Sunday, January 13, 2013

Review: Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Title: Uses For Boys
Author: Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: St. Martin's Press (Jan. 15, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (In exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Mature YA Realistic Fiction
My Rating; 2.5 Stars

Goodreads Description:
 Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. 





My Review:  
   I have such a hard time with these types of reviews. I really don't know what to say about this book other than it was raw. So very raw and so lonely feeling.

I still am not sure if I even liked it. It was so sad but it was real. I can imagine that many people, male or female go through the things that Anna did. And that reality, breaks my heart.

To feel like you would have to use sex to not feel lonely. To try and make that empty space inside of you make sense by being someone you aren't and then really, not even knowing that is what you are doing. That just makes me want to cry.

Anna was such a sad girl. So lost and lonely and she broke my heart. I didn't relate to her but yet I still felt her anguish and her pain. How bad she wanted to have a family and to be a part of something. She just went about it in all the wrong ways and with all the wrong people. It was like she was drawn to the people that would hurt her the most.

I still don't even know how to process all that I read and honestly, I am not sure I want to. This story was slightly disturbing and not what I was expecting at all. It seems lately I have a habit of picking up books that I think will have a sweet story inside and finding that I couldn't have picked something any further from that if I tried.

I think I am just going to give this one a very neutral 2 Stars. Like I said, it was raw and gritty and didn't hold back in anyway. I just don't necessarily think it was the read for me and certainly not what I was hoping it would be but I can appreciate the message that it was trying to portray but even the ending was abrupt and let me feeling a little dazed.


7 comments:

  1. The cover is definitely false advertising. I thought this would be a bit more fun and romantic. It was so sad but I thought it was really good just not enjoyable. A great message and something brave to write about. I definitely know a few girls that use sex to try to fill voids.

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  2. I have read several reviews of this one this week and it doesn't seem to be doing well with bloggers. I thought it was going to be a sweet little romance and boy was I wrong. I am sorry to hear that it was a rough read for you as well.

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  3. I know exactly how you feel, the writing was good and so bloody honest, which is why i bumped mine up to a 3 my initial thought was 2.5 and i so think this should be new adult or adult. Awesome review!

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  4. I always feel bad when I don't love a book, especially one that I was sure I would. I have no idea why but I almost feel like I am letting the author down instead of the other way around. Silly me!
    I do love the cover on this, even if it is a little deceiving.

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  5. Yeah this was a tough read for me too. I loved the writing though and I think its important for teens to have something to relate, to know they aren't alone. I would have a hard time putting this in a teens hands but they do experience things like this. I think its especially hard for us that are mothers though.

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  6. It seems as though a lot of people share you opinion about this book, especially about it being raw. It sounds really intriguing and I may want to read this in the future. These types of books are good, but they take so much out of you emotionally. I am still recovering from Flawed. Your review was really good.

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