Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm
REVIEW IN ENGLISH
It is a truth universally acknowledged that I highly recommend Shaun David Hutchinson to any living reader form. This is my third novel of his that I have read and I can say I will NEVER get off of this train. I love his books so much and this was not the exception.
Oswald Pinkerton, Ozzie for friends, is a young boy who is in his last year of school and works part time in a bookstore (I want that job, damn). His life in the small town of Cloud Lake could not be more boring, only his best friends Lua and Dustin and his boyfriend and friend since childhood Tommy are what matters. But things go wrong one day. Tommy suddenly dissapears. The strangest thing is that Ozzie seems to be the only one who remembers him, nobody else. He has this feeling that the universe is contracting and that's why Tommy's mother does not even remember her own son. Ozzy is ready to find him before the universe swallow them whole.
After reading We are the ants, the premise of this book may sound similar: a supernatural circumstance about something strange that is happening and the main character knows about this and must find a way to solve it. It's a science fiction premise that Shaun knows how to execute well, but it's not just about that. The story is also about love, destiny and self-discovery mixed up with a whole buch of situations and issues that are more common than they seem: divorce, financial crisis, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, poverty and the question of sexual and gender identity.
Ozzie is the protagonist and narrator. Through him we meet all the characters: Lua, a fluid gender girl-guy who is very talented with music; Dustin, a young Asian asexual (confirmed by the author) who goes through a difficult situation at home and Calvin, a smart and athletic boy but is going through a problematic phase for some time and attracts Ozzie's attention. Each secondary character is fleshed out and well developed; even through flashbacks we get to know Tommy, Ozzie's boyfriend and why Ozzie loved him so much.
Shaun's writing is amazing, it makes the story real, close and it creates exciting, hard and also very beautiful moments. Ozzie's journey is not only to understand that he is not crazy, that he does not have to go to therapy because his parents force him but because talking about his problems can help him to express everything he feels and because he is going through a moment in his life in which you have to make decisions and he must learn to face them.
Despite its huge positive points, there are details that did not convince me that much. There were times when the story was slow and difficult to went through and the final resolution, although it is creative and imaginative, it made noise behind my ear. That's why I think that having a premise like that can go very bad or very well. In this case it's good, but with its little details.
This is a novel that involved me emotionally and made me empathize with the characters and their situation. It is a beautiful and hard story about moving forward, looking for your future and learning to make decisions. It is a real pity that this author has not been translated into Spanish and more people can read his books.
I have to remark the author's note at the end. He's encouraging people that, like him, have gone through depression and suicidal thoughts to go and seek help. That it's OK, and you don't have to face everything alone, that you can keep going.
**************************
RESEÑA EN ESPAÑOL
En este blog se sabe que recomiendo con mucho entusiasmo todos los libros de este autor de Florida y esta es la tercera novela suya que he leído. Si quieren saber más en detalle lo que opino de sus otros dos libros pueden visitar mis reseñas aquí y aquí.
Oswald Pinkerton, Ozzie para los amigos, es un jovencito que está en su último año de colegio y trabaja medio tiempo en una librería. Su vida en el pequeño pueblo de Cloud Lake no podría ser más aburrida y simplona, solo lo arreglan sus mejores amigos Lua y Dustin y su novio y amigo desde la infancia llamado Tommy. Pero las cosas se ponen mal cuando un día, Tommy desaparece de repente. Lo más extraño es que Ozzie parece ser el único que lo recuerda, nadie más. El tiene el presentimiento que el universo se está contrayendo cada día y por eso ni la madre de Tommy recuerda a su hijo. Y por eso Ozzie está dispuesto a buscarlo.
Fotografía de Taryn Manning en Unsplash. Crédito aquí
Después de leer We are the ants, la premisa de este libro puede sonar parecida: una circunstancia sobrenatural sobre algo extraño que está sucediendo en el universo y el protagonista sabe de esto y debe buscar la forma de solucionarlo. Se trata de una pregunta de ciencia ficción que creo que Shaun sabe ejecutar bien, pero no se trata solo de eso. La historia es mucho más que la búsqueda de la persona amada y de uno mismo, sino todo un conjunto de situaciones y temas que son más comunes de lo que parecen: divorcio, crisis financiera, abuso sexual, maltrato intrafamiliar, pobreza y la cuestión del descubrimiento sexual y de género.
Ozzie es el protagonista y narrador de la historia. A través de él conoceremos a todos los personajes: su mejor amiga Lua, un chico género fluido que es muy talentosa con la música y puede llegar muy lejos; Dustin, un joven asiático que pasa por una situación difícil en su casa y Calvin, es un muchacho inteligente y atlético pero está pasando una fase problemática desde hace tiempo y atrae la atención de Ozzie. Podemos ver la situación familiar de cada uno porque en este libro los padres aparecen y hacen parte de la historia. Creo que cada personaje secundario está bien trabajado, incluso a través de flashbacks vamos conociendo a Tommy, el novio de Ozzie y como fue su relación.
La escritura de Shaun hace que la historia se torne cercana y amena y que tenga frases y momentos emocionantes, duros y también muy bellos. El viaje de Ozzie no es solo para entender que no está loco, que no va a terapia porque sus padres lo obliguen sino porque hablar de sus problemas puede ayudarle a expresar todo lo que siente y porque está atravesando un momento de su vida en el que hay que tomar decisiones y debe aprender a enfrentarlas.
A pesar de sus enormes puntos positivos, hay detalles que no me han convencido tanto. Hubo momentos en que la historia le costaba continuar y atravesaba baches narrativos y la resolución final del conflicto si bien es creativa e imaginativa, me hizo un poco de ruido detrás de la oreja. Por eso creo que contar con una premisa como las que usa el autor pueden salir muy mal o muy bien. En este caso ha salido bien, pero con sus detallitos.
Igualmente, ha sido una novela que me ha implicado emocionalmente y me ha hecho empatizar con los personajes y sus historias. Es una bellísima y dura historia sobre seguir adelante, buscar tu futuro y aprender a tomar decisiones. Es una verdadera pena que este autor no haya sido traducido al español y más personas puedan conocer sus libros. Y sobre todo la importantísima nota que el autor pone al final hablando y animando a otros como él que han pasado por situaciones de depresión y pensamientos suicidas que ESTÁ BIEN buscar ayuda y que los problemas no hay que enfrentarlos siempre solo. Que se puede seguir adelante.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that I highly recommend Shaun David Hutchinson to any living reader form. This is my third novel of his that I have read and I can say I will NEVER get off of this train. I love his books so much and this was not the exception.
Oswald Pinkerton, Ozzie for friends, is a young boy who is in his last year of school and works part time in a bookstore (I want that job, damn). His life in the small town of Cloud Lake could not be more boring, only his best friends Lua and Dustin and his boyfriend and friend since childhood Tommy are what matters. But things go wrong one day. Tommy suddenly dissapears. The strangest thing is that Ozzie seems to be the only one who remembers him, nobody else. He has this feeling that the universe is contracting and that's why Tommy's mother does not even remember her own son. Ozzy is ready to find him before the universe swallow them whole.
After reading We are the ants, the premise of this book may sound similar: a supernatural circumstance about something strange that is happening and the main character knows about this and must find a way to solve it. It's a science fiction premise that Shaun knows how to execute well, but it's not just about that. The story is also about love, destiny and self-discovery mixed up with a whole buch of situations and issues that are more common than they seem: divorce, financial crisis, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, poverty and the question of sexual and gender identity.
Ozzie is the protagonist and narrator. Through him we meet all the characters: Lua, a fluid gender girl-guy who is very talented with music; Dustin, a young Asian asexual (confirmed by the author) who goes through a difficult situation at home and Calvin, a smart and athletic boy but is going through a problematic phase for some time and attracts Ozzie's attention. Each secondary character is fleshed out and well developed; even through flashbacks we get to know Tommy, Ozzie's boyfriend and why Ozzie loved him so much.
Shaun's writing is amazing, it makes the story real, close and it creates exciting, hard and also very beautiful moments. Ozzie's journey is not only to understand that he is not crazy, that he does not have to go to therapy because his parents force him but because talking about his problems can help him to express everything he feels and because he is going through a moment in his life in which you have to make decisions and he must learn to face them.
Despite its huge positive points, there are details that did not convince me that much. There were times when the story was slow and difficult to went through and the final resolution, although it is creative and imaginative, it made noise behind my ear. That's why I think that having a premise like that can go very bad or very well. In this case it's good, but with its little details.
This is a novel that involved me emotionally and made me empathize with the characters and their situation. It is a beautiful and hard story about moving forward, looking for your future and learning to make decisions. It is a real pity that this author has not been translated into Spanish and more people can read his books.
I have to remark the author's note at the end. He's encouraging people that, like him, have gone through depression and suicidal thoughts to go and seek help. That it's OK, and you don't have to face everything alone, that you can keep going.
**************************
RESEÑA EN ESPAÑOL
En este blog se sabe que recomiendo con mucho entusiasmo todos los libros de este autor de Florida y esta es la tercera novela suya que he leído. Si quieren saber más en detalle lo que opino de sus otros dos libros pueden visitar mis reseñas aquí y aquí.
Oswald Pinkerton, Ozzie para los amigos, es un jovencito que está en su último año de colegio y trabaja medio tiempo en una librería. Su vida en el pequeño pueblo de Cloud Lake no podría ser más aburrida y simplona, solo lo arreglan sus mejores amigos Lua y Dustin y su novio y amigo desde la infancia llamado Tommy. Pero las cosas se ponen mal cuando un día, Tommy desaparece de repente. Lo más extraño es que Ozzie parece ser el único que lo recuerda, nadie más. El tiene el presentimiento que el universo se está contrayendo cada día y por eso ni la madre de Tommy recuerda a su hijo. Y por eso Ozzie está dispuesto a buscarlo.
Fotografía de Taryn Manning en Unsplash. Crédito aquí
Después de leer We are the ants, la premisa de este libro puede sonar parecida: una circunstancia sobrenatural sobre algo extraño que está sucediendo en el universo y el protagonista sabe de esto y debe buscar la forma de solucionarlo. Se trata de una pregunta de ciencia ficción que creo que Shaun sabe ejecutar bien, pero no se trata solo de eso. La historia es mucho más que la búsqueda de la persona amada y de uno mismo, sino todo un conjunto de situaciones y temas que son más comunes de lo que parecen: divorcio, crisis financiera, abuso sexual, maltrato intrafamiliar, pobreza y la cuestión del descubrimiento sexual y de género.
Ozzie es el protagonista y narrador de la historia. A través de él conoceremos a todos los personajes: su mejor amiga Lua, un chico género fluido que es muy talentosa con la música y puede llegar muy lejos; Dustin, un joven asiático que pasa por una situación difícil en su casa y Calvin, es un muchacho inteligente y atlético pero está pasando una fase problemática desde hace tiempo y atrae la atención de Ozzie. Podemos ver la situación familiar de cada uno porque en este libro los padres aparecen y hacen parte de la historia. Creo que cada personaje secundario está bien trabajado, incluso a través de flashbacks vamos conociendo a Tommy, el novio de Ozzie y como fue su relación.
La escritura de Shaun hace que la historia se torne cercana y amena y que tenga frases y momentos emocionantes, duros y también muy bellos. El viaje de Ozzie no es solo para entender que no está loco, que no va a terapia porque sus padres lo obliguen sino porque hablar de sus problemas puede ayudarle a expresar todo lo que siente y porque está atravesando un momento de su vida en el que hay que tomar decisiones y debe aprender a enfrentarlas.
A pesar de sus enormes puntos positivos, hay detalles que no me han convencido tanto. Hubo momentos en que la historia le costaba continuar y atravesaba baches narrativos y la resolución final del conflicto si bien es creativa e imaginativa, me hizo un poco de ruido detrás de la oreja. Por eso creo que contar con una premisa como las que usa el autor pueden salir muy mal o muy bien. En este caso ha salido bien, pero con sus detallitos.
Igualmente, ha sido una novela que me ha implicado emocionalmente y me ha hecho empatizar con los personajes y sus historias. Es una bellísima y dura historia sobre seguir adelante, buscar tu futuro y aprender a tomar decisiones. Es una verdadera pena que este autor no haya sido traducido al español y más personas puedan conocer sus libros. Y sobre todo la importantísima nota que el autor pone al final hablando y animando a otros como él que han pasado por situaciones de depresión y pensamientos suicidas que ESTÁ BIEN buscar ayuda y que los problemas no hay que enfrentarlos siempre solo. Que se puede seguir adelante.
I don't know what to think about this, review to come
Ughhhhhhh don't read this. I thought there would be some deeper meaning but THEY BROKE UP. That's it. Tommy broke up with him and he can't handle it.
THIS. BOOK. Very few books can make me cry, and At the Edge of the Universe is one of them. It brings up so many important topics such as mental health, LGBTQ, race, assault, etc. in such a beautiful and realistic way. The first time I read this book was about two years ago, and I remembered how much I loved it so I decided to give it another go.
I cried. And cried. And cried some more.
Every character is so unique and easy to become attached to. Ozzie’s sense of humor captured me from the very start. And don’t even get me started on the plot. In short, it was phenomenal. There are also a countless number of incredible and inspiring quotes that I will keep with me through hard times.
I would 100% recommend this book.
I cried. And cried. And cried some more.
Every character is so unique and easy to become attached to. Ozzie’s sense of humor captured me from the very start. And don’t even get me started on the plot. In short, it was phenomenal. There are also a countless number of incredible and inspiring quotes that I will keep with me through hard times.
I would 100% recommend this book.
There was something beautifully cinematographic about the second part of this novel. I could see it so clearly in my head and I was completely transported... The plot was so much more and it was absolutely beautiful.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
This book. Definitely of one those “one more chapter but you’re actually gonna read 5 before suddenly realizing it’s 2 am” kinda books. I loved it.
My mind just collapsed. My heart is a void inside my chest.
What the hell was that?? Did I actually read that or did my last few hours were spend in an alternate universe??
OMFG, I'm so, so turned between clashing thoughts and theories that'll probably never be able to prove, that I've spent the last 15 minutes of my life trying to put into words my opinion regarding this book.
Not that it is a huge feat in terms of writing - its style is simple and clear, and there's nothing wrong with it -, but this entire story is brilliantly overwhelming. It navigates towards philosophical and physical concepts with an unexpected ease, mixing them with real life possibilities – tragic situations, but also memories, good and bad ones, and the uncertainty of the future – and the result is just thunderstruck in a beautifully ambiguous way.
What the hell was that?? Did I actually read that or did my last few hours were spend in an alternate universe??
OMFG, I'm so, so turned between clashing thoughts and theories that'll probably never be able to prove, that I've spent the last 15 minutes of my life trying to put into words my opinion regarding this book.
Not that it is a huge feat in terms of writing - its style is simple and clear, and there's nothing wrong with it -, but this entire story is brilliantly overwhelming. It navigates towards philosophical and physical concepts with an unexpected ease, mixing them with real life possibilities – tragic situations, but also memories, good and bad ones, and the uncertainty of the future – and the result is just thunderstruck in a beautifully ambiguous way.