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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book covered some heavy topics but was a good read, but I’m not sure I’d read it again. I found the main character’s view of the universe shrinking interesting and I liked how it could, in some ways, add layers to the book. But it just wasn’t for me. This book does have lots of representation. Also, I found the main character to be frustrating at times and not super relatable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Grief
Sorry if I forgot any important content warnings it’s been a while since I read it
Excellently written and I absolutely adored every page. The characters and concept of the universe shrinking as each chapter were all really novel, definitely going to read all of the authors work now!
Oh man, every Shaun David Hutchinson book fucks me up in such a good way! I love each character in this thing, but man do I love Ozzie!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Actual rating: 3.5 (bumped up a half a star because of the Author’s Note at the end)
I can’t quite wrap my head around how I feel about this one now that it’s over. My emotions are a dizzying, whirling dervish, and so I settled on a respectable three star rating.
Because, honestly, I really did love so much about this book. This is my second foray into Shaun David Huthinson’s works, and it surely won’t be my last!
He has a remarkable way of making each of his characters feel fully realized; he does not do throwaway characters.
The author handles dark subject matter carefully and realistically, without making it feel exploitative or phony. And, yes, this book has some heavy, triggering content. What wasn’t handled very well was the central plot. Here’s where my main issue rests: the melodrama became too distracting. I appreciated the sci-fi aspect up until the end. I was also hoping for a more concrete ending, but I guess the message (and point of the whole story) was told. Other than that, there were plenty of times where I couldn’t connect with Ozzie. 1. He’s selfish. That pretty much sums it up. He got better as the novel went on, but he sometimes said the wrong thing, or neglected to do the right thing.
And again, there were many times the story got bogged down in redundancy— the same words, questions and ruminations— (an issue I had slightly with We Are the Ants, as well).
Speaking of... can I just say I fucking LOVED the meta moments where Mr. Hutchinson referenced his previous work? AND THE CAMEO!!! The shared universe between this book and We Are the Ants is such a fantastic inclusion (even if it’s a subtle one).
Regardless of all that, I still raced through this book; I couldn’t put it down! I got choked up a few times, too, which for someone as cold and unfeeling as me is a Herculean feat to accomplish. So, kudos (again!) to the author for making me feel feelings. I should also mention that the writing is exceptional. I don’t know how he does it, but SDH writes faaaaaar better than most mainstream YA authors.
Random positive notes:
•Great rep
•Interesting concepts
•Overall good message
Don’t let my average score deter you from picking this one up. I’d certainly recommend it.
I can’t quite wrap my head around how I feel about this one now that it’s over. My emotions are a dizzying, whirling dervish, and so I settled on a respectable three star rating.
Because, honestly, I really did love so much about this book. This is my second foray into Shaun David Huthinson’s works, and it surely won’t be my last!
He has a remarkable way of making each of his characters feel fully realized; he does not do throwaway characters.
The author handles dark subject matter carefully and realistically, without making it feel exploitative or phony. And, yes, this book has some heavy, triggering content. What wasn’t handled very well was the central plot. Here’s where my main issue rests: the melodrama became too distracting. I appreciated the sci-fi aspect up until the end
Spoiler
The “reality” Ozzie was living in was conjured up due to the overwhelming emotional response of his boyfriend breaking up with him??? No. I understand the concept, but the reasoning is just too much.And again, there were many times the story got bogged down in redundancy— the same words, questions and ruminations— (an issue I had slightly with We Are the Ants, as well).
Speaking of... can I just say I fucking LOVED the meta moments where Mr. Hutchinson referenced his previous work? AND THE CAMEO!!! The shared universe between this book and We Are the Ants is such a fantastic inclusion (even if it’s a subtle one).
Regardless of all that, I still raced through this book; I couldn’t put it down! I got choked up a few times, too, which for someone as cold and unfeeling as me is a Herculean feat to accomplish. So, kudos (again!) to the author for making me feel feelings. I should also mention that the writing is exceptional. I don’t know how he does it, but SDH writes faaaaaar better than most mainstream YA authors.
Random positive notes:
•Great rep
•Interesting concepts
•Overall good message
Don’t let my average score deter you from picking this one up. I’d certainly recommend it.
3.75 I really like Shaun David Hutchinson's writing. Although it wasn't my favourite of his I still really enjoyed reading it.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm glad I finally forced myself to read it. It's been on my shelf for so long and I kept taking out the audiobook but never was able to get past the first chapter. I had a lot of issues with the story.
Loved Calvin, Lua, and Dustin. Great characters. I would have loved if Calvin was introduced into Ozzie's life even a little earlier in the story because when their friendship begins it is all more bearable. Also, Calvin deserves the world I swear.
Dustin is implied to be possibly asexual. I hated the way that Ozzie responds to that. We are presented with a really queer cast. Lua is genderfluid. Ozzie is gay. Calvin is bi/pan I think. How can Ozzie respond the way he does? It bothered me.
The main character was very selfish and I couldn't get behind a lot of his actions or the way he handled things with the people in his life.
The ending wasn't great for me either. Hard book to rate honestly. Mostly just glad to be able to take it off the unread books section of my shelf.
Loved Calvin, Lua, and Dustin. Great characters. I would have loved if Calvin was introduced into Ozzie's life even a little earlier in the story because when their friendship begins it is all more bearable. Also, Calvin deserves the world I swear.
Dustin is implied to be possibly asexual. I hated the way that Ozzie responds to that. We are presented with a really queer cast. Lua is genderfluid. Ozzie is gay. Calvin is bi/pan I think. How can Ozzie respond the way he does? It bothered me.
The main character was very selfish and I couldn't get behind a lot of his actions or the way he handled things with the people in his life.
The ending wasn't great for me either. Hard book to rate honestly. Mostly just glad to be able to take it off the unread books section of my shelf.
4.5
wow
i think shaun david hutchinson does such a great job at writing poignant stories that deal with themes such as grief and depression in a way that makes you question a lot of things we believe to be true.
i appreciate that our main characters’ experience and theories on the collapsing universe is unexplained and it really made me feel like i was experiencing the same doubts and fears as him. i’ve also read “we are the ants” and i think the author is really good at doing that.
all in all, i’m feeling very existential and this book gives off big brain energy.
wow
i think shaun david hutchinson does such a great job at writing poignant stories that deal with themes such as grief and depression in a way that makes you question a lot of things we believe to be true.
i appreciate that our main characters’ experience and theories on the collapsing universe is unexplained and it really made me feel like i was experiencing the same doubts and fears as him. i’ve also read “we are the ants” and i think the author is really good at doing that.
all in all, i’m feeling very existential and this book gives off big brain energy.