Eireann CorriganCritiques
Auteur de You Remind Me of You: A Poetry Memoir
Critiques
Greer Cannon is caught shoplifting and as punishment is sent to McCracken Hill, a school for troubled teens where they earn privileges like the use of shampoo and conditioner and meet with therapists who help them recover from troubled pasts. Then Greer meets Addison Bradley and the two fall head over heels in love with each other. Addison then introduces her to his sponsor - Joshua - and the creepy begins.
Joshua is a charismatic character who burrowed his way into Addison's life and poses as a mentor for the troubled teen. He convinces Addison, Greer and a few of their friends to go away with him to a cabin in the woods (owned by Sophie, one of Greer's friends from McCracken) and there he breaks them down and tells them about his plans for the future.
Joshua uses the weaknesses of each of the teens to force them to bend to his will. He uses them for their money and makes them feel guilty about being rich. He makes them feel reprehensible for assuming that he was Jewish because of his name and then for assuming that he couldn't be Jewish because he was black. He uses everything about them to make them submissive and loyal to him. On a scale of one to ten, Joshua is a 20 on the creepster scale.
I enjoyed Corrigan's writing style. Greer's narrative flowed easily on the pages and I was, at many points, able to sympathize with her about her family situation. However, I can't say I completely enjoyed Greer as much as I hoped I would. While she seemed to have a good head on her shoulder - she figured out earlier on that Joshua was not to be trusted - Addison was her blind-spot. She had a lot of opportunities to try to make him understand what was going on with Joshua, but she was too afraid of losing him so she tied her own hands and caused me frustration as a reader.
In spite of (or perhaps, because of) their flaws, I thought that the teens were likable and complex. I wish that we saw more background on each of the characters - or that we were told more about what happened to them in the end - though I must admit that the way it ended seems perfect for the story.
I should also note that while the book itself is not graphic there are a lot of references to abuse, addiction, rape and things that might not be suitable - or might be triggers - for some readers.
This book should not be taken lightly, you've been warned, it's creepy.
After Greer's caught shoplifting (again) she's sent to McCracken Hill. Part boarding school, part rehab, McCracken Hill is home to troubled teens with a plethora of issues from alcohol and/or drug dependency to eating disorders to Greer's shoplifting habit.
The school's high regimented operation doesn't please Greer and she's ready to be out of there -- until she meets Addison. Addison Bradley, charming and handsome appears to have McCracken Hill and the process more figured out than Greer does and soon is introducing her to his mentor, Joshua.
Despite a ban on relationships, Addison and Greer soon seem captivated with each other.
There's only one problem. The closer she gets to Addison, the more Greer starts to question Joshua and not only his presence in Addison's life but his influence. How did Joshua become such a key part of Addison's life? The more and the harder Greer tries to find out, the more trouble she uncovers. Greer'll find out that as strange as it seemed to be in their circle, it's scarier outside it.
Once I was finally able to read The Believing Game (something about the epub did not agree with my computer or ereader and kept freezing and/or shutting down the programs), it was hard to stop! All of the frozen new chapter starts were so frustrating. This is a book that pulls you in and you really just want to keep reading it regardless of what else you may have to do.
Some stories make a reader uncomfortable inadvertently. Either the characters actions or the way things as a whole unfold is just wrong but it never comes across as intentional or purposeful. Other times, you know it's what was meant but that intention ruins it. In The Believing Game I believe completely that Eireann Corrigan meant for things to be incredibly uncomfortable -- for some of the characters and readers, alike -- and it is.
Even though I couldn't stop reading The Believing Game (except for when the app/program stopped it for me), a tiny part of me wanted to just to have a break from the feeling that was created being a part of everything with these characters (really one in particular) after a while. To have one character make me feel that ill at ease, while the story continues to still, paradoxically, be so hard to put down, is a brilliant accomplishment.
The Believing Game is something that I saw on NetGalley and knew I had to request and I'm not at all sorry I did, at all. It's a fantastic read with fantastically crafted characters.
It is a YA read but some of the content, phrasing, etc may not be quite suitable for younger YA readers.
9/10
(egalley received from publisher through NetGalley; review originally posted on Book Sp(l)ot Reviews)
Read the rest of my review at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/the-believing-game-eireann-co...
If you follow me on Goodreads, and saw my status updates, you know how overwhelmed and conflicted this book makes me feel. The Believing Game tackles a lot of heavy issues all at once, and at times that felt confusing and overwhelming. But the subject matter was so intense, and the characters so likeable that I just had to keep reading.
Greer, a petty thief who steals things like makeup and sunglasses from pharmacies and grocery stores, gets herself caught for the last time. Her parents, a distant mother, and a lawyer father, ship her off to McCracken Hill Academy. McCracken is reform school for rich kids, with its sprawling green lawns, ornate iron gates, and treatment teams. There she has to learn to earn her privileges back (like shampoo and conditioner - yes, I'm serious.) and how to navigate new friendships with a motley crew of messed-up kids.
Greer always felt real to me. She had a good head on her shoulders, despite the bad decisions she made to land her in McCracken. She was very empowered, even through the crazy ordeal with the cult - which I will get to. I loved that Corrigan wrote a sex-positive female lead. Greer was not the proper little virgin that we are used to seeing, and the best part was that she never apologized for it.
Sometimes it's like that, I wanted to say. Sometimes seeing your own bare limbs soaked in the moonlight is sacred. Sometimes you need to know you can make someone else shake and sigh.
Now, Greer isn't perfect when it comes to her sexuality. She sometimes uses sex as a weapon. But the difference is she knows it and she owns it, and tries to do things better.
It was hard for me to watch Greer lose herself in Addison, and ultimately Joshua's influence. At first I really loved the romance, but then things took a turn for the creepy. Addison didn't do anything wrong, exactly, but slowly and surely Greer's identity was taken away from her by Joshua, Addison's scary, controlling mentor. Joshua (a 40 year old man) insisted on sleeping in her bed with her, and refused to call her by her name, instead referring to her as Elizabeth, her middle name. Greer always made excuses for it, in the beginning, and eventually I think she even fell for Joshua's lies.
Joshua was the creepiest creeper to ever creep. He had a Manson air about him. He fancied himself a vessel through which God communicated with the teens. He somehow wormed his way into their lives using lies and confusing language, and even convinced the dean of McCracken to let him take the group for a field trip away from the school for a weekend. It was there that his hold really took. He inserted himself into every aspect of Greer's life, even into her sex life shared with Addison.
I cannot explain well enough how scary it was reading this. All the signs for scary were there, but he made the kids believe that it was their fault they were scared. He used issues of gender identity against them: forcing the girls and the boys into their traditional gender roles. He used the issue of racism against them: they were all spoiled rich white kids taught by society to fear the black man. He used religion against them: made them feel terrible for assuming he was Jewish because of his name, or that he couldn't be Jewish because of his race.
Joshua was a complex character, and it was just as interesting as it was scary to watch him reel these kids in. He seemed to have the formula down, almost as if he'd done this before. He earned their trust completely, and so when he said things like "going to war against militant vegans" no one questioned it. No one but Greer. And Sophie.
The characters in The Believing Game were unreliable at best. You could never tell what was the truth, what was lies, and what was manufactured by Joshua himself. Sophie, Greer's best friend, was not immune to this. She is damaged and hurting, and we don't really understand why, or the full extent of it, until close to the very last page. She was one of my favorite characters from this book. Her actions and her level head in the face of all the craziness was inspiring and beautiful.
I said earlier that this book tackles some tough topics. Greer has issues beyond just being an adrenaline junkie into shoplifting. She has an eating disorder, a strange complex with boys, and has a great deal of trust issues when it comes to girls. We sort of learn the history behind the disordered eating, but I really wish it had been handled better. The whole thing felt tacked on and I felt it should have been more serious. I have first hand experience with eating disorders, and I know that every waking moment is spent obsessing over it. But with Greer it felt like an aside. Like it wasn't even something she was aware of. It felt less like a disorder and more like a habit.
I suspect that the inability to go without a boyfriend or sex partner stemmed from her lack of relationships with other people. She had no friends and no connections with her family members. She felt wholly abandoned by her father, and felt personally the perceived injustices against a cousin of hers. Her environment was breeding ground for trust issues, and I think that's why is was so easy for her to become consumed by Addison and later, someone else.
I loved the writing style for the most part. It was beautiful and sparse in some areas. Some parts were just poetry.
We kept laughing. And we kept learning. "I want my hands to memorize you," he said.
Then I sprinted to Empowerment Hall as fast as possible and tried to outrun the realization that I'd traded in leaning on one guy for leaning on another.
I loved how Corrigan chose to narrate the book. Every once in a while it was made clear that this was Greer reflecting on what happened, speculating about hit, wondering at hers and the others' motivations. It was delicious, and added to the mystery and Greer's unreliability. The only complaint I had was the lack of real dialog tags. They were there, but the conversation and lack of paragraph breaks was confusing. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was saying what, and sometimes Greer's and Addison's voiced blended into one. I wonder if it was done that way on purpose - it certainly makes sense if it was. But I couldn't help but be pulled out of the story when this happened.
In all, I'm not really sure how I felt about this. There were some triggering issues (addiction, self harm, abortion, and rape - nothing graphic, but still could be mildly triggering.) I loved how rich and vivid the characters were. Corrigan certainly made me understand and even accept the kids' willingness to believe anything Joshua told them. But the ending felt very rushed, and almost like a cop out. I felt a little let down and unsettled, but that's how most of the characters felt anyway. Another thing that I'm sure was purposeful. Corrigan makes it clear what her intent is with this book and it worked - by god did it work.
This book was very well-written and full of all kinds of twists and turns. There are mind-games a plenty here and sometimes you never know who you can trust. It’s definitely a pulse-pounder and will keep you turning the pages well past your bedtime.
Greer is a very unreliable narrator (and I love that). She’s good at manipulation and getting her way, and seeing her struggle with this is interesting. I liked the dynamic between her and Addison, but it’s the tension-filled scenes between her and Joshua that drive the book. The mystery surrounding Joshua is very compelling and creepy.
The book moves at a quick pace, though there were a few times when I felt it stumbled a bit. While the ending felt like it fizzled a bit, this is still an interesting read and one I would recommend to fans of thrillers.
Even though Greer talks tough and appears to have no real sense of shame, there are hints of vulnerability that prevent a reader from lumping her in with every other rebelling teenager with parental issues. Her love for Addison highlights her softer side and shows a girl who is craving to be normal and to achieve the love and affection afforded to others. Yet, she is refreshingly self-aware, something which prevents her from being a total cliche. Her recognition of the fact that McCracken is truly the last hope for her, as well as her forced willingness to follow the rules and play the game as set out by the school, is honest and insightful and contains none of the self-righteousness that she could have so easily had. Greer is just what she appears to be - a teen with a troubled past who wants to have a good time but knows that if she is going to succeed as an adult, she needs to get her act together.
Joshua is the creepiest type of bad guy. He looks innocuous, and taken at face value, his words provide much-needed hope and inspiration to a group of teens with very few chances left in life. Like Greer, a reader will immediately know that something is not quite right with Joshua and his influence over Addison. Yet, also like Greer, one will continue to hope that it is just one's imagination and that there is no insidious plot to be found. However, those niggling feelings of doubt never fade but grow stronger as Joshua begins to slip and show his true motivations. What follows is an intense journey as Greer slowly begins to understand the truth and rushes to save her friends and, most importantly, Addison from Joshua's grip.
While Joshua's true beliefs are ultimately laughable, the feelings of frustration and fear that surround those caught up in his net are strikingly real. Even though his ultimate goal may cause laughter, the steps he is willing to take to defend his vision are terrifying in their extremity. A reader is quickly caught up in Greer's inability to extract herself or her friends from his clutches. Ms. Corrigan's stark but effective writing makes it all too easy to understand how people can be drawn into a cult and how truly difficult it is to step away from it.
The Believing Game is the best type of psychological thriller and a very refreshing change of pace within the young adult genre. Greer and Addison are two regular kids struggling with very real demons, and not of the paranormal variety. There is no love triangle. The world is not post-apocalyptic and does not require superhuman intelligence or other mutations in order to survive. Joshua is subtly menacing and deliciously creepy, while the unraveling of the mystery surrounding Joshua's motives makes for an intense and thrilling read. The Believing Game is a fantastically creepy and quick read to help while away those gloomy winter afternoons.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Netgalley and to Scholastic for my review copy!
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jmchshannon | 6 autres critiques | Dec 5, 2012 |
jmchshannon | 6 autres critiques | Dec 5, 2012 | Having only read Corrigan's poetry memoir previous to ACCOMPLICE, I had no idea what to expect from the novel. The story progressed slowly, which some may dislike, but, for me, it was positive characteristic that further illustrated the narrator's POV. The narrator, Finn, is the half of the duo that must lie to her friends and family about Chloe's whereabouts and I can only imagine that, while Chloe was in hiding, time would have seemed to move at a glacial pace.
While the plot of this novel is, for the most part, straight forward, Corrigan did incorporate a few twists that kept me interested. I would have been disappointed if the summary had revealed the entire plot.
Overall, ACCOMPLICE is an interesting novel that may appeal to fans of psychological thrillers minus the thrill aspect. I can't really say I'd describe this novel as exciting...
Finn is the narrator of this book and the author did a fantastic job of giving her an authentic teenage voice. Finn's relationship with Chloe is complicated. Chloe is the pretty one, the charming one. It's only after their plan is set into motion that Finn begins to see Chloe's true colors.
This was a quick read and full of suspense and surprises. I read most of it with a knot in my stomach, knowing that no good could come of the girls' hare-brained plan. The plot is timely too - there are so many people today who think that getting on TV will solve all their problems. (Balloon-boy anyone?) Teenagers will enjoy this book but I think most adults will enjoy this book as well, remembering their naive teenage years when they thought the world revolved around them (that wasn't just me, was it?).
An ok read. I did get annoyed with the two girls, and felt that the story could have been edited slightly and given more depth as it seemed to drag on. Suited to teens over 13 years
Accomplice started out and ended out pretty much the same - boring. I expected something to go "very wrong", just like the summary says. I kept reading and reading and waiting for something to happen, but nothing extreme happened.
The main character, Finn (who, from the summary, I suspected to be male, but is actually a girl), narrates the story. Her best friend, Chloe, convinces her to stage her disappearance. Finn goes with the plan, and while Chloe hides in Finn's grandmother's (who's on vacation) basement, Finn has to act like her best friend is missing and maybe even dead. Instead of reaching a climax, the whole story pretty much goes on like that, with someone being arrested on false accounts. The story would have been more interesting if the characters and the incidents had more, I don't know... substance, to it.
I would have rated it two stars, but the summary was really good, so I gave it a three. I think the author could have put a little more to it, and maybe had a more extreme incident happen. The cover is pretty nice too, I don't really like those covers with a model on it ;).
Best friends Chloe and Finn have a secret. They have developed a plan to attract prospective colleges with a bogus kidnapping.
But when the plan spirals out of control, will the girls be able to stick to their story, or will their bizarre scheme be exposed?
Captivatingly powerful, Eireann Corrigan's latest novel is a thrilling ride from beginning to end. Her unique characters have you entertained from page one and continue to surprise you throughout the entire story.
Corrigan takes the classic white lie tale to the next level with ACCOMPLICE, and her cliffhanger ending will leave you longing for more.
So they develop a plan. They're going to fake Chloe's disappearance (and presumed abduction). After a few days, Finn's going to miraculously "find" her and then they will have the best college essays EVER.
But they didn't think of a couple things. They didn't think about how Chloe's family will implode or how her boyfriend Dean will be suspected of kidnapping and/or killing her. And they didn't think about how hard it will be for Finn to lie to her parents or to Chloe's.
I really enjoyed this book. While reading it, I couldn't wait to find out if they'd "get away with it" or if Finn would crack and tell. I wanted to know what would happen after Chloe was "found" and if the police would buy their story.
Really fun read, but probably not the best way to get into college. :)
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Maybe it's because I'm familiar with the court case, or maybe because I read Darling Rose Gold last year, but I knew where this book was headed right away. But that didn't ruin my enjoyment of it. Instead, I was interested to see when Cara would figure out and how she'd break free.
Thank you to Scholastic for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.