Author: R. J. Anderson
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (September 2011)
Source: My Choice; Library
From GoodReads:
Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.
This is not her story.
Unless you count the part where I killed her.
Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?
I have mixed feelings about Ultraviolet.
The first two thirds of the book are absolutely amazing. I loved the setting (mental health is kinda my thing), enjoyed the characters, and was really interesting with where the plot was going. R. J. Anderson's writing is absolutely fabulous. I don't want to spoil any plot points, but I will say there is something going on with the main character, a certain condition, and Anderson describes it beautifully.
Being in the field that I am, I understood what condition Alison had right from the start. In that way, my own prior knowledge may be why I ended up disappointed with this book. Someone else reading this book may have had a greater sense or feeling of fantasy while reading. Since I knew this was a real condition, my head was strictly in the real world while reading. Then, bam! Two thirds of the way through we get a dose of fantasy and I was completely taken off guard. Taken off guard so much, I couldn't get back on board with the novel.
I will say, after having finished the book, I don't feel as negatively towards it as I had right in the moment things changed up. The story came around and the readers are able to make their own decisions on how or what certain things were, which brings it back to reality a little for me. However, I still can't say I fully enjoyed the end. The plot twist just took me too much by surprise (and not in a good way).
Overall, I think it's worth reading because the first two thirds were too good to pass up. Just keep in mind there's a fantasy element.
Final thoughts: Borrow it.
Thanks for the honest review! I've been wanting to read this for a while, but I've heard mixed reviews on it. I will definitely be checking it out from the library when I have time. But it's not something I will be in a hurry to go grab and read right then.
ReplyDeleteHappy reading!
Yeah, it's definitely worth the read because the writing is wonderful (and it's an interesting story). Some people didn't mind the surprising plot, like I did, so maybe it won't be a problem for you. I'm definitely not disappointed that I read it. I'm hoping readers of this post who would've been disappointed like me, won't end up disappointed because they are prepared for a twist.
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