History is paced arduously slow with grief being the driving force behind how the story unravels. I mean…those who prefer canon descriptions may disagree with this but to allow reader-me to render the setting using faux-NYC vibes from other visual mediums in film and television eases the strain on having to build an incredibly fleshed out world when it’s already omnipresent in my mind. You fill in the void yourself, and that’s what allows this story to feel incredibly real - that you can almost know the place without ever having been there. I’m not pretending I know where Silvera has lived but places ring true, and he doesn’t dabble too much with world building. What’s most striking to me is that so much of this does read fictionally autobiographical at times. The subway grind was present, the unwritten street grime was vividly brought into my imagery, and the pockets of perspectives and memories in which we follow Griffin through felt easy to read. While I can’t comment as to its accuracy, nothing was unordinary.
The bulk of this story takes place in and around the hustle and bustle of a suburban neighbourhood within the metropolis of New York City (also California). It’s just meant to be just, and that’s pretty damn bittersweet, yeah? It’s aptly resilient and hopeful, and I cannot commend the story for achieving what I think it set out to achieve. Simply put: there’s a rawness in the dialogue that just rolls off the tongue. With grief being the obstacle and focal point, Silvera handles the highs-and-lows of relationships with commanding poise as it never lacked the authenticity of the adolescent voice. History is All You Left Me is very plain, all kinds of messy, and delivers a story rich with life and character despite not much of anything plot-wise aside from the difficult simplicity of a mundane life. I know what you’re thinking: “ what the fuck, Joey rated a book 4+?!“ĭisclaimer: I received an ARC of History is All You Left Me from Chapters Indigo. – Side characters might not be the most fleshed out and can lack overall value same with some revelations Initial Thoughts – OCD is heavily mentioned but is not the focus Griffin’s grieving may come off as whiny/wallowing to readers – Uncomplicated setting that feels real even if there’s limited description to build New York – History features prose that’s uncomplicated, effusive, and direct, speaking volumes to the quiet power this story has. Should this book be picked up? the tl dr review:
(re: Goodreads History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera) But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes.
0 kommentar(er)
