Book Review : Release

Book Title : Release

Author : Patrick Ness

Genre : Young Adult, General Fiction

ISBN : 9781406377279

Publisher : Walker Books

Publication : May 2017

Pages : 287

Binding : Paperback

Plot :

Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...

Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course.

My Rating : 3 ☆'s

Review :

Release was my first ever from the author and having heard such great things about Patrick Ness, I was excited to read the book - but I was careful enough to not have much expectations.

I won't go to the length of saying that the book disappointed me, but for me, it did lack the punch. The book started off well and had me in its grip. I especially looked forward to the parts where the spirit's journey was described. But then it felt as if suddenly the story had stopped moving forward or that the author was just trying to drag the story on so that it becomes a novel instead of a short story. Until it is moving again and then it had me in its grip again till the very end. But the end lacked the true definition of "release" for me.

All of this is what I thought about the book till I read *Malvika's Review*. Her review made me see the book in a different light and helped me appreciate the finer things that the author was trying to point our attention to in a subtle manner.

Malvika's review reminded me that the book spans a day in the life of our protagonist Adam Thorn. But it also spans the day in the life of the dead girl in form of her rebirth through queen spirit. They both awaken each other and help the other achieve release. But what needs appreciating is the fact that all the characters in the book found their release throughout the course of the book.

Release is...

For a brother to accept his brother as he is and realise his love for him

For a father to come to terms with the fact that he can't turn a blind eye to what his children truly are

For Adam to realise what love really is and who truly loves him

For the spirit to realise vengeance has only trapped it further and only kindness can release her

But more than anything, the book makes you realise, very subtly indeed, that it's okay to hope and that it's okay to dream.

Happy Reading!