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A review by xangemtheelibrarian
The Book of Denial by Ricardo Chavez Castaeda
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Cheez-its. This was... this was a lot.
Unruly is a newish imprint of Enchanted Lion Books, and this imprint is specifically dedicated to creating picture books for teens and adults. I bring this up because they talk about it on the copyright page. I thought it was really interesting info, and it was a factor in my deciding to read it.
The format of this book, being a YA picture book, is highly unusual to say the least. Stark black and white illustrations support and emphasize the text in this book. The way words are written are sometimes typed, sometimes hand-written, and sometimes written in cursive like a child. The text is meant to flow with the images, just like a picture book. And I adore that SO much about this book. The fact that I was also able to read this in a couple hours with interruptions was also really bolstering for me, as I've struggled to not DNF every single book I've picked up this year. (The number of DNFs I have compared to my actual read list is shameful.)
The story itself is so dark. But that's really only if you skip the Happy Ending and read through to the true end of the book. That's right! There's two endings, and you can choose where you want to end! But, I honestly couldn't resist seeing what the Unhappy Ending was about after what felt like reading a challenge from the author himself: "Those who don't wish to suffer should not continue." Apparently, I am a bit of a masochist. And also... the Happy Ending just didn't truly feel like an ending to me. It felt unfinished.
This whole of this story is very pointedly about killing children. All the massacres that have happened over time: King Herod killing the Holy Innocents (all babies under the age of two in a desperate bid to kill Jesus), the thousands of infants that were left out and abandoned during Nero's reign in Rome, the children sent off to war during the time of Napoleon, the children who starved to death in the 1900's while their adoptive parents stuffed rags in their ears to keep from hearing their cries. The narrator, a child himself, is horrified by the history his father writes about in a hardcover blank notebook.
And when you read the Unhappy Ending? Yeah.... you'll suffer some heartbreak. The author did a phenomenal job of foreshadowing, because there were moments when I started wondering "What if...?" And indeed. I was partially right about the plot twist there at the end.
I am slightly sickened and completely heartbroken over this story. Who knew a picture book could hurt so much? Well done. This was, in fact, one of The Worst Book(s) In the World.
Time to find a lighter story to do a bit of a palate cleanse.
Unruly is a newish imprint of Enchanted Lion Books, and this imprint is specifically dedicated to creating picture books for teens and adults. I bring this up because they talk about it on the copyright page. I thought it was really interesting info, and it was a factor in my deciding to read it.
The format of this book, being a YA picture book, is highly unusual to say the least. Stark black and white illustrations support and emphasize the text in this book. The way words are written are sometimes typed, sometimes hand-written, and sometimes written in cursive like a child. The text is meant to flow with the images, just like a picture book. And I adore that SO much about this book. The fact that I was also able to read this in a couple hours with interruptions was also really bolstering for me, as I've struggled to not DNF every single book I've picked up this year. (The number of DNFs I have compared to my actual read list is shameful.)
The story itself is so dark. But that's really only if you skip the Happy Ending and read through to the true end of the book. That's right! There's two endings, and you can choose where you want to end! But, I honestly couldn't resist seeing what the Unhappy Ending was about after what felt like reading a challenge from the author himself: "Those who don't wish to suffer should not continue." Apparently, I am a bit of a masochist. And also... the Happy Ending just didn't truly feel like an ending to me. It felt unfinished.
This whole of this story is very pointedly about killing children. All the massacres that have happened over time: King Herod killing the Holy Innocents (all babies under the age of two in a desperate bid to kill Jesus), the thousands of infants that were left out and abandoned during Nero's reign in Rome, the children sent off to war during the time of Napoleon, the children who starved to death in the 1900's while their adoptive parents stuffed rags in their ears to keep from hearing their cries. The narrator, a child himself, is horrified by the history his father writes about in a hardcover blank notebook.
And when you read the Unhappy Ending? Yeah.... you'll suffer some heartbreak. The author did a phenomenal job of foreshadowing, because there were moments when I started wondering "What if...?" And indeed. I was partially right about the plot twist there at the end.
I am slightly sickened and completely heartbroken over this story. Who knew a picture book could hurt so much? Well done. This was, in fact, one of The Worst Book(s) In the World.
Time to find a lighter story to do a bit of a palate cleanse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail