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Never Ending
"MY GOD, YOU'RE THE SISTER OF THAT BOY."
Shiv's best friend, her brother, Declan, is dead. It's been all over the news. Consumed by grief and guilt, she agrees to become an inpatient at the Korsakoff Clinic. There she meets Mikey. Caron. The others. They share a similar torment. And there, subjected to the clinic's unconventional therapy, they must face what they can't bear to see.
Shiv is flooded with flashbacks, nightmares, haunting visions of Declan on their last, fateful family vacation in Greece. And with memories of Nikos, the beautiful young man on the tour boat. It started there, with him, beside the glittering sea... the beginning of the end.
Shiv's best friend, her brother, Declan, is dead. It's been all over the news. Consumed by grief and guilt, she agrees to become an inpatient at the Korsakoff Clinic. There she meets Mikey. Caron. The others. They share a similar torment. And there, subjected to the clinic's unconventional therapy, they must face what they can't bear to see.
Shiv is flooded with flashbacks, nightmares, haunting visions of Declan on their last, fateful family vacation in Greece. And with memories of Nikos, the beautiful young man on the tour boat. It started there, with him, beside the glittering sea... the beginning of the end.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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902 people want to read
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October 24, 2014
Brandon M. Herbert, an American author has quoted very remarkably about death in his book called Walking Wolf Road:
“Death never pierces the heart so much as when it takes someone we love; cleaving the heart they held with their passing.”
Martyn Bedford, an English author has captured our hearts over a very incredibly striking and emotionally charged novel called, Never Ending. I don't know why but I happen to fell in love with this enticing tale, I must have cried my heart out, I must have hated the protagonist to death at some point, and at sometimes, I fell in love with the protagonist all over again- and that was the power of the author's words to make me go crazy over this heart-touching emotional tale!
I can't thank enough to the author, Martyn Bedford, for giving me this opportunity to read and review his novel.
Unable to cope with her brother's loss, Siobhan, a. k. a, Shiv gets admitted to the Korsakoff clinic in England. She was suffering from Korsakoff's psychosis, which is a neurological disorder caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the brain and as a result she used to act up all weird and mental and sometimes she lost control over herself. Although she was not alone in that institute she met Mikey, who was almost like her own brother and Caron, her best-friend. This is the first story where we see Shiv going through agonizing and distressing therapy to help herself get over her brother's death, which is quite horrifying and very painful.
Shiv is 15year old girl and her brother-cum-her-best-friend, Declan is 12years old, when they went on their family-vacation in the ancient and very Roman city called Greece. And they were all staying in The Villa which is in-front of the beach. Soon, Shiv falls for a 19year old Greek guy, named Nikos and right under her parent's as well as her Declan's eyes, Shiv and Nikos started their very secret love affair in the land of paradise. But soon her affair comes out in the open and with that revelation, Shiv's affair comes to an and on the last leg of their trip, Shiv and her parent's lives changes forever and Shiv soon turns into a zombie!- This happens to be the second story.
So you can easily see that the story is narrated on two timelines of Shiv's life. Well apart from this drama of Shiv's life, the author has unfolded Declan's death in a mysterious way and hence for us, the readers, this book is a part mystery. And I loved the way how the author has unraveled the mystery right in-front of our eyes. The author has a deep psychological grip on his characters, which are portrayed as multifaceted, flawed and sympathetic human beings, all achingly vulnerable, all wracked by fear and need and guilt. From Caron's easiness to hide up her guilt to Mikey's behavior to self-destruction to Shiv's torment on her therapy sessions, everything will be bound to leave you emotional by the trauma and the pain. And the author didn't leave a single clue on the occurrence of Declan's death and that made me feel like dying out of anticipation and it was not till the very end, that I came to see the larger picture. All the while I hated Shiv and on the very revelation of her brother's death, it made me adore her more and more. For me, the story sounded very real, well for that hats off to the author for representing his story with eloquence and vividness, that at times, you might find yourself standing by the golden beach in Greece and feeling the salty winds getting stuck on your hair!
It's not only recommended for the YA lovers, but for everyone, who wants to feel how sad and painful it is to lose someone who you love so dearly!
“Death never pierces the heart so much as when it takes someone we love; cleaving the heart they held with their passing.”
Martyn Bedford, an English author has captured our hearts over a very incredibly striking and emotionally charged novel called, Never Ending. I don't know why but I happen to fell in love with this enticing tale, I must have cried my heart out, I must have hated the protagonist to death at some point, and at sometimes, I fell in love with the protagonist all over again- and that was the power of the author's words to make me go crazy over this heart-touching emotional tale!
I can't thank enough to the author, Martyn Bedford, for giving me this opportunity to read and review his novel.
Unable to cope with her brother's loss, Siobhan, a. k. a, Shiv gets admitted to the Korsakoff clinic in England. She was suffering from Korsakoff's psychosis, which is a neurological disorder caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the brain and as a result she used to act up all weird and mental and sometimes she lost control over herself. Although she was not alone in that institute she met Mikey, who was almost like her own brother and Caron, her best-friend. This is the first story where we see Shiv going through agonizing and distressing therapy to help herself get over her brother's death, which is quite horrifying and very painful.
Shiv is 15year old girl and her brother-cum-her-best-friend, Declan is 12years old, when they went on their family-vacation in the ancient and very Roman city called Greece. And they were all staying in The Villa which is in-front of the beach. Soon, Shiv falls for a 19year old Greek guy, named Nikos and right under her parent's as well as her Declan's eyes, Shiv and Nikos started their very secret love affair in the land of paradise. But soon her affair comes out in the open and with that revelation, Shiv's affair comes to an and on the last leg of their trip, Shiv and her parent's lives changes forever and Shiv soon turns into a zombie!- This happens to be the second story.
So you can easily see that the story is narrated on two timelines of Shiv's life. Well apart from this drama of Shiv's life, the author has unfolded Declan's death in a mysterious way and hence for us, the readers, this book is a part mystery. And I loved the way how the author has unraveled the mystery right in-front of our eyes. The author has a deep psychological grip on his characters, which are portrayed as multifaceted, flawed and sympathetic human beings, all achingly vulnerable, all wracked by fear and need and guilt. From Caron's easiness to hide up her guilt to Mikey's behavior to self-destruction to Shiv's torment on her therapy sessions, everything will be bound to leave you emotional by the trauma and the pain. And the author didn't leave a single clue on the occurrence of Declan's death and that made me feel like dying out of anticipation and it was not till the very end, that I came to see the larger picture. All the while I hated Shiv and on the very revelation of her brother's death, it made me adore her more and more. For me, the story sounded very real, well for that hats off to the author for representing his story with eloquence and vividness, that at times, you might find yourself standing by the golden beach in Greece and feeling the salty winds getting stuck on your hair!
It's not only recommended for the YA lovers, but for everyone, who wants to feel how sad and painful it is to lose someone who you love so dearly!
July 1, 2015
Rating: 1/5
(This review is written based on an ARC. Some problems may not exist in the final published version.)
***Minor spoilers***
Oh man, am I happy that this book is over. This book was just under 300 pages but the boredom made it feel like it was double the length. I found it impossible to like this book, and any time I felt like I could enjoy it, I found something else to dislike.
This book is about a girl named Shiv (Siobhan) who feels guilty for her brother's death. Except the thing is, throughout the book we know that Shiv feels guilty for this. The only problem is that we never find out HOW Declan, her brother, died. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel anything for Shiv when I didn't have the slightest backstory of why she's so guilty and depressed. Maybe if it was introduced earlier I would enjoy the book more, but I spent the majority of the book wondering why we were given pointless flashbacks that meant nothing. Shiv is also too closed off of a character. Before it was revealed how her brother died, I felt like I knew the other people at the clinic better than I knew Shiv, the main character!
At the very beginning of the book, the phrasing of the sentences seemed a bit off to me. It was also in present tense and I'm used to reading books in past tense, so that just added to the awkwardness of the phrasing. I also felt that the dialogue was a bit unrealistic. At times, a character would say something and another character would laugh, and I would be left thinking "that was not in the least bit funny." It kinda felt that the author was trying too hard to make his characters quirky. The scenes also felt really jumpy, and oftentimes left me confused as to what was going on. We'd be in one place, and the next moment we'd be somewhere else, with little to no explanation. I also found the romance bit in the flashbacks pretty cringy.. I mean, she was 15 and he was 19, and I found that pretty ridiculous.
Overall, I found this book to be quite the unpleasant experience. It was boring in some places, and annoying in others. There are some reviews on here that have claimed this book is good, even amazing, but I just didn't feel anything for it. If you want to give it a try, go right ahead, but I don't really recommend it.
(This review is written based on an ARC. Some problems may not exist in the final published version.)
***Minor spoilers***
Oh man, am I happy that this book is over. This book was just under 300 pages but the boredom made it feel like it was double the length. I found it impossible to like this book, and any time I felt like I could enjoy it, I found something else to dislike.
This book is about a girl named Shiv (Siobhan) who feels guilty for her brother's death. Except the thing is, throughout the book we know that Shiv feels guilty for this. The only problem is that we never find out HOW Declan, her brother, died. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel anything for Shiv when I didn't have the slightest backstory of why she's so guilty and depressed. Maybe if it was introduced earlier I would enjoy the book more, but I spent the majority of the book wondering why we were given pointless flashbacks that meant nothing. Shiv is also too closed off of a character. Before it was revealed how her brother died, I felt like I knew the other people at the clinic better than I knew Shiv, the main character!
At the very beginning of the book, the phrasing of the sentences seemed a bit off to me. It was also in present tense and I'm used to reading books in past tense, so that just added to the awkwardness of the phrasing. I also felt that the dialogue was a bit unrealistic. At times, a character would say something and another character would laugh, and I would be left thinking "that was not in the least bit funny." It kinda felt that the author was trying too hard to make his characters quirky. The scenes also felt really jumpy, and oftentimes left me confused as to what was going on. We'd be in one place, and the next moment we'd be somewhere else, with little to no explanation. I also found the romance bit in the flashbacks pretty cringy.. I mean, she was 15 and he was 19, and I found that pretty ridiculous.
Overall, I found this book to be quite the unpleasant experience. It was boring in some places, and annoying in others. There are some reviews on here that have claimed this book is good, even amazing, but I just didn't feel anything for it. If you want to give it a try, go right ahead, but I don't really recommend it.
August 23, 2014
Well, that sucked.
I don't know where to start with just how much I disliked it.
Sometimes when I finish a book, I find myself wondering just was the point of it even existing? Books like this one and We Were Liars that are based on a mystery that is actually pretty week, lose their value once the mystery revealed. Without it, there's nothing to hook the reader. Nothing to make them care.
I'll admit, I didn't even really know what kind of book this was when I began reading. I thought it might be something like The Programbut it was actually contemporary. That alone should have been a clue that this was not the book for me. I have high standards and a lot of reservations about YA books about psychiatric treatment. It's a delicate subject. Alas, in this book it was little more than a plot device and I didn't feel like it was treated with the sensitivity it deserved. To be honest, I skimmed a lot of the last half of it. I feel like that was the right decision. The stuff I was reading was making me ragey.
Next issue was the 'mystery'. Siobhan blames herself for the death of her brother. This book is about her coming to terms with that. It's also about revealing what happened through flashbacks. Now, it was pretty obvious that she didn't actually kill her brother. So they flashbacks were at first open to all sorts of interpretations.
And I got in in my head that her new boyfriend was responsible. See, he raised all sorts of red flags and he was basically the stereotypical holiday resort lothario. He lied. His nice gestures were cloaked in manipulation. He was gross. Siobhan's dad was right to hate him. But there was nothing in the text, right to the very end, that showed anyone including the author and the characters recognised this horrible behaviour.
It was one of the most distasteful romances I've seen since Fifty Shades.
Everything about the holiday romance was creepy. Right down to how the brother died. Siobhan was stupid and irresponsible. So was the dude and his friend. No amount of but he loved me and nobody meant it will change that. God, I'm getting so angry again now just thinking about.
So, with the two main gripes out of the way I can focus on all the other little ones. Like how Siobhan would get annoyed about explaining her name and it being misspelled. But several times she referred to Greek names as being unpronounceable. I mean, really? And the village they stayed in was not named. It just felt lazy. The characters in the home were two dimensional and the whole set up was ridiculous. The whole t-shirt thing was ok until I realised it was based on a twelve year old reading, understanding and buy a clever t shirt relating to catcher in the rye.
The only good thing this book had going for it was that the family relationships and dialogue felt authentic and amusing and fresh.
This is not the kind of book I would every recommend or ever choose to read again. And it's really not the type of book I would want a teen girl to read. How about we don't affirm the actions dumb, lovestruck little girls and their sleazy irresponsible older boyfriends? Lets aim for them to know better or at least try and show them better.
I don't know where to start with just how much I disliked it.
Sometimes when I finish a book, I find myself wondering just was the point of it even existing? Books like this one and We Were Liars that are based on a mystery that is actually pretty week, lose their value once the mystery revealed. Without it, there's nothing to hook the reader. Nothing to make them care.
I'll admit, I didn't even really know what kind of book this was when I began reading. I thought it might be something like The Programbut it was actually contemporary. That alone should have been a clue that this was not the book for me. I have high standards and a lot of reservations about YA books about psychiatric treatment. It's a delicate subject. Alas, in this book it was little more than a plot device and I didn't feel like it was treated with the sensitivity it deserved. To be honest, I skimmed a lot of the last half of it. I feel like that was the right decision. The stuff I was reading was making me ragey.
Next issue was the 'mystery'. Siobhan blames herself for the death of her brother. This book is about her coming to terms with that. It's also about revealing what happened through flashbacks. Now, it was pretty obvious that she didn't actually kill her brother. So they flashbacks were at first open to all sorts of interpretations.
And I got in in my head that her new boyfriend was responsible. See, he raised all sorts of red flags and he was basically the stereotypical holiday resort lothario. He lied. His nice gestures were cloaked in manipulation. He was gross. Siobhan's dad was right to hate him. But there was nothing in the text, right to the very end, that showed anyone including the author and the characters recognised this horrible behaviour.
It was one of the most distasteful romances I've seen since Fifty Shades.
Everything about the holiday romance was creepy. Right down to how the brother died. Siobhan was stupid and irresponsible. So was the dude and his friend. No amount of but he loved me and nobody meant it will change that. God, I'm getting so angry again now just thinking about.
So, with the two main gripes out of the way I can focus on all the other little ones. Like how Siobhan would get annoyed about explaining her name and it being misspelled. But several times she referred to Greek names as being unpronounceable. I mean, really? And the village they stayed in was not named. It just felt lazy. The characters in the home were two dimensional and the whole set up was ridiculous. The whole t-shirt thing was ok until I realised it was based on a twelve year old reading, understanding and buy a clever t shirt relating to catcher in the rye.
The only good thing this book had going for it was that the family relationships and dialogue felt authentic and amusing and fresh.
This is not the kind of book I would every recommend or ever choose to read again. And it's really not the type of book I would want a teen girl to read. How about we don't affirm the actions dumb, lovestruck little girls and their sleazy irresponsible older boyfriends? Lets aim for them to know better or at least try and show them better.
June 3, 2015
Spoilers below....
Shiv (Siobhan) has been taken to the Korsokoff Clinic – one of only 6 patients dealing with the loss of someone close in their lives. Shiv’s parents are grieving and she is blaming herself for the death of her brother Declan. Shiv and Declan were very close, friends as well as siblings. But when they are on a family holiday in sun-drenched Greece, Shiv meets Nikos (He is gorgeous and friendly) on a snorkling tour they have taken for the day. She lets him believe she is older than her 15 yrs and things begin to spiral away from the relaxed family holiday planned for them all – changing all their lives forever.
This story is Shiv dealing with the loss of Declan and her part in it. The story is told in chapters between then – Greece, and now – Korsokoff clinic. Happiness and sunshine/Grief and Depression.
She meets others in the clinic, dealing with their own guilt and loss, and their path of healing helps her own. The reader doesn’t learn what actually happens to Declan until near the end of the novel, pulling the reader into the story. By the author of the fantastic novel FLIP, Never ending is well written, with credible characters and motivations.
Shiv (Siobhan) has been taken to the Korsokoff Clinic – one of only 6 patients dealing with the loss of someone close in their lives. Shiv’s parents are grieving and she is blaming herself for the death of her brother Declan. Shiv and Declan were very close, friends as well as siblings. But when they are on a family holiday in sun-drenched Greece, Shiv meets Nikos (He is gorgeous and friendly) on a snorkling tour they have taken for the day. She lets him believe she is older than her 15 yrs and things begin to spiral away from the relaxed family holiday planned for them all – changing all their lives forever.
This story is Shiv dealing with the loss of Declan and her part in it. The story is told in chapters between then – Greece, and now – Korsokoff clinic. Happiness and sunshine/Grief and Depression.
She meets others in the clinic, dealing with their own guilt and loss, and their path of healing helps her own. The reader doesn’t learn what actually happens to Declan until near the end of the novel, pulling the reader into the story. By the author of the fantastic novel FLIP, Never ending is well written, with credible characters and motivations.
November 17, 2019
Książka wydawała mi się naprawdę interesująca. Motyw tajemnicy, do tego młodzieżówka- po prostu moje klimaty. Jednak coś mi tu przeszkadzało. Czytałam ją dość długo, ale to na pewno nie wina stylu pisania, chociaż momentami książka ta była nudnawa.
Troszkę więcej od niej oczekiwałam. Nie jest to nie wiadomo jak dobra pozycja, ale też bardzo słaba nie była.
Troszkę więcej od niej oczekiwałam. Nie jest to nie wiadomo jak dobra pozycja, ale też bardzo słaba nie była.
August 28, 2017
3.5 stars
Review to come
Review to come
March 20, 2015
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a little skeptical when there’s a YA book by a major publisher I’ve not heard of. Like, intellectually, I know that it’s a problem with the publisher’s marketing, but some of me really feels like the book’s not getting any attention so it’s probably terrible. That gut feeling is really hard for me to kick, and it totally had me side-eying Never Ending in my pile. My point is that I am glad I do not let this stupid, herd-following instinct drive me, because I would have missed out on a good book. Never Ending is a dark look at dealing with feelings of guilt following the death of a loved one.
Never Ending alternates between Shiv (short for Siobhan) in the present and her memories of the past. She’s dealing with her brother’s tragic death in Greece, which resulted in a total media circus. Bedford does the whole thing where the truth of what happens unfolds really slowly, so you don’t find out precisely how his death happened until near the end. When the novel opens, Shiv’s dad is driving her to a special sixty day psychiatric treatment course, because she’s not been coping after her brother Declan’s death. She’s been really destructive and unhealthy since then, overwhelmed by grief and guilt.
The Korsakoff Clinic only has six teens for the session, and it’s very targeted at teens who aren’t coping well and who feel guilty for the death of their loved one. I do really wonder how this clinic functions and if it’s a really expensive option for rich people, but whatever. The treatment they undergo there is really interesting, and also horrifically painful. The reactions to each thing vary from person to person, and I just find mental health really fascinating. It’s heartbreaking to watch Shiv go through all of this.
Everything that happens is very much from Shiv’s perspective. Like, it’s third person limited, but more than that Shiv is just so much in her own head at this point. Even as she befriends some other people at the clinic, she’s not really trying to understand them on a deep level. She’s too mired in her own life. Her progress feels very natural, with all the setbacks and difficulties along the way. I’m also just thrilled the book didn’t take a paranormal turn or make anything more melodramatic than it needed to be. There’s no demonization of psychiatrists either.
What really charmed me about Never Ending though were the flashbacks with Shiv’s family. When the reader meets her, she’s a shadow of who she once was. In the flashbacks, she’s this normal teenage girl, hoping for a romantic adventure on her holiday to Greece. Her family has this amazing connection and she’s truly best friends with Declan, who is actually amazing. The family has so many inside jokes and banters delightfully. It’s in comparing what was to what now is that the pain really got me in the heart.
While the story arc isn’t particularly surprising, Never Ending is a thoughtful look at death and survivor guilt. It’s a dark but beautiful story, recommended for readers who enjoy contemporaries that hurt the heart.
For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a little skeptical when there’s a YA book by a major publisher I’ve not heard of. Like, intellectually, I know that it’s a problem with the publisher’s marketing, but some of me really feels like the book’s not getting any attention so it’s probably terrible. That gut feeling is really hard for me to kick, and it totally had me side-eying Never Ending in my pile. My point is that I am glad I do not let this stupid, herd-following instinct drive me, because I would have missed out on a good book. Never Ending is a dark look at dealing with feelings of guilt following the death of a loved one.
Never Ending alternates between Shiv (short for Siobhan) in the present and her memories of the past. She’s dealing with her brother’s tragic death in Greece, which resulted in a total media circus. Bedford does the whole thing where the truth of what happens unfolds really slowly, so you don’t find out precisely how his death happened until near the end. When the novel opens, Shiv’s dad is driving her to a special sixty day psychiatric treatment course, because she’s not been coping after her brother Declan’s death. She’s been really destructive and unhealthy since then, overwhelmed by grief and guilt.
The Korsakoff Clinic only has six teens for the session, and it’s very targeted at teens who aren’t coping well and who feel guilty for the death of their loved one. I do really wonder how this clinic functions and if it’s a really expensive option for rich people, but whatever. The treatment they undergo there is really interesting, and also horrifically painful. The reactions to each thing vary from person to person, and I just find mental health really fascinating. It’s heartbreaking to watch Shiv go through all of this.
Everything that happens is very much from Shiv’s perspective. Like, it’s third person limited, but more than that Shiv is just so much in her own head at this point. Even as she befriends some other people at the clinic, she’s not really trying to understand them on a deep level. She’s too mired in her own life. Her progress feels very natural, with all the setbacks and difficulties along the way. I’m also just thrilled the book didn’t take a paranormal turn or make anything more melodramatic than it needed to be. There’s no demonization of psychiatrists either.
What really charmed me about Never Ending though were the flashbacks with Shiv’s family. When the reader meets her, she’s a shadow of who she once was. In the flashbacks, she’s this normal teenage girl, hoping for a romantic adventure on her holiday to Greece. Her family has this amazing connection and she’s truly best friends with Declan, who is actually amazing. The family has so many inside jokes and banters delightfully. It’s in comparing what was to what now is that the pain really got me in the heart.
While the story arc isn’t particularly surprising, Never Ending is a thoughtful look at death and survivor guilt. It’s a dark but beautiful story, recommended for readers who enjoy contemporaries that hurt the heart.
March 14, 2014
Shiv is unable to live with her brother Declan’s death, particularly her own role in it. So she is sent to the Korsakoff Clinic where she hopes to be cured and be able to continue her life. Unable to see past her own guilt and loss, Shiv finds herself in an unusual clinic where she is first forced to focus on her brother and then forced to look directly at his death without turning away. She is joined in the clinic by several other teens who all lost people in different ways but all feel as responsible and guilty as Shiv does. As they are forced to see the truth of their loss, all of them react in different ways. When hope is highest though, the ground falls out below Shiv and she must figure out that saving someone else may be the answer to saving herself.
Bedford has created a very compelling read. He slowly reveals Shiv’s life before Declan’s death. Along the way, readers get to know Shiv and Declan and their warm and loving parents. They see directly what grief and loss do to people and the way their relationships are torn asunder. They also see how hard it is to return to life after such a loss. Bedford maintains a large level of complexity throughout the novel, moving into flashbacks and also showing Declan as a human rather than a lost angel. The relationship between the siblings is good until a gorgeous young man enters their lives and creates waves for both of them.
As the flashbacks to Declan’s final days continue, the tension in the book mounts. The pressure is also building in Shiv’s recovery as she starts to recover and then suffers setbacks. There are no easy answers here. Declan’s life as well as Shiv’s are complex. The therapy she undergoes is unusual but it is up to Shiv to really do the work of recovery.
Beautifully written and structured, this novel of recovery, pain and guilt weaves a mesmerizing web for the reader who is never quite sure how things are going to end. Appropriate for ages 15-17.
Bedford has created a very compelling read. He slowly reveals Shiv’s life before Declan’s death. Along the way, readers get to know Shiv and Declan and their warm and loving parents. They see directly what grief and loss do to people and the way their relationships are torn asunder. They also see how hard it is to return to life after such a loss. Bedford maintains a large level of complexity throughout the novel, moving into flashbacks and also showing Declan as a human rather than a lost angel. The relationship between the siblings is good until a gorgeous young man enters their lives and creates waves for both of them.
As the flashbacks to Declan’s final days continue, the tension in the book mounts. The pressure is also building in Shiv’s recovery as she starts to recover and then suffers setbacks. There are no easy answers here. Declan’s life as well as Shiv’s are complex. The therapy she undergoes is unusual but it is up to Shiv to really do the work of recovery.
Beautifully written and structured, this novel of recovery, pain and guilt weaves a mesmerizing web for the reader who is never quite sure how things are going to end. Appropriate for ages 15-17.
Read
June 10, 2014Death. NEVER ENDING is about death and life, guilt and the choices people make. It's about how microscopic missteps can lead to catastrophes that carry people beyond their abilities to cope.
Martyn Beford uses two timelines to move us through this story. Shiv's (Siobhan's) first narrative is of the torturous journey through therapy. This is intertwined with the tale of her family's sun kissed vacation in Greece. The first time line made her tragedy very real to me. The second kept me chained to the book so that I read it all in one day. I was so curious about exactly what happened in Greece to Declan, her beloved 12 year old brother. Did it have something to do with the boy she was flirting with, or not.
I was also curious about the other participants: Mickey, Caron, Helen, Lucy and Dorchester. Each had lost someone dear to them. And each held themselves responsible. (And sometimes they were.)
~
Somehow it seems wrong to say that I enjoyed reading this book about other people's suffering. But I did.
NEVER ENDING is a fast paced novel. Part drama, part mystery. There's humor and some good writing. The ending flowed naturally from the narrative but it was almost anticlimactic after all the characters had been through.
Definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a smart drama.
--review copy
Martyn Beford uses two timelines to move us through this story. Shiv's (Siobhan's) first narrative is of the torturous journey through therapy. This is intertwined with the tale of her family's sun kissed vacation in Greece. The first time line made her tragedy very real to me. The second kept me chained to the book so that I read it all in one day. I was so curious about exactly what happened in Greece to Declan, her beloved 12 year old brother. Did it have something to do with the boy she was flirting with, or not.
I was also curious about the other participants: Mickey, Caron, Helen, Lucy and Dorchester. Each had lost someone dear to them. And each held themselves responsible. (And sometimes they were.)
~
Somehow it seems wrong to say that I enjoyed reading this book about other people's suffering. But I did.
NEVER ENDING is a fast paced novel. Part drama, part mystery. There's humor and some good writing. The ending flowed naturally from the narrative but it was almost anticlimactic after all the characters had been through.
Definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a smart drama.
--review copy
March 11, 2015
Never Ending
By
Martyn Bedford
Key characters...and what is going down with them...
Siobhan/Shiv is trying to deal with life after the death of her brother...it is a death she feels responsible for...and so far dealing with Dec's death is just not happening. So...she is off to spend 60 days at a place where she and other teens with similar losses are going to go through rather different therapies in order to get themselves fixed.
Settings...
Much of this book is told in flashbacks in Greece...the place where Siobhan's brother died.
What I thought about this book...
I thought that this book was sad...it is always difficult to read about people who are in the midst of tragedies. Siobhan feels responsible for her brother's death and every other person in her therapy group feels exactly the same way. In their heads...if they had just made a different choice...their loved ones would still be alive.
Why you might want to read it, too...
I guess this is a YA book that readers might learn from...so readers who don't mind the sad aspects...should enjoy this book. There is young love...Nikos...lies, and anger...which just make Dec's death and Siobhan's life afterwards...really truly messy. I won't tell you how this book ends...that you must discover on your own.
By
Martyn Bedford
Key characters...and what is going down with them...
Siobhan/Shiv is trying to deal with life after the death of her brother...it is a death she feels responsible for...and so far dealing with Dec's death is just not happening. So...she is off to spend 60 days at a place where she and other teens with similar losses are going to go through rather different therapies in order to get themselves fixed.
Settings...
Much of this book is told in flashbacks in Greece...the place where Siobhan's brother died.
What I thought about this book...
I thought that this book was sad...it is always difficult to read about people who are in the midst of tragedies. Siobhan feels responsible for her brother's death and every other person in her therapy group feels exactly the same way. In their heads...if they had just made a different choice...their loved ones would still be alive.
Why you might want to read it, too...
I guess this is a YA book that readers might learn from...so readers who don't mind the sad aspects...should enjoy this book. There is young love...Nikos...lies, and anger...which just make Dec's death and Siobhan's life afterwards...really truly messy. I won't tell you how this book ends...that you must discover on your own.
December 15, 2019
When I say I cried when I finished this book, I really mean it. Never Ending is the first book I have ever read with a positive (and accurate) view of a mental hospital. The characters were definitely not your average “crazy people” you usually see depicted in the media’s mental hospitals, and I absolutely adored it. Every single patient had their own issues, however, which steered them clear of the other end of the spectrum, the glorification of mental illness. They were represented in a realistic way which is what matters. Experiencing Shiv’s journey based solely on her point of view of what happened to her brother left me desperately hoping for her recovery and wanting to read more. Part of the story was told in flashbacks--a choice I love in any novel--and it made the truth that came out in the end that much more emotional. I don’t regret this read at all.
Usually when I read books I own, I keep anything rated above 3 stars in case I want to read it again. This book, however, I donated to my local used book store, because I want someone else to be able to get even more than what I got out of it. I’ve never lost someone close to me, and I can only imagine the impact this book might have on someone who has.
Usually when I read books I own, I keep anything rated above 3 stars in case I want to read it again. This book, however, I donated to my local used book store, because I want someone else to be able to get even more than what I got out of it. I’ve never lost someone close to me, and I can only imagine the impact this book might have on someone who has.
March 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! The switching narrative between past and present kept me intrigued throughout the entire book, I couldn’t put it down.
Looks into the psyche of family trauma victims and the inner workings of guilty minds.
The only negative I could find is in some places the writing seems rather clumsy, which makes it a little hard to read.
Looks into the psyche of family trauma victims and the inner workings of guilty minds.
The only negative I could find is in some places the writing seems rather clumsy, which makes it a little hard to read.
June 6, 2021
- 2.75 stars
I'll admit, I went into this book not fully interested or excited. I'm trying to clear out some of my physical tbr to find room for some more books on my shelves, and to get rid of books I do not want. This was one of the victims.
The first 1/3 of this book was boring and slow. It was very uninteresting and couldn't grasp my attention at all. I considered DNFing this book so many times during that point. But, once we reached around the midway point and into the 2/3 of the book, things picked up. It became much more intriguing and had my full attention. The end was very bland and anticlimactic, so the middle of this book was by far the best part of the entire thing.
The main character is incredibly unlikeable. I could not stand Shiv, and I understand why she was the way she was in present tense, but in the flashbacks she was just so arrogant and awful. I do not think the author intended for the reader to dislike any of the characters, but I disliked many. There were few I actually enjoyed. None of the characters really came into play with the main plot. Most were very distant and withheld from the story, some were bland and uninteresting, some all together stupid and unnecessary.
There were many scenes from this novel I hated, and many I disliked. Very few I can say I actually enjoyed reading. I expected to be able to finish this book, but I did not expect it to be wonderful or worth it- which could easily shape my overall reaction and review, but, oh well.
I'll admit, I went into this book not fully interested or excited. I'm trying to clear out some of my physical tbr to find room for some more books on my shelves, and to get rid of books I do not want. This was one of the victims.
The first 1/3 of this book was boring and slow. It was very uninteresting and couldn't grasp my attention at all. I considered DNFing this book so many times during that point. But, once we reached around the midway point and into the 2/3 of the book, things picked up. It became much more intriguing and had my full attention. The end was very bland and anticlimactic, so the middle of this book was by far the best part of the entire thing.
The main character is incredibly unlikeable. I could not stand Shiv, and I understand why she was the way she was in present tense, but in the flashbacks she was just so arrogant and awful. I do not think the author intended for the reader to dislike any of the characters, but I disliked many. There were few I actually enjoyed. None of the characters really came into play with the main plot. Most were very distant and withheld from the story, some were bland and uninteresting, some all together stupid and unnecessary.
There were many scenes from this novel I hated, and many I disliked. Very few I can say I actually enjoyed reading. I expected to be able to finish this book, but I did not expect it to be wonderful or worth it- which could easily shape my overall reaction and review, but, oh well.
March 4, 2019
Fifteen-year-old Siobhan Faverdale, known as Shiv, has undergone an unbelievable loss that played out in the news throughout Europe. Her brother Declan recently died during a family vacation in Greece and Shiv feels responsible.
Now she's back in England. Her bizarre behavior makes moving on with her life impossible, and she's not sure she wants to move on. After more than one therapist fails her, she turns to the Korsakoff Clinic for help. Their experimental eight week in-patient program specializes in bereavement trauma.
There are six other patients there who are all desperate to cope with the death of someone close to them. Mikey is to be Shiv's assigned buddy. He lost his sister. Lucy's infant niece died on her watch. Caron becomes Shiv's confidante, but isn't ready to open about her own loss.
The story moves slowly, alternating with flashbacks of a perfect vacation; Shiv's crush on Niko, a gorgeous young Greek; her relationship with her brilliant, funny, younger brother; and her time at the clinic. The unfolding tragedy of Declan's death remains a mystery to the reader as Shiv tries to deal with her loss.
Sad and sweet, Shiv's story is hard to put down.
This review was first published on www. bookloons.com
November 2, 2019
The beginning of the book was very slow, and it wasn’t very interesting to me, enough to keep me reading all day. I then started getting more into it, wondering what the heck did she do to her brother? I don’t like that every couple chapters is a flashback, and then you just resume the regular chapters again. It was hard to follow at first, and was some what confusing. I started to really get into the book about 100 pages or so in, and I just finished it, now frustrated that it ended the way it did. Definitely was expecting a much more thought out ending, but it just happens so quickly. Almost felt rushed. Overall, a decent book, but should have had a better ending.
April 16, 2021
Never expected to cry this much, especially since the first parts bore me. The switching of present and past was confusing at first, but as the story goes it gets better and better. I don't know which made me cried harder, Dec dying due to the circumstances that happened because of her choices, or the thought that he's still alive when she looked over him. Mikey was also a nice touch. In a sense, they both helped fix each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2017
I give this book a 3.5 stars. This is about a girl named Shiv who blames herself for her brothers death. I like that the book went back and forth. There was no story line though. The only thing that kept me interested in this book is I wanted to know how Declan died. The whole part about Declan having a crush on Shiv's boyfriend was useless. It had no good point in the storyline whatsoever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2018
A book that was written just as you would expect, where they left you wondering WHAT HAPPENED for 80% of the book and even though it was predictable, it was still a decent read. It popped up as a suggestion on my Cloud Library account and I figured I would give it a try as I waited for Kingdom of Ash.
June 10, 2022
Nic dodać, nic ująć. Nie daję za często pięciu gwiazdek, ale ta książka jak najbardziej na to zasługuje! Niesamowicie mi się podobała. Fabuła nie oklepana jak w większości historii. Zżyłam się z główną bohaterką i nieraz zapominałam, że to nie ja odpowiadam za jej czyny. POLECAM!!!!
April 25, 2023
Będąc szczera to nawet nie wiem co mam powiedzieć na temat tej książki. Nie umiem ubrać w słowa tych wszystkich myśli, które się we mnie kłębią. Naprawdę warto poznać się z historią Shiv i tym, jak stara się żyć na nowo.
August 23, 2023
This quiet, unassumingly well-written book turned out to be one of the best YA novels I’ve ever read. I only wish more folks end up picking it up. Young or old. Truly, a book for all ages because we all, if we are lucky, have been that age.
May 22, 2017
Was hoping this would be more of a thriller, but it was ok for the length of book it was. I could pick out all the odd things about this book but I care too little about it to bother
December 29, 2017
This was a brilliant book.
June 5, 2018
Really emotional and gripping.
April 16, 2019
It was a really great book that realistically depicted the reality of loss and the psychological. emotional trauma that follows.
October 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Left me with a lot of things to think about.
June 5, 2020
How do you grieve for your brother? How do you live when it was your fault? Shiv isn't sure, so she tries to get help.
July 31, 2021
quite good but nothing special if that makes sense
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