Immerse In The Death Of Us Drafted By Alice Kuipers Delivered In Digital Edition

not a fan of the writing style, The characters were interesting, but not totally captivating, I wasn't really invested in the story, to come. Alice Kuipers does something very well in The Death of Us that few authors succeed at in my opinion, She gives voice to several characters in first person narratives, and they each have a distinct and believable voice,

I adore Callie's nerdy musings as she jogs "I feel like Odysseus travelling to exotic lands, and I wonder where the LotusEaters are, or where the Cyclops lives".
The way phrases pop into her head, the way she struggles to write down her myriad of ideas, and almost everything about her resonates with me.
The way she describes her surroundings and the people is so creative and observant that I want her to be real so we sit and people watch, because I think hearing her describe what's around us would open my eyes.


cover artIvy isn't someone I would be friends with but she still feels more real than someone like her usually does in the story.
She may be the gorgeous, impulsive, center of attention but she also has a darkness in her, and an insecurity that Kuipers makes convincing, She does what she can to avoid becoming her mother, embracing life to the fullest, The wild streak this brings out in her leads her down her mother's paths though,

I enjoy that each girl tries to emulate the other, When they get stuck they imagine what their friend would do and act it out, It's interesting that it works both ways, There's a strange bond between them, they are so different but fit well together, There's also a sexual tension that is explored in a subtle way that I think demonstrates the difference between being sexy and being crude in literature for young people.


Kurt is in a unique situation of experiencing two worlds, He knows what it's like to come from that dark place, like Ivy, . . but he also knows even more luxury and sophistication than Callie, He struggles with balancing these sides of himself, I think each of the girls represents a side of him, and his attraction to them both represents that inner struggle,

The novel is a tragedy, but despite my sadness at the events that take place in itI am left feeling inspired, It's the kind of novel that makes you want to hug someone you were angry at, to really live, to write poetry, . . I think Kuipers has done a fantastic job at creating realism, You can't help but care about her characters, You can't help but hang on her words, Ivy, Callie et Kurt!
Un genre de triangle amoureux de sespersonnages qui ontans, Une soirée qui va tout changer pour lun deux, Un petit roman à découvrir Dès les premières pages, on sait quil y a eu un grave accident de voiture impliquant Ivy et Callie.
Sontelles vivantes Questil arrivé, précisément Les allersretours dans le temps agissent en tant que décompte vers cet événement tragique de la nuit du, que lon tarde à avoir les détails.
Le suspense est à son comble, et on nest pas déçu de la grande révélation,
Suite sur sitelinkPause lecture, This book felt unfinished it felt as if no one bothered to read it and look for any mistakes,

I did not enjoy the story, the characters felt so fake, and the writing style was not for me,

Kind of mad I let this one sit on my TBR for so long when I could have taken it off ages ago,STARS

Holy shit, I can definitely say that very few books have affected me as much as this one did, The ending had me full out sobbing and shaking like a leaf, Like wow I'm really at a loss for words right now, I don't think I'll ever be able to shake this story from my mind, . . And Alice Kuiper's writing It was incredible so poetic and dreamlike throughout, The entirety of this book had such a nostalgic, bittersweet feel to it, and the darker moments were so heartwrenching, it felt impossible to breathe, Pretty much all of my emotions were pulled every which way while reading this, and at the end I was left feeling pretty drained, But the last page effortlessly delivered a sense of peace and brought the whole story to a perfect end,

I picked this up without even reading the back cover, and now I can easily say this is one of my favorite books I've read this year.
Also, I'm pretty shocked that this book isn't more popular, I think this is EXTREMELY underrated, Everyone needs to read this right now!!! Describe this book in one sentence A suspenseful young adult contemporary coming of age novel about being true to yourself.


Rating PG

Why this rating LGBTQ references, kissing, drugs, and alcohol use,

For ages Okay, so on the Harper Collins Canada Site they adviseand up, but I'm going to advise this for readersand older due to above listed content.


Recommended to Fans of Amy amp Roger's Epic Detour and those who like not knowing whats going on,

Stars Two and a half out of five,

Why this number of

The Cover This is the only part of the book I can agree with myself on, I love it. The three people depicted on the cover are the three people who

tell the story and the sunset to me has always signified suspense as you never can know what the night may hold.


The Content I don't really know how I feel about this book, Reading it made me almost uncomfortable, Sometimes I felt like throwing the book across the room and other times I couldn't get enough, My emotions were thrown around like your stomach on a tiltawhirl, At times I didn't know where the story was taking me and at others I thought I had a grasp on what was going on only for the whole perspective to change by a turn of plot.


Character Development Callie, one of the main characters, came to terms with her sexual orientation through the course of the book, but the character I felt most proud of by the end of this book was her mother.
Her mother finally realized that she was neglecting her child and needed to reconnect with her, I really didn't like Ivy's character at all, She compulsively lied and didn't seem to regret it, She reminded me of those mean girls in high school who are always going to parties and are pretty shallow on the whole,

Would I read the second book Honestly, I'm not sure, I might read other books by Mrs, Kuipers, but I would not read the sequel to this book,

Find more sitelink blogspot. com The death of us is a very gripping book, that's mainly because, the characters in the book are so well written, so props to that Alice Kuipers.
I could really relate to all of the characters on some level,
I loved how the book shifts perspective from person to person, but I think Xander could've been a little more described, or that we for example also saw from his point of view.
It takes a little while for you to realize, what the book really is about, so you just have to keep reading, Overall it is a good book with a good message, drugs and suicide This is not a long book, very quick read, but packs quite an impact,
It's a coming of age story of Callie, a good girl, whose estranged best friend Ivy comes back to town after a three year absence.
Despite her parents' wishes because of things from the past, Callie finds herself unable to stay away from Ivy, Callie spreads her wings a little, has some normal teenage fun and discovers truths about herself.

A quick read, but definitely intense, spellbinding and worth reading, Got to pageand put it down, Other than a text saying there was an accident, nothing much happens, The opening is supposed to draw the reader in, not bore them, I see if has a lot of good reviews, but it's just not for me, I read an advance reader copy of this and really enjoyed it, The sparing, poetic style is reminiscent of We Were Liars by E, Lockhart as is the plotline, which combined presentday actions with those of a few weeks before, The three narrators have distinct voices, allowing you to really get to know Kurt, Ivy and Callie, All that said, the action, mystery and suspense will make this a good pick for teens who like me will likely be so anxious to figure out all of the mysteries that they'll rush through it in a single sitting.
Recommended.stars. This was a quick easy read and I flew through it, The author had me hooked right away going back and forth between present and days before the present event, I loved reading from thedifferent perspectives, it let me as the reader get to know the characters and be able to know everything as each of the characters were missing certain parts which made you understand their actions, while also getting frustrated because as the reader I knew the truth for each person.
There were a couple twists later near the end that I did not see coming at all, and I really liked that, One of them really blew my mind and had me thinking back to all the chapters from that character's perspective and having it all come together.
The only thing I didn't like was that once the big reveals were made, the very end chapter/sections felt suddenly very rushed and I would have liked a little more 'After' section for that last chapter or a little more closure, etc.
But all in all, I enjoyed it, Sort of a disappointment. I've been a huge Alice Kuipers fan ever since I read Life on the Refrigerator Door and The Worst Thing She Ever Did, but this one couldn't live up to the other two by far.
The way it was framed before and after the incident made it difficult to follow at points, especially with shifting points of view, However, the plot was full of welldisguised surprises and the characters of Ivy and Callie were both very well done, Maybe I'm just getting too old for teen fiction Sounds sad, I'll always love Life on the Refrigerator Door and The Worst Thing She Ever Did, but The Death of Us was not for me, Quick, easy read. Didnt see that twist coming even though she did hint at it several times, It was a gut punch I still havent recovered from, Did you find this review helpful Find more of my reviews at sitelinkPop! Goes The Reader!

“Police and ambulance workers are pulling a car out of the river.
The car is smashed up but not beyond recognition,
Its Ivys car.
My stomach rolls.
Its Ivys car.
Angel is frantic.
Oh man, I think, Callie. ”

Callie Carraway and Ivy Foulds, Two best friends as inextricable and devoted as any two girls could be, That is until a potentially deadly, disastrous discovery and a sudden separation make it appear as though that chapter of Callies life has been closed forever.
Lost in the wake of her best friends unexpected disappearance, Callie attempts to put the past firmly behind her, struggling instead with feelings of resentment and jealousy over her new baby brother, Cosmo, worry over her beloved grandmothers failing health, all while patently ignoring the feelings that Ivy once inspired in her.
Instead, she begins to spend more time with her friend Kurt, writing for their shared passion, the schools magazine, Flat Earth Theory, For better or worse, however, the past does not remain buried for very long, Three years after leaving the quiet town of Edenville, like Dorothy being swept into Oz, Ivy returns on a tornado of secrets, lies and deception that will alter the course of Callie and Kurts lives forever.
Now dressing only in white and tightlipped about what has occurred since she has last seen her best friend, Ivy remains the same effervescent, enigmatic mystery with indefatigable energy that once attracted and excited Callie all those years before.
As the two begin to spend more and more time together, Ivys attention becomes firmly rooted on Kurt, and the three teenagers are soon caught in a treacherous, unpredictable love triangle that will threaten their relationships, their sanity, and even their very lives.
After all, perhaps its true what they say: Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,

“Theyre talking about girls, About Ivy. Sure, they all want her, Blonde, sexy. Flips her hair over her shoulder when she wants me to kiss her, Shes just out of reach, Just something. The girl everyone watches on stage, Cant help it. ”

Is the complete absence of feeling in itself a feeling What determines a readers level of emotional investment in a story How does one rate a novel that it not objectively bad, but continually contradicts ones own personal preferences and promises to leave no lasting impression These were all questions I was forced to confront upon completion of Alice Kuiperss The Death Of Us.
An unsolicited advance reader copy that arrived with two other books I had requested from Harper Collins Canada, The Death Of Us was a novel I was initially excited about.
With the promised inclusion of a recovered friendship and a dark secret that threatened to tear Callie and Ivy apart forever, The Death Of Us sounded like a taught, intriguing psychological thriller from a critically acclaimed author who had been lauded many times before.
Unfortunately, despite the highest of hopes and the best of intentions, The Death Of Us was a resounding disappointment, In truth, this novel did not inspire much of a response from me at all, be it positive or negative and therein lies the problem, As quickly as I was able to read this story and as important as the issues it examines are, I felt absolutely nothing for this book or its characters.
There was no righteous indignation or gushing enthusiasm, Only a general sense of ennui, Though far from the worst novel I have ever read, stale, twodimensional characters, a convoluted, poorly executed narrative style, and a surprising twist ending that was anything but all coalesced to create a thoroughly unremarkable, unmemorable story that was little more than a chore to slog through and proved even more difficult to review.


“Soon Kevin pulls into the alleyway at the back of his house, Same house, same muddy alleyway, same everything, The memories rush back. Three years since we lived here and everythings exactly the same,
Except me. Im different. ”

My problems with The Death Of Us began, but were unfortunately not limited to, the characters that inhabit it, Both Ivy and Kurt endeavour to escape their parents respective legacies, Ivy arrives back in Edenville with a new wardrobe, new exercise regime and a new state of mind, everything she will need for the new start she seems so determined to make.
In theory, anyway. Desperate to escape her mothers history of unrealized potential, failed relationships, unrelenting bitterness and a debilitating dependance on the bottle that makes the aforementioned even moderately bearably, Ivy cant seem to help but fall back into the patterns from which she is so determined to break free.
Kurt is a boy straddling two worlds but belonging to neither, struggling to reconcile the world of wealth, privilege and idle excess into which he has been adopted with the world of poverty and drug addiction inhabited by his biological mother, from which he has escaped.
Finally, Callie is the obedient, steadfast, reliable girl determined to rebel against the rules and expectations that threaten to smother her, The perfect student. The perfect daughter. The perfect friend. The perfect teenager. All a brittle illusion. Worried about her grandmothers failing health, jealous of her brother Cosmos close relationship with her mother, and struggling with feelings for Ivy that she can neither define, understand or admit to, Callie should have proven to be a complex, multifaceted character.
Instead, riddled with motivations, desires and aspirations that are as changeable as the weather, it was difficult to ever feel as though I had a grasp on who these characters were.
Why does Kurt begin a relationship with Ivy only to suddenly decide that his true feelings lay elsewhere Why does Ivy pursue Kurt with singleminded determination bordering on mania while continuing to only make sexual advances toward Callie Is she bisexual or merely manipulative As serious and complicated as the issues that these characters are grappling with are jealousy, insecurity, mental illness, sexuality, etc the examination of these subjects is superficial at best.
Introduced solely to create conflict amongst the characters, they are not given the time and attention that they deserve and their source, cause, and effect are left relatively unexplored.
As a result, there is no baseline from which to determine character growth or a lack thereof, because the characters are so changeable and ill defined.
This troubling lack of character development and authorial intent extends to the cast of secondary characters as well, Xander and Rebecca, the supposed best friends of two of our protagonists, are one dimensional and toneless, introduced once only to be subsequently relegated to the background with no apparent further development, purpose or influence on the events in the novel.
They exist solely to pad out the cast and otherwise add nothing of interest to the story,

“He gives nothing away, The sound of their shoes echoes down the corridor as they retreat,
This is what it means to be alone, ”

The Death Of Us is written from the first person perspective of the three main characters, Callie, Ivy, and Kurt, Kurts perspective remains firmly rooted in the present day, Julyst, while Callie and Ivys perspectives begin in the past, fourteen days prior to the events of Julyst, and then gradually progress forward in time to eventually align with Kurts.
Herein lies one of the primary issues I encountered with this novel, While I ordinarily enjoy nonlinear stories and those told from multiple points of view, I found Kuiperss narrative style both alienating and confusing, When utilized properly, multiple points of view allow a better understanding of a character and the ability to see events from a number of different, unique perspectives.
Unfortunately, Callie and Ivys narrative voice were nearly indistinguishable from one another, This caused a great deal of confusion as to who was speaking, and I often found myself having to refer back to the character delineations at the beginning of each shift in perspective in order to remind myself.
This was all the more disappointing because the author is clearly attempting to demonstrate the stark disparity between the girls personalities, something which is not entirely achieved because of their muddled and often indistinct voices.
Moreover, the nonlinear manner in which this novel is written was jarring and never allowed me to invest in or connect with the characters, Just as I as beginning to become accustomed to the rhythm of a characters voice and settle into their perspective, it would suddenly shift into another and I found myself having to begin all over again.
Even more frustrating was the fact that the characters observations and narration remained largely vague in order to preserve the surprise twist at the conclusion of the novel.
In doing so, however, Kuipers never truly utilizes the benefits of a multiple perspective narrative style, She fails to offer a deeper, more personal glimpse into the characters psyches because their narration is hindered by a desire for ambiguity and mystery, As an indirect result, I was also constantly aware that I was reading a novel and was never able to be immersed in the story, The deliberate, meticulous, and obvious construction of events and the manner in which they were related always kept me at a firm distance, As a result, the story being told never felt organic, natural, or remotely real,

“In The Odyssey, the sailors steer the ship away from the monster Charybdis, who swallows down the waters of the sea, But I cant steer the ship anymore, I cant go on like this, ”

Try as I might, I cannot possibly love every book that I read and Alice Kuipers The Death Of Us was a painful reminder of this.
A contemporary, realistic fiction story about the bonds of family, friendship and budding romance with the faintest hint of magical realism and the supernatural, The Death Of Us promised to include everything I could hope to find in a novel.
Given the relative simplicity of the story and the limited word count, I expected a clear, concise, powerful psychological thriller that packed a punch, Unfortunately my hopes were to remain unrealized, Ill defined, poorly developed characters with indistinct voices and muddled motivations, an alienating, poorly utilized narrative style, an uncompromising commitment to mystery and shock value at the expense of everything else and a general inability to connect with the story in any significant manner combined to make this an utterly unfulfilling, lacklustre read.
While I would not intentionally deter anyone from reading this story as I do not think it harmful or dangerous in the manner I have found others books, as in the case of Lauren Barnholdts Through To You, it is not a novel I feel will leave a lasting impression or remain with me long after completion.
That said, if the warm, largely positive initial praise for this novel on sites such as Goodreads are any indication, I can only conclude that Im the wayward black sheep in this rather eclectic flock.
Chin up, Callie, Ivy, and Kurt, Its not you. Its me.

Please Note: All quotations included in this review have been taken from an advance reader copy and therefore might be subject to change.
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