pickNote: This series has multiple volumes and is not yet complete!
I could not possibly describe the brilliance of this series. Throughout the years, both the storyline and the art style grew in maturity and it is now BREATHTAKING in every regard. The characters are wonderfully dimensional and captivating. Anyone who likes engaging in deep analysis and examining character development: this series is a MUST. It has had a profound impact on my life!
pickTo me, this book was fantastically written. It handles the topic of sexual assault and depression realistically, progresses with the narrator processing her trauma and then overcoming it instead of simply suffering throughout the whole book (like in Anderson‘s other book, ‘Wintergirls‘). The novel follows a mundane, day-to-day life, but never grows boring because of the psychological depth of the character as displayed in her inner dialogue.
panAlthough it was a brutally accurate narrative and written by a talented author, this novel did not bode well with me. The author failed to emphasize the fact that Lia was mentally sick and subsequently promoted harmful ideals. The resolution of the novel sends the most halfhearted, insincere message of hope I have ever seen. It‘s just a bunch of pages of the narrator suffering and then it ends like “Oh, I‘m getting better now.”
so-soThe introduction to the characters and the premise of the novel were both not properly developed in the initial chapters, causing me to struggle to latch onto the story. However, the novel quickly redeemed itself when Rufus and Mateo actually befriended each other. The friendship was genuine and pulled the reader into rooting for two characters that were destined to die. The final line of the novel left a very heavy, sad feeling in my stomach.
bailedThis book had a storyline with potential, but Fitzgerald‘s diction absolutely wrecked the novel for me. I felt it was redundant and unnecessarily descriptive, and it was an absolute drag for me. I was assigned to read it in two different English classes and did not make it through either attempt. Does not deserve the reputation it has in American literature.
pickThis book is absolutely wonderful. There are only two characters that the book centres on, and they are both fully fleshed out and intriguing. There are many questions that the reader will have during the course of the story, and that is what propels the reader further. It becomes a bit stagnant towards the middle, but quickly picks back up. The ending was right in every way, but still hurt a bit. The characters are the novel‘s strongest asset.
panFor me, this book lacked a gripping storyline and the characters often annoyed me with their actions and felt bland or hard to connect to. The details of the storyline ended up boring me. This was disappointing for me, because I had read books from both Lacour and Levithan and had high expectations. A good quick and lighthearted read, but I was not engaged whatsoever.
