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Sonder
Sonder (noun):
The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Allegra has never been exactly normal. She's never had any friends, but that’s never bothered her. She has acquaintances on her high school’s dance team, and she can get pretty much anything she wants out of boys, but what she really wants is to watch someone’s life leave their body, exhaling their last breath.
Robin has fallen for Ally, fast and hard. Even though they agreed to move in together as just friends, she can’t stop her feelings. She’ll do whatever Allegra wants...from breaking up with her boyfriend to planning something sinister.
They have the perfect plan. But when Allegra’s mother starts to piece things together, it just takes a little manipulation to put everything into a whole new perspective.
The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Allegra has never been exactly normal. She's never had any friends, but that’s never bothered her. She has acquaintances on her high school’s dance team, and she can get pretty much anything she wants out of boys, but what she really wants is to watch someone’s life leave their body, exhaling their last breath.
Robin has fallen for Ally, fast and hard. Even though they agreed to move in together as just friends, she can’t stop her feelings. She’ll do whatever Allegra wants...from breaking up with her boyfriend to planning something sinister.
They have the perfect plan. But when Allegra’s mother starts to piece things together, it just takes a little manipulation to put everything into a whole new perspective.
- GenresHorror
193 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 26, 2023
Oh wow, this book was so incredibly intense to read. The hook was what caught my attention immediately: One girl (Allegra) wants to kill someone but has yet to do it, and the other (Robin) has accidentally killed someone and never wants to do it again. The two have a chance encounter at a Starbucks, sparks fly, and suddenly the world is a lot less safe.
I definitely have to give the book credit for how incredibly gory and visceral it can be. It perfectly encapsulates just how twisted Allegra and her actions are. While she herself does plenty to romanticize her murderous actions, the actual written word is so sickly apt that there is really no disguising the true horror of it all. Seeing the difference between the two girls’ mindsets was also fascinating to compare and contrast, especially when it comes to seeing the toxic influence Ally has over Robin. I would have just loved to have gone a little more in depth of that sad love and dependence Robin had. Because of the lack of it, sometimes it appeared that Robin was more apathetic and desensitized to an event than she should have. (This becomes less of a problem towards the end of the book though).
Now where the spoilers come in: I found it fascinating that it ended on the perspective of Allegra’s mother, a character whose POV was never brought up before. With it, we were able to see that Ally hadn’t always been as good at hiding her manipulation and violent tendencies as she was in the present. Unfortunately, the mother made the purposeful decision to ignore all of the early red flags, both thinking it was wrong to accuse someone so young of sick thoughts, and not wanting to impose the same meds and treatment she herself had gotten for her bipolar disorder. It sends the message of how mental illness is villainized to the point that people don’t want to acknowledge it in fear of facing the stigma. Because of this, Ally was never able to get help and the treatment that would have benefited her heavily, and her mother ended up becoming her first alibi.
Overall, it’s an incredible book (one that I’m glad came with the content warnings that it did) and super intense. It was definitely one that became difficult to put down at some point, and I ended up finishing it faster than I expected to.
I definitely have to give the book credit for how incredibly gory and visceral it can be. It perfectly encapsulates just how twisted Allegra and her actions are. While she herself does plenty to romanticize her murderous actions, the actual written word is so sickly apt that there is really no disguising the true horror of it all. Seeing the difference between the two girls’ mindsets was also fascinating to compare and contrast, especially when it comes to seeing the toxic influence Ally has over Robin. I would have just loved to have gone a little more in depth of that sad love and dependence Robin had. Because of the lack of it, sometimes it appeared that Robin was more apathetic and desensitized to an event than she should have. (This becomes less of a problem towards the end of the book though).
Now where the spoilers come in: I found it fascinating that it ended on the perspective of Allegra’s mother, a character whose POV was never brought up before. With it, we were able to see that Ally hadn’t always been as good at hiding her manipulation and violent tendencies as she was in the present. Unfortunately, the mother made the purposeful decision to ignore all of the early red flags, both thinking it was wrong to accuse someone so young of sick thoughts, and not wanting to impose the same meds and treatment she herself had gotten for her bipolar disorder. It sends the message of how mental illness is villainized to the point that people don’t want to acknowledge it in fear of facing the stigma. Because of this, Ally was never able to get help and the treatment that would have benefited her heavily, and her mother ended up becoming her first alibi.
Overall, it’s an incredible book (one that I’m glad came with the content warnings that it did) and super intense. It was definitely one that became difficult to put down at some point, and I ended up finishing it faster than I expected to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2024
Just finished this one by Jes Pan. 3.5/5.
Sonder tells the story of Allegra ( Ally) who is definitely not your average high school senior. She's always dreamed of watching someone take their last breath. Then she meets Robin. Robin falls head over heels for Ally. And of course, she'll do anything Ally says...
It started off super strong in the making of a serial unaliver but then went rather deep into the romance aspect of it. The romance part plays heavily into the story so I get why it was done that way, I'm just not huge into romance.
The writing style is great. They have the potential to grow so much. The horror aspect is there for sure, just needed more! It was a quick read for me, I was able to finish it in under 2 hrs. Characters are written in a way so that you can see them as not totally unimaginable. And they got me with the ending 🤯
Thank you Jes for the book! I look forward to seeing you grow as an author in the future!
Sonder tells the story of Allegra ( Ally) who is definitely not your average high school senior. She's always dreamed of watching someone take their last breath. Then she meets Robin. Robin falls head over heels for Ally. And of course, she'll do anything Ally says...
It started off super strong in the making of a serial unaliver but then went rather deep into the romance aspect of it. The romance part plays heavily into the story so I get why it was done that way, I'm just not huge into romance.
The writing style is great. They have the potential to grow so much. The horror aspect is there for sure, just needed more! It was a quick read for me, I was able to finish it in under 2 hrs. Characters are written in a way so that you can see them as not totally unimaginable. And they got me with the ending 🤯
Thank you Jes for the book! I look forward to seeing you grow as an author in the future!
July 26, 2023
This book was something I had been interested to read since I found out about it at a local book festival. I met up with the author again and finally snagged the book. So often we get the “crazy, obsessed serial killer guy” so it was refreshing to have this be about a girl/young woman. The description of animal violence is definitely intense so take the author’s warning to heart about that. There were some very disturbing scenes and the manipulation by the main character is unnerving.
I would have to say that the epilogue from the mother’s POV was my favorite part though. It speaks about the denial and regret of a parent regarding the red flags of their child’s behavior/mental health while dealing with their own mental illness.
Overall I did enjoy the story and think it’s a great start for the author.
I would have to say that the epilogue from the mother’s POV was my favorite part though. It speaks about the denial and regret of a parent regarding the red flags of their child’s behavior/mental health while dealing with their own mental illness.
Overall I did enjoy the story and think it’s a great start for the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2023
I am so impressed with this debut novel from Jes Pan. At no point did I feel like I was reading an author's first book. Edited perfectly, this felt like a seasoned writer at the top of their game. Honestly, after reading the synopsis, I thought I would be reading a fairly tame horror tale. But, make no mistake, parts of this book are definitely extreme! This book is told from a dual POV that was handled masterfully. Definitely recommend this book, and looking forward to see what Jes Pan gives us in the future. Big thanks to Jes Pan and Paperclip Publishing for sending me an ARC for an honest review!
April 12, 2023
Oh man! This book hooked me from page one! With engaging characters, a compelling story, and violent descriptions that elicit a visceral response, Sonder is exactly what you want from a book about a budding serial killer. I rooted just as much for Allegra’s downfall as I did her success in her murderous goals. The relationships between characters were so interesting and the way those relationships played into the bigger plot kept me guessing the whole time! If you’re into Dexter, true crime podcasts, or serial killer docs, this book is a must read!
July 13, 2023
holy shit. i finished the whole book in about 3 days and the ending left me literally speechless. it is so well written and does such an amazing job of talking about mental illness and being queer and is also violently gross at time. i am absolutely in love with this book and have already recommended it to several of my friends. this is the type of shit i like to read; gay, gory, and mentally ill.
March 20, 2023
3.75⭐️ rounded up…this one started hard & fast & didn’t let up. From the very beginning, it drew me in & kept my attention the whole time. Even though I could pretty much tell how it was going to end, I still wanted to see how exactly it would play out. This was a super fun, fast-paced, well-written read.
September 30, 2023
I wanted to finish this because it was written by a local author. I’m glad I supported them and their journey by purchasing their book, but I just have to concede the DNF at this point. I got a quarter of the way through in one sitting, put it down for the day, and never picked it back up. And I’ve accepted that I never will. Good luck to Jes, but this was not for me.
February 14, 2024
I think this book was well written and had a good story line, but I feel like it was lacking in excitement. I was expecting a lot more to happen. The ending was a fun twist though. The book overall was a fast read.
March 26, 2023
Jes Pan is a fantastic author that takes you on a ride you’ll never forget. Stomach churning horror, for sure!
April 23, 2023
I started this book at 9 o'clock last night. I was hooked immediately.
January 22, 2024
This book thoroughly disturbed me but also left me wanting more. This is a very graphic read in moments; head the author’s content warnings if you are newly dipping into this kind of horror.
This was a really good read as well as a quick read. I had a hard time putting it down despite the graphic scenes of gore. I really enjoyed the dual point of views as well as the mom’s point of view at the end where she describes Allegra’s behavior growing up, things she ultimately looked over or ignored or compartmentalized.
Good read but the ending made me want more of Allegra’s story. Where does she end up and who is her next victim?
This was a really good read as well as a quick read. I had a hard time putting it down despite the graphic scenes of gore. I really enjoyed the dual point of views as well as the mom’s point of view at the end where she describes Allegra’s behavior growing up, things she ultimately looked over or ignored or compartmentalized.
Good read but the ending made me want more of Allegra’s story. Where does she end up and who is her next victim?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
Just finished and what a great read! This novel touches on being a queer teen/young adult and the struggles of mental illness. It gives you gore, sprinkled with romance, making you feel a connection with each character. From the start of learning bits about Allegra’s family, to it all tying together at the end, such a solid complete circle. Jes does a great job of wrapping you up in the story and not knowing what Allegra is going to do next. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews