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A review by lyndajdickson
You Were Here by Cory McCarthy
5.0
On the night of her high school graduation, Jaycee Stranglove reminisces about the death of her daredevil older brother Jake five years earlier. When she finds his diary and a map of the urban ruins he explored, she decides to follow in his footsteps. She is accompanied by Natalie, who is trying to rekindle their friendship; Natalie's loser boyfriend, Zach; the heart-broken artist, Bishop; and Jake's best friend Mik, a selective mute. We follow their adventures exploring The Ridges, an abandoned insane asylum on the edge of town; Moonville Tunnel, an ancient railway tunnel; The Gates of Hell, a disused open drainage pipe; Randall Park Mall, an abandoned shopping center; and Geauga Lake, a derelict amusement park. All Jaycee wants to do is feel connected to her dead brother. But when will she relinquish the past and start living?
You Were Here explores what happens in the two months a group of disparate friends have left before they leave for college. Relationships are made and destroyed, realities are confronted, and we are given a front-row view of the pain of growing up. The novel is told in alternating chapters by five characters who have five distinct voices: Jaycee's sardonic prose perfectly captures her teenage angst; Natalie portrays the high-achieving daughter always striving for perfection; Zach is the quintessential party-boy who's not ready to grow up; Bishop's contributions are in the form of drawings, graffiti, and street art; while Mik tells his story in graphic novel format. The wonderful illustrations by Sonia Liao add a whole new dimension to the story.
I really wanted to love this book. I was disappointed when I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to any of the characters at the beginning. However, as I got to know them, they became more and more real. And by the end ... yes, you guessed it ... I loved this book.
Warnings: coarse language, sexual references, alcohol abuse.
I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2016/03/you-were-here-by-cori-mccarthy.html
You Were Here explores what happens in the two months a group of disparate friends have left before they leave for college. Relationships are made and destroyed, realities are confronted, and we are given a front-row view of the pain of growing up. The novel is told in alternating chapters by five characters who have five distinct voices: Jaycee's sardonic prose perfectly captures her teenage angst; Natalie portrays the high-achieving daughter always striving for perfection; Zach is the quintessential party-boy who's not ready to grow up; Bishop's contributions are in the form of drawings, graffiti, and street art; while Mik tells his story in graphic novel format. The wonderful illustrations by Sonia Liao add a whole new dimension to the story.
I really wanted to love this book. I was disappointed when I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to any of the characters at the beginning. However, as I got to know them, they became more and more real. And by the end ... yes, you guessed it ... I loved this book.
Warnings: coarse language, sexual references, alcohol abuse.
I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2016/03/you-were-here-by-cori-mccarthy.html