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A review by motherlatesha
The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
When I first started this book, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. I originally picked it out because a book with a gay main character who sees ghosts sounds like everything I want from a book but I was wary when I found out the main antagonist was a school shooter. The book actually mentions a lot of sensitive topics but doesn’t dwell on them too long for you to get uncomfortable or for the author to come off as insensitive.
The book is both slow and fast at the same time. Bit much happens in it but the author describes things in a very poetic and imaginative way. If you metaphors and lyrical phrases in your readings then this book has plenty of them without going into long winded paragraphs. The story does lack build up however. Everything just seems to happen and jump from one scene to the next without a smooth transition, leaving some parts seeming cut off.
The main character seems to reflect the author and his own experiences growing up, so Jake isn’t a flat character at all but the characters around him seem to lack a bit of depth because we barely get any interactions between him and the others that aren’t just there to further the plot.
The only other character you get to know is the main antagonist who was mentally. If you like books that show you the bad guys perspective then this book does a pretty descent job at showing inside his head without making him seem inhumane or justifying his actions too much but I still personally either could’ve done without or would have liked it better if we saw the characters from a third person perspective.
I feel like this book could’ve been a five star if the author had developed taken the time to really get into Jake’s powers, had more build up for the scenes, and had featured more foreshadowing for what was to come. I also would have loved if we’d gotten to know the characters better but a lot of stuff wasn’t revealed about even jake’s family dynamic until the very end when the audience could’ve been made aware of it from the beginning and maybe understand his character more rather than being frustrated with his way of thinking throughout the entire book.
In the end, the book wasn’t a bad read with an interesting premise, I just feel I would’ve felt more attached to it and its characters if we’d been given more material to work with.
The story switching between Jake and Sawyer’s perspective was a great way to set up their eventual final battle with them both fighting for control over jakes body, don’t get me wrong. But there wasn’t enough build up for me to truly appreciate it.
The book is both slow and fast at the same time. Bit much happens in it but the author describes things in a very poetic and imaginative way. If you metaphors and lyrical phrases in your readings then this book has plenty of them without going into long winded paragraphs. The story does lack build up however. Everything just seems to happen and jump from one scene to the next without a smooth transition, leaving some parts seeming cut off.
The main character seems to reflect the author and his own experiences growing up, so Jake isn’t a flat character at all but the characters around him seem to lack a bit of depth because we barely get any interactions between him and the others that aren’t just there to further the plot.
The only other character you get to know is the main antagonist who was mentally. If you like books that show you the bad guys perspective then this book does a pretty descent job at showing inside his head without making him seem inhumane or justifying his actions too much but I still personally either could’ve done without or would have liked it better if we saw the characters from a third person perspective.
I feel like this book could’ve been a five star if the author had developed taken the time to really get into Jake’s powers, had more build up for the scenes, and had featured more foreshadowing for what was to come. I also would have loved if we’d gotten to know the characters better but a lot of stuff wasn’t revealed about even jake’s family dynamic until the very end when the audience could’ve been made aware of it from the beginning and maybe understand his character more rather than being frustrated with his way of thinking throughout the entire book.
In the end, the book wasn’t a bad read with an interesting premise, I just feel I would’ve felt more attached to it and its characters if we’d been given more material to work with.
The story switching between Jake and Sawyer’s perspective was a great way to set up their eventual final battle with them both fighting for control over jakes body, don’t get me wrong. But there wasn’t enough build up for me to truly appreciate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Suicide
Minor: Body horror