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A review by ej_pridepages
Darkhearts by James L. Sutter
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a free copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A strong, bittersweet work about grief and regret. This book is difficult to classify. While it has some elements of a romcom (friends-to-rivals-to-lovers, secretly dating, finding yourself, etc.), it doesn't actually read like one. The romance between narrator David and his love interest Chance is the main plot, but arguably the story is really about how David has been stuck in the past and needs to find a way to move forward.
If I had to register a critique, it would be the fact that band member and friend Eli's death--the event that kicks off the plot and brings David and Chance back together--wasn't thoroughly handled. This was a trauma for Chance and arguably for David too. But it barely gets discussed. By the midway point of the book, Chance's feelings of guilt are "resolved" for narrative purposes (or more accurately, seemingly ignored or forgotten by David). It's clear that David is meant to be a selfish character, but the fact that this event just falls away is troubling.
I also thought I would leave unsatisfied by the 'resolution' about the choice to come out or not. Until those last couple of lines...well, let's just say I liked it better than I thought I would.
I'd recommend this book to fans of YA, coming-of-age novels, and bittersweet romances.
A strong, bittersweet work about grief and regret. This book is difficult to classify. While it has some elements of a romcom (friends-to-rivals-to-lovers, secretly dating, finding yourself, etc.), it doesn't actually read like one. The romance between narrator David and his love interest Chance is the main plot, but arguably the story is really about how David has been stuck in the past and needs to find a way to move forward.
If I had to register a critique, it would be the fact that band member and friend Eli's death--the event that kicks off the plot and brings David and Chance back together--wasn't thoroughly handled. This was a trauma for Chance and arguably for David too. But it barely gets discussed. By the midway point of the book, Chance's feelings of guilt are "resolved" for narrative purposes (or more accurately, seemingly ignored or forgotten by David). It's clear that David is meant to be a selfish character, but the fact that this event just falls away is troubling.
I also thought I would leave unsatisfied by the 'resolution' about the choice to come out or not. Until those last couple of lines...well, let's just say I liked it better than I thought I would.
I'd recommend this book to fans of YA, coming-of-age novels, and bittersweet romances.