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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed the approach toward religion in this book, but everything else felt very average.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2018/10/16/heretics-anonymous/
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2018/10/16/heretics-anonymous/
LOVED this. Lucy and Michael each had their own set of problems, but you could see both of their sides, even when they argued over whether the other was allowed to be angry. Michael's perspective was conveyed so well, and I just loved how all of the conflicts played out. The writing style was awesome, and its comments on religion were true but you could also see both sides. I love those kinds of books - where you understand where each person is coming from so you can't really pick a side necessarily without invalidating someone else's feelings. They really make you think.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As a catholic school kid for 13 years I can relate to more than a few sentiments displayed in the book about catholic school - being taught by nuns/priests/deacons/brothers, attending mass, challenging theology teachings, challenging abstinence-based sex ed, dealing with prickly dress code polices, etc. I enjoyed the assortment of quirky characters and the ability for this set of so-called misfits - with various belief or non-belief systems - to find each other in a secretive school support group aptly named heretics anonymous where good intentions morph into a bending of moral and ethical lines. It’s so much more than a YA book about a group a kids in catholic school, it’s a book about the universality of individuality, friendship, belonging, and tolerance. The writing is well done with sprinkles of humor but the story arc proved predictable and at times lackluster - though I think the themes were undeniably understandable. While I resonated with the characters and their school environment, I wanted more out of a story that I found just ok.
First of all, a support group for those who do not share the exact beliefs as their peers? Where was this 20 years ago?
Other than that I liked the concept better than I liked the book. For starters, it was certainly hard to root for the main character. Also, the group seemed to do the opposite of what it was supposed to do and was disrespectful. While I did like that they highlighted some specific challenges of the denomination featured in the story it read in a way that perhaps the author had a chip on her shoulder. I had high hopes but this is not what I was looking for today and definitely not what I would have been looking for as a struggling teen.
Other than that I liked the concept better than I liked the book. For starters, it was certainly hard to root for the main character. Also, the group seemed to do the opposite of what it was supposed to do and was disrespectful. While I did like that they highlighted some specific challenges of the denomination featured in the story it read in a way that perhaps the author had a chip on her shoulder. I had high hopes but this is not what I was looking for today and definitely not what I would have been looking for as a struggling teen.
you know a book is good when it makes you so mad bc of something the characters are going through
honestly, the feelings i have for this book are the same feelings i had when i first read radio silence.
rtc.
honestly, the feelings i have for this book are the same feelings i had when i first read radio silence.
rtc.
This is YA but the emotional touchpoints of faith, finding your belief or losing it, and who gets to be part of a community or tribe are pretty universal. How do you change a community you love? What actions are "too extreme" or radical when trying to change a community? How do you come to terms with the realization that you can't change some things? What happens when you can?
I don't expect everyone will have the same emotional connection to the story that I did, but I think there's a lot for any person of faith, former faith, or with faithful friends to enjoy. I haven't read a good bit of fiction on religion in a while, and this one is good, if not exactly subtle.
I don't expect everyone will have the same emotional connection to the story that I did, but I think there's a lot for any person of faith, former faith, or with faithful friends to enjoy. I haven't read a good bit of fiction on religion in a while, and this one is good, if not exactly subtle.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism
Listened to this one - free download from the AudioSync YA summer reads. Great narrator!
“That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in nothing. I believe in love... I believe in things I can’t put into words but things I know to be true.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in nothing. I believe in love... I believe in things I can’t put into words but things I know to be true.”