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A review by reeseyyy
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Oh my gosh this was so well written.
We are the Ants is a very dark, but touching story of a young teenager, named Henry Denton, who lost someone very close to him, and never fully dealt with it. The way Hutchinson brings in science fiction to (what seems like) a completely normal world amazes me to this day. The author makes every character seen in their own struggles, even ones that not everyone will like. Reading the story unfold made me feel like henry was truly telling his story, and we got to watch him finally accept himself.
Witnessing how characters like Marcus would act towards “space boy” is definitely a terrible thing to witness, however the way Hutchinson handled it was very well written. Anyone reading could tell that Marcus was not a good person, but we all still feel bad for him because he’s not where he needs to be with himself in life. (however the Marcus on the football field makes me hate him.)
Audrey and Diego both gave Henry so much hope that he needed from losing Jesse. I mean, is the world really worth saving if Henry lost the one thing that made life seem beautiful? The question: Should he press the button? Henry had every right to ask everyone if they would press the button. The world can be a terrible place, and saving it could cause so much hurt towards others. His brother’s wife losing her child, or just Jesse losing himself. Henry could be portrayed as a someone evil human, but all he was was struggling to figure out how to handle himself and his own life.
Did he really get abducted? Henry sending in his journal to his science teacher shows how much he grew throughout the story. Diego or Audrey wasn’t the only reason he was saved, he was the person who allowed himself to overcome his own obstacles. Now towards the end the readers can believe that he wasn’t really abducted and that that was his way of giving himself something else in his mind, but no one will really know.
The end. The last sentence in the book. This is what got me. It is such a moving line that really concluded the whole story and what it was sending out as a message. “We are the ants and we’re still marching along”. We are all ants in this huge world but we all have a small part and will continue to march along and play it. It was such a sweet way to end the book and that is one of the reasons I love it.
Overall I love love love this book and will definitely read it again. If you are struggling or just need something to read I would 100 percent recommend this, however it is very powerful so make sure you’re in the right headspace.
TW: Suicide, Bullying, Sexual Assault
We are the Ants is a very dark, but touching story of a young teenager, named Henry Denton, who lost someone very close to him, and never fully dealt with it. The way Hutchinson brings in science fiction to (what seems like) a completely normal world amazes me to this day. The author makes every character seen in their own struggles, even ones that not everyone will like. Reading the story unfold made me feel like henry was truly telling his story, and we got to watch him finally accept himself.
Audrey and Diego both gave Henry so much hope that he needed from losing Jesse. I mean, is the world really worth saving if Henry lost the one thing that made life seem beautiful? The question: Should he press the button? Henry had every right to ask everyone if they would press the button. The world can be a terrible place, and saving it could cause so much hurt towards others. His brother’s wife losing her child, or just Jesse losing himself. Henry could be portrayed as a someone evil human, but all he was was struggling to figure out how to handle himself and his own life.
Did he really get abducted? Henry sending in his journal to his science teacher shows how much he grew throughout the story. Diego or Audrey wasn’t the only reason he was saved, he was the person who allowed himself to overcome his own obstacles. Now towards the end the readers can believe that he wasn’t really abducted and that that was his way of giving himself something else in his mind, but no one will really know.
The end. The last sentence in the book. This is what got me. It is such a moving line that really concluded the whole story and what it was sending out as a message. “We are the ants and we’re still marching along”. We are all ants in this huge world but we all have a small part and will continue to march along and play it. It was such a sweet way to end the book and that is one of the reasons I love it.
Overall I love love love this book and will definitely read it again. If you are struggling or just need something to read I would 100 percent recommend this, however it is very powerful so make sure you’re in the right headspace.
TW: Suicide, Bullying, Sexual Assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Abandonment, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment