Baba 's Reviews > Illumination

3.5 stars.***Review posted October 4, 2013

Miles and Adam took a swim…




Most memorable scene of the entire book, at least for me. It's a (view spoiler)[song Adam has written.

Do you know what I mean when I say I miss you?
It's not just the good-bye in the last time I kissed you
When I see your face in the windows that I pass
Though you're far away and not behind the glass
Missing you isn't just a feeling in the way my life shakes out
I'm one big regret and no one knows what that's all about
Do you know what I mean when I say I miss you?
I would give anything to see you again
To hear the whisper of your voice, to feel the touch of your skin
I would give anything, my life, my dreams, my fate
But the thing I want the most to give is the one thing you won't take (hide spoiler)]

Do you know what I mean when I say I miss you?
Do you know what this hole in my chest signifies?
I'm standing in the rain, my heart in my hands
Just waiting for you to know what I mean
What I mean when I say I miss you

So beautiful. That made my heart leap with delight.

"Hey, ain't your fault. You were born gay--(view spoiler)[Neil (hide spoiler)] had to practice bein' a dick. I saw (view spoiler)[Evie (hide spoiler)] punch him earlier from upstairs. That was a fuckin' great punch."

I liked it. I really did but a higher rating wouldn't be justified because…well, I can't gush about it like others did. A few days ago I read another book that featured a rock star Metal Heart and Illumination is not as good as Metal Heart. I'm really sorry. I'm especially sorry for my friend Sheri whom I adore for her enthusiasm for this specific book. I would have loved to feel this intense connection that you need to rate a book with five stars. It's very unfortunate that it didn't happen for me.



The book title is very apt and provides plenty of connotations and I really liked the calligraphy. Miles is an awesome artist. He is also an artist with many issues. Since twelve years he is suffering from agoraphobia and lives a lonely and asocial life as a hermit at a rundown cottage surrounded by a lake and trees.

Up until the 70 % mark the story went rather quietly, like water that bubbled gently. What I found irritating was the fact that Adam and Miles didn't address the big elephant in the room. Meaning, I wanted them to have THE talk. Instead I had to accept that Adam treated the topic with (view spoiler)[Lisa. (hide spoiler)] I got it that Miles wasn't good with words. Still, I must say it was such a disappointment that their talks were (mostly) superficial. Yeah, evade the difficult subject matter as often as possible. Besides, Miles wasn't the only one who had to deal with issues. Adam's "recreational" (view spoiler)[drug (hide spoiler)] problem should have been addressed considerably deeper. The resolution wasn't satisfying enough and was way too convenient for my liking. I guess that's exactly my problem with this book. While there was so much potential, the execution fell a bit flat for me; there wasn't enough depth and not enough character and plot development. I'm just not satisfied anymore with scratching the surface of an interesting and severe subject matter. I need more.

Don't let my concerns put you off though. I'm sure that many readers will love this book. Happy reading!

I see your face…every place…

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