I read that this book was comparable to The Bell Jar and I knew I needed to give it a read; I was not disappointed.
Pros:
1) This book has a unique style of writing. It is often "poetic", but it is not one long poem. I do not read much poetry, but I did enjoy this book.
2) The issues (e.g. mental illness, grief, friendship, sexual identity) were a part of the main character's story, but I never felt like I was "being taught a lesson" or that any one thing defined her. It was just a story that dealt with real issues. I also did not feel like the book tried to cover too many issues because the plot naturally flowed.
3) The book discusses unique relationships (young/old, boy/girl, etc. in unconventional ways.) The types of relationships in this book are not found in typical YA books.
Cons:
1) Unless there is a sequel planned or I massively missed some major plot points (which is possible because the ending does change up its style), some pretty big things that happened that are never fully explained. I won't write spoilers, but I will say that I loved the relationship between Biz and Jasper and the way the book handled them. However, I would have liked more clarification regarding the history of Biz' grandfather, her friend Grace, and about Biz's state of mind.
2) For me, this second bullet is not a con. However, the book is not a "light" read because much of it deals with heavy subject matter that might trigger some people. Also not a con for me, but the book contains quite a few curse words and also some behaviors that some parents may not love.
Overall:
I received this book as an ARC and though I still prize The Bell Jar, I can see similarities. This book was a good read and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to receive an early copy.
Pros:
1) This book has a unique style of writing. It is often "poetic", but it is not one long poem. I do not read much poetry, but I did enjoy this book.
2) The issues (e.g. mental illness, grief, friendship, sexual identity) were a part of the main character's story, but I never felt like I was "being taught a lesson" or that any one thing defined her. It was just a story that dealt with real issues. I also did not feel like the book tried to cover too many issues because the plot naturally flowed.
3) The book discusses unique relationships (young/old, boy/girl, etc. in unconventional ways.) The types of relationships in this book are not found in typical YA books.
Cons:
1) Unless there is a sequel planned or I massively missed some major plot points (which is possible because the ending does change up its style), some pretty big things that happened that are never fully explained. I won't write spoilers, but I will say that I loved the relationship between Biz and Jasper and the way the book handled them. However, I would have liked more clarification regarding the history of Biz' grandfather, her friend Grace, and about Biz's state of mind.
2) For me, this second bullet is not a con. However, the book is not a "light" read because much of it deals with heavy subject matter that might trigger some people. Also not a con for me, but the book contains quite a few curse words and also some behaviors that some parents may not love.
Overall:
I received this book as an ARC and though I still prize The Bell Jar, I can see similarities. This book was a good read and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to receive an early copy.