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A review by gee_reads_books
4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss
5.0
I received an ARC of this book via BookSirens, in exchange for an honest review!
This was a beautiful, moving, at times difficult but full-time worthy story. Fourteen-year-old Aaron has been diagnosed with a very severe case of meningitis, that has left him fully paralyzed. Despite what everyone (including his doctors) think, though, Aaron hasn't gone into a vegetative state. He's very much awake and aware, even if he isn't able to notify other people. And he's also... Bored. Stressed out. Afraid. Uncertain about what the doctors will see fit to do with him. So, to deal with the emotional turmoil that comes with being fully isolated from the rest of the world, Aaron seeks shelter inside his mind--in an imaginary world, the Mind Palace. But soon reality and imagination bleed together, and when a new roommate enters Aaron's life, time becomes a distant, blurry notion. What is real, and what isn't? How is it possible that Aaron and Solomon, the only person who can hear his thoughts, time-travel? And... How can Aaron hold on to hope?
“You look like a fella who knows a bit about kindness, forgiveness, and love."
From the second this book starts, the characters sneak into your heart and settle down there. All of them felt so real, so vivid and deep, that I could imagine the kind of conversations they would have with me if I ever got to meet them in real life. (What's real and what isn't, anyways? Who gets to decide that? These are interesting questions that the book asks us... And that one ends up asking themselves.) The nurse was the sweetest, but oh, boy, how I loved Aaron and Solomon! Not only because of their bond, not only because they're so human it nearly hurts; but rather, because of the lesson they teach us. What makes the dynamics between them so great is how Solomon has a lot of wisdom to teach, and how Aaron is willing to learn. Somehow, it's a defence of the inherent value of our elderly's experiences and lives, and I was really happy to get such a positive message from this book.
As there is some time-traveling involved, you can expect a part of the book to be historical fiction. And what a delightful part it was! Although HF is not one of my favourite subgenres, I quite enjoyed the wild ride from the 1920s to the 1980s. I also loved seeing how, in the course of these adventures, Aaron learned from Solomon how to stop surviving, and start living. It was a heartwarming journey, and one that made me smile more than once.
All in all, the beautiful message of this book makes it a small gem to be treasured. Readers from all ages will enjoy this small, heart-shaped story, and I firmly believe that there's a really valuable lesson we all ought to be either taught, or reminded of, in its pages.
This was a beautiful, moving, at times difficult but full-time worthy story. Fourteen-year-old Aaron has been diagnosed with a very severe case of meningitis, that has left him fully paralyzed. Despite what everyone (including his doctors) think, though, Aaron hasn't gone into a vegetative state. He's very much awake and aware, even if he isn't able to notify other people. And he's also... Bored. Stressed out. Afraid. Uncertain about what the doctors will see fit to do with him. So, to deal with the emotional turmoil that comes with being fully isolated from the rest of the world, Aaron seeks shelter inside his mind--in an imaginary world, the Mind Palace. But soon reality and imagination bleed together, and when a new roommate enters Aaron's life, time becomes a distant, blurry notion. What is real, and what isn't? How is it possible that Aaron and Solomon, the only person who can hear his thoughts, time-travel? And... How can Aaron hold on to hope?
“You look like a fella who knows a bit about kindness, forgiveness, and love."
From the second this book starts, the characters sneak into your heart and settle down there. All of them felt so real, so vivid and deep, that I could imagine the kind of conversations they would have with me if I ever got to meet them in real life. (What's real and what isn't, anyways? Who gets to decide that? These are interesting questions that the book asks us... And that one ends up asking themselves.) The nurse was the sweetest, but oh, boy, how I loved Aaron and Solomon! Not only because of their bond, not only because they're so human it nearly hurts; but rather, because of the lesson they teach us. What makes the dynamics between them so great is how Solomon has a lot of wisdom to teach, and how Aaron is willing to learn. Somehow, it's a defence of the inherent value of our elderly's experiences and lives, and I was really happy to get such a positive message from this book.
As there is some time-traveling involved, you can expect a part of the book to be historical fiction. And what a delightful part it was! Although HF is not one of my favourite subgenres, I quite enjoyed the wild ride from the 1920s to the 1980s. I also loved seeing how, in the course of these adventures, Aaron learned from Solomon how to stop surviving, and start living. It was a heartwarming journey, and one that made me smile more than once.
All in all, the beautiful message of this book makes it a small gem to be treasured. Readers from all ages will enjoy this small, heart-shaped story, and I firmly believe that there's a really valuable lesson we all ought to be either taught, or reminded of, in its pages.