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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. I loved Adam and I LOVED Linus. I wanted more of Adam's day. Perhaps it is because I'm not familiar with Mrs. Dalloway but all of the stuff with the Queen and the Faun went over my head. I see the symbols and the connection, but I wanted more of Adam. I loved how delicate and lovely his story ways; the etherial quality.
i am a huge fan of this author’s book a monster calls and his chaos walking trilogy. this novel is not those, so if you’re looking for more of the same, look elsewhere. setting aside the fact that this book is nothing like the ones i enjoyed, the book itself is okay. however, there is a strange semi-mystical storyline that alternates with a strictly literal one, and i didn’t feel that worked well/conveyed its message clearly. it was kind of jarring, switching from one to the other and back again. also, too much of my energy was spent trying to figure out the meaning behind the mystical narrative, that my focus on the literal storyline was distracted and therefore i felt less connected than i could have to both storylines.
Oi. I don't even know how to unpack this. I adored Adam Thorne and is journey in discovering himself and trying to just find happiness in a pretty fucked up family. However, I am totally thrown by the...sub-plot? I literally am still not sure how it connects. Is it just me not seeing the connection? Is this a had to have been there connection? Am I just that oblivious?? I don't know. But, what I do know is that it was a good book. I could have lived without the weird magical realism aspect. Adam Thorne 5 Stars, Queen/Faun 2 Stars.
As my first Ness novel, I feel like I only have upward to go from here lol.
As my first Ness novel, I feel like I only have upward to go from here lol.
There’s some really important stuff in here about family, religion, acceptance, tolerance and personal growth. But someone needs to explain the necessity of the Queen portion of the story - it felt totally random and disjointed.
This is a story about a gay teenage lad in an ultra-conservative Christian family and all the personal struggles that means for him. It's also a story about love and teenage sexual relationships, and who your 'family' really is. Alongside that is a supernatural element connected to a murdered girl (in their sleepy town), which wends its way through the book, becoming more and more important to the eventual outcome.
I really enjoyed it. I think this is only the third book I've read by Patrick Ness - [b:The Knife of Never Letting Go|18062060|The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)|Patrick Ness|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409091499s/18062060.jpg|2124180] (which reminds me, I must get the second one in that series), a book for young teens I'd say, which I listened to as an Audio Book and loved except for the voice of the narrator, and [b:The Crane Wife|13638462|The Crane Wife|Patrick Ness|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353647505s/13638462.jpg|19251417], a book for adults. Release is most definitely for older teens, not only because of the sexual content but also because the issues aren't ones that younger kids are meeting up with yet. Each of these books has pleased me in its own way, and I can confidently say that I expect to continue being pleased with Ness's published work.
I really enjoyed it. I think this is only the third book I've read by Patrick Ness - [b:The Knife of Never Letting Go|18062060|The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)|Patrick Ness|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409091499s/18062060.jpg|2124180] (which reminds me, I must get the second one in that series), a book for young teens I'd say, which I listened to as an Audio Book and loved except for the voice of the narrator, and [b:The Crane Wife|13638462|The Crane Wife|Patrick Ness|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353647505s/13638462.jpg|19251417], a book for adults. Release is most definitely for older teens, not only because of the sexual content but also because the issues aren't ones that younger kids are meeting up with yet. Each of these books has pleased me in its own way, and I can confidently say that I expect to continue being pleased with Ness's published work.
18/ #30booksummer
This is a story of complex relationships as 17 year old Adam looks for love. His religious parents do not accept him for who he is, praying that he will become straight. He seeks love and acceptance in relationships, having his heart broken. When his male boss sexually harassed him, his father blames Adam.
It is Adam’s friends, especially best friend Angela who accept and love Adam unconditionally. A lot of questions remain unanswered which will keep me thinking about this book for a while. Intertwined is a metaphorical story related to the murder of one of their classmates. I kept trying to figure out how the two stories were going to come together, still wondering about that too.
This is a story of complex relationships as 17 year old Adam looks for love. His religious parents do not accept him for who he is, praying that he will become straight. He seeks love and acceptance in relationships, having his heart broken. When his male boss sexually harassed him, his father blames Adam.
It is Adam’s friends, especially best friend Angela who accept and love Adam unconditionally. A lot of questions remain unanswered which will keep me thinking about this book for a while. Intertwined is a metaphorical story related to the murder of one of their classmates. I kept trying to figure out how the two stories were going to come together, still wondering about that too.
5 stars.
Adam's life is messy because he's trying to navigate the waters of his sexuality and living with emotionally abusive parents and a physically abusive boss and learning to release and be released. But it's so heartbreaking and beautifully written and I can relate to Adam on an emotional level as he tries to figure out how to love himself and find out he's worthy of love from others.
Also I love that Patrick Ness can write so well in such different ways between his novels. He writes contemporary WITH A TWIST, is how I like to describe it. This might be my second favorite Patrick Ness book I've read so far.
Seriously, I can't put into my words my love for this book. It's just incredible. One of the best I've read in a while. This was the best possible time in my life for me to read this book.
I aspire to be like this man one day, as an author.
My rank of Patrick Ness novels as of 4/5/18
1. A Monster Calls
2. Release
3. More Than This
4. The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Adam's life is messy because he's trying to navigate the waters of his sexuality and living with emotionally abusive parents and a physically abusive boss and learning to release and be released. But it's so heartbreaking and beautifully written and I can relate to Adam on an emotional level as he tries to figure out how to love himself and find out he's worthy of love from others.
Also I love that Patrick Ness can write so well in such different ways between his novels. He writes contemporary WITH A TWIST, is how I like to describe it. This might be my second favorite Patrick Ness book I've read so far.
Seriously, I can't put into my words my love for this book. It's just incredible. One of the best I've read in a while. This was the best possible time in my life for me to read this book.
I aspire to be like this man one day, as an author.
My rank of Patrick Ness novels as of 4/5/18
1. A Monster Calls
2. Release
3. More Than This
4. The Rest of Us Just Live Here
A wonderfully authentic day in the life of a young man whose struggles all come to a head at the same time. Most of those conflicts dwell in the realm of love, whether family, friendship, romance, or even loveless attraction. His heart is broken in many different ways, mended in others, and almost entirely transformed as he is forced to discover just who he is. It's a powerful exploration of humanness.
Intertwined with Adam's story is a smaller, shorter one that, I believe, is meant to mirror his. Like many others, I had trouble seeing the connections on my initial reading. It didn't work for me, and I feel I must have missed something that should have added even more depth and meaning instead of seeming like an unnecessary distraction. Perhaps later I'll have time to go back and give it a closer look. For now, it comes across as a flaw.
Intertwined with Adam's story is a smaller, shorter one that, I believe, is meant to mirror his. Like many others, I had trouble seeing the connections on my initial reading. It didn't work for me, and I feel I must have missed something that should have added even more depth and meaning instead of seeming like an unnecessary distraction. Perhaps later I'll have time to go back and give it a closer look. For now, it comes across as a flaw.
5 Stars
Sometimes a book comes into your life at the perfect moment and that was this for me. I read Mrs. Dalloway a month-or-so ago, so it was still fresh on my mind when I started this book heavily inspired by Woolf’s work. This book follows a day in Adam’s life as, like Mrs. Dalloway, he prepares for an explosive party that evening.
Adam is a gay-teen living under the control of his evangelical father, preparing to say good-bye to his ex-boyfriend and best-friend, and navigating his own perception of himself. This story beautifully explored the nature of identity and family in ways that made my chest ache.
All the Great Things:
Adam and his best friend (who sometimes swings towards girls) Angela have a conversation about labels and how for some people labels are comforting and for other restrictive. So many books sort of fall on one side of the other instead of acknowledging both are true. This was SO great??
So the side-plot with the dead-girl and the spirit faun thing is confusing and strange.... but it was so interesting. And it ties with Adam’s story so fantastically well? I adore magical realism even when it means I don’t always get answers so maybe that’s why I feel this side-plot is almost magical-realism.
This has the best discussion of sex I’ve ever seen in YA. The sex scenes were explicit, but they weren’t designed to titillate. These scenes highlight the power of choice and the way we treat ourselves, our bodies and those we love. This important discussion is still rare for teens at all, but it’s especially hard to find for queer teens.
This book also includes a nuanced discussion of sexual harassment. This is so important— especially for teens working crappy part-time jobs, as the constantly-in-flux nature of retail and corporate power-imbalances often hide assailants. This story directly tackles those practices as well as the further complications that arise for teenage boys, toxic masculinity and victim blaming.
Linus is the softest theater gay who wears bowties and looks out for his boyfriend and I loved him a lot.
Adam’s struggle with himself and his self-worth was hella-relatable. The overall theme is about acceptance and love, but never manages to seem hokey. Instead, it felt intensely real for someone who was raised where religion is used as a tool to make you hate parts of yourself.
This story also emphasizes the importance of found family. Being blood-related doesn’t always mean someone’s love is unconditional, and this portrayed that in all its devastating nuance. It’s the family Adam chose and the support system that chose him back that held actual power, and this is so important.
In Conclusion:
I’ve read exactly two Patrick Ness books and I’ve five-starred both of them, so excuse me while I run out and buy everything this man has written.
“Why did everyone no longer a teenager automatically dismiss any feeling you had then? Who cared if he’d grow out of it? That didn’t make it any less true in those painful and euphoric days when it was happening.”
Sometimes a book comes into your life at the perfect moment and that was this for me. I read Mrs. Dalloway a month-or-so ago, so it was still fresh on my mind when I started this book heavily inspired by Woolf’s work. This book follows a day in Adam’s life as, like Mrs. Dalloway, he prepares for an explosive party that evening.
Adam is a gay-teen living under the control of his evangelical father, preparing to say good-bye to his ex-boyfriend and best-friend, and navigating his own perception of himself. This story beautifully explored the nature of identity and family in ways that made my chest ache.
“They're your parents. They're meant to love you because. Never in spite.”
All the Great Things:
Adam and his best friend (who sometimes swings towards girls) Angela have a conversation about labels and how for some people labels are comforting and for other restrictive. So many books sort of fall on one side of the other instead of acknowledging both are true. This was SO great??
So the side-plot with the dead-girl and the spirit faun thing is confusing and strange.... but it was so interesting. And it ties with Adam’s story so fantastically well? I adore magical realism even when it means I don’t always get answers so maybe that’s why I feel this side-plot is almost magical-realism.
This has the best discussion of sex I’ve ever seen in YA. The sex scenes were explicit, but they weren’t designed to titillate. These scenes highlight the power of choice and the way we treat ourselves, our bodies and those we love. This important discussion is still rare for teens at all, but it’s especially hard to find for queer teens.
This book also includes a nuanced discussion of sexual harassment. This is so important— especially for teens working crappy part-time jobs, as the constantly-in-flux nature of retail and corporate power-imbalances often hide assailants. This story directly tackles those practices as well as the further complications that arise for teenage boys, toxic masculinity and victim blaming.
Linus is the softest theater gay who wears bowties and looks out for his boyfriend and I loved him a lot.
Adam’s struggle with himself and his self-worth was hella-relatable. The overall theme is about acceptance and love, but never manages to seem hokey. Instead, it felt intensely real for someone who was raised where religion is used as a tool to make you hate parts of yourself.
This story also emphasizes the importance of found family. Being blood-related doesn’t always mean someone’s love is unconditional, and this portrayed that in all its devastating nuance. It’s the family Adam chose and the support system that chose him back that held actual power, and this is so important.
In Conclusion:
I’ve read exactly two Patrick Ness books and I’ve five-starred both of them, so excuse me while I run out and buy everything this man has written.
I liked half of this book. I liked Adam's story and the things going on with him, since I love contemporary YA stories, even if some of the stuff was a bit cliché. HOWEVER, I found the second, supernatural aspect of the story weird. Not in and of itself, but as something combined with the other. They didn't feel like they went together but in the most obviously metaphorical way. I just didn't like it or understand it. At all.