Young Adult Fiction
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
April 18, 2017
304
A heartbreaking novel about living with your worst mistake, from New York Times bestselling author Barry Lyga. A chunk of old memory, adrift in a pool of blood. Sebastian Cody did something horrible, something no one--not even Sebastian himself--can forgive. At the age of four, he accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father's gun. Now, ten years later, Sebastian has lived with the guilt and horror for his entire life. With his best friend away for the summer, Sebastian has only a new friend--Aneesa--to distract him from his darkest thoughts. But even this relationship cannot blunt the pain of his past. Because Sebastian knows exactly how to rectify his childhood crime and sanctify his past. It took a gun to get him into this. Now he needs a gun to get out. Unflinching and honest, Bang is as true and as relevant as tomorrow's headlines, the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed.
Review:
I really wanted to like “Bang”. It seems that I’m in the minority in not feeling it. Unfortunately, the book just did not resonate with me.
It isn’t that there is not good writing or that the characters aren’t well-developed. Both were good. The problem for me, I believe, is that so many issues were packed into one book that it didn’t have time to focus on any of them enough. Gun control, Islamophobia, mental illness of several types, and the income gap are a few of the things covered.
I can’t recommend “Bang”, but if the blurb sounds good to you, give it a try. Maybe it’s just me.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Hate Speech
