Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - How We Fall Apart

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

32 reviews

bookwyrm_sisters's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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venetiana's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I quite enjoyed this, the relationship dynamics were really good. The dialogues and the ending felt a bit less smooth, overall the plot seemed less consistent towards the end. Still entertaining!

(One thing I found really infuriating: the book shoving the school motto down my throat every few pages - I would definitely have remembered with much, MUCH fewer mentions, too. 🙃)

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anniereads221's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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beca_reads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

Great fast paced book, looking at the toxicity within the education system. Fans of Ace of Spades would enjoy this.

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jjs1001's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’ve been waiting for this book to release, and I finally read it! Zhao sets the tone of the book so well, and it everything feels so realistic. I especially appreciate the care that went into the subtleties, such as details that concern Jamie’s relationship with her father. Alexander Lin is my new comfort character. He is a pure cinnamon roll that needs to be loved and protected! It’s hard to find something related to dark academia that has a diverse cast (something I’m always on the prowl for), and this book NAILS it. This book brought up so many true and tough topics that need to be discussed more. I was definitely brought back to my competitive, anxiety-filled, under-too-much-pressure self when reading because Zhao set it up so well (I said it once, and I’ll say it again, Zhao NAILS the tone). There are so many complex characters that are lovable, yet hatable at the same time (again, except Alexander, who only deserves love). Zhao blends diverse stories and backgrounds so well that the characters felt real. It’s just a well done book! I’ll admit, there is a bit about the twist that I personally was just *eh* about, but otherwise…just spectacular! Also, props and great respect for Zhao adding the trigger warnings in the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book!

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sarah984's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I liked the more realistic aspects of this book but the mystery aspect was disappointing and somehow I liked and disliked the ending in equal measure.

The main characters are a group of Asian American students at an exclusive private school, brought together through a mutual friendship of sorts with a popular girl and through what the pov character refers to as "The Incident": something that they had all participated in two years before and sworn to secrecy about. It's obvious what the thing was and the way the narrative dances around it is annoying. The popular girl dies suddenly, and suddenly the friends are being threatened via social media using secrets only the dead girl knew. The resolution to this is ridiculous and some of the secrets are a bit silly.

The better part of the story is the focus on the characters themselves, especially Nancy. As the daughter of immigrants who gave up everything to come to America there is immense pressure to perform, be strong, and reach that elusive American Dream. The way this plays out in Nancy's relationship with her mother was really well done. The other characters are less three dimensional but do illustrate this in various ways.

I liked the ending in the way that it demonstrated who Nancy was at her core - this isn't a game but she's going to win it - but it bugged me that the reader never gets to find out what the big secret is.

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