Lucy Adler is a seventeen-year-old who loves basketball. And she’s talented, often outshining and out muscling those she plays against. She’s at home Lucy Adler is a seventeen-year-old who loves basketball. And she’s talented, often outshining and out muscling those she plays against. She’s at home on the asphalt public courts of NYC, either playing as part of a team, with and against a group of boys, or one-on-one with her friend (and crush) Percy. She loves her city but she’ll most likely leave it soon to attend college and wonders whether she’ll love it from afar as much as she does right here and now.
This is a coming of age tale in which we witness this half-Jewish, half- Italian teenager wrestle with thoughts of her longing for Percy - to him she’s perceived as a friend not someone with whom he considers acts of a carnal nature – and her own ‘outsider’ status, as a non-girly girl with few female friends.
The atmosphere of New York in the 1990’s and the character of angst-ridden Lucy are well drawn here. I found myself engaged in Lucy’s struggles and really wanted her to work through her infatuation for Percy. I also found Lucy’s internal and external voice to be persuasive and convincing. There are a few sections I found somewhat rambling and out of place but on the whole I found it to be an entertaining and thought provoking story.
My thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
Solomon is a 16-year-old boy who hasn’t ventured out of his house in three years. He suffers from agoraphobia and had a severe meltdown one day at schSolomon is a 16-year-old boy who hasn’t ventured out of his house in three years. He suffers from agoraphobia and had a severe meltdown one day at school. He has wonderful parents, and an energetic and fun loving grandma. He now settled to the fact that he may never leave the house. Lisa witnessed the school meltdown and it affected her. When she finds out, one day, that his mother is a local dentist she hatches a plan to make contact with Solomon. She does, however, have her own agenda for this meeting. Lisa’s boyfriend, Clark, is a squeaky clean water polo player. They’ve been going out for some time and seem infatuated with each other, though he seems to spurn her every attempt at intimate physical contact.
Such is the set-up for this short book, clearly aimed at an audience somewhat younger than yours truly. I liked Solomon and his family from the start – they joke around and don’t make a big deal out of his disorder or of the constraints imposed on him. Solomon himself is relatively happy with where he’s at. He’s being home schooled and he watches a good deal of television and goes online a lot too, and he doesn’t seem to miss the company of others of his own age. Lisa is likeable enough too, though I found her harder to believe in. She’s clearly ambitious and also kind, but I just couldn’t quite buy how much effort she was willing to put into this project. As for Clark, well I didn’t get him at all. He seemed to take little interest in anything outside of his chosen sport, though it was made clear that he’d tired of the antics of his fellow teammates and didn’t mix with them socially. But it was his relationship with Lisa that was the strangest thing. In fact, this just felt false to me – why would Lisa put up with his rejections of her physical promptings? The answer, I think, is that the sexual ambiguity this imposed on Clark was a ploy to inject a potential love triangle into the plot. It was clumsy and just didn’t work for me.
The story does play out in an enjoyable way and in the last portion of the book the pace picks up considerably, to the extent I was keen to see how it was all going to get resolved. In the end I did like the story, and I certainly had a lot of empathy for Solomon’s plight, but I just wish Lisa and Clark had been more credible characters. ...more
To open this book is to step into a disturbing world – June’s world. June is a young girl who lives with her step-mother and step-sister. Her dad liveTo open this book is to step into a disturbing world – June’s world. June is a young girl who lives with her step-mother and step-sister. Her dad lives there too, except he’s away a good deal, working. June’s mother died, she drowned.
Bad things happen all the time to June, it’s as if everybody is plotting against her. Then she meets a boy, Blister, and suddenly there is a bright spot in her life, something to look forward to and to protect.
Much of the time I found this hard to read, uncomfortable in the extreme. But the writing is good and I’d quickly become invested in the fate of the lead character – I ploughed on. And I’m glad I did, it’s a book that packs a real punch. I knew there had to be a twist but when it came it wasn’t what I was expecting.
An excellent and impactful story that had me chasing through the last few pages holding my breath. One to catch if you’re up for an uncomfortable but rewarding short read.
My thanks to Egmont Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
This book is presented as fiction for 14 – 18 year olds and though I’m (ahem) slightly outside this age bracket I’d read this brilliant review from LaThis book is presented as fiction for 14 – 18 year olds and though I’m (ahem) slightly outside this age bracket I’d read this brilliant review from Larry and I just had to take a look at it for myself. And what a joy it was.
It starts out as a murder mystery, as two people are being questioned by police over a murder. They are evasive – they are certainly hiding something. Then we slip back in time a week. Sixteen year old Vic has Mobius syndrome, a condition that means he can neither blink or smile. He is struggling to get over the death of his father and can’t come to terms with the relationship his mother has recently taken up with a new man. One day, after an incident at home, Vic grabs the funeral urn containing the ashes of his late dad and runs out of the house. He finds his way to a favoured spot where he discovers a letter in the urn, written by his dad. It appears to contain a series of riddles detailing how he wished his ashes to be scattered. Can he solve the clues and carry out his beloved father’s last wishes?
Along the way Vic meets up with a group of young people who welcome him into their group and even invite him to stay with them a while; they live in a greenhouse in the grounds of a large house. As Vic starts to bond with his fellow greenhouse dwellers, they offer to help him in his quest. We learn that there are some harrowing back stories here amongst the group, involving domestic violence and a distressing escape from the refugee crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There’s also a LOT of humour. The characters are, without exception, interesting and their interactions are brilliantly drawn.
It’s a book to make you smile and a book to make you think. It’s harrowing and heart rending in parts but it’s also uplifting in many other ways. Yes, it’s a book aimed at a YA audience, but it’s a story that can certainly be enjoyed by people of any age....more
The concept is intriguing: a man wonders up and randomly asks ‘Did you ever wish you could experience being with God?’, before handing over a small paThe concept is intriguing: a man wonders up and randomly asks ‘Did you ever wish you could experience being with God?’, before handing over a small packet containing a substance (a drug?) like no other. The substance defies science, it constantly changes and can’t be pinned down. The experience is more intense than with any drug anyone has ever taken – it creates more than a hallucinogenic experience; it’s a transportation to a different place and time, inside another person’s mind and skin.
Told through the eyes of an ever growing cast, the narration passes from person to person, back and forth. As the tale progresses and the number of active players increases it became, for me, a challenge to recall who was who (I resorted to writing down brief descriptions). But the structure actually worked really well, creating a feeling of something strange happening just as, well… something strange is happening. The whole thing was a mix of a urban science fiction tale, played out on the streets of New York, with a touch of Breaking Bad thrown into the mix.
It all rocked along at pace and for there quarters of the book I had no real idea where I was being led. In the final section it all came together in a way that was unexpected and reasonably satisfying. Though I understand this is set to be the first in a series of books, so the ending left plenty of room for expansion of the tale.
I enjoyed the unusual way the story was told and the the descriptions of life in NYC certainly brought the city to life for me. Added to this there’s now a nucleus of characters I’d be happy to catch up with again. I’d be inclined to make a date with book two, if and when it surfaces.
Thank you to Smoke and Shadow Books and NetGalley for providing an early version of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Pat Peoples has suffered a mental breakdown following a traumatic event in his life. He’s been institutionalised for some time but is about to go homePat Peoples has suffered a mental breakdown following a traumatic event in his life. He’s been institutionalised for some time but is about to go home. He dreams of being reunited with his estranged wife, Nikki, and in the meantime he’s working out (endlessly) and following his favourite American Football team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
The story has already been made into a successful film it's therefore not surprising that the book very much has a film script feel. I suppose it’s also an ok holiday read, which is a good thing as I got through the whole thing whilst lounging on a beach bed. It's not very long, not particularly taxing but it is reasonably entertaining. As time progresses we watch Pat struggle with his condition, become re-united with family and friends and meet a woman who is similarly recovering from a traumatic event.
It's pretty clear where this one is headed from early on and despite a number of small surprises along the way it does travel the predicted path. I admire the attempt to deal with the difficult subject of mental illness but my main grumble is that the message seemed a little over-earnest for my tastes – e.g. 'try to be kind not right’ was the much repeated mantra Pat had adopted from his therapist. Also the attempt to follow a successful season for the Eagles along side the main narrative felt a little overdone (I lost count of the number of times the team chant was recited!)
Probably more a 2.5 than a 3 – but after a good day on the beach I'm feeling generous. ...more
Hazel is 16 and is self-consciously chronically ill with cancer. At a support group she meets witty and confident Augustus who is battling a rare boneHazel is 16 and is self-consciously chronically ill with cancer. At a support group she meets witty and confident Augustus who is battling a rare bone cancer. Augustus sets out to woo Hazel.
Hazel’s favourite book is called An Imperial Affliction and is written by an obscure Dutch writer called Peter Van Houten. The book concerns a young female cancer sufferer and the fact that it finishes abruptly (a non-ending) is a source of much angst to her. Why did it do so, did the young girl die? And what happened to the other characters featured in the book?
Such is the set-up for this story; one that, I must admit, has left me feeling conflicted. There are things I admire about it but there are also elements that irritated me and/or simply felt misplaced.
In the main, I liked all of the young characters in the book (though Hazel’s friend Kaitlyn is simply awful). My favourites were Augustus and Isaac. I confess to being somewhat ambivalent about Hazel. The dialogue is, for the most part, sharp and amusing or heartbreakingly poignant.
I disliked just about all of the ‘grown up’ characters: the weak weepy father, the overbearing mother and the absurd Peter Van Houten. In fact, I think the book would have been improved had we never met Peter. I could also have done without some boring, banal conversations (e.g. one concerning scrambled eggs). That said I accept this book was written primarily for a young audience, so maybe my feelings simply reflect the fact that I’m not a member of this group.
Overall, I found it to be a moving story of young people battling persistent and sometimes incurable illness. There were parts I didn’t like but I know many will judge this differently. Overall, I’m glad I spent some time with this book – it’s certainly made me look at life a little differently. ...more
I’d not read the blurb or any reviews on this book but I’d seen it nominated for a couple of category awards and it was receiving a lot of publicity, I’d not read the blurb or any reviews on this book but I’d seen it nominated for a couple of category awards and it was receiving a lot of publicity, so I thought I would take a look. It’s a novel written for young adults and reads like it, but I don’t mean that as a negative because I liked the quirky, sparse style.
The story unwraps itself through the eyes of Cadence (Cad), granddaughter of a man so rich he owns his own island, close to Martha’s Vineyard, on which he’s built houses for himself and each of his three daughters. Oh, and one for the hired help too! The families descend on the island each summer where the grandchildren swim and play and write inspirational quotes on their hands. And the daughters moan and bitch about how the inheritance will be split, cometh the day.
The story’s main focus though is on the three older grandchildren and on Gat, a boy who Cad falls for. The first half follows the group as they enjoy tranquil summers up to the age of fifteen, at which point something happens to Cad. An accident? We’re not sure but whatever it is causes her to lose all memory of the incident. In the second half, Cad returns to the island after a gap of two years.
The way the story unfolds from here is, in my view, superbly handled. I didn’t see the reveal coming and it was a real shock to me when it finally arrived. It’s a quick, gripping read. I liked it a lot. ...more
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