Scan barcode
jsncnrd's review
3.0
This was my fourth Shaun David Hutchinson book and I‘m a bit torn. At the Edge of the Universe and We are the Ants are two of my favorite books. I read Howl earlier this year and while it wasn’t my favorite of the those three, it was still a solid 4 / 5-star read. Shaun’s books stand apart from other YA books because of the way he seamlessly blends the surreal with reality. It makes his stories innovative and thought-provoking. Andrew Brawley left me wanting a bit more. There was so much that was well done in the book, but there were some elements that weighed it down a bit too much.
I was very intrigued by the book being part novel, part comic – but overall, I didn’t find that it added a ton to the story. It actually may have made it a bit more convoluted if anything.
Andrew was not my favorite protagonist of Shaun’s. While I understood why he had to be secretive, Andrew’s baseline was essentially dishonesty. Dishonesty that felt somewhat unnecessary at times. That’s not to say I didn’t like him, because he was still a good character with a big heart at his core. He made so many questionable choices. Maybe a few too many, and maybe that’s why I didn’t identify with him as much.
The real highlight of the story here was Rusty. He was a wonderful character – a mosaic of the different types of traumas and pains that LGBTQ youth experience. I even wish that we had more of him in the story, because scenes involving him were my favorites.
The book did manage to evoke some tears from me, and that is always a sign that there is some good writing at work. Shaun always does such a great job tapping into the visceral, and the main focus of Andrew Brawley was grief – something so complex. The book was ambitious in its complexity – and because we all experience and understand grief differently, I know that this book fully resonated at a 5-star level for other readers. For me, I’d say it was closer to a 3 / 3.5-star read.
I was very intrigued by the book being part novel, part comic – but overall, I didn’t find that it added a ton to the story. It actually may have made it a bit more convoluted if anything.
Andrew was not my favorite protagonist of Shaun’s. While I understood why he had to be secretive, Andrew’s baseline was essentially dishonesty. Dishonesty that felt somewhat unnecessary at times. That’s not to say I didn’t like him, because he was still a good character with a big heart at his core. He made so many questionable choices. Maybe a few too many, and maybe that’s why I didn’t identify with him as much.
The real highlight of the story here was Rusty. He was a wonderful character – a mosaic of the different types of traumas and pains that LGBTQ youth experience. I even wish that we had more of him in the story, because scenes involving him were my favorites.
The book did manage to evoke some tears from me, and that is always a sign that there is some good writing at work. Shaun always does such a great job tapping into the visceral, and the main focus of Andrew Brawley was grief – something so complex. The book was ambitious in its complexity – and because we all experience and understand grief differently, I know that this book fully resonated at a 5-star level for other readers. For me, I’d say it was closer to a 3 / 3.5-star read.
stopthesun's review
4.0
This beautiful, disastrous, heartbreaking book.
I didn’t love all of it. I guessed pretty much all of the surprises. I had to suspend my disbelieve for like, 90% of the book (because really, there’s no way he would have gotten away with any of what happened). But it made me cry. And I stayed up until 330 am to finish it after having started it only a few hours earlier.
I liked We Are the Ants much more. That book is seriously my favorite of the year so far but Hutchinson is quickly becoming a new favorite author.
I didn’t love all of it. I guessed pretty much all of the surprises. I had to suspend my disbelieve for like, 90% of the book (because really, there’s no way he would have gotten away with any of what happened). But it made me cry. And I stayed up until 330 am to finish it after having started it only a few hours earlier.
I liked We Are the Ants much more. That book is seriously my favorite of the year so far but Hutchinson is quickly becoming a new favorite author.
chemwitch's review
3.0
I don't even know what to say about this book. It was dark and emotional but somehow didn't quite reach? Also the idea of someone living inside a hospital undetected seems outrageous to me as a hospital employee and I couldn't really get past that. real rtc, probably
dishonestlia's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
sapphirelight's review
4.0
so worm and beautiful and sad it's jus perfect
I took a long time to finish it because it wasn't the kind of a book you finish in 5 days it's something has a lot of things to think about and feel the beauty of it
I took a long time to finish it because it wasn't the kind of a book you finish in 5 days it's something has a lot of things to think about and feel the beauty of it
alrightieaphroditie's review
3.0
three stars ∗ oh boy. this is one tough book to rate. on one hand, i adored the writing and the plot and the characters and all of the little things in between, but on the other, i wasn’t that big of a fan of the romance, and i felt like the ending was a bit rushed?
despite those negatives, i did really enjoy reading this! it was a good read that definitely made me tear up here and there. shaun david hutchinson really has a way of connecting his books to real emotions and thoughts and that’s something i appreciate. definitely not as good as ‘we are the ants’, but still thought provoking, nonetheless!!
despite those negatives, i did really enjoy reading this! it was a good read that definitely made me tear up here and there. shaun david hutchinson really has a way of connecting his books to real emotions and thoughts and that’s something i appreciate. definitely not as good as ‘we are the ants’, but still thought provoking, nonetheless!!
bellsb00ksandwritings's review
5.0
I don't know how I'm supposed to rate this book. 4 stars? 4.5? 5?
If I compare it to my favourite books, it doesn't feel right to rate it 5 stars, but it's also incredibly brilliant and it was impossible to stop reading (and why did it have to end? I really need it to continue) and it made me feel so much.
Help me, I don't know what to do.
Okay, I will have to choose, so I'll go for 4.5 stars (rounding up to 5).
If I compare it to my favourite books, it doesn't feel right to rate it 5 stars, but it's also incredibly brilliant and it was impossible to stop reading (and why did it have to end? I really need it to continue) and it made me feel so much.
Help me, I don't know what to do.
Okay, I will have to choose, so I'll go for 4.5 stars (rounding up to 5).