You're Losing Me, Kid: 'Phantom Limbs' Blog Tour

Phantom Limbs

Author: Paula Garner
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Death, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Romance, LGBT, Coming of Age, Family
Publisher: Candlewick
Page Number: 368 Pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

How do you move on from an irreplaceable loss? In a poignant debut, a sixteen-year-old boy must learn to swim against an undercurrent of grief—or be swept away by it.

Otis and Meg were inseparable until her family abruptly moved away after the terrible accident that left Otis’s little brother dead and both of their families changed forever. Since then, it’s been three years of radio silence, during which time Otis has become the unlikely protégé of eighteen-year-old Dara—part drill sergeant, part friend—who’s hell-bent on transforming Otis into the Olympic swimmer she can no longer be. But when Otis learns that Meg is coming back to town, he must face some difficult truths about the girl he’s never forgotten and the brother he’s never stopped grieving. As it becomes achingly clear that he and Meg are not the same people they were, Otis must decide what to hold on to and what to leave behind. Quietly affecting, this compulsively readable debut novel captures all the confusion, heartbreak, and fragile hope of three teens struggling to accept profound absences in their lives.

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Loss. It's something that we all experience. But do some people feel it even more than others? Does losing your best friend/crush feel worse than losing your limbs? This book explores the complex pain of loss in a unique fashion by following a horny teenage boy and his long lost crush now found.

Dara was the best. She was the only character I truly liked in this entire book. She was sassy and snarky. I'm a sucker for sassy and snarky. But she was too harsh on everybody for me to love her. But she was cool. I wouldn't ever hang out with her; she's probably hit me a lot and verbally abuse me. But I wouldn't mind watching her from a mile away. Like watching a tiger in the zoo. Because Dara is a tiger.

The emotions that Meg had were so...painful. It hurt to read it. I felt so sorry for her. And I know that people who've gone through loss aren't strangers to pity. She would hate the pity, but I still pity her. She had such a strong connection to Mason's death. It was so awful for her to go through that. I can't even imagine. The author wrote this pain so well. I feel, though, if this was Meg's story, I'd like it more.

But, I couldn't stand Otis. He is a horny teenage boy. There is no way to censor that. He thought about sex constantly and stared at every girl's ass. Even Dara's. I know that this is probably true with horny teenage boys all across the world, but we could have had less of this. It was a slap in the face. I'm used to people being perverted, but this is way too far. There is no reason for me to read this. I could talk to my Florida friends and get much funnier, perverted stuff.

I typically don't encourage people to chase after someone who doesn't want them. Not that I typically give relationship advice. But if this girl is gone, she's gone. Don't get hung up on her. Honestly, if I was Otis's friend, I'd give him some crazy good advice. For example, "Dude, she's gone. Leave it be" or "She has a boyfriend. Quit it." Stuff like that. But Otis's stalking is too far.

ABOUT PAULA GARNER:

Paula Garner spends most of her time making food, drinks, and narratives, despite being surrounded by an alarming TBR pile and a very bad cat. Her debut YA novel, Phantom Limbs, comes out from Candlewick in 2016. Paula is represented by Molly Jaffa of Folio Lit, and lives in the Chicago area with her family.

LINKS: Website | Twitter

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

9/5: Such A Novel Idea - Guest Post

9/6: The Litaku - Review

9/7: The Irish Banana Review - Top 10

9/8: Pretty Deadly Reviews - Review

9/9: Resch Reads and Reviews - Guest Post

Week 2:

9/12: The Plot Bunny - Review

9/13: Go Read A Book - Q&A

9/14: Buried Under Books - Review

9/15: Novel Novice - Playlist

9/16: The Young Folks - Review

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of PHANTOM LIMBS (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: 'Lovely, Dark, and Deep' by Amy McNamara

Lovely, Dark, and Deep

Amy McNamara

Goodreads / Amazon

A resonant debut novel about retreating from the world after losing everything—and the connections that force you to rejoin it.&nbsp> Since the night of the crash, Wren Wells has been running away. Though she lived through the accident that killed her boyfriend Patrick, the girl she used to be didn’t survive. Instead of heading off to college as planned, Wren retreats to her father’s studio in the far-north woods of Maine. Somewhere she can be alone. Then she meets Cal Owen. Dealing with his own troubles, Cal’s hiding out too. When the chemistry between them threatens to pull Wren from her hard-won isolation, Wren has to choose: risk opening her broken heart to the world again, or join the ghosts who haunt her.

The Big Picture:

Only reason I started to read this book because is about a girl named Wren. I'm always interested in books about Wrens. I always like comparing myself to her/him and figuring out what we have in common.
I was surprised by this haunting book. It was quite good. I felt a connection to Wren. I felt like she was me in a way.
I liked her transformation. It was slow and steady. It changed in subtle ways.
The romance wasn't something I liked necessarily. I felt like it was uncalled for and rushed. Not that Cal wasn't interesting or anything.
And the plot was a bit dull. It was slow for sure. And nothing really happened.
This book stunned me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
But the one thing I got from this book was this: there is always hope.

The Dirty Details: 

As I went through this book, I felt a connection to her. To Wren. I am her. And she is me. In a way. We are both creators. She takes photographs. I write. We make things. We make beautiful things seem haunting. We make haunting things seem beautiful. We make the world look different. (Or so I hope.)
I knew that I would grieve like she did. I felt like I would cut myself off from the world if I had a loved one die. I would stop speaking. I would mope and listen to music and read. I felt like our reactions would be the same.
It wasn't just ours names. Sure, that probably helped my feeling of connection. It wasn't just that people called us Wren even if that wasn't our legal birth name. It was her emotions. Her reactions. I saw myself in her shoes. (Not that I'd get a boyfriend at all. I mean...I'm still me. She's still her.) There was just something about her. Her vulnerability. Her quiet. I wanted to hold her close and protect her. I felt like her overprotective older sister.
Not that I didn't like the connection. I did. I thought it was great work on the author's part. It's hard to make me feel so strongly about a character.

Her transformation was slow and steady. She started off distant. Mute. She slowly came out of her shell. First with Cal. Then with Mary. Then with Zara. She came out. She gained life. I loved that. The transformation showed that grief isn't a terrible monster sitting on your back. You can push grief off and become someone new. Wren wasn't Mamie anymore. She was Wren. She was reborn. Like a phoenix. (My favorite mystical creature.)
In the end...there was hope. Hope for love. Hope for the future. I want to know where the world takes her.

The plot was a bit dull. It followed a slow story with Wren trying to make sense of the world. There wasn't much going on. She took such a passive path through life. I felt like she wasn't really living at times. I wanted her to recover quicker, but grief affects us differently. I can't say I wouldn't mope. I've never been through her sort of grief. (Or any grief for that matter.)
I wanted more drama. I wanted a fight. Maybe a parents vs Wren fight about college? Or a fight about her life choices? Her parents seemed drained, though. They didn't want to push her too hard. That's what happens with an only child. You can't push too hard. They don't have a supportive sibling to help them out. It's just you and them. (And I know how it feels to be an only child. I am one.)

I didn't like the romance. I felt like it was rushed. How long did they know each other? A few months? A few weeks? I'm not sure. These two barely met before they kissed. They barely talked. What made Cal like her? What did she like about Cal? Was it because they were both sick and tired and miserable? Or was it something else? This was never explained.
These two didn't have chemistry. Sure, Cal made Wren happy, but it never seemed to last. Her mood was a roller coaster, going up and down at random points in time. Nothing was set in stone with her.
I know that Wren and Cal helped each other, though. He made her happy in short bursts. She made him forget. They helped each other in their time of trouble. Maybe that's all that matters.

The ending shocked me. I have to admit that. I was confused. 'That's the end?' I thought. 'How can that be the end?' It was such a drop. I felt like there wasn't a floor anymore. I was stranded and lost. The story just ended.
I realized, though, after I put down my phone that the author left it open for many reasons. You're left with questions. (Many questions.) But you feel the hope, and you know Wren will get better and so will Cal. You feel it in your gut.

Rating:

4/5