Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. This is not her story. Unless you count the part where I killed her.
Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori - the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?
Title: Ultraviolet
Author: R. J. Anderson
Publication: 01st September 2011
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
416 pages
My review
Ultraviolet is quite an original and uncommon novel. I was immediately drawn by its cover and summary. Finally, it was a totally pleasant read, which deals with great accuracy with a rather delicate subject: insanity and psychiatric facilities. However, Ultraviolet is also much more than that. This novel is hard to classify, if I had to do it, it would be really difficult for me because it's halfway between genres. Thriller, fantasy, science-fiction and paranormal, it offers us a totally fresh read and everyone will be able to find one or several aspects appealing for him.
In Ultraviolet, we meet Alison, a young girl who is totally lost. Everyone thinks she is crazy, but is she really? She is interned in a mental institute against her will after a panic attack. She is a bit disoriented, she does not know who to believe and trust. Has she gone completely mad? And why has she killed Tory? Will she be able to cope with this new situation and manage to go home? In fact, there are two parts in this book: in the first one, Alison tries to acquire new habits, then, in the second half of the book, fantastic elements are introduced and the young girl tries to remember everything.
Alison is a unique character, she has a special ability, but one that is real and really exists. I could very easily relate to her. Her distress is touching and I could not help but sympathize and empathize with her, despite what she did. She is credible, believable and her reactions seem natural and legitimate. On the other side, I had a few difficulties to relate to the other characters.
The plot is fast-paced and R.J Anderson's writing is totally pleasant to read. I read Ultraviolet rather quickly because I wanted to know how things were going to end. If some events are fairly predictable, some others totally surprised me and I didn't expect them at all. I didn't expect that kind of ending, which is a bit bittersweet. I usually don't like bittersweet ending, but here it feels accurate and right, true to the story.
The subject is quite delicate and obviously not very common in young-adult literature, yet I totally enjoyed discovering this atmosphere and the other patients. R.J Anderson deals with it with great accuracy. I was also enthralled and captivated by synaesthesia. It's a syndrome that I did not know at all, but I found it utterly interesting. There are a few lengths in the middle of the book, but it doesn't last and the author managed to keep my attention all along, from the first to the last line. Paranormal elements are utterly exciting, I think it is what I liked the most in the story. Moreover, the investigation is compelling and enables R. J Anderson to keep her reader's attention.
In Ultraviolet, we meet Alison, a young girl who is totally lost. Everyone thinks she is crazy, but is she really? She is interned in a mental institute against her will after a panic attack. She is a bit disoriented, she does not know who to believe and trust. Has she gone completely mad? And why has she killed Tory? Will she be able to cope with this new situation and manage to go home? In fact, there are two parts in this book: in the first one, Alison tries to acquire new habits, then, in the second half of the book, fantastic elements are introduced and the young girl tries to remember everything.
Alison is a unique character, she has a special ability, but one that is real and really exists. I could very easily relate to her. Her distress is touching and I could not help but sympathize and empathize with her, despite what she did. She is credible, believable and her reactions seem natural and legitimate. On the other side, I had a few difficulties to relate to the other characters.
The plot is fast-paced and R.J Anderson's writing is totally pleasant to read. I read Ultraviolet rather quickly because I wanted to know how things were going to end. If some events are fairly predictable, some others totally surprised me and I didn't expect them at all. I didn't expect that kind of ending, which is a bit bittersweet. I usually don't like bittersweet ending, but here it feels accurate and right, true to the story.
The subject is quite delicate and obviously not very common in young-adult literature, yet I totally enjoyed discovering this atmosphere and the other patients. R.J Anderson deals with it with great accuracy. I was also enthralled and captivated by synaesthesia. It's a syndrome that I did not know at all, but I found it utterly interesting. There are a few lengths in the middle of the book, but it doesn't last and the author managed to keep my attention all along, from the first to the last line. Paranormal elements are utterly exciting, I think it is what I liked the most in the story. Moreover, the investigation is compelling and enables R. J Anderson to keep her reader's attention.
To sum up, Ultraviolet is an awesome, brilliant and totally captivating book. I really liked the second part, where there are more fantastic elements and where the reader is introduced with Alison's condition. This part of the book (and all the book in fact) kept me spellbound and totally passionated me. The plot is fast-paced, there are a lot of twists and action. The author deals with mental institute and psychiatric treatment in a plausible and interesting kind of way. Finally, Alison is a very endearing and appealing character. The ending is bittersweet, but it concludes this novel in a really coherent way. It was released in the U.K in June 2011 and will be released in the U.S. on the 1st of September 2011.
A copy was provided by the publisher, via Net Galley, against my completely honest review. Thank you.
Dis donc, ta review donne envie! J'avais entendu parler de ce livre mais je l'avais pas ajouté dans goodreads list, je l'ai fait maintenant x)
ReplyDeleteMerci l0raah pour ton message :D J'espère qu'il te plaira si tu te lances lol :D Bonne lecture
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