Struck me on a couple levels
591425
I picked this book up as one of six offered to me on my Amazon Prime account.
As to the first level that struck me: There are several characters that make up the story. Yet, the author devotes to each character an entire chapter, which reaches into the character's inner thoughts and actions as a participant to the whole story. I thought this approach was  both novel and illuminating as to each character's interaction with the other characters.
The other level emphasized the sexual interaction between two of the characters,which was central to the story line. We are familiar with the term "grooming" when it comes to creating an atmosphere of attachment based on sexual attraction.
The author's background is that of a former police officer investigating the "art" of how one goes about enticing a young person into the arena of sex trafficking. I want to be careful here because I don't retell story lines in my reviews. But the time spent in the narrative on what steps were taken by one of the characters on how to carry out such an enticement was very well done.
The book used a lot of English jargon, but I did not find that any of it detracted from understanding what was being said.
All in all, while a different type of read, I found the story interesting and stayed with it  all the way to the end.
2360057
I had expected to glance through this book, read a little, and lay it aside, but was so engrossed I could not lay it down until finished.  So, why not five stars?
There were a couple of things that bothered me.  First, the references to the poor as the focus for the book.  I do not feel that Smith is necessarily serving the poor, but that he is serving the mentally ill, even the criminal, who become poor because of their illness.  I know a number of poor people here in a little town in Eastern Oregon.  They live in little trailers, they work two or three jobs, they never have anything left over after paying the bills, and worry constantly about a possible emergency.  But, they have a clean criminal record, they don't drink or take drugs, and they are not mentally ill.  When I think of the poor, I think of them.
Something else bothered me.  There was absolutely no mention in the book of a major reason we have so many mentally ill people on the streets.  I kept waiting for Smith to bring this up, but he didn't.  The deinstitutionalisation (community release) of the mentally ill, starting in the 60's, tossed onto the streets many people who cannot function.  Supposedly, if they just took the correct drugs, the mentally ill would metamorphose into cheerful, functioning human beings, or, at the least, would function well enough with some financial help, to be on their own.  In many cases, this didn't happen.
The other problem I see is that, when you control a person's mental outlook through drugs, you have just taught them that drugs are the answer to their suffering.  So, why not other drugs, too, which really make you  feel good, drugs like heroin or cocaine?  But, this is too large a subject to pursue here.  I was just a little surprised that the issue was never raised in the book.
I am a Portland native, and I remember, as a child in the forties, going through Old Town, just called the Burnside area then, and seeing the winos and the missions.  Drugs were not a factor in those days.  So, I enjoyed the book, also, because of the familiarity and the memories.
4589109
Mama says: ouch.  My heart hole hurts.  This book, or rather writing its review, poses a bit of a conundrum for me.  You see, it was at turns one of the most heartbreaking yet beautiful books I've ever read, and other times the most confusing and almost meaningless.  I don't mean to say there's no substance, just that it is out of balance.  You can tell the book was edited down, and some of what remained could have been removed, while other places could use a bit more explanation.  I don't want to give anything away, but the big mystery wasn't really a mystery at all and I felt that, though this may have been intentional, it sort of made the whole thing fall a bit flat for me.  Now, I absolutely think this book has a lot of important things to say, and there are phrases held within that I had to write down to remember.  I never quite got to the point where I could sympathize with Phoebe but I did think she was an incredibly accurate portrayal of an average sixteen year old who came from a dysfunctional yet seemingly normal home.  Leonard remained closed off to me, or I suppose more accurately, transparent, and thus I never really knew much about him other than what he wanted us to see.  In this way I think the author did a wonderful job of portraying a boy who had no idea what his place was in the world, if he would ever really find it at all.  There are a few things that might be considered triggering so sensitive readers should be aware of this, but otherwise I recommend this book for the older teen crowd and up.
3.5 stars
4941076
Several days since finishing this book and I am still not sure what to make of it completely. I have not had that in a book for a while but I guess it is a credit to the story that it has this sort of hold on me.
The first part of the book is set in a small Irish village which has is idyll shattered when Dr Vlad Dragan arrives to set up his "alternative therapy" center. He woos the villagers into acceptance, especially Fidelma who he woos in a completely different way and we soon see that the idyll maybe wasn't really fixed at all and that Dragan's appearance works at the cracks that were previously just papered over for appearance.
The second part of the book is set in London and follows Fidelma as she finds her way in the big smoke. This part of the book irked me somewhat - without spoilers it is difficult to explain but I had great difficulty with the comparison between Fidelma's story and those of the other characters, their plights being mostly not of their making at all and thus, in my opinion, making her far less worthy of the help she wanted. Maybe it's just something personal to me as to why this grates. It just made this part quite hard to read.
Maybe I should have been more sympathetic to Fidelma, after all she had been taken in by a dangerous person, but I can't help feeling that the scenario she found herself in with Dragan would have happened with someone at some time and I just didn't really warm to her at all. There were also times during the book that I found the sheer number of characters (most of whom incidental and not really important) confusing and I found myself having to re-read parts several times. This interrupted my flow of reading and made it, at times, hard work.
Why didn't I give up? Basically, despite all of the above, I found the book compelling. To me, it was sort of a lesson in fragility and deceit and how closely these two things can be to each other. Born not of each other but feeding off each other. That life could well be fleeting but, for some people, fleeting does not mean insignificant. How meetings and interactions create shockwaves that can be felt at distance. And that paths can change on a knife edge. And probably many many other things too which I am still trying to process. What I do know is that I think this is a book that will mean different things to different people depending on a whole host of factors. This is just what it meant to me.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2153473
I felt the novel showed stages a person goes through in getting over someone due to their death.  I also shows how miscommunication and also our slanted view on life can color how we perceive what is being said and another's actions.  It reminded me to stop and really hear what another is saying.
4096201
It held my interest and was different than I expected.
389644
On the positive side, I thought there were many beautifully worded phrases that really struck me.  I highlighted them and will refer to them when our book club discusses this book.  I liked the way it was narrated by two characters and I learned many things about the time.

My negatives, and they are slight,  are that I found some aspects of Hetty and her mom a bit unbelievable and I also thought there was some things thrown into the book that stuck out sorely (for example - when Paul Revere's craft shop was mention - it seems just thrown in and not necessary).

I would recommend the book.
1569493
It made me think a lot. Although well written stylistically, I found the subject matter disturbing and too dark.
99776
Unfortunately, I had a really hard time connecting to the voice, and therefore really connecting to Aiden. It took me a while to finish this book because of it. Though the story itself had some wonderful elements, and it is absolutely potent and impacting, I felt like there was a wall between myself and Aiden despite he first person narrative.

Still, there is so much going on with Aiden, and Kiely weaves together the family problems with the pill addiction with the abuse element so well. It's easy to see they all end up related in Aiden's life, one feeding off the other however intentionally or not, yet it's also easy to pick them apart and see each thing for what it is. Even more intriguing about this book is how it's sort of set in the aftermath of some things, and in the midst of others, all while leading towards a healing more than anything.

Not only has Aiden suffered abuse at the hands of a priest, he's had to reconcile not being the only one and realizing the way the priest made him feel wasn't really so special. There are so many emotions layered in with this, and the palpable sense of betrayal and loss that comes with it is one of the notable aspects of this book. Aiden has to go through so much, work things through on his own while also letting others in, and allowing the truth to come and getting help. Even just one person truly can make such a difference, and I did like watching Aiden find his way there. He runs the gauntlet of feelings and reactions in the aftermath of realizing he's been abused, not just sexually, but emotionally as well, and it was heartbreaking so often to watch him go through this. Worse, was the realizing and fear that the man he's going to become is hindered as a result of this too.

There is a great character arc to this one, and a potent, impacting story. I do wish I didn't struggle with the voice so hard, and didn't find it to be almost too overdone, too verbose and wordy in a way that almost didn't feel like it really fit Aiden for me. That aside, however, that's a lot of good things in this book.
2621531
The Good Stuff

  This one was a real challenge for me to read as it is way too close and personal.  It's funny how I can speak so openly about wanting to kill myself while suffering with post partum depression but the thought about even discussing this makes me break out in sweats.  This girl was almost me and it hurt to read about those same emotions I had and all the stupid stuffI used to do to my body.  I was very lucky that it never got this far, but I won't lie, it was very close.  Even to this day, I am a healthy slimish girl, but will always see my self as the fat girl I used to be
  Heartfelt, honest and realistic
  Nice uses of humour at just the right moments
  nice mentions of faith without being too preachy
  Realistic scenes of teenage life
  For anyone who has ever suffered from this type of disorder you will understand how true to life this tale is (For example I also cut up all the pictures of me when I was overweight)
  hopeful message
  Parents are realistic and damaged but never hurtful or stupid like in many YA novels
  This isn't your preachy issue book like some of the stuff I read back in high school but a raw and honest account of all the emotions and actions of someone who is suffering. No tied up neatly after school special type of story

The Not So Good Stuff

  There are some spots were it jumps around and is disjointed. Hard to explain this late at night but there were a couple of spots were I had to go back a couple of pages to reread and make sure I hadn't missed something (but take this with a grain of salt -- I am a speed reader and this happens quite frequently to me)
  Man if Amanda was my friend I would slap that self involved narcissistic girl right across the face
  Very raw at times that I felt myself tearing up and wanting to hug the old teenage me

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"Plus, people don't really notice when you're doing half the time anyway.  They're too busy worrying about themselves."

"The first cut felt smooth, the blades slicing through gleaming photo paper, just the right amount of resistance.  I took quite a bit off my butt and thighs, slightly less around my calves.  My breathing slowed as I worked, as though my transformation were already happening."

"Everyone trusted me. Good old dependable Diana. Which was why most people didn't notice at first that I was in trouble."

Who Should/Shouldn't Read

  All mothers of girls so maybe you can truly understand some of the signs
  Any tween or teen
  Those who have suffered or suffering from an eating disorder - a good reminder that you are not alone and it will get better
  A must have for every junior high, high school and public library

4.5 Dewey's

I received this from Rita Arens in exchange for an honest review
4063329
3.5 Stars

THINGS I LOVED:

The vocabulary. The English major in me was internally happy dancing for joy. Honestly, if I could get away with it, I would totally use this to teach SAT vocabulary. Its awesome. And oddly enough, it works for the main character. Hes quirky and collects antiquated tech like no ones business, so embracing elevated vocabulary suits his complex personality.

The conflicted, debilitating slew of guilt, depression, and uncertainty weighs on Sebastian heavy enough to rival Atlas. The emotions are poignant, gut-wrenching, and you kind of just want to hug him and tell him its not his fault. Its impossible to escape your past in a small town and to be blamed and ostracized for something you did as a toddler? Its completely unfair, dangerous, and totally happens. Even if you break this story down to bare bones foundation, living with the catastrophe results of a mistake can be too much, too haunting, and crush you from the inside  out. Bang explores these heavy ideas in a way thats relatable and so incredibly honest.

The mystery. Throughout the book, there is so much leading that you're basically being tugged along on this train of thought. You know that Sebastian plans on doing something terrible, ending it all with a gun in a perfect circle of how his life metaphorically ended as a toddler. But theres a twist. I did not see it coming. Theres just enough to keep you hanging on, desperate to know how it ends.

THINGS IM TORN OVER:

Aneesa. Dont get me wrong, I LOVED Aneesa and the fact that she calls people out on their stereotypes, is honest about her fears, and is 100% a proud Muslim young lady. I adored how vocal she was about misconceptions about Islam, how she called out the haters, and truly loved who she is as a person. That sort of confidence and openness is inspiring. In some ways, I did like that Aneesa, having her as a friend, was helping Sebastian deal with his suicidal thoughts; I didn't like that she was the ONLY thing. Sebastians so-called male best friend was a fleeting character that had little to no presence and everything was on Aneesa-not that she knew Sebastian was suicidal. Aneesa isn't really that interesting. Despite the fact that shes nice and opinionated, shes pretty bland, at least for me. There weren't any particularly memorable lines or scenes that made me say, Aneesa is a character that will stick with me for a while.

The focus. This book is all over the place. While it does do a fairly good job of getting back to Sebastians thoughts when hes going to bed at night and thinking about his life, the book turns into pizza after pizza for ages as he builds his YouTube channel and it felt like so much of that could be cut because it slowed the pacing and made me want to close the book.

Nowhere near enough confrontation with his parents. They don't talk about it. They ignore everything and have for years. No wonder Sebastian is flooded with emotions that he doesnt know how to express or positive ways to deal with his overwhelming sense of guilt and failure. The two big scenes that do happen wereexplosive. I felt rage. So much rage.
1578804
Oh there is so much to learn about our parents when we are little children!! And so much more to FIND OUT about them, when we are adults!!!
Is an argument with a parent of that much consequence in the future when we think back on it? Are our assumptions about our parents based in reality?

Anya Yurchshyn leads the reader through her own personal experiences with her parents which is evocative of, or could also be in part, the reader's experience with theirs.

Some of this book was painful -- as it brought back memories of how I as a child, decided what my mother could and could not be, when in fact she was only expressing her own humanity. And some of the betrayal I felt when coming across some of my mother's notes, mirror that of our author. Are we betrayed or surprised? Perhaps it took my mother's death for me to be able to stand back at a distance and know her as a person, not just as my mother.

In some parts, there is a darkness to this book, some pathos, and much soul searching and revelations.  But then again, doesn't that also mirror our own lives?
3027617
I found myself being drawn in on what was going on in it for as I read it,it gave me a mix of Beauty & the Beast if it were spliced with an episode of Criminal Minds,the book Frankenstein in a small way and the relationship of DC Comics Harley Quinn and Joker. Found myself at times having one train regarding the events of some chapters only to have it be replaced by a bigger more complex one that left me thinking long & hard on what would happen next. And the ending of it is what I would call a happy yet dark ending. I suggest giving it a read if you are curious about the levels/depths that someone with Stockholm Syndrome will go.
4934102
I'm ambivalent about this book. On the one hand, there are parts of it that are especially introspective, moderately insightful, and interesting. On the other hand, I found too many parts that did not really appeal to me.

Michelle Tea, who was previously unknown to me, writes here mostly about her post-addiction period, one still marked by association with users, life in squalid hovels, and a gradual and not altogether smooth transition to adulthood, self-sufficiency, and responsibility.

As I said, there were parts I liked. Her thoughts on her love of fashion and the clash of that love and her political sense, for example, has a fair amount of insight and self-awareness, especially when she discusses her purchase of a counterfeit handbag, which simultaneously gains her respect from store clerks who do not recognize that the bag is counterfeit and loses her the respect of the people most in sync with her own beliefs. But most of the book deals without much depth with her life and companions' lives, and I found this part, while readable and interesting, not at all compelling. I liked the book, but it could have been much more powerful, I thought.
3026751
I do my best to avoid spoilers when writing about books, but this is more of a warning than a spoiler, the story does touch on some very strong emotional triggers, and some folks might find some of the incidents in the book a bit disturbing.

The author works in family counseling and draws from her experience to write this book that is often torn between love and hate, and sometimes the blurred lines between the two.

Mayu seems to hear the unspoken cries of the suffering, and sometimes does things that cross the line between good and bad in order to do what she believes will help those in pain.

The lessons she learns about life take on a stronger influence on her life, when she realizes that her marriage, to a man that seemed to be perfect turns out not to be what she expected.

More an emotional story, but with many true to life facets, I ended up reading this in one day, because I became so caught up in the story and wanting to know what would happen.
420258
I read this awhile ago, and I'm still not really sure how I feel about it. I didn't love it, but it was better than okay. While that's not a ringing endorsement, it stayed in my brain. Rolled around in there. I'll definitely be reading the second book. I think maybe it pushed me out of my comfort zone. I'm not sure why, it wasn't particularly salacious. Oh, it was sexy... but it wasn't like what you'd read in Nugget or anything. Great characterizations and good writing.
2035810
A bit rough around the edges, but this book scored two major points with me: One, it kept me wanting to read what happens next, and Two, it made me feel feelings. There were times I'd want to reach into the story and smack Izzy for her stupid decisions, then times I felt sorry for her. At the end of the day, it was a great story and I'm happy I got to read it.