I was sent a copy of this ARC by Accent YA in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis
'You haven't said a single word since you've been here. Is it on purpose?' I tried to answer David but I couldn't ...my brain wanted to speak but my throat wouldn't cooperate...Adam blames himself for his best friend's death. After attempting suicide, he is put in the care of a local mental health facility. There, too traumatized to speak, he begins to write notebooks detailing the events leading up to Jake's murder, trying to understand who is really responsible and cope with how needless it was as a petty argument spiralled out of control and peer pressure took hold. Sad but unsentimental, this is a moving story of friendship and the aftermath of its destruction.
My review
When I first heard about this book, I thought I would already know how it would pan out. However, I was surprised at how wrong I was. This story was intense, heartfelt and genuine and blew me away from start to finish.
The main character, Adam told the story through a series of written notes, suggested by his therapist to help aid his recovery, after a very serious incident. Adam manages to take you on a deep and heart-breaking journey regarding the chain of events leading up to the incident and the impact that it had on everyone else involved.
The story was only 15 chapters long but still managed to capture the true essence of what Adam was going through and how he dealt with what was thrown at him. I liked the fact that there were not too many characters involved and the story was told through the first person and dialogue with characters.
Having worked with young people involved in knife crime (both as victims and perpetrators) I felt this storyline was very true to home and allowed the audience to experience a glimmer of what really happens in this type of situation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope that a lot of young people will read it and digest the message that's being put out there!
5 out 5 stars
Synopsis
'You haven't said a single word since you've been here. Is it on purpose?' I tried to answer David but I couldn't ...my brain wanted to speak but my throat wouldn't cooperate...Adam blames himself for his best friend's death. After attempting suicide, he is put in the care of a local mental health facility. There, too traumatized to speak, he begins to write notebooks detailing the events leading up to Jake's murder, trying to understand who is really responsible and cope with how needless it was as a petty argument spiralled out of control and peer pressure took hold. Sad but unsentimental, this is a moving story of friendship and the aftermath of its destruction.
My review
When I first heard about this book, I thought I would already know how it would pan out. However, I was surprised at how wrong I was. This story was intense, heartfelt and genuine and blew me away from start to finish.
The main character, Adam told the story through a series of written notes, suggested by his therapist to help aid his recovery, after a very serious incident. Adam manages to take you on a deep and heart-breaking journey regarding the chain of events leading up to the incident and the impact that it had on everyone else involved.
The story was only 15 chapters long but still managed to capture the true essence of what Adam was going through and how he dealt with what was thrown at him. I liked the fact that there were not too many characters involved and the story was told through the first person and dialogue with characters.
Having worked with young people involved in knife crime (both as victims and perpetrators) I felt this storyline was very true to home and allowed the audience to experience a glimmer of what really happens in this type of situation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope that a lot of young people will read it and digest the message that's being put out there!
5 out 5 stars