Release by Patrick Ness
Reviewed by: EPL
Young Adult
Title: Release
By: Patrick Ness
Published: 2017
Call #: Ness.P
I finished this book several days ago and I’m still haunted by it. Patrick Ness, most famous for A Monster Calls and the subsequent movie adaptation, has crafted a superb work of fiction. This book follows Adam Thorn on one day of his life, interwoven with a magical story that is part myth, part ghost story. The way the two intersect at the end is thoughtful and incredibly powerful. I would love to give you an analysis of the plot, but so much unfolds this day that I don’t want to ruin anything for you. Let’s just say that it follows Adam through the day of his sort-of-ex’s going away party and a simultaneous crisis that sends his ultra-conservative and ultra-religious family life into a whirl. Fans of realistic fiction should find this book among their favorites of the year.
