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A review by indianahat
Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
5.0
I think this is one of the first books I’m reviewing straight away in 2023 and it’s literally September, but it’s just that GOOD.
So, I read ‘Only A Monster’ back when it first came out and I remember thinking oh this looks cool and it’s shiny, so I took her home. I then decided the next day to give it a read and boy did I demolish that book in a day. So it was no shock for me to have brought the second book ASAP. Privilege of being a bookseller meant that book came straight out the delivery box and into my bag (note: I did pay for it first).
I did do a re-read of the first book prior and quickly fell in love again with the work of Vanessa Len, and boy oh boy did ‘Never A Hero’ hit me like a train. I don’t know what kind of crack Vanessa puts into her books but I am addicted.
There was a lot more Nick in this book then the first, and whilst I am not a NickXJoan endgame supporter, there story is still so tragic. Because they were in love, that deep raw passionate love, but as Joan often says it’ll never be as it was, not after everything (Thanks Eleanor U Suck). It’s so beautifully poetic and a great understanding of love heartbreak and grief. I am an Aaron GIRLY, and although there wasn’t much of him in the book for the first 50% when my boy finally did come in I was so glad to have him back.
My favourite characters however are my married couple. I love Tom and Jamie with every being of my heart. If you go back to my kindle notes of Only A Monster, there is a note when we have baby Jamie interaction that says “Indy don’t cry on a train in public over fictional men, queer as they may be” - I’d like it to be known I did cry on a train it’s just to pure. I did feel like Vanessa was being a tad mean to me tho. She gave me happy boys together, married with their beautiful daughter (fur-child) and then she ripped it away. Where is Tom, WHERE IS TOM VANESSA. How dare you end the book like that. Screw the new timeline, as a human if happily sacrifice my years for Tom and Jamie and Frankie to just be happy again, on their boat sunbathing.
I know earlier I said Screw Eleanor, but I think she is such a beautiful complex character, a bitch but still. I think if we had the book from her perspective the whole way through we’d feel different, and I can’t imagine the pain of losing her family remembering it and the only family she still has, Joan not even being able to recognise her. But Eleanor did say something that made me question details. In reference to past timelines she said Nick and that blonde boy, so in previous timelines did Aaron have a bigger role in Joan’s life?
I need the next book desperately. I can’t believe she ended it like that on a cliffhanger. I honestly thought Vanessa was better than that to leave us on a cliffhanger like that like why are Vanessa why would you do that? Am I not a good enough, can you please explain why you put me through that pain. I have many more thoughts about this book and will probably do many edits and updates to this review, as I slowly process what I read, and how it ended. But for now I cannot recommend this book in the series enough.
So, I read ‘Only A Monster’ back when it first came out and I remember thinking oh this looks cool and it’s shiny, so I took her home. I then decided the next day to give it a read and boy did I demolish that book in a day. So it was no shock for me to have brought the second book ASAP. Privilege of being a bookseller meant that book came straight out the delivery box and into my bag (note: I did pay for it first).
I did do a re-read of the first book prior and quickly fell in love again with the work of Vanessa Len, and boy oh boy did ‘Never A Hero’ hit me like a train. I don’t know what kind of crack Vanessa puts into her books but I am addicted.
There was a lot more Nick in this book then the first, and whilst I am not a NickXJoan endgame supporter, there story is still so tragic. Because they were in love, that deep raw passionate love, but as Joan often says it’ll never be as it was, not after everything (Thanks Eleanor U Suck). It’s so beautifully poetic and a great understanding of love heartbreak and grief. I am an Aaron GIRLY, and although there wasn’t much of him in the book for the first 50% when my boy finally did come in I was so glad to have him back.
My favourite characters however are my married couple. I love Tom and Jamie with every being of my heart. If you go back to my kindle notes of Only A Monster, there is a note when we have baby Jamie interaction that says “Indy don’t cry on a train in public over fictional men, queer as they may be” - I’d like it to be known I did cry on a train it’s just to pure. I did feel like Vanessa was being a tad mean to me tho. She gave me happy boys together, married with their beautiful daughter (fur-child) and then she ripped it away. Where is Tom, WHERE IS TOM VANESSA. How dare you end the book like that. Screw the new timeline, as a human if happily sacrifice my years for Tom and Jamie and Frankie to just be happy again, on their boat sunbathing.
I know earlier I said Screw Eleanor, but I think she is such a beautiful complex character, a bitch but still. I think if we had the book from her perspective the whole way through we’d feel different, and I can’t imagine the pain of losing her family remembering it and the only family she still has, Joan not even being able to recognise her. But Eleanor did say something that made me question details. In reference to past timelines she said Nick and that blonde boy, so in previous timelines did Aaron have a bigger role in Joan’s life?
I need the next book desperately. I can’t believe she ended it like that on a cliffhanger. I honestly thought Vanessa was better than that to leave us on a cliffhanger like that like why are Vanessa why would you do that? Am I not a good enough, can you please explain why you put me through that pain. I have many more thoughts about this book and will probably do many edits and updates to this review, as I slowly process what I read, and how it ended. But for now I cannot recommend this book in the series enough.