This is a very moving book, it is beautifully written but I do not know what it's really about. The blurb is somewhat misleading.

 

Is it about Asher being let known that it is not his fault, because it truly isn't. Is it about him learning the secret that split his family apart? Is it about letting your faith helping you heal? Is it about a boy learning his true path? Being gay, finding out who your real friends are?

It is about all those things, and yet not, there is not one of these things that has a proper focus. We don't get to learn anything in the end about where they're all going.

 

It is most definitely a book I'd recommend. It invoked many emotions, but I would have liked some proper focus on a few issues.

I'm trying to find a way to begin this review as I'm not a fan of repeating the whole summary when it's already out here. This novel was good. I enjoyed the most of it and I could relate with Asher in many ways. He was a likable characters, at least for me. Some would say he was a bit emotionless, a bit arrogant, and selfish. To me, he came as a strong, brave character who tried to deal with things happening around him as best as he could. When he gets a camera from his aunt, he starts to see the world through the lens of it, making him a bit delusional, trapped in his own world. He's pulled back into a reality when his dad leaves and when his mum starts to avoid his father as best as she can. She blames it all on him, saying that he leaved them all, and Asher's struggle with his mum is one of the strongest elements in this book. He doesn't think it's right what she's doing, but he's not saying anything which can lead to greater things in a future. Then there is Travis who is bugging both of them, especially his mum, who then leaves him for all or nothing to Asher.

 

At the same time, Asher meets Garrett where his own sexuality comes in question. However, I found this part a bit wary. It's not that I couldn't feel him struggling because there was jealousy involved and there were questions in his head he didn't know the answer to, but I feel as though his sexuality could've been more explored. Although, I could also see author's point and how maybe she didn't want it to be in the first plan. His struggling to fight his growing feelings was definitely interesting to read though.

 

Things start going more downhill when his brother, Travis, drowns. Now, this part is one of those I can completely understand - Asher being the way he was. The way when it seemed like he cared more about other things than his own brother's death, or the way he kept capturing the moments with his camera even after that. Shock and disbelief is most likely to cause that. However, as any other human being, he broke a few times, even though he tried to keep it together at least for his mum who seemed to be falling apart. I admire that. With all things happening around him and inside of him, he kept that "emotionless" facade. Of course, there were always cracks where you could see through it and sometimes I wished I could make things easier for him.

 

Finally, we come to religion in this book which is probably the part that irked me the most. I am born Christian and I was raised to believe that God exists. Although, my own beliefs and my own thoughts don't have or have very little connection with Christianity. Asher was Methodist, as it was mentioned few times through the book, but there are a lot of things similar to Christianity and as I'm never participating in my faith, I could not relate. Let me explain something, I accept everyone. I have nothing against religion. I just don't read a lot of books who have it as one of the main parts in the novel. I wasn't exactly bothered by it, I just couldn't relate at all so I guess that was a bit of a problem for me. But, it was helping them, helping Asher, and I was glad to see he had something he believed in.

 

All things considered, this was really good novel. Not one of my favourites and I think there were parts that could've been done better, but I enjoyed it regardless and I'm glad I've got a change to read it!

I had a bunch of issues with this book, even though I quite enjoyed reading it. Pushing three stars, so rounded up.Asher is fourteen when he receives a used camera from his aunt. He immerses himself in taking pictures while around him, life happens.This novel had a bit of everything - Asher might be gay, his parents are getting divorced, his father moved out, a tragic accident involving his brother, a disconnect from his friends, his mother's depression and possible adultery, Church attendance and services that he can't relate to - well, in the end, this book suffered from issue overload. First off, the age level given doesn't mesh with the fact that Asher's best friend Levi, who's presumably the same age, is already driving. Maybe I read that wrong. Secondly, the divorce could not possibly happen in the time frame it was portrayed, nor could Asher's father possibly get remarried in the same time frame. The plot progresses well, without any major slowdowns, and the writing style suits the internal musings of a teenage boy. The reader must keep in mind that Asher is an unreliable narrator and that not all is as it seems. The complexity and many nuances to the main character and the supporting cast were also well done. There were no one-dimensional people in this novel, and every character was well fleshed out and not reduced to his or her specific purpose. I wish that the author had tried to delve more deeply into Asher's sexual confusion, especially as that could be considered the trigger for the accident. It seemed as if that aspect of the story was buried and left open-ended,and for a novel that was billed as LGBT, I was left a little disappointed. Even the hints at the aunt being possible gay didn't make up for it. Asher's characterization for the other issues in this novel was very well done. He's old enough to become concerned with money issues and his mother's devastation at the divorce, and, like the film in his camera, sees most things in black and white. It's not until the ending that he realizes things come in many shades of gray and sees the truth that has so far been hiding. His grief is also palpable upon his brother's accident, and he begins to internalize a lot of self-hatred by blaming himself, distancing himself from his friends and love interest, and hating on his father and the new wife. That aspect of the novel was very well described and rang very true and believable. I appreciated that, while the author included faith in her novel, it wasn't shoved down my throat. The messages from the church were handled delicately and appropriately, without leaving me to feel as if the author was forcing them on me.As a coming of age story, this novel had great potential by including the message that life isn't easy and that not all is what it seems. Unfortunately, it suffered from theme overload.Suitable for readers 13 and above.I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.An interesting, and well developed coming of age story. It felt rough in places, and at times I felt like the shifts in character’s motivations and emotions shifted a bit too abruptly or unevenly. I wasn’t a huge fan of the religious themes. It wasn’t that they were handled poorly just that they aren’t necessarily my cup of tea. In light of that I was thrilled with the moral complexity, and ambiguity to the story. The characters truly were well nuanced, and complicated people. I appreciated that there were no easy answers, and that people were more than just the total of their flaws, mistakes, and their worst actions. I enjoyed the sensitive handling of difficult topics, and relationships, and the honesty of the storytelling. The ending fit the tone of the story perfectly not happily ever after, but still hopeful.