Scan barcode
sash512's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kaitlizcolby's review
5.0
Oh man. This book was a journey. The first of its three parts was honestly a bit of a slog. The second part both justifies and redeems the first. The third convinced me of Choi’s absolute genius. This book’s many layers will keep me thinking for a long time. It’s certainly not for everyone, but I’m so glad I finally picked it up!
Update: After browsing other reviews, I have to say that those who abandoned this book before making it at least part of the way through the second section absolutely cannot rate it accurately. I don’t fault those that gave up (I almost did, honestly), but I’d definitely take those reviews with a grain of salt.
Update: After browsing other reviews, I have to say that those who abandoned this book before making it at least part of the way through the second section absolutely cannot rate it accurately. I don’t fault those that gave up (I almost did, honestly), but I’d definitely take those reviews with a grain of salt.
kait_sixcrowsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
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
4.0
This was a fascinating book because it’s probably the only one that has made me hate read it for the fast half and then legitimately hooked me in the second half, especially once I figured out why the first half was so bad. It’s such an interesting book that explores themes such as power and perception — the use of the different perspectives was amazing, though I couldn’t quite tell what the use was to switch between 1st and 3rd POV so quickly at times. I kinda wish I had a class to discuss this book with because there are so many layers to it that I can’t fathom. Truly an incredible book, even if it confused me and was a tad hard to get through at times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit and Drug use
emmad2003's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I read for uni and actually really enjoyed, a lot more than i thought i would. It leaves a lot to think about and a sort of pit in your stomach at the end
digitalcage's review
3.0
A structurally fascinating novel. Low on plot, it substitutes a hothouse environment (a highschool arts academy) and incident (dating, teenage angst, sexual assault), and relies on a structural gimmick (three sections of the story told by three different narrators) to create structure and momentum. Some parts are excellent, but by the end it devolves into a forced "gotcha" twist (or two) that don't have the support of storytelling to sustain them. Well-written, but poorly conceived. A lot of often-enjoyable effort is required to unpack this disappointingly thin novel.
slichto3's review
5.0
Wowza, Trust Exercise blew me away! I started it off SUPER skeptical, but the longer I read the more I found myself immersed in the story and guessing that the reality behind the stories. A very cool, very powerful book.
The story is basically about three different students pursuing theatre at a fancy high school arts academy called CAPA: David, Sarah, and another character I don't really want to name because of spoilers. At CAPA, they have a weird theatre class called Trust Exercises taught by Mr. Kingsley. Starting in this class, a romance starts to bloom between David and Sarah, but it fizzles because of mixed love styles and lack of communication - they're teenagers! At some point in the middle of the school year, CAPA hosts a handful of English high school actors and their teacher, Martin. There's quite a bit of hooking up between the CAPA folks and the English folks. The book looks at these events themselves, then also looks at the impact of those events on our main characters in the future.
What results is a fascinating look at the subjective experience of our main characters on what we think is objective reality. It's an incredibly engaging puzzle with a powerful emotional punch that feels very relevant to today.
To anyone reading this: have patience! I started Trust Exercise by rolling my eyes a bit. The prose feels excessive and overdramatic. It's annoying but (a) you get used to it, and (b) there is a meaning and a reason behind it. If you're patient and read this book all the way through, you'll get answers and you'll get more wrapped up in the story.
My favorite element of Trust Exercise was the characters. You get such a strong sense of the characters, their viewpoints, and their experiences. I just finished reading The Hunger Games, which I very much enjoyed, but hated the flatness of the characters. Trust Exercise felt worlds apart. I felt I really got to know Sarah, David, and this nameless character. They aren't always likable, they don't always do the best stuff, but I ultimately felt a strong connection, understanding, and affection for all of them. But I didn't feel that right away!
I also loved the way the subjective experience of the characters played into the story. No character seems completely honest, but, by the end, you understand why the characters are duplicitous. It felt so real, too, and satisfying as a puzzle.
While the writing frustrated me at first, I really grew to appreciate what the author was doing. The style changes as the book progresses, and I enjoyed and was impressed by what the author did with that style shift. A very enjoyable book to read.
Most powerfully, there was the exploration of sexuality and, specifically, sexual misconduct. Holy moly, that blew me away. Just getting the perspective of female characters dealing with sex with some unsavory people was eye-opening and painful but also important. There were times where I thought "I don't want to exist in this character right now" because of how painful some of the depictions of the way women are treated and experience society. It's tough, but that's what makes the message of the book so strong. There are depictions of some powerful men, powerful through age/position/experience, taking advantage of young girls. It's hard to read sometimes as it's happening, but Trust Exercise also shows you the affect that abuse takes on characters well into the future. It changes people's lives, even when it sometimes feels like no big deal. Some spoilers:
I absolutely loved Trust Exercise. It's been nominated for the National Book Award, and it feels very deserving to me. I'd recommend this to anyone. Be warned: it takes some patience. Sometimes it will feel overdramatic. It's also a potentially painful or triggering read. But it's worthwhile and engaging in the strongest possible way.
The story is basically about three different students pursuing theatre at a fancy high school arts academy called CAPA: David, Sarah, and another character I don't really want to name because of spoilers. At CAPA, they have a weird theatre class called Trust Exercises taught by Mr. Kingsley. Starting in this class, a romance starts to bloom between David and Sarah, but it fizzles because of mixed love styles and lack of communication - they're teenagers! At some point in the middle of the school year, CAPA hosts a handful of English high school actors and their teacher, Martin. There's quite a bit of hooking up between the CAPA folks and the English folks. The book looks at these events themselves, then also looks at the impact of those events on our main characters in the future.
What results is a fascinating look at the subjective experience of our main characters on what we think is objective reality. It's an incredibly engaging puzzle with a powerful emotional punch that feels very relevant to today.
To anyone reading this: have patience! I started Trust Exercise by rolling my eyes a bit. The prose feels excessive and overdramatic. It's annoying but (a) you get used to it, and (b) there is a meaning and a reason behind it. If you're patient and read this book all the way through, you'll get answers and you'll get more wrapped up in the story.
My favorite element of Trust Exercise was the characters. You get such a strong sense of the characters, their viewpoints, and their experiences. I just finished reading The Hunger Games, which I very much enjoyed, but hated the flatness of the characters. Trust Exercise felt worlds apart. I felt I really got to know Sarah, David, and this nameless character. They aren't always likable, they don't always do the best stuff, but I ultimately felt a strong connection, understanding, and affection for all of them. But I didn't feel that right away!
I also loved the way the subjective experience of the characters played into the story. No character seems completely honest, but, by the end, you understand why the characters are duplicitous. It felt so real, too, and satisfying as a puzzle.
While the writing frustrated me at first, I really grew to appreciate what the author was doing. The style changes as the book progresses, and I enjoyed and was impressed by what the author did with that style shift. A very enjoyable book to read.
Most powerfully, there was the exploration of sexuality and, specifically, sexual misconduct. Holy moly, that blew me away. Just getting the perspective of female characters dealing with sex with some unsavory people was eye-opening and painful but also important. There were times where I thought "I don't want to exist in this character right now" because of how painful some of the depictions of the way women are treated and experience society. It's tough, but that's what makes the message of the book so strong. There are depictions of some powerful men, powerful through age/position/experience, taking advantage of young girls. It's hard to read sometimes as it's happening, but Trust Exercise also shows you the affect that abuse takes on characters well into the future. It changes people's lives, even when it sometimes feels like no big deal. Some spoilers:
Spoiler
Mr. Kingsley and Martin are such pieces of shit. They abuse their position and their position as mentors to completely take advantage of their students. It's disgusting. Sometimes, you don't even see this abuse directly, but you see how strongly it gets to the emotions and thoughts of your main characters. It's really messed up, but I'm glad that this book illustrates it. It at least helped me to better understand what women in general go through, but also what women who have been abused by these powerful men go through.I absolutely loved Trust Exercise. It's been nominated for the National Book Award, and it feels very deserving to me. I'd recommend this to anyone. Be warned: it takes some patience. Sometimes it will feel overdramatic. It's also a potentially painful or triggering read. But it's worthwhile and engaging in the strongest possible way.
sarahbrown_6's review
challenging
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
amlibera's review against another edition
4.0
What a fascinating novel. a fascinating meditation on memory and consent and storytelling. It will also feel deeply and scarily familiar to anyone who was a serious theater kid in the 1980s. It also has a complex, tricky narrative structure that promises just a bit more than it delivers. There are holes in the story that I wish were filled even though that the premise has a kind of a permission structure for why they aren't.