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theseventhl's review against another edition
3.0
As usual, excellent writing and great plot pacing but I really disliked the main character Hayley and how she treats people around her. Personally, I'm tired of MCs who sees everyone as 'zombies and freaks' and simplifies all people around them because their personal problems apparently eclipse how they should treat other human beings.
Also, I HATED that Hayley pretty much saw all other female characters other than her friend as bimbos and trash and hookers. A lot of unchallenged-in-narrative internalized misogyny from an author who is usually better than that. I won't comment on the treatment of PTSD/trauma because I don't have any personal authority on that issue and won't pretend to.
Still, three stars it is. Not a wholly bad book, just not what I was looking forward to.
Edit: I think Khanh's review hit it square on the head re: all the problems I have with this book, even if her review is a star lower than mine.
Also, I HATED that Hayley pretty much saw all other female characters other than her friend as bimbos and trash and hookers. A lot of unchallenged-in-narrative internalized misogyny from an author who is usually better than that. I won't comment on the treatment of PTSD/trauma because I don't have any personal authority on that issue and won't pretend to.
Still, three stars it is. Not a wholly bad book, just not what I was looking forward to.
Edit: I think Khanh's review hit it square on the head re: all the problems I have with this book, even if her review is a star lower than mine.
xlovelylaurencalistax's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't bad. It wasn't great. There was no actual plot and that was frustrating in itself.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
3.0
I was very excited about this book because I love Laurie Halse Anderson. To review this book, however, I really need to separate her from it, because I feel bad saying that I didn't like it. If I ignore the fact that one of my favorite authors wrote it, it's much easier to say things like I loved the plot but thought the book didn't go far enough with it. I think it's a cop out to write about such a hard subject, especially coming from that background herself, and then wrap it up in such a pretty "everything is going to be okay" bow at the end. All of the little jokes and comic relief throughout seemed forced, and the whole vibe of the school and boyfriend and friend parts of the book were off. I just kept thinking how obvious it was that an "old person" was writing the book. There was such an assortment of quirky details involving the school that it felt like Anderson took a bunch of letters from her fans and sifted out interesting details and threw them all in one book. It all just felt wrong. As I was saying, though, I feel that if you're going to write about such a hard subject as PTSD and depression you should take it and go all the way with it, not just show a few hard bits and make nice at the end. I should feel destroyed right now, but instead I just said "meh" and moved on to the next book.
lillie_robinson's review against another edition
5.0
Read this one for my Literature for Young Adults class! The theme was "All the dark places" of which I had never heard of any of the books on the list. I chose this book just because I had read Speak way back when (another wonderful story). Reading through the descriptions of the books was a little depressing and as I am not the biggest fan of contemporary, I wasn't incredibly excited about this assignment. But I am so glad that I picked this one! It was sad but absolutely beautiful at the same time.
Anyways, this book follows a girl and her dad who is dealing with PTSD from the Afganistan/Iran war. While the book didn't focus directly on the war, I enjoyed reading about the people who fought. I was wayyyyyy too young to understand what was happening during that time period so to understand what it was like for him and his family just gave me a great appreciation for those who fought.
And can I just OMG the ending! It was wrapped up in one of those "life was like this right after..." which was a little weak but also gave enough closure on all the characters that I had gotten attached to in just one day. But I also want more! I want to know what happens a year down the road and more of Finn and Hayley.
Anyways, a book that made me think, feel, and enjoy the good and bad in life. Anderson is a wonderful writer and deals with important topics. Highly recommend everyone check her out!
Anyways, this book follows a girl and her dad who is dealing with PTSD from the Afganistan/Iran war. While the book didn't focus directly on the war, I enjoyed reading about the people who fought. I was wayyyyyy too young to understand what was happening during that time period so to understand what it was like for him and his family just gave me a great appreciation for those who fought.
And can I just OMG the ending! It was wrapped up in one of those "life was like this right after..." which was a little weak but also gave enough closure on all the characters that I had gotten attached to in just one day. But I also want more! I want to know what happens a year down the road and more of Finn and Hayley.
Anyways, a book that made me think, feel, and enjoy the good and bad in life. Anderson is a wonderful writer and deals with important topics. Highly recommend everyone check her out!
janewhitehurst's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the writing as Laurie Halse Anderson ja too-notch, but the story was a bit flat for me. I felt the main character, a high schooler who is taking care of a father with PTSD, started out extremely rough around the edges and by chapter 3 completely lost that edge. She falls in love with a nice classmate who tries to help her deal with her baggage and mentally ill father. I think the story was decent but just wasn't as consistent as I would have liked.
norastar's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
eatingwords's review against another edition
5.0
It is almost 4.30 a.m. and I just finished reading this wonderful book. I'm also still sniffing a bit because this book made me cry. Quite a bit.
I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the synopsis. Having read Wintergirls and Speak by [a:Laurie Halse Anderson|10003|Laurie Halse Anderson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1376224335p2/10003.jpg] and loved them both, I knew that I would love The Impossible Knife of Memory as well.
I loved Hayley. She had blue hair, was witty and sarcastic and her love and loyalty towards her dad was heart-wrenching and I loved that about her. How she always put her Dad first, no matter what. Although it should have been the other way around, he should have been there for her, she sucked it up and still did what she thought was the right thing to do. Her character grows a lot throughout the story and I loved every aspect of her.
Andy was a veteran. I haven't read anything like that before and I don't know much about PTSD, but I thought that his behaviour was portrayed very well. How he stayed in his bedroom for days, how he woke up in the middle of the night screaming, how he took drugs to compensate and forget what had happened in the war. I felt miserable for him as well as for Hayley, who had both this burden to carry.
Finn was adorable. He was fun and easy-going and his humor was fantastic. He had always a comment at the ready, but as the story progressed there was more depth to him than being cute and funny. He had his own problems that he had to deal with.
The writing was, as I knew it would be, phenomenal. This story was portrayed from a seventeen-year-old girl and it was authentic and seemed real and I loved how several things were described. It was as if Anderson painted the words into my head and what poured out was my imagination of the story, the characters, the emotions, the plot, the setting.
I enjoyed reading this book so much, it was definitely a rollercoaster ride which made me smile, then laugh at times and then also cry almost constantly throughout the last fifty pages.
I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the synopsis. Having read Wintergirls and Speak by [a:Laurie Halse Anderson|10003|Laurie Halse Anderson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1376224335p2/10003.jpg] and loved them both, I knew that I would love The Impossible Knife of Memory as well.
I loved Hayley. She had blue hair, was witty and sarcastic and her love and loyalty towards her dad was heart-wrenching and I loved that about her. How she always put her Dad first, no matter what. Although it should have been the other way around, he should have been there for her, she sucked it up and still did what she thought was the right thing to do. Her character grows a lot throughout the story and I loved every aspect of her.
Andy was a veteran. I haven't read anything like that before and I don't know much about PTSD, but I thought that his behaviour was portrayed very well. How he stayed in his bedroom for days, how he woke up in the middle of the night screaming, how he took drugs to compensate and forget what had happened in the war. I felt miserable for him as well as for Hayley, who had both this burden to carry.
Finn was adorable. He was fun and easy-going and his humor was fantastic. He had always a comment at the ready, but as the story progressed there was more depth to him than being cute and funny. He had his own problems that he had to deal with.
The writing was, as I knew it would be, phenomenal. This story was portrayed from a seventeen-year-old girl and it was authentic and seemed real and I loved how several things were described. It was as if Anderson painted the words into my head and what poured out was my imagination of the story, the characters, the emotions, the plot, the setting.
I enjoyed reading this book so much, it was definitely a rollercoaster ride which made me smile, then laugh at times and then also cry almost constantly throughout the last fifty pages.
420blazeit's review against another edition
5.0
this went over so many issues. the main character's train of thought was so beautifully and interestingly written. all these characters were shaped so well. Laurie Halse Anderson is such a good writer <3