Review: Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson

“He was part of our family, and we weren’t wrong for loving him.”

In a one-of-a-kind collaboration, seventeen of the most recognizable YA writers—including Shaun David Hutchinson, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, and Beth Revis—come together to share the viewpoints of a group of students affected by a school shooting.

It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto the school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.

But this isn’t a story about the shooting itself. This isn’t about recounting that one unforgettable day.

This is about one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, playing saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing bullets at his classmates.

Each chapter is told from a different victim’s viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he’d become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties. This is a book told from multiple perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—by some of YA’s most recognizable names.

 

What I really liked the most about this book was the chance I got to read some writings by author’s I’ve never read before. I really liked the storyline, and I thought it was a fantastic idea to have a different author write from each of the different perspectives. I found that I really enjoyed some of the different stories and that I was ok with some of them. None of the stories throughout this book are horrible. Some I would actually like to read more of. It makes you really think about the effect just one person may have on a number of different people in their life. Each author really makes you connect with the character they are sharing. I would have loved to have seen a story from Kirby’s POV, that would have added a little bit more for me. But I do get the reasoning behind not including his POV and letting us know him through those that knew him, but I do feel as though we don’t get the whole picture without his input and thoughts. I would say this book was not as impactful as some I’ve read on the same topic, but it was a great read and had some impactful moments.

 

Review: Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson

“I need to see you. Please come right away.
We have to finish.”

Frances Robinson is in high school now. She lives a quiet, suburban life, far from her horrifying past. When she was a child, her birthmother smothered her three sisters. Through pure luck, Frances survived. Now her mother has just been released from prison . . . and she wants to see Frances.

A new boy at school called Nix charms Frances. Together, Nix and Frances embark on a clandestine journey to visit Frances’ mother: to confront the monster in its lair. This trip will help Frances at last find peace or die trying? But no matter what, Frances will discover just what it means to finish.

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I picked up this book and knew it was going to be a good one. The story is like none I have ever read before. The original idea of the story is what drew me to want to read this book. A mother who had killed her own children? The one that survived? Intriguing! I love Frances and her parents, the Robinsons. I found myself not wanting to put this book down. I really like the relationship between Frances and Nix. Although Nix did seem a little unrealistic. I really liked the way in which Nelson handled this storyline, and the tragedy it focused on. Overall, this book is definitely one that I’d recommend for anyone to read on a summer day.

Review: All The Rage by Courtney Summers

“You know all the ways you can kill a girl? God, there are so many.”

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

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THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
I am so glad I heard about this book and got a chance to read it. Courtney Summers really handles the topic in a realistic sense. It’s a breath of fresh air for a young adult book to have flawed characters, and to talk about real issues. I felt frustration, sadness, and just immense emotions while reading this book. Summers writes this story so well that I connected with each character, and they way they were feeling. I connected with Romy, and her pain and her mom’s frustration at not being able to really help her. The one complaint I do have is that nothing really happens to her rapist, Kellan Turner. I know this is reality, and that sometimes nothing happens to the person responsible, but I would like to know if something ever did.
Please be aware this book may trigger, it contains rape and murder.

Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

“I was not a lovable child, and I’d grown into a deeply unlovable adult. Draw a picture of my soul, and it’d be a scribble with fangs.”

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice” of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

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Gillian, Gillian, Gillian! Her books always have me reading until the late hours. Just like Gone Girl, I could see that this one was going to be GOOD. I found the original premise to be intriguing but it took me a while to get into it. As with Gillian’s other works, it leaves you feeling like you’ve been invited into some deep dark corner of the world to hear a crazy tale, and I kind of love it. I think that Libby was an incredible character, and I also liked the switch in characters and time periods. Some people might be lost in parts of it, but it is all explained at the end. This is a dark read, and should not be read in conjunction with other dark reads. I suggest reading something light and happy after J I really enjoyed this book, and I would love to get some comments after you guys have read it to tell me what you think!

Review: All The Bright Places

“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.”

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

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I had to give myself a week before writing up a proper review for this book. I think sometimes in life we find something that makes an impact on our life, and one of those things for me was All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I felt very connected with the characters, and I read this in one sitting. Now, this isn’t to mean that it was just a quick read. It was an amazing read. Finch is a character that stays with you for the long haul, and Violet is just as remarkable (see what I did there?). The subject may be a heavy one, but Jennifer handles it beautifully. I would suggest this book to anyone, especially young adults.