Because every king descends to madness eventually.
Song Vibe Check:
"Pressure" By: AViVA
"Monster" By: BB Cooper, Jake Daniels, Kaphy
"Holding out for a hero" By: Jennifer Saunders
The fun part about being in a Young Adult Fiction course at my university is the chance to be exposed to something I wouldn't usually read. And while I had heard of this book before, something about it daunted me and I never picked it up. Until now. And let me just say this:
I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO GLAD TO PICK UP A BOOK BECAUSE OF A CLASS.
I had zero expectations entering this book, but as I noticed the pages that gradually grow darker, I started thinking about the literal descending into madness. Once I started, it was hard to stop at the assigned parts of the reading we had to. It pulled me in easily, and it is a book that, like an addiction, is quite hard to let go of.
Is it the story that drew me in? Was it the curiosity to plunge into the darkness? Is it the intense relationship between our two protagonists? Likely yes to all of these.
But it is not everyday you get to see a book get away with 1-3 page chapters and be able to leave an impact in some way, shape or form. So, before I rant more about this book, let's dive into the actual madness.
Short Summary: Two "friends" are going through their last year of high school when one of them claims they see another world and that there is a prophecy that must be completed. Whether it is real or not, it's just a game, right?
Long Summary: Jack Rossi is the local jock who plays Rugby for the high school team. August Bateman is the smart, but reserved drug dealer who sells to catch up and pay all of his mother's bills as she deals with crippling depression. While their worlds are very different, there is a secret few know.
They're actually best friends. And while this is the part where I tell you "yeah, they fight over a girl"... this is not that type of story. Ever since they were little, they have been attached to each other and have grown up with games and jokes that only they know. But, when Jack suddenly starts seeing a new world, August knows this could be trouble. Everyone is telling him that it's bad. Everyone else is also telling him that he's in love with Jack, but that doesn't matter, right?
What matters is that where Jack goes, August follows. And as the two boys set out to explore this world and the "prophecy" that must be completed, August's life gets more complicated as he sets out to separate what is real or not and make sure that Jack doesn't lose himself in all of this.
But they may both be too lost already.
This book writes about mental health in a way that really hits you in the heart and I, like everyone else in our class were HERE for August & Jack. It was a story that actually DID dive into the psychiatric ward phase and I really appreciated being able to see the way it really messed with our heads (I did think the fantasy world was a real thing at one point, so I may be a bit crazy too haha) but, all of this quest in reality ends up being a journey for August to understand his sexuality and the fact that he is, in fact, in love with his best friend.
Cue the sobbing in a corner. We do get a happy ending and my heart is fulfilled. As a sweet bonus, our young adult fiction class got to meet Kayla Ancrum today and (in a follow-up article on some of our burning questions!) after meeting her, she has earned herself a new fan in me.
Also, her next works include a train heist and an Icarus retelling so there goes my money in 2024 :D
Overall: 5/5 stars