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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Title: Absent
Author: Katie Williams
Main character: 4/5
Paige was a complex and compelling character, she was well crafted and rounded and I really felt what she was feeling.
Secondary characters: 3/5
Slightly less well-developed, Evan was a little one-sided, meaning I felt that he was only there to further Paige's story and the suicide vs. accident thing.
Writing style: 4/5
Williams' writing style is simple but elegant and rich, I found it refreshing and beautiful.
Plot: 3/5
A little unoriginal at times but I liked how Williams was subtle about the twists. I thought I had it figured out and then Williams threw in a twist that left me shocked.
Ending: 4/5
Satisfying and simple. It actually demonstrated Williams' skill to create an ending that wrapped up this story with delicacy and the perfect amount of wrapping up and ambiguity.
Cover: Simple and pretty, just like the story!
Rating: 7.2 / 10
Author: Katie Williams
Main character: 4/5
Paige was a complex and compelling character, she was well crafted and rounded and I really felt what she was feeling.
Secondary characters: 3/5
Slightly less well-developed, Evan was a little one-sided, meaning I felt that he was only there to further Paige's story and the suicide vs. accident thing.
Writing style: 4/5
Williams' writing style is simple but elegant and rich, I found it refreshing and beautiful.
Plot: 3/5
A little unoriginal at times but I liked how Williams was subtle about the twists. I thought I had it figured out and then Williams threw in a twist that left me shocked.
Ending: 4/5
Satisfying and simple. It actually demonstrated Williams' skill to create an ending that wrapped up this story with delicacy and the perfect amount of wrapping up and ambiguity.
Cover: Simple and pretty, just like the story!
Rating: 7.2 / 10
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Car accident
Moderate: Bullying, Suicide
Minor: Gun violence, Outing
I read this book years and years ago when it was an advanced readers copy. Still go back and reread it occasionally to this day.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When 17 year-old Paige dies at her school, she joins two other students who also died there. Day after day, they wander around, listening to and following the friends they miss. However, Paige starts to feel uneasy about the facts of her death...Part ghost story and mystery, this short novel would appeal to many young readers.
Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I never think of myself as a fan of paranormal stories but I do have a huge soft spot for ghost stories. When I saw that this book had a ghost with the bonus of being set entirely at a school, I knew I wanted to read it.
Paige, Brooke, and Evan are ghosts tied to their high school due to it being the scene of their deaths. Paige somehow fell from the school's roof while Brooke overdosed in the bathroom (Evan's story is best left til you read it in the book itself). When a popular girl states that Paige jumped, she is outraged but seemed calmed by discovering that she can possess the body of anyone when they think about her, something she uses both for good and evil throughout the story as she tries to set the record straight and repair her reputation. The lives and deaths of Brooke and Evan are also entwined on this journey.
Paige was kind of a loner in life, with only one real friend and living as a secret hook-up for a popular boy. After her death, she sees the cliques of school more clearly and learns what an impact she can have. There are many secrets in this book: the quiet pain of people, their crushes, and all the issues people deal with while in high school and throughout life.
My overall impression of this book was that it was pretty quiet and intense; you could read it in one sitting as it's pretty short. Although there are melancholy moments (because an awful lot of people are in pain), I felt like the book ended on a hopeful note. I especially liked the way Evan's story was handled-I predicted his plot but it still pleased me. I don't feel like there was any real standout moment or element but the whole was pretty cohesive and pleasing especially if you like stories set in high schools, with some mystery, and/or with ghosts.
Cover: Very appropriate-the butterfly lines up with an important event in the book.
I never think of myself as a fan of paranormal stories but I do have a huge soft spot for ghost stories. When I saw that this book had a ghost with the bonus of being set entirely at a school, I knew I wanted to read it.
Paige, Brooke, and Evan are ghosts tied to their high school due to it being the scene of their deaths. Paige somehow fell from the school's roof while Brooke overdosed in the bathroom (Evan's story is best left til you read it in the book itself). When a popular girl states that Paige jumped, she is outraged but seemed calmed by discovering that she can possess the body of anyone when they think about her, something she uses both for good and evil throughout the story as she tries to set the record straight and repair her reputation. The lives and deaths of Brooke and Evan are also entwined on this journey.
Paige was kind of a loner in life, with only one real friend and living as a secret hook-up for a popular boy. After her death, she sees the cliques of school more clearly and learns what an impact she can have. There are many secrets in this book: the quiet pain of people, their crushes, and all the issues people deal with while in high school and throughout life.
My overall impression of this book was that it was pretty quiet and intense; you could read it in one sitting as it's pretty short. Although there are melancholy moments (because an awful lot of people are in pain), I felt like the book ended on a hopeful note. I especially liked the way Evan's story was handled-I predicted his plot but it still pleased me. I don't feel like there was any real standout moment or element but the whole was pretty cohesive and pleasing especially if you like stories set in high schools, with some mystery, and/or with ghosts.
Cover: Very appropriate-the butterfly lines up with an important event in the book.
a list of things that have changed between the first and second times i've read this book:
- my physics knowledge(which may seem irrelevant but i remember being super bored and confused by the physics references but know i understand it and i feel smart. yes i'm aware that i'm a huge nerd, tell me something i don't know)
- my respect for paige: she's actually SUCH A WHINEY BITCH. yes, we get it you died, but she makes every little thing about her. her selfish attitudes were never taken down a notch. yes we get it you died but you can't force everyone to like you. what's done is done broski
- my awareness for all the f*cking teenage angst in this book HOLY. i never realized how annoying the characters in this book are. they gossip so. fucking. much. this book is the epitome of the cliché that someone can "text" the whole school that embarrassing pic with a click of the button and everyone will receive it. i genuinely didn't have a genuine convo with maybe a 25% of my grade, not to begin that i cared little about the personal lives of most of my grade. it's not because they weren't good people, but it's their life and i'm not there to judge. there's SO much gossip and teenage drama going around. the fact that paige knows exactly who to possess to get the best ability to get spread-out gossip means that too much of that is going around. i genuinely don't care for any gossip. get a life you weirdos
anywho, its a mediocre book. it's short. it can grasp my attention. i still liked the twist at the end. but holy heck if your whole school gossips with each other THAT MUCH, i feel sorry for you broskis
- my physics knowledge(which may seem irrelevant but i remember being super bored and confused by the physics references but know i understand it and i feel smart. yes i'm aware that i'm a huge nerd, tell me something i don't know)
- my respect for paige: she's actually SUCH A WHINEY BITCH. yes, we get it you died, but she makes every little thing about her. her selfish attitudes were never taken down a notch. yes we get it you died but you can't force everyone to like you. what's done is done broski
- my awareness for all the f*cking teenage angst in this book HOLY. i never realized how annoying the characters in this book are. they gossip so. fucking. much. this book is the epitome of the cliché that someone can "text" the whole school that embarrassing pic with a click of the button and everyone will receive it. i genuinely didn't have a genuine convo with maybe a 25% of my grade, not to begin that i cared little about the personal lives of most of my grade. it's not because they weren't good people, but it's their life and i'm not there to judge. there's SO much gossip and teenage drama going around. the fact that paige knows exactly who to possess to get the best ability to get spread-out gossip means that too much of that is going around. i genuinely don't care for any gossip. get a life you weirdos
anywho, its a mediocre book. it's short. it can grasp my attention. i still liked the twist at the end. but holy heck if your whole school gossips with each other THAT MUCH, i feel sorry for you broskis
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated