Book Review: Reanimate

Reanimate. Sophia Whittemore. Clean Reads, August 25th, 2016, Kindle, 187 Pages.

Reviewed by Kandice N. Cole.

Reanimate is a YA fiction thriller that chronicles a growing feud between two young fighters who are in love with the same girl.

The story centers on a menacing character, Avery Faro, who would be the ideal candidate for a wounded character in a dark movie. This is because Faro battles mental illness, which is caused by the abuse he suffered in childhood. In the book, he disassociates himself so much from his past that he becomes totally devoid of emotion in the present. Lacking in compassion, Faro often finds himself at a local fight club, The Red Fields, where he earns the nickname “Monster.” Despite the feeble attempts of Mr. Guile, a teacher who takes an interest in him, Faro is always on the brink of permanent expulsion for fighting at the boarding school he attends.

Most everyone has given up on Faro, except for his distant cousin, Laurel. She supports and cares for him even though he constantly mistreats her. They have a strange relationship that Laurel insists is platonic, but it grows more romantic as the book evolves. Even with her support, Faro cannot save himself from his destructive habits. He tries to be better but cannot seem to outrun his thoughts and subsequent harmful behavior.

Faro’s situation takes a turn for the worse when Kyrien, a fighter who comes to town, challenges him physically and develops an interest in Laurel. This makes Faro very angry and begins to weave the story of a tangled love triangle. Laurel finds herself torn between Faro and Kyrien. She is loyal to Faro but appreciates Kyrien’s sense of chivalry. As the plot unfolds, we learn that Kyrien is connected to Faro’s life in an unexpected way. By the end of the book, Kyrien and Laurel work together to find ways to understand Faro’s issues and get him the help he desperately needs.

The book weaves a lot together and is intriguing. It will appeal to teenagers who are looking for something interesting to read. The three main characters are vastly different from each other and the plot grows more and more complicated until the very end of the story. The author, Sophia Whittemore, who published her first book while she was in high school, writes about mature themes in a way that is accessible for teens. She brings difficult issues like mental illness, violence, and childhood abuse to the surface, which may be hard for certain readers to digest. I was impressed with Whittemore’s ability to write about these themes with such detail, especially Faro’s mental state. Her vivid accounts of his struggles give a powerful perspective to the reality of people who suffer from mental illness.

I did like the book but felt a few things could be better. The narration is a bit confusing: in some chapters, the narrator changes several times. This makes the story hard to follow. In addition, the author abruptly ties up some of the loose ends that perhaps need more time to resolve naturally. Moreover, Whittemore’s writing is good enough to keep readers captivated for a longer story that would flesh out a plausible ending.

Reanimate is a great book for a high school audience, whether for individual reading or in book clubs or groups. The themes and characters make it easy to come up with questions that would create a rich discussion. Students could discuss not only the story itself but also topics like mental illness and the effects of child abuse. These are issues which many teens regularly deal with in silence. Reanimate is a gripping YA thriller. It is full of suspense that will keep you on your toes until the very end. I recommend it for both teens and adults.