Story that destroyed me. | History is all you left me (Bilingual review)

Author – Adam Silvera

Expected publication - January 17th 2017 by Soho Teen

320 pages

Goodreads – 4,44/ 179

OCD-afflicted Griffin has just lost his first love, Theo, in a drowning accident. In an attempt to hold onto every piece of the past, he forges a friendship with Theo's last boyfriend, Jackson. When Jackson begins to exhibit signs of guilt, Griffin suspects he's hiding something, and will stop at nothing to get to the truth about Theo's death. But as the grieving pair grows closer, readers will question Griffin's own version of the truth both in terms of what he's willing to hide and what true love means.

Last month I finally got around to read Adam´s debut novel More happy than not. I had it on my wishlist for so long time and now it’s not just one of the best books I’ve ever read this year, but one of the best books I’ve ever read. It's quite obvious I couldn't wait for his new book.

You were finally able to speak back to me Theo, and I don´t like everything you had to say.

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I loved Griffin from the very beginning. It was so easy to relate to him. I´m not going to lie, it´s mainly because he was a Potterhead (yeah, I don´t need much to be happy. Even though I don't get how it's possible that out of all these amazing characters, his favorite is Cedric Diggory.) but then when I got to know him better, it hasn´t changed at all. I just loved him more and more. Besides, I've never read a book where the main character, or any other character for that matter, had OCD before, so it´s really interesting to see how a person with OCD sees the world around him. (Btw, it´s not right that this story has 293 pages.)

I fell in love with other characters as well. It was such a shame Theo died. It wasn’t fair and I was hoping that he’ll come to life even though I knew it was impossible. (I know life is never fair.) I wanted them to be together. But then I came to terms with it.

Jackson was a big support for Griffin (their scenes kind of reminded me of Tell the wolves I´m home by Carol Rifka Brunt) and Wade added something unexpected to the story. Though it bothers me a little that he didn't have more space.

It’s great how every character is a bit unique because it makes them real.

This story follows two time lines – History and Today. Before and after Theo´s death. History shows us Griffin´s and Theo´s relationship, Today starts with Theo´s funeral and Griffin has to deal with the loss of his first love and best friend. These two time lines are changing with each chapter. One moment I was smiling and fangirling because they were so cute together, next I was almost crying. This book is an emotional roller-coaster but not emotional blackmailing. It´s a book about love, family, friendship and loss.

“I mean it: Promise me.“

“I promise you. I´ll never die.“

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I fell in love with this book immediately. Adam has a fantastic and brilliant writing style. If you haven´t heard about him yet you certainly will. I´m sure that everyone who loves young adult literature will know him one day. Just like everyone knows the names Sarah J. Mass, Cassandra Clare or John Green. He certainly is talented enough for it.

This story is written so realistically, you feel like you're living inside of it. It made me feel so many emotions I thought it will kill me, but I couldn’t stop reading it because it was so perfect. My heart was breaking more than I could count, I was hurting, I suffered but it was such a beautiful and powerful story that it was worth it. I had tears in my eyes. And then I felt empty like there was a giant gaping hole in my chest I could never fill again. (Last time it happened when I was reading More happy than not. Do you see what Adam Silvera does to me?)  

(I also appreciate a lot of references to Harry Potter, superheroes, Star Wars, Doctor Who etc.)

After reading two of his books Adam Silvera became one of my all time favorite authors and I can´t wait for his next books and the physical copy of this one. I can’t wait to re-read it one day.

Go read this book and once you’re at it, read MHTN as well, you won’t regret it. They are little treasures of young adult literature. I knew from the beginning that this book doesn’t deserve 5 out of 5 stars but at least 10.

I thank Soho Teens and Edelweiss for this ARC.

Book will be out January 17^th 2016.

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Autor – Adam Silvera

Vydavateľstvo – Soho Teen

Rok vydania – 2017

Počet strán - 320

Hodnotenie na Goodreads – 4,44/ 179

Minulý mesiac som sa konečne dostala k Adamovej knihe More happy than not. Tú knihu som mala na wishliste už dlhú dobu a nakoniec sa zaradila nielen k najlepším knihám tohto roka, ale k najlepším knihám, čo som kedy čítala. Je teda jasné, že som sa nevedela dočkať jeho novej knihy.

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Griffina som si obľúbila okamžite, bolo tak ľahké sa s ním stotožniť. Nebudem klamať, z väčšej časti to bolo preto, že sa veľmi rýchlo prejavil ako Potterhead (áno, málo mi stačí ku šťastiu. Aj keď ako môže mať niekto zo všetkých tých postáv najradšej Cedrica?!), ale ako som ho spoznávala, nezmenilo sa to. Navyše som ešte nečítala knihu, kde mala hlavná postava obsedantno-kompulzívnu poruchu, takže to bolo pre mňa veľmi zaujímavé vidieť, ako taký človek vníma svet okolo neho. (Mimochodom, nebolo správne, že príbeh má 293 strán.)

Zamilovala som si však aj ostatné postavy. Thea bola obrovská škoda, viac ako polovicu knihy som dúfala, že sa stane zázrak a nejako ožije. Aj keď som vedela, že je to nemožné. Ale proste nebolo správne, že umrel. Nebolo to fér. (Ja viem, život nikdy nie je fér.) Chcela som ich mať spolu. Potom som sa s tým nejako zmierila.

Jackson bol Griffinovou obrovskou oporou (tie scény s ním mi trochu pripomínali knihu Řekni vlkům, že jsem doma od Carol Rifky Bruntovej) a Wade vložil do príbehu niečo, čo som naozaj neočakávala. Jedine ma pri ňom mrzí, že nemal viac priestoru.

Je však super, ako každá z postáv má svoje zvláštnosti, pretože ich to robí reálnejšími.

Kniha sleduje dve časové línie – minulosť a súčasnosť. Pred a po Theovej smrti. Minulosť ukazuje Griffinov a Theov vzťah, súčasnosť začína Theovym pohrebom. Griffin sa teda musí vyrovnať so stratou prvej lásky a svojho najlepšieho kamaráta v jednom. Tieto dve časové línie sa striedali po každej kapitole. Takže zatiaľ čo som sa pri časti „pred“ usmievala a kňučala, akí sú spolu roztomilí, pri nasledujúcej kapitole som už mala slzy v očiach. Poviem vám, táto kniha je riadna emočná bomba, ale nie je to emocionálne vydieranie. Je to kniha o láske, rodine, priateľstve a strate.

It´s been one month since you died.

It´s been one month since you lived.

Do knihy som sa zamilovala od úplne prvého momentu. Adam píše proste fantasticky a geniálne. Ak ste o ňom ešte nepočuli, verte mi, že ešte budete. Tiež si dovolím tvrdiť, že ho raz bude poznať každý milovník young adult literatúry. Ako Sarah J. Mass, Cassandru Clare či Johna Greena. Schopnosti na to nepochybne má. Je to napísané tak veľmi reálne, že čitateľ to maximálne prežíva. A je tam toľko emócii, že som sa bála, že ma to zabije, ale napriek tomu som nemohla prestať čítať, pretože to bolo tak dobré. Táto kniha mi pravidelne lámala srdce, bolelo to, trpela som, ale bol to tak nádherný a silný príbeh, že to za to proste stálo. Nielen raz som mala slzy v očiach. A potom som sa cítila prázdna, akoby som mala v hrudi obrovskú dieru, ktorú už viac nezaplním. (To sa mi stalo naposledy pri MHTN. Vidíte, čo mi to Adam Silvera robí?!)

(Osobne naozaj oceňujem aj množstvo referencií nielen na Harryho, ale aj na superhrdinov, Star wars, Doctora Who a podobne.)

Po dvoch knihách sa Adam stal jedným z mojich najobľúbenejších autorov a teším sa nielen na jeho Ďalšie knihy, ale aj na finálnu kópiu tejto. A rozhodne si dám niekedy rada re-reading. Asi nemusím hovoriť, že túto knihu (ale aj MHTN) všetkým odporúčam a určite ňou nešliapnete vedľa. Už od začiatku som chcela knihe udeliť 10* z 5. Sú to poklady spomedzi young adult literatúry.

Za ARC veľmi pekne ďakujem vydavateľstvu Soho Teens a Edelweiss, cez ktoré som sa ku knihe dostala.

Vychádza už 17. januára 2017.

(Tiež veľmi ďakujem Arvari a Sime za pomoc s prekladom. A za trpezlivosť. Eh.)

Kam ďalej?

• They both die at the end
• Because you love to hate me