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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Idek how to rate this honestly.
This book meant a lot to me when I found it as a lonely queer kid at the age of 17. It got me back into reading and blew my mind. But it has very real flaws I can’t overlook. Specifically the depiction of a trans character sickens me.
This book meant a lot to me when I found it as a lonely queer kid at the age of 17. It got me back into reading and blew my mind. But it has very real flaws I can’t overlook. Specifically the depiction of a trans character sickens me.
“it's impossible to let go of the people we love. pieces of them remain embedded inside of us like shrapnel. every breath causes those fragments to burrow through our muscles, nearer to our hearts. and we think the pain will kill us, but it won't. eventually, scar tissue forms around those twisted splinters like cocoons. they remain part of us, but slowly hurt less. at least, i hoped they would.”
i thoroughly enjoyed this!! the story was intriguing and heartbreaking and it made me feel so much. not to mention it was really well written. i loved the characters, and the plot was so unique. however, i didn't find myself enjoying this as much as i enjoyed we are the ants, but that's not to say that this was a bad book by any means.
i'm really looking forward to reading some more of shaun's other books, and he is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.
i thoroughly enjoyed this!! the story was intriguing and heartbreaking and it made me feel so much. not to mention it was really well written. i loved the characters, and the plot was so unique. however, i didn't find myself enjoying this as much as i enjoyed we are the ants, but that's not to say that this was a bad book by any means.
i'm really looking forward to reading some more of shaun's other books, and he is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.
Spoiler
(also when henry and diego showed up i started crying so bonus points for that)
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
okay. okay okay. my silly little theory wasn't right but that's ok because i much prefer it this way. holy shit.
it's a lot better than we are the ants. it made a lot more sense and also the foreshadowing with the tommy chapters and how the sci fi blended into the contemporary? immaculate. the shrinking universe tied into ozzie and calvin's arcs so well. the book overall is kinda fucked up and definitely not for everyone, but i thought it was realistic to the Teen Experience.
i'm a little sad about the ending, but like, it just fits so correctly. it's the right ending for sure. everything is how it should be.
it's a lot better than we are the ants. it made a lot more sense and also the foreshadowing with the tommy chapters and how the sci fi blended into the contemporary? immaculate. the shrinking universe tied into ozzie and calvin's arcs so well. the book overall is kinda fucked up and definitely not for everyone, but i thought it was realistic to the Teen Experience.
i'm a little sad about the ending, but like, it just fits so correctly. it's the right ending for sure. everything is how it should be.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this will be a very rambling review because i can't think clearly when i think about this book.
last year in january i read [b:We Are the Ants|23677341|We Are the Ants|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425574151s/23677341.jpg|43285034] by [a:Shaun David Hutchinson|3130410|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387295428p2/3130410.jpg] and i thought it was one of the most amazing books i ever read. when i heard he was publishing another kind of sci-fi realistic novel i was screaming with joy.
i have to say i was very surprised to find myself loving this even more than his other perfect novels.
first of all, i love the idea of the book: the universe is shrinking and people are disappearing and forgotten, memories are being rewritten and only one boy can see it. shaun is able to make a very unrealistic thing seem very, well, real.
the diversity in this book is a dream. straight, gay, asexual, bisexual, gender-fluid, white, poc ... and it doesn't feel forced whatsoever.
there are also really difficult topics in this book which shaun writes about so respectfully and with such great understanding, e.g. self-harm, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, rape, drug abuse, domestic abuse and a lot more.
and of course the characters. ozzie, tommy, lua, dustin and calvin are such complex and deep characters with so many sides to them that they not even for one second feel fictional. they feel like real people with real flaws and moods and fears and real lives. they change their minds and make it hard for you to understand their motives sometimes but that’s what makes them so great.
i personally loved calvin the most because i could relate to him and i just loved him so much. is something i experience every day.
finally, the theories of why the universe appears to be shrinking is one of my favourite things in this book. i would have to lie if i said i hadn't thought about all this for hours on end.
i just can't recommend this book enough. it's genuinely perfect and breathtaking.
last year in january i read [b:We Are the Ants|23677341|We Are the Ants|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425574151s/23677341.jpg|43285034] by [a:Shaun David Hutchinson|3130410|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387295428p2/3130410.jpg] and i thought it was one of the most amazing books i ever read. when i heard he was publishing another kind of sci-fi realistic novel i was screaming with joy.
i have to say i was very surprised to find myself loving this even more than his other perfect novels.
first of all, i love the idea of the book: the universe is shrinking and people are disappearing and forgotten, memories are being rewritten and only one boy can see it. shaun is able to make a very unrealistic thing seem very, well, real.
the diversity in this book is a dream. straight, gay, asexual, bisexual, gender-fluid, white, poc ... and it doesn't feel forced whatsoever.
there are also really difficult topics in this book which shaun writes about so respectfully and with such great understanding, e.g. self-harm, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, rape, drug abuse, domestic abuse and a lot more.
and of course the characters. ozzie, tommy, lua, dustin and calvin are such complex and deep characters with so many sides to them that they not even for one second feel fictional. they feel like real people with real flaws and moods and fears and real lives. they change their minds and make it hard for you to understand their motives sometimes but that’s what makes them so great.
i personally loved calvin the most because i could relate to him and i just loved him so much.
Spoiler
his indifference to his own happiness and him cutting himself to forget the emotional pain and yet him being overly enthusiatic and caring about other thingsfinally, the theories of why the universe appears to be shrinking is one of my favourite things in this book.
Spoiler
"what if we're in a computer simulation?"i just can't recommend this book enough. it's genuinely perfect and breathtaking.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes