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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I honestly expected so much more. Yes, it was a more unique take on a school shorting book from the few that I have read, but it really was not my favorite. I couldn’t really connect or fall in love with any of the characters! A comparison to the breakfast club is a huge stretch, in my opinion. I liked the changing POV and the changing writing styles, but that was about it.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Posted at Down the Rabbit Hole blog
Rating: 3.5 stars
Shooter unites four (potentially 5) very unique narrative voices in a story that touches on loss, academic pressures and familial responsibilities. Initially, I thought this was going to be a scary, suspenseful mystery on the school shooter, and yes, it totally is that. But it was also so much more.
I at first came in thinking it would be a similar kinda read like [b:Are You Still There|25361860|Are You Still There|Sarah Lynn Scheerger|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1429066883s/25361860.jpg|45105448] which I read last year. In some ways, it definitely had that kinda vibe. However, there are so many more protagonists in Shooter and their own unique back stories that I'm not sure it's fair to really compare the two to each other.
Each voice was very distinctive and true to that character. They weren't simply cliched personalities I've read many times over in many other books. Alice can't be simply narrowed down to "that book-ish Nerd Girl who can't handle herself in the real world outside of her books". Likewise, Hogan isn't just the "jock with no brain and a tragic past to overcome". Or Isabelle as the "popular It-Girl who cares about herself only" (although it sure seemed like she fit this portrayal very accurately at first).
Trapped in the men's washroom while on lockdown, these 5 characters got to know each other a little better, maybe in a way that no one ever took the time to know them in this way before, all because of a shooter let loose in school building. So for the first half of the story, it wasn't so much focused on the mysterious person shooting up the school. It was on these people who really didn't "know" each other at all, even after so many years of school together. It was learning about what made them tick, what uncertainties they were facing at the end of high school, and just how much they had in common with each other no matter how different they were on the outside.
Alice was probably my favourite voice. This may be due to the fact that I associate myself most with her. I'm not as introverted, but she was also not just a simple cliche. She may love her book facts (that no one else cared about) and could care less about social media or school spirit but she had courage when it came to protecting her autistic brother Noah.
The way the other characters saw each other made them seem more real, like we as readers get the full glimpse of who they were because we can see the subjective (and biased view) they have of themselves and also the objective one from the others as they're practically strangers at the beginning of the story.
Xander, strangely enough, was also another POV I enjoyed immensely. The way he saw the world was very straightforward. He didn't understand social cues very well. He just saw the world through his lens and tried to capture not the good and "positive" aspects of life, but also the negatives which make life all the more real. He captured the honest moments we have that sometimes are easier to deny than to deal with. The way the author described his photographed pictures of each of the characters trapped in the washroom with him truly captivated me, probably making it my favourite part of the whole story.
Through learning to understanding each other, these 5 protagonists captured my heart. I gobbled the story in one sitting. It was deep in certain ways. They all had something they were dealing with, something pressing on their hearts. Their lives weren't perfect, weren't simple. I couldn't believe the supposed time span of the whole novel was only an hour. There was so much grit, so much heartfelt conversations that took place in that time period. They laid down their masks to show each other what was truly on the inside so that maybe, just maybe, true healing could take place.
And then the next half of the book came learning about who was attacking their school. It wasn't as much of a mystery as I thought it would be. The name of the perp was literally given right in the middle, but it was learning who the person was and why they were doing this that made the story more exciting. Locked away in one of these characters' minds and back stories was the key to figuring out how this day was going to end.
Continuing with the honest voices of each of these characters, Pignat made this novel more than just another bullying story that ended in violence. It was a story that really made these teenagers real and showed the brutal honesty of what high school life can be like. I am so glad that there is such a great Canadian author like her, and I can't wait to see what else she may write in the future.
Overall Recommendation:
Told in 5 very unique and distinctive voices, Pignat made Shooter both a suspenseful story about a shooter let loose in a high school but also one that explored the lives of teenagers that were very different on the outside yet had so much in common once they learned more about each other. I enjoyed the different POVs, but most of all, I loved the way I got to see how such unique people lived with their day-to-day problems. It felt very real, like I could find an Alice or a Xander in my own life. At the end of the day, this novel brought out the honest moments of life as a teenager in high school, something I can still remember pretty clearly. This is one story I won't be forgetting any time soon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
For more of my reviews, check out Down the Rabbit Hole:
Rating: 3.5 stars
Shooter unites four (potentially 5) very unique narrative voices in a story that touches on loss, academic pressures and familial responsibilities. Initially, I thought this was going to be a scary, suspenseful mystery on the school shooter, and yes, it totally is that. But it was also so much more.
I at first came in thinking it would be a similar kinda read like [b:Are You Still There|25361860|Are You Still There|Sarah Lynn Scheerger|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1429066883s/25361860.jpg|45105448] which I read last year. In some ways, it definitely had that kinda vibe. However, there are so many more protagonists in Shooter and their own unique back stories that I'm not sure it's fair to really compare the two to each other.
Each voice was very distinctive and true to that character. They weren't simply cliched personalities I've read many times over in many other books. Alice can't be simply narrowed down to "that book-ish Nerd Girl who can't handle herself in the real world outside of her books". Likewise, Hogan isn't just the "jock with no brain and a tragic past to overcome". Or Isabelle as the "popular It-Girl who cares about herself only" (although it sure seemed like she fit this portrayal very accurately at first).
Trapped in the men's washroom while on lockdown, these 5 characters got to know each other a little better, maybe in a way that no one ever took the time to know them in this way before, all because of a shooter let loose in school building. So for the first half of the story, it wasn't so much focused on the mysterious person shooting up the school. It was on these people who really didn't "know" each other at all, even after so many years of school together. It was learning about what made them tick, what uncertainties they were facing at the end of high school, and just how much they had in common with each other no matter how different they were on the outside.
Alice was probably my favourite voice. This may be due to the fact that I associate myself most with her. I'm not as introverted, but she was also not just a simple cliche. She may love her book facts (that no one else cared about) and could care less about social media or school spirit but she had courage when it came to protecting her autistic brother Noah.
The way the other characters saw each other made them seem more real, like we as readers get the full glimpse of who they were because we can see the subjective (and biased view) they have of themselves and also the objective one from the others as they're practically strangers at the beginning of the story.
Xander, strangely enough, was also another POV I enjoyed immensely. The way he saw the world was very straightforward. He didn't understand social cues very well. He just saw the world through his lens and tried to capture not the good and "positive" aspects of life, but also the negatives which make life all the more real. He captured the honest moments we have that sometimes are easier to deny than to deal with. The way the author described his photographed pictures of each of the characters trapped in the washroom with him truly captivated me, probably making it my favourite part of the whole story.
Through learning to understanding each other, these 5 protagonists captured my heart. I gobbled the story in one sitting. It was deep in certain ways. They all had something they were dealing with, something pressing on their hearts. Their lives weren't perfect, weren't simple. I couldn't believe the supposed time span of the whole novel was only an hour. There was so much grit, so much heartfelt conversations that took place in that time period. They laid down their masks to show each other what was truly on the inside so that maybe, just maybe, true healing could take place.
And then the next half of the book came learning about who was attacking their school. It wasn't as much of a mystery as I thought it would be. The name of the perp was literally given right in the middle, but it was learning who the person was and why they were doing this that made the story more exciting. Locked away in one of these characters' minds and back stories was the key to figuring out how this day was going to end.
Continuing with the honest voices of each of these characters, Pignat made this novel more than just another bullying story that ended in violence. It was a story that really made these teenagers real and showed the brutal honesty of what high school life can be like. I am so glad that there is such a great Canadian author like her, and I can't wait to see what else she may write in the future.
Overall Recommendation:
Told in 5 very unique and distinctive voices, Pignat made Shooter both a suspenseful story about a shooter let loose in a high school but also one that explored the lives of teenagers that were very different on the outside yet had so much in common once they learned more about each other. I enjoyed the different POVs, but most of all, I loved the way I got to see how such unique people lived with their day-to-day problems. It felt very real, like I could find an Alice or a Xander in my own life. At the end of the day, this novel brought out the honest moments of life as a teenager in high school, something I can still remember pretty clearly. This is one story I won't be forgetting any time soon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
For more of my reviews, check out Down the Rabbit Hole:
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An enjoyable story, inspiring to see the breakfast club element in a high stakes situation and how everyone was able to understand each other.
Recommended to me by one of my students.
Written by a Canadian author so some of the names of things were a little different.
The story kept my attention but I didn't think the narrator switching was necessary or helpful most of the time. There were some things that bothered me because they didn't seem plausible (ex: scenes where students were arguing / yelling at each other....during a lockdown) but much of it seemed well researched. Decent YA story.
Written by a Canadian author so some of the names of things were a little different.
The story kept my attention but I didn't think the narrator switching was necessary or helpful most of the time. There were some things that bothered me because they didn't seem plausible (ex: scenes where students were arguing / yelling at each other....during a lockdown) but much of it seemed well researched. Decent YA story.
It took a little while to get started, but once it did, wow was it amazing. The characters were well developed and consistent, but the storyline really drove this book. A great read! 10/10 would recommend.
AMAZING!! SIMPLY AMAZING!!! I freakin loved this book!!! I practically read it through one sitting!!! All the characters were relatable and this book really showed how you can't know a book by its cover. Totally realistic and totally beautiful, this book will steal hearts.
I wrote this in a notes app half at 4am whilst half asleep so please forgive the mess.
I can't decide how I feel about the two autistic-coded characters in this book, Noah and Xander.
On one hand, Noah's chapters were for the most part spot on, though I'm not convinced she actually talked to any autistic people about their experiences; They show the fight-or-flight nature of meltdowns at one point and it's a good way to remind people that hey, autistic people are still people, they have thoughts -- you'd think this would be obvious but unfortunately a lot of people dont get that.
On the other hand, the way they discuss Noah, as well as the entire handling of Xander, makes me very uncomfortable. I can't tell how much of the ableism and misinterpreting was a conscious character-building choice and how much was the author's own opinions making themselves known.
Noah, for the most part, is roughly in-line behaviourally with a lot of of non-verbal autistic people. He stims (though it's only really portrayed as a negative), which is something a lot of authors leave out/aren't aware of, so that's nice. While he's somewhere between non- and semi-verbal during the hour we see, his chapters show that he does have an understanding and inner voice like anyone else, though any kind of AAC mention and usage would have been nice.
The main problem I have with his portrayal is the infantilism, assumption regarding his level of understanding and lucidity (not telling him exactly what's happening is a ridiculous thing to do, at the very least it would help him understand the schedule change and thereby calm him down), misunderstanding of what a meltdown is and the way they actively ignore him and bitch about him as if he isn't there.
And then there's Xander. Although he is never explicitly described autistic he is very obviously autistic-coded, but in the most stereotypical way you could go about it. Alice, in the end, seems to come around and work with his way of thinking, but again there is an awful lot of infantilism. The author very much sticks to the stereotype of autistic people being creepy/violent white boys, which is both untrue and extremely damaging. She went a bit too far trying to make him seem 'weird'.
All in all, the impression I get is that she read a pamphlet, maybe talked to someone who works with autistic people, and made a lot of assumptions, but hasn't actually consulted any autistic people. If she did, it certainly didn't come through.
The story was decent as a whole though, I burned through it in a day. I may recommend it to people, with a disclaimer about the stuff I mentioned earlier.
I can't decide how I feel about the two autistic-coded characters in this book, Noah and Xander.
On one hand, Noah's chapters were for the most part spot on, though I'm not convinced she actually talked to any autistic people about their experiences; They show the fight-or-flight nature of meltdowns at one point and it's a good way to remind people that hey, autistic people are still people, they have thoughts -- you'd think this would be obvious but unfortunately a lot of people dont get that.
On the other hand, the way they discuss Noah, as well as the entire handling of Xander, makes me very uncomfortable. I can't tell how much of the ableism and misinterpreting was a conscious character-building choice and how much was the author's own opinions making themselves known.
Noah, for the most part, is roughly in-line behaviourally with a lot of of non-verbal autistic people. He stims (though it's only really portrayed as a negative), which is something a lot of authors leave out/aren't aware of, so that's nice. While he's somewhere between non- and semi-verbal during the hour we see, his chapters show that he does have an understanding and inner voice like anyone else, though any kind of AAC mention and usage would have been nice.
The main problem I have with his portrayal is the infantilism, assumption regarding his level of understanding and lucidity (not telling him exactly what's happening is a ridiculous thing to do, at the very least it would help him understand the schedule change and thereby calm him down), misunderstanding of what a meltdown is and the way they actively ignore him and bitch about him as if he isn't there.
And then there's Xander. Although he is never explicitly described autistic he is very obviously autistic-coded, but in the most stereotypical way you could go about it. Alice, in the end, seems to come around and work with his way of thinking, but again there is an awful lot of infantilism. The author very much sticks to the stereotype of autistic people being creepy/violent white boys, which is both untrue and extremely damaging. She went a bit too far trying to make him seem 'weird'.
All in all, the impression I get is that she read a pamphlet, maybe talked to someone who works with autistic people, and made a lot of assumptions, but hasn't actually consulted any autistic people. If she did, it certainly didn't come through.
The story was decent as a whole though, I burned through it in a day. I may recommend it to people, with a disclaimer about the stuff I mentioned earlier.
*I received a free advanced readers copy from a goodreads give away*
This dark story was beautifully told, and the depth of the character development was very impressive, they all seemed complex without becoming unrealistic. All teen issues seemed to be encompassed in this book from social awkwardness to the reality of teen depression, and a range of other mental health issues, and all of them were handled with surprising grace, especially considering the length of the novel and how jam packed it is. Its suspenseful, and emotional and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thrilling contemporary or psychology.
This dark story was beautifully told, and the depth of the character development was very impressive, they all seemed complex without becoming unrealistic. All teen issues seemed to be encompassed in this book from social awkwardness to the reality of teen depression, and a range of other mental health issues, and all of them were handled with surprising grace, especially considering the length of the novel and how jam packed it is. Its suspenseful, and emotional and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thrilling contemporary or psychology.