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Crash Into Me
Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae have one thing in common: they all want to die. When they meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens make a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of celebrity suicides...and at their final destination, they will all end their lives. As they drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must decide whether life is worth living--or if there's no turning back. Crash Into Me puts readers in the driver's seat with four teens teetering on the edge of suicide. But will their cross country odyssey push them all the way over? Only the final page turn will tell, in Albert Borris's finely-crafted tale of friendship forged from a desperate need of connection.
257 pages, Hardcover
First published June 24, 2009
About the author
Albert Borris
2 books65 followersAlbert Borris has tracked snow leopards in the Himalayas, backpacked through Iceland, and skated ultra-marathons in Georgia, but his favorite daily adventure is working with teens. Albert is a national award winning student assistance counselor. As a teacher and counselor, he runs workshops on suicide prevention, drug abuse issues, and peer leadership for youth. In spite of the bad jokes, he chooses to live in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 404 reviews
January 23, 2011
Warning: This morning I was feeling kind of bad because lately, I've given a lot of books really low ratings. Then it came to me -- I didn't write these stupid books, why should I feel afraid to give my honest opinion? Therefore, if you like this book, I'll advise you not to read this review because I'm going to be as honest as I can.
Crash into Me is the second book I've read that deals with teen suicide. The first was Thirteen Reasons Why. Crash into Me had potential, but ultimately it failed.
It revolves around four teens who plan to commit suicide after taking a road trip across the USA to visit the graves of their favorite celebrities that committed suicide. Their trip will end in Death Valley where they will end their lives.
This book reads like something off of FictionPress.com, that site where teens get together and pore out all the angst that won't fit into their fanfictions. Every time the chat speak would come up, I'd skim until it was over. It read kind of like this:
The Characters
Our narrator is Owen, a lonely emo kid who watched his fourteen-year-old brother die when he was seven. Then he tried to kill himself by jumping in front of a car. That's pretty much Owen's personality right there. Yep, he doesn't have one. Owen's narration is kind of boring. There is no word to describe his personality. He has no hobbies. The only thing he likes to do is memorize statistics about suicide.
Audrey is a compulsive liar, and she's obsessed with Nirvana -- well not really, just Kurt Cobain. Apparently, the rest of the band doesn't matter. She's tried to kill herself by jumping off a building, and hitting herself over the head with a frying pan.
Jin-Ea is Korean, smart, and a lesbian. She hates herself because she is a lesbian. I never for a second believed that she was actually gay. That might be because she lacks a personality outside of being Korean and smart, but truth be told, I think she was just pretending to be gay because she wanted to get on her parents nerves. Her entire plot line revolves around being ashamed of gay. And she never accepts being gay. But she's my favorite character, which is kinda sad because her development is so poor.
Frank is my least favorite character. He whines about being athletic, he whines about being an alcoholic, and he whines about how much he hates his father. Out of everyone, I felt the least pity for him. Also, I suspect Frank, or the author, is somewhat racist. There were a few comments about black people in this book that rubbed me the wrong way.
The Plot
There is nothing more to the plot that isn't on the book jacket. The characters whine about how hard life is for 300 hundred pages, they visit graves, they make-out, then they decide that life is worth living after all.
Nothing annoyed me more than when they started talking about their suicide attempts. None of them, except for Owen, had a justified reason for wanting to die. They wanted attention, nothing more. And Owen is a selfish jerk.
Every time they started whining I wanted them to hurry up and get to Death Valley. When you have me rooting for your characters to finish their suicide pledges, you know something is wrong. There are flawed realistic characters, and then there are whiny annoying characters.
Also, I hate the way depression is glossed over. Apparently sex, alcohol, and drugs can cure anything!
The Writing Style
Chat speak doesn't do it for me. Neither does spending an entire book in Owen's head.
The Pretentiousness
I hate when authors make their characters so special and so smart. Does the average teenager quote Hemingway and Sylvia Plath? No. Your characters act like morons, why are you trying to tell me they're geniuses? This worked in Looking for Alaska, but not here.
The Pacing
If I'm skimming 2/5ths of the way through, you know you've got something horrible on your hands.
The Conclusion
Do not, I repeat do not, recommend this book to anyone who has tried to commit suicide. These characters are flat and one dimensional. The plot is predictable. You'll only succeed in making them feel worse.
A much better book that deals with suicide is Thirteen Reasons Why. Hannah might be selfish, but the book is a good read. A better book about a group of friends is Looking for Alaska. And a better book that features a girl that tried to kill herself to get attention is The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl.
Crash into Me is the second book I've read that deals with teen suicide. The first was Thirteen Reasons Why. Crash into Me had potential, but ultimately it failed.
It revolves around four teens who plan to commit suicide after taking a road trip across the USA to visit the graves of their favorite celebrities that committed suicide. Their trip will end in Death Valley where they will end their lives.
This book reads like something off of FictionPress.com, that site where teens get together and pore out all the angst that won't fit into their fanfictions. Every time the chat speak would come up, I'd skim until it was over. It read kind of like this:
Audrey: i luv nirvana. me n kurt 4ever
Jin-Ea: im a smart lesbian. i hate my parents.
Frank: im an alcoholic loser n i like sports a lot...i wanna die
Owen: im lonely
The Characters
Our narrator is Owen, a lonely emo kid who watched his fourteen-year-old brother die when he was seven. Then he tried to kill himself by jumping in front of a car. That's pretty much Owen's personality right there. Yep, he doesn't have one. Owen's narration is kind of boring. There is no word to describe his personality. He has no hobbies. The only thing he likes to do is memorize statistics about suicide.
Audrey is a compulsive liar, and she's obsessed with Nirvana -- well not really, just Kurt Cobain. Apparently, the rest of the band doesn't matter. She's tried to kill herself by jumping off a building, and hitting herself over the head with a frying pan.
Jin-Ea is Korean, smart, and a lesbian. She hates herself because she is a lesbian. I never for a second believed that she was actually gay. That might be because she lacks a personality outside of being Korean and smart, but truth be told, I think she was just pretending to be gay because she wanted to get on her parents nerves. Her entire plot line revolves around being ashamed of gay. And she never accepts being gay. But she's my favorite character, which is kinda sad because her development is so poor.
Frank is my least favorite character. He whines about being athletic, he whines about being an alcoholic, and he whines about how much he hates his father. Out of everyone, I felt the least pity for him. Also, I suspect Frank, or the author, is somewhat racist. There were a few comments about black people in this book that rubbed me the wrong way.
The Plot
There is nothing more to the plot that isn't on the book jacket. The characters whine about how hard life is for 300 hundred pages, they visit graves, they make-out, then they decide that life is worth living after all.
Nothing annoyed me more than when they started talking about their suicide attempts. None of them, except for Owen, had a justified reason for wanting to die. They wanted attention, nothing more. And Owen is a selfish jerk.
Every time they started whining I wanted them to hurry up and get to Death Valley. When you have me rooting for your characters to finish their suicide pledges, you know something is wrong. There are flawed realistic characters, and then there are whiny annoying characters.
Also, I hate the way depression is glossed over. Apparently sex, alcohol, and drugs can cure anything!
The Writing Style
Chat speak doesn't do it for me. Neither does spending an entire book in Owen's head.
The Pretentiousness
I hate when authors make their characters so special and so smart. Does the average teenager quote Hemingway and Sylvia Plath? No. Your characters act like morons, why are you trying to tell me they're geniuses? This worked in Looking for Alaska, but not here.
The Pacing
If I'm skimming 2/5ths of the way through, you know you've got something horrible on your hands.
The Conclusion
Do not, I repeat do not, recommend this book to anyone who has tried to commit suicide. These characters are flat and one dimensional. The plot is predictable. You'll only succeed in making them feel worse.
A much better book that deals with suicide is Thirteen Reasons Why. Hannah might be selfish, but the book is a good read. A better book about a group of friends is Looking for Alaska. And a better book that features a girl that tried to kill herself to get attention is The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl.
August 4, 2013
Four suicidal teens decide to go on a road trip. They'll tour the graves of famous people who killed themselves, then commit suicide as a group in Death Valley. Sound tense? It certainly can be.
But the pacing is so very slow. Considering how important the suicide grave tour seems to be in the blurb, and at the beginning of the story, most of the book takes place in between. This is not necessarily bad, because some of the best moments in the book happen in those in between places. But it does mean that the hook gets lost, and that's a shame.
This is one book where I do wish that the author had gone with multiple POVs. I would have loved to have seen into the heads of the other characters, and I think it would have kept the story from dragging. Because for me, I think the POV character, Owen, was one of the less interesting ones in the book. I especially would have loved to have seen what exactly was going on in Audrey's head, since she baffled me as a character throughout. I'm left, at the end of the book, wondering what exactly she wanted and expected to happen going into this. But that's just one of the many open questions left at the end of the book.
It certainly isn't a bad book, though. I think a lot of the conversations and reactions the characters had were genuine, even if the situation as a whole isn't exactly the most believable. The ending probably won't surprise anyone, at least not once they get there, and there are plenty of loose ends for these characters. Satisfying enough of an ending, though.
Also reviewed at Shelf Inflicted.
But the pacing is so very slow. Considering how important the suicide grave tour seems to be in the blurb, and at the beginning of the story, most of the book takes place in between. This is not necessarily bad, because some of the best moments in the book happen in those in between places. But it does mean that the hook gets lost, and that's a shame.
This is one book where I do wish that the author had gone with multiple POVs. I would have loved to have seen into the heads of the other characters, and I think it would have kept the story from dragging. Because for me, I think the POV character, Owen, was one of the less interesting ones in the book. I especially would have loved to have seen what exactly was going on in Audrey's head, since she baffled me as a character throughout. I'm left, at the end of the book, wondering what exactly she wanted and expected to happen going into this. But that's just one of the many open questions left at the end of the book.
It certainly isn't a bad book, though. I think a lot of the conversations and reactions the characters had were genuine, even if the situation as a whole isn't exactly the most believable. The ending probably won't surprise anyone, at least not once they get there, and there are plenty of loose ends for these characters. Satisfying enough of an ending, though.
Also reviewed at Shelf Inflicted.
August 4, 2015
Wow, okay. So I found this thing online about trying to read books out of your interest zone. One of the suggestions was to pick a book based solely on a cover that you would otherwise not read. Don't look at the summary - just pick a book and go for it. I'd been reading a bunch of depressing contemporary YA (often suicide-related), and I picked this because the cover makes it look like a corny romance with the brooding bad boy and the shy girl. It is a silly trope that I don't normally go for, so I thought it was appropriately out of my interest zone to give it a shot and ~expand my horizons.~
After checking the book out from the library I read the summary and lo! it's a book about four teens going on a suicide trip. Not so far out of my comfort zone. I decided to read it anyway even though it didn't fit the little challenge I was going for, and a well-written YA book on depression and suicide tends to speak to me.
This book didn't speak to me. I hated all four characters. They were all annoying caricatures, and pretty much every moment any of them spoke was insufferable. The bits of internet chat sprinkled throughout were obnoxious. The plot meandered along at a really boring pace (and it was all so redundant - they go a place, talk about suicide, Frank gets drunk, they go another place, rinse and repeat). There were little sparks of interesting things (mainly the stuff about Owen's brother), but they were few and far between.
It took me ages to finally finish this book, but I am stubborn and refused to give up. The ending was so cheesy, but I didn't even care at that point because I was so ready to be over it.
I feel badly about this rating, but man, this book just really did not work for me.
After checking the book out from the library I read the summary and lo! it's a book about four teens going on a suicide trip. Not so far out of my comfort zone. I decided to read it anyway even though it didn't fit the little challenge I was going for, and a well-written YA book on depression and suicide tends to speak to me.
This book didn't speak to me. I hated all four characters. They were all annoying caricatures, and pretty much every moment any of them spoke was insufferable. The bits of internet chat sprinkled throughout were obnoxious. The plot meandered along at a really boring pace (and it was all so redundant - they go a place, talk about suicide, Frank gets drunk, they go another place, rinse and repeat). There were little sparks of interesting things (mainly the stuff about Owen's brother), but they were few and far between.
It took me ages to finally finish this book, but I am stubborn and refused to give up. The ending was so cheesy, but I didn't even care at that point because I was so ready to be over it.
I feel badly about this rating, but man, this book just really did not work for me.
November 4, 2010
Picking up Crash Into Me, I'll admit, I was skeptical. The back sounds morbid, and in all honesty, this book is drenched in morbid and depressed thoughts. Don't expect a light read with this one. The characters, especially the main character whose perspective the novel is written from, Owen, are all singled-minded and intent on ending their lives. Or so it seems when you first start. While I wasn't pining for the romance or feeling all that sympathetic for Owen, even I was scared when it seemed like something had happened to any one of the four teens. The writing was good, if not a tad bit repetitive, and the style of writing was definitely easy to read and easy to follow. I'm not sure this book is a favorite, or that everything that happened was realistic, it was a good book, and in the end, I enjoyed it more than I had thought I would. Also, Jin-Ae, the in-the-closet gay, was most definitely up there in my favorite characters of the month. She was funny and serious at the same time, and just the right amount of sarcastic that I loved her. Audrey and Frank were interesting, but the story didn't dwell much on their backstory or their emotional problems as much.
3.5 stars and a recommendation to readers who like morbidity and suicide or feel like digging slightly into human depression.
3.5 stars and a recommendation to readers who like morbidity and suicide or feel like digging slightly into human depression.
November 29, 2010
I liked it. It was vague at times, which left me wanting a little bit more on the back stories of the pack. The writing wasn't crazy-sensational, but it was without flaws and suited the book.
There were no 'chapters' per se, so it was hard to know where to leave my bookmark. But that's fine, I didn't really want to put it down anyway. By the end, it left me thinking , which is exactly what a good book should do.
The characters were the best part, other than waiting to find out the big 'do they' at the end. They were cute and funny, deep and dark, and became a family that I'd love to be part of. In other words, I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and not just because of what it's about, or how it ends.
There were no 'chapters' per se, so it was hard to know where to leave my bookmark. But that's fine, I didn't really want to put it down anyway. By the end, it left me thinking , which is exactly what a good book should do.
The characters were the best part, other than waiting to find out the big 'do they' at the end. They were cute and funny, deep and dark, and became a family that I'd love to be part of. In other words, I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and not just because of what it's about, or how it ends.
August 30, 2009
Al Borris's work as a high school counselor really gives this book an authenticity others on the same subject lack. My only issues is the ending which felt a bit contrived.
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com
Owen blames himself for something he can't change. After a few suicide attempts, he meets Jin-Ae, Frank, and Audrey online and they form a bond, a friendship, a pact. The four of them set out on a road trip to visit the graves of several suicide victims, such as Kurt Cobain in Seattle.
At the end, they promise to all kill themselves in Death Valley, California. But during the trip, what will change? Will Owen find the happiness he yearns to have?
CRASH INTO ME is a very intense and emotional debut from Albert Borris.
Owen is a sweet kid who is just trying to make his way through life but thinks he has nobody to turn to. This starts to change as he meets the three other teens, especially Audrey, who becomes his very first girlfriend.
One of the things that I enjoyed about this novel was that you could relate to the teens' feelings of worthlessness and unhappiness - even if yours never amounted to the same amount of pain.
This is one of those books that reads fast, with a slightly predictable ending, but is still worth reading. I thought I understood these kids from the beginning and the story they had to tell, but CRASH INTO ME proves that wrong.
Owen's life, especially, reveals a twist near the end that has you understanding him even more.
Owen blames himself for something he can't change. After a few suicide attempts, he meets Jin-Ae, Frank, and Audrey online and they form a bond, a friendship, a pact. The four of them set out on a road trip to visit the graves of several suicide victims, such as Kurt Cobain in Seattle.
At the end, they promise to all kill themselves in Death Valley, California. But during the trip, what will change? Will Owen find the happiness he yearns to have?
CRASH INTO ME is a very intense and emotional debut from Albert Borris.
Owen is a sweet kid who is just trying to make his way through life but thinks he has nobody to turn to. This starts to change as he meets the three other teens, especially Audrey, who becomes his very first girlfriend.
One of the things that I enjoyed about this novel was that you could relate to the teens' feelings of worthlessness and unhappiness - even if yours never amounted to the same amount of pain.
This is one of those books that reads fast, with a slightly predictable ending, but is still worth reading. I thought I understood these kids from the beginning and the story they had to tell, but CRASH INTO ME proves that wrong.
Owen's life, especially, reveals a twist near the end that has you understanding him even more.
May 12, 2016
Nothing screams excitement more than a roadtrip story -- but what about a suicide trip?
Owen and three online pals embark on a mission to visit death celebrity sites before they willingly drive off to a deserted spot and end their lives. All of them have tried on their own and failed. Will this be a final destination or can all these teens help one another overcome their issues?
Absent parents, heartbreak, sexual identity issues, the loss of a loved one ... there are many reasons why teens commit suicide and Borris does his best to give us an overview of why it's important to have friends we can confide in and let some steam out. Lists are one of the recurrent methods used within this book, forcing the characters to reason, particularly the list of things they would love to do before the died. There's no problem bigger than another because everyone deals with their pain differently. I loved how the characters didn't judge. They listened, thus allowing us to get to know them better.
The ending felt like it came out of nowhere, with new information thrown out as a way to shock the reader. Frankly, I felt cheated, hence my three star rating.
Owen and three online pals embark on a mission to visit death celebrity sites before they willingly drive off to a deserted spot and end their lives. All of them have tried on their own and failed. Will this be a final destination or can all these teens help one another overcome their issues?
Absent parents, heartbreak, sexual identity issues, the loss of a loved one ... there are many reasons why teens commit suicide and Borris does his best to give us an overview of why it's important to have friends we can confide in and let some steam out. Lists are one of the recurrent methods used within this book, forcing the characters to reason, particularly the list of things they would love to do before the died. There's no problem bigger than another because everyone deals with their pain differently. I loved how the characters didn't judge. They listened, thus allowing us to get to know them better.
The ending felt like it came out of nowhere, with new information thrown out as a way to shock the reader. Frankly, I felt cheated, hence my three star rating.
March 20, 2011
I read the book Crash into me, because I was at the half priced book store and was looking for a book to read an I picked up this book and read the back and I know I had to get it because it had me hooked from the time I picked it up to the time I put it down 6 days later.
At the beginning it kind of felt like I shouldn’t be reading it because it is about suicide but it was a very good book. And I read it the whole time on the plane ,4 hours 30 minutes, to Boston, Massachusetts from Dallas, Texas.
I think anybody who enjoys a good fiction book ought to read Crash into Me.
At the beginning it kind of felt like I shouldn’t be reading it because it is about suicide but it was a very good book. And I read it the whole time on the plane ,4 hours 30 minutes, to Boston, Massachusetts from Dallas, Texas.
I think anybody who enjoys a good fiction book ought to read Crash into Me.
March 1, 2018
Más bien tirando a 2'5 en realidad.
No sé qué esperaba de este libro pero al final ha resultado ser un gran MEH. Me han sobrado cosas, me han faltado otras y el final, pues más de lo mismo. En parte me gusta y en parte no me gusta. Uno de esos libros que de aquí a nada ya habré olvidado.
No sé qué esperaba de este libro pero al final ha resultado ser un gran MEH. Me han sobrado cosas, me han faltado otras y el final, pues más de lo mismo. En parte me gusta y en parte no me gusta. Uno de esos libros que de aquí a nada ya habré olvidado.
March 20, 2013
2.5 - 3 stars
Four suicidal teens who meet online, decide to go on a road trip and visit the graves of famous people that committed suicide. Their last stop: Death Valley, where they’ll kill themselves.
Doesn’t that sound like one hell of a plot? I was instantly drawn to the original, bleak, morbid, depressing description of the book. I mean, 4 suicidal teens going on a road trip? I was hoping for one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.
Alas, the emotional content was painfully lacking. I didn’t really like the narrator, Owen. It would’ve been better if there were multiple POVs like Pieces of Us. I was bored at times. Their pain just didn’t feel real enough for me (I probably sound like an insensitive jerk, but it is true). Their "issues" really seemed like normal teenage complaints, and did not sound genuine. And I don’t know why but Audrey bugged the hell out of me. She was constantly calling out Jin-Ae for being a “drama queen” yet she was the one lying. I guess I wanted something a bit more serious and bleak. Also, the little romance between Owen & Audrey was TOTALLY unnecessary. The whole thing was kind of ruined for me because of that. It just felt kind of forced and inappropriate for a suicide book. Or not, but I just really wasn’t feeling it.
I’m not sure if I actually expected the group to go through with their suicides. Maybe I expected a hugely poignant climax or some kind of life-changing epiphany or a huge emotional kick in the gut. What I did end up with was a very predictable, anticlimactic and abrupt ending. It just fell flat for me mid-way; too much background noise (about celebrity suicides & useless factoids). Not enough meat for me to truly empathize with any of the characters. A serious disappointment, because there was so much potential.
Four suicidal teens who meet online, decide to go on a road trip and visit the graves of famous people that committed suicide. Their last stop: Death Valley, where they’ll kill themselves.
Doesn’t that sound like one hell of a plot? I was instantly drawn to the original, bleak, morbid, depressing description of the book. I mean, 4 suicidal teens going on a road trip? I was hoping for one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.
Alas, the emotional content was painfully lacking. I didn’t really like the narrator, Owen. It would’ve been better if there were multiple POVs like Pieces of Us. I was bored at times. Their pain just didn’t feel real enough for me (I probably sound like an insensitive jerk, but it is true). Their "issues" really seemed like normal teenage complaints, and did not sound genuine. And I don’t know why but Audrey bugged the hell out of me. She was constantly calling out Jin-Ae for being a “drama queen” yet she was the one lying. I guess I wanted something a bit more serious and bleak. Also, the little romance between Owen & Audrey was TOTALLY unnecessary. The whole thing was kind of ruined for me because of that. It just felt kind of forced and inappropriate for a suicide book. Or not, but I just really wasn’t feeling it.
I’m not sure if I actually expected the group to go through with their suicides. Maybe I expected a hugely poignant climax or some kind of life-changing epiphany or a huge emotional kick in the gut. What I did end up with was a very predictable, anticlimactic and abrupt ending. It just fell flat for me mid-way; too much background noise (about celebrity suicides & useless factoids). Not enough meat for me to truly empathize with any of the characters. A serious disappointment, because there was so much potential.
September 18, 2010
My thoughts:
Is life worth living in spite of the pain? That is the question that I believe is asked and answered during this journey. Owen, Jin-Ae, Frank and Audry have formed an unusual bond. They met in an online "suicide" chat room and they all desperately want to end their lives.
This story is narrated by Owen-the quiet, observant one of the group. Besides Owen, the group includes Frank who has a drinking problem, Jin-Ae a closet lesbian and Audrey, a compulsive liar. Their pasts are revealed through IMs scattered throughout the story as well as Owen's flashbacks. The decision is made to take a cross country trip from New Jersey to San Francisco-to visit the graves of famous people who have killed themselves. The trip will end in Death Valley where the group have made a pact to do the deed and end their lives. We, the readers know that Owen has no desire to live. The reason is slowly revealed as the story unfolds.
Of course this story centers around the hard subjects of suicide and depression but what impressed me was that first time author Albert Borris was able to weave humor, friendship and love into his tale. He makes the each character stand out and become unforgettable. By the end of the journey I was hoping these friends would choose life. With friendship and love- pain is a little more bearable.
Crash Into Me is a great story that will stay with me long after I return the book.
I recommend this book for readers fifteen and up. The topics covered are death, suicide, sex, drugs and alcohol. I borrowed this book through the inter library loan system at my public library.
Is life worth living in spite of the pain? That is the question that I believe is asked and answered during this journey. Owen, Jin-Ae, Frank and Audry have formed an unusual bond. They met in an online "suicide" chat room and they all desperately want to end their lives.
This story is narrated by Owen-the quiet, observant one of the group. Besides Owen, the group includes Frank who has a drinking problem, Jin-Ae a closet lesbian and Audrey, a compulsive liar. Their pasts are revealed through IMs scattered throughout the story as well as Owen's flashbacks. The decision is made to take a cross country trip from New Jersey to San Francisco-to visit the graves of famous people who have killed themselves. The trip will end in Death Valley where the group have made a pact to do the deed and end their lives. We, the readers know that Owen has no desire to live. The reason is slowly revealed as the story unfolds.
Of course this story centers around the hard subjects of suicide and depression but what impressed me was that first time author Albert Borris was able to weave humor, friendship and love into his tale. He makes the each character stand out and become unforgettable. By the end of the journey I was hoping these friends would choose life. With friendship and love- pain is a little more bearable.
Crash Into Me is a great story that will stay with me long after I return the book.
I recommend this book for readers fifteen and up. The topics covered are death, suicide, sex, drugs and alcohol. I borrowed this book through the inter library loan system at my public library.
February 2, 2010
I didn't know what to expect when I started Crashing into Me. Actually, I was a bit nervous having just finished Black Box by Schumacher, so picking up another angsty YA novel about teen su!c!de was an inadvertent mistake on my part. However, once I started reading about Owen, Frank, Jin-Ae and Audrey's story, I was drawn into a not-so-morbid-after-all account of their lives.
These four teenagers each have one thing in common, they are all planning to commit su!c!de. Very, very sad... But before they do, they all meet up and take a road trip from east to west visiting the graves/death sites of famous people who have taken their own life for one reason or another. As the trip progresses, they develop a protective friendship with each other by opening up to one another about their secrets, desires and fears. Throughout the book, I came across Top Ten Lists of various topics which they wrote as they drove from town to town. Some of them were factually interesting, others were morbid and a few were downright sad.
Overall, the book was insightful, very well written, and moving to say the least. From the begining of the book, I was hopeful for these four teens and as the story progressed and I witnessed the inevitable bond they forged with each other, I believed they would be okay by the conclusion of their journey. Very good read!
These four teenagers each have one thing in common, they are all planning to commit su!c!de. Very, very sad... But before they do, they all meet up and take a road trip from east to west visiting the graves/death sites of famous people who have taken their own life for one reason or another. As the trip progresses, they develop a protective friendship with each other by opening up to one another about their secrets, desires and fears. Throughout the book, I came across Top Ten Lists of various topics which they wrote as they drove from town to town. Some of them were factually interesting, others were morbid and a few were downright sad.
Overall, the book was insightful, very well written, and moving to say the least. From the begining of the book, I was hopeful for these four teens and as the story progressed and I witnessed the inevitable bond they forged with each other, I believed they would be okay by the conclusion of their journey. Very good read!
February 1, 2011
I loved this book because of the hope it brings. Four friends gather together for one last trip before they kill themselves. All of them stricken by some type of guilt or pain just want out of this world. During this trip they discover that there is much more to life.
Hope. I love this book. All four of them found each other with no one else to lean one, they found hope together in their unique friendship. During their trip, they visit graves of people who committed suicide as well as fulfilling their one last wish.
I loved that while reading this book you found yourself watching them find hope in the new found friendship. Little by little each of them let down their guard letting the others in to their world. We saw Owen whocarried an extreme amount of guilt for years. Frank who felt like no one was their him. Audrey who just wanted to get away. And Jin-Ae who had trouble being herself.
In the end they realized that they are not alone and always had each other. They also fell in love. And love made them see the world in a different place. They wanted to travel more and do things that they have never down before. Love and hope gave them a hunger for something they never though they have.
There was some sex(nothing graphic just talk of it), drugs, and of course illegal stuff.*
Hope. I love this book. All four of them found each other with no one else to lean one, they found hope together in their unique friendship. During their trip, they visit graves of people who committed suicide as well as fulfilling their one last wish.
I loved that while reading this book you found yourself watching them find hope in the new found friendship. Little by little each of them let down their guard letting the others in to their world. We saw Owen whocarried an extreme amount of guilt for years. Frank who felt like no one was their him. Audrey who just wanted to get away. And Jin-Ae who had trouble being herself.
In the end they realized that they are not alone and always had each other. They also fell in love. And love made them see the world in a different place. They wanted to travel more and do things that they have never down before. Love and hope gave them a hunger for something they never though they have.
There was some sex(nothing graphic just talk of it), drugs, and of course illegal stuff.*
September 26, 2012
Ahhghhh!!! After several attempts to get interested in this book, I finally gave up!
Seriously, even a tortoise can move faster than this story!
I think the concept of 4 suicidal teens going on a road-trip only to die in the end together was weirdly innovative....only it would've been much better if the story had something other than past IM messages that the teens had and small clips of what was actually happening. I had to keep myself from sleeping while reading this book as there was nothing interesting or exciting. It was just, blabbering between the 4 of them, Owen's mental banter, past IM messages, more Owen's mental banter and more blabbering.
This is one of the books where you know the ending is gonna be surprising but unfortunately I have a very low-tolerance power for slow paced stories. So, for now its been kept aside.
Seriously, even a tortoise can move faster than this story!
I think the concept of 4 suicidal teens going on a road-trip only to die in the end together was weirdly innovative....only it would've been much better if the story had something other than past IM messages that the teens had and small clips of what was actually happening. I had to keep myself from sleeping while reading this book as there was nothing interesting or exciting. It was just, blabbering between the 4 of them, Owen's mental banter, past IM messages, more Owen's mental banter and more blabbering.
This is one of the books where you know the ending is gonna be surprising but unfortunately I have a very low-tolerance power for slow paced stories. So, for now its been kept aside.
August 23, 2009
Okay, so I rarely do this, but - I picked up this novel with NO idea what it was about. So I was surprised to learn it was about kids making a suicide pact, but going on a death road trip first to see famous suicide graves/places.
I really fell in love with Owen a bit, who is the main focus of the book. He really has some serious issues and I was surprised by what surfaced later in the book. I love the hilarious moments of the book and the way it was written - broken up by previous IM chats that the four teens had online before the road trip.
I must admit, I really enjoyed this book and was really quite satisfied with the ending. I like how the cover relates to part of the story as well - not all covers do that or even come close to explaining a book - so it was nice to see that for a change.
I really fell in love with Owen a bit, who is the main focus of the book. He really has some serious issues and I was surprised by what surfaced later in the book. I love the hilarious moments of the book and the way it was written - broken up by previous IM chats that the four teens had online before the road trip.
I must admit, I really enjoyed this book and was really quite satisfied with the ending. I like how the cover relates to part of the story as well - not all covers do that or even come close to explaining a book - so it was nice to see that for a change.
August 7, 2009
I’ve read Thirteen Reasons Why, and knew that although I wasn’t a fan of that book, the topic of suicide is crucial for teens. Here is a book that does it justice. Borris has a deft way with character and plot, and his topic is timely, and the portrait of teen suffering is balanced and real. I loved this book, and couldn’t put it down. Tragically, Borris has suffered a massive stroke; I hope with a passion that he regains his words, because he is a powerful storyteller who has so much to say to kids.
January 16, 2019
Personal Response:
I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would at the beginning. It started off slow, vague, and slightly confusing, with a numb tone to it. However, as the story progressed, the tone became more emotional and the story became easier to follow. The characters were relatable, and their personalities were distinct. There were many surprising moments in the plot, which kept me interested to the end.
Plot:
Told from the point of view of Owen, the story follows four suicidal teenagers who met on a MySpace chat. The four plan a cross country road trip and a suicide pact, visiting celebrity grave sites and planning to end their own lives together in Death Valley, Colorado. This road trip, however, becomes much more than some depressed teenagers in a car. They fight, they fall in love, they discover themselves, and they become closer to each other than their own families. Each site they visit is a new revelation, and one step closer to the end of the road. But, after everything they’ve been through together, and all they’ve seen, is it too late to turn back?
Characterization:
The most obvious example of character development would be Owen. At the beginning of the book, his tone is numb and immensely sad. However, it became more emotional throughout the book. There were notes of happiness in his voice by the end, and he no longer wanted to die.
Age Recommendation:
I think the age group that suits this book best is 14-18 years old. Along with suicide, some of the topics explored are meant for a more mature audience, such drugs and dysfunctional families. The language used by the characters in the book is coarse, and not meant for younger readers. Both boys and girls could read and enjoy this book. Despite that there is a love story woven in, it explores both guy and girl issues, and romance isn’t part of the central plot.
I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would at the beginning. It started off slow, vague, and slightly confusing, with a numb tone to it. However, as the story progressed, the tone became more emotional and the story became easier to follow. The characters were relatable, and their personalities were distinct. There were many surprising moments in the plot, which kept me interested to the end.
Plot:
Told from the point of view of Owen, the story follows four suicidal teenagers who met on a MySpace chat. The four plan a cross country road trip and a suicide pact, visiting celebrity grave sites and planning to end their own lives together in Death Valley, Colorado. This road trip, however, becomes much more than some depressed teenagers in a car. They fight, they fall in love, they discover themselves, and they become closer to each other than their own families. Each site they visit is a new revelation, and one step closer to the end of the road. But, after everything they’ve been through together, and all they’ve seen, is it too late to turn back?
Characterization:
The most obvious example of character development would be Owen. At the beginning of the book, his tone is numb and immensely sad. However, it became more emotional throughout the book. There were notes of happiness in his voice by the end, and he no longer wanted to die.
Age Recommendation:
I think the age group that suits this book best is 14-18 years old. Along with suicide, some of the topics explored are meant for a more mature audience, such drugs and dysfunctional families. The language used by the characters in the book is coarse, and not meant for younger readers. Both boys and girls could read and enjoy this book. Despite that there is a love story woven in, it explores both guy and girl issues, and romance isn’t part of the central plot.
July 1, 2017
OK troubled-teen issue novel. I think I've grown out of the genre, and ended up appreciating it more as a 2000s period piece than anything else. Characters except the main are rather thin, and even our MC is more Perks of Being a Wallflower than anything else. Also, the Korean lesbian character (who I loved! And was excited about!) ends up having sex with a man and categorically refuses the prospect of existing within the queer community they encounter. I did not understand why Borris felt the need to make that happen, especially since they make a whole point of stopping in SF for her to do cool gay stuff.
January 25, 2012
Many authors portray different themes for suicide of the characters, as well in their reasoning for wanting to commit it. Defiance, despair, love, and honor are some of the common reasons in books. It is written as the result of depression that the character possesses in most cases.
Crash Into Me is written by Albert Borris. He is a national award-winning student assistance counselor. Albert Borris is also a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, who specializes in working with teens. He runs workshops on suicide prevention, drug abuse issues, and peer leadership for teenagers.
Four suicidal teens met in an online chat room, found comfort in each other and their discussions and made a pact to visit one famous person's grave site each, that died from suicide. Along the way, each unravel their stories as well as reasons behind wanting to take part in the pact. Jin-ae’s suicidal thoughts started with her family not being supportive of her being gay. She felt like she had no one to turn to and that’s what drove her to a breaking point. She felt like she would be disowned from her family and that ulimately disappointed her. Audrey, was a compulsive liar, that was her problem up to the end. She lied about trying to commit suicide when she simply 'thought about it'. Frank’s reason, being he was always pressured into doing things he didn’t want to do, felt like he had no way out of anyone's already made plans. Owen’s reason I thought was the most realistic; his father killed himself and his brother died in an accident which probably wouldn’t have occurred if Owen hadn’t done what he did and faked a drowning. He blamed himself for a lot of things and just felt alone and isolated without them being there.
From the beginning it was clear that the dominant theme around the story was going to be developing around suicide. As the story progressed it showed how each of the four characters had their own way of dealing and coping with their suicidal thoughts and actions and how together they made a big impact on each other’s lives and decision as to whether or not to go through with their pact.
When I first read the back of the book to see what it was about I thought it was an interesting concept to write about. Since suicide is a popular topic among most teenagers and because so many people commit or attempt it, it seemed like it would give insight as to how those people think; which it did. Each character had their mindset wrapped around how killing themselves would be so much better than living. The pact they made was a bold statement in my opinion because it seemed like a cool idea, why die alone? when you could have other people beside you with the same idea.
Although suicide is frowned upon in society many people are convinced it’s the right thing to do. This story started out like that but ultimately shows how friendship saves lives. They each found a bond with each other driving all those miles and seeing all those graves, learning more and more about each other and their thoughts about life. No matter what problems they had along the way they stuck together because they knew they were all they had at that moment. They made things better for each other, trying to solve problems that almost seemed impossible to the one who thought about it.
~*SPOILER ALERT*~
Owen and Audrey found love and security in each other. They felt as though they could depend and count on each other throughout the whole trip, they trusted each other and that helped them be strong. Jin-ae took a little piece of everyone as she learned how to be herself and to live her life the way she wanted to because she was just a person like everybody else. Frank, being the father figure in the story, grew up. By the end he seemed like a stronger person and more was decisive. He wasn’t going to let people make decisions for him anymore. They all learned something just by getting to know each other.
The pact was all they had. They had each other to count on all the way to the end. They changed each other’s opinions on things and made their ‘world’ seem a little brighter just by staying together and pulling through. They all got a little bit of out knowing each other, whether it was a lesson, happiness, the love felt, or most importantly a life saved which was their own.
So even though this story was based around suicide it shows how quickly you can make it past those thoughts with people who love and care about you around, and that is what I believe to be the most important theme being told in this story.
Crash Into Me is written by Albert Borris. He is a national award-winning student assistance counselor. Albert Borris is also a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, who specializes in working with teens. He runs workshops on suicide prevention, drug abuse issues, and peer leadership for teenagers.
Four suicidal teens met in an online chat room, found comfort in each other and their discussions and made a pact to visit one famous person's grave site each, that died from suicide. Along the way, each unravel their stories as well as reasons behind wanting to take part in the pact. Jin-ae’s suicidal thoughts started with her family not being supportive of her being gay. She felt like she had no one to turn to and that’s what drove her to a breaking point. She felt like she would be disowned from her family and that ulimately disappointed her. Audrey, was a compulsive liar, that was her problem up to the end. She lied about trying to commit suicide when she simply 'thought about it'. Frank’s reason, being he was always pressured into doing things he didn’t want to do, felt like he had no way out of anyone's already made plans. Owen’s reason I thought was the most realistic; his father killed himself and his brother died in an accident which probably wouldn’t have occurred if Owen hadn’t done what he did and faked a drowning. He blamed himself for a lot of things and just felt alone and isolated without them being there.
From the beginning it was clear that the dominant theme around the story was going to be developing around suicide. As the story progressed it showed how each of the four characters had their own way of dealing and coping with their suicidal thoughts and actions and how together they made a big impact on each other’s lives and decision as to whether or not to go through with their pact.
When I first read the back of the book to see what it was about I thought it was an interesting concept to write about. Since suicide is a popular topic among most teenagers and because so many people commit or attempt it, it seemed like it would give insight as to how those people think; which it did. Each character had their mindset wrapped around how killing themselves would be so much better than living. The pact they made was a bold statement in my opinion because it seemed like a cool idea, why die alone? when you could have other people beside you with the same idea.
Although suicide is frowned upon in society many people are convinced it’s the right thing to do. This story started out like that but ultimately shows how friendship saves lives. They each found a bond with each other driving all those miles and seeing all those graves, learning more and more about each other and their thoughts about life. No matter what problems they had along the way they stuck together because they knew they were all they had at that moment. They made things better for each other, trying to solve problems that almost seemed impossible to the one who thought about it.
~*SPOILER ALERT*~
Owen and Audrey found love and security in each other. They felt as though they could depend and count on each other throughout the whole trip, they trusted each other and that helped them be strong. Jin-ae took a little piece of everyone as she learned how to be herself and to live her life the way she wanted to because she was just a person like everybody else. Frank, being the father figure in the story, grew up. By the end he seemed like a stronger person and more was decisive. He wasn’t going to let people make decisions for him anymore. They all learned something just by getting to know each other.
The pact was all they had. They had each other to count on all the way to the end. They changed each other’s opinions on things and made their ‘world’ seem a little brighter just by staying together and pulling through. They all got a little bit of out knowing each other, whether it was a lesson, happiness, the love felt, or most importantly a life saved which was their own.
So even though this story was based around suicide it shows how quickly you can make it past those thoughts with people who love and care about you around, and that is what I believe to be the most important theme being told in this story.
October 13, 2009
Hmmm..where to begin? I first heard about this book on my library's website and I requested it right away..it took about 2 months for me to actually get it. But I am happy that I got it at all, I liked this book although I had some issues with it too.
The good: I liked all the characters for the most part, even though they did have some annoying tendencies. There are four characters, although Owen is the main character I would say. There is Audrey (the eccentric one) , Frank (the drunk) and Jin-Ae (the lesbian). Owen has been trying to kill himself ever since he was young (you find out why in the book). They are all battling their own inner "demons" and they have even tried giving up a time or two..by trying to commit suicide. I am honestly not fully sure of their ages, except I know all of them are in high school and 2 of them have their licenses. Owen and Jin-Ae go to school together, but they dont meet each other there instead they meet when they are both in a psych hospital for trying to kill themselves. Jin-Ae knows Audrey and Frank through a Suicide chatroom, and eventually all four of them become "friends" online. They talk about their lives and how neither one of them has a reason to live. They discuss suicide, and they make a name for themselves..the "suicide dogs." After a while of talking online they decide to take a road trip together, and at the end of it..kill themselves, so they can finally be free. Thats when the book really starts rolling.
The roadtrip consists of a few things: the four of them, visiting famous celebrity grave sites (suicide deaths only) and finally ending their trip in Death Valley, California where they plan to do the dirty deed of killing themselves. No one knows about this except them. They all make a pact...or 'pack' as some like to say, since they are the Suicide Dogs. But once they start their mini-'vacation' things turn out differently than expected. They start to actually have fun for once in their life, they try new things, visit places they never dreamed of visiting, and do things they never thought they could. I wouldnt say I fell in love with any of the characters because...well I dont really know why. They are all really, really deep people and only want someone to love them.
The 'kind of' bad: I wish there was more dialog in this book. I feel like I was just reading an information manual, not really a novel. I wanted more interaction between the characters. I am not saying there wasnt any talking at all, but when there was it wasnt as much as I would have liked. I cant think of anything else that is bad..maybe the whole premise of the book. I am not a fan of suicide, and I think its wrong, but the book delivers it with such heart that it was hard to not keep reading.
I wouldnt change the characters or their personalities, they all bring something unique to this book. I wanted the ending to be just a tad different, but it suited me enough.
I liked this book, and even though it is very deep and might be hard to read for some people, I suggest reading it. You can really find out just how much you mean to people by reading this book. You learn self-worth and self-acceptance. Its a beautiful thing.
The good: I liked all the characters for the most part, even though they did have some annoying tendencies. There are four characters, although Owen is the main character I would say. There is Audrey (the eccentric one) , Frank (the drunk) and Jin-Ae (the lesbian). Owen has been trying to kill himself ever since he was young (you find out why in the book). They are all battling their own inner "demons" and they have even tried giving up a time or two..by trying to commit suicide. I am honestly not fully sure of their ages, except I know all of them are in high school and 2 of them have their licenses. Owen and Jin-Ae go to school together, but they dont meet each other there instead they meet when they are both in a psych hospital for trying to kill themselves. Jin-Ae knows Audrey and Frank through a Suicide chatroom, and eventually all four of them become "friends" online. They talk about their lives and how neither one of them has a reason to live. They discuss suicide, and they make a name for themselves..the "suicide dogs." After a while of talking online they decide to take a road trip together, and at the end of it..kill themselves, so they can finally be free. Thats when the book really starts rolling.
The roadtrip consists of a few things: the four of them, visiting famous celebrity grave sites (suicide deaths only) and finally ending their trip in Death Valley, California where they plan to do the dirty deed of killing themselves. No one knows about this except them. They all make a pact...or 'pack' as some like to say, since they are the Suicide Dogs. But once they start their mini-'vacation' things turn out differently than expected. They start to actually have fun for once in their life, they try new things, visit places they never dreamed of visiting, and do things they never thought they could. I wouldnt say I fell in love with any of the characters because...well I dont really know why. They are all really, really deep people and only want someone to love them.
The 'kind of' bad: I wish there was more dialog in this book. I feel like I was just reading an information manual, not really a novel. I wanted more interaction between the characters. I am not saying there wasnt any talking at all, but when there was it wasnt as much as I would have liked. I cant think of anything else that is bad..maybe the whole premise of the book. I am not a fan of suicide, and I think its wrong, but the book delivers it with such heart that it was hard to not keep reading.
I wouldnt change the characters or their personalities, they all bring something unique to this book. I wanted the ending to be just a tad different, but it suited me enough.
I liked this book, and even though it is very deep and might be hard to read for some people, I suggest reading it. You can really find out just how much you mean to people by reading this book. You learn self-worth and self-acceptance. Its a beautiful thing.
July 14, 2011
La Giunti Y ci ha abituato ad affrontare temi difficili e anche questa volta non ci delude. Il tema centrale attorno al quale ruota tutto il romanzo è il suicidio. Suicidio che ci accompagna in tutte le 294 pagine, fedele compagno dei quattro protagonisti.
Tipico viaggio on the road statunitense con una meta un po' bizzarra: le tombe dei più celebri suicidi della storia. Musicisti, scrittori, poetesse, che hanno messo fine volontariamente alla propria vita per ragioni diverse. Owen, Audrey, Jin-Ae e Frank vogliono seguire i loro passi per smettere di soffrire e fuggire dalle loro misere esistenze. Compiranno l'estremo gesto? Beh, questo non ve lo posso dire, ma certamente il detto "l'importante è il viaggio, non la destinazione" può ben riassumere il romanzo.
Questi quattro ragazzi vivono un'esperienza unica nel suo genere, un viaggio sia fisico che interiore nella scoperta di sé stessi e del mondo che li circonda. La convivenza forzata di quattro estranei che si sono conosciuti solamente in chat, sarà una lezione importante per questi teenager e il raggiungimento dell'indipendenza e della totale condivisione li aiuterà a capire qualcosa delle loro vite apparentemente senza speranze.
Il personaggio che mi ha più colpito è Owen, narratore in prima persona per la maggior parte del romanzo. L'estrema solitudine, l'enorme senso di colpa e la sua sensibilità creano un personaggio a tutto tondo molto realistico e, attraverso illuminanti flashback, si riesce ad andare veramente a fondo nel tema del suicidio. L'autore mette a confronto tutte le "ragioni" per compiere l'estremo gesto, compresi i pro e i contro. Un aspetto molto interessante è il tono in cui è scritto il romanzo. Nonostante il tema sia più che serio, Borris alterna momenti divertenti ed umoristici a pagine di riflessione, creando un equilibrio tra comico e drammatico. Le conversazioni in chat dei quattro ragazzi, poi, aiutano il lettore a comprendere le ragioni di questo viaggio. Molto divertenti sono anche le liste sparse per tutto il romanzo, soprattutto le "dieci cose da fare prima di morire".
Un libro che consiglio a tutti, sia per la trama che scorre via veloce, che per la bella analisi psicologica della figura del potenziale suicida. Tensione, azione, gioia e dolore si mescolano in un mix molto equilibrato.
Vi lascio con un dubbio amletico: il suicidio è un gesto di estrema libertà o di estrema debolezza? Penso che Socrate abbia scritto qualcosa a riguardo...
http://ichliebelibri.blogspot.com/201...
Tipico viaggio on the road statunitense con una meta un po' bizzarra: le tombe dei più celebri suicidi della storia. Musicisti, scrittori, poetesse, che hanno messo fine volontariamente alla propria vita per ragioni diverse. Owen, Audrey, Jin-Ae e Frank vogliono seguire i loro passi per smettere di soffrire e fuggire dalle loro misere esistenze. Compiranno l'estremo gesto? Beh, questo non ve lo posso dire, ma certamente il detto "l'importante è il viaggio, non la destinazione" può ben riassumere il romanzo.
Questi quattro ragazzi vivono un'esperienza unica nel suo genere, un viaggio sia fisico che interiore nella scoperta di sé stessi e del mondo che li circonda. La convivenza forzata di quattro estranei che si sono conosciuti solamente in chat, sarà una lezione importante per questi teenager e il raggiungimento dell'indipendenza e della totale condivisione li aiuterà a capire qualcosa delle loro vite apparentemente senza speranze.
Il personaggio che mi ha più colpito è Owen, narratore in prima persona per la maggior parte del romanzo. L'estrema solitudine, l'enorme senso di colpa e la sua sensibilità creano un personaggio a tutto tondo molto realistico e, attraverso illuminanti flashback, si riesce ad andare veramente a fondo nel tema del suicidio. L'autore mette a confronto tutte le "ragioni" per compiere l'estremo gesto, compresi i pro e i contro. Un aspetto molto interessante è il tono in cui è scritto il romanzo. Nonostante il tema sia più che serio, Borris alterna momenti divertenti ed umoristici a pagine di riflessione, creando un equilibrio tra comico e drammatico. Le conversazioni in chat dei quattro ragazzi, poi, aiutano il lettore a comprendere le ragioni di questo viaggio. Molto divertenti sono anche le liste sparse per tutto il romanzo, soprattutto le "dieci cose da fare prima di morire".
Un libro che consiglio a tutti, sia per la trama che scorre via veloce, che per la bella analisi psicologica della figura del potenziale suicida. Tensione, azione, gioia e dolore si mescolano in un mix molto equilibrato.
Vi lascio con un dubbio amletico: il suicidio è un gesto di estrema libertà o di estrema debolezza? Penso che Socrate abbia scritto qualcosa a riguardo...
http://ichliebelibri.blogspot.com/201...
March 4, 2017
Owen, Jin-Ae, Audrey e Frank sono quattro ragazzi problematici che fanno conoscenza in chat e organizzano un viaggio on the road con il fine ultimo di onorare i loro intenti suidici.
Ho letto questo libro in una sola giornata (non riuscivo proprio a staccare gli occhi dalle pagine!) e ne sono rimasta soddisfatta. Lo stile di scrittura è molto veloce e dinamico, senza divisione in capitoli, ma intervallato spesso da flashback, spezzoni di chat e divertenti classifiche sulla tematica del suicidio e non. Il fatto che quindi non abbia stilisticamente le classiche caratteristiche che ci si aspetta da ogni libro non mi ha dato minimamente fastidio e, anzi, ho trovato che sia stata un'ottima idea che gli dona un'impronta particolare. La narrazione è in prima persona attraverso gli occhi, i ricordi e i pensieri di Owen, il protagonista; un personaggio che piano piano riesce ad entrare nel cuore del lettore, rivelando le sue paure più recondite, le sue riflessioni sulla morte e infine, la terribile causa della sua tristezza che gli toglie la voglia di vivere. Le tematiche affrontate sono più serie di quanto non traspaia dalle prime pagine di lettura. E' vero che ad un lettore poco attento può sembrare che i quattro ragazzi siano un po' superficiali e che le loro ragioni di togliersi la vita siano banali, ma io personalmente penso che sia sbagliato giudicare chi ha pensieri suicidi, a prescindere dalle motivazioni da loro arrecate. Questo libro mi ha insegnato che la mente umana è fragile e volubile e che spesso nei momenti di sconforto è molto d'aiuto essere in compagnia di altre persone che ti capiscono e ti sostengono. I ragazzi del libro infatti non trovano alcun conforto dalla loro famiglia o dagli istituti mentali preposti a tale scopo, perché lì si sentono inferiori, incompresi e non riescono davvero a tirare fuori ciò che hanno dentro. Invece tra loro si sentiranno finalmente a loro agio e in grado di dar voce ai loro pensieri senza paura di essere giudicati e trattati con aria di sufficienza. In definitiva "Il club dei suicidi" lo considero un buon libro young adult (adatto anche ad un pubblico più adulto), ma non abbiate paura di affrontarlo a causa dei contenuti pesanti o troppo seriosi, perché lo scrittore è stato bravissimo a stemperare momenti drammatici e a intervallare parti tristi con alcune situazioni che divertono e mettono il buon umore. Insomma... è una lettura leggera, ma che al tempo stesso fa riflettere!
Ho letto questo libro in una sola giornata (non riuscivo proprio a staccare gli occhi dalle pagine!) e ne sono rimasta soddisfatta. Lo stile di scrittura è molto veloce e dinamico, senza divisione in capitoli, ma intervallato spesso da flashback, spezzoni di chat e divertenti classifiche sulla tematica del suicidio e non. Il fatto che quindi non abbia stilisticamente le classiche caratteristiche che ci si aspetta da ogni libro non mi ha dato minimamente fastidio e, anzi, ho trovato che sia stata un'ottima idea che gli dona un'impronta particolare. La narrazione è in prima persona attraverso gli occhi, i ricordi e i pensieri di Owen, il protagonista; un personaggio che piano piano riesce ad entrare nel cuore del lettore, rivelando le sue paure più recondite, le sue riflessioni sulla morte e infine, la terribile causa della sua tristezza che gli toglie la voglia di vivere. Le tematiche affrontate sono più serie di quanto non traspaia dalle prime pagine di lettura. E' vero che ad un lettore poco attento può sembrare che i quattro ragazzi siano un po' superficiali e che le loro ragioni di togliersi la vita siano banali, ma io personalmente penso che sia sbagliato giudicare chi ha pensieri suicidi, a prescindere dalle motivazioni da loro arrecate. Questo libro mi ha insegnato che la mente umana è fragile e volubile e che spesso nei momenti di sconforto è molto d'aiuto essere in compagnia di altre persone che ti capiscono e ti sostengono. I ragazzi del libro infatti non trovano alcun conforto dalla loro famiglia o dagli istituti mentali preposti a tale scopo, perché lì si sentono inferiori, incompresi e non riescono davvero a tirare fuori ciò che hanno dentro. Invece tra loro si sentiranno finalmente a loro agio e in grado di dar voce ai loro pensieri senza paura di essere giudicati e trattati con aria di sufficienza. In definitiva "Il club dei suicidi" lo considero un buon libro young adult (adatto anche ad un pubblico più adulto), ma non abbiate paura di affrontarlo a causa dei contenuti pesanti o troppo seriosi, perché lo scrittore è stato bravissimo a stemperare momenti drammatici e a intervallare parti tristi con alcune situazioni che divertono e mettono il buon umore. Insomma... è una lettura leggera, ma che al tempo stesso fa riflettere!
September 10, 2012
"Il club dei suicidi" è un romanzo davvero particolare. Pur trattando un argomento drammatico come il suicidio non è per niente un libro tetro o deprimente. La storia ruota attorno ai quattro protagonisti: Owen, Audrey, Jin-Ae e Frank. Sono quattro ragazzi totalmente diversi, che provengono da situazioni familiari tutt'altro che rosee, accomunati dal forte desiderio di morire. Tutti hanno già tentato il suicidio, o almeno così sembra, ma hanno fallito e, conosciutisi sul web, hanno deciso di affrontare insieme un viaggio, l'ultimo viaggio della loro vita, fermandosi a visitare tombe e luoghi di famosi suicidi fino ad arrivare alla meta finale, la Death Valley, il luogo dove mettere fine alle loro sofferenze. Ma se all'inizio del viaggio i ragazzi sono convinti della loro decisione, man mano che verranno percorsi chilometri l'ostinatezza di qualcuno vacillerà, in concomitanza di vecchie ferite riaperte e di nuovi sentimenti sbocciati.
Personalmente, trovo che il libro appassioni molto. Aiutato dalla concreta leggerezza (parliamo di 294 pagine scritte a caratteri abbastanza grandi), da una copertina che ti prende immediatamente e da un lessico molto facile, moderno e scorrevole, il libro si sa vendere bene e una volta che si comincia credo sia impossibile decidere di non finirlo, come minimo spinti dalla curiosità di sapere se alla fine questi benedetti ragazzi decideranno di attenersi al patto oppure no! Un altro fattore che mi ha molto soddisfatto è stato il realismo della storia! Tutti i dettagli menzionati, gli eventi storici, i musicisti, gli attori, i film, tutto è realmente esistito o esiste ancora! Senza contare che non trovo difficile credere che un episodio del genere possa realmente verificarsi, visto l'alto tasso dei suicidi giovanili, specialmente negli Stati Uniti!
Mi sentirei di consigliare questo libro a tutti, senza riserve, perchè è una lettura piacevole, di scarso impegno, concisa ed efficace, e se vogliamo anche di formazione, di crescita o meglio di rinascita, perchè tutti i protagonisti, in qualche modo, alla fine del libro riescono a ricominciare e a trovare la pace!
Personalmente, trovo che il libro appassioni molto. Aiutato dalla concreta leggerezza (parliamo di 294 pagine scritte a caratteri abbastanza grandi), da una copertina che ti prende immediatamente e da un lessico molto facile, moderno e scorrevole, il libro si sa vendere bene e una volta che si comincia credo sia impossibile decidere di non finirlo, come minimo spinti dalla curiosità di sapere se alla fine questi benedetti ragazzi decideranno di attenersi al patto oppure no! Un altro fattore che mi ha molto soddisfatto è stato il realismo della storia! Tutti i dettagli menzionati, gli eventi storici, i musicisti, gli attori, i film, tutto è realmente esistito o esiste ancora! Senza contare che non trovo difficile credere che un episodio del genere possa realmente verificarsi, visto l'alto tasso dei suicidi giovanili, specialmente negli Stati Uniti!
Mi sentirei di consigliare questo libro a tutti, senza riserve, perchè è una lettura piacevole, di scarso impegno, concisa ed efficace, e se vogliamo anche di formazione, di crescita o meglio di rinascita, perchè tutti i protagonisti, in qualche modo, alla fine del libro riescono a ricominciare e a trovare la pace!
January 14, 2011
Crash Into Me by Albert Borris is a book about four teenagers: Owen, Frank, Jin-Ae and Audrey. All of them want out; they don’t want to live any longer. Or thats what they think. Each one has their own reasons for feeling like they can no longer live, and that they should just take their lives away by simply killing themselves. After all four attempt suicide and fail, the four teens meet online and make a pact; to go on a road trip to visit celebrity suicide sites, and at the end of the road trip they will take their lives away. As the four teens travel all over the country, they learn that not everything in life is horrible, and even though not one of them have a ‘picture perfect’ life, it is not as bad as they thought, and maybe it’s actually worth living. But once they’ve started their journey, is there any turning back around?
Wonderfully written, this book made me feel like I was there on the road trip with them, feeling their pain and loneliness in life. I could really relate to this book, so it made reading it much more interesting. This book isn’t just about four kids who want to kill themselves, it’s also about life and that bad things can turn good, and I think that reading this book you can learn the true meaning of life.
I give this book a three out of five stars because at some points in the book it did get a little slow, and I just did not find that I was in any rush to finish it. This book might not appeal to everybody, especially if you’re not into the whole team drama kind of books. I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys those kinds of books though.
Wonderfully written, this book made me feel like I was there on the road trip with them, feeling their pain and loneliness in life. I could really relate to this book, so it made reading it much more interesting. This book isn’t just about four kids who want to kill themselves, it’s also about life and that bad things can turn good, and I think that reading this book you can learn the true meaning of life.
I give this book a three out of five stars because at some points in the book it did get a little slow, and I just did not find that I was in any rush to finish it. This book might not appeal to everybody, especially if you’re not into the whole team drama kind of books. I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys those kinds of books though.
December 4, 2013
I barely made it through this one.
The plot in itself was interesting, and the kind of thing that once I heard it, I was instantly interested in reading it. Problem is, the plot means nothing if the characters such. And these characters MORE than sucked.
They had little personality to me. It was weird. They were so different. They had the potential to be interesting but they just weren't, and as much as I tried to be interested in them, or to care for them, I just couldn't. It was like this to me:
Friend: Oh my Gosh, Katie! Guess what I heard!
Me: What?
Friend: These four kids went on a road trip together to visit the graves of a bunch of celebrities who went and off themselves, right?
Me: Woah. I'm following you. What happened next?
Friend: Well, they went and did their thing, visited graves and all that, but in the end they just couldn't do it. Still, pretty crazy, right?
Me: Yeah, sure... lets go get pizza!
The book was JUST LIKE THAT! It was like being told a story on the news. You care, to some degree, but you don't really feel MUCH, especially since nothing actually happened. It's like, "Oh my God, I can't believe that." For about ten seconds, and then you move on with your life.
So I guess my point is, if the characters had been more relatable, and if the main character hadn't started bawling every damned chapter, I probably would have enjoyed it more.
The plot in itself was interesting, and the kind of thing that once I heard it, I was instantly interested in reading it. Problem is, the plot means nothing if the characters such. And these characters MORE than sucked.
They had little personality to me. It was weird. They were so different. They had the potential to be interesting but they just weren't, and as much as I tried to be interested in them, or to care for them, I just couldn't. It was like this to me:
Friend: Oh my Gosh, Katie! Guess what I heard!
Me: What?
Friend: These four kids went on a road trip together to visit the graves of a bunch of celebrities who went and off themselves, right?
Me: Woah. I'm following you. What happened next?
Friend: Well, they went and did their thing, visited graves and all that, but in the end they just couldn't do it. Still, pretty crazy, right?
Me: Yeah, sure... lets go get pizza!
The book was JUST LIKE THAT! It was like being told a story on the news. You care, to some degree, but you don't really feel MUCH, especially since nothing actually happened. It's like, "Oh my God, I can't believe that." For about ten seconds, and then you move on with your life.
So I guess my point is, if the characters had been more relatable, and if the main character hadn't started bawling every damned chapter, I probably would have enjoyed it more.
April 23, 2016
This book was many things: rambling, lacking focus, tepid, and shallow.
Four teenagers take a road trip to visit the grave sites of famous people who have committed suicide. At the end of the journey, they plan to commit suicide as a group.
These four teenagers are not relatable. They are grouchy and cranky and hostile. In most cases, well-written characters are tow things: relatable or easily disliked. These characters were neither. I found them to be silly, weak, shallow, and conceited. I feel like these qualities present in the characters are qualities people assume are present in suicidal people, especially teenagers. Audrey's obsession with Kurt Cobain and Nirvana was so stereotypical and contrived, I could feel my eyes rolling in the back of my head.
Additionally, I found the plot meandering and lacking focus. Each gravesite or stop on the tour lacked meaning and depth. Even moments that were meant to be climactic were so completely lackluster.
To round out the blah chapters, everyone suddenly decides they want to live. Not for a good reason. Not after an epiphany. They just realize that they were being silly.
I wanted to like this book. I have a read a number of books about suicide and suicide in teenagers. I found them full of depth and insight into those with suicide. This book however, was not insightful, deep, or meaningful.
Four teenagers take a road trip to visit the grave sites of famous people who have committed suicide. At the end of the journey, they plan to commit suicide as a group.
These four teenagers are not relatable. They are grouchy and cranky and hostile. In most cases, well-written characters are tow things: relatable or easily disliked. These characters were neither. I found them to be silly, weak, shallow, and conceited. I feel like these qualities present in the characters are qualities people assume are present in suicidal people, especially teenagers. Audrey's obsession with Kurt Cobain and Nirvana was so stereotypical and contrived, I could feel my eyes rolling in the back of my head.
Additionally, I found the plot meandering and lacking focus. Each gravesite or stop on the tour lacked meaning and depth. Even moments that were meant to be climactic were so completely lackluster.
To round out the blah chapters, everyone suddenly decides they want to live. Not for a good reason. Not after an epiphany. They just realize that they were being silly.
I wanted to like this book. I have a read a number of books about suicide and suicide in teenagers. I found them full of depth and insight into those with suicide. This book however, was not insightful, deep, or meaningful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2012
I was looking forward to reading this book when I got it from the library. When I started it, though, I found myself struggling with connecting with any of the characters. I'll admit that some of them had their moments, but I found myself not caring about any of them. I think this was due to the writing. There wasn't a lot of emotion in any of the scenes or dialogue. It's like Borris held back with any emotion, like he didn't want to show any 'sentimentality'. With a topic concerning suicide, though, I expected emotion, you know?
I myself have been in the hospital twice for depression, yet I just couldn't connect with the story. The road trip idea was really cool, but I feel like it fell flat for me. There was a lot of action, but for what? That's how I felt after I finished the book.
To be honest, I hated most of the characters in this book. I really didn't like Audrey. She was so mean and just plain annoying, like one of those people who will do whatever they can to be the center of attention. I found it horrible when she intercepted Jin-Ae's call. Who the hell does that? And we're supposed to like her?
Overall, I was disappointed with this book. I feel like it could have been so much better.
I myself have been in the hospital twice for depression, yet I just couldn't connect with the story. The road trip idea was really cool, but I feel like it fell flat for me. There was a lot of action, but for what? That's how I felt after I finished the book.
To be honest, I hated most of the characters in this book. I really didn't like Audrey. She was so mean and just plain annoying, like one of those people who will do whatever they can to be the center of attention. I found it horrible when she intercepted Jin-Ae's call. Who the hell does that? And we're supposed to like her?
Overall, I was disappointed with this book. I feel like it could have been so much better.
July 16, 2009
CRASH INTO ME was pretty much what I expected it to be. It took me a while to understand/distinguish the different characters, and quite a while fot them to actually start developing. That being said, I have to point out that this book sort of skims over things in fast-motion...I felt like the character's weren't delved into far enough--I hardly understood why anyone of them even decided to commit suicide in the first place. I mean, it's explained why the main character, Owen, is suicidal, but I never really FELT his emotion. I felt like it was watered down somehow--I mean, if you're going to write a book like this, it should be darker, grittier...I just didn't really experience any emotion with the characters. However, I could at least relate to them in some ways...The ending was predicatble, but good, and came kind of fast...and was cut a bit short. If the book was a bit longer, deeper, it would have been better, but I did still enjoy it. There were some funny moments...nothing amazing, but it's a nice, quick read.
May 9, 2010
This was similar to a Nick Hornby book, A Long Way Down.
Like ALWD, this book is about four people who want to kill themselves. (Teenagers, in this case.) They decide to take a road trip and visit graves (of famous people who have killed themselves--Anne Sexton, Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson and Kurt Cobain) and then go to Death Valley and kill themselves.
The book is a lot less depressing than you'd think (at least in parts--it's still pretty heavy reading material, because it's about four people who--at least initially--want to die).
I generally have a very low tolerance for whiny teenagers but I really liked all four of the characters in this one (even Audrey, with her weird Kurt Cobain obsession--the radio was playing All Apologies the other night when I was driving home from work, and I was stunned--STUNNED!--that I once really liked them. IMO, they haven't held up well).
I think it's because the teens in this one really aren't that whiny. They're unhappy, yeah, but they have pretty solid reasons to be.
Like ALWD, this book is about four people who want to kill themselves. (Teenagers, in this case.) They decide to take a road trip and visit graves (of famous people who have killed themselves--Anne Sexton, Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson and Kurt Cobain) and then go to Death Valley and kill themselves.
The book is a lot less depressing than you'd think (at least in parts--it's still pretty heavy reading material, because it's about four people who--at least initially--want to die).
I generally have a very low tolerance for whiny teenagers but I really liked all four of the characters in this one (even Audrey, with her weird Kurt Cobain obsession--the radio was playing All Apologies the other night when I was driving home from work, and I was stunned--STUNNED!--that I once really liked them. IMO, they haven't held up well).
I think it's because the teens in this one really aren't that whiny. They're unhappy, yeah, but they have pretty solid reasons to be.
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