READING : The Absolute Value Of -1 by Steve Brezenoff (ARC)

The Absolute Value Of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

Publication date: September 1st, 2010
Published by: Carolrhoda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief. 

The Absolute Value of -1 is a book about  three teenager's, Noah, Lilly and Simon,relationships, and how they change as they grow older along with their perception of the world and the way it works.This is a book about their lives.


I know that you are all probably thinking that you've read books with a similar, if not the same, theme before.But I would suggest that you don't think about all the other books you've read on the subject and read this one with an open mind.


I liked The Absolute Value of -1 very much!I loved the writing- no disrespect to YA novels but this book was so eloquently written,I mistook it for an adult novel!I'll be on the lookout for any other books by Brezenoff!Because even when I think that a story is weak, I always enjoy and value a book that is brilliantly written.
I loved the characters-the same story is re-told in each chapter from Noah's , Lilly's and Simon's POV.I always like it when the author uses different POVs for one story because not only there is a sense of objectivity when you get to hear different opinions but also it keeps you from getting tired of a story that is always around one person. I liked all the characters, although some were portrayed less than others.
The only thing I didn't like about The Absolute Value of -1 is the ending.It was a bit anticlimactic, considering the strong and very shocking beginning, making you even more anxious to find out what happens in the end, therefore making you feel even more disappointed by the very simple and blunt ending.


Overall, The Absolute Value Of -1 is a wonderfully written book about changes and how some of them we can control and makes us  different and better and some of them which are just out of our reach, are the hardest to take in and can sometimes break us completely.
I recommend it to every person who has problems at home or at school or simply with themselves. 


DISCLAIMER : This book was given to me by NetGalley free of charge.