Charm & Strange in 2016 Hub Reading Challenge

May 27, 2014 Emily Childress-Campbell rated it liked it

Shelves: ya-lit, fantasy, 2014-yalsa-hub-reading-challenge

Why I read it: 2014 YALSA Hub Challenge, won the Morris Award

Format: Print

Pro's: I will start out by saying this is one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. That in and of itself is not a "pro", what is a "pro" is that despite the disturbing subject matter I did not want to put it down. Ellen Hopkins's endorsement on the front of the hardcover version really sums it up when she says it is, "twisted and twisting" as well as, "relentlessly compelling".

Con's: The ending feels a little rus Why I read it: 2014 YALSA Hub Challenge, won the Morris Award

Format: Print

Pro's: I will start out by saying this is one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. That in and of itself is not a "pro", what is a "pro" is that despite the disturbing subject matter I did not want to put it down. Ellen Hopkins's endorsement on the front of the hardcover version really sums it up when she says it is, "twisted and twisting" as well as, "relentlessly compelling".

Con's: The ending feels a little rushed. I find it hard to believe that the narrator has found peace of mind that quickly, but perhaps more time has elapsed than I realized. I will admit that it ended better than I expected, which was a relief after a difficult book.

I think I would have given this book a four star rating if I had not had some qualms. There is very little I can say about these qualms without writing spoilers, but suffice it to say: based on the description of the book it's not what you think it is, and needs multiple trigger warnings. Those who want more info on this can continue through to the spoilers.

(view spoiler)[ The protagonist believes he is going to turn into a wolf. This is the "wild darkness" he is telling himself he has inherited from his father and grandfather, mentally repressing the truth that his grandfather sexually molested his father, and that his father sexually molested him and his siblings, leading them to make a suicide pact that the main character backs out of. He only acknowledges the truth after two friends check him into a clinic for therapy. My qualms are not with whether this is a realistic choice on the author's part as I don't have the knowledge to address that. My qualms are with how readers may potentially respond. I knew that this book was in some way related to sexual abuse because I had seen it come up in discussions of sexual abuse in YA lit, so I can't speak to how I would feel if I were blindsided by the (albeit slow) reveal of what was actually going on. It has the potential, however, to be (at worst) very triggering to survivors of similar abuse, or (at best) annoying and offensive to a teen wanting to read about werewolves. I really have conflicted feelings about the whole "thinks he's a wolf" thing, because I never found that it ever belittled or minimized the trauma of the protagonist, but, in fact, spoke to the difficulty of dealing and coming to terms with his trauma. Additionally, if you are reading close enough you can perceive the sexual abuse early on, nor is it ever graphically described. In fact, the only point at which I felt that the wolf thing really worked was when he is in the cabin bedroom with his father and stops short of describing the abuse and begins to describe his father turning into a wolf. This is the narrator's way of distancing himself from what is happening and, therefore, perhaps mercifully, distances the reader. (It should only be noted that the narrator is drugged at the time so this may be interpreted as a hallucination.) Other this one instance, however, I think the whole wolf thing is unnecessary. The narrator's violent impulses and descriptions of his past make it evident to the reader that the narrator is suffering from trauma without his wolf delusion. Once the reader really knows what's going on it starts to feel unnecessary. (hide spoiler)]

Who would I recommend it to: Fans of Ellen Hopkins and Robert Cormier

Rating: 3.5 stars, rounding down to 3 for aforementioned qualms. ...more

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Mar 08, 2014 Bud Bill rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya

Charm & Strange is a wonderful book, but also problematic to review. I actually have a great deal to say about it, but it is one of those books where the impact will be diminished if too much is revealed in advance... (review comparing it to The Dream Thieves at http://wp.me/pC6nX-lY ) ...more

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Dec 17, 2013 Charlos rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, z_2014-hub-reading-challenge

Dual timelines interesting. Trauma was a bit overboard. Writing well done, but I am getting tired of the teen with secret milked slowly through narrative. The first person perspective was perhaps a poor choice too, as I don't see a person who was the focus of childhood trauma to be so continually poetic in his thoughts and reasonings. ...more

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May 15, 2014 Robin rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2014, yalsa-best-of-the-best-2014

This book was like getting repeatedly kicked in the stomach, with more and more emotional punches with each page. The writing is deliberately distant much of the time, like the story's protagonist. ...more

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Feb 01, 2016 Stephany rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2016

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It was not what I expected at all. Previous reviews are calling it a mindfuck and I agree. The story takes place in the past and the present. It's about an angry boy called Drew in the past and a lonely teenager known as Win in the present. Something has happened to Win to make him the way he is in the present and as he retells the past, the reader tries to figure out what is going on. What happened is mind-boggling. This book is not an easy one to read. ...more

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Mar 03, 2014 Jmrunninglib rated it liked it

Interesting, but a little hard to follow.

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Dec 10, 2013 Anna Chappell rated it really liked it

Haunting, with sparse prose that just worked for me. I enjoyed how the reader, like the main character, was never quite sure what was going on or what to believe.

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