The plot of this story was interesting in that simultaneously it feels like nothing major is happening but also that there are tectonic shifts are occurring in the lives of these three. The novel delves into depression, and suicide and teenage love, and small town politics but sometimes draws just short of really getting waist deep into any of it. The pacing kept my interest and I didn’t have a moment where I felt the narratives sagging.
The writing in the book was top notch from start to finish. It was artistic without feeling stuffy, and mostly felt true to the teenagers who were narrating, though occasionally stepped its toe over the line into being too high brow before withdrawing it again. Occasionally there were lines like “How unfair that a person’s heart can be so full in ways we can’t measure but broken in all the ways we can.” that collide against my suspension of disbelief and made me keenly aware there was an author peering through the window into this world. It didn’t ruin the story, but occasionally it was noticeable.
The dialogue was punchy without drifting into unrealistic and it dripped with the subtext you’d expect between teenagers who’ve spent their whole lives together and know each other better than they know themselves.
The story is multi POV and both the male and female narrator do their part to enhance the experience of this audiobook. The male narrator, having to serve as the narrator for both Tommy and Ellis, succeed in making each of these twin brothers distinct and unique. Both narrators enhance the emotion of the story and made me feel the emotion of the characters they were narrating for, the only negative thing I’d say about the female narrator‘s performance, is her voice is a little cheery and sing-song. When she introduces each chapter, she sounds bright and ebullient, however sometimes the chapters start in very emotional or dark places which was slightly jarring.
There were a few things however, that nagging me a little bit, and kept me from giving this a five star review.
The writing in the book was top notch from start to finish. It was artistic without feeling stuffy, and mostly felt true to the teenagers who were narrating, though occasionally stepped its toe over the line into being too high brow before withdrawing it again. Occasionally there were lines like “How unfair that a person’s heart can be so full in ways we can’t measure but broken in all the ways we can.” that collide against my suspension of disbelief and made me keenly aware there was an author peering through the window into this world. It didn’t ruin the story, but occasionally it was noticeable.
The dialogue was punchy without drifting into unrealistic and it dripped with the subtext you’d expect between teenagers who’ve spent their whole lives together and know each other better than they know themselves.
The story is multi POV and both the male and female narrator do their part to enhance the experience of this audiobook. The male narrator, having to serve as the narrator for both Tommy and Ellis, succeed in making each of these twin brothers distinct and unique. Both narrators enhance the emotion of the story and made me feel the emotion of the characters they were narrating for, the only negative thing I’d say about the female narrator‘s performance, is her voice is a little cheery and sing-song. When she introduces each chapter, she sounds bright and ebullient, however sometimes the chapters start in very emotional or dark places which was slightly jarring.
There were a few things however, that nagging me a little bit, and kept me from giving this a five star review.