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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Gosh. I didn't expect this to be a fluffy romance, which is fortunate, because it's anything but: it's domestic abuse and brain damage and bigots operating through the church. It's homophobia and rape and a violent death that has very little to do with the rest of the story.
Mara's a sympathetic character, at least to a point. She's determined to protect her brother from further abuse; up to this point she's been the only one safe from her father's rages, but she knows that if her own secret gets out, all bets are off. And yet—I wanted her to think harder, sometimes. To not go back to her secluded hideaway spot after she'd been discovered there. (Obviously she's not at fault—it's just like those horror movies where you're shouting 'don't open the door!') I wanted her to speak up when she understood that the wrong person had been blamed.
I don't know. I think this sort of book, where bad shit happens for senseless reasons, remains pretty important, because, well, hate crimes didn't go out with the sixties. But it's so black and white here. Mara = good and Jamie = good and Henry = good and Xylia = good; Mara's father = bad and Elijah = bad and Elijah's cronies = bad and the preacher = bad. Mara's mother is afforded a tiny bit more complexity, in that she wants the right things for her children but lacks a way to get out of her situation. It's just—if all the bad guys were as slimy and pimpled as they are here, the world would be much easier to navigate. (Then again, if all the bad guys were as psychopathic as they are here, the world would be a much more violent place.) Well-written and sad and messy, but at the end of the day I would have liked to see more shades of grey.
Mara's a sympathetic character, at least to a point. She's determined to protect her brother from further abuse; up to this point she's been the only one safe from her father's rages, but she knows that if her own secret gets out, all bets are off. And yet—I wanted her to think harder, sometimes. To not go back to her secluded hideaway spot after she'd been discovered there. (Obviously she's not at fault—it's just like those horror movies where you're shouting 'don't open the door!') I wanted her to speak up when she understood that the wrong person had been blamed.
I don't know. I think this sort of book, where bad shit happens for senseless reasons, remains pretty important, because, well, hate crimes didn't go out with the sixties. But it's so black and white here. Mara = good and Jamie = good and Henry = good and Xylia = good; Mara's father = bad and Elijah = bad and Elijah's cronies = bad and the preacher = bad. Mara's mother is afforded a tiny bit more complexity, in that she wants the right things for her children but lacks a way to get out of her situation. It's just—if all the bad guys were as slimy and pimpled as they are here, the world would be much easier to navigate. (Then again, if all the bad guys were as psychopathic as they are here, the world would be a much more violent place.) Well-written and sad and messy, but at the end of the day I would have liked to see more shades of grey.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.7
I was between four and five stars on this one because truly, it was beautiful. There were a couple places I wasn't too fond of(mostly just when the author used second person a couple times). But overall it was really good.
Spoilers ahead
I thought this book was a story about a small town lesbian in love. And it's June and the cover was pretty so I wanted to read it, but as I kept going I realized it was so much more than that. The romance wasn't even the main plot. This was a story about a girl stuck in a bad situation and her brother. The story covered so much, but it worked, I wouldn't have thought it could work but it pulled it off.
Characters
Mara-Mara was a really good narrator, at times parts felt like poetry and she was the only one who could tell this story. But as with most narrators, her character is more a spectacle to see the story through
Iggy-I want to see his eyes. I want to know what happened to him. And I want him to come back. But in actuality, his character was slighting unreal. Always bringing back his "see right through you" eyes at the most convenient point. But Iggy represents more than he is. He represents hope and any love Mara could have for his family. He is Mara's angel. He protects her and saves her and is there for her when she needs him most. And this shows really clearly at the very end when he is gonna and Mara finds her angel; she found a new angel because Iggy is gone
Xylia-goodness, as this book would say, "I have the hots for her" literally. How could I not. She's so cool, and so hot, and pretty, and smart, and when her and Mara were in the bushes stripping down together and making out on the beach, Jesus, that was hot. And she was the perfect anti-thesis of Mara. They were the same and fit together, but Xylia's family and life represented exactly the opposite of Mara's because Mara was alone in an unloving homophobic family, but Xylia's parents love her and are okay with who she is because they're good.
Henry-I feel so bad for Henry. First he gets assaulted then he gets falsely imprisoned for raping Mara and his life is ruined more than it already was
Elijah and the dad, were characters made just to be hated and it's so easy to hate them, but still the way Mara's feelings go back and forth on the dad make them both more dimensional
This book, especially the aftermath of the rape was written in exquisite style, and I really liked it.
I was between four and five stars on this one because truly, it was beautiful. There were a couple places I wasn't too fond of(mostly just when the author used second person a couple times). But overall it was really good.
Spoilers ahead
I thought this book was a story about a small town lesbian in love. And it's June and the cover was pretty so I wanted to read it, but as I kept going I realized it was so much more than that. The romance wasn't even the main plot. This was a story about a girl stuck in a bad situation and her brother. The story covered so much, but it worked, I wouldn't have thought it could work but it pulled it off.
Characters
Mara-Mara was a really good narrator, at times parts felt like poetry and she was the only one who could tell this story. But as with most narrators, her character is more a spectacle to see the story through
Iggy-I want to see his eyes. I want to know what happened to him. And I want him to come back. But in actuality, his character was slighting unreal. Always bringing back his "see right through you" eyes at the most convenient point. But Iggy represents more than he is. He represents hope and any love Mara could have for his family. He is Mara's angel. He protects her and saves her and is there for her when she needs him most. And this shows really clearly at the very end when he is gonna and Mara finds her angel; she found a new angel because Iggy is gone
Xylia-goodness, as this book would say, "I have the hots for her" literally. How could I not. She's so cool, and so hot, and pretty, and smart, and when her and Mara were in the bushes stripping down together and making out on the beach, Jesus, that was hot. And she was the perfect anti-thesis of Mara. They were the same and fit together, but Xylia's family and life represented exactly the opposite of Mara's because Mara was alone in an unloving homophobic family, but Xylia's parents love her and are okay with who she is because they're good.
Henry-I feel so bad for Henry. First he gets assaulted then he gets falsely imprisoned for raping Mara and his life is ruined more than it already was
Elijah and the dad, were characters made just to be hated and it's so easy to hate them, but still the way Mara's feelings go back and forth on the dad make them both more dimensional
This book, especially the aftermath of the rape was written in exquisite style, and I really liked it.
I have a lot to say about this book. I didn't feel like the characters were people. They were just characters. I didn't feel connected to Mara and I felt like Tawni was telling me the story instead of showing. I didn't enjoy this book has much as I would have liked. Although, the ending was sad and left me in tears.
Five stars. This is a warning: this book is extraordinarily depressing and the only good things in the protagonist's life are taken away. Literally nothing happy happens in this book. For example, *Spoiler Alert* the protagonist's brother Iggy is brain-damaged with little chance of recovery. However, near the end of the book, it appears he has finally returned and is thinking straight. Shortly after this revelation, he is murdered.
You see what I mean?
However, this was beautifully written and definitely emotionally-wrenching. A unique read.
EDIT: After thinking this over a little, I dropped the rating to three stars. The beginning of this book was really not good. I was under the impression that Mara was much younger than fifteen - what teenager still says Momma and Daddy? (and by the way it's not just her and her brother, Xylia is supposedly some kind of hip sophisticated girl and she says Daddy too) - and there were some strange things just jammed in there like the fact that Henry is psychic and forgives Mara immediately for having accidentally accused him of rape and not revealing the truth for way too long, the fact that Mara thinks she's an angel in the beginning of the book like what the hell was that?, the fact that Iggy occasionally becomes unbrain-damaged at the perfect times for the plot, and the fact that the only "gray" character is Mara's mom, while everyone else is either good or evil? Somehow this book was good anyway. I don't know why.
You see what I mean?
However, this was beautifully written and definitely emotionally-wrenching. A unique read.
EDIT: After thinking this over a little, I dropped the rating to three stars. The beginning of this book was really not good. I was under the impression that Mara was much younger than fifteen - what teenager still says Momma and Daddy? (and by the way it's not just her and her brother, Xylia is supposedly some kind of hip sophisticated girl and she says Daddy too) - and there were some strange things just jammed in there like the fact that Henry is psychic and forgives Mara immediately for having accidentally accused him of rape and not revealing the truth for way too long, the fact that Mara thinks she's an angel in the beginning of the book like what the hell was that?, the fact that Iggy occasionally becomes unbrain-damaged at the perfect times for the plot, and the fact that the only "gray" character is Mara's mom, while everyone else is either good or evil? Somehow this book was good anyway. I don't know why.
I felt so many waves of emotions during this book it was insane. Some parts got so emotional I had to stop reading (but for good reasons) and the ending just had me wanting more. Ahhh
There were a couple of changes I would've made, but for a debut novel, this was really good. But I don't know if it's an lgbt novel or one about domestic abuse, or both.
Anyhow, what I thought should have changed.
I don't think Iggy should have died, for one. I feel like we never really got know him, especially before he became mentally retarded.
I didn't like Xylia. She got on my nerves, and I wanted to throw something at her.
Mara's father should have been locked up, or Iggy should have killed him. I wanted something to happen to him.
I hated how she made it seem like it would be a big deal if her father found out, and then he didn't really do anything. Like, what?
I felt like nothing was really resolved, other than Elijah Winchell.
I also didn't like the way Mara treated Iggy and Henry. They were the two best characters in the whole book, and she was always blowing them off, or being rude.
And Why did she end it that way? Does she plan on writing a sequel or something?
but overall, I liked the book.
This is one of the saddest stories I have ever read, it has definitely left an impact on me
3.5 out of 5 stars.
As if her parents' heavy drinking and her father's abuse - which nearly killed her brother, Iggy - were not enough, fifteen-year-old Mara is caught kissing her girlfriend, Xylia, by the preacher's son and becomes terrified that her own life is at risk.
Wow. This book was something. I really wasn't sure if I wanted to keep reading at the beginning. It was mostly just a sad story of a girl and her brother, and there wasn't really a plot. But the last half of the book was good, and the last fourth made it a worth-while read. I would have given it more stars if the book had been more gripping throughout, rather than just at the end. I can say that I am glad I did not stop reading like I thought I might.
When I began the book, I really couldn't tell what century the characters lived, let alone what decade. There were no markers until someone mentioned cell phone. That kind of gave me a shock. From the characters' actions and language, I really could see this as being set in the 1950s or 60s. Especially the closed-mindedness of the individuals of the town. I think that being set in the 60s or 70s would have actually made this a better book.
**SPOILERS**
I was glad that, at the end, though she was raped, Mara was able to piece herself back together. It took a while, understandably, but I derived satisfaction that she was able to report her rapist to the police and rise above the situation and keep it from tearing her apart. I think this example may be of help to individuals that could be struggling with the same problem.
I was hoping to hear more of Xylia at the end, perhaps Mara at least with some direction and focus to go and stay with her, but there wasn't anything like that.
As if her parents' heavy drinking and her father's abuse - which nearly killed her brother, Iggy - were not enough, fifteen-year-old Mara is caught kissing her girlfriend, Xylia, by the preacher's son and becomes terrified that her own life is at risk.
Wow. This book was something. I really wasn't sure if I wanted to keep reading at the beginning. It was mostly just a sad story of a girl and her brother, and there wasn't really a plot. But the last half of the book was good, and the last fourth made it a worth-while read. I would have given it more stars if the book had been more gripping throughout, rather than just at the end. I can say that I am glad I did not stop reading like I thought I might.
When I began the book, I really couldn't tell what century the characters lived, let alone what decade. There were no markers until someone mentioned cell phone. That kind of gave me a shock. From the characters' actions and language, I really could see this as being set in the 1950s or 60s. Especially the closed-mindedness of the individuals of the town. I think that being set in the 60s or 70s would have actually made this a better book.
**SPOILERS**
I was glad that, at the end, though she was raped, Mara was able to piece herself back together. It took a while, understandably, but I derived satisfaction that she was able to report her rapist to the police and rise above the situation and keep it from tearing her apart. I think this example may be of help to individuals that could be struggling with the same problem.
I was hoping to hear more of Xylia at the end, perhaps Mara at least with some direction and focus to go and stay with her, but there wasn't anything like that.
I remember being excited to read this book. I haven't written my review for quite some time because I'm conflicted about it. The premise of this story is a girl who lives with an alcoholic abusive father. He has seriously hurt her brother to the point where he has an acquired brain injury. During all this the protagonist is dealing with the fact that she is attracted to women.
This storyline was guaranteed to be a win for me. As depressing as it may be, I really like reading abuse stories and I also love LGBT stories. Well I have to say that the book was a win for me for most of the story. I felt so much for Mara and her brother and I hated the parents for so many reasons. I felt outraged by the way the mother cowered to her husband, allowing abuse to take place. I wanted to smack the father upside the head for the way he treated his children. I wished I could have taken Mara and her brother in and take care of them.
I liked reading about Mara exploring her sexuality and really trying to come into her own in an oppressive setting. Her struggle is real and many people have to face it, unfortunately.
All of these positives were slightly ruined by the ending. I don't want to spoil anything so if you don't want to know then don't read this part....
*** SPOILER ****
.... but the end of was so depressing! Nothing was cleared up and I just felt a sense of doom over the whole thing. I would much prefer a struggle that leads to something positive. I know that the world is not all rainbows and unicorns but I'd like to think that hope should have been alive a bit.
Blah! End rant.
*** END SPOILER ***
So as you can see I am torn in how I feel about it. I liked most of the book so does the part that I didn't like cancel out the good? Have you ever read a book like that? If so, which ones? I'm curious. I don't even want to say whether or not I'd recommend it; I'm too on the fence about the whole thing.
Try at your own risk is what I guess I'd say.
This storyline was guaranteed to be a win for me. As depressing as it may be, I really like reading abuse stories and I also love LGBT stories. Well I have to say that the book was a win for me for most of the story. I felt so much for Mara and her brother and I hated the parents for so many reasons. I felt outraged by the way the mother cowered to her husband, allowing abuse to take place. I wanted to smack the father upside the head for the way he treated his children. I wished I could have taken Mara and her brother in and take care of them.
I liked reading about Mara exploring her sexuality and really trying to come into her own in an oppressive setting. Her struggle is real and many people have to face it, unfortunately.
All of these positives were slightly ruined by the ending. I don't want to spoil anything so if you don't want to know then don't read this part....
*** SPOILER ****
.... but the end of was so depressing! Nothing was cleared up and I just felt a sense of doom over the whole thing. I would much prefer a struggle that leads to something positive. I know that the world is not all rainbows and unicorns but I'd like to think that hope should have been alive a bit.
Blah! End rant.
*** END SPOILER ***
So as you can see I am torn in how I feel about it. I liked most of the book so does the part that I didn't like cancel out the good? Have you ever read a book like that? If so, which ones? I'm curious. I don't even want to say whether or not I'd recommend it; I'm too on the fence about the whole thing.
Try at your own risk is what I guess I'd say.