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Obscura Burning
The world's going to end in fire...and it's all Kyle's fault.
Kyle Wolfe's world is about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore. Each time Kyle goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...
Kyle Wolfe's world is about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore. Each time Kyle goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...
300 pages, Paperback
First published December 7, 2012
3 people are currently reading
1382 people want to read
About the author
Xan van Rooyen
48 books129 followersI'm an autistic non-binary author with a penchant for the dark and strange. I primarily write SFF but enjoy literary writing as well. (Pronouns: they/them)
When not writing, I teach music at an international school, climb, eat anything involving peanut butter, and serve the whims of my shiba inu.
When not writing, I teach music at an international school, climb, eat anything involving peanut butter, and serve the whims of my shiba inu.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 2, 2017
5 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
This book. Was. FANTASTIC. I didn't mean to read it all in one night, but that's what ended up happening, exhaustion be damned. It was one those books that, from the very first page, I loved and just knew was going to blow me away. It had such an interesting premise, the mood was bleak and dark, the writing was not fanciful yet somehow still beautiful, the characters were imperfect and suffering, there was even disability! And those were my thoughts after just ten percent, though I'm happy to say the book continued to affect me just as strongly all the way to the end.
But I do want to talk more in depth about all those things, so I'll start with the premise. There was a fire one night, and that was when everything changed. Kyle doesn't even know if it was his fault since he can't remember what actually happened. But since then, Kyle has been stuck alternating between two realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive as a paraplegic, but their friend Shira is dead. In the other, Shira is alive, but Danny is dead and Kyle is badly burned and scarred all over much of his face and body. There are other differences too, but those are the most important ones. So in each reality, someone is being grieved, but Kyle can't move on from either death because both Danny and Shira are still alive to him, just in different realities. That alone makes for an amazing story if you're a masochistic reader like me since it's rife with all sorts of emotion.
Then there was the mood of the book. Not only was it bleak and dark, it was also intense, haunting, atmospheric, mysterious, suspenseful, unsettling, twisted, heavy... Basically any sort of dark synonym you can think of, it applies. It's one of the darkest books I've ever read, despite the fact that it's YA. It also included a lot of serious topics, like *POSSIBLE SPOILER + TRIGGER WARNING* *END SPOILER*
And that writing style that I mentioned? It worked so perfectly to convey the dark mood. It's hard to explain since it wasn't all flowery or metaphorical, but it was still beautiful, and I loved it.
Then you had Kyle himself. Considering all those trigger warnings I mentioned, you can probably guess that he was suffering and unhappy in every version of reality (what with his guilt, grief, confusion, fear, anger, etc.) and the shifting back and forth thing was killing him, both literally and figuratively. In some ways, he shouldn't have been a sympathetic character---he could be very selfish and impulsive---but I found myself sympathizing with him regardless. I felt terrible for him and was rooting for him to succeed at fixing things. Maybe it was because of how realistic and developed he was. He was also obsessed with fire, like in a legit pyromania way (even though the word was never used), and that was an interesting thing to read about.
All the characters seemed like real people though---some good, some bad, some imperfect but trying, some not trying at all. It made for a lot of gray area and some thought-provoking aspects.
And last but not least on my list, there was the disability. In one reality, Kyle was scarred from his burns, and the author did what seemed like a good job of including the ways it affected him, the ways people reacted, the ways he felt about it, a lot of things that I wouldn't have thought or known as someone who's never experienced that. In the other reality, Danny was paraplegic and wheelchair-bound. There wasn't too much exploration of that since Danny wasn't a POV character, but we still got to see a small bit of the struggles from Kyle's perspective.
One more thing, this book was definitely a mindfuck, but one with a plot that actually made sense. It could've gone into total confusing nonsense territory, but it didn't. It was a little confusing trying to remember the details for each reality, but that was just because of my memory, not because of the writing. Everything was plenty clear and mostly consistent, and I never noticed any plot holes. My only issue would have to be that the ending was one of those open-to-interpretation ones (unless I just didn't quite understand it). But the explanation given near the end was what made the most sense and fit with everything else in the story, so I'm going with that. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER*
So overall, this book was dark and intense and amazing with wonderful writing and realistic characters, and I just loved it!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes dark, intense, unsettling, mysterious, heavy, mindfuck (but not the confusing kind) books and seriously flawed, gray characters.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
This book. Was. FANTASTIC. I didn't mean to read it all in one night, but that's what ended up happening, exhaustion be damned. It was one those books that, from the very first page, I loved and just knew was going to blow me away. It had such an interesting premise, the mood was bleak and dark, the writing was not fanciful yet somehow still beautiful, the characters were imperfect and suffering, there was even disability! And those were my thoughts after just ten percent, though I'm happy to say the book continued to affect me just as strongly all the way to the end.
But I do want to talk more in depth about all those things, so I'll start with the premise. There was a fire one night, and that was when everything changed. Kyle doesn't even know if it was his fault since he can't remember what actually happened. But since then, Kyle has been stuck alternating between two realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive as a paraplegic, but their friend Shira is dead. In the other, Shira is alive, but Danny is dead and Kyle is badly burned and scarred all over much of his face and body. There are other differences too, but those are the most important ones. So in each reality, someone is being grieved, but Kyle can't move on from either death because both Danny and Shira are still alive to him, just in different realities. That alone makes for an amazing story if you're a masochistic reader like me since it's rife with all sorts of emotion.
Then there was the mood of the book. Not only was it bleak and dark, it was also intense, haunting, atmospheric, mysterious, suspenseful, unsettling, twisted, heavy... Basically any sort of dark synonym you can think of, it applies. It's one of the darkest books I've ever read, despite the fact that it's YA. It also included a lot of serious topics, like *POSSIBLE SPOILER + TRIGGER WARNING* *END SPOILER*
And that writing style that I mentioned? It worked so perfectly to convey the dark mood. It's hard to explain since it wasn't all flowery or metaphorical, but it was still beautiful, and I loved it.
Then you had Kyle himself. Considering all those trigger warnings I mentioned, you can probably guess that he was suffering and unhappy in every version of reality (what with his guilt, grief, confusion, fear, anger, etc.) and the shifting back and forth thing was killing him, both literally and figuratively. In some ways, he shouldn't have been a sympathetic character---he could be very selfish and impulsive---but I found myself sympathizing with him regardless. I felt terrible for him and was rooting for him to succeed at fixing things. Maybe it was because of how realistic and developed he was. He was also obsessed with fire, like in a legit pyromania way (even though the word was never used), and that was an interesting thing to read about.
All the characters seemed like real people though---some good, some bad, some imperfect but trying, some not trying at all. It made for a lot of gray area and some thought-provoking aspects.
And last but not least on my list, there was the disability. In one reality, Kyle was scarred from his burns, and the author did what seemed like a good job of including the ways it affected him, the ways people reacted, the ways he felt about it, a lot of things that I wouldn't have thought or known as someone who's never experienced that. In the other reality, Danny was paraplegic and wheelchair-bound. There wasn't too much exploration of that since Danny wasn't a POV character, but we still got to see a small bit of the struggles from Kyle's perspective.
One more thing, this book was definitely a mindfuck, but one with a plot that actually made sense. It could've gone into total confusing nonsense territory, but it didn't. It was a little confusing trying to remember the details for each reality, but that was just because of my memory, not because of the writing. Everything was plenty clear and mostly consistent, and I never noticed any plot holes. My only issue would have to be that the ending was one of those open-to-interpretation ones (unless I just didn't quite understand it). But the explanation given near the end was what made the most sense and fit with everything else in the story, so I'm going with that. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER*
So overall, this book was dark and intense and amazing with wonderful writing and realistic characters, and I just loved it!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes dark, intense, unsettling, mysterious, heavy, mindfuck (but not the confusing kind) books and seriously flawed, gray characters.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
February 20, 2013
Really? There is seriously no word in existence that can describe this book! It was just... wow! Fantastic! Seriously though, it was a extremely well written book! Page after page after page... Beauty!
It started off a little rough, for me that is. Things were just a little too abstract for my mind to grasp, but part of me liked that. However, it took me some time to realize that I did like it, and when I did, I swear to God my life changed. This book does the perfect job of balancing love, friendship, self-identity, and, GAH! EVERYTHING! Just magnificent!
This book was so smoothly written! All the realities were merged together surprisingly peacefully making it not as confusing as I thought it would be. Because of this, I got to focus on the characters more; their reactions, emotions, senses... It was quite the experience.
So thank you Suzanne! Thank you for writing this amazing book! It truly was extraordinary!
It started off a little rough, for me that is. Things were just a little too abstract for my mind to grasp, but part of me liked that. However, it took me some time to realize that I did like it, and when I did, I swear to God my life changed. This book does the perfect job of balancing love, friendship, self-identity, and, GAH! EVERYTHING! Just magnificent!
This book was so smoothly written! All the realities were merged together surprisingly peacefully making it not as confusing as I thought it would be. Because of this, I got to focus on the characters more; their reactions, emotions, senses... It was quite the experience.
So thank you Suzanne! Thank you for writing this amazing book! It truly was extraordinary!
January 13, 2013
Science fiction has never been my thing and I'm far too long in the tooth to be reading Young Adult novels, but there is something about Suzanne Van Rooyen.
The review system at Amazon is so flawed that if you're searching for good writing, to find some, you have to be lucky and by interviewing Suzanne back in June last year on The Wizard's Cauldron, I felt as if I had landed the forecast in the Derby.
http://greenwizard62.blogspot.co.uk/2...
An MA in Music, a member of YAtopia, a thinker, an innovator and a prodigious, two books-a-week reader, Suzanne knows a thing or too about literature.
She's also the type of writer who thinks about her work - sometimes overthinks - I've known her erase three weeks worth of writing as if it never existed at all because of a plot flaw.
A pedigree like this creates quality books.
A book like Obscura Burning.
Now, I'm no expert on YA, as I have said - and this is very, very YA.
All the main characters are teenage. All the adults are enemies to avoid or shun. There is a focus on looks. Emotions swing like a pendulum under conditions of uncertainty. Testosterone and Oestrogen weep from every pore. There is violence, bitchiness, nastiness and confused sexuality on every page. There is no contemplative silence. It's a narcissistic, self-absorbed world where nothing exists outside the chrysalis of youth. There is a core of amorality which runs through the book like a seam of coal and I remember that vividly from my teenage years - nothing is ever quite what it seems and even that seldom lasts for more than a month.
The plot is this: Obscura, a huge planet, appears on Earth's horizon one hot day in June. Kyle, a sexually confused New Mexico boy, scarred and burned in a fiery accident, struggles to come to terms with his new identity and his turbulent life. He is in love with his friend, wheelchair - bound Danny and also Shira, boyish, sculpted Best Friend Forever. It's a cavernous, shifting love triangle. Complex enough you may think. Now, add a parallel universe which occurs when Kyle sleeps, where everything is subtly different, where the reality is skewed and Kyle is nowhere near in control. The shifting reality may - or may not - be due to the appearance of the strange planet and together with an alluring Latino babe and a mad professor, they go in search of the truth as the world waits in the shadow of Obscura, the harbinger of the coming apocalypse.
There is a lady on Twitter who will supply an in-depth critique of a writer's first ten pages for the princely sum of $35. She should pay Suzanne: This first chapter is so elegantly written that subsequent events in the book tremble in its wake.
It is Suzanne's best work (that I have read). The prose is flawless and absorbing, edifying and manna for the eyes. The description of Kyle's situation and his environment is a sumptuous feast. I have read that magnificently crafted first chapter countless times. It is art and music, words structured in perfect harmony. Ornate. Cistine.
Feast on these two paragraphs:
"Dream catchers dangle feathers from her ceiling, the only evidence of her Native American heritage. “Dream catchers aren’t even Navajo,” she told me once. “They’re Sioux, but the tourists love them.” Dead roses and glittery strings of beads cling to the frame of her mirror, and stuck to a corner is the photograph of three smiling faces. The three of us at prom: Danny in his silver suit, me in blue, and Shira in black. Danny asked me to dance that night and I said no. Guess we’ll never have that dance, not in this reality or any other.
Outside, the evening brings some respite from the heat of the day. Even Shira’s cacti are struggling in the drought. Some slouch like old men with hollow bellies while others have lost their limbs to thirst, their broken arms lying withered and forlorn in the dust. It’s June. There should be roiling thunderstorms every day, but instead there’s just dust and sizzling heat."
Spend time in proximity to Suzanne's writing and you'll bump into clean, luxurious and polished paragraphs like this at every turn. With the prevailing fashion in YA for dialogue, minimalism and white space, there isn't as many as there could be: I wish there were more of them. She writes descriptive prose like a dream, naturally, with charisma, with ease, and with a remarkable lack of self consciousness.
Chapter One may just be the best introductory paragraph I've read in ages, as rich a pure reading experience as I can remember, but that is not to say the rest of the book is a let down. It's a question of benchmarks and relativity: It isn't. It's an excellent work of fiction, an absorbing and intricate hybrid of sci-fi and character study which will stay with you. It's a very relationship based portrait of four young people and the flawed adults who surround them.
Expect hard sci-fi and you'll be disappointed. However, we're definitely in another world here - a New Mexico firmly entrenched in another reality (Counter-Earth, Earth Two, Infinite Earths, Parallel Earth) - a different kind of place where the sand is more jagged, grittier and a degree further away from its normal position in the colour spectrum
Almost everything works.
The love triangle is well drawn and absorbing. The supporting characters - the gorgeous Latino Mya in particular - are three dimensional, engaging and rounded. New Mexico is described, at times, as plush as as Cormac Mcarthy describes the badlands of Texas. Kyle's bisexuality is skilfully handled and unobtrusive. The science - for example, syzygy, the alignment of celestial bodies and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle - is accessible to the lay reader when it occurs. Native American culture is alluded to with due reverence and as the story progresses, the plot gathers pace, particularly from the point where Kyle tells his harrowing story to Professor Cruz.
Best of all, the creeping shadow of Obscura, the heavenly invader, the amethyst sphere which blots out the sky, humanity's uninvited interloper laminates each sentence with a sense of foreboding.
Its an innovative book, carefully constructed, neatly plotted, and, toward the middle and end, well paced (a trifle slow to build).
As with any multiple reality story, you can get lost and the realities shift in frenetic, fragmented fashion. The time you spend back tracking is worth it and reveals more than you expect.
As a story of shifting identities of youth, and the shifting loyalties and friendships, Suzanne is careful to make sure the story construction itself mirrors the turbulence. That's how much she thinks about Most of all, though, the book is a thing of beauty, an ornate piece of writing, something I would imagine is a masterclass in the YA genre.
Buy this book. You won't regret it.
Review originally published on http://independentpaperbacks.blogspot...
The review system at Amazon is so flawed that if you're searching for good writing, to find some, you have to be lucky and by interviewing Suzanne back in June last year on The Wizard's Cauldron, I felt as if I had landed the forecast in the Derby.
http://greenwizard62.blogspot.co.uk/2...
An MA in Music, a member of YAtopia, a thinker, an innovator and a prodigious, two books-a-week reader, Suzanne knows a thing or too about literature.
She's also the type of writer who thinks about her work - sometimes overthinks - I've known her erase three weeks worth of writing as if it never existed at all because of a plot flaw.
A pedigree like this creates quality books.
A book like Obscura Burning.
Now, I'm no expert on YA, as I have said - and this is very, very YA.
All the main characters are teenage. All the adults are enemies to avoid or shun. There is a focus on looks. Emotions swing like a pendulum under conditions of uncertainty. Testosterone and Oestrogen weep from every pore. There is violence, bitchiness, nastiness and confused sexuality on every page. There is no contemplative silence. It's a narcissistic, self-absorbed world where nothing exists outside the chrysalis of youth. There is a core of amorality which runs through the book like a seam of coal and I remember that vividly from my teenage years - nothing is ever quite what it seems and even that seldom lasts for more than a month.
The plot is this: Obscura, a huge planet, appears on Earth's horizon one hot day in June. Kyle, a sexually confused New Mexico boy, scarred and burned in a fiery accident, struggles to come to terms with his new identity and his turbulent life. He is in love with his friend, wheelchair - bound Danny and also Shira, boyish, sculpted Best Friend Forever. It's a cavernous, shifting love triangle. Complex enough you may think. Now, add a parallel universe which occurs when Kyle sleeps, where everything is subtly different, where the reality is skewed and Kyle is nowhere near in control. The shifting reality may - or may not - be due to the appearance of the strange planet and together with an alluring Latino babe and a mad professor, they go in search of the truth as the world waits in the shadow of Obscura, the harbinger of the coming apocalypse.
There is a lady on Twitter who will supply an in-depth critique of a writer's first ten pages for the princely sum of $35. She should pay Suzanne: This first chapter is so elegantly written that subsequent events in the book tremble in its wake.
It is Suzanne's best work (that I have read). The prose is flawless and absorbing, edifying and manna for the eyes. The description of Kyle's situation and his environment is a sumptuous feast. I have read that magnificently crafted first chapter countless times. It is art and music, words structured in perfect harmony. Ornate. Cistine.
Feast on these two paragraphs:
"Dream catchers dangle feathers from her ceiling, the only evidence of her Native American heritage. “Dream catchers aren’t even Navajo,” she told me once. “They’re Sioux, but the tourists love them.” Dead roses and glittery strings of beads cling to the frame of her mirror, and stuck to a corner is the photograph of three smiling faces. The three of us at prom: Danny in his silver suit, me in blue, and Shira in black. Danny asked me to dance that night and I said no. Guess we’ll never have that dance, not in this reality or any other.
Outside, the evening brings some respite from the heat of the day. Even Shira’s cacti are struggling in the drought. Some slouch like old men with hollow bellies while others have lost their limbs to thirst, their broken arms lying withered and forlorn in the dust. It’s June. There should be roiling thunderstorms every day, but instead there’s just dust and sizzling heat."
Spend time in proximity to Suzanne's writing and you'll bump into clean, luxurious and polished paragraphs like this at every turn. With the prevailing fashion in YA for dialogue, minimalism and white space, there isn't as many as there could be: I wish there were more of them. She writes descriptive prose like a dream, naturally, with charisma, with ease, and with a remarkable lack of self consciousness.
Chapter One may just be the best introductory paragraph I've read in ages, as rich a pure reading experience as I can remember, but that is not to say the rest of the book is a let down. It's a question of benchmarks and relativity: It isn't. It's an excellent work of fiction, an absorbing and intricate hybrid of sci-fi and character study which will stay with you. It's a very relationship based portrait of four young people and the flawed adults who surround them.
Expect hard sci-fi and you'll be disappointed. However, we're definitely in another world here - a New Mexico firmly entrenched in another reality (Counter-Earth, Earth Two, Infinite Earths, Parallel Earth) - a different kind of place where the sand is more jagged, grittier and a degree further away from its normal position in the colour spectrum
Almost everything works.
The love triangle is well drawn and absorbing. The supporting characters - the gorgeous Latino Mya in particular - are three dimensional, engaging and rounded. New Mexico is described, at times, as plush as as Cormac Mcarthy describes the badlands of Texas. Kyle's bisexuality is skilfully handled and unobtrusive. The science - for example, syzygy, the alignment of celestial bodies and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle - is accessible to the lay reader when it occurs. Native American culture is alluded to with due reverence and as the story progresses, the plot gathers pace, particularly from the point where Kyle tells his harrowing story to Professor Cruz.
Best of all, the creeping shadow of Obscura, the heavenly invader, the amethyst sphere which blots out the sky, humanity's uninvited interloper laminates each sentence with a sense of foreboding.
Its an innovative book, carefully constructed, neatly plotted, and, toward the middle and end, well paced (a trifle slow to build).
As with any multiple reality story, you can get lost and the realities shift in frenetic, fragmented fashion. The time you spend back tracking is worth it and reveals more than you expect.
As a story of shifting identities of youth, and the shifting loyalties and friendships, Suzanne is careful to make sure the story construction itself mirrors the turbulence. That's how much she thinks about Most of all, though, the book is a thing of beauty, an ornate piece of writing, something I would imagine is a masterclass in the YA genre.
Buy this book. You won't regret it.
Review originally published on http://independentpaperbacks.blogspot...
June 20, 2013
This and more reviews at:
Obscura Burning is both moving and intellectually stimulating. A fantastic, thought-provoking and mind-boggling story, executed with skill and honesty! Suzanne Van Rooyen swiftly guides the reader through the fractured narrative of her book, gradually building up tension and suspense to a dizzying crescendo ending. An unforgettable ending that will leave you breathless and thinking about it - examining all the possible explanations and trying to understand what really happened - for a very long time. I am still reeling from it. As much as I'd like to tell you that I managed to figure it all out, I'm still not sure what exactly went down in this book, and that's precisely what makes me love it so much!
Everything started with a fire that our MC, Kyle, can't even remember. His memory is in shreds and he doesn't know what caused the fire, or anything else that happened shortly after it broke out. All he knows is that his life and the entire world changed that night. A planet about the size of Mercury appeared out of nowhere and took up residence between Earth and Mars. And that mysterious planet - Obscura - has been messing things up ever since, causing weird things to happen. Since that night, Kyle's been jolted between two parallel realities, living two different lives - one in which his boyfriend Danny is alive and their best friend, Shira, is dead, and the other in which it is Shira who survived, and Danny who died in the fire. Kyle's world is crumbling to pieces. The shifts between realities are slowly killing him and he knows that he has to do something to stop Obscura from destroying his life, his sanity and the entire world.
I fell in love with Obsura Burning right from the get-go. The intriguing premise along with Suzanne's raw and affecting writing style had me hooked in an instant. I loved the idea behind this story and the more I read, the more intrigued and bewildered I became. Maybe even obsessed (a tiny little bit). The complexity of the plot didn't show itself in its full glory until the final passages, but even before the jaw-dropping climax I knew this was going to be a total killer! And I was right.
If you enjoy books that are messing with your head, there is no doubt in my mind that you will love Obscura Burning. It's a prime example of mental gymnastics. At the same time, it's also so much more than just an incredibly well-thought-out science fiction novel. It's a meaningful and profound tale of love, friendship, trust and betrayal, guilt, denial and redemption. Kyle is one incredibly complex and tragic character, and my heart ached for him. He's strong, yet so fragile and sensitive. All broken up inside, and yet so full of hope and love. He is vulnerable and sad, but he can be scary, too. Such a great, beautifully fleshed out MC! I absolutely loved following his story, as heartbreaking as it was.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this book. It was such an intense and memorable read, I will definitely be going back to it many times. I am also looking forward to Suzanne's upcoming books - she is definitely an author whose carrier I will be following closely!
Obscura Burning is both moving and intellectually stimulating. A fantastic, thought-provoking and mind-boggling story, executed with skill and honesty! Suzanne Van Rooyen swiftly guides the reader through the fractured narrative of her book, gradually building up tension and suspense to a dizzying crescendo ending. An unforgettable ending that will leave you breathless and thinking about it - examining all the possible explanations and trying to understand what really happened - for a very long time. I am still reeling from it. As much as I'd like to tell you that I managed to figure it all out, I'm still not sure what exactly went down in this book, and that's precisely what makes me love it so much!
Everything started with a fire that our MC, Kyle, can't even remember. His memory is in shreds and he doesn't know what caused the fire, or anything else that happened shortly after it broke out. All he knows is that his life and the entire world changed that night. A planet about the size of Mercury appeared out of nowhere and took up residence between Earth and Mars. And that mysterious planet - Obscura - has been messing things up ever since, causing weird things to happen. Since that night, Kyle's been jolted between two parallel realities, living two different lives - one in which his boyfriend Danny is alive and their best friend, Shira, is dead, and the other in which it is Shira who survived, and Danny who died in the fire. Kyle's world is crumbling to pieces. The shifts between realities are slowly killing him and he knows that he has to do something to stop Obscura from destroying his life, his sanity and the entire world.
I fell in love with Obsura Burning right from the get-go. The intriguing premise along with Suzanne's raw and affecting writing style had me hooked in an instant. I loved the idea behind this story and the more I read, the more intrigued and bewildered I became. Maybe even obsessed (a tiny little bit). The complexity of the plot didn't show itself in its full glory until the final passages, but even before the jaw-dropping climax I knew this was going to be a total killer! And I was right.
If you enjoy books that are messing with your head, there is no doubt in my mind that you will love Obscura Burning. It's a prime example of mental gymnastics. At the same time, it's also so much more than just an incredibly well-thought-out science fiction novel. It's a meaningful and profound tale of love, friendship, trust and betrayal, guilt, denial and redemption. Kyle is one incredibly complex and tragic character, and my heart ached for him. He's strong, yet so fragile and sensitive. All broken up inside, and yet so full of hope and love. He is vulnerable and sad, but he can be scary, too. Such a great, beautifully fleshed out MC! I absolutely loved following his story, as heartbreaking as it was.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this book. It was such an intense and memorable read, I will definitely be going back to it many times. I am also looking forward to Suzanne's upcoming books - she is definitely an author whose carrier I will be following closely!
August 24, 2018
This was one hell of a mindfuck. Compelling, unique, with realistically flawed characters, intriguing imagery, and beautifully evocative writing. While I did kind of see the big twist coming, that didn't lessen it's WTF impact. Weird, awesome, and deliciously twisted.
January 9, 2013
I was asked by the author to read and review this book. My rating falls somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars.
Obscura Burning by Suzanna van Rooyen follows Kyle as he tries to get over his best friend's death. Question is, which best friend? There's Daniel who may be more than just a friend. There is Shira, who also may be more than just a friend. There was a big fire where maybe one of them died, and this planet/astral body named Obscura that seems to be putting everything in whack, including the time/space equilibrium. Kyle is in the middle, shunted back and forth between lives where Shira is dead from the fire, but Daniel is alive, and vice versa, where Shira is alive and Daniel is dead. Kyle fights against time and the detriment of shifting back and forth to figure out where he truly belongs and what reality is truly his.
The setup of this book is intriguing and similar to Awake, where a man wakes up every morning to find either his wife or son alive on alternate days. I only watched a few episodes, so I don't know what happens. I was really digging the first half of this book. I have to put out there a warning (it sucks that I even have to mention this, but have received flack in the past), but if you cannot STAND any sort of homosexual/bisexual interactions, then this is not the book for you. The writing is good and initially, the pacing is also very good. We are sucked into this dark world where we can't figure out much more than Kyle can. The world building with Obscura and the science seemed very intriguing. Out of the characters, there is one I loved the most and was intrigued that she was so different from reality to reality.
Why do I give this 3 stars then? I did like this book for the above reasons, but it ended up being way too dark for me. There were no light-hearted moments at all. I want to preface that I really love dystopian YA and read most of them. But this was even too much. Kyle's life just gets worse and worse and worse in both realities. I think that Rooyen may have been trying to tackle too many hard, tough issues in one book: alcohol abuse, physical abuse, bullies, homosexuality, bisexuality, parent/child issues, and then on top of that science fiction, psychology, and mental institutions. I just kept wanting to say-- focus on a couple of these and go from there. I don't want to give anything away, but I had several issues with the ending as it stands. I know why it is like it is, but it seems kind of a cop out.
Overall, Rooyen can write. But I think she was trying to tackle too much in one novel. But ambition in the long run is a good trait, and I really like that she tried some hard topics. I think that she'll get better with every novel she writes.
Obscura Burning by Suzanna van Rooyen follows Kyle as he tries to get over his best friend's death. Question is, which best friend? There's Daniel who may be more than just a friend. There is Shira, who also may be more than just a friend. There was a big fire where maybe one of them died, and this planet/astral body named Obscura that seems to be putting everything in whack, including the time/space equilibrium. Kyle is in the middle, shunted back and forth between lives where Shira is dead from the fire, but Daniel is alive, and vice versa, where Shira is alive and Daniel is dead. Kyle fights against time and the detriment of shifting back and forth to figure out where he truly belongs and what reality is truly his.
The setup of this book is intriguing and similar to Awake, where a man wakes up every morning to find either his wife or son alive on alternate days. I only watched a few episodes, so I don't know what happens. I was really digging the first half of this book. I have to put out there a warning (it sucks that I even have to mention this, but have received flack in the past), but if you cannot STAND any sort of homosexual/bisexual interactions, then this is not the book for you. The writing is good and initially, the pacing is also very good. We are sucked into this dark world where we can't figure out much more than Kyle can. The world building with Obscura and the science seemed very intriguing. Out of the characters, there is one I loved the most and was intrigued that she was so different from reality to reality.
Why do I give this 3 stars then? I did like this book for the above reasons, but it ended up being way too dark for me. There were no light-hearted moments at all. I want to preface that I really love dystopian YA and read most of them. But this was even too much. Kyle's life just gets worse and worse and worse in both realities. I think that Rooyen may have been trying to tackle too many hard, tough issues in one book: alcohol abuse, physical abuse, bullies, homosexuality, bisexuality, parent/child issues, and then on top of that science fiction, psychology, and mental institutions. I just kept wanting to say-- focus on a couple of these and go from there. I don't want to give anything away, but I had several issues with the ending as it stands. I know why it is like it is, but it seems kind of a cop out.
Overall, Rooyen can write. But I think she was trying to tackle too much in one novel. But ambition in the long run is a good trait, and I really like that she tried some hard topics. I think that she'll get better with every novel she writes.
July 13, 2013
This is without doubt one of the most original novels I’ve come across in a while. It’s a story about a mysterious planet that drifts into our solar system to play havoc with time itself, and one boy’s struggle to cope when he is plunged into a world of multiple realities. Admittedly, readers have their hands full with regard to remembering the details of each reality—who the hero’s friends are, whether his parents are together or divorcing etc… Yet, the author’s way of beginning each chapter with either “Danny’s dead” or “Shira’s dead” not only helped me keep track of the plot, but was a strategy I found incredibly powerful.
Weeks before he is due to graduate high school, Kyle’s life doesn’t just fall apart; it goes up in flames and splits in two. Worse still, he has only a vague memory of how it happened. He remembers rowing with his boyfriend Danny, then cheating on him with their female friend Shira. He remembers the three of them heading out to Ghost Town later that night, recalls them all becoming drunk, and the screams of his friends as the barn caught alight. Beyond that, there’s nothing. All he knows is that somehow the barn was set ablaze and both Danny and Shira are dead…or are they?
On the same night as the fire, a strange planet scientists are calling Obscura appeared in the sky. Some fear its arrival spells the end of the world. Kyle’s main concern is that, ever since it showed up, he has been living parallel lives. In one reality, his boyfriend is still alive, though paralyzed, and Kyle is unscathed. In the other, Shira is alive, while Kyle is horribly scarred, and they are friends with benefits. But this can’t go on indefinitely. The constant shifting is slowly killing him, and Kyle can think of just one way to put things right and possibly save the world—return to the scene of the tragedy and confront the truth behind the events of that fateful night.
Obscura Burning has a fascinating premise and a protagonist who is equally intriguing. I may not always have liked how Kyle behaved, but, for the most part, it was impossible not to sympathize with him. What most appealed to me, however, was the uncertainty as to how much of what occurs during the course of the story is real. Has a mysterious planet really opened a rift in the universe, or are the alternate realities merely a figment of Kyle's imagination, brought on by the trauma of the fire? If you enjoy young adult Sci-Fi with a disturbingly realistic feel, I urge you to pick up this novel and decide for yourself.
NOTE: this book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews and the Boys on the Brink Blog
Weeks before he is due to graduate high school, Kyle’s life doesn’t just fall apart; it goes up in flames and splits in two. Worse still, he has only a vague memory of how it happened. He remembers rowing with his boyfriend Danny, then cheating on him with their female friend Shira. He remembers the three of them heading out to Ghost Town later that night, recalls them all becoming drunk, and the screams of his friends as the barn caught alight. Beyond that, there’s nothing. All he knows is that somehow the barn was set ablaze and both Danny and Shira are dead…or are they?
On the same night as the fire, a strange planet scientists are calling Obscura appeared in the sky. Some fear its arrival spells the end of the world. Kyle’s main concern is that, ever since it showed up, he has been living parallel lives. In one reality, his boyfriend is still alive, though paralyzed, and Kyle is unscathed. In the other, Shira is alive, while Kyle is horribly scarred, and they are friends with benefits. But this can’t go on indefinitely. The constant shifting is slowly killing him, and Kyle can think of just one way to put things right and possibly save the world—return to the scene of the tragedy and confront the truth behind the events of that fateful night.
Obscura Burning has a fascinating premise and a protagonist who is equally intriguing. I may not always have liked how Kyle behaved, but, for the most part, it was impossible not to sympathize with him. What most appealed to me, however, was the uncertainty as to how much of what occurs during the course of the story is real. Has a mysterious planet really opened a rift in the universe, or are the alternate realities merely a figment of Kyle's imagination, brought on by the trauma of the fire? If you enjoy young adult Sci-Fi with a disturbingly realistic feel, I urge you to pick up this novel and decide for yourself.
NOTE: this book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews and the Boys on the Brink Blog
January 27, 2013
Review of Obscura Burning by Suzanne van Rooyen
5 stars
“Obscura Burning” takes a rather unique approach to Apocalypse, and I think that a situation like this would actually be worse than living with the imminent threat of say, asteroid impact, Planet X, meteor crash, or nuclear holocaust. The “new” planet Obscura (newly arrived in our solar system between Earth and Mars, aligned with the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, interferer with satellite transmission and radio waves) is there for a reason—but what reason? Why? Whose? Maybe this is a shifted reality, as one Professor suggests (with mathematical equations as proof).
Certainly reality has shifted for young Kyle, only he gets to experience TWO alternate realities, day by day by day. You see, Kyle, a boy who likes to both have his cake and eat it, is dissatisfied with his life; he has a boyfriend, Danny, who loves him and asks him to run away to New York City, but no, that isn’t enough. He also wants their mutual long-time best friend, Shira. Kyle also has this little problem: he’s a budding pyromaniac (diagnosed “problem fire-setter”), he’s an alcoholic; and he sets a fire in Ghost Town that kills: either Danny or Shira. Yes, Gentle Readers, which died depends on which reality he’s living on any given day.
“Obscura Burning” is an intriguing novel, not as complicated as I’ve probably made it sound. I really enjoyed the theme of the alternating realities and of the “new” planet, especially the speculations as to why it appeared and what its arrival means for Earth. I just found Kyle a difficult character to warm up to; I liked Danny better, as an individual. I found Kyle kind of in the “anti-hero” category.
5 stars
“Obscura Burning” takes a rather unique approach to Apocalypse, and I think that a situation like this would actually be worse than living with the imminent threat of say, asteroid impact, Planet X, meteor crash, or nuclear holocaust. The “new” planet Obscura (newly arrived in our solar system between Earth and Mars, aligned with the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, interferer with satellite transmission and radio waves) is there for a reason—but what reason? Why? Whose? Maybe this is a shifted reality, as one Professor suggests (with mathematical equations as proof).
Certainly reality has shifted for young Kyle, only he gets to experience TWO alternate realities, day by day by day. You see, Kyle, a boy who likes to both have his cake and eat it, is dissatisfied with his life; he has a boyfriend, Danny, who loves him and asks him to run away to New York City, but no, that isn’t enough. He also wants their mutual long-time best friend, Shira. Kyle also has this little problem: he’s a budding pyromaniac (diagnosed “problem fire-setter”), he’s an alcoholic; and he sets a fire in Ghost Town that kills: either Danny or Shira. Yes, Gentle Readers, which died depends on which reality he’s living on any given day.
“Obscura Burning” is an intriguing novel, not as complicated as I’ve probably made it sound. I really enjoyed the theme of the alternating realities and of the “new” planet, especially the speculations as to why it appeared and what its arrival means for Earth. I just found Kyle a difficult character to warm up to; I liked Danny better, as an individual. I found Kyle kind of in the “anti-hero” category.
March 23, 2014
Reviewer: Walki
5.0 on the Masq Scale
Since the day the planet Obscura appeared in the sky, Kyle has been shifting between realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is in a wheelchair, their friend Shira is dead, and Mya is a bitch. In the other, Shira is alive and they're friends with benefits, while Danny is dead, and Mya is a friend. In this second reality, Kyle's body is decorated with scars he collected in the fire where Danny died. It is increasingly difficult for fire-loving Kyle to keep track of the days as Obscura is getting closer.
OBSCURA BURNING is a whodunit, it is a quest for identity and sanity, a tale of being gay coming out at 18 in two realities at a time. While Kyle is getting to understand that the fate of the worlds as he know them is up to him, he is also realizing that it might not be as simple as choosing between Danny and Shira.
OBSCURA BURNING is a suspenseful novel. The writing is fluid like mercury. As a matter of fact, temperature runs high in New Mexico. Readers will find themselves speculating about Kyle's next step in each reality, looking forward to the details leaking between these realities. And when we reach the end of the book and start thinking that maybe it was just a bad dream, a coping mechanism to deal with a bad situation, the author pulls out a fifth ace out of her sleeve.
5.0 on the Masq Scale
Since the day the planet Obscura appeared in the sky, Kyle has been shifting between realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is in a wheelchair, their friend Shira is dead, and Mya is a bitch. In the other, Shira is alive and they're friends with benefits, while Danny is dead, and Mya is a friend. In this second reality, Kyle's body is decorated with scars he collected in the fire where Danny died. It is increasingly difficult for fire-loving Kyle to keep track of the days as Obscura is getting closer.
OBSCURA BURNING is a whodunit, it is a quest for identity and sanity, a tale of being gay coming out at 18 in two realities at a time. While Kyle is getting to understand that the fate of the worlds as he know them is up to him, he is also realizing that it might not be as simple as choosing between Danny and Shira.
OBSCURA BURNING is a suspenseful novel. The writing is fluid like mercury. As a matter of fact, temperature runs high in New Mexico. Readers will find themselves speculating about Kyle's next step in each reality, looking forward to the details leaking between these realities. And when we reach the end of the book and start thinking that maybe it was just a bad dream, a coping mechanism to deal with a bad situation, the author pulls out a fifth ace out of her sleeve.
November 18, 2013
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*
As a huge science fiction fan I was eager to read this book. This book turned out to be more than just a mere science fiction novel. With Kyle going between realities you get caught up in why this is happening to him, a question he himself is trying to figure out. The ending of this book is just killer. I mean-amazing!! Didn't see it coming at all!
Besides having multiple realities, which is just plain awesome, this book challenges moral questions that are relevant to America today. The main character is a gay teenager. This is pretty rare for science fiction (The only other character I can think of is Jack Harkness from Dr. Who) to have a homosexual hero. Not only does Kyle have to deal with going between realities, but also, how does he tell his parents? What will the people in his small town think of him if they knew he was gay? This added stress on Kyle makes the book more complex.
This story took real life issues teens today face, and added in some science fiction. Great combo!! I would gladly read another book written by Suzanne Van Rooyen! This story is written well and has a very fast pace. This book keeps you on your toes eager to learn more.
As a huge science fiction fan I was eager to read this book. This book turned out to be more than just a mere science fiction novel. With Kyle going between realities you get caught up in why this is happening to him, a question he himself is trying to figure out. The ending of this book is just killer. I mean-amazing!! Didn't see it coming at all!
Besides having multiple realities, which is just plain awesome, this book challenges moral questions that are relevant to America today. The main character is a gay teenager. This is pretty rare for science fiction (The only other character I can think of is Jack Harkness from Dr. Who) to have a homosexual hero. Not only does Kyle have to deal with going between realities, but also, how does he tell his parents? What will the people in his small town think of him if they knew he was gay? This added stress on Kyle makes the book more complex.
This story took real life issues teens today face, and added in some science fiction. Great combo!! I would gladly read another book written by Suzanne Van Rooyen! This story is written well and has a very fast pace. This book keeps you on your toes eager to learn more.
January 5, 2013
This book was unlike any other YA book I've read. The entire time I read it I was thinking about it as a film and how suited it would be as a cult/Indie classic. It was just so damn original. The main relationship was M/M which isn't my preference in a book, but I didn't mind it in the slightest and I was really rooting for them to make it. The writing was wonderful and engaging and the characters had depth and were very likeable, even Maya, who was blunt and awful at times. If I were to say one bad thing about the novel it would be concerning the beginning. I felt it could have been set up a little better and it took me a few chapters to orient myself as to what was going on. But I forgave this easily as I continued reading. My favourite part about it: the ending. It kept me guessing all the way to the end. Usually endings are so predictable, but Suzanne is a master at suspense. I will absolutely be reading all of her future books.
April 14, 2015
For me it fails on MOST of it's tags. It fails as MM, it fails as Romance, and it does a disservice to the GLBT aspect of it and the genre. Now granted, it doesn't HAVE to be any of these things to be great, but it is tagged/touted as all of them (which is why I picked it up in the first place) and it does not successfully execute them. The sci-fi aspect of it was ok, but I didn't care for the main character, his actions, his plight, or the plot line. And just because characters are YA doesn't mean they absolutely HAVE to be inconsiderate, thoughtless, indecisive, greedy, reckless little a-holes. There's a fine line. I'm always looking for good sci-fi literature with positive representations of gay characters (especially YA) but this certainly wasn't it. Rooyan had a great opportunity to do that here but, for me, she didn't.
May 27, 2013
This is one of those book that I found difficult and confusing. I must state that I do like my sci-fi and such books.
It seemed to me that the author was trying to cram a bunch of different topics and such into one book. From the sci-fi elements, dystopia to GLBT in teens and so on...
Then add Kyle who is the main character, who is flopping back and forth between to different outcomes and inter-dimensional timeframes.
I also should note that if you are not interested in GLBT literary then this is not one you would want to read. Not saying that there is anything wrong with that but some are touchy when it comes to that subject matter.
This is a brief review of a lengthier one that will be used for a blog site.
The book I received was an ARC for an honest review, thank you.
It seemed to me that the author was trying to cram a bunch of different topics and such into one book. From the sci-fi elements, dystopia to GLBT in teens and so on...
Then add Kyle who is the main character, who is flopping back and forth between to different outcomes and inter-dimensional timeframes.
I also should note that if you are not interested in GLBT literary then this is not one you would want to read. Not saying that there is anything wrong with that but some are touchy when it comes to that subject matter.
This is a brief review of a lengthier one that will be used for a blog site.
The book I received was an ARC for an honest review, thank you.
October 21, 2013
Obscura Burning is not your typical YA Science Fiction novel. With themes of physical abuse, alcoholism, homosexuality, death, coming of age, bullying, etc…it is one heavy book. The science fiction aspect of the story becomes the backdrop in what really is a story about issues (all of which are challenges teenagers face today). What’s clever is that Suzanne Van Rooyen has provided an interesting, thought-provoking insight into teenage (even universal) problems with an unforgettable setting and premise that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next.
At first, each chapter switches between Kyle’s two realities (his boyfriend Danny alive in one and his friend Shira alive in the other) from one to the next. And it’s easy to keep track of. I will admit I found the beginning a little slow. One chapter he’s sleeping with his boyfriend Danny, the next with his best friend Shira; when all I really wanted was to get more into the mystery of Obscura itself. But as the story continued, a few chapters in, I was hooked. Which was the true reality? And which one did I ultimately want to be real?
Over time, figuring out which reality Kyle is in becomes more difficult to follow and purposely so. Without giving too much away, time is running out for Kyle. He needs to figure out the truth of Obscura and his own identity and personal truth before he dies or worse the world comes to an apocalyptic end. He shifts faster and more often (no longer cleanly divided between chapters), confusion spreading in his mind and therefore our own as his health deteriorates.
The characters were presented in a believable way with layers. I recognized many of the different, even realistic depictions of human archetypes and appreciated them. Kyle is your typical teenager trying to discover his identity as the world crumbles around him. The natural narcissism of teenage behavior is enhanced here to make a point. Told in “I” perspective, it’s easy to feel like you know Kyle and how he thinks. But as the story progresses, little elements sneak in about Kyle that surprise you. In fact, he’s not always likeable. He makes choices you don’t agree with, not to mention how self-destructive his behavior is.
One of my favorite characters of the story was Mya. Because Kyle gets to know her in the story, she stands out to me more than Danny or Shira did - who felt almost dream like (perhaps that was the point). Mya is a new friend Kyle makes in the Shira reality who becomes his confidante and partner in crime. There’s a question of romance there, but mostly it’s about the two of them uncovering the mystery and secrets of Obscura together. Every time Mya was in the story I smiled. I enjoyed the interactions between the two of them and anticipated the next time she would make an appearance.
Despite the layered characters, however, the characterization is not without its clichés, such as the son who disappoints the father who would rather have him play ball than study the arts. And there are a lot of tough issues presented that at times can feel a little bit too much. Perhaps cutting a couple would have strengthened the story.
That said, no doubt Suzanne Van Rooyen knows how to write. She spins words together to create magical imagery that makes you feel like you’re there and a part of Kyle’s world. Not only that, her use of metaphorical language is presented like a pro. Each word is written and perfected with skill; no detail forgotten or left behind. Finding just the right combination of words is not an easy task, but in this Rooyen is extremely gifted.
For a YA novel, Obscura Burning does have some sexuality. So if you prefer cleaner content, you may want to skip this book. However, if you don’t mind some explicit material with tough themes, then this book is a great read. Also, if you don’t typically enjoy Science Fiction novels, and instead usually prefer contemporary realism, you should consider making an exception. Overall, Obscura Burning is a fascinating, psychological read and despite the heaviness is a page turner. No doubt Suzanne Van Rooyen is an author to look out for, especially if she continues to write innovative, unique stories within the YA genre.
ADAPTATION RECOMMENDATION
I automatically thought this would work as a limited TV series. Certainly, if you’ve seen the short lived show Awake (about the man who wakes in different realities) you can see how a story like this would work in a television format. There are rich characters, surprise twists, a set up that would inspire theories (always fun in the fandom world) and the promise of good writing. Still, I don’t think it would be a show that should drag on for seasons, so a limited series would work best. There’s great material here to work with.
Review originally posted on www.silverpetticoatreview.com
At first, each chapter switches between Kyle’s two realities (his boyfriend Danny alive in one and his friend Shira alive in the other) from one to the next. And it’s easy to keep track of. I will admit I found the beginning a little slow. One chapter he’s sleeping with his boyfriend Danny, the next with his best friend Shira; when all I really wanted was to get more into the mystery of Obscura itself. But as the story continued, a few chapters in, I was hooked. Which was the true reality? And which one did I ultimately want to be real?
Over time, figuring out which reality Kyle is in becomes more difficult to follow and purposely so. Without giving too much away, time is running out for Kyle. He needs to figure out the truth of Obscura and his own identity and personal truth before he dies or worse the world comes to an apocalyptic end. He shifts faster and more often (no longer cleanly divided between chapters), confusion spreading in his mind and therefore our own as his health deteriorates.
The characters were presented in a believable way with layers. I recognized many of the different, even realistic depictions of human archetypes and appreciated them. Kyle is your typical teenager trying to discover his identity as the world crumbles around him. The natural narcissism of teenage behavior is enhanced here to make a point. Told in “I” perspective, it’s easy to feel like you know Kyle and how he thinks. But as the story progresses, little elements sneak in about Kyle that surprise you. In fact, he’s not always likeable. He makes choices you don’t agree with, not to mention how self-destructive his behavior is.
One of my favorite characters of the story was Mya. Because Kyle gets to know her in the story, she stands out to me more than Danny or Shira did - who felt almost dream like (perhaps that was the point). Mya is a new friend Kyle makes in the Shira reality who becomes his confidante and partner in crime. There’s a question of romance there, but mostly it’s about the two of them uncovering the mystery and secrets of Obscura together. Every time Mya was in the story I smiled. I enjoyed the interactions between the two of them and anticipated the next time she would make an appearance.
Despite the layered characters, however, the characterization is not without its clichés, such as the son who disappoints the father who would rather have him play ball than study the arts. And there are a lot of tough issues presented that at times can feel a little bit too much. Perhaps cutting a couple would have strengthened the story.
That said, no doubt Suzanne Van Rooyen knows how to write. She spins words together to create magical imagery that makes you feel like you’re there and a part of Kyle’s world. Not only that, her use of metaphorical language is presented like a pro. Each word is written and perfected with skill; no detail forgotten or left behind. Finding just the right combination of words is not an easy task, but in this Rooyen is extremely gifted.
For a YA novel, Obscura Burning does have some sexuality. So if you prefer cleaner content, you may want to skip this book. However, if you don’t mind some explicit material with tough themes, then this book is a great read. Also, if you don’t typically enjoy Science Fiction novels, and instead usually prefer contemporary realism, you should consider making an exception. Overall, Obscura Burning is a fascinating, psychological read and despite the heaviness is a page turner. No doubt Suzanne Van Rooyen is an author to look out for, especially if she continues to write innovative, unique stories within the YA genre.
ADAPTATION RECOMMENDATION
I automatically thought this would work as a limited TV series. Certainly, if you’ve seen the short lived show Awake (about the man who wakes in different realities) you can see how a story like this would work in a television format. There are rich characters, surprise twists, a set up that would inspire theories (always fun in the fandom world) and the promise of good writing. Still, I don’t think it would be a show that should drag on for seasons, so a limited series would work best. There’s great material here to work with.
Review originally posted on www.silverpetticoatreview.com
August 10, 2014
The exquisitely written and deftly plotted Obscura Burning, by Suzanne Van Rooyen, delivers readers into that dreamlike state immediately proceeding shattering emotional trauma; the kind that forces you to pick up the event’s fragments and piece them together with a sense of shutter-eyed fascination over “What really happened?” tempered with “Do I really want to know?” I met the author at a book reading at FinnCon 2014 in Finland and I’m so glad I did, otherwise I’d have missed buying her exquisite novel.
My reading experience made me recall Robert Louis Stevenson’s writing process for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The two authors and their works share little resemblance (Obscura Burning’s plot is more reminiscent of dark urban fantasy millennial movies like Butterfly Effect and Vanilla Sky, mixed with Donnie Darko, Melancholia and Groundhog Day), but the purgatorial sense of being trapped between realities and mental states until a difficult choice is made recalls how Stevenson reportedly conceived his classic tale from a nightmare, and then he revisited and nurtured his nightmare night after night into a coherent narrative—dream-drafting, you might call it. Indeed, the dream logic rabbit hole that Obscura Burning launches readers into steadily transmutes into a freight train chugging along crooked tracks of well-researched science fiction logic and real world emotion towards impending apocalypse, as we follow protagonist Kyle comprehend the details of a tragedy that killed his lover, or their best friend, or neither or both, depending on the whims of the mysterious planet Obscura that rose in the sky the day of the tragedy.
Upon turning the final page of Obscura Burning, I found that the story, its characters, and especially its climax lingered, haunting me all the way to my own dreams the following night, when I had an Obscura-inspired nightmare. Folks, when a novel drills that deeply into your psyche, you know that something rare and excellent has been achieved.
In reading the sad, thrilling, enigmatic, and deeply psychological scenario of competing realties, I was lulled into a state of consciousness that straddled dream, nightmare, and vivid fantasy by Van Rooyen’s beautiful, elegant writing style – replete with cliché-free imagery and metaphor and analogy – and her masterful plotting. The novel’s philosophical underpinning is powerful but subtle, and it corkscrews so effectively that its plot twists are both unexpected and satisfying.
At first, the novel seems to slide more into psychological horror/fantasy territory with its preoccupation on grief and the notion of free will and choice. Kyle, the protagonist, a closeted gay pyromaniac from the wrong side of the tracks with a penchant for self-harm, is racked by guilt guilty over the (on-again-off-again) deaths of his lover and their best friend, the details of which are hazy to him and them both. As he learns that a momentous choice he and they made coincides with the date that the time-warping mysterious planet, Obscura appeared in the sky, his feelings are further complicated. He realizes that the fate of his friends-and perhaps the world-- rests on his choices, past and future. In short, he recognizes that it’s not all about him; that even though his life is hard, people around him are still affected by his choices. It’s a powerful moment we all face at some point in our late teens, and it’s rendered with powerful clarity here.
But then Obscura Burning corkscrews, the way a dream can shift in one night. Now it’s not all about choice. It’s about science and time travel and the multi-verse. And then it’s not all about that, either. It’s about love and friendship, it’s about redemption and responsibility, and something else and then something else again that would be a spoiler to mention. Through Kyle’s dark, poetic soul we must figure out what is most essential in love and life in order to stop a cataclysm promised by the burning blue planet that will rise closest to Earth on July 4th. The sense of doom is nerve-wracking as the calendar pages flip forward and backward, closer to and further from that date.
The characters are in their late teens and dealing with death, sexuality, poverty and impending apocalypse, so this novel is for the older set as well as for anyone who appreciates good writing and a good psychological mystery within their dark urban fantasy. Just a spectacular book.
My reading experience made me recall Robert Louis Stevenson’s writing process for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The two authors and their works share little resemblance (Obscura Burning’s plot is more reminiscent of dark urban fantasy millennial movies like Butterfly Effect and Vanilla Sky, mixed with Donnie Darko, Melancholia and Groundhog Day), but the purgatorial sense of being trapped between realities and mental states until a difficult choice is made recalls how Stevenson reportedly conceived his classic tale from a nightmare, and then he revisited and nurtured his nightmare night after night into a coherent narrative—dream-drafting, you might call it. Indeed, the dream logic rabbit hole that Obscura Burning launches readers into steadily transmutes into a freight train chugging along crooked tracks of well-researched science fiction logic and real world emotion towards impending apocalypse, as we follow protagonist Kyle comprehend the details of a tragedy that killed his lover, or their best friend, or neither or both, depending on the whims of the mysterious planet Obscura that rose in the sky the day of the tragedy.
Upon turning the final page of Obscura Burning, I found that the story, its characters, and especially its climax lingered, haunting me all the way to my own dreams the following night, when I had an Obscura-inspired nightmare. Folks, when a novel drills that deeply into your psyche, you know that something rare and excellent has been achieved.
In reading the sad, thrilling, enigmatic, and deeply psychological scenario of competing realties, I was lulled into a state of consciousness that straddled dream, nightmare, and vivid fantasy by Van Rooyen’s beautiful, elegant writing style – replete with cliché-free imagery and metaphor and analogy – and her masterful plotting. The novel’s philosophical underpinning is powerful but subtle, and it corkscrews so effectively that its plot twists are both unexpected and satisfying.
At first, the novel seems to slide more into psychological horror/fantasy territory with its preoccupation on grief and the notion of free will and choice. Kyle, the protagonist, a closeted gay pyromaniac from the wrong side of the tracks with a penchant for self-harm, is racked by guilt guilty over the (on-again-off-again) deaths of his lover and their best friend, the details of which are hazy to him and them both. As he learns that a momentous choice he and they made coincides with the date that the time-warping mysterious planet, Obscura appeared in the sky, his feelings are further complicated. He realizes that the fate of his friends-and perhaps the world-- rests on his choices, past and future. In short, he recognizes that it’s not all about him; that even though his life is hard, people around him are still affected by his choices. It’s a powerful moment we all face at some point in our late teens, and it’s rendered with powerful clarity here.
But then Obscura Burning corkscrews, the way a dream can shift in one night. Now it’s not all about choice. It’s about science and time travel and the multi-verse. And then it’s not all about that, either. It’s about love and friendship, it’s about redemption and responsibility, and something else and then something else again that would be a spoiler to mention. Through Kyle’s dark, poetic soul we must figure out what is most essential in love and life in order to stop a cataclysm promised by the burning blue planet that will rise closest to Earth on July 4th. The sense of doom is nerve-wracking as the calendar pages flip forward and backward, closer to and further from that date.
The characters are in their late teens and dealing with death, sexuality, poverty and impending apocalypse, so this novel is for the older set as well as for anyone who appreciates good writing and a good psychological mystery within their dark urban fantasy. Just a spectacular book.
August 19, 2014
Obscura Burning is a really fantastic and incredibly interesting novel that will have any sci-fi lover hooked from the first few chapters. Suzanne van Rooyen created a great, wonderful and unique story line that kept me constantly turning the pages – I just didn’t want to put it down! There are so many twists and turns throughout Obscura Burning, which were amazing – and I loved how real the whole thing seemed – even though it was sci-fi! The smallest of decisions could set off a completely different chain of events throughout the book, and you get to experience them all with the main character. Although Obscura Burning was little confusing at times, and I found it a little hard to follow, it was pleasure to read and I loved every minute that I was reading it.
Kyle Wolfe is our main protagonist and he is gay – at least, he’s pretty sure he is. I’d like to say quickly, that if you’re not interested in, or don’t like LGBT stories in general, I really wouldn’t recommend this book. Although there aren’t any graphic scenes or much romance throughout this book at all – but there are plenty of references. Moving on! I really loved Kyle’s character, he was a really down-to-earth guy, and even though the book was written by a woman, it didn’t show through on to Kyle’s character in the writing like I’ve seen before in the past. Although a little messed up and definitely confused about a number of things in his life, Kyle was a solid, interesting, smart and generally a caring guy and very well developed. There was also this dark and mysterious edge to his because of his memory loss, which made him even more likable.
Even the secondary characters throughout Obscura Burning were amazingly well developed. Danny is Kyle’s boyfriend, and I liked his character a lot at first. He was kind, sweet and seemed to really care about Kyle. However, as the novel progressed, my dislike of him grew quite a bit – he became a little self-centred (even though he had his reasons) and I really questioned some of his decisions and motives. Overall though, he was a nice character to read about, even if I had my doubts about him. Shira is Kyle’s and Danny’s best friend and from the start I wasn’t really that keen on her at all. She was also a little self-centred, and I didn’t get the impression that she cared much about Kyle at all – even as a friend. It seemed like she actually pitied him, but that’s probably just what her character was like. Lastly, is Mya; a girl Kyle meets in both parallels; in one they become best friends and in the other she’s completely different and cruel. I really did love Mya’s character though (in the reality where she and Kyle are friends); she was kind, caring, sweet, funny and treated Kyle like a normal person – unlike pretty much everyone else in their town – and she was definitely my favourite secondary character!
Overall, I thought Obscura Burning was a really well written and absolutely mind-blowing and extra-ordinary novel, with an ending that left me stunned and shocked to my very core. I had no idea how the story would end; and I must have come up with tons of different possible outcomes - but I just didn’t see the ending coming! I believe it well and truly deserves the 4.5/5 star rating, and if it weren’t for a few of the things I’ve mentioned, it would have definitely earned that extra half-star. Obscura Burning is a dark, twisted and mysterious novel that I’m sure anyone will be drawn into, even if they’re not a huge sci-fi reader. Susanne van Rooyen’s writing is really beautiful and in a league of its own, I’ve never read anything like it before. I can’t wait to read more from Suzanne van Rooyen in the future, she’s definitely an author to keep an eye on!
Kyle Wolfe is our main protagonist and he is gay – at least, he’s pretty sure he is. I’d like to say quickly, that if you’re not interested in, or don’t like LGBT stories in general, I really wouldn’t recommend this book. Although there aren’t any graphic scenes or much romance throughout this book at all – but there are plenty of references. Moving on! I really loved Kyle’s character, he was a really down-to-earth guy, and even though the book was written by a woman, it didn’t show through on to Kyle’s character in the writing like I’ve seen before in the past. Although a little messed up and definitely confused about a number of things in his life, Kyle was a solid, interesting, smart and generally a caring guy and very well developed. There was also this dark and mysterious edge to his because of his memory loss, which made him even more likable.
Even the secondary characters throughout Obscura Burning were amazingly well developed. Danny is Kyle’s boyfriend, and I liked his character a lot at first. He was kind, sweet and seemed to really care about Kyle. However, as the novel progressed, my dislike of him grew quite a bit – he became a little self-centred (even though he had his reasons) and I really questioned some of his decisions and motives. Overall though, he was a nice character to read about, even if I had my doubts about him. Shira is Kyle’s and Danny’s best friend and from the start I wasn’t really that keen on her at all. She was also a little self-centred, and I didn’t get the impression that she cared much about Kyle at all – even as a friend. It seemed like she actually pitied him, but that’s probably just what her character was like. Lastly, is Mya; a girl Kyle meets in both parallels; in one they become best friends and in the other she’s completely different and cruel. I really did love Mya’s character though (in the reality where she and Kyle are friends); she was kind, caring, sweet, funny and treated Kyle like a normal person – unlike pretty much everyone else in their town – and she was definitely my favourite secondary character!
Overall, I thought Obscura Burning was a really well written and absolutely mind-blowing and extra-ordinary novel, with an ending that left me stunned and shocked to my very core. I had no idea how the story would end; and I must have come up with tons of different possible outcomes - but I just didn’t see the ending coming! I believe it well and truly deserves the 4.5/5 star rating, and if it weren’t for a few of the things I’ve mentioned, it would have definitely earned that extra half-star. Obscura Burning is a dark, twisted and mysterious novel that I’m sure anyone will be drawn into, even if they’re not a huge sci-fi reader. Susanne van Rooyen’s writing is really beautiful and in a league of its own, I’ve never read anything like it before. I can’t wait to read more from Suzanne van Rooyen in the future, she’s definitely an author to keep an eye on!
December 10, 2012
A new planet, Obscura, has appeared in the solar system, and its presence is messing with radio signals -- and possibly time itself. After cataclysmic fire, Kyle Wolfe becomes unstuck in time, drifting between two worlds. In both, Kyle's life is slowly beginning to pull apart, and in order to bring himself some peace, he needs to work out exactly what happened -- and maybe find a way to enter another reality, one where he can still save his friends (and himself).
One of the things that attracted me to Obscura Burning was its setting. I spent a large portion of my teenage years near Shiprock, having gone to high school in nearby Aztec. Of course, the town where Kyle and his friends live isn't the real Shiprock, NM, but a fictional variant called Coyote's Luck.
It's an impressive feat, writing a book about northern New Mexico that manages to feel even remotely authentic -- especially when the author lives in Finland and has never visited the Four Corners.
The details are immaculately researched and more accurate than most fiction I've seen set in New Mexico. Still, the research is obvious, not organic, and a few of the details ring false. Simple things -- the use of 24-hour clocks, small verbal tics -- give away the author's European background, for example. There's also a handful of errors -- like referring to Albuquerque as the capital.
Nevertheless, I doubt that anyone living outside of the Four Corners would notice most of the small inconsistencies, and the fact that so much care has been given to detail is something that deserves high praise. Diversity is something often sorely lacking in books -- especially books aimed at teens -- and Obscura Burning has it in spades. Multiple ethnicities, classes and sexualities are represented here without their inclusion feeling "token" or preachy; everyone feels real and flawed and beautifully rendered.
Another of the great strengths of Obscura Burning: Its honesty. It doesn't flinch. Instead, it treats things with the kind of frankness and -- at times -- brutality that they deserve. I respect that in a book, especially a YA title. The prose, too, has several beautifully turned phrases and a handful of snicker-out-loud clever moments that make Kyle endearing as a narrator and show the author's skill.
Obscura Burning is a bit like Donnie Darko, both in subject matter and tone. The plot unfolds smoothly, and the time-travel mechanics are consistent and clever. There's a few tiny hiccups , but for the most part I was willing to sit back and enjoy the ride.
And then, of course, there's the ending. It's rare that I'm able to say, honestly, that I didn't see an end coming -- but this one had me writhing in uncertainty until the final page. The ending blindsided me, caught me completely off-guard, despite all of the puzzle pieces laid out in advance to set things up. This is a book that begs to be re-read so you can deconstruct the puzzle and find more clues to divine meaning from the finale.
Some people will probably dislike the ending. It's both untidy and ambiguous. But it also resonates in a way no other ending could have, and leaves you troubled and asking questions. Did it end the way I wanted? No. Most definitely not. But it may have ended the only way it could, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time yet.
One of the things that attracted me to Obscura Burning was its setting. I spent a large portion of my teenage years near Shiprock, having gone to high school in nearby Aztec. Of course, the town where Kyle and his friends live isn't the real Shiprock, NM, but a fictional variant called Coyote's Luck.
It's an impressive feat, writing a book about northern New Mexico that manages to feel even remotely authentic -- especially when the author lives in Finland and has never visited the Four Corners.
The details are immaculately researched and more accurate than most fiction I've seen set in New Mexico. Still, the research is obvious, not organic, and a few of the details ring false. Simple things -- the use of 24-hour clocks, small verbal tics -- give away the author's European background, for example. There's also a handful of errors -- like referring to Albuquerque as the capital.
Nevertheless, I doubt that anyone living outside of the Four Corners would notice most of the small inconsistencies, and the fact that so much care has been given to detail is something that deserves high praise. Diversity is something often sorely lacking in books -- especially books aimed at teens -- and Obscura Burning has it in spades. Multiple ethnicities, classes and sexualities are represented here without their inclusion feeling "token" or preachy; everyone feels real and flawed and beautifully rendered.
Another of the great strengths of Obscura Burning: Its honesty. It doesn't flinch. Instead, it treats things with the kind of frankness and -- at times -- brutality that they deserve. I respect that in a book, especially a YA title. The prose, too, has several beautifully turned phrases and a handful of snicker-out-loud clever moments that make Kyle endearing as a narrator and show the author's skill.
Obscura Burning is a bit like Donnie Darko, both in subject matter and tone. The plot unfolds smoothly, and the time-travel mechanics are consistent and clever. There's a few tiny hiccups , but for the most part I was willing to sit back and enjoy the ride.
And then, of course, there's the ending. It's rare that I'm able to say, honestly, that I didn't see an end coming -- but this one had me writhing in uncertainty until the final page. The ending blindsided me, caught me completely off-guard, despite all of the puzzle pieces laid out in advance to set things up. This is a book that begs to be re-read so you can deconstruct the puzzle and find more clues to divine meaning from the finale.
Some people will probably dislike the ending. It's both untidy and ambiguous. But it also resonates in a way no other ending could have, and leaves you troubled and asking questions. Did it end the way I wanted? No. Most definitely not. But it may have ended the only way it could, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time yet.
April 13, 2013
Kyle wakes up in two different worlds each time he falls asleep. In one world his boyfriend Danny died in a fire of which he can't remember the details. In this world Shira their best friend survived the fire. Kyle is burned and scarred in this world and struggles to continue on. In the other world Shira died and Danny ended up in a wheel chair. This version of Kyle survived untouched, or so he thinks. Strange things happen between both worlds and Kyle soon figures out that he is dying because of the shifts between them. Even more that the planet Obscura that showed up with the night of the fire is causing havoc and might even cause the end of the world. Kyle search for answers, and finds a very few that believes his story about two different worlds. Only Mya believes and together they race against time to save him, and maybe even Danny and Shira. The question is Kyle insane, or is a visiting planet causing all this trouble? Kyle's character is confused most of the time, but he soon pulls out the big boy nerves and start fighting back. His character goes from scared to admit his sexual preference, to revealing it to his parents and friends. I can't really compare books, but movies like Shutter Island and the time traveler's wife fits the bill. At first I was confused at what was going on, but as I continued Kyle's dilemma's and worlds started to make sense. I was reading faster to try and find out if he was just crazy, or if this planet was dealing a mean card at him. Guild, heartache and remorse all jumps up and grab your attention. Fascinating read that had me hooked till the end. Quote from the book: "Hey, Miss Death and Feathers, at least I'm not the one banging my dead friend's boyfriend," http://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.c...
September 27, 2013
3.5 stars.
I love the cover of this. It's very sci-fi-y and drew my attention straight away before I even read the synopsis.
So I found this to be a bit confusing with the continuous switching between realities and it took me a while to get used to it, especially keeping up with how all the other characters interacted with Kyle between the two realities he was living. In one people are alive who should have been dead, in the other he was friends with a girl who treated him like crap in the former. Another strange fact is that while he's in one alternate universe, he continues to function in the other, so he zips back and forth and can be in the middle of doing something that he then doesn't remember starting.
The girl I just mentioned above, Mya, tries to help Kyle figure out what's happening by taking him to a scientist/professor who did a paper on multiverses. In the "Danny's dead" world, I really like her, she's friendly and fun, while in "Shira's dead" world, well, she's not. (I think I got that right...)
As for Danny and Shira, I don't think I was a fan of them from the start. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because we never really saw enough of them, or the them before the fire that injured/killed them. But by the end, I definitely didn't like them.
The writing style was easy to get into and I kinda devoured the book when I finally just sat back and let myself read it without any distractions.
Don't be put off with it having a gay relationship in it, there's nothing overtly graphic between Danny and Kyle, just references, it doesn't go into great detail. It doesn't go into detail with Kyle's female relationships either.
This was probably a little too sci-fi for me; alternate universes? Erm...not really my thing but I did enjoy it. If you like sci-fi and mystery then you'll probably like this.
I love the cover of this. It's very sci-fi-y and drew my attention straight away before I even read the synopsis.
So I found this to be a bit confusing with the continuous switching between realities and it took me a while to get used to it, especially keeping up with how all the other characters interacted with Kyle between the two realities he was living. In one people are alive who should have been dead, in the other he was friends with a girl who treated him like crap in the former. Another strange fact is that while he's in one alternate universe, he continues to function in the other, so he zips back and forth and can be in the middle of doing something that he then doesn't remember starting.
The girl I just mentioned above, Mya, tries to help Kyle figure out what's happening by taking him to a scientist/professor who did a paper on multiverses. In the "Danny's dead" world, I really like her, she's friendly and fun, while in "Shira's dead" world, well, she's not. (I think I got that right...)
As for Danny and Shira, I don't think I was a fan of them from the start. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because we never really saw enough of them, or the them before the fire that injured/killed them. But by the end, I definitely didn't like them.
The writing style was easy to get into and I kinda devoured the book when I finally just sat back and let myself read it without any distractions.
Don't be put off with it having a gay relationship in it, there's nothing overtly graphic between Danny and Kyle, just references, it doesn't go into great detail. It doesn't go into detail with Kyle's female relationships either.
This was probably a little too sci-fi for me; alternate universes? Erm...not really my thing but I did enjoy it. If you like sci-fi and mystery then you'll probably like this.
July 10, 2013
Obscura Burning is the story of Kyle Wolf and how his world is slowly crumbling around him. Caught between two different realities, one where his boyfriend is alive and their friend Shira is dead, and the other where Shira lives, but Danny, Kyle’s boyfriend has died. The shifting reality, the appearance of Obscura, and the fight against time are tearing Kyle apart, and he ends up not only fighting for his life, but the salvation of Earth.
It took me a couple of chapters to get oriented with the world and the events that were going on. I feel that there could have been just a little more back story and set up, but it’s not detrimental to the pacing, or the story overall. I really enjoy the issues that were presented in this book and how the characters deal with them, and the emotions that go along with them. I like that Kyle Wolfe is more of an anti-hero or a dark hero, but I tend to fall for characters who have baggage.
The book is well written, well paced and the characters are ones that I keep thinking about and coming back to. I like the science in this story, and the fact that it’s a very different take on an apocalyptic story. Kyle, whether you love him or hate him, will stick with you for a while. The ending of this book is something that I would not change. I like the way it ends, and the sentiment in the ambiguity.
Obscura Burning is a book that I would recommend to people, even if they’re a bit turned off by the ‘young-adult’ label. It’s mature and fast paced, dealing with some heavy issues. I like that the main character is conflicted with his own personal issues, along with having to deal with the societal labels that go along with them. It’s a great, wild read and I can’t stop thinking about it.
It took me a couple of chapters to get oriented with the world and the events that were going on. I feel that there could have been just a little more back story and set up, but it’s not detrimental to the pacing, or the story overall. I really enjoy the issues that were presented in this book and how the characters deal with them, and the emotions that go along with them. I like that Kyle Wolfe is more of an anti-hero or a dark hero, but I tend to fall for characters who have baggage.
The book is well written, well paced and the characters are ones that I keep thinking about and coming back to. I like the science in this story, and the fact that it’s a very different take on an apocalyptic story. Kyle, whether you love him or hate him, will stick with you for a while. The ending of this book is something that I would not change. I like the way it ends, and the sentiment in the ambiguity.
Obscura Burning is a book that I would recommend to people, even if they’re a bit turned off by the ‘young-adult’ label. It’s mature and fast paced, dealing with some heavy issues. I like that the main character is conflicted with his own personal issues, along with having to deal with the societal labels that go along with them. It’s a great, wild read and I can’t stop thinking about it.
August 6, 2016
I'm torn between "Hated the end" and "The journey was worthwhile"... There are some books that you just can't put down until it's finished. Well, this wasn't one of them. But it was a book that makes you keep returning to it until you get to the end.
I wouldn't define it as "different from other books" because it had normal activities people normally do. Yet, I liked it, which is, until the long-anticipated ending came. When I read the end, I knew that deep down I was expecting it. But I did want an(or maybe more than one) alternative ending too.
Now comes a spoiler about the ending, which is not exactly a spoiler, but my feelings about it(why I felt what I felt) might give away everything. So, please read it only after finishing the book. PLEASE. Okay, the above spoiler can be very revealing to some, and very mild to others. That's why I tagged it as a spoiler. Read at your own risk.
Anyway, it's a hard book to rate, that's why the 3 stars(I'm gonna call it "safe rating"). Might change it later though. After I've had some time to think about/ponder over what the story really meant to me.
Last of all, I think this book is worth a read. Not everyone may like it, but the journey, the anticipation, the want to know what happened in the end was worthwhile.
I wouldn't define it as "different from other books" because it had normal activities people normally do. Yet, I liked it, which is, until the long-anticipated ending came. When I read the end, I knew that deep down I was expecting it. But I did want an(or maybe more than one) alternative ending too.
Now comes a spoiler about the ending, which is not exactly a spoiler, but my feelings about it(why I felt what I felt) might give away everything. So, please read it only after finishing the book. PLEASE. Okay, the above spoiler can be very revealing to some, and very mild to others. That's why I tagged it as a spoiler. Read at your own risk.
Anyway, it's a hard book to rate, that's why the 3 stars(I'm gonna call it "safe rating"). Might change it later though. After I've had some time to think about/ponder over what the story really meant to me.
Last of all, I think this book is worth a read. Not everyone may like it, but the journey, the anticipation, the want to know what happened in the end was worthwhile.
January 21, 2014
From the first paragraphs this book took me inside Kyle's head with such intensity that I wasn't sure I could finish the book. The feeling of despair, anxiety, burning heat and violence were so overwhelming. But then I thought that I will take it as a cathartic reading experience, maybe there would be some kind of healing closure.
I really liked the way parallel realities were played out in the book and when the science fiction started to creep more and more into book I almost resented it as it took away some of the intensity. Right now I'm still very ambivalent about the end but I can't really discuss it as it would be such a big spoiler.
Still even if I'm not happy about the end I think this is almost as perfect as a book can be, I don't think I would change anything.
I really liked the way parallel realities were played out in the book and when the science fiction started to creep more and more into book I almost resented it as it took away some of the intensity. Right now I'm still very ambivalent about the end but I can't really discuss it as it would be such a big spoiler.
Still even if I'm not happy about the end I think this is almost as perfect as a book can be, I don't think I would change anything.
December 30, 2012
The author has a gift for expressing complex human nature with a simple style of writing. As a non-native speaker I value novels where the world welcomes you quickly and you don't even notice diving in it before it's already finished.
The story is easy to relate to, as we have all been teenagers with different types of relationships. Modern themes in a traditional setting also bring a lively twist to the story, surely encouraging others who might be living in a similar type of life situation.
The rest is for you to find out. Definitely recommend.
The story is easy to relate to, as we have all been teenagers with different types of relationships. Modern themes in a traditional setting also bring a lively twist to the story, surely encouraging others who might be living in a similar type of life situation.
The rest is for you to find out. Definitely recommend.
September 16, 2013
Beautiful, powerful writing made reading this book a true pleasure. The plot is complicated, and the characters are... complicated. They feel real and sometimes they clawed at my guts. But mostly the story grabbed me by the mind and twisted reality in that way only science fiction can. The ambiguous ending is just perfect.
January 22, 2013
It was a wonderfully written book, that was really more for the older ya set. I wouldn't let my 11-12 yr old read it because of mature topics. for my full review, you can visit my blog: http://smoochersvoice.blogspot.com/20...
January 28, 2013
I have mixed feelings on this one. On one side, I thought it was incredibly well written and crafted, but on the other, I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters. However, still something I would recommend, especially to fans of sci-fi and/or thrillers.
Review coming soon...
Review coming soon...
May 6, 2013
Realistic characters and an entertaining read. Liked how the book ended :)
December 9, 2013
Very dark and twisty. Parallel universes. Unexpected twists. A very unusual, original and compelling story. American Southwest setting. Beautiful writing.
January 28, 2019
There doesn't seem to be a lot of science fiction novels that feature lgbt coming of age themes. It's easy to find science fiction with lgbt themes but it's usually in the form of an allegory.
I liked that this novel tackles the issues of growing up lgbt (specifically b in this case) while also dealing with alternate realities, new planets in the sky and the possible end of the world.
The concept of waking up in one of two different realities isn't new but I liked the bi take on in. In one reality Kyle is with his boyfriend while their female best friend is dead and in the other he's sleeping with the female friend after his boyfriend died.
The protagonist is stuck in a limbo of sorts, unable to move on because he can't say goodbye.
There's a mystery element throughout, what happened that night to split reality in two, can it be changed, if you could only save one which would you choose?
I liked that this novel tackles the issues of growing up lgbt (specifically b in this case) while also dealing with alternate realities, new planets in the sky and the possible end of the world.
The concept of waking up in one of two different realities isn't new but I liked the bi take on in. In one reality Kyle is with his boyfriend while their female best friend is dead and in the other he's sleeping with the female friend after his boyfriend died.
The protagonist is stuck in a limbo of sorts, unable to move on because he can't say goodbye.
There's a mystery element throughout, what happened that night to split reality in two, can it be changed, if you could only save one which would you choose?
January 3, 2019
Well, damn!
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