Tag: suicide

REVIEW: Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

REVIEW: Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

On the morning of Brian’s 13th birthday, his dad disappears leaving only a cryptic note, and his mom overdoses and is rushed to the hospital. Before the day is over, Brian and his little brother are in foster care. The pressure starts mounting, Brian’s anxiety starts growing, and he starts pushing back at everyone around him. He strikes back at his bully. He runs away from his foster home.

Ezra is one of the only guys at school who treats Brian like a friend. But as Brian starts to spiral, Ezra realizes that he’s never stood up for Brian to his other friends. Lately it seems like Brian might need a buddy to lean on, and Ezra is the one person he might trust enough to help him. The complication is that Ezra has a crush on Brian. And he’s not quite sure what to do with those feelings.

Review

I adored this! Brian and Ezra will quickly become kids you want to hang out with – and hug. There are so many exceptional character pieces in this – Brian’s evolution through the story, Ezra’s fierce desire to help Brian, Gabe – my favorite character – and Brittany, Brian’s family dynamics… It’s all perfection. I quickly became attached to these characters. And I would have happily kept reading another book’s worth of pages with them.

There’s a lot of heavy content in this one – the overdose/suicide attempt, Brian’s panic attacks and social anxiety, some of Brian’s choices in the story, Ezra working through his understanding of his sexuality and the impact of it on his friendships, grief and loss – which is why this is an older middle grade story for readers 10 and up. All of the content is handled beautifully. But it’s still a lot, especially when you remember that Brian and Ezra are only 13. (The story reminds me of A List of Cages in some of the content, although more “mild” in some ways for the younger audience.)

This would be a great book for discussion with kids – both to help them process some of the more serious pieces of the story, but also because it’s such a rich and meaty story with great characters and an engaging plot. I think kids will love Brian and Ezra (and Gabe!). And the story here will leave readers with lots to think about. (LGBTQ+, TW: Panic attacks/anxiety, suicide attempt, bullying)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass

REVIEW: Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Connor and his mom have been in a stalemate for weeks. Connor’s boyfriend, Ario, insisted his life would be better if he came out to his mom. But it’s only made things worse. She took his phone, his laptop, his Switch. She’s not speaking to him, and she’s cut him off from Ario who is going to be leaving for college soon.

Connor’s mom is convinced he’s the father of his best friend’s baby. She’d much rather he be a teen father than be gay. She thinks she is doing him a favor by setting “boundaries” like refusing to acknowledge any boyfriend he might have or refusing to have anything to do with any future family Connor might have with another man. It’s so bad, Connor starts to wonder if he needs to find somewhere else to live for his senior year. But where could he possibly go?

Before Connor can even cobble together a plan, though, a group of men dressed all in black come into Connor’s home and physically remove him and toss him in a van. His mom watches this happen, but does nothing to stop it. The men say his mom has paid for him to take a “vacation.” In Costa Rica. But that’s not even close to what is happening. Connor is taken to a conversion camp called Nightlight where he finds other teens. Sent there by their own parents so the camp can “reprogram” their gay children.

Review

Wow! The first time I read the plot for this book, I was immediately captivated. A “Christian” conversion camp for gay teens where there’s more going on than meets the eye? I was intrigued. There’s no way I wasn’t reading this. I had to know what the secrets were.

And this story was a doozy! The author uses some carefully constructed time jumps to set up the larger questions of the book early on. Those questions carried Connor to Nightlight. I expected Connor to discover the mystery once he got there and started working on a way out. But this was so much better than the set up I was expecting. The suspense here and all the weird little puzzle pieces that had to fit together were so well constructed.

The subject matter makes this a hard book to like in some ways. I was heart-broken for Connor and the other kids at Nightlight for how they were treated, both at home and at the “camp.” The hate, the manipulation, the “conversion” techniques were all awful. There are dark moments here.

At the same time there are these awesome, resilient teens at the center of this story. I loved them. And I was rooting for them from the start. The ending is satisfying yet realistic. The kids have varying responses after their trauma. This was honest, but also sad in some cases.

Suspense fans should not miss this one. The hook will draw you in, and the characters will keep you turning pages until you get to the end. Readers should be aware of the trauma that could be triggered by things in the story. The author includes a note at the start of the book that should be helpful. (Language, sex, violence, LGBTQ+, TW: Suicide, hate crimes and trauma around sexuality and gender identity)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great!

REVIEW: Victor and Nora by Lauren Myracle

REVIEW: Victor and Nora by Lauren Myracle

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Victor is at the cemetery, visiting his brother’s grave when he meets Nora. She’s visiting her mother’s. But she’s also contemplating her own mortality. Her disease will progress until she’s not herself anymore. But she doesn’t tell Victor any of that.

Painfully shy, Victor slowly warms up to the vivacious Nora. When he’s not with her, he’s at his lab working on his freezing tech. Little does he know that his Nora could be in need of the very thing he is creating.

Review

This is an origin story for Victor Fries, aka Mr. Freeze, a villain from the Batman/Gotham universe. Here we see both his early work in cryogenics as well as his whirlwind romance with Nora (who, in other versions of the story, is his wife).

This is a dark story. Between the scenes with Nora and a bird attacking her like her disease eventually will, and her talk of ways to die with Victor when they first meet, there’s a lot of death hanging over this story. There are also hints at Victor’s tendency toward obsession and controlling behavior.

The Gotham universe has a lot of darkness to it anyway, and this graphic novel falls more on that side of things. And it’s darker than my usual preference. If I was rating this just on my enjoyment, I would give it two stars. It’s just not a great fit for me. But the story is well-written and the art well done, so I feel like I can recommend this to others who are more comfortable with the darkness of the story with a rating based on the story’s merits rather than my enjoyment. (Some language, talk of death, off page sex, TW: Suicide, grief and loss) You can read about other graphic novels from the DC universe here.

DC Entertainment has graciously shared some of the internal art with us. Here are some sample pages:

 

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥=Good/solid/fine

REVIEW: Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis

REVIEW: Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Toby was a kid, growing up with her mom, she was fascinated hearing her mom talk about her absent father. It didn’t happen often. She showed Toby one picture of them together, and she talked about his singing. She said he was “magic.”

Toby’s mom cycled through dark moments and neutral ones. The voices would become incessant and drive her to the quiet of her locked bedroom. When Toby was 10, she came home from school and found her mother dead by suicide.

Now, at 15, Toby lives with her grandparents. Her grandparents rarely speak about Toby’s mother. And her father is a non-factor in her life. Toby fights her own darkness. She has to force herself out of bed in the morning. She’s convinced everyone will be better off when she is gone. She’s almost ready for her plan.

Then, out of the blue, her father calls. He’s going to be in the area. He wants to meet Toby.

Her grandparents don’t want him to come. Toby’s not sure she wants him to visit either. Where has he been all this time? He didn’t even come for her mom’s funeral. And when she hears more about him – that he’s gay and a drag performer – she’s even more confused than ever. Her plan is postponed for the moment – she’ll wait to check out this “father” who wants to meet her. But the darkness still stalks her.

Review

This is heartbreaking. The early chapters were dark and sad. Toby’s depression and her struggles are so well described it was almost hard to read.

Really, the whole story has a dark edge to it, but the heart develops alongside the darker pieces, and I was captivated by the story. There’s so much pain here. Toby’s loss is tragic, and she’s never been able to talk to anyone about it. Her father never felt at home in the community. His family turned him away. Toby’s grandparents carry their own grief. The pain of it all was raw and conveyed so well.

The mental illness pieces of this are well-written. I do wish there was more therapeutic follow up for Toby. Her needs were not going to just magically clear up. But I did enjoy the ways Toby starts to grow from her experiences – the new ways she sees her mom, her dad, her friends, and her experiences.

This needs an intense trigger warning for suicide and depression. I would caution readers to be in a good, safe, and healthy emotional place before reading this one. This left me in tears multiple times. Toby’s emotional state and her suicidal plans are well described and sensitively handled. But this could be triggering for some readers. (Language, sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Survival List by Courtney Sheinmel

REVIEW: The Survival List by Courtney Sheinmel

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Sloane’s sister dies by suicide, Sloane is understandably devastated. She thinks back to their last conversation, second guessing every choice she made that day. She finds a list in her sister’s jeans pocket that she looks at every day, trying to decipher what the list means. To see if it gives her any clue why her sister wanted to die.

There’s a phone number on the list which leads Sloane to Adam in California. He says he didn’t know Talley, but Sloane isn’t sure she believes him. And some of Talley’s list could be tied to Adam’s community in California. If only there was an easy way for Sloane to get there… from Minnesota.

Thanks to a generous friend and one fake email, Sloane is off to California for what her father thinks is a college writing seminar during summer break. It’s Sloane’s chance to try to solve the puzzle of Talley’s list – and find out the truth about Adam’s relationship with her sister.

Review

Wow, this was great. Once Sloane was on her way to California to dig into Talley’s list, I couldn’t put this down. The twists and turns the story takes from there were beautifully plotted. I loved the whole touching journey.

Sloane is a great protagonist. She’s bright and insightful. She’s completely committed to figuring out what happened to her sister. And her journey turns up not only some surprising information but also some new depths to her own journey. I wanted to hug her – she needed comfort and someone to listen. But she also needed to power through this process – as hard as it was at times – because she could work through to some resolution on the other side.

There’s so much compassion here for the depressed and hurting, although the focus is more on the survivors than on Talley. This is a lovely story – moving and riveting. I loved the writing aspects that are sprinkled throughout the book relating to Sloane as a writer. Be sure to check this one out. (Some language, CW: Suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend

REVIEW: Where You’ll Find Me by Natasha Friend

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Anna can’t believe she’s living at her dad’s house. He had gotten engaged to Marnie before her parents’ divorce was even final. And their baby appeared soon after their wedding. She’d done a careful job of avoiding sleeping there. Daytime visits only. Anything else felt disloyal to her mother. But that was before.

Before her mother tried to kill herself and ended up in the hospital.

And when it rains, it pours. Anna has also lost her best friend. She’s stuck at school hanging out with the weird kids. It seems like everyone – other parents, teachers at school – is talking about Anna’s mom. And Marnie’s trying too hard with Anna, making her feel suffocated.

It all leaves Anna feeling lost and adrift. But help will arrive from places she least expects.

Review

I pulled this from a middle grade pile on my bookshelf, but when I looked the book up, the publishing information says this is for teens. I was confused. Anna is only 13 in this story – young for a teen book. And while her processing of all the things feels appropriate for 13, it also feels young for a teen/YA book. It might be a good fit for the new “Older Middle Grade” category for readers 10 to 14. But there’s some mature content – some swearing, Anna hears her dad and step-mom having sex, etc. – things you don’t generally find in middle grade books. All of this made it hard for me to get a good grasp on this one. Who exactly is this book for?

That aside, I loved the story. My heart broke for Anna. The near suicide is a huge stressor, but there’s so much MORE going on:

  • The unspoken things between Anna and her dad and the ways she has felt abandoned by him, left to care for her mom on her own.
  • Anna’s fears of finding her mother dead.
  • Anna’s memories of her mom’s manic episodes as she learns about Bipolar 2.
  • Anna’s shame about her mom’s illness.
  • The loss of her best friend.

All of these things are conveyed SO well. I was rooting for Anna through the whole book – that she would make new and better friends, that she would see her step-mother as an ally, and that she would share the burden of her mom’s illness with someone. There’s a great happy-for-now wrap up to this that was so satisfying.

Find the right audience and this will be a hit with readers. I loved it! (Language, sexual references, references to Wicca, CW: Suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Suggested Reading by David Connis

REVIEW: Suggested Reading by David Connis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Clara Evans has always been something of a reading fanatic. As a kid, she could only read books AT the library. Money was super tight, and her parents wanted no risk of overdue fees. When Clara found an abandoned library card, she used it to secretly check books out – and she never earned a fine!

Books were what got Clara admitted to her fancy school, Lupton Academy. They’re also what prompted her to start a nonprofit that runs Tiny Little Libraries around town and gets grants for school libraries in need. In fact, Clara’s night-before-school-starts tradition is called the “Evans Highlighter All-Nighter” which involves her staying up all night to read. And this year – before her last high school first-day-of-school – she stays up to read a new book from her favorite author. And it’s amazing.

Clara’s tired, but walking on  a post-book high when she gets to the school library for her volunteer shift. That’s when she discovers the school is puling 50 books from the library collection. And they’ve done it before. Students didn’t notice, thinking the books were just checked out when they couldn’t find them on the shelves. But now Clara is aware. And she’s ready to do something about it!

Review

This was fascinating! There have been a few other banned books/start-a-secret-library-in-your-locker sort of stories in the last couple years (Ban This Book, Property of the Rebel Librarian), but this stands in a category by itself. Part of the reason is that this is YA rather than middle grade. With the older audience, the author can explore some more mature content, reasoning and emotions. The other reason is how the protagonist is challenged and changed by this journey. At one point she feels like books – in some ways her most faithful companions through life – have betrayed her or failed her. She also wrestles with significant risk for her protest. All of these pieces made for a fantastic reading experience for me.

This would be a tremendous book for class reading or for book groups. You have all of the book related material, but you also have other teen issues like underage drinking, sexual identity, depression and suicide for discussion.

While the ending didn’t punch all the buttons I was looking for, I was pleased with how everything wrapped up for Clara and her friends. Be sure to check this one out! (Language, LGBTQ+, Trigger Warning: suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Dark Mind Rising by Julia Keller

REVIEW: Dark Mind Rising by Julia Keller

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In book one, The Dark Intercept, readers learn that Old Earth has been left to the poor and the criminals while New Earth exists above it. The population is controlled by the Intercept, a computer program that takes and logs emotions and emotional memories. When someone gets out of control, the Intercept triggers a mental replay of the strongest emotional memories until the individual is reduced to an emotional basketcase. It’s a brutal system, but it works. Through a series of events in the book, though, the Intercept is destroyed…. mostly.

A few years later, Violet is working as a private detective, but she’s barely getting by. Then she gets a new case. A well-adjusted, happy teen with plans for the future dies after throwing herself from a train. Her family doesn’t believe it was suicide. There are no indications it was anything else, but she was too happy and too focused on her future to kill herself. Violet is pretty sure it was suicide, but she needs the work so she takes the case. This case is only the first, though, of a rash of suicides with young victims. How could someone cause these seemingly random people to take their own lives? And could the Intercept have something to do with it?

Review

This is a dark story. I’d give this a severe Trigger Warning (TW) for suicide. The scenes where characters take their own lives include inner thoughts that are depressing and discouraging. While the character initially knows the thoughts aren’t coming from their own psyches, they eventually give into the despair.

I think readers need to read these books in order to really understand the story, especially the pieces about the Intercept and the relationships of the characters. The science fiction world building for the series is decent, although I think it is stronger in book one. I had hoped the world building would be more thoroughly developed in this book, but it feels like the author thought what was already in place from book one was sufficient.

I’m trying to figure out if the author wants to make a statement with these books about emotions. The Intercept pieces of the stories are all about emotions – overwhelming emotions (positive and negative), controlling emotions, emotional freedom, self-regulation, etc. But it’s not clear if it’s just an interesting plot point or if she has a higher purpose or message in it all.

Based on the first two books, I’d be okay not continuing with the series. I found this story too dark for my preferences. And I don’t care for any of the characters in a way that would keep me coming back for more. I had hoped for more character development in this book, too, but the off-plot pieces that might have been character development didn’t grab my attention or draw me in. I often skimmed past them. That being said, the title of book 3 grabs my attention because of something that happened in this book that was sad and upsetting. I might have to see if book 3 really ties into that event or if the title is referencing something different. If there’s a tie in, I might check it out to see if something in the third book redeems the sadness of this one. (Trigger Warning: suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

REVIEW: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Monica knew it was probably a bad idea to hook up with a guy so much older than her. It didn’t take long to get pregnant. And even less time to end the pregnancy. And that’s what started it all. One time rifling through her step-father’s desk, looking for painkillers for the cramping. That’s when she found the letters. One for each year after her sister’s death. “It wasn’t him. Connect the dots.”

Five years ago, five cheerleaders died within weeks of each other. Two in a horrendous car accident. Two were murdered. And one committed suicide. Monica’s sister, Jen.

But the letters in her step-father’s desk call all of Monica’s assumptions into question. And finding Jen’s old cell phone stashed in the desk, too, raises new questions. Why would her step-father keep the old phone? Are there secrets on it that explain what might have caused five girls from the same squad to die so suddenly? Monica is determined to keep digging, no matter what, until she finds the truth.

Review

Wow! This was stunning. A start-to-finish read in the spirit of We Were Liars or One of Us Is Lying. Tightly plotted and suspenseful with fascinating characters. This is the sort of book that will hang with me, every time I see that cover.

My heart broke for Monica. She and her family are still grieving the loss of her sister – after the losses of four of her friends in tragic circumstances. Monica seems to be going through the motions of her life to the point of sleeping with this adult as maybe a way to shake things up. But her investigation takes over in a similar way, changing her behavior and her relationship with everyone around her. She’s desperate for answers, for the truth, and it’s compelling.

When all the pieces of the story were finally laid out in front of me, I was pleasantly stunned. I put pieces of it together, but the full picture was a satisfying surprise. This is an author I would read again.

(Lots of mature content in this one – suicide, statutory rape, abortion, etc., and some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: In 27 Days by Alison Gervais

REVIEW: In 27 Days by Alison Gervais

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Hadley is stunned to hear that Archer Morales committed suicide. They had had a class together two years ago as freshmen. He’d been quiet. Hadley remembered the annoyed look he always gave her in class. He was something of an outcast at school. And now he was gone.

After the funeral, Hadley meets Death who offers her a unique opportunity. Hadley can go back in time 27 days and try to keep Archer from taking his own life. There are no guarantees it will work. And it’s likely to be a lot harder than Hadley can even imagine. But how can she not try?! So Hadley signs Death’s “contract,” and finds herself 27 days in the past.

Archer is quiet and withdrawn for a reason. Hadley is going to have to figure out a way through his defenses if she’s going to have any chance to make a difference. And her days are zooming by.

Review

I was engrossed from page one. The premise was so clever, it hooked me from the beginning. When I got to know more about earnest and hopeful yet lonely Hadley and withdrawn, angry and protective Archer, I couldn’t put the book down. Not only did I want Hadley’s 27-day mission to succeed but I wanted so much more for both of these characters.

There are “forces” at work against Hadley, an evil force that insists that some tragedy must happen, someone must die. Some sort of trade off will have to take place if Archer ends up not dying. This part of the story was an odd twist for me, and I’m not sure how I feel about how that section and plot point played out. But everything else was perfect. I adored these characters and would absolutely read this again in order to spend more time with Hadley and Archer!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥