Thanks to Orca Book Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
Book Summary
After the death of the main character’s boyfriend, Amir, Valentine falls into depression. One night she overdoses on various meds which makes her mother decide that a trip to the Thailand Mountains would be a good change of pace for her daughter and get her out of the house. What ensues is an adventure that nearly kills Valentine, but allows her to learn more about the world and more forward from her past by acknowledging it rather than letting it consume her.
Triggers and Review
This book deals with a lot of heavy topics including, but not limited to: death, grief and depression, overdose/suicidal thoughts, animal cruelty, rape, murder, and the darkside of tourism (i.e. prostitution, how people of other cultures are seen to be exotic, animal brutality, etc). While I don’t know much about these cultures and the civil wars going on in the area to confirm the validity, the author seems to have a good grasp of real world events and portrays the little bit that I know correctly. So yes, politics is talked about in the book, but it doesn’t slow or weigh down the book in any way.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the book and how easy it read. While not a fan of present tense, this book still worked for me, though it was a lot slower for me to get through. This book is labeled as a YA book, however, the book is quite dark and show more it deals with many heavy topics which would make it better for those who are older rather than younger. There were aspects which were haunting, and you can see that the author put a great amount of research and thought into what she was writing. The book is short, only 270 pages, but all the pages are filled with a fast-moving story that keeps you going and hoping for the best.
I really got engaged in the book and characters after the characters found murdered elephants and a little baby elephant that they named Mohawk. It had weight and impact, and Terrana handled it very well. Once that part hit, the story picked up its pace and really drew me in all the way until the end. All the darker elements were gracefully handled.
Overall, a good but also somber read with a touch of hope at the end. show less
Book Summary
After the death of the main character’s boyfriend, Amir, Valentine falls into depression. One night she overdoses on various meds which makes her mother decide that a trip to the Thailand Mountains would be a good change of pace for her daughter and get her out of the house. What ensues is an adventure that nearly kills Valentine, but allows her to learn more about the world and more forward from her past by acknowledging it rather than letting it consume her.
Triggers and Review
This book deals with a lot of heavy topics including, but not limited to: death, grief and depression, overdose/suicidal thoughts, animal cruelty, rape, murder, and the darkside of tourism (i.e. prostitution, how people of other cultures are seen to be exotic, animal brutality, etc). While I don’t know much about these cultures and the civil wars going on in the area to confirm the validity, the author seems to have a good grasp of real world events and portrays the little bit that I know correctly. So yes, politics is talked about in the book, but it doesn’t slow or weigh down the book in any way.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the book and how easy it read. While not a fan of present tense, this book still worked for me, though it was a lot slower for me to get through. This book is labeled as a YA book, however, the book is quite dark and show more it deals with many heavy topics which would make it better for those who are older rather than younger. There were aspects which were haunting, and you can see that the author put a great amount of research and thought into what she was writing. The book is short, only 270 pages, but all the pages are filled with a fast-moving story that keeps you going and hoping for the best.
I really got engaged in the book and characters after the characters found murdered elephants and a little baby elephant that they named Mohawk. It had weight and impact, and Terrana handled it very well. Once that part hit, the story picked up its pace and really drew me in all the way until the end. All the darker elements were gracefully handled.
Overall, a good but also somber read with a touch of hope at the end. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.