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kattheloremistress 's review for:
Release
by Patrick Ness
This book was probably my most anticipated read for this month, mostly because it's a new book by Patrick Ness (whose work I've always liked a lot) AND it's an LGBT release which coincides nicely with Pride month! I actually got this book read in a really short amount of time too which was a really nice feeling after having such a slow June up until this point. I have to say, I'm not sure how to approach this review and I'm still a little undecided on the final rating because I adored almost every aspect of this book EXCEPT one glaring aspect that was too big to ignore. This book is basically two stories in one - one of which is devastatingly beautiful and the other I did NOT get.
So let's start with the good - Adam's story. It made me cry. It made my heart ache for the hopeless situation he was in. And it really was, without a doubt, the BEST LGBT story I have ever read. I loved the complicated family relationships, I loved the sense of anger and desperation to escape, and the effect on Adam's confidence that his life would have on him. It FELT real. Religion played a big part of it too, but this was by no means a bashing of outdated views. Things are much more complicated than 'us vs. them', they always are! The relationships were really well written too and while this book reminded me of 'The Rest Of Us Just Live Here' it didn't have the same issues with it's characters at all! Angela Darlington is everything I want in a best friend, Linus was the most ADORABLE character and Adam was complicated but likeable. Ness did a really great job, and I loved that the whole thing was et over the course of just one day. It was very clever!
Now for the disappointing bit - story #2! Because while Adam was dealing with probably one of the most emotional days of his life, something weird was going on in the forest. Something to do with a recent murder, a seven foot deer that reminded me of the Forest God in Princess Mononoke, and a 'Queen' of an unknown species that moved from place to place killing and destroying and leaving her poor servant to clear up her mess. No explanations were given as to how the Queen got into her position and I felt like it was all meant to have some deep, philosophical meaning but it just...didn't. It was a middle without a beginning or a proper end that made any sense, and I left that particular reading experience more confused than anything. It felt like an experiment that didn't pay off, but I loved Adam's story so much that to an extent, I've pretty much pretended that it didn't happen. This would definitely have been a full on five stars, without question, had the weird stuff been kept out of it.
So let's start with the good - Adam's story. It made me cry. It made my heart ache for the hopeless situation he was in. And it really was, without a doubt, the BEST LGBT story I have ever read. I loved the complicated family relationships, I loved the sense of anger and desperation to escape, and the effect on Adam's confidence that his life would have on him. It FELT real. Religion played a big part of it too, but this was by no means a bashing of outdated views. Things are much more complicated than 'us vs. them', they always are! The relationships were really well written too and while this book reminded me of 'The Rest Of Us Just Live Here' it didn't have the same issues with it's characters at all! Angela Darlington is everything I want in a best friend, Linus was the most ADORABLE character and Adam was complicated but likeable. Ness did a really great job, and I loved that the whole thing was et over the course of just one day. It was very clever!
Now for the disappointing bit - story #2! Because while Adam was dealing with probably one of the most emotional days of his life, something weird was going on in the forest. Something to do with a recent murder, a seven foot deer that reminded me of the Forest God in Princess Mononoke, and a 'Queen' of an unknown species that moved from place to place killing and destroying and leaving her poor servant to clear up her mess. No explanations were given as to how the Queen got into her position and I felt like it was all meant to have some deep, philosophical meaning but it just...didn't. It was a middle without a beginning or a proper end that made any sense, and I left that particular reading experience more confused than anything. It felt like an experiment that didn't pay off, but I loved Adam's story so much that to an extent, I've pretty much pretended that it didn't happen. This would definitely have been a full on five stars, without question, had the weird stuff been kept out of it.