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: What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

“If you pretend something hard enough, could it become real?”

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?

---

I so wanted to love this book. I did not love this book. In fact, I feel kind of blasé about this book. Separately, I have loved both Adam and Becky’s books that I’ve read. I don’t know if it was this book in particular or if I just do not care for these two authors to write together. I found this book boring. I found both main characters very annoying (but I’d love to see a book about Dylan!). It took me forever to get through this book because it felt like a chore reading it, but I kept on hoping it would get better. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t) I felt there was no real substance to this story, and in turn, I felt like both Adam and Becky were trying too hard to make it seem like there was. Ben and Arthur would be in a good place (as much of a good place two strangers who have been dating for 2 seconds can be), and then something random and not at all realistic would cause them to fight. I am still confused at how this story could have fit in a 433-page book. It was just not realistic in the fact that so many of the characters would be fighting over stupid things, and then magically be friends again after nothing. I felt like both authors didn’t truly want any conflict but in order to keep the story going, they needed to add some, and then after they had no clue how to fix it so they just half-heartedly fixed it. Overall, I really wanted to like this book and the characters, but it just didn’t do it for me. Sorry, Adam and Becky.