe bet is to stick to what she knows, it obviously works for her.
“It's funny how someone's perception of you can be formed without you even knowing it.”
“I couldn't tell her. I couldn't tell anyone. As long as I didn't say it aloud, it wasn't real.”
I kind of go back and forth about this book. On the one hand, I appreciate the conversation around domestic abuse as it's written here, palatable for younger audiences. However, I feel like, in some ways, it oversimplified the relationship. This is among the first few of Dessen's novels so it feels like she's still trying to find her voice in some ways. I wish she would have complicated the relationship with Rogerson just a little bit. Not that he needed a redemption arc but I think that young adults reading this novel would easily conclude that people like Rogerson are easy to spot. The abuser in the story could have just as easily been Mike instead of Rogerson. I think this could have been accomplished by spending a little more time with Rogerson and Caitlin during the "good times." I also think that diving further into Caitlin's relationship with her sister, Cass, also could have accomplished a similar result by explaining why Caitlin felt compelled to turn to someone like Rogerson. Otherwise, I felt like this was a pretty decent depiction of domestic abuse and the nuance that comes with it. (However, I've never actually been in an abusive relationship so I may not be the best judge.)
My only other major critique is how Rogerson is coded as a person of color. He is never actually given a specific ethnicity but is described as having and "olive complexion" and dreadlocks. I've read most, if not all, of Dessen's novels and she's never had a romantic interest who wasn't definitely white. (To the best of my knowledge.) So it feels gross that the one time the love interest could even in a tiny way be considered something other than white, he's a drug dealer and abuser. Come on. Dessen's lack of diversity is a critique I've seen before. I'm not saying she should start including people of color in her novels because, frankly, I severely doubt that she could write a character that isn't white well. I feel like the safe bet is to stick to what she knows, it obviously works for her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
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