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pearloz's review against another edition
3.0
OK novel about a contemporary issue (school shootings) and it's aftermath (as experienced by one person) in a small community (viewed through her lens which is...erratic). It is a typical school-shooting scenario: disaffected youth/maybe an incel who knows, takes out his rage at random schoolmates. The tone of the book is somber. Our narrator had been been forced from her position as a teacher before the incident, and is immediately seen as a suspect subsequent to it. She is innocent and released after some time, and the rest of the novel is about her: her restlessness, her need for...something to tether her to reality (which becomes increasingly...off from her perspective). The book seems, at large, to be about paranoia, over-correction in the light of a tragedy (safety monitoring drones, armed teachers and select students, etc.), but the message is diluted as our messenger believes the sun has literally abandoned the town, joins a cult and is too lazy for it, and sort of drifts in a lazy haze. Getting drunk with the armed "militia" that takes over the clock tower for no purpose was really the final straw in terms of her credibility, and she'd long before blown any empathy for herself. I think the most interesting parts of the book were the chapters dedicated to her memorials to the dead. Chapters described as tips for being safe were absurd.
etakloknok's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dkragick's review against another edition
4.0
I hated loving this book. McAllister did such a phenomenal job of putting into words so many of the things I feel. Very well done.
mmz's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
wombat_88's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
missamandamae's review against another edition
5.0
“Enjoy” isn’t the right word for this book, but I did get drawn in to it right away. A school shooting occurs, and a suspended teacher is the initial suspect. The author traces this teacher through the year following the shooting, with so many incredible passages of thoughts that I have thought in the aftermath of shootings and other atrocities. It was unnerving, but also reassuring to know I’m not alone with these thoughts.
sde's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a while to get into this book and figure out what exactly was going on. I enjoyed the second half of this book more than the first for this reason. (And it is a short book!) I'm sure the fact that a school shooting happened in Santa Fe, Texas while I was reading the book hurt my enthusiasm for the book as well.
The author is good at getting his message across in a few words. We all get incensed about mass shootings and use the events for our own political ends, no matter the side, but do we really think about what it does to the people actually involved or care about them otherwise?
"Because people kept getting murdered in places where murder isn't supposed to happen, the president announced he was going to take a tour of the massacre sites. . . The politicians loved small towns. They thought all we did was sit around eating apple pie and waving flags in our churches. They didn't like to think about everyone taking opiates and working bad jobs and living in a constant state of fear. Their love for Main Street, USA, was malignant. We were dying and they were getting rich off of it while they praised us for our resilience."
And the main character talking to a reporter looking for how the event made the town stronger:
"'Do bullets make you stronger?' I said. 'Do you think it's better to get shot or not get shot?". . . 'Listen,' Artis said. 'People don't want stories about how sad people are. They want uplift. They want to feel better.'"
This book had a lot of holes and confusing parts. But the author is talented, and I think his skill will develop over time. I would read future books he writes.
The author is good at getting his message across in a few words. We all get incensed about mass shootings and use the events for our own political ends, no matter the side, but do we really think about what it does to the people actually involved or care about them otherwise?
"Because people kept getting murdered in places where murder isn't supposed to happen, the president announced he was going to take a tour of the massacre sites. . . The politicians loved small towns. They thought all we did was sit around eating apple pie and waving flags in our churches. They didn't like to think about everyone taking opiates and working bad jobs and living in a constant state of fear. Their love for Main Street, USA, was malignant. We were dying and they were getting rich off of it while they praised us for our resilience."
And the main character talking to a reporter looking for how the event made the town stronger:
"'Do bullets make you stronger?' I said. 'Do you think it's better to get shot or not get shot?". . . 'Listen,' Artis said. 'People don't want stories about how sad people are. They want uplift. They want to feel better.'"
This book had a lot of holes and confusing parts. But the author is talented, and I think his skill will develop over time. I would read future books he writes.
jolles's review against another edition
3.0
In terms of books about school shootings (there are a lot!): meh.