CW: neglect, hallucinations, anxiety, self-harm

I haven’t seen many people talk about this book, but the few I have seen loved it.

Unfortunately, I must say I don’t feel the same way. I found this book to be mostly average, even though I was hoping to enjoy it.

My favorite thing about this book was its formatting. In addition to the illustrations and visuals throughout, the pages go from white in the beginning to black in the end. They’re grey in the middle, with smeared edges (for lack of a better word), and it just looks really cool. The chapters are also very short, only a page or two, and makes the book a quick read.

Jack and August are two very developed and very flawed characters. They have negligent parents and instead give each other what they need, regardless of the toll it takes on themselves. August develops anxiety, and Jack has vivid hallucinations. They’re boys trying to cope as best they can while on their own against the world. I liked them, but I wasn’t attached to them.

It’s not explicitly stated, but throughout the book I think the boys are questioning their sexuality. They have an extremely slow friends-to-lovers relationship, one that kind of simmers beneath the surface of the story as it progresses. In the end their relationship is confirmed, and although the story ends shortly after, I think they’d be a sweet, supportive couple.

I’m not sure where I got lost, to be honest. This book is a strange one, but that’s never deterred me before. I found the story intriguing and I liked the characters. I just never got hooked, I suppose, and therefore didn’t get truly invested. I read the book, finished it, and that’s that. This is such a weird state to be in upon finishing a book, and a difficult one to write a review in as well. I’m not sure that makes sense but whatever, I’ll go with it.

I liked many aspects of this novel, but overall I found it mostly average. However, I’d still recommend it; just because it wasn’t my cup of ice cream doesn’t mean it won’t be yours.