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Breaking Saint Jude
When sixteen-year-old Jude Calvert sets out to steal stained glass from a broken cathedral window, he finds more than shards of red. He finds Max Rangel - his eye candy from his new LGBT support group - hauling a giraffe carcass across an abandoned part of town with a pack of guys. And he still accepts Max's dinner invite a few days later.
Still, animal lover Jude can't get the giraffe out of his mind. It doesn't take long for him to confront Max, who gives him partial answers and introduces him to a secret brotherhood of not-so-typical game hunters. Unable to tell his mom (the savior of black cats everywhere) or his dad (the zoo's head veterinarian) and unwilling to go back to his overbearing therapist, Jude quickly finds himself sucked into the underground world of taxidermy, theft, and drug deals.
At first, he's willing to do anything for the brotherhood just because he's so thankful to belong to someone again after serious drama with his ex-clique and ex-boyfriend. But when his underground life collides with his life above, he realizes he may have bitten off more than even the biggest animal can chew.
Still, animal lover Jude can't get the giraffe out of his mind. It doesn't take long for him to confront Max, who gives him partial answers and introduces him to a secret brotherhood of not-so-typical game hunters. Unable to tell his mom (the savior of black cats everywhere) or his dad (the zoo's head veterinarian) and unwilling to go back to his overbearing therapist, Jude quickly finds himself sucked into the underground world of taxidermy, theft, and drug deals.
At first, he's willing to do anything for the brotherhood just because he's so thankful to belong to someone again after serious drama with his ex-clique and ex-boyfriend. But when his underground life collides with his life above, he realizes he may have bitten off more than even the biggest animal can chew.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2015
597 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Chartier
26 books613 followersNikki Chartier is a young adult/new adult author. She writes everything from beach reads about surfers to witchy reads for Halloween lovers. She is an avid surf fan (who always wants Gabriel Medina to win), a dream-chaser, and a collector of crystals. She lives in the southern USA with her family.
I do not hang out on Goodreads often, so please see my website (http://www.nikkichartierbooks.com) for all updates and true links to my backlist.
I do not hang out on Goodreads often, so please see my website (http://www.nikkichartierbooks.com) for all updates and true links to my backlist.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 12, 2015
This was my 2nd foray into the writings of Nikki Godwin, and where the first one was all about finding the courage to be yourself, this book was, while darker and morbid overall, about finding yourself and embracing being different. It's about learning to deal with loss in a way that may not make sense to others, but works for you.
Jude Calvert, teenager, is attending a support group for LGBTQ teens, after his first boyfriend (Drew) was yanked away by Drew's religious parents and sent to a conversion camp. The shame of that experience has broken Jude, and he copes by collecting stained glass pieces in all the colors of the rainbow.
He's a vegetarian, gay, and the son of the town's zoo's veterinarian. Through his father, Jude is close to some of the animals at the zoo, and still mourning the loss of Lucy, a gorilla.
Jude meets Max in the group, admires the eye-candy, and then sees him again after dark, when Jude is stealing broken glass from an old church window that has been shattered. While crouching in the shadows, he observes Max hauling a dead giraffe into a warehouse, with a group of other young men.
The story immediately takes on a dark undertone, with stolen dead animals, taxidermy, and a drug dealer, who has his own story to tell. It isn't immediately clear to the reader what's going on, but as Jude is parts terrified and parts intrigued by what he observed, we begin to see the story unfold as he accepts a date with Max and meets Max's friends.
Jude is not a perfect character, and neither is Max. Jude is also a rather unreliable narrator. As the story progresses and Jude finds out more about the group of Max's friends (as do we through his eyes), he begins to realize that while what they're doing is quite illegal, they're doing it for reasons that are, while perhaps hard to understand to an outsider, perfectly understandable to them.
The relationship that develops between Jude and Max may seem tame for two teenage boys, who would be tempted by raging hormones, and their romance doesn't really take center stage on its own. The author intertwines themes of loss and pain, of feeling broken, with themes of hope and moving forward, of keeping memories alive without getting lost in the past. The interactions were sweet and fun, and there was kissing and touching, but not much else. If anything, their intimate relationship was overshadowed by the activities around the dead animals and the taxidermy.
The author did a wonderful job exploring the secondary characters she created - from Terry to Levi to Caleb to Tuck, as well as Jude's father, giving them detailed characteristics and personalities of their own, without making them look like caricatures or one-sided cardboard.
But this novel also has some issues - Jude's parents, for one, who were almost too perfect for my taste, with their understanding and support, and the taxidermy was a little creepy for me (I've always thought it a strange thing). The climax was also slightly predictable, and I was waiting for that to happen.
I did like the ending though - it made all of the pieces fall into place, it showed that Jude had learned some important lessons.
I would certainly recommend this book to teenagers, as I think that the lesson within is a good one. From where I'm sitting, middle-aged and cynical, this book reminded me of the confusion of my teenage years, not knowing who I really was, and feeling broken and alone. I could certainly empathize with Jude's struggles, though his 'poor-me' attitude was occasionally grating on me. I wanted at once to grab him by his shirt and shake some sense into him, as well as hug him and tell him everything would be okay.
Recommended.
** I received a free copy of this book from its author. A positive review was not promised in return. **
Jude Calvert, teenager, is attending a support group for LGBTQ teens, after his first boyfriend (Drew) was yanked away by Drew's religious parents and sent to a conversion camp. The shame of that experience has broken Jude, and he copes by collecting stained glass pieces in all the colors of the rainbow.
He's a vegetarian, gay, and the son of the town's zoo's veterinarian. Through his father, Jude is close to some of the animals at the zoo, and still mourning the loss of Lucy, a gorilla.
Jude meets Max in the group, admires the eye-candy, and then sees him again after dark, when Jude is stealing broken glass from an old church window that has been shattered. While crouching in the shadows, he observes Max hauling a dead giraffe into a warehouse, with a group of other young men.
The story immediately takes on a dark undertone, with stolen dead animals, taxidermy, and a drug dealer, who has his own story to tell. It isn't immediately clear to the reader what's going on, but as Jude is parts terrified and parts intrigued by what he observed, we begin to see the story unfold as he accepts a date with Max and meets Max's friends.
Jude is not a perfect character, and neither is Max. Jude is also a rather unreliable narrator. As the story progresses and Jude finds out more about the group of Max's friends (as do we through his eyes), he begins to realize that while what they're doing is quite illegal, they're doing it for reasons that are, while perhaps hard to understand to an outsider, perfectly understandable to them.
The relationship that develops between Jude and Max may seem tame for two teenage boys, who would be tempted by raging hormones, and their romance doesn't really take center stage on its own. The author intertwines themes of loss and pain, of feeling broken, with themes of hope and moving forward, of keeping memories alive without getting lost in the past. The interactions were sweet and fun, and there was kissing and touching, but not much else. If anything, their intimate relationship was overshadowed by the activities around the dead animals and the taxidermy.
The author did a wonderful job exploring the secondary characters she created - from Terry to Levi to Caleb to Tuck, as well as Jude's father, giving them detailed characteristics and personalities of their own, without making them look like caricatures or one-sided cardboard.
But this novel also has some issues - Jude's parents, for one, who were almost too perfect for my taste, with their understanding and support, and the taxidermy was a little creepy for me (I've always thought it a strange thing). The climax was also slightly predictable, and I was waiting for that to happen.
I did like the ending though - it made all of the pieces fall into place, it showed that Jude had learned some important lessons.
I would certainly recommend this book to teenagers, as I think that the lesson within is a good one. From where I'm sitting, middle-aged and cynical, this book reminded me of the confusion of my teenage years, not knowing who I really was, and feeling broken and alone. I could certainly empathize with Jude's struggles, though his 'poor-me' attitude was occasionally grating on me. I wanted at once to grab him by his shirt and shake some sense into him, as well as hug him and tell him everything would be okay.
Recommended.
** I received a free copy of this book from its author. A positive review was not promised in return. **
January 27, 2015
One helluva weird-ass story. I mean, seriously, WTF?
*I enjoyed a book about Taxidermy.
Taxidermy: Bleugh! & ~Shiver~.
I once accidentally touched a real fur coat and was repulsed by my own fingers for the rest of the day. True story. If a new bloke took me to those places Max took Jude... makes me sick a bit in my mouth just thinking about it... No. Just. No.
Not only that but...
*I developed quite some crush on the Former-Game-Hunter-Taxidermist.
<3 Levi!
*I LOLed over a dead giraffe.
And...
*Proper teared up over a Polar Bear.
Jude was an awesome protag -quirky, awkward and emotionally driven. Him and Max made for such an adorable coupleeven if I did kinda hope a teensy bit that Max would prove to be a dickwad and Levi would slip in as Jude's main man. Would so totally not have worked, I know. But still. I liked that their relationship wasn't ever OTT -not sickeningly soppy or TMI hot&heavy. T'was, instead, lotsa tender touches and sweet words, often rather humorous too. Spot on.
I was already a fan of Nikki's writing style from her Dresden Surf books, and I'm even more so now after this one (immediately added all her other books to my TBR list). I adore how much attention she gives to all her characters, making each and every one of em special in their own unique way. Her plot pacing is excellent. And picking up the little crossover refs she likes to slip in always elicits a mini-squee thrill.
So, anywho...yeah...
Breaking Saint Jude was a great read.
Funny; touching; exciting and surprising.
The Brotherhood won me over. Totally bought into all the crazy.
Creeptastically bizarre good fun :)
*I enjoyed a book about Taxidermy.
Taxidermy: Bleugh! & ~Shiver~.
I once accidentally touched a real fur coat and was repulsed by my own fingers for the rest of the day. True story. If a new bloke took me to those places Max took Jude... makes me sick a bit in my mouth just thinking about it... No. Just. No.
Not only that but...
*I developed quite some crush on the Former-Game-Hunter-Taxidermist.
<3 Levi!
*I LOLed over a dead giraffe.
And...
*Proper teared up over a Polar Bear.
Jude was an awesome protag -quirky, awkward and emotionally driven. Him and Max made for such an adorable couple
I was already a fan of Nikki's writing style from her Dresden Surf books, and I'm even more so now after this one (immediately added all her other books to my TBR list). I adore how much attention she gives to all her characters, making each and every one of em special in their own unique way. Her plot pacing is excellent. And picking up the little crossover refs she likes to slip in always elicits a mini-squee thrill.
So, anywho...yeah...
Breaking Saint Jude was a great read.
Funny; touching; exciting and surprising.
The Brotherhood won me over. Totally bought into all the crazy.
Creeptastically bizarre good fun :)
March 7, 2015
This book was given to me by the author for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I liked the main character, Jude, right away. He's a gay vegetarian who owns black cats and loves polar bears. When we first meet him, he's on his way to an lgbt youth support group. He uses the "f-word" a lot (so do some of the other characters) so you might not like the book if that type of thing bothers you. He sees an attractive guy at the support group meeting and nicknames him Eye Candy. After the group he heads over to a church that's about to be demolished to steal some stained glass. His therapist suggested that he collect glass in the colors of the rainbow and he really wants the red glass from there. As he's stealing the glass he sees a group of guys hauling a dead giraffe into a truck and recognizes one of them as "Eye Candy" from the group. He's horrified, yet intrigued, and this sets him off on kind of a crazy adventure. He finds out that "Eye Candy's name is Max and they end up dating.
I love the relationship between Jude and Max. It's sweet, caring and fun. The author does a great job with all of the characters in the book, but the two of them are my favorites. After a few dates, Jude meets the "brotherhood." They were a little hard to figure out at first, but when I learned why they were doing what they do , it all made sense and was sweet in a way.
One part of the book was slightly predictable but it still worked really well in the story. I felt bad for Jude and then he suffered another loss a few weeks later. I actually got a little teary eyed over that one. I just wanted to hug him.
I really like how everything was resolved in the book. I think he was finally happy at the end.
I liked the main character, Jude, right away. He's a gay vegetarian who owns black cats and loves polar bears. When we first meet him, he's on his way to an lgbt youth support group. He uses the "f-word" a lot (so do some of the other characters) so you might not like the book if that type of thing bothers you. He sees an attractive guy at the support group meeting and nicknames him Eye Candy. After the group he heads over to a church that's about to be demolished to steal some stained glass. His therapist suggested that he collect glass in the colors of the rainbow and he really wants the red glass from there. As he's stealing the glass he sees a group of guys hauling a dead giraffe into a truck and recognizes one of them as "Eye Candy" from the group. He's horrified, yet intrigued, and this sets him off on kind of a crazy adventure. He finds out that "Eye Candy's name is Max and they end up dating.
I love the relationship between Jude and Max. It's sweet, caring and fun. The author does a great job with all of the characters in the book, but the two of them are my favorites. After a few dates, Jude meets the "brotherhood." They were a little hard to figure out at first, but when I learned why they were doing what they do , it all made sense and was sweet in a way.
One part of the book was slightly predictable but it still worked really well in the story. I felt bad for Jude and then he suffered another loss a few weeks later. I actually got a little teary eyed over that one. I just wanted to hug him.
I really like how everything was resolved in the book. I think he was finally happy at the end.
February 2, 2015
Breaking Saint Jude is the perfect mix of love, weirdness, and straight up 'did that seriously just happen?' This book is by far my favorite of Nikki's, and I'm so happy she published it. Jude is sarcastic and says the best things ever. Max is the greatest love interest I have ever read in a book. He is just absolutely amazing. Levi Griffin, the living Nightmare Before Christmas, is one of the greatest characters in existence.
Read this book. You need Jude Calvert in your life.
Read this book. You need Jude Calvert in your life.
April 15, 2020
This book is weird. Very weird.
But first: I cannot relate those feeling from Jude, reading about him I can see what he feels and put this in real life
The solitude and hungry to just... fit in
It's interesting to read about because he is alone but kinda selfish too
We have Drew here who I'm sure is in the most vulnerable and worst situation for a gay teenager. And I understand how Jude feels about it but he just don't really give a fuck for what been in convention really means, he even say that he prefers it compares to be left to a girl, it's sick and so funcking selfish I can't even express my anger
Get more awkward because we don't see really much of Jude lifes here, have no school, or the meetings, I don't know...
About the author I have to said: all those comments about girls, and bisexuality is very uncomfortable
"There I go sounding like a whiny diva girlfriend"
"Max rolls his eyes like a dramatic girl"
"I almost want to come unglued like a hysterical fangirl"
"I’d have just cursed and screamed and probably thrown things like a psychotic, jealous girlfriend."
"bitch" is used against all women beside his mother and M, just work in this internal misogyny Nikki.
Jurd is very insecure, the ex boyfriend of Max is he focus to be better than him but he is not really there, so ...???
I don't know what to say anymore, I think I don't like it, but isn't bad really. The animals thing it's such a creepy thing and I can't fake be cool with this, it's creepy as fuck
And the end is horrible, I hate it because Jude said some pages earlier how he feels about what happen to Lucy and in the end... Its a shit ending.
But first: I cannot relate those feeling from Jude, reading about him I can see what he feels and put this in real life
The solitude and hungry to just... fit in
It's interesting to read about because he is alone but kinda selfish too
We have Drew here who I'm sure is in the most vulnerable and worst situation for a gay teenager. And I understand how Jude feels about it but he just don't really give a fuck for what been in convention really means, he even say that he prefers it compares to be left to a girl, it's sick and so funcking selfish I can't even express my anger
Get more awkward because we don't see really much of Jude lifes here, have no school, or the meetings, I don't know...
About the author I have to said: all those comments about girls, and bisexuality is very uncomfortable
"There I go sounding like a whiny diva girlfriend"
"Max rolls his eyes like a dramatic girl"
"I almost want to come unglued like a hysterical fangirl"
"I’d have just cursed and screamed and probably thrown things like a psychotic, jealous girlfriend."
"bitch" is used against all women beside his mother and M, just work in this internal misogyny Nikki.
Jurd is very insecure, the ex boyfriend of Max is he focus to be better than him but he is not really there, so ...???
I don't know what to say anymore, I think I don't like it, but isn't bad really. The animals thing it's such a creepy thing and I can't fake be cool with this, it's creepy as fuck
And the end is horrible, I hate it because Jude said some pages earlier how he feels about what happen to Lucy and in the end... Its a shit ending.
January 20, 2015
Review and Giveaway: The Shadow Realm
I'll be honest. When I first heard about this one I was a bit hesitant to read it because I absolutely hate taxidermy. I can't stand the thought of animals being treated that way. But because this is Nikki Godwin I knew I had to give it a shot because I have adored everything this woman has wrote so far. I went into this with an open mind and I am so glad I did because like all of Godwin's other books, I loved it.
I'm not sure what I can say about this book and about my love for it. I loved the crazy cast of characters, especially Levi, the living Nightmare Before Christmas. I loved Jude's hobby of collecting broken glass in the colours of the rainbow. And I loved this quote:
“Maybe broken doesn’t mean you’re shattered,” Dad says, apparently in favor of an explanation. “It just means you feel every piece of your soul. Maybe you’re not meant to feel like one complete piece, but instead, a lot of different pieces that complete you. Sort of like your glass collection. You couldn’t form the rainbow without the broken pieces of each color.”
This book was heart-warming. It was quirky. It was fun. And it was everything I've come to love about this authors writing. Even though I didn't exactly like what they were doing, I was still able to enjoy the book regardless. I could appreciate why they started doing it all in the first place. Nothing will ever sell me on taxidermy but Godwin wrote about it in a way that didn't put me off reading. And I think that alone makes this book amazing.
Nothing about this book is typical. It is oh so very weird and oh so very wonderful. It seems Godwin can do no wrong.
I'll be honest. When I first heard about this one I was a bit hesitant to read it because I absolutely hate taxidermy. I can't stand the thought of animals being treated that way. But because this is Nikki Godwin I knew I had to give it a shot because I have adored everything this woman has wrote so far. I went into this with an open mind and I am so glad I did because like all of Godwin's other books, I loved it.
I'm not sure what I can say about this book and about my love for it. I loved the crazy cast of characters, especially Levi, the living Nightmare Before Christmas. I loved Jude's hobby of collecting broken glass in the colours of the rainbow. And I loved this quote:
“Maybe broken doesn’t mean you’re shattered,” Dad says, apparently in favor of an explanation. “It just means you feel every piece of your soul. Maybe you’re not meant to feel like one complete piece, but instead, a lot of different pieces that complete you. Sort of like your glass collection. You couldn’t form the rainbow without the broken pieces of each color.”
This book was heart-warming. It was quirky. It was fun. And it was everything I've come to love about this authors writing. Even though I didn't exactly like what they were doing, I was still able to enjoy the book regardless. I could appreciate why they started doing it all in the first place. Nothing will ever sell me on taxidermy but Godwin wrote about it in a way that didn't put me off reading. And I think that alone makes this book amazing.
Nothing about this book is typical. It is oh so very weird and oh so very wonderful. It seems Godwin can do no wrong.
September 21, 2019
{ i was given a free e - book of this book in exchange for review }
I instantly loved this book from the very first paragraph, "I always secretly hope when I walk into support group meetings, everyone will rise from their chairs and burst into songs from Rent. It's never happened, and I know it won't tonight."
That first paragraph made me want to continue reading.
I think Jude is one of my all time favorite book characters. I love his little quirks, like his thing with shards of glass {Read the book and find out what i'm talking about, kay? it's worth it}, his obsession with black cats, and his relationship with animals at the zoo, specifically Frost, the polar bear.I love how real Jude is, and how he sometimes lets his emotion get the better of him, because it's real.
Another awesome thing about this book is that it links itself to Nikki's other books, and you wouldn't even know it unless you read the other books. I didn't even realize that Tuck was in Falling From The Sky until something was mentioned in a later chapter about Tuck selling graffiti at an art festival, and I was like WAIT I KNEW THAT NAME SOUNDED FAMILIAR WHEN HE WAS INTRODUCED, and I even went back to FFTS to make sure I wasn't just sleep deprived.
I love how invested I am into every character, even the supporting ones such as Levi {who btw is amazing}, Caleb, Terry,
I love how Nikki somehow manages to add Sebastian's Shadows into every single book, and also I only just realized this at the end when the book mentioned it, how the Saturn series is connected to Jude. I love love love everything about this book, and it's totally worth reading. {i've already gotten one of my friends to get it on her Nook :) }
I instantly loved this book from the very first paragraph, "I always secretly hope when I walk into support group meetings, everyone will rise from their chairs and burst into songs from Rent. It's never happened, and I know it won't tonight."
That first paragraph made me want to continue reading.
I think Jude is one of my all time favorite book characters. I love his little quirks, like his thing with shards of glass {Read the book and find out what i'm talking about, kay? it's worth it}, his obsession with black cats, and his relationship with animals at the zoo, specifically Frost, the polar bear.I love how real Jude is, and how he sometimes lets his emotion get the better of him, because it's real.
Another awesome thing about this book is that it links itself to Nikki's other books, and you wouldn't even know it unless you read the other books. I didn't even realize that Tuck was in Falling From The Sky until something was mentioned in a later chapter about Tuck selling graffiti at an art festival, and I was like WAIT I KNEW THAT NAME SOUNDED FAMILIAR WHEN HE WAS INTRODUCED, and I even went back to FFTS to make sure I wasn't just sleep deprived.
I love how invested I am into every character, even the supporting ones such as Levi {who btw is amazing}, Caleb, Terry,
I love how Nikki somehow manages to add Sebastian's Shadows into every single book, and also I only just realized this at the end when the book mentioned it, how the Saturn series is connected to Jude. I love love love everything about this book, and it's totally worth reading. {i've already gotten one of my friends to get it on her Nook :) }
January 23, 2015
Nikki Godwin. What can I say about Nikki Godwin? Well, I tend to love anything she writes, and that includes her latest book, Breaking Saint Jude, a LGBT YA romance. Yes, two boys fall in love. In like? Anyways, it was simply perfect. I mean, an awkward, slightly dark, glass collecting gay teen (Jude) falls in love with the mysterious "I think I like you but I don't even know you and your friends are kinda shady" hot guy (Max).
There were so many lines in this book that I loved, one being: "We're all a bunch of walking tragedies." Yes! We are. It was so simple yet so poetic. Then there was, "I nod and fight back the smile that wants to sneak across my face like a creeper outside a window." Genius. Gotta love a book that's unique, makes you laugh out loud, and allows you to connect with all the characters, not just the main character. Now let's talk about some of these characters, shall we? Tucker the Trucker and Nightmare personified are a couple that definitely leaves an impression on you. And Max. Love Max. I become a bit of a fan girl when it comes to him.
As always, I am never disappointed with a Nikki Godwin book. Her words once again leave me in a state of euphoria because I just like her stories that much! So thanks, Nikki, for providing me a copy of BSJ and allowing me the opportunity to read and review another one of your amazing books. I'm glad I was able to take a peek into Jude's life.
There were so many lines in this book that I loved, one being: "We're all a bunch of walking tragedies." Yes! We are. It was so simple yet so poetic. Then there was, "I nod and fight back the smile that wants to sneak across my face like a creeper outside a window." Genius. Gotta love a book that's unique, makes you laugh out loud, and allows you to connect with all the characters, not just the main character. Now let's talk about some of these characters, shall we? Tucker the Trucker and Nightmare personified are a couple that definitely leaves an impression on you. And Max. Love Max. I become a bit of a fan girl when it comes to him.
As always, I am never disappointed with a Nikki Godwin book. Her words once again leave me in a state of euphoria because I just like her stories that much! So thanks, Nikki, for providing me a copy of BSJ and allowing me the opportunity to read and review another one of your amazing books. I'm glad I was able to take a peek into Jude's life.
January 20, 2015
Breaking Saint Jude is not the first book I've read by Nikki Godwin, however I've found that she likes to keep things different. Surfers, boybands, taxidermy.
You get the idea.
But my favorite thing about her is the fact she's the queen of interesting secondary characters. Seriously. I loved each and every one of the boys in the "brotherhood," even if I would have crossed the street to avoid them in real life.
And even though her books are so different she finds a way to connect them. It could be something as simple as mentioning the name of a band that is also mentioned in her other series, or they might even share minor characters and locations. It makes my ears perk up.
Jude was an odd protagonist and I couldn't get the best mental image of him. Same with Max, the love interest, I liked the relationship they had going on, but it was hard to see inside my head.
I'm not really sure what I expected going into this book, it was all broken glass and taxidermic animals, grungy but weirdly enjoyable.
So yeah…
4 out of 5 stars
You get the idea.
But my favorite thing about her is the fact she's the queen of interesting secondary characters. Seriously. I loved each and every one of the boys in the "brotherhood," even if I would have crossed the street to avoid them in real life.
And even though her books are so different she finds a way to connect them. It could be something as simple as mentioning the name of a band that is also mentioned in her other series, or they might even share minor characters and locations. It makes my ears perk up.
Jude was an odd protagonist and I couldn't get the best mental image of him. Same with Max, the love interest, I liked the relationship they had going on, but it was hard to see inside my head.
I'm not really sure what I expected going into this book, it was all broken glass and taxidermic animals, grungy but weirdly enjoyable.
So yeah…
4 out of 5 stars
January 21, 2015
I adore Jude!
Author Nikki Godwin took a risk, dove in, and created a story that has me rooting for a boy who just wants to be loved and share in a brotherhood, but who also has so much heart, so much love to give. From rescuing black cats, collecting broken glass, to risking so much, Jude is a keeper in all his wacky wonder.
Author Nikki Godwin took a risk, dove in, and created a story that has me rooting for a boy who just wants to be loved and share in a brotherhood, but who also has so much heart, so much love to give. From rescuing black cats, collecting broken glass, to risking so much, Jude is a keeper in all his wacky wonder.
July 10, 2015
I love the "weirdness" of this book. *cough* I love Levi fchshshg Griffin *cough*
I read this book while I'm travelling via train and I actually teared up over Frost. All in all the story is cute, dark and awesome. Every characters will give you different reasons to love them. ❤️
I read this book while I'm travelling via train and I actually teared up over Frost. All in all the story is cute, dark and awesome. Every characters will give you different reasons to love them. ❤️
June 8, 2016
A very well written book but it just came off as dark and creepy to me. The characters imo never really meshed well together.
October 30, 2017
A really weird story about a boy, his new friends and some dead animals. I thought it would be a romance, but there wasn't much of that. Not bad, quite good with some unexpected turns. A good read for a stormy weekend.
December 5, 2016
3.75*
August 5, 2019
3.75 stars. A pretty bizarre/interesting storyline, but I love that the author had an idea and ran with it! I feel the author shaped the characters well and I didn’t find myself needing more information. I felt content with what the author provided, which is actually difficult for me to come by these days. Interesting read.
March 24, 2016
This was my first non fiction LGBT book but I have read several memoirs of gay you tubers. I wasn't sure what to expect of it and found the relationship between the 2 young boys,,so different from one another yet the perfect match and it was reflected well in the writing. I thoroughly was impressed that author included the family in the story as well to show that parental acceptance is fundamental in developing the self esteem of teens that are contemplating coming out or have come out. No matter how much our country says it's ok and everyone treated the same, you can see . in reality that many people aren't as comfortable around same sex couples as they are of opposite sex couples. So it was refreshing to see that the family was accepting, and it was obvious by the sons desire to introduce Max to his parents and also to meet Mac's family. All of the same emotional elements any couple struggle with apply to same sex couples (plus added ones of people who don't approve) but it was nice to see this was done as a positive book, . not dwelling on the negatives as so many others do (as I've been told). I would have liked to see less of the f word used but that's my preference. I realize it was written more for younger generation who happen to use this word much more frequently then my generation so I just overlooked this aspect of it.
I still can't quite get a grasp on how I feel about the other storyline going on concerning the zoo and the animals. (I don't write recap of storyline as its in description and so .many other people's reviews, so I tend to just give my read on it focusing particularly on relationships, emotions and generalized theme behind the book and how it effected me). The compassion shown for the animals and the special bond father and son have with the zoo animals was so sweet and it brightened my heart to see young man with such caring and compassionate heart when it came to how animals should be treated, from birth through life and into death. The issue that still has me struggling internally is the "groups" involvement and usage if the animals that have died. You can tell that they did what they did and took the risks of bring caught and arrested in some cases due to love of animals and in honor of a loved one, yet I have never been able to come to terms with taxidermy in any way so the internal contradiction I dealt with in reading this keep me from giving it full 5 stars. Overall, well written and pleasure to read a positive story with very likeable main characters, so I would give it thumbs up and recommend it to anyone interested in this genre. Although written for young adults, I like to read various genre of YA books to keep current with what our youth are doing/reading so I can better keep up with my child and his friends as to current trends, etc.
I still can't quite get a grasp on how I feel about the other storyline going on concerning the zoo and the animals. (I don't write recap of storyline as its in description and so .many other people's reviews, so I tend to just give my read on it focusing particularly on relationships, emotions and generalized theme behind the book and how it effected me). The compassion shown for the animals and the special bond father and son have with the zoo animals was so sweet and it brightened my heart to see young man with such caring and compassionate heart when it came to how animals should be treated, from birth through life and into death. The issue that still has me struggling internally is the "groups" involvement and usage if the animals that have died. You can tell that they did what they did and took the risks of bring caught and arrested in some cases due to love of animals and in honor of a loved one, yet I have never been able to come to terms with taxidermy in any way so the internal contradiction I dealt with in reading this keep me from giving it full 5 stars. Overall, well written and pleasure to read a positive story with very likeable main characters, so I would give it thumbs up and recommend it to anyone interested in this genre. Although written for young adults, I like to read various genre of YA books to keep current with what our youth are doing/reading so I can better keep up with my child and his friends as to current trends, etc.
March 4, 2015
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is probably closer to 3.5 stars only for the fact I believe this would appeal to teen boys between 14 and 17.
This story begins with a bang. I mean come on, rainbow glass and a dead giraffe? What's more intriguing than that? I also liked the fact Jude and Max met right off the bat at an LGBT support group.
From there? Well, my favorite character was Levi, a secondary character. I had a hard time liking either of the protags because we never learn much about them, really. The author never takes us inside either of their heads. We never truly get to feel Jude's personality, or emotion. He's rather flat, and uninteresting, and I never did get invested in the story because of that lack of feeling, lack of back story. The author only reveals snips that never weave together into any solid context.
The relationship between Jude and Max came off forced to me, as if it was there because the author felt it needed to be, like they were together only because there wasn't anyone better at the time. There wasn't spark one between these two and the relationship seemed more something between much younger characters than guys that were in their late teens (at least I assume they were since the author never really clarifies their ages). I kept waiting for something that never came. In all my years I've never met teenage boys with so much control, and so few hormones.
The story line itself was very different, yet interesting (kept me reading) because it was so different. Kudos for that. The author did her research on taxidermy and the minor inner workings of zoos. With my current WIP being partially set at a large cat sanctuary (not to mention my experience in the exotic industry), reading a book where the author had an actual grasp of zoolife was refreshing.
However, I did see every big reveal coming from chapters away, and most adults would.
If you like an unusual story that takes you through the here and now of the plot without bogging you down with emotions, or much back story, then you will probably love this. The secondary characters are just that; characters, and very much worth getting to know.
This is probably closer to 3.5 stars only for the fact I believe this would appeal to teen boys between 14 and 17.
This story begins with a bang. I mean come on, rainbow glass and a dead giraffe? What's more intriguing than that? I also liked the fact Jude and Max met right off the bat at an LGBT support group.
From there? Well, my favorite character was Levi, a secondary character. I had a hard time liking either of the protags because we never learn much about them, really. The author never takes us inside either of their heads. We never truly get to feel Jude's personality, or emotion. He's rather flat, and uninteresting, and I never did get invested in the story because of that lack of feeling, lack of back story. The author only reveals snips that never weave together into any solid context.
The relationship between Jude and Max came off forced to me, as if it was there because the author felt it needed to be, like they were together only because there wasn't anyone better at the time. There wasn't spark one between these two and the relationship seemed more something between much younger characters than guys that were in their late teens (at least I assume they were since the author never really clarifies their ages). I kept waiting for something that never came. In all my years I've never met teenage boys with so much control, and so few hormones.
The story line itself was very different, yet interesting (kept me reading) because it was so different. Kudos for that. The author did her research on taxidermy and the minor inner workings of zoos. With my current WIP being partially set at a large cat sanctuary (not to mention my experience in the exotic industry), reading a book where the author had an actual grasp of zoolife was refreshing.
However, I did see every big reveal coming from chapters away, and most adults would.
If you like an unusual story that takes you through the here and now of the plot without bogging you down with emotions, or much back story, then you will probably love this. The secondary characters are just that; characters, and very much worth getting to know.
February 21, 2017
3.5 stars--a peculiar, yet sweet short read.
February 7, 2015
dnf at 40%.
This was a weird story with a lot of dead animals and strange-acting teenagers. From the blurb, I thought it sounded like my kind of romance. Usually I love strange, I embrace the weird. But here, I could not bring myself to care for the characters at all. Jude and Max seemed too bland, despite the interesting set-up. Perhaps I just needed more sex or something like romance between them. Anyway, if you want to read a kick-ass story about gay youths and taxidermy, better read "Diary of a Teenage Taxidermist" by K.A.Merican.
This was a weird story with a lot of dead animals and strange-acting teenagers. From the blurb, I thought it sounded like my kind of romance. Usually I love strange, I embrace the weird. But here, I could not bring myself to care for the characters at all. Jude and Max seemed too bland, despite the interesting set-up. Perhaps I just needed more sex or something like romance between them. Anyway, if you want to read a kick-ass story about gay youths and taxidermy, better read "Diary of a Teenage Taxidermist" by K.A.Merican.
February 23, 2016
À different kind of love story
I loved this story it kept my interest throughout. All the characters were fun interesting and I wanted to know more. The romance was cute and though it was the point of the story the plot was the focus.
I loved this story it kept my interest throughout. All the characters were fun interesting and I wanted to know more. The romance was cute and though it was the point of the story the plot was the focus.
March 9, 2016
Weird ass story. Not badly written, but the whole taxidermy thing turned me off.
January 25, 2015
Well written but the whole book had a super creepy tone to it and I never felt as if these two were on the same page except for the sexual/physical attraction.
November 22, 2015
2.75 review to come
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