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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
If this is a messy review I'm sorry, I have too many emotions to form a coherent review. Just know that this is a special book that will stay with me for a long time.
I'm in tears and my heart feels so heavy. This book hit me hard, like a punch to the chest. This is an extremely heavy book but its entirely worth the read. The way mental illness is portrayed within this is, in my opinion, so well done. I actually have personal experience of delusions and hallucinations so at times this was tough for me to read but the characters were so well done and well developed. The actual format of this was so unique, there were drawings and mix tapes and the actual pages get darker the further into the story you get which really hits home the descent into Jack's illness. I also need to express how much I loved and appreciated the authors note, I needed to hear what she wrote and I am so grateful.
I'm in tears and my heart feels so heavy. This book hit me hard, like a punch to the chest. This is an extremely heavy book but its entirely worth the read. The way mental illness is portrayed within this is, in my opinion, so well done. I actually have personal experience of delusions and hallucinations so at times this was tough for me to read but the characters were so well done and well developed. The actual format of this was so unique, there were drawings and mix tapes and the actual pages get darker the further into the story you get which really hits home the descent into Jack's illness. I also need to express how much I loved and appreciated the authors note, I needed to hear what she wrote and I am so grateful.
The prompt blinking above this review asks me what I think, but thinking is logic and right now I'm just pulsing waves of feeling.
First off let me thank the publisher and net galley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. The forthcoming reactions are personal and my own and they do not challenge or diminish anyone else's feelings about their reading experience.
The short, simple statement is that I loved it. I will probably reread this several times and cradle the bound paper and ink version when I get my hands on it. The Wicker King is very much a darker, more grown up parallel to The Bridge to Terebethia and God help me I think I love this one more than one of my childhood staples.
The format is not going to be for everyone, and that's okay. The chapters are short some of them only a page long, and they have a very "free association" feel to them. My interpretation as I was reading was that it was August writing things down, recalling and reexperiencing the events in spastic flares, some of them short and abstract, others long and detailed, all of it about what in this experience mattered to him. The format makes sense to me, because it's puzzling together a story that dissolves into craziness and broken minds and spirits. Something about it made me focus in more on the reading, made my heart race because I could feel the clock ticking down. I absolutely fell with ease into the structure, but that's just me.
For the first few chapters I was wary about the characters. Even though the story is told from August's narrative it felt like Jack was the only fully formed character, the only one I was going to care about. I was wrong. August is, as many others call him, a complex character. But in dealing with Jack's hallucinations, he is experiencing hid own descent into instability, into issues that have been blooming under his skin always and don't all wrap around his best friend. What he is willing to do for this other person in the name of a world he himself cannot say is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. August is not a bad guy. He's a child that had to grow up and step up against dire circumstances unfinished and without guidence. He uses people sometimes, because he's just trying to survive, not because he thrives on hurting those around him. And Jack...Jack's experience is goosebump inducing and quotes from him made me burst into tears more than once. I also really fell in love with Rina. My only wish is that we'd seen even more of her because her openness and wisdom and being a safe space until it was time to close the door added something I can't explain but utterly cherished.
I can't say more without fear of accidentally trekking into spoiler-y depths, but ugh that's only the tip of my emotional iceburg. I love Jack and August's relationship, even during the times when I was questioning whether it was more harmful than helpful to them and the sense of "found family" in this book gave me moments of warmth between the tear jerk moments.
First off let me thank the publisher and net galley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. The forthcoming reactions are personal and my own and they do not challenge or diminish anyone else's feelings about their reading experience.
The short, simple statement is that I loved it. I will probably reread this several times and cradle the bound paper and ink version when I get my hands on it. The Wicker King is very much a darker, more grown up parallel to The Bridge to Terebethia and God help me I think I love this one more than one of my childhood staples.
The format is not going to be for everyone, and that's okay. The chapters are short some of them only a page long, and they have a very "free association" feel to them. My interpretation as I was reading was that it was August writing things down, recalling and reexperiencing the events in spastic flares, some of them short and abstract, others long and detailed, all of it about what in this experience mattered to him. The format makes sense to me, because it's puzzling together a story that dissolves into craziness and broken minds and spirits. Something about it made me focus in more on the reading, made my heart race because I could feel the clock ticking down. I absolutely fell with ease into the structure, but that's just me.
For the first few chapters I was wary about the characters. Even though the story is told from August's narrative it felt like Jack was the only fully formed character, the only one I was going to care about. I was wrong. August is, as many others call him, a complex character. But in dealing with Jack's hallucinations, he is experiencing hid own descent into instability, into issues that have been blooming under his skin always and don't all wrap around his best friend. What he is willing to do for this other person in the name of a world he himself cannot say is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. August is not a bad guy. He's a child that had to grow up and step up against dire circumstances unfinished and without guidence. He uses people sometimes, because he's just trying to survive, not because he thrives on hurting those around him. And Jack...Jack's experience is goosebump inducing and quotes from him made me burst into tears more than once. I also really fell in love with Rina. My only wish is that we'd seen even more of her because her openness and wisdom and being a safe space until it was time to close the door added something I can't explain but utterly cherished.
I can't say more without fear of accidentally trekking into spoiler-y depths, but ugh that's only the tip of my emotional iceburg. I love Jack and August's relationship, even during the times when I was questioning whether it was more harmful than helpful to them and the sense of "found family" in this book gave me moments of warmth between the tear jerk moments.
This book was an emotional rollercoaster. This is a multimedia story told from August's point of view. I definitely recommend picking up a print copy of this - there are illustrations throughout the story and the pages darken as the mental illness progresses. Which really adds to the story in my opinion!
What I Liked
1. This was a really intense but wonderful representation of mental illness. K Ancrum clearly did lots of research. And the pacing and writing style just added to the intensity. I felt anxious and on the edge of my seat the entire time. Definitely make sure you are in a headspace to handle these topics, they could be very triggering.
2. I became very attached to August. I want to step into the story and hug and protect him. It was so hard to read about him taking on everything on his own.
3. The relationship between Rina, August, and Jack was handled beautifully. This is a type of relationship I personally can't relate to but fell in love with anyways.
What I Didn't Like
1. I found the story mildly confusing for the first half. The story is written in third person from August's pov and I didn't realize until over half way through that he was an unreliable narrator. So some of the scenes made little sense and I didn't know why.
2. August and Jack have a very intense, codependent relationship that I had a hard time connecting with it at first. And at times their relationship felt mildly abusive and unhealthy.
What I Liked
1. This was a really intense but wonderful representation of mental illness. K Ancrum clearly did lots of research. And the pacing and writing style just added to the intensity. I felt anxious and on the edge of my seat the entire time. Definitely make sure you are in a headspace to handle these topics, they could be very triggering.
2. I became very attached to August. I want to step into the story and hug and protect him. It was so hard to read about him taking on everything on his own.
3. The relationship between Rina, August, and Jack was handled beautifully. This is a type of relationship I personally can't relate to but fell in love with anyways.
What I Didn't Like
1. I found the story mildly confusing for the first half. The story is written in third person from August's pov and I didn't realize until over half way through that he was an unreliable narrator. So some of the scenes made little sense and I didn't know why.
2. August and Jack have a very intense, codependent relationship that I had a hard time connecting with it at first. And at times their relationship felt mildly abusive and unhealthy.
This book was WEIRD in such a great way! The BEST way!
Things I liked:
-K. Ancrum's 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."
-The cover???? is stunning???? I want to make a whole video dissecting it with spoilers.
-The narrator is Charlie Thurston and he has a lovely voice! He seems to be an actor too, maybe? Unless its a name coincidence. But I haven't seen him in anything so thankfully his voice was just for The Wicker King for me :)
-I loved the mixed media aspects of the physical book, even if they are cut out of the audiobook. It makes sense, I get it. I'm just glad I had the physical book too!
-The characters were so flawed and August and Jack were holding on to one another SO HARD.
-I know whenever I reread it I will enjoy it even more and I am excited for that!
Things I didn't like:
-I didn't like how there was so much of the ending at the beginning? There was no more mystery by the end.
Things I liked:
-K. Ancrum's 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."
-The cover???? is stunning???? I want to make a whole video dissecting it with spoilers.
-The narrator is Charlie Thurston and he has a lovely voice! He seems to be an actor too, maybe? Unless its a name coincidence. But I haven't seen him in anything so thankfully his voice was just for The Wicker King for me :)
-I loved the mixed media aspects of the physical book, even if they are cut out of the audiobook. It makes sense, I get it. I'm just glad I had the physical book too!
-The characters were so flawed and August and Jack were holding on to one another SO HARD.
-I know whenever I reread it I will enjoy it even more and I am excited for that!
Things I didn't like:
-I didn't like how there was so much of the ending at the beginning? There was no more mystery by the end.
Spoiler
But at the same time it WORKS because it shows us that reality was at the base of everything in this book! We lose reality through this book and finally at the end it snaps back to us!
Before I get into the review I'm going to start of by saying their this book needs a big trigger warning. Please do not read this book if you are not on a good state of mind. Okay with that, let's get into the actual review.
This book was very confusing for, i didn't understand what was happening half of the time. The whole book felt like a puzzle that no matter how hard you try you can't piece together. This is honestly one of the few books in which i didn't connect to the story of the characters. I kept hoping that as i kept reading i would start connecting to the characters or the story but it just didn't happen for me. I was in pain but not because the book made me cry, it was a sad book, but because the MC characters wasn't getting better they were getting worse. I understand that this is the way things go with mental illnesses sometimes but it still was painful for me to read. Also jack..... Was i supposed to be rooting for Jack and August to get together? Because I honestly wasn't. I understand that they are both going through terrible situations but that doesn't and shouldn't justify what was essentially an assistive relationship. I can't fit for that. Honestly the only reason that i gave this book a 1.5/5 and not a 1/5 is because of the mental illnesses representation. Other then that i did not enjoy this book and it isn't one that i would willingly read again.
This book was very confusing for, i didn't understand what was happening half of the time. The whole book felt like a puzzle that no matter how hard you try you can't piece together. This is honestly one of the few books in which i didn't connect to the story of the characters. I kept hoping that as i kept reading i would start connecting to the characters or the story but it just didn't happen for me. I was in pain but not because the book made me cry, it was a sad book, but because the MC characters wasn't getting better they were getting worse. I understand that this is the way things go with mental illnesses sometimes but it still was painful for me to read. Also jack..... Was i supposed to be rooting for Jack and August to get together? Because I honestly wasn't. I understand that they are both going through terrible situations but that doesn't and shouldn't justify what was essentially an assistive relationship. I can't fit for that. Honestly the only reason that i gave this book a 1.5/5 and not a 1/5 is because of the mental illnesses representation. Other then that i did not enjoy this book and it isn't one that i would willingly read again.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mmm, this is one of those books that I'll be thinking about for a long time.