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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Montpelier Parade in Books
May 24, 2017
Sylvia Plath-esque
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Set in the not-so-distant-past in Dublin, Ireland lives Sonny, a schoolboy with not much hope of succeeding in life. Living on the poverty line, Sonny has no choice but to work at a butcher’s shop after school, and with his gambling father, a builder, at the weekend. On one such occasion, whilst working on a posh house on Montpelier Parade, Sonny meets the enigmatic Vera, whose beauty leaves him speechless. It only takes another encounter, and Sonny is infatuated with this elusive lady.
Montpelier Parade is a melancholy love story, describing the dangerous relationship between Sonny and Vera. Not only is it wrong for schoolchild and adult to have such an intimate connection, Sonny finds himself powerless to deal with Vera’s depression. Vera’s Sylvia Plath-esque demeanour results in events that go above and beyond what an adolescent boy ought to be dealing with – especially as he has his own problems, too.
Karl Geary has written this novel in the second person, placing the reader directly into Sonny’s position. “You say,” “She turned and looked at you.” – we, as the reader, become Sonny. This makes it easier to imagine the hardships he is facing at school, at home, and with Vera. We imagine ourselves in his position, thus making everything feel so real.
Montpelier Parade is not an easy book to read. Depression and suicide are very delicate topics to deal with. Combine that with underage sexual relationships with an adult, and you have got a particularly uncomfortable journey ahead. Then, to top it all off, the narrative is riddled with foul language.
A comparison with wealth and poverty, life and death, and love, Montpelier Parade will attract many readers. Sadly, the story was a bit too crude for myself to enjoy. That said, I can understand why many will enjoy it, or even relate to it, however be aware, it is quite a serious, dark story.
Set in the not-so-distant-past in Dublin, Ireland lives Sonny, a schoolboy with not much hope of succeeding in life. Living on the poverty line, Sonny has no choice but to work at a butcher’s shop after school, and with his gambling father, a builder, at the weekend. On one such occasion, whilst working on a posh house on Montpelier Parade, Sonny meets the enigmatic Vera, whose beauty leaves him speechless. It only takes another encounter, and Sonny is infatuated with this elusive lady.
Montpelier Parade is a melancholy love story, describing the dangerous relationship between Sonny and Vera. Not only is it wrong for schoolchild and adult to have such an intimate connection, Sonny finds himself powerless to deal with Vera’s depression. Vera’s Sylvia Plath-esque demeanour results in events that go above and beyond what an adolescent boy ought to be dealing with – especially as he has his own problems, too.
Karl Geary has written this novel in the second person, placing the reader directly into Sonny’s position. “You say,” “She turned and looked at you.” – we, as the reader, become Sonny. This makes it easier to imagine the hardships he is facing at school, at home, and with Vera. We imagine ourselves in his position, thus making everything feel so real.
Montpelier Parade is not an easy book to read. Depression and suicide are very delicate topics to deal with. Combine that with underage sexual relationships with an adult, and you have got a particularly uncomfortable journey ahead. Then, to top it all off, the narrative is riddled with foul language.
A comparison with wealth and poverty, life and death, and love, Montpelier Parade will attract many readers. Sadly, the story was a bit too crude for myself to enjoy. That said, I can understand why many will enjoy it, or even relate to it, however be aware, it is quite a serious, dark story.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Montpelier Parade in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Set in the not-so-distant-past in Dublin, Ireland lives Sonny, a schoolboy with not much hope of succeeding in life. Living on the poverty line, Sonny has no choice but to work at a butcher’s shop after school, and with his gambling father, a builder, at the weekend. On one such occasion, whilst working on a posh house on Montpelier Parade, Sonny meets the enigmatic Vera, whose beauty leaves him speechless. It only takes another encounter, and Sonny is infatuated with this elusive lady.
<i>Montpelier Parade</i> is a melancholy love story, describing the dangerous relationship between Sonny and Vera. Not only is it wrong for schoolchild and adult to have such an intimate connection, Sonny finds himself powerless to deal with Vera’s depression. Vera’s Sylvia Plath-esque demeanor results in events that go above and beyond what an adolescent boy ought to be dealing with – especially as he has his own problems, too.
Karl Geary has written this novel in the second person, placing the reader directly into Sonny’s position. “You say,” “She turned and looked at you.” – we, as the reader, become Sonny. This makes it easier to imagine the hardships he is facing at school, at home, and with Vera. We imagine ourselves in his position, thus making everything feel so real.
<i>Montpelier Parade</i> is not an easy book to read. Depression and suicide are very delicate topics to deal with. Combine that with underage sexual relationships with an adult, and you have got a particularly uncomfortable journey ahead. Then, to top it all off, the narrative is riddled with foul language.
A comparison with wealth and poverty, life and death, and love, <i>Montpelier Parade</i> will attract many readers. Sadly, the story was a bit too crude for myself to enjoy. That said, I can understand why many will enjoy it, or even relate to it, however be aware, it is quite a serious, dark story.
Set in the not-so-distant-past in Dublin, Ireland lives Sonny, a schoolboy with not much hope of succeeding in life. Living on the poverty line, Sonny has no choice but to work at a butcher’s shop after school, and with his gambling father, a builder, at the weekend. On one such occasion, whilst working on a posh house on Montpelier Parade, Sonny meets the enigmatic Vera, whose beauty leaves him speechless. It only takes another encounter, and Sonny is infatuated with this elusive lady.
<i>Montpelier Parade</i> is a melancholy love story, describing the dangerous relationship between Sonny and Vera. Not only is it wrong for schoolchild and adult to have such an intimate connection, Sonny finds himself powerless to deal with Vera’s depression. Vera’s Sylvia Plath-esque demeanor results in events that go above and beyond what an adolescent boy ought to be dealing with – especially as he has his own problems, too.
Karl Geary has written this novel in the second person, placing the reader directly into Sonny’s position. “You say,” “She turned and looked at you.” – we, as the reader, become Sonny. This makes it easier to imagine the hardships he is facing at school, at home, and with Vera. We imagine ourselves in his position, thus making everything feel so real.
<i>Montpelier Parade</i> is not an easy book to read. Depression and suicide are very delicate topics to deal with. Combine that with underage sexual relationships with an adult, and you have got a particularly uncomfortable journey ahead. Then, to top it all off, the narrative is riddled with foul language.
A comparison with wealth and poverty, life and death, and love, <i>Montpelier Parade</i> will attract many readers. Sadly, the story was a bit too crude for myself to enjoy. That said, I can understand why many will enjoy it, or even relate to it, however be aware, it is quite a serious, dark story.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Polemic in Tabletop Games
Nov 19, 2019
Apples to Apples. Cards Against Humanity. What Do You Meme? These are all party card games that are based upon similar card play: the active player plays a card and the rest of the players play cards to influence the active player to choose their response. Typically it is the funniest or, in the case of CAH, most disgusting and obscene cards that win. But what if we flip this party game model on its head a bit? Does it make for a better game or more enjoyable play? Let’s find out.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game and its NSFW expansion for the purposes of this review. These are final components, and the game is available from the publisher and other online retail stores. Also, I do not intend to explicitly cover every rule for the game, but to give an idea of game flow and play. -T
To setup a game of Polemic, each player will choose a color of cards and receive the small deck of the same color. Each player’s deck will include a Like, Dislike, and numbered cards 0-6. Shuffle the Topic cards (or Adult Topic cards – optional expansion) and place them face down in the middle of the playing surface – my band and I used a chair when we played. Choose who will be the first active player and you are ready to play!
The active player will draw a Topic card and read the provided topics silently. They will choose one topic to play, announce it to the group and lay the card in a discard pile. Now every player (active player included) will choose whether they Like or Dislike the topic. Simple as that. However, the players will also need to choose a card describing how many of the players will Like the topic. Herein lies the game.
You see, it’s not just deciding whether you Like the topic or not, but it’s also reading and knowing your fellow players to guess how many of them will also Like the topic. Example from photo below: I choose “dogs” as my topic. Obviously I Like dogs, so I will play my Like card and another numbered card as my guess to how many total players will Like dogs. It should be all of them, but I suppose there are those who are cat people as well. All players will reveal their Like/Dislike and numbered guess simultaneously and those that guessed the number of Likes correctly will each get one point. The game continues in this fashion until you run out of time to play or you have hit the agreed-upon point total for victory.
Components. To reiterate, we were provided a copy of this game along with the Adult Topics Pack. This game is a box with a bunch of cards. A ton of Topic cards are provided and enough personal decks for up to six players. The rules are also printed on a card. I LOVE this. The cards are good quality and I might even consider sleeving my personal decks as they are handled A LOT. I have no issues with the components at all.
Here’s the deal. We hear so many times that a game is a CAH-killer. And I, for one, hope that to be true every single time. While Polemic is not really akin to CAH, I can see how it would be classified similarly. However, Polemic is SUCH a great game of discovering what your playmates are into and what they think you enjoy as well. I would be remiss if I didn’t insist on also picking up the Adult Topics Packs, but be warned: once you go NSFW you may not want to play any other way. Unless you’re playing with your grandparents or in-laws or something. Then just be smart about what you choose to play with them. That said, Purple Phoenix Games (with help from 10 of Soul) give this one a resounding 11 / 12. Pick this up now before they are sold out.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game and its NSFW expansion for the purposes of this review. These are final components, and the game is available from the publisher and other online retail stores. Also, I do not intend to explicitly cover every rule for the game, but to give an idea of game flow and play. -T
To setup a game of Polemic, each player will choose a color of cards and receive the small deck of the same color. Each player’s deck will include a Like, Dislike, and numbered cards 0-6. Shuffle the Topic cards (or Adult Topic cards – optional expansion) and place them face down in the middle of the playing surface – my band and I used a chair when we played. Choose who will be the first active player and you are ready to play!
The active player will draw a Topic card and read the provided topics silently. They will choose one topic to play, announce it to the group and lay the card in a discard pile. Now every player (active player included) will choose whether they Like or Dislike the topic. Simple as that. However, the players will also need to choose a card describing how many of the players will Like the topic. Herein lies the game.
You see, it’s not just deciding whether you Like the topic or not, but it’s also reading and knowing your fellow players to guess how many of them will also Like the topic. Example from photo below: I choose “dogs” as my topic. Obviously I Like dogs, so I will play my Like card and another numbered card as my guess to how many total players will Like dogs. It should be all of them, but I suppose there are those who are cat people as well. All players will reveal their Like/Dislike and numbered guess simultaneously and those that guessed the number of Likes correctly will each get one point. The game continues in this fashion until you run out of time to play or you have hit the agreed-upon point total for victory.
Components. To reiterate, we were provided a copy of this game along with the Adult Topics Pack. This game is a box with a bunch of cards. A ton of Topic cards are provided and enough personal decks for up to six players. The rules are also printed on a card. I LOVE this. The cards are good quality and I might even consider sleeving my personal decks as they are handled A LOT. I have no issues with the components at all.
Here’s the deal. We hear so many times that a game is a CAH-killer. And I, for one, hope that to be true every single time. While Polemic is not really akin to CAH, I can see how it would be classified similarly. However, Polemic is SUCH a great game of discovering what your playmates are into and what they think you enjoy as well. I would be remiss if I didn’t insist on also picking up the Adult Topics Packs, but be warned: once you go NSFW you may not want to play any other way. Unless you’re playing with your grandparents or in-laws or something. Then just be smart about what you choose to play with them. That said, Purple Phoenix Games (with help from 10 of Soul) give this one a resounding 11 / 12. Pick this up now before they are sold out.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Swallows in Books
Jan 30, 2020 (Updated Jan 31, 2020)
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Lisa Lutz's latest, The Swallows, introduces Alex Witt, a teacher with a past. She is hired at Stonebridge Academy and asks her creative writing students to answer innocent questions so she can get to know them. "What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?" The answers surprise Alex. They are not innocent and reveal much more about the students and the school's activities than she expects. The students reveal online bullying and a private message board. She encourages the female students to fight back and fight they do.
While I have not worked at a boarding school, I have worked at urban schools. The online bullying and message board are all too real. So is the school's attitude that "boys will be boys". Lutz uses her characters to show the dark side of technology and teenagers. This is not a young adult book. It is a book for adults which is set in a school.
The writing in The Swallows is witty while covering dark topics. Lutz's word choices and writing style keep the book from being too dark.
I added several of Lutz's books, including the Spellman Files series, to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/30/20.
Lisa Lutz's latest, The Swallows, introduces Alex Witt, a teacher with a past. She is hired at Stonebridge Academy and asks her creative writing students to answer innocent questions so she can get to know them. "What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?" The answers surprise Alex. They are not innocent and reveal much more about the students and the school's activities than she expects. The students reveal online bullying and a private message board. She encourages the female students to fight back and fight they do.
While I have not worked at a boarding school, I have worked at urban schools. The online bullying and message board are all too real. So is the school's attitude that "boys will be boys". Lutz uses her characters to show the dark side of technology and teenagers. This is not a young adult book. It is a book for adults which is set in a school.
The writing in The Swallows is witty while covering dark topics. Lutz's word choices and writing style keep the book from being too dark.
I added several of Lutz's books, including the Spellman Files series, to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/30/20.
Roksana Szczęsny (538 KP) rated Moxie (2021) in Movies
Mar 13, 2021
Representation. (1 more)
Likeable characters.
Young adult film done right.
When I was getting ready to watch this movie for the first time, I was sort of expecting it to be your ordinary, cringy YA film - I was very pleasantly surprised at how well the movie pulled off the topics it was covering.
I don't think I have ever seen a YA feminist movie before so this was very much a new experience for me. I love that the movie realistically included representation such as a character that is disabled. I know that when I was younger my disability made me feel ashamed and seeing this in a movie targeted at teens would have given me a slight confidence boost.
I have to give the movie props for not making the main character "perfect"; she very much has flaws that can be spotted at certain parts of the movie and at one point, she even gets called out by her best friend.
All in all, I have to say I enjoyed the movie and the only negative thing that I have to say about it is that at some points it was not very realistic, but I think that can be excused when looking at the bigger picture, I truly hope the movie inspires young people to take a look at the world and see the changes that need to be made so that we achieve equality and equity for all.
I don't think I have ever seen a YA feminist movie before so this was very much a new experience for me. I love that the movie realistically included representation such as a character that is disabled. I know that when I was younger my disability made me feel ashamed and seeing this in a movie targeted at teens would have given me a slight confidence boost.
I have to give the movie props for not making the main character "perfect"; she very much has flaws that can be spotted at certain parts of the movie and at one point, she even gets called out by her best friend.
All in all, I have to say I enjoyed the movie and the only negative thing that I have to say about it is that at some points it was not very realistic, but I think that can be excused when looking at the bigger picture, I truly hope the movie inspires young people to take a look at the world and see the changes that need to be made so that we achieve equality and equity for all.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Muppets - Season 1 in TV
Oct 9, 2020
Intelligently funny
The Muppets is a 2015 mockumentary style series that aired for only one season, and is currently available on Disney+ . It follows the personal and professional lives of the Muppets behind the scenes of Miss Piggy's late night talk show.
The Muppets are an institution. There won’t be many people that don’t know of the Muppets, and most will have grown up with them in some form whether it be the original tv show, the earlier films or the most recent film reincarnations with Jason Segel. For me, my fondest memories of the Muppets come from the films (The Muppet Christmas Carol is by far the best Christmas film) and from the Muppet Vision 3D show in Disney World, so I had no preconceptions over what this show would be. And it’s an absolute hoot.
This is a wonderfully funny and smart show, and the mockumentary style similar to The Office and Parks and Recereation works very well. It manages to bring clever adult humour without reducing itself to crudeness. It’s whip smart, witty and full of relevant pop culture references that are often laugh out loud funny. There are so many instances in these 16 episodes where I couldn’t stop laughing, although a particularly highlight involved Bobo the bear and The Revenant. And not only is this funny, it’s also full of heart. It features some fairly meaningful and important topics and for the most part it deals with these well with an appropriate amount of humour.
The great thing about this show is that it isn’t just the Kermit and Piggy show. All of the other Muppets are featured in equal measure and for me personally I loved this as some of my favourite moments were with the likes of Rizzo, Pepe and Chip the IT guy. I also now have a new found love for Uncle Deadly, I never realised how brilliant a character he was before! This show also brings in some fantastic guest stars, from the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Liam Hemsworth, Ru Paul and Josh Groban, all of whom have no problem in sending themselves up and being the butt of the jokes.
It’s a shame then that this show falters two thirds of the way through due to the storyline and relationship between Kermit and Piggy. I’ve never been a fan of Piggy as I find her very irksome, but she’s bearable in small doses. However the show seems to do a complete u-turn on their storyline midway through and suffers because of it, as it becomes dull and predictable and nothing we haven’t seen before for Kermit and Piggy. The rest of the show and characters are still hilarious, but Kermit and Piggy really bring down the tone.
If you’re an adult and a fan of the Muppets and are looking for some adult, intelligent laugh out loud humour, you can’t really go wrong with this. Just try not to concentrate on the storyline too much.
The Muppets are an institution. There won’t be many people that don’t know of the Muppets, and most will have grown up with them in some form whether it be the original tv show, the earlier films or the most recent film reincarnations with Jason Segel. For me, my fondest memories of the Muppets come from the films (The Muppet Christmas Carol is by far the best Christmas film) and from the Muppet Vision 3D show in Disney World, so I had no preconceptions over what this show would be. And it’s an absolute hoot.
This is a wonderfully funny and smart show, and the mockumentary style similar to The Office and Parks and Recereation works very well. It manages to bring clever adult humour without reducing itself to crudeness. It’s whip smart, witty and full of relevant pop culture references that are often laugh out loud funny. There are so many instances in these 16 episodes where I couldn’t stop laughing, although a particularly highlight involved Bobo the bear and The Revenant. And not only is this funny, it’s also full of heart. It features some fairly meaningful and important topics and for the most part it deals with these well with an appropriate amount of humour.
The great thing about this show is that it isn’t just the Kermit and Piggy show. All of the other Muppets are featured in equal measure and for me personally I loved this as some of my favourite moments were with the likes of Rizzo, Pepe and Chip the IT guy. I also now have a new found love for Uncle Deadly, I never realised how brilliant a character he was before! This show also brings in some fantastic guest stars, from the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Liam Hemsworth, Ru Paul and Josh Groban, all of whom have no problem in sending themselves up and being the butt of the jokes.
It’s a shame then that this show falters two thirds of the way through due to the storyline and relationship between Kermit and Piggy. I’ve never been a fan of Piggy as I find her very irksome, but she’s bearable in small doses. However the show seems to do a complete u-turn on their storyline midway through and suffers because of it, as it becomes dull and predictable and nothing we haven’t seen before for Kermit and Piggy. The rest of the show and characters are still hilarious, but Kermit and Piggy really bring down the tone.
If you’re an adult and a fan of the Muppets and are looking for some adult, intelligent laugh out loud humour, you can’t really go wrong with this. Just try not to concentrate on the storyline too much.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Invisible In A Bright Light in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This story is told from multiple perspectives and the protagonist of this book should be Celeste, a girl who wakes up in a basket as someone else, a girl called Maria. Celeste is very confused about who is this Maria, and why she is living her life. Even though this book tells Celeste’s journey, for me, the true protagonist of this book is Hildegard, a young girl, who was abused and bullied by her self centred mother. This whole story is kind of about her. That is the beauty of this book, the characters are so closely connected and entwined, that it makes this book a one beautiful and complex work of art.
I have to admit, this book was quite hard to read sometimes. Even though the plot is great and absorbing, the writing style felt quite jumpy and chaotic, and that made this book a little difficult to understand sometimes. I have to admit, if I would read it as a child, it would not make sense to me, but reading it as an adult, I truly learned how to enjoy it to the fullest. The author discussed very important topics in this book, such as emotional and physical abuse against children, lack of confidence in children, loss, friendship, self-obsession, and many more. The plot was quite layered, sometimes it is a ghost story, sometimes an adventure and it is filled with plenty of magic as well, all these changes in the atmosphere kept me entertained throughout the pages.
I have to admit, this book was quite hard to read sometimes. Even though the plot is great and absorbing, the writing style felt quite jumpy and chaotic, and that made this book a little difficult to understand sometimes. I have to admit, if I would read it as a child, it would not make sense to me, but reading it as an adult, I truly learned how to enjoy it to the fullest. The author discussed very important topics in this book, such as emotional and physical abuse against children, lack of confidence in children, loss, friendship, self-obsession, and many more. The plot was quite layered, sometimes it is a ghost story, sometimes an adventure and it is filled with plenty of magic as well, all these changes in the atmosphere kept me entertained throughout the pages.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2069 KP) rated Racing the Light in Books
Jun 17, 2023
Elvis Cole is in a Race to Find a Missing Man
PI Elvis Cole’s latest client is a mother who insists that her son, Josh, is missing. She sounds like a conspiracy nut, and it doesn’t help that Josh hosts a podcast about aliens and other out there topics. But Elvis gives himself a day to figure out what he thinks of the case, and in that time he realizes that someone dangerous is very interested in where Josh is. Can Elvis find him in time?
As usual, this book was a mixed bag for me. The case was interesting, although some of the events were entirely predictable to anyone who has read this series on a regular basis. While I do like Elvis and his partner, Joe Pike, I still find Joe to be a rather thin character. The new characters are also definitely on the thin side, and many of them are annoying. In fact, at times the plot seemed to be based on the characters doing the absolutely stupidest things they could do and Elvis trying to save them. There’s also quite a bit of adult content in this book, more so than I really thought it needed. There are lots of point of view changes, but I never had a hard time with them since they were clearly labeled and happened at chapter breaks. Fans will be interested in the sub-plot here. There are things I enjoyed, but once again, this is an average entry in an average series.
As usual, this book was a mixed bag for me. The case was interesting, although some of the events were entirely predictable to anyone who has read this series on a regular basis. While I do like Elvis and his partner, Joe Pike, I still find Joe to be a rather thin character. The new characters are also definitely on the thin side, and many of them are annoying. In fact, at times the plot seemed to be based on the characters doing the absolutely stupidest things they could do and Elvis trying to save them. There’s also quite a bit of adult content in this book, more so than I really thought it needed. There are lots of point of view changes, but I never had a hard time with them since they were clearly labeled and happened at chapter breaks. Fans will be interested in the sub-plot here. There are things I enjoyed, but once again, this is an average entry in an average series.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Miss Me Not in Books
Sep 3, 2019
Note: This has been on my Kindle for years--literally! I've decided every so often when there's not a book I've bought that I'm just dying to read that I'll start reading my backlog of books from the earliest bought. This was #1 - from 2013. I'm not doing bad, I only have one more book from 2013 before I start the ones from 2014. Yay!
*-*-*-*-*
This covers some rather dark topics like suicide and physical abuse. On the first page we learn of a student's suicide and Madison's feelings about it. And then the fact that she has a sort of suicide pact with her only friend. It's quite a punch to the gut that these 17 year olds feel so low due to family situations that they want to end things.
Madison had a very unconventional childhood with parents who took no notice of her at all and in an effort to gain any sort of attention from them she acted out in the past until the unthinkable happened when she was just 13. I understand how stuff like that can warp you when it happens at such a young age.
Then a ray of light appears in the form of Dean--all round good guy. He's been asked to tutor her so she doesn't flunk a class. He's determined to be her friend after watching her for years and seeing her "fade into the background" behaviour. Things progress from friendship into romance over time and we get a rather sweet romance between Dean and Madison. He's very protective of her.
Of course, things don't always go the way you want and someone close to Madison commits suicide throwing her back into the darkness of grief. Luckily, she now has a strong support system in place with Dean and his family and they manage to keep her grounded.
I thought it ended a little abruptly but it was a sweet young adult romance that covered some hard hitting topics.
Another note: Suicide does seem to be a big issue in teenagers around the world and this book does a good job of highlighting it. It doesn't seem fair to me for teens to be that low that they take their own lives. They've barely started living and they ready to die already? That's not right. I've had a few good cries while reading this.
*-*-*-*-*
This covers some rather dark topics like suicide and physical abuse. On the first page we learn of a student's suicide and Madison's feelings about it. And then the fact that she has a sort of suicide pact with her only friend. It's quite a punch to the gut that these 17 year olds feel so low due to family situations that they want to end things.
Madison had a very unconventional childhood with parents who took no notice of her at all and in an effort to gain any sort of attention from them she acted out in the past until the unthinkable happened when she was just 13. I understand how stuff like that can warp you when it happens at such a young age.
Then a ray of light appears in the form of Dean--all round good guy. He's been asked to tutor her so she doesn't flunk a class. He's determined to be her friend after watching her for years and seeing her "fade into the background" behaviour. Things progress from friendship into romance over time and we get a rather sweet romance between Dean and Madison. He's very protective of her.
Of course, things don't always go the way you want and someone close to Madison commits suicide throwing her back into the darkness of grief. Luckily, she now has a strong support system in place with Dean and his family and they manage to keep her grounded.
I thought it ended a little abruptly but it was a sweet young adult romance that covered some hard hitting topics.
Another note: Suicide does seem to be a big issue in teenagers around the world and this book does a good job of highlighting it. It doesn't seem fair to me for teens to be that low that they take their own lives. They've barely started living and they ready to die already? That's not right. I've had a few good cries while reading this.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Deviants in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The Deviants</i> by British author C. J. Skuse is an addictive, shocking young adult thriller about friendship, secrets and revenge. Set in a seaside town in the South West of England five friends are reunited through getting revenge on people causing difficulties in their lives. However some people are holding back secrets from the others, ones that cause more problems than not revealing them protects.
Ella has been with her boyfriend Max for five years but cracks are beginning to show in their relationship. Max is desperate to take their relationship to the next level, however Ella seems reluctant, if not scared, to do so. It is clear that something happened in Ella’s past that she refuses to acknowledge, relying on brutal training for the Commonwealth Games as a way of releasing her feelings. When circumstances cause Ella and Max to reconnect with schoolmates Fallon and Corey, Ella is quick to plot revenge on the people antagonizing them, using this as a new method of dealing with her past.
Through interactions with other characters, readers piece together the secret Ella has buried inside herself. By withholding these horrible experiences from everyone, Ella is slowly destroying herself. She believes she is protecting the people she loves, but is soon to realize that she is causing others to jump to dangerous conclusions.
Ella tells the story as if she is looking back on what has happened during the summer break from school. It is evident that she is opening up to an anonymous person, whom readers may initially presume to be a therapist. It is not until the shocking, heart-breaking conclusion that we eventually learn this character’s identity.
From the beginning it is not clear what the storyline of <i>The Deviants</i> is. For a very long time it is impossible to guess where the author is going with the narrative, however that does not stop it from being enjoyable. Ella’s account is occasionally amusing with realistic situations teenagers may find themselves in, although perhaps not all in one friendship circle: romantic relationships, pregnancy, exams, bullying, physical disability, homosexuality… As a result of the wishy-washy plot line, the ending is all the more shocking.
It is easy to relate to all of the main characters – although not necessarily like them all. Each represents a different set of feelings and personalities that all young adult readers will be familiar with, thus <i>The Deviants</i> is a book everyone can relate to.
I honestly did not know what to expect when I began this novel, however I easily got into the narrative and enjoyed reading about Ella and her friends. There are a few topics that are difficult to read about, so some readers may feel uncomfortable especially if they have ever been <b>*SPOILER*</b> abused. <i>The Deviants</i> is a book that fans of contemporary young adult readers should enjoy, and has the potential to become quite popular.
The Deviants</i> by British author C. J. Skuse is an addictive, shocking young adult thriller about friendship, secrets and revenge. Set in a seaside town in the South West of England five friends are reunited through getting revenge on people causing difficulties in their lives. However some people are holding back secrets from the others, ones that cause more problems than not revealing them protects.
Ella has been with her boyfriend Max for five years but cracks are beginning to show in their relationship. Max is desperate to take their relationship to the next level, however Ella seems reluctant, if not scared, to do so. It is clear that something happened in Ella’s past that she refuses to acknowledge, relying on brutal training for the Commonwealth Games as a way of releasing her feelings. When circumstances cause Ella and Max to reconnect with schoolmates Fallon and Corey, Ella is quick to plot revenge on the people antagonizing them, using this as a new method of dealing with her past.
Through interactions with other characters, readers piece together the secret Ella has buried inside herself. By withholding these horrible experiences from everyone, Ella is slowly destroying herself. She believes she is protecting the people she loves, but is soon to realize that she is causing others to jump to dangerous conclusions.
Ella tells the story as if she is looking back on what has happened during the summer break from school. It is evident that she is opening up to an anonymous person, whom readers may initially presume to be a therapist. It is not until the shocking, heart-breaking conclusion that we eventually learn this character’s identity.
From the beginning it is not clear what the storyline of <i>The Deviants</i> is. For a very long time it is impossible to guess where the author is going with the narrative, however that does not stop it from being enjoyable. Ella’s account is occasionally amusing with realistic situations teenagers may find themselves in, although perhaps not all in one friendship circle: romantic relationships, pregnancy, exams, bullying, physical disability, homosexuality… As a result of the wishy-washy plot line, the ending is all the more shocking.
It is easy to relate to all of the main characters – although not necessarily like them all. Each represents a different set of feelings and personalities that all young adult readers will be familiar with, thus <i>The Deviants</i> is a book everyone can relate to.
I honestly did not know what to expect when I began this novel, however I easily got into the narrative and enjoyed reading about Ella and her friends. There are a few topics that are difficult to read about, so some readers may feel uncomfortable especially if they have ever been <b>*SPOILER*</b> abused. <i>The Deviants</i> is a book that fans of contemporary young adult readers should enjoy, and has the potential to become quite popular.