YA Fiction

Review of House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

August 4, 2019 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

House of Salt and Sorrows is is supposedly a retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale “12 Dancing Princesses” with which, unfortunately, I’m not familiar. Thus, I can’t comment on their similarities one way or another. But I found this book to be an utterly gripping story.

The story opens to a funeral and is told from the point of view of Annaleigh Thaumas. We learn that Annaleigh is one out of whom where once 12 sisters but tragedy (or, according to the villagers, a curse) has hit the family pretty hard resulting in the recent deaths of four of the sisters.

Shortly after the funeral, their Stepmother convinces her father that they all should stop mourning and dress in beautiful, bright clothing, attend balls, and enjoy life once again. Shortly after the girls receive new clothing and each a pair of “fairy shoes,” they discover a secret/magical passage that takes them to different towns wherever spectacular balls are being held. So each night, the sisters slip through the magical doorway and dance the night away, enjoying new adventures around people who aren’t aware of their so-called curse.

But then, another sister goes missing, and after a series of ghostly apparitions, Annaleigh suspects that her sisters’ deaths may not have been as accidental as everyone has believed. She then takes it upon herself to unravel the mystery, and it’s at this point that the story takes quite a dark turn, especially once Annaleigh realizes that she doesn’t know who to trust. She also begins to suspect that there may be something sinister behind the magic portal that whisks her and her sisters off to elegant balls every evening.

So first off, I loved how atmospheric this novel was. The settings have such an eerie and gothic vibe to them, and I felt that the author really did an excellent job of bringing to the reader a vivid and evocative sense of place. I thought the descriptions were moody, immersive, and utterly intoxicating, and I appreciated the lush attention to detail.

The story also has plenty of twists — most of which I didn’t see coming — which kept me glued the page throughout. The world-building was terrific with well-developed characters, plot, and sense of place, resulting in an ethereal and beguiling story. The author creates here an atmosphere of constant tension and unease as you begin to suspect, along with Annaleigh, that there is something seriously wrong with her sister’s apparent “accidents.” We then learn that not everyone is as they seem, and this is where the creep factor really begins to escalate. I actually found it a lot of fun to unravel the mystery along with Annaleigh and was definitely gobsmacked when I learned the truth of it all.

All in all, I loved House of Salt and Sorrows and finished it in just two sittings. It was a gripping and super spooky story, and while reading, I felt as though I’d been enraptured by an old-time dark fairy tale that, strangely, had a modern feel to it at the same time. A great book to read on a dark and stormy night!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Purchase House of Salt and Sorrows at Amazon

Purchase House of Salt and Sorrows at The Book Depository

Review of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

May 19, 2018 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

This is the second novel written entirely in free verse that I’ve read, the first being A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. I’ve really warmed up to this succinct type of format and would definitely read more of this type of novel. It’s such a unique way to tell a story and the more I’m exposed to this type of storytelling, the more it resonates with me. And this is coming from someone who is not a fan of poetry.

The Story

While reading this, I felt as though I were reading an autobiography, but all in verse.

The book follows Xiomara Batista, a teenage Dominican girl, who has a twin brother. It’s interesting to note that her name — Xiomara — literally means “one who is ready for war” and this name fits her perfectly. Because of her mature and shapely body, is the target of sexual harassment from her peers – consisting of endless groping, objectification and lewd comments — causing her to continually defend herself with harsh words and her fists. She’s not one who hesitates in doing battle when necessary.

This quote from the book sums the harassment she had to experience nicely:

”I am the baby fat that settled into D-cups and swinging hips so that the boys who called me a whale in middle school now ask me to send them pictures of myself in a thong.”

So in this way, there is a good amount of body shaming and body guilt in this story, not only by the boys at school but also by her mother.

She also often has to defend her brother, Xavier, a shy meek boy who is also bullied at school. I love how Xiomara never refers to her brother by name, but only as “Twin” because, according to her, she is the only one who can call her that.

Her mother is ultra-religious to the point of being extreme, and from the story, it seems that her entire world revolves around her religion. There is no middle of the road with her — everything is black and white, and not to be questioned.

Xiomara, however, questions her religion but keeps her questioning to herself, fearing her mother’s wrath. It’s worth mentioning that the manner in which her mother force feeds Xiomara her religious beliefs borders on abuse and she uses her religion to harm both Xiomara and her brother emotionally.

Another secret that Xiomara has kept from her mother is her poetry — notebook after notebook worth, in which she pours all of her frustrations, her hopes, her dreams and her doubts. It’s through her poetry that she find freedom — the freedom to breathe in her otherwise constrictive, suffocating world.

There is also a boy named Aman that Xiomara has been seeing. It’s worth mentioning that dating of any kind is a huge no-no and her mother expressly forbids it until she’s in college. Her mother has a very low opinion of men in general for which we learn the reason as the story progresses.

So her English teacher invites and urges Xiomara to join her school’s slam poetry club which she wants to do more than anything, but she knows that this is something her mother would never agree to and would no doubt severely punish her if she found out about it.

But regardless of her fear, Xiomara joins the club and skips her Confirmation classes to do so.

And it’s through this club that Xiomara experiences a who new level of freedom. But the question is: how long can she keep it up without her mother finding out?

Of course, Xiomara is unable to hide who she really is indefinitely, and it’s no surprise that it all coalesces into a gigantic explosion.

WHAT I LIKED

First off, I loved Xiomara’s teacher. She really struck a chord with me because I had a similar teacher when I was in high school who encouraged me to pursue writing. I even had an extra assignment to keep a writing journal that I had to turn in every week. I can’t underestimate the importance of teachers like this, who encourage you when other’s don’t. So it’s because of this teacher that Xiomara dared to take that frightening first step.

The story is told from Xiomara’s perspective, so we get a peek at what’s really going on in her head. Though to the world she shows only her tough exterior, we see a confused and vulnerable girl instead with at times raging emotions as she pours her heart into her poetry.

I found Xiomara’s character so relatable even if you don’t necessarily come from a home with strict, religious parents because that sense of not belonging or insecurity are feelings that we’ve all experienced at one time or another.

I especially liked the strength and conviction she exhibited even when faced with what seemed like insurmountable obstacles, such as her mother forcing her to obey the laws of the church or the blatant sexism and harassment she encountered at school.

So though her writing, we see Xiomara’s views on body image/body shaming, religion, sexuality, family, womanhood, sexism, and abuse, all very intense but important topics.

I also loved how via her inner strength, she moves past her mother’s rules and abuse as she begins to explore her sexuality and learns to understand that her feelings toward Aman are not wrong, wicked, evil or sinful.

This story is a phenomenal exploration of a young girl who, though constantly told that she’s not feminine enough, devout enough, or good enough, moves past these judgments to a place of pride at who she is — an admirable positive message to any young person who may face similar judgements in their lives.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

I’m hard-pressed to come up with anything I didn’t like about this novel. I would have loved to have learned more about “Twin” and about his and Xiomara’s relationship. Because the story is recounted through Xiomara’s singular perspective, the other characters weren’t entirely as developed as they could have been. I would have enjoyed learning more about her mother’s past and what events brought her to the religious extremism. This was touched on a bit in the novel, but more detail would have been welcome.

My one real niggle with the book was in Xavier’s portrayal. He’s gay and is portrayed as timid, shy and unable/unwilling to fight his own battles. In fact, his sister has to step in and fight his battles for him repeatedly. These kinds of stereotypes really bother me in stories — where the gay person is portrayed as weak and emasculated. Sure, I do understand that this was used as a plot device to illustrate Xiomara’s aggressive nature. But I wish the author could have done so in a different way, without resorting to negative gay stereotypes.

FINAL VERDICT

I was utterly blown away by this book so much so that I devoured it in one day. This is a powerful, revelatory and sometimes raw coming of age story with a courageous and admirable main character.

Child abuse is a subject that I especially struggle with, so I found parts of this difficult to read, similar to my experience with The Dangerous Art of Blending In, another book I read recently.

But though The Poet X is heartbreaking and raw in places, it is ultimately hopeful and positive, as compromise is reached. I wish I had read this book when I was a teen.

In summary, this is a touching and emotional story of survival and of triumphing to become one’s authentic self, and I recommend it, even if you’re not one who typically goes for poetry. As I said, I’m not a poetry person, but this book blew me away. I loved it and gave it 4 stars.

You can check out The Poet X here at Amazon or at The Book Depository

Review of We Now Return To Regular Life by Martin Wilson

April 9, 2018 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

“We Now Return to Regular Life” by Martin Wilson is another book that made the Lambda Literary Award’s list of finalists in the Young Adult category and that has been on my wishlist, which I finally got around to reading.

The blurb is as follows:

Sam Walsh had been missing for three years. His older sister, Beth, thought he was dead. His childhood friend Josh thought it was all his fault. They were the last two people to see him alive.

Until now. Because Sam has been found, and he’s coming home. Beth desperately wants to understand what happened to her brother, but her family refuses to talk about it—even though Sam is clearly still affected by the abuse he faced at the hands of his captor.

And as Sam starts to confide in Josh about his past, Josh can’t admit the truths he’s hidden deep within himself: that he’s gay, and developing feelings for Sam. And, even bigger: that he never told the police everything he saw the day Sam disappeared.

?As Beth and Josh struggle with their own issues, their friends and neighbors slowly turn on Sam, until one night when everything explodes. Beth can’t live in silence. Josh can’t live with his secrets. And Sam can’t continue on until the whole truth of what happened to him is out in the open.

For fans of thought-provoking stories like The Face on the Milk Carton, this is a book about learning to be an ally—even when the community around you doesn’t want you to be.

The Story

The book “We Now Return to Regular Life” revolved around one evil act: the abduction of 11-year-old Sam Walsh. So when the story begins, Sam has been missing for three years and assumed by most people to be dead. His childhood friend Josh, with whom Sam had earlier been bicycling that day, was the last person to see him. His older sister Beth, who assumed Sam was dead, is dealing with some heavy, heaving guilt from the day of his disappearance.

But now Sam has been found and he’s come home. Beth wants to know what happened to Sam but her family refuses to allow anyone to discuss the topic. All we know is that he was kidnapped and held captive for three years by a man named Russell, who did unspeakable things to the boy.

Unable to speak with his family, Sam rekindles his friendship with Josh and begins to confide in him about what he went through during his captivity. But Sam’s sister isn’t the only one who’s feeling guilty. Josh is holding onto a horrible secret about that day — a secret with which he should have gone to the police but didn’t and because of that, he’s been plagued with pain, confusion and haunting “what-ifs”. But since their reunion and as Josh and Sam grow closer, Josh finds himself falling in love with his childhood friend.

Of course, as a reader, we want to know where Sam was, what happened to him, and who he was with. The rest of the book alternates between Josh and Beth’s point of view as the story slowly unfolds. Through their eyes, we not only see their struggles but also experience the difficulty and the challenges Sam is facing trying to once again fit into everyday life.

What follows is a heart-wrenching depiction of what it means for the victim and the victim’s family to survive trauma and it’s not an easy journey.

Pros – What I Liked

I liked how each person’s point of view encompassed not only the present and how everyone involved is dealing with Sam’s return but also consisted of flashbacks to the day of Sam’s kidnapping and the subsequent days that followed. But not only are we privy to their emotions and perspectives on the kidnapping, we also get a glimpse of Sam’s recovery, through the points of view of Beth and Josh. In this way, I enjoyed experiencing the story all these different angles. Beth and Josh really made me feel like a part of their world as they struggled themselves with Sam’s reemergence and attempted to process their feelings and work through their emotional turmoil in the process.

I also felt that the dynamics between Sam, his sister Beth, their mother, and their stepfather Earl seem very realistic, and I could relate to each of them. There is a range of emotions experienced by each of them: guilt, anger, confusion, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear, rendering the story heartbreaking in places. So in essence, this isn’t just Sam’s story, but it’s also the story of those who are closest to him.

An even though we never experienced the story from Sam’s point of view, his desperate need to talk about what happened as evident and in opposition to those closest to him who couldn’t bear to hear it — and instead of supporting Sam, move away from him. Though Sam is hurting deeply, he isn’t willing to burden anyone with his pain, which I found heartbreaking. We really get a feeling for his struggle to find some sort of normalcy in his life after three harrowing years of abuse by his kidnapper, as he tries to get his life back.

I also really enjoyed the slow unraveling of the story. Each time we moved from one character’s perspective to the other, we learned a little bit more, like puzzle pieces slowly being snapped into place. I felt that the male/female, big sister/friend perspective also provided a nice balance to the story.

Cons – What I Didn’t Like

Though Sam was the main character and revolved around him, I didn’t get to learn or understand as much as I would have liked. I would have liked to have learned a bit more about how Sam was feeling and perhaps even know in more detail what he went through. In fact, I felt that each character has much more story to tell and some things are left unspoken.  I also found that the abrupt change in the point of view could be jarring at times — especially when the character was just beginning to open up and then we suddenly switch to the perspective of the next character — and to a different point in the story. I also found some bits of Beth’s narrative a tad boring, especially in regards to high school dynamics.

There was also a minor non-graphic sex scene that was a bit disturbing and mind you, I’m no prude. I felt that this story may have been better with this scene being left out.

Final Verdict

This is a powerful story packed with emotion and I really loved this book. I read a lot, and this year alone, I’ve have read some phenomenal books and without a doubt, We Now Return to Regular Life is one of those. It was a fast-moving, page-turning read and I felt the pacing of the story to be spot on.  But this is a dark and heavy story in places, the nature of which can make it disturbing for the more sensitive reader. It’s always difficult reading about the abuse of children whether it be fiction or nonfiction and this book is no exception. Thus, sensitive readers should be forewarned about child abuse, sexual abuse, and kidnapping triggers. However, I felt that the subject matter has handled in the most delicate way possible and the author didn’t give us any horrifyingly graphic scenes. That being said, though the book does handle Sam’s situation with sensitivity, it also does it with a sense of realism.  Still, this isn’t an easy topic to read about and was definitely an intense, gut-wrenching story and in my opinion, will be unforgettable.

Mr. Wilson has written a very realistic, fast-paced and beautiful story about survival, family, friendship, and love that will touch anyone’s heart. This sucker punch of a book was most certainly an experience and well worth the read, in my opinion. I can understand why it’s a finalist for Lambda Literary awards. This is the kind of book that will seep into your soul.

There’s so much more I could say about this book. I could probably talk about it forever, but I’ll stop now before I get spoilery. All I can say is that I heartily recommend it and give it 4.5 stars.

You can check out the book here at Amazon or at The Book Depository

This review was transcribed from a video review on my “Roger’s Reads” YouTube channel

Review of The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis

April 5, 2018 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

“How was your afternoon?”

“No one died, so it was a big improvement on my morning.” Will Kostakis, The Sidekicks

The Blurb:

All Ryan, Harley and Miles had in common was Isaac. They lived different lives, had different interests and kept different secrets. But they shared the same best friend. They were sidekicks. And now that Isaac’s gone, what does that make them?

Will Kostakis, award-winning author of The First Third, perfectly depicts the pain and pleasure of this teenage world, piecing together three points of view with intricate splendour.

The Story:

The Sidekicks is set in Northern Sydney and revolves around three friends, Ryan, Harley and Miles whose good friend Isaac just died. The thing with these three is that they are not friends with each other – but they were each close friends with Isaac. In fact, they really don’t like each other at all, and the couldn’t be more different from one another. The only thing they have in common is their grief over Isaac’s death.

So the book is broken down into three sections, each told from a different boy’s perspective. The three sections are named “The Swimmer” which is told from Ryan’s point of view, “The Rebel” which is told from Harley’s point of view, and “The Nerd” which is told from Miles’s point of view.

Each section starts out with the boy being called to the school deputy’s office — Miss Evan’s where they are told the news: Their friend Isaac was killed when he dove into the water at a party and hit his head on the boat.

What follows is an exposition of each boy’s reflections and flashbacks about their relationship to Isaac and their relationship to each other.

Pros:

I enjoyed the fact that each section built upon the previous section, so we saw a progression as we moved from one character’s point of view to the other. Though there was some repetition of events, we were able to revisit it through the unique perspective of the new character.

I also loved how relatable the characters were. They were so human and so real, complete with flaws, self-doubt, personal struggles and personality clashes which lent a strong realism to the story. I also liked how Isaac’s death affected each one of them differently, illustrating how grief affects all of us in different ways. This was apparent in the depiction of the different emotions each of the three experienced in the days following Isaac’s passing. I also was impressed by how distinct and unique each character’s voice and personality was. Each section had a markedly different writing style based on the character’s personality.

While the book does deal with heavy subject matter, there were also plenty of humous moments in the book, many of which made me laugh out loud. It also stressed the importance of family relationships and friendships, and both were wonderfully portrayed. In so many YA book, the parents are either absent or despised by the characters, which was not the case here. The relationships between the boy and their parents are positively portrayed and were present figures in the boys’ lives.

The ending was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes as the three boys discovered the threads that tied them together, finally realizing that with some endings come new beginnings. In this way, it wasn’t only about grief, but it was also about acceptance.

One thing that struck me was how the book moved away from stereotypes often found in gay-themed novels. I liked that fact that it wasn’t the uppity, snitty, overly-particular, sports-hating character who was gay, but rather the Olympic hopeful jock.

Cons:

Initially, I found the story a bit confusing and slow moving. To be truthful, there isn’t a lot of action in the book – it’s definitely a character driven story as we delve deep into each character’s head as they revisit their friendship with Issac.

I also found certain parts of Mile’s section challenging to get through as it consisted of bits of dialog from a film that he was revisiting – a film in which Isaac was starring. Though it was jarring at times, these sections did end up being poignant and relevant to Miles’s growth as a character.

At first, I found it somewhat off-putting that there were no chapters in the book. As I mentioned, it’s divided into three sections. They are several sections breaks which provided stopping points which I eventually got used to.

Verdict:

This is a gem of a book, and I ended up loving it and all three characters. This novel is an excellent exploration of grief, resulting in each character’s growth by the end of the book as they reexamined the boxes into which they placed themselves and each other. I also felt that it was an excellent portrayal of teenage life.

This was a heavy-hitting book, that was both heart-wrenching yet uplifting at the same time and may make you cry throughout the story, especially during the end which in my opinion, was absolutely beautiful. It’s a bittersweet story that I’m guessing will stay with me for a long time. I’m giving it 4.5 stars. Recommended!

You can check out The Sidekicks here at Amazon or at The Book Depository

This review was transcribed my video review of this book on YouTube.

Review of Scythe by Neal Shusterman

March 12, 2018 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Thou Shalt Kill ~ Commandment 1 of the Scythe Ten Commandments

I am completely new to Neil Shusterman; this was the first novel of his that I’ve read and I am hooked! I loved this book and the world that Mr. Shusterman has created.

The blurb is as follows:

Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

The Setting

This novel takes place in a utopian society in future at a time where hunger, disease, crime and even death no longer exist. Once people begin to age, they can opt to go through a procedure called “turning the corner” in which they can once again inhabit the body of a 21-year-old (or older, if they so choose).

People who do end up getting killed from accidents are only considered “dead-ish” and immediately after their demise, helicopters show up to whisk the dead-ish individual to a revival center where they are restored to their former selves, usually within three days or so. Thus, people in this new, improved society are more or less immortal (the only exception of fire – if you die by fire, you’re dead for good).

Additionally, each person has “nanites” in their system which control pain and speed up the healing process.

Enter the Scythes

But humans still reproduce, meaning that there needs to be some sort of population control — and that control falls under the jurisdiction of a legal authority called the “Scythdom”, which is made up of individual Scythes.

Scythes are the only individuals in society that are allowed to take a human life. Each Scythe is charged with going out and killing a certain number of people every year (about 240 or so, if I remember correctly). When a Scythe kills someone, it’s referred to as “gleaning”, and that person can no longer be revived. They are dead for good.

Now the thing about Scythes is that they must be of the highest moral discipline and possess qualities of empathy, humaneness, and compassion. As such, a Scythe must choose their individual victims with careful consideration allowing no bias, bigotry or malice to enter into their choice of victims (this is one of the Scythe’s “10 Commandments”). The author provided plenty of detail of the day to day activities in a Scythe’s life, which I found fascinating, as well as the training regiment of the apprentice Scythes.

Speaking of apprentices, it is only through deep study and training by the apprentice and intense scrutiny by the Scythdom that a person is ordained as a Scythe. Oh — and one of the first rules of becoming a scythe is that the person must not want to become a Scythe. I think this would be a good rule for politicians as well. But I digress.

The “Not So Good” Scythe’s

Of course, the ideal is not always the reality and somehow, a few “bad apples” manage to squeeze through the Scythdom cracks — and this is where things get really interesting (we’re introduced to some of these not-so-moral Scythes pretty early on in the book). These bad apples are Scythes who take pleasure in killing and even toy with their victims before gleaning them.

They may not have started out so heartless and cruel, but as scythes are given the ultimate power of life and death, it’s not surprising that there would be those who would be corrupted by that much power. Power does have a tendency to corrupt, as we have all seen over and over in our history books.

Scythes are, after all, placed above civilization and are even referred to as “Your Honor” by anyone who crosses their path. It’s not surprising that some would abuse this power much like many organizations or governments become corrupt with too much power.

I loved the villain in this story — he was definitely someone that you “loved to hate”. The author did an excellent job of provoking feelings of anger, disgust, and heartache in the reader through the villain’s actions – a testament to the author’s ability to portray vivid and realistic characters.

The Scythe’s Apprentices

In this novel, the story revolves around two main characters, Citra and Rowan who are chosen by a particularly well-respected Scythe, the Honorable Scythe Faraday, to be his apprentices. What follows is the adventures these two go through, as they train to be effective killers, compete with each other and struggle with romantic feelings that emerged as they got to know each other (romantic involvement with anyone is strictly forbidden for Scythes). Now I will say that is is NOT a romance novel. Though romance may perhaps place a small part in some of the decisions of the characters, this is not what drove the plot of the story.

I really liked Citra and Rowan and enjoyed getting to know them as the story progressed. As the plot moved forward, we learn that these two are quite complex and multi-layer characters, especially when faced with impossible choices. What I really liked about them is that they were strong both as individuals and as a team.

Citra and Rowan, along with their Scythe teachers, attend these Scythe quarterly conclaves, where we enter deeply into the realm of Scythe politics, which I found incredibly interesting and eye-opening, especially once we learned about rampant corruption in the Scythdom.

The Thunderhead – Good or Evil?

It’s worth mentioning that there are no longer any governments in this society – all jurisdiction falls under what is called The Thunderhead (evolved from the Internet’s “Cloud”). The Thunderhead is the ultimate jurisdiction and knows everything about everyone, and intervenes when necessary. It’s like the Internet at some point evolved into a sentient being (which is kind of how I understood it). As a society, nobody fears the Thunderhead; on the contrary, it is revered, almost like a god. The Thunderhead protects and provides for everyone.

The only exception to the Thunderhead intervening in the lives of others is when it comes to Scythe business. It was agreed upon long ago that the Thunderhead would have no jurisdiction when it came to Scythes —- and it completely and always stays out of Scythe business — which may not always be a good thing as we’ve seen with the power-corrupted Scythes.

Thus, the “Scythedom” is a self-governing entity whose success and efficacy relies upon the moral compass of the individuals who belong to it. When certain individuals gain too much power, then the entire entity is in danger, which is what we get in this book.

The Scythe’s Journals

One of the requirements of being of a Scythe is keeping a journal, and each chapter in the book opens with a short excerpt from the journals of one of the Scythes in the story, such as Scythe Faraday and Scythe Curie (the Grande Damme of Death). These snippets provide not only additional insight into Scythe politics but also gave essential information about the current society in which the story takes place.

I especially enjoyed the comparisons of the current society to the “Mortal Age” before technological advances enabled people to potentially live forever.

Twists and Turns

Just when I had pretty much figured out the premise of the book and had a general idea where the story was going to take me, the author threw a major wrench in the works, that I did not see coming at all.

At this point, the entire plot of the story changes as it veers off into directions I couldn’t have anticipated. I loved the twists, turns and surprises that the author threw in, adding even more layers to this already fascinating story. And just when you think you got a handle on what was going on, the author throws in another twist.

The Verdict

This was a compelling story with excellent world-building that kept me guessing until the book’s end. The character development in this book was also amazing as each character, even the secondary ones, were quite multifaceted and complicated.

This is the kind of novel that will get you thinking, especially as it pertains to moral ambiguity — those “gray areas” of right and wrong, and what the decisions we make say about the kind of person we are. It also demonstrated nicely how our environment can affect the kind of person we become. This was illustrated in the differences of the morality of the Scythes, depending on who trained them.

As it turns out, this book is part of a duology but you’d never know it. I felt that the story is nicely wrapped up at the conclusion of the book, and it felt finished and complete to me. In my humble opinion, this is the perfect example of how books in a series should be (I loathe cliffhangers, but that’s another discussion for another time).

All in all, I loved this story and can’t wait to read the next book (Thunderhead) in this series. I also look forward to reading more of Mr. Shusterman’s work. Recommended!!

You can check out Scythe here at Amazon or at The Book Depository

Review of They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

March 2, 2018 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

If you had one day to live, what would you do? This story is an honest and unafraid portrayal of two teens who had to make that decision — and all I can say is wow! They Both Die At The End is one of the most amazing books I’ve read this year — maybe ever. I knew from the title that this book was going to hurt my heart — and it did. As I listened to the audiobook, at one point, I found myself standing in the middle of the kitchen with tears streaming down my face. But the ride was so worth it.

The blurb is as follows:

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

The Setting

Image, if you will, a world in the not-so-distant future in which everyone knows the day they are going to die. A public service called “Death-Cast” is charged with telephoning anyone — between the hours of midnight and 3:00 — who is going to die within the next 24 hours. No details are given except that each person is encouraged to live out their last day the best they can.

Such is the setting for “They Both Die At The End.” Shortly after midnight, two teens, Mateo and Rufus, each receive the dreaded Death-Cast phone call telling them that within the next 24 hours, they are going to die. What follows is how they decide to live their last day on earth.

The Last Friend App

There is an app available called “The Last Friend App” in which Deckers (the name given to those who’ve received their Death-Cast call) can find each other and if they so choose, opt to spend their last day together. Though both Mateo and Rufus have loved ones, outside circumstances intervene to keep them apart, so instead they reach out to each other via the app. Once they meet in person, they make the decision to spend their last hours with each other and help each other to face their fears and say goodbye.

Their Lives

As the two get to know each other, we learn more about their past and what brought them to this particular point in their lives. Rufus is a tough street-kid whose entire family drowned. Mateo lost his mother early in life, and his father is currently in the hospital in a coma. It’s also worth mentioning that Mateo appears to be afraid of the world, perhaps suffering from social anxiety and does his best not to leave the safety of his apartment.

What I loved most about these two characters is how they bring out the best in each other and support each other when situations or emotions become challenging.

The One Day

Though each other, they discover parts of themselves they thought they’d lost and this realization encourages them even more to live their last day to the fullest. The story isn’t simply a day in the life of two Deckers; rather, it is a progression as each boy learns to truly savor life perhaps for the first time ever – and in the process, they come together in the most beautiful way.

In the one day that they found each other, they experience joy, sadness, loss, a couple of terrifying near-death situations and love; and in so doing, these two boys experience a profound connection to the world around them and each other.

The Other Stories

There are several minor characters that connect (or nearly connect) with Mateo and Rufus during their day together, outlining nicely how we’re connected to others and how they, in turn, are connected to us. Silvera does an excellent job of weaving these intertwining stories together and demonstrating the importance and significance of even the minor events and interactions in our lives.

Verdict

Yes, this book is heartbreaking and you’ll most likely tear up (if not ugly cry) in several places throughout the book. They Both Die At The End is a haunting book and will stay with you for awhile. It’s been over a week since I’ve read it and I’ve thought about it every day since then. I think that this is one of those life-changing stories that after reading it, can make you view the world differently. In this way, it’s a hopeful book that makes you want to get out there and drink as much as you can from the cup of life while you still can.

Regardless of the title, this isn’t the story of how two boys die, but about how they live once they find each other; so in this way, it’s not about dying but rather about living. It’s a gentle reminder that no matter what we do, we’re all going to “die at the end” so why not make the most of the life we are experiencing now?

I thought the premise of this story was brilliant. The creative and original character-driven plot kept me interested each step along with way and I couldn’t help but hope that somehow, Rufus and Mateo would escape their fate and NOT both die at the end of their 24-hour adventure (but you’ll have to read it to find out).

This bittersweet story is so beautifully written that I’m still amazed by the effect that it had on me. I laughed in places; I cried in others. And the endearing, honest characters of Rufus and Mateo pulled me in and held me fast until the very end. I could relate to both of them in several different ways, sometimes uncomfortably so. Through Rufus and Mateo, we receive lessons about courage, growth, friendship and daring to take chances. You can’t help but fall in love with both of them. I know I did.

After this novel, Adam Silver is definitely on my “insta-buy” list (I also loved his book “History Is All You Left Me”, another emotional rollercoaster ride) as this book is a definite 5-star read for me. So I thank you, Adam Silvera, for this beautiful heartfelt story. Recommended!!

You can check out “They Both Die At The End” HERE