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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
I've been sitting with this book for about a day or 2 to figure out how I feel about this book. I feel like it is a better a 13 reasons why, but I also feel like this story could be done better. The biggest draw of this book is how the music is linked to the book. Or how I thought it would be. But the music doesn't add anything. The lyrics aren't in the book. The music doesn't explain anything or add anything to the book.
I don't know. I feel like I wanted more of a look into Hayden. I wanted the music to give me that. I wanted the Athena story to give me that. But I left the book not feeling like I knew Hayden. Personally I feel like I can't fully understand Sam and his reaction to the suicide unless I understand who Hayden was. But I don't get that from the book.
I had really high hopes for this book. I like this story a lot. I just left the book feeling a little disappointed that the music didn't really add much to the story. I also feel like the character development left a little to be desired.
I don't know. I feel like I wanted more of a look into Hayden. I wanted the music to give me that. I wanted the Athena story to give me that. But I left the book not feeling like I knew Hayden. Personally I feel like I can't fully understand Sam and his reaction to the suicide unless I understand who Hayden was. But I don't get that from the book.
I had really high hopes for this book. I like this story a lot. I just left the book feeling a little disappointed that the music didn't really add much to the story. I also feel like the character development left a little to be desired.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really a 3.5. I wanted it to be a four star read, but it was all a bit too tidy at the end
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
I finished this two hours ago and made the mistake of going on TikTok. Loved the book though.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I first saw the concept of this book I was immediately drawn to it. I hadn't seen another book use music in the way this book seemed to, and the concept definitely reminded me of "13 reasons why". I had high hopes for this book and I finally decided to read it.
While the concept was promising, I feel the execution wasn't there. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book, and I really liked some of the themes it covered, like grief, loss and finding a way to see others points of view. However, I felt like there was a disconnect between the playlist and the story, and for a book that is named "playlist for the dead", I don't feel like there was much emphasis on the playlist and Sam (protagonist) using it to figure out why Hayden decided to end his life. It was used as a way to incorporate memories from the past, which was still valuable to the story, but when you see "For Sam. Listen and you'll understand" on the front cover, it builds up the idea that the playlist is the suicide note and that it tells the story of what lead Hayden to suicide, which in a way it does, just not in the way you would expect.
I still enjoyed this book, and even though it wasn't what I thought it was, I was still able to enjoy the story and it wasn't like I didn't want to finish it. Afterwards I decided to listen to the playlist and I think it added to the experience, it was interesting to hear the music and then seeing how it fit into the story and the characters lives. This book isn't one that I would recommend straight away if someone asked what book they should read, but it isn't something that I would tell people to avoid either. It didn't blow me away, but not all books do, and that's ok. For the young adult genre this book is definitely made for that audience, and though I do like to read books from that genre, I think this book is more suited to new teens (13-15) rather than someone in my age demographic (17-20). Obviously read any trigger warnings surrounding the book as it does contain content about suicide and losing someone.
While the concept was promising, I feel the execution wasn't there. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book, and I really liked some of the themes it covered, like grief, loss and finding a way to see others points of view. However, I felt like there was a disconnect between the playlist and the story, and for a book that is named "playlist for the dead", I don't feel like there was much emphasis on the playlist and Sam (protagonist) using it to figure out why Hayden decided to end his life. It was used as a way to incorporate memories from the past, which was still valuable to the story, but when you see "For Sam. Listen and you'll understand" on the front cover, it builds up the idea that the playlist is the suicide note and that it tells the story of what lead Hayden to suicide, which in a way it does, just not in the way you would expect.
I still enjoyed this book, and even though it wasn't what I thought it was, I was still able to enjoy the story and it wasn't like I didn't want to finish it. Afterwards I decided to listen to the playlist and I think it added to the experience, it was interesting to hear the music and then seeing how it fit into the story and the characters lives. This book isn't one that I would recommend straight away if someone asked what book they should read, but it isn't something that I would tell people to avoid either. It didn't blow me away, but not all books do, and that's ok. For the young adult genre this book is definitely made for that audience, and though I do like to read books from that genre, I think this book is more suited to new teens (13-15) rather than someone in my age demographic (17-20). Obviously read any trigger warnings surrounding the book as it does contain content about suicide and losing someone.
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, Alcohol
This is a book that I think could have been much better than it was - it started promisingly, a young 15 year old goes to visit his best friend after a fight and instead of finding him asleep in bed, finds him dead after he committed suicide, but somewhere along the way after that, it kind of lost its way.
Sam is the lead character and Hayden was his best friend and they were loner kids who really only ever had each other for most of their lives. Hayden is bullied mercilessly by his elder brother and his friends and after going to a party one night, he fights with Sam and then goes home and kills himself.
I think if the book had been about that - had been about a young guy coming to terms with his friend's suicide it would have been much more successful, but instead with this we had the apparently necessary addition of Astrid, formerly Allison, a mysterious girl with links to Hayden who goes out her way to get close to Sam after the fact.
It felt like a cheap plot device, made worse when someone starts gchatting with Sam and pretending to be Hayden and the bullies start getting viciously attacked.
I think what stopped this being a complete disappointment was that the ending was less tidy. Sam finds things out and he reacts how he should - he doesn't just brush it off to get the easy, ~happy ending. That felt real - it was the only thing that felt real since the start of the book. Everything else was just a bit of a mess.
I can understand why some people love this, but for me, it was trying too hard to be a book of all things and kinda missed the mark on it.
Sam is the lead character and Hayden was his best friend and they were loner kids who really only ever had each other for most of their lives. Hayden is bullied mercilessly by his elder brother and his friends and after going to a party one night, he fights with Sam and then goes home and kills himself.
I think if the book had been about that - had been about a young guy coming to terms with his friend's suicide it would have been much more successful, but instead with this we had the apparently necessary addition of Astrid, formerly Allison, a mysterious girl with links to Hayden who goes out her way to get close to Sam after the fact.
It felt like a cheap plot device, made worse when someone starts gchatting with Sam and pretending to be Hayden and the bullies start getting viciously attacked.
I think what stopped this being a complete disappointment was that the ending was less tidy. Sam finds things out and he reacts how he should - he doesn't just brush it off to get the easy, ~happy ending. That felt real - it was the only thing that felt real since the start of the book. Everything else was just a bit of a mess.
I can understand why some people love this, but for me, it was trying too hard to be a book of all things and kinda missed the mark on it.