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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Where should i start?
First thing first TW: Abuse, Mental illness i think those are the two major ones. If you intend to read do your research.
This my first time reading a book written that way, i was scared that the story wouldn’t be told or that it’ll be incomprehensible and i was surprised.
I have not yet read a book that made me ache so much. There’s so much in this book that i understand, so much that i discovered. There so many relatable thing that i went through, that i see laid down in the pages. I keep changing my mind on who to support, who to warn. Sometimes forgetting that it’s a book. It was getting worst and there’s nothing i could do to prevent it. I felt powerless and it hurts so so bad. I keep telling them that they were kids, they shouldn’t be carrying all that, but it was just a book. Sometimes you go through stuff in your life not realising how bad it was, than you go read a book that makes you understand and it all comes back. Here i am 15 years later crying after reading it. I had to put the book down several time because it was too much and i couldn’t handle. But i would go back to it minutes later cause i had to know even if i already knew. I also didn’t see some things coming, who i thought was in love with who first not until Rina pointed it out, now looking back at it i should have known. There’s an ache, a pressure on my chest that hasn’t left me even when i finished the book, i just want to pick it up again.
The part i always like about fav stuff in book gonna be different for this one, this is a different book. I love the kids from this book and i don’t want to pick favorite but the twins do what they had to do and admire the way they tried to be there. The adults
First thing first TW: Abuse, Mental illness i think those are the two major ones. If you intend to read do your research.
This my first time reading a book written that way, i was scared that the story wouldn’t be told or that it’ll be incomprehensible and i was surprised.
I have not yet read a book that made me ache so much. There’s so much in this book that i understand, so much that i discovered. There so many relatable thing that i went through, that i see laid down in the pages. I keep changing my mind on who to support, who to warn. Sometimes forgetting that it’s a book. It was getting worst and there’s nothing i could do to prevent it. I felt powerless and it hurts so so bad. I keep telling them that they were kids, they shouldn’t be carrying all that, but it was just a book. Sometimes you go through stuff in your life not realising how bad it was, than you go read a book that makes you understand and it all comes back. Here i am 15 years later crying after reading it. I had to put the book down several time because it was too much and i couldn’t handle. But i would go back to it minutes later cause i had to know even if i already knew. I also didn’t see some things coming, who i thought was in love with who first not until Rina pointed it out, now looking back at it i should have known. There’s an ache, a pressure on my chest that hasn’t left me even when i finished the book, i just want to pick it up again.
The part i always like about fav stuff in book gonna be different for this one, this is a different book. I love the kids from this book and i don’t want to pick favorite but the twins do what they had to do and admire the way they tried to be there. The adults
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
10/6/24 Reread - I still feel the same about this book. Absolutely incredible and has blown my mind for a second time.
I cannot put into words how this book made me feel. But I was worried, and I cried and I love August and Jack with my whole heart. And Kayla's authors note at the end broke me. Thank you, for this masterpiece.
I cannot put into words how this book made me feel. But I was worried, and I cried and I love August and Jack with my whole heart. And Kayla's authors note at the end broke me. Thank you, for this masterpiece.
3 stars. This was strange. It follows August who is madly in love with his friend Jack, but doesn’t understand his feelings for him. It’s a super slow burn, too, which is both lovely and frustrating. Jack, however, is beginning to see hallucinations, and somehow talks August into partaking in a fantastical adventure that should resolve his hallucinations—like I said: it’s weird. The writing was interesting and different. It was quick and enjoyable.
“Would you burn for me?”
A re-read of the most beloved book in my life. Re-reads are weird, especially when you aren’t in the same place you were when you first read it; you often find yourself wondering what you saw in it the first time. This book is the opposite: I see so much more in it than I did the first time… maybe that’s just a side effect of growing up.
I read this book for the first time in the ninth grade, and it had such a massive impact on me. Unfortunately, I relate to August a bit too much. So much that I almost made my name August.
I still relate to him, but it’s different now: nostalgia is a funny thing. I’m older than him now. I’ve graduated from the age range this book is for, and I felt a little silly reading it again, in all honesty, but this book means so much to me that I don’t really care.
K. Ancrum (my goodreads friend, literally what is life), thank you for this novel. You’ve changed my life with your words, and have inspired me to do the same for someone else.
A re-read of the most beloved book in my life. Re-reads are weird, especially when you aren’t in the same place you were when you first read it; you often find yourself wondering what you saw in it the first time. This book is the opposite: I see so much more in it than I did the first time… maybe that’s just a side effect of growing up.
I read this book for the first time in the ninth grade, and it had such a massive impact on me. Unfortunately, I relate to August a bit too much. So much that I almost made my name August.
I still relate to him, but it’s different now: nostalgia is a funny thing. I’m older than him now. I’ve graduated from the age range this book is for, and I felt a little silly reading it again, in all honesty, but this book means so much to me that I don’t really care.
K. Ancrum (my goodreads friend, literally what is life), thank you for this novel. You’ve changed my life with your words, and have inspired me to do the same for someone else.
OKAY WOW
That wasn't what I was expecting at all. Any of it. Just. WHAT.
mind blown
Honestly I was wavering around 3 stars for most of this book but the last 30 pages? Definitely bumped it to 4.5 stars. This is great.
The Wicker King is about 2 high school boys, Jack and August. Jack has developed a hallucinatory disorder where he begins to see things that aren't there, and it's gradually getting worse. Instead of urging him to seek help, August tries to help him by playing along with what Jack is seeing, but eventually even August isn't sure what's real and what is not.
This novel is strange, it is dark, and will have you questioning until the end. Yet it also addresses the very real, very serious issues of abusive and codependent relationships, parental neglect, and mental illness, and speaks to what can happen if these issues are left unresolved. It reminded me a bit of [a:Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg]'s Wayward Children series, in this way. Honestly, I am completely blown away by the amount of MESSAGE that has been conveyed through this story, and I really feel like this book has the power to change lives.
For instance, the dedication: "This book is dedicated to all the kids whose arms are filled with too much for them to hold, but who are trying their best not to drop a single thing. I see you and I am proud of you for trying."
And the author's note?? BRUH. There are so many people (young people especially) that need something like this. This is a message that so many need to hear, and they may not otherwise. While it is technically just a simple piece of fiction, it is also so much more.
Bravo [a:K. Ancrum|16371347|K. Ancrum|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1487783334p2/16371347.jpg]. And thank you.
That wasn't what I was expecting at all. Any of it. Just. WHAT.
mind blown
Honestly I was wavering around 3 stars for most of this book but the last 30 pages? Definitely bumped it to 4.5 stars. This is great.
The Wicker King is about 2 high school boys, Jack and August. Jack has developed a hallucinatory disorder where he begins to see things that aren't there, and it's gradually getting worse. Instead of urging him to seek help, August tries to help him by playing along with what Jack is seeing, but eventually even August isn't sure what's real and what is not.
This novel is strange, it is dark, and will have you questioning until the end. Yet it also addresses the very real, very serious issues of abusive and codependent relationships, parental neglect, and mental illness, and speaks to what can happen if these issues are left unresolved. It reminded me a bit of [a:Seanan McGuire|2860219|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg]'s Wayward Children series, in this way. Honestly, I am completely blown away by the amount of MESSAGE that has been conveyed through this story, and I really feel like this book has the power to change lives.
For instance, the dedication: "This book is dedicated to all the kids whose arms are filled with too much for them to hold, but who are trying their best not to drop a single thing. I see you and I am proud of you for trying."
And the author's note?? BRUH. There are so many people (young people especially) that need something like this. This is a message that so many need to hear, and they may not otherwise. While it is technically just a simple piece of fiction, it is also so much more.
Bravo [a:K. Ancrum|16371347|K. Ancrum|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1487783334p2/16371347.jpg]. And thank you.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was beautiful...and haunting. I read it in one sitting after getting sucked in and not realizing how quickly I was making my way through it. Even for a shorter book, it felt so full and rich, with characters that do not seek permission to be the messy, real characters they are.
This story is achingly human. I found myself stopping to say, out loud, “DAMN, I want to write stories that make other people feel the way this one makes me feel...”
The concept here is so unique and intriguing—and so different. This is the kind of narrative that I wish the publishing industry would take more chances on. It was a painfully honest examination of the human condition, of our society’s dismissal of mental health, and of the ways in which people cope with their demons.
I don’t want to say too much about the book beyond that, because it honestly speaks for itself, from the first line to the last. This author’s prose is both lyrical and realistic, but grounded and full of fancy. It’s all of the best elements of Benjamin Saenz and Patrick Ness, with a dose of Maggie Stiefvater, but ultimately a whole new style that is this author’s very own.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
This story is achingly human. I found myself stopping to say, out loud, “DAMN, I want to write stories that make other people feel the way this one makes me feel...”
The concept here is so unique and intriguing—and so different. This is the kind of narrative that I wish the publishing industry would take more chances on. It was a painfully honest examination of the human condition, of our society’s dismissal of mental health, and of the ways in which people cope with their demons.
I don’t want to say too much about the book beyond that, because it honestly speaks for itself, from the first line to the last. This author’s prose is both lyrical and realistic, but grounded and full of fancy. It’s all of the best elements of Benjamin Saenz and Patrick Ness, with a dose of Maggie Stiefvater, but ultimately a whole new style that is this author’s very own.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Well it's 3 a.m., my cheeks are stained with tears, and I want to hold this book to my chest and feel my heart beat and breathe for a while.
To think I almost did not buy it - did not read it because it was a thriller, not my usual genre. I only picked it up because I wanted to read outside what I usually do. Already I was rewarded for it because this book. This book.
I lack the words. It made my heart race. The language captured me but more so Jack's and August's relationship, their intense dynamic, every character in this book. So broken and so strange, so beautiful and so lively. What a masterpiece. I'm starstruck and honestly, my eyes hurt from crying, which hasn't happened from a story in a while. Also, in all my emotions I have to say that the masterful layout and editing of this book is what brings it to life even more so. It is outstanding.
This book took all my senses, yanked them into its grasp, unravelled my heart, and spun it back together all in a single night.
To think I almost did not buy it - did not read it because it was a thriller, not my usual genre. I only picked it up because I wanted to read outside what I usually do. Already I was rewarded for it because this book. This book.
I lack the words. It made my heart race. The language captured me but more so Jack's and August's relationship, their intense dynamic, every character in this book. So broken and so strange, so beautiful and so lively. What a masterpiece. I'm starstruck and honestly, my eyes hurt from crying, which hasn't happened from a story in a while. Also, in all my emotions I have to say that the masterful layout and editing of this book is what brings it to life even more so. It is outstanding.
This book took all my senses, yanked them into its grasp, unravelled my heart, and spun it back together all in a single night.
the first 40% blew me away, couldn't put the book down. then i got into a reading slump and i had to force myself to read it. The second half was just meh. I think i was extremely frustrated that everything could have been avoided if they hadn't ignored / trivialized the mental illness. also the two protagonist's relationship is super unhealthy and it really annoyed me. all in all i think this book had a lot of potential but sadly didn't really make any of it. to end on a positive note - the design of the book is actually stunning, maybe one of the best i've ever seen: in the beginning the pages are white with black writing, then as Jack spirals into his mental illness the pages turn grey and when it gets worse the pages are black with white writing. looks really cool!