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He Forgot to Say Goodbye
"I mean, it's not as if I want a father. I have a father. It's just that I don't know who he is or where he is. But I have one."
Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove don't appear to have much in common. Ram lives in the Mexican-American working-class barrio of El Paso called "Dizzy Land." His brother is sinking into a world of drugs, wreaking havoc in their household. Jake is a rich West Side white boy who has developed a problem managing his anger. An only child, he is a misfit in his mother's shallow and materialistic world. But Ram and Jake do have one thing in They are lost boys who have never met their fathers. This sad fact has left both of them undeniably scarred and obsessed with the men who abandoned them. As Jake and Ram overcome their suspicions of each other, they begin to move away from their loner existences and realize that they are capable of reaching out beyond their wounds and the neighborhoods that they grew up in. Their friendship becomes a healing in a world of hurt.
San Antonio Express-News wrote, "Benjamin Alire Sáenz exquisitely captures the mood and voice of a community, a culture, and a generation"; that is proven again in this beautifully crafted novel.
Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove don't appear to have much in common. Ram lives in the Mexican-American working-class barrio of El Paso called "Dizzy Land." His brother is sinking into a world of drugs, wreaking havoc in their household. Jake is a rich West Side white boy who has developed a problem managing his anger. An only child, he is a misfit in his mother's shallow and materialistic world. But Ram and Jake do have one thing in They are lost boys who have never met their fathers. This sad fact has left both of them undeniably scarred and obsessed with the men who abandoned them. As Jake and Ram overcome their suspicions of each other, they begin to move away from their loner existences and realize that they are capable of reaching out beyond their wounds and the neighborhoods that they grew up in. Their friendship becomes a healing in a world of hurt.
San Antonio Express-News wrote, "Benjamin Alire Sáenz exquisitely captures the mood and voice of a community, a culture, and a generation"; that is proven again in this beautifully crafted novel.
321 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 2008
87 people are currently reading
5980 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
38 books15.8k followersBenjamin Alire Sáenz (born 16 August 1954) is an award-winning American poet, novelist and writer of children's books.
He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.
In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.
His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.
In The Book of What Remains (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life's ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity's capacity for both generosity and cruelty.
In 2005, he curated a show of photographs by Julian Cardona.
He continues to teach in the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas at El Paso.
He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.
In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.
His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.
In The Book of What Remains (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life's ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity's capacity for both generosity and cruelty.
In 2005, he curated a show of photographs by Julian Cardona.
He continues to teach in the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas at El Paso.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
May 31, 2015
I picked this up from my local library because I adored Benjamin Alire Sáenz' other novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, so much. I had high expectations going into this book and oh my, I wasn't dissapointed.
This is about two boys from very different backgrounds that both have grown up without their father. The characters where the absolute best part of this book for me. We meet Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegroove, which are probably two of the most relatable teenage characters that I have ever read about. The book switches perspectives between both of them, and I got so engaged in their stories. Benjamin Alire Sáenz does what I wished that every YA author did, he writes real characters. That might just be me, but I almost never feel that I kind relate to YA characters on a deep level, even though I'm around the same age as them. I might admire them for being very brave or whatver, but I can't relate to them because I don't think about the same things as they do. This was different. Both Jake, Ramiro, and their friend Alejandra are so extremely real and complex. To everyone that feels like YA portray teens in an unrealistic way: read this, because this is how where like, or at least how I'm like.
The plot was just perfect. I feel like sometimes YA contemporary books can became a bit unrealistic, but this just felt so real to me and it affected me in a very personal way even though I have never been through anything that the characters has. Benjamin Alire Sáenz delivers so many different themes and I think this is the kind of book that everyone will read differently and gain different things from because it has some much to offer. Personally, the political part of this novel was one that really stood out to me. Ramiro is a part of the Mexican working-class while Jake is a rich white boy, and it was a really interesting topic to read about. Jake doesn't agree with his mother's and stepdad's political believes and his chapters had a few interesting political ideas which I could relate to a lot. Ramiro also struggles with the feeling of not beloning, of not being Mexican or American "enough". This book has so many imporant topics and as I said before, everyone can gain something from reading it!
When I have now read two glorious books from Benjamin Alire Sáenz, I can say that he's starting to become one of my favourites author. If his other novels are anything like this, I'll love them. His writing is just spot-on and I flew through this book (crying my ass off at the end, as expected). This is definately not a very popular book, if you look at the Goodreads ratings but I really think people that have read Ari and Dante would love this. It's darker but just as amazing, and a book that I think anyone could enjoy. It was such a fantastic reading experience and I can't wait to force all my bookish friends to read it!
This is about two boys from very different backgrounds that both have grown up without their father. The characters where the absolute best part of this book for me. We meet Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegroove, which are probably two of the most relatable teenage characters that I have ever read about. The book switches perspectives between both of them, and I got so engaged in their stories. Benjamin Alire Sáenz does what I wished that every YA author did, he writes real characters. That might just be me, but I almost never feel that I kind relate to YA characters on a deep level, even though I'm around the same age as them. I might admire them for being very brave or whatver, but I can't relate to them because I don't think about the same things as they do. This was different. Both Jake, Ramiro, and their friend Alejandra are so extremely real and complex. To everyone that feels like YA portray teens in an unrealistic way: read this, because this is how where like, or at least how I'm like.
The plot was just perfect. I feel like sometimes YA contemporary books can became a bit unrealistic, but this just felt so real to me and it affected me in a very personal way even though I have never been through anything that the characters has. Benjamin Alire Sáenz delivers so many different themes and I think this is the kind of book that everyone will read differently and gain different things from because it has some much to offer. Personally, the political part of this novel was one that really stood out to me. Ramiro is a part of the Mexican working-class while Jake is a rich white boy, and it was a really interesting topic to read about. Jake doesn't agree with his mother's and stepdad's political believes and his chapters had a few interesting political ideas which I could relate to a lot. Ramiro also struggles with the feeling of not beloning, of not being Mexican or American "enough". This book has so many imporant topics and as I said before, everyone can gain something from reading it!
When I have now read two glorious books from Benjamin Alire Sáenz, I can say that he's starting to become one of my favourites author. If his other novels are anything like this, I'll love them. His writing is just spot-on and I flew through this book (crying my ass off at the end, as expected). This is definately not a very popular book, if you look at the Goodreads ratings but I really think people that have read Ari and Dante would love this. It's darker but just as amazing, and a book that I think anyone could enjoy. It was such a fantastic reading experience and I can't wait to force all my bookish friends to read it!
March 16, 2013
He Forgot to Say Goodbye is a contemporary novel about friendship, relationships and self-discovery.
Ramiro Lopez lives in El Paso, Texas. He goes to a pre-med magnet high school. But it’s not the sort of school where nice white rich kids go. They go to the school next door. Jake Upthegrove is one of the nice rich kids but he’s anything but happy.
I read this book because I really enjoyed another book by the author - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. They share many similar themes – young men finding their place in the world and deciding the type of men they would like to become. Ramiro thinks of himself as uncool and in social terms pretty much a loser. He has one great friend who he grew up with: Alejandra. She’s outspoken, she has opinions about everything, especially Ram. She thinks he’s cute and has been on at him to date her for ages. But Ram doesn’t see her that way. He sees her as a good person and a maybe a little bit overindulged by her father.
Jake is lost. He has no real friends. He pushes people away and though he has a sort of superiority complex around the students at school. He thinks they’re all unreal. I guess he thinks that they don’t think for themselves. But he admires Ram. To Jake Ram is the most real person he’s ever met. To Ram Jake is so sure of himself.
Most of the novel focuses on the events leading up to their friendship and the difficulties each faces in their life. They are connected by their absent fathers. Ram idolises his father, though he knows very little about him. Jake did idealise his father until they spoke and now he’s just left with a hatred of his surname and the challenge of living with his mother and his stepfather. On the outside Jake’s spoilt lifestyle may seem perfect but inside Jake is angry. The reasons why slowly unfold.
I love that the author doesn’t take the easy way out in his writing. He writes about difficult things. About how our parents aren’t perfect and the fact that we have to accept that and find a way to be better. About the consequences of substance abuse. About prejudice. About love.
He Forgot to Say Goodbye is a realistic portrayal of teenage experience – that which is not easy but which has the potential to be wonderful. A book worth reading.
Recommended for fans of:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Catch by Will Leitch
Ramiro Lopez lives in El Paso, Texas. He goes to a pre-med magnet high school. But it’s not the sort of school where nice white rich kids go. They go to the school next door. Jake Upthegrove is one of the nice rich kids but he’s anything but happy.
I read this book because I really enjoyed another book by the author - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. They share many similar themes – young men finding their place in the world and deciding the type of men they would like to become. Ramiro thinks of himself as uncool and in social terms pretty much a loser. He has one great friend who he grew up with: Alejandra. She’s outspoken, she has opinions about everything, especially Ram. She thinks he’s cute and has been on at him to date her for ages. But Ram doesn’t see her that way. He sees her as a good person and a maybe a little bit overindulged by her father.
Jake is lost. He has no real friends. He pushes people away and though he has a sort of superiority complex around the students at school. He thinks they’re all unreal. I guess he thinks that they don’t think for themselves. But he admires Ram. To Jake Ram is the most real person he’s ever met. To Ram Jake is so sure of himself.
Most of the novel focuses on the events leading up to their friendship and the difficulties each faces in their life. They are connected by their absent fathers. Ram idolises his father, though he knows very little about him. Jake did idealise his father until they spoke and now he’s just left with a hatred of his surname and the challenge of living with his mother and his stepfather. On the outside Jake’s spoilt lifestyle may seem perfect but inside Jake is angry. The reasons why slowly unfold.
I love that the author doesn’t take the easy way out in his writing. He writes about difficult things. About how our parents aren’t perfect and the fact that we have to accept that and find a way to be better. About the consequences of substance abuse. About prejudice. About love.
He Forgot to Say Goodbye is a realistic portrayal of teenage experience – that which is not easy but which has the potential to be wonderful. A book worth reading.
Recommended for fans of:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Catch by Will Leitch
January 18, 2019
😍❤️
2do libro en inglés
2do libro en inglés
Read
February 5, 2019Call me blind to his flaws but I would read Alire's grocery list if he ever wrote one. Who says the book has to be about anything ? why can't be a book about a leaf flipping over, a scarf blowing away, sky turning a paler shade of blue, a bigger drop of rain or in this case a different kind of grief ? and unless you have grown up with a missing parent , keep your fucking mouth shut for once.
September 17, 2019
2.5/5
Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove have missing parents. And the way they cope up with that is not the best. On one hand we have Ramiro, a guy that was left by his dad before his little brother, Tito, was born, and ever since, he has felt a hole inside him that cannot be fill with anything. And Jake is this kid whose father just left one day, and so his mom took care of him, along with this stepdad –problem is that they provide him with all sorts of things, except what’s most important and that is to really see him and try to understand him.
Now, I must admit that this book has a lot of problems. First, it seriously needs EDITING. You effen destroy me, like, can you dig it? and all those phrases and words were at least a hundred times in the whole book. The voices of the MCs are quite annoying, even for a teenager, and I swear to god, I was tired of reading such obnoxious characters.
Now, teenagers using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes just to ignore the fact that they are hurt, I mean, what else is new? I get bored with those shallow characters real fast. It’s not that they’re not out there, in real life, is just that it is boring to read about them because they do things out of pure frustration. People like that don’t use their brains, and I know we’re all hurt in some ways that are beyond repair, but that doesn’t mean you get to hurt others just because you don’t know how to deal with it.
Unfortunately, this book is not that remarkable. I can see that Benjamin has grown into a wonderful author, but I wouldn't recommend this book because it doesn’t feel like it has a real purpose. To me is just like he wanted to talk about kids that were abandoned by their parents, and how that affects their lives, but at the end of the day, all that I remember is how annoying they were, even if they end up feeling hope for a brief moment.
I was expecting too much about this book because I’ve already read three of Benjamin Alire Sáenz books but this one was a total miss for me.
The only thing that I will remember is that parents don’t really see their kids. For example, when we’re young we ask about things and don’t accept the world as it is; instead we try to change it despite the fact that we don’t have the foundation to do it so. Truth is, some parents only see us for who they want us to be. Sometimes they just pretend everything is OK, when in fact it is not and that leads to drugs, alcohol abuse and other problems that are so common among young adults.
This is only a reminder that not everybody should be a parent just because they know how to have sex (and sometimes, not even that).
I wouldn’t recommend this book in case you want to get into Benjamin Alire Sáenz writing.
There are far more better books like Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe, The Inexplicable Logic of my Life and Last Night I Sang to the Monster.
Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove have missing parents. And the way they cope up with that is not the best. On one hand we have Ramiro, a guy that was left by his dad before his little brother, Tito, was born, and ever since, he has felt a hole inside him that cannot be fill with anything. And Jake is this kid whose father just left one day, and so his mom took care of him, along with this stepdad –problem is that they provide him with all sorts of things, except what’s most important and that is to really see him and try to understand him.
Now, I must admit that this book has a lot of problems. First, it seriously needs EDITING. You effen destroy me, like, can you dig it? and all those phrases and words were at least a hundred times in the whole book. The voices of the MCs are quite annoying, even for a teenager, and I swear to god, I was tired of reading such obnoxious characters.
Now, teenagers using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes just to ignore the fact that they are hurt, I mean, what else is new? I get bored with those shallow characters real fast. It’s not that they’re not out there, in real life, is just that it is boring to read about them because they do things out of pure frustration. People like that don’t use their brains, and I know we’re all hurt in some ways that are beyond repair, but that doesn’t mean you get to hurt others just because you don’t know how to deal with it.
Unfortunately, this book is not that remarkable. I can see that Benjamin has grown into a wonderful author, but I wouldn't recommend this book because it doesn’t feel like it has a real purpose. To me is just like he wanted to talk about kids that were abandoned by their parents, and how that affects their lives, but at the end of the day, all that I remember is how annoying they were, even if they end up feeling hope for a brief moment.
I was expecting too much about this book because I’ve already read three of Benjamin Alire Sáenz books but this one was a total miss for me.
The only thing that I will remember is that parents don’t really see their kids. For example, when we’re young we ask about things and don’t accept the world as it is; instead we try to change it despite the fact that we don’t have the foundation to do it so. Truth is, some parents only see us for who they want us to be. Sometimes they just pretend everything is OK, when in fact it is not and that leads to drugs, alcohol abuse and other problems that are so common among young adults.
This is only a reminder that not everybody should be a parent just because they know how to have sex (and sometimes, not even that).
I wouldn’t recommend this book in case you want to get into Benjamin Alire Sáenz writing.
There are far more better books like Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe, The Inexplicable Logic of my Life and Last Night I Sang to the Monster.
March 16, 2017
Benjamin Alire Saenz is quickly becoming my favorite YA contemporary author. Easily my Top 3. Ever since discovering "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" a year or two ago, all I could ever think about is how true his writing is to the real world.
I cannot really say which one of his books made a deeper impact: "Aristotle and Dante" did because it focuses on sexuality and bullying, whereas "He Forgot to Say Goodbye" focuses more on the family dynamic, but at a much deeper level. It does follow two teenage boys, dealing with their fathers abandoning them, and how they seem to carry that guilt and responsibility that most children have in situations like this.
Speaking of which, I have heard that the most important role model to a child's like is the same sex parent and if that IS true, which I do believe it is, that just adds another layer to this story. When it comes down to characters, I did not know who I could relate to more because: Ram feeling like the invisible family member and Jake feeling inclined to push people away; it totally rings home to me.
What's even more mind-boggling is that Saenz seems to still be the more underrated YA Contemporary writers, compared to authors like John Green and Rainbow Rowell. With Saenz's books, there is that more believable reality, with a more believable storyline with more realistic characters. And how he ended the book, it's not at any attempt to tie it up in a lovely bow, but it's not a devastating and abrupt end. It just ends moderately open and it leaves you to imagine how YOU see fit.
I cannot really say which one of his books made a deeper impact: "Aristotle and Dante" did because it focuses on sexuality and bullying, whereas "He Forgot to Say Goodbye" focuses more on the family dynamic, but at a much deeper level. It does follow two teenage boys, dealing with their fathers abandoning them, and how they seem to carry that guilt and responsibility that most children have in situations like this.
Speaking of which, I have heard that the most important role model to a child's like is the same sex parent and if that IS true, which I do believe it is, that just adds another layer to this story. When it comes down to characters, I did not know who I could relate to more because: Ram feeling like the invisible family member and Jake feeling inclined to push people away; it totally rings home to me.
What's even more mind-boggling is that Saenz seems to still be the more underrated YA Contemporary writers, compared to authors like John Green and Rainbow Rowell. With Saenz's books, there is that more believable reality, with a more believable storyline with more realistic characters. And how he ended the book, it's not at any attempt to tie it up in a lovely bow, but it's not a devastating and abrupt end. It just ends moderately open and it leaves you to imagine how YOU see fit.
February 28, 2022
i think everyone needs to read this
March 1, 2017
Benjamin Alire Sáenz did it again! After I finished Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe a while back, I decided I need to read more of Saenz's books. This second read did not disappointed.
"He Forgot to Say Goodbye" is about two teenage boys: Ramiro Lopez, a lower-class Mexican American who struggles to fit in, with a little brother that's slowly spiraling into the world of addiction and Jake Upthegrove, a so-called rich kid with anger management issues and a shallow mother he cannot stop fighting with. Despite their different backgrounds and personalities they are both dealing with the same undescribable void in their chest: Their father left them behind.
The first thing that struck me about this book was the beautiful characters and their constant development. Both Jake and Ramiro evolve in fascinating ways throughout the novel. Saenz created flawed, complex and realistic characters. (Even secondary characters, like Elaine, Jake's mom or Alejandra, Ramiro's best friend had elaborate personalities and not just unidimensional stereotypes). I loved watching the boys grow and learn. It really did feel like reading about someone you might've known.
Another thing I loved was the narration. The first person point of view and the slang, repetitions and hesitations throughout the story made the book more like a long conversation with a friend. (I'm sure this translates perfectly in audiobook format!) Something that sometimes bother me with dual narration is similarity between the two POVs, which can be very confusing. This wasn't a problem at all. Saenz knows his characters and it shows through his writing.
Benjamin Alire Saenz's books are like poetry. He knows suffering and grief and confusion and anger. You recognize your own demons in his characters' struggles. What he writes is real. This is what made this book so majestic.
"He Forgot to Say Goodbye" is about two teenage boys: Ramiro Lopez, a lower-class Mexican American who struggles to fit in, with a little brother that's slowly spiraling into the world of addiction and Jake Upthegrove, a so-called rich kid with anger management issues and a shallow mother he cannot stop fighting with. Despite their different backgrounds and personalities they are both dealing with the same undescribable void in their chest: Their father left them behind.
The first thing that struck me about this book was the beautiful characters and their constant development. Both Jake and Ramiro evolve in fascinating ways throughout the novel. Saenz created flawed, complex and realistic characters. (Even secondary characters, like Elaine, Jake's mom or Alejandra, Ramiro's best friend had elaborate personalities and not just unidimensional stereotypes). I loved watching the boys grow and learn. It really did feel like reading about someone you might've known.
Another thing I loved was the narration. The first person point of view and the slang, repetitions and hesitations throughout the story made the book more like a long conversation with a friend. (I'm sure this translates perfectly in audiobook format!) Something that sometimes bother me with dual narration is similarity between the two POVs, which can be very confusing. This wasn't a problem at all. Saenz knows his characters and it shows through his writing.
Benjamin Alire Saenz's books are like poetry. He knows suffering and grief and confusion and anger. You recognize your own demons in his characters' struggles. What he writes is real. This is what made this book so majestic.
May 12, 2011
He Forgot to Say Goodbye is a story of Jake and Ram, two teenagers with seemingly different lives who have one thing in common- their fathers left them. The story is told through monologues that,at times, get repetitive when Saenz would recall describe the same scene twice through each characters' point of view. I thought the characters were too contrived, especially Jake. The language the characters used was forced- "effen", "cool cat", "dig it", and worst of all "destroy." Unfortunately, the only phrase that was repeated that sounded natural and not forced to me was "pendejo" by Ram's brother Tito. I had some difficulty distinguishing between the characters' voices and felt that the author overused these phrases to distinguish between characters. The characters were not real to me, and lacked individual personality. One thing I noticed about the Spanish language at the beginning of the text was that very generic Spanish words were used : Vato, ese, pendejo, loco. I was also very confused by Alejandra and Ram's relationship. Throughout the first half of the book, he despised her and mocked her, but in the middle, it just stopped and they became "best friends." Saenz used Tito's hospitalization to force the friendship between Ram and Alejandra, and I thought it seemed artificial. I wouldn't add this book to a classroom library, but it might be a good book for a teen who has an absent parent and is confused. The book does offer the unlikely emergence of American and Spanish American friendships and relationships among rich and poor.
April 14, 2025
„You don't think I want to talk and I don't think you want to listen.“ (pos 90)
„Everybody in the world speaks their own kind of language. And you know what? All we do is translate.
No, all we do is mistranslate.“ (pos 880)
„People don't always have to do the right thing for the right reasons—so long as they do the right thing.“ (pos 1028)
„I wanted to say something. Something that would take all the sadness away. But the words didn't exist.“ (pos 3174)
„[…] maybe he did love me back, only he didn't love me back the way I wanted him to. Or maybe he just couldn't love. People can't give you what they don't have. But that didn't mean that you stopped needing.“ (pos 3624)
„Everybody in the world speaks their own kind of language. And you know what? All we do is translate.
No, all we do is mistranslate.“ (pos 880)
„People don't always have to do the right thing for the right reasons—so long as they do the right thing.“ (pos 1028)
„I wanted to say something. Something that would take all the sadness away. But the words didn't exist.“ (pos 3174)
„[…] maybe he did love me back, only he didn't love me back the way I wanted him to. Or maybe he just couldn't love. People can't give you what they don't have. But that didn't mean that you stopped needing.“ (pos 3624)
August 29, 2015
Jake Upthegrove.
August 25, 2023
All books by this writer seem to make me get all emotional. They're very meaningful stories and this one was too. Admittedly I've liked some of his others a little more but this one was still great.
March 7, 2021
I didn't think this would make me an ugly sobbing mess but here we are...
Sáenz writing is so beautifully comfortable and familiar to me at this point that reading any of his books simply feels like coming back home.
Sáenz writing is so beautifully comfortable and familiar to me at this point that reading any of his books simply feels like coming back home.
July 3, 2019
It's always going to be hard writing a review for a Benjamin Alire Sáenz novel because I will always come back to Ari and Dante. In this book I see little hints of those two, character traits, turns of phrase that are clearly part of Sáenz, but will forever be part of Ari and Dante for me.
So, while this novel also focuses on two teenage boys in El Paso, Texas who are struggling with who they are, and how they fit into the world this book still feels very different.
Just like Ari and Dante, I really liked the two protagonists in this. First I really found myself liking Jake because he has this Holden Caulfield (from Catcher In The Rye) vibe. The way he talks, his attitude, like he's a little bit arrogant, smart but not as smart as he seems to think, a little bit (or a lot) sad with a massive chip on his shoulder.
At one point while I was jotting down some notes I wrote " He's kind of a dick... Like, I get where he's coming from as a moody teenager but man, he needs a good slap." Which I wish I could take back, because he does end up getting slapped and that scene and the aftermath really angered me.
Then the further into the book I got the more I related to Ram. He's this quiet, introspective, self-doubting, beautiful, kind person. I found his relationship with his brother really sweet, in a dark kind of way. His brother was so full of anger, but Ram still went out of his way to tell him that no matter what he'd always love him.
I love the way this book is written, it feels different to Ari and Dante, but he gives a really clear voice to each narrator. Like I mentioned Jake has more of a Holden Caulfield vibe, while Ram is more introspective, and polite even in his inner voice, not even swearing in his mind.
I really like the way the same scenes are retold from each perspective, it really gives you that window into the characters' world views.
I found this book gave me a better understanding of what it's like growing up Mexican-American and how that it can still be such a struggle, especially in today's toxic political environment. But I walk away from this book filled with some measure of optimism, that maybe with more people like the characters in this book, like Benjamin Alire Sáenz we may be okay.
So, while this novel also focuses on two teenage boys in El Paso, Texas who are struggling with who they are, and how they fit into the world this book still feels very different.
Just like Ari and Dante, I really liked the two protagonists in this. First I really found myself liking Jake because he has this Holden Caulfield (from Catcher In The Rye) vibe. The way he talks, his attitude, like he's a little bit arrogant, smart but not as smart as he seems to think, a little bit (or a lot) sad with a massive chip on his shoulder.
At one point while I was jotting down some notes I wrote " He's kind of a dick... Like, I get where he's coming from as a moody teenager but man, he needs a good slap." Which I wish I could take back, because he does end up getting slapped and that scene and the aftermath really angered me.
Then the further into the book I got the more I related to Ram. He's this quiet, introspective, self-doubting, beautiful, kind person. I found his relationship with his brother really sweet, in a dark kind of way. His brother was so full of anger, but Ram still went out of his way to tell him that no matter what he'd always love him.
I love the way this book is written, it feels different to Ari and Dante, but he gives a really clear voice to each narrator. Like I mentioned Jake has more of a Holden Caulfield vibe, while Ram is more introspective, and polite even in his inner voice, not even swearing in his mind.
I really like the way the same scenes are retold from each perspective, it really gives you that window into the characters' world views.
I found this book gave me a better understanding of what it's like growing up Mexican-American and how that it can still be such a struggle, especially in today's toxic political environment. But I walk away from this book filled with some measure of optimism, that maybe with more people like the characters in this book, like Benjamin Alire Sáenz we may be okay.
March 25, 2009
Two boys from different sides of El Paso, Texas are both growing up without their fathers, Ramiro Lopez from Dizzyland, the poor Latino part of town, and Jacob Upthegrove from the Oh Wow Westside, the wealthy side of town. In alternating, often very short chapters, Ram and Jake describe their lives and how they slowly become friends. Each boy is dealing with family issues although in comparison to Ram, Jake’s seem superficial. Ram’s brother is in the hospital after overdosing on drugs and is brain dead. Despite having an absent father which weighs heavily on Ram, he has a loving mother doing everything she can to provide a good life for her two sons. In addition, he has a large, extended family of aunts and uncles as a support network, especially his Tia Lisa. Jake on the other hand only has his mom whom he calls sarcastically, Sally, which is not her given first name, and a stepfather, whom he sees in the embrace of another woman. They are both loners in their respective schools which are next door to each other and they slowly become friends because they hang out in the same place off campus. The friendship develops a little too slowly and the beginning of the book is confusing. The characters are well-drawn and once the friendship fully develops including Ram’s friend Alejandra as a love interest for Jake, the book becomes more interesting. Students may not have the patience to wait out the early part of the book.
January 19, 2009
Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove are the same age and attend school in adjacent buildings, but other than that, they don’t have much in common. So why do the two become cautious friends? Well, they both think almost everything that goes wrong in their lives has to do with their absent fathers.
This was an amazing and moving book. It definitely reads more on the “adult” end of “young adult” and it would take a dedicated reader. There isn’t a lot of action to the story, but it’s beautifully told. The language just swept me away. I could picture everything about Ram and Jake with no problem. They were real to me. Probably because they were complex. Ram is almost perfect to everyone around him, but he holds so much pain inside. Jake is an ….well, I was going to use another “a” word, but we’ll just say he’s a jerk. I couldn’t stand him at all for most of the book , but as he becomes closer to Ram you see hints of what might make girls call him sweet.
This will never be the most popular teen book and my guess is that it will sit on the shelf a lot, but I honestly think teens that pick it up will be rewarded
This was an amazing and moving book. It definitely reads more on the “adult” end of “young adult” and it would take a dedicated reader. There isn’t a lot of action to the story, but it’s beautifully told. The language just swept me away. I could picture everything about Ram and Jake with no problem. They were real to me. Probably because they were complex. Ram is almost perfect to everyone around him, but he holds so much pain inside. Jake is an ….well, I was going to use another “a” word, but we’ll just say he’s a jerk. I couldn’t stand him at all for most of the book , but as he becomes closer to Ram you see hints of what might make girls call him sweet.
This will never be the most popular teen book and my guess is that it will sit on the shelf a lot, but I honestly think teens that pick it up will be rewarded
May 11, 2015
i special ordered this in because i love this author so much but it was a swing and a miss on every level. it pains me to give this one star, but there was nothing about it that worked. characters, relationships, dialogue, prose, plot, pace, resolution - nothing. it felt like it was written by a twelve year old. it was filled with lines like this:
When the cell phone rang, it scared me. I flinched. You know, like when you're startled. Like when you think someone's going to hit you. It's not your mind that does that, it's your body. Sure. Like I know so much. The phone just kept ringing. You know, I just wasn't used to carrying one around."
what the heck happened there and how did it get past his editors omg
but i really do feel terrible rating this so low, because his other books mean so much to me. check out last night i sang to the monster and aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe. he's grown tremendously as a writer and deserves to have his work read. just don't start with this one.
When the cell phone rang, it scared me. I flinched. You know, like when you're startled. Like when you think someone's going to hit you. It's not your mind that does that, it's your body. Sure. Like I know so much. The phone just kept ringing. You know, I just wasn't used to carrying one around."
what the heck happened there and how did it get past his editors omg
but i really do feel terrible rating this so low, because his other books mean so much to me. check out last night i sang to the monster and aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe. he's grown tremendously as a writer and deserves to have his work read. just don't start with this one.
February 22, 2018
recensione sul blog: http://thereadingpal.blogspot.it/2018...
God, I was beginning to hate this hope inside me.
Sometimes, hope kept you from seeing the truth.
Sometimes hope made you keep holding on to something
that you should let go of.
He forgot to say goodbye è l'ultimo libro che ho letto di Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Non so perché questo autore non è molto pubblicato in Italia (da quel che so in italiano è disponibile solo Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe). Io personalmente amo i suoi libri, e non vedo l'ora di leggere quelli che ancora mi mancano!
Questo libro in particolare è interessante perché mette a confronto ragazzi molto diversi tra loro che però riescono a creare un rapporto molto particolare e superare differenze che in realtà sono molto superficiali.
Come sempre, cercare di riordinare i pensieri e scrivere una recensione per un libro di questo autore è sempre molto difficile per me.
È una storia piuttosto profonda, come in tutti i romanzi di Sáenz che ho letto fino ad ora. I tre personaggi principali, Ramiro, Alejandra e Jack, crescono e cambiano molto interiormente.
Seppur lontani anni luce per quanto riguarda lo stato sociale e la famiglia, hanno una storia molto simile e sono accumunati dalla mancanza di uno dei genitori, una figura che in tutti e tre i casi è scomparsa molto presto dalla loro vita.
C'è un tema comune nei libri di questo autore che ho letto fino ad ora, ed è quello di giovani uomini che scopropno se stessi e il mondo attorno a loro. Sempre in modo diverso, nuovo, ma anche profondo e interessante. Sáenz fa in modo che ci relazioniamo ai protagonisti e che, in un certo qual modo, diventino parte di noi.
And then we all just started laughing. We laughed our asses
off. But I knew that really, all three of us were crying. And I
knew there would be tears inside of us all our lives. Because they
just left. We were even worth a good-bye. Yeah, there
would always be tears inside of us. Because there was an empty
space inside the three of us that would always belong to the
parent who had refused to love us.
Ramiro abita nella "Dizzy Land", la parte più povera di El Paso, Texas. È un messicano-americano e si sente fuori posto quando si deve rapportare con i ricchi ragazzi bianchi che vanno nella scuola di fronte alla sua, e che, ovviamente, appartengono ad un mondo totalmente diverso. Mi è dispiaciuto molto vedere che applicava a se stesso la mentalità "noi vs loro" a suo svantaggio, perché Ramiro è un ragazzo molto dolce e intelligente e non mi pareva giusto che si mettesse giù in quel modo...
A complicare le cose c'è anche la situazione con suo fratello Tito, il loro rapporto così complicato. Tito, che rifiuta di farsi amare e che è arrabbiato con il mondo. Tito, che un giorno prende una dosa troppo alta di droga. Un fratello minore che scompare dalla vita di Ramiro con un soffio, senza un addio. Un fratello che forse nella vita di Ramiro non aveva mai percepito il proprio posto. Pur essendo un personaggio secondario, Tito occupa un posto prevalente nella storia, e in un certo senso ottiene quel posto che crede di non avere nel mondo.
Giuro che a ogni scena tra loro, o in cui Ram pensava al fratello, mi veniva da piangere. Non una bella cosa da fare sul treno, ecco. Però Sáenz ha questo modo di scrivere che rende le scene come un pugno nello stomaco, fa entrare nel personaggio in modo davvero totalizzante.
Per quanto riguarda Jake, i suoi problemi sono molto diversi da quelli di Ramiro. E dal mio punto di vista, molto meno seri. Jake abita nella parte di ricca e bella, e frequenta la scuola per ragazzi bianchi e ricchi che sta di fronte a quella di Ramiro.
È un ragazzo a tratti un po' rompiscatole, che entra in conflitto con la madre (idiota come pochi, eh, su questo Jake ha ragione) per la loro differenza totale di opinione. Certamente in questo campo Jake è svantaggiato rispetto a Ram, che ha una madre e una zia amorevoli e vicine.
La madre di Jake è una patetica repubblicana che per certi versi fa concorrenza a Trump. Però nel corso del libro mi fa anche tanta pietà. È cieca verso ciò che non vuole vedere. Il patrigno non è meglio. Il padre di Jake chiama ogni tanto e gli manda soldi, ma non vuole rapportarsi con il figlio.
Nel corso del libro vediamo Jake evolvere, non solo perché cambia atteggiamento, ma anche perché comincia a rapportarsi con persone coi piedi per terra come Ram e Alli, e trovare il proprio posto in un mondo che non sembra fatto per nessuno dei tre. Mi piace anche il fatto che cerchi di riaggiustare il rapporto con sua madre, che alla fine può essere messo a posto con un po' di lavoro da parte di entrambi.
Alejandra è irritante. Insopportabile. Almeno, lo è all'inizio. Poi cominciamo a capire com'è davvero, e quanto anche lei abbia un vuoto dentro che è paragonabile a quello dei ragazzi. Solo che non essendo un personaggio p.o.v. e avendo una personalità molto diversa riesce a nasconderlo meglio.
A lei manca la madre, non il padre. È viziata, e lo si vede, ma mi è piaciuto il fatto che comunque fosse sempre lì quando Ram o Jake avevano bisogno. È un personaggio positivo, proprio come Eva e Lisa, la madre e la zia di Ramiro.
I personaggi nei libri di Sáenz sono sempre così particolari e a tutto tondo che è difficile non affezionarsi e amarli. Non credo di averne odiato mai nessuno, alla fine dei conti. Sono loro che guidano la storia, e che la rendono quella che è.
Come ho detto, poi, lo stile è molto personale. Scorrevole e facile da leggere, non c'è mai una parola fuori posto. Giuro che ogni singola parola è piazzata in modo da pugnalare il lettore.
Nei suoi libri la prima persona non mi da fastidio come in altri, e anzi contribuisce a creare un rapporto tra lettore e personaggio che non penso potrebbe esserci con una terza persona.
Nel complesso, come gli altri, un ottimo libro che consiglio caldamente.
God, I was beginning to hate this hope inside me.
Sometimes, hope kept you from seeing the truth.
Sometimes hope made you keep holding on to something
that you should let go of.
He forgot to say goodbye è l'ultimo libro che ho letto di Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Non so perché questo autore non è molto pubblicato in Italia (da quel che so in italiano è disponibile solo Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe). Io personalmente amo i suoi libri, e non vedo l'ora di leggere quelli che ancora mi mancano!
Questo libro in particolare è interessante perché mette a confronto ragazzi molto diversi tra loro che però riescono a creare un rapporto molto particolare e superare differenze che in realtà sono molto superficiali.
Come sempre, cercare di riordinare i pensieri e scrivere una recensione per un libro di questo autore è sempre molto difficile per me.
È una storia piuttosto profonda, come in tutti i romanzi di Sáenz che ho letto fino ad ora. I tre personaggi principali, Ramiro, Alejandra e Jack, crescono e cambiano molto interiormente.
Seppur lontani anni luce per quanto riguarda lo stato sociale e la famiglia, hanno una storia molto simile e sono accumunati dalla mancanza di uno dei genitori, una figura che in tutti e tre i casi è scomparsa molto presto dalla loro vita.
C'è un tema comune nei libri di questo autore che ho letto fino ad ora, ed è quello di giovani uomini che scopropno se stessi e il mondo attorno a loro. Sempre in modo diverso, nuovo, ma anche profondo e interessante. Sáenz fa in modo che ci relazioniamo ai protagonisti e che, in un certo qual modo, diventino parte di noi.
And then we all just started laughing. We laughed our asses
off. But I knew that really, all three of us were crying. And I
knew there would be tears inside of us all our lives. Because they
just left. We were even worth a good-bye. Yeah, there
would always be tears inside of us. Because there was an empty
space inside the three of us that would always belong to the
parent who had refused to love us.
Ramiro abita nella "Dizzy Land", la parte più povera di El Paso, Texas. È un messicano-americano e si sente fuori posto quando si deve rapportare con i ricchi ragazzi bianchi che vanno nella scuola di fronte alla sua, e che, ovviamente, appartengono ad un mondo totalmente diverso. Mi è dispiaciuto molto vedere che applicava a se stesso la mentalità "noi vs loro" a suo svantaggio, perché Ramiro è un ragazzo molto dolce e intelligente e non mi pareva giusto che si mettesse giù in quel modo...
A complicare le cose c'è anche la situazione con suo fratello Tito, il loro rapporto così complicato. Tito, che rifiuta di farsi amare e che è arrabbiato con il mondo. Tito, che un giorno prende una dosa troppo alta di droga. Un fratello minore che scompare dalla vita di Ramiro con un soffio, senza un addio. Un fratello che forse nella vita di Ramiro non aveva mai percepito il proprio posto. Pur essendo un personaggio secondario, Tito occupa un posto prevalente nella storia, e in un certo senso ottiene quel posto che crede di non avere nel mondo.
Giuro che a ogni scena tra loro, o in cui Ram pensava al fratello, mi veniva da piangere. Non una bella cosa da fare sul treno, ecco. Però Sáenz ha questo modo di scrivere che rende le scene come un pugno nello stomaco, fa entrare nel personaggio in modo davvero totalizzante.
Per quanto riguarda Jake, i suoi problemi sono molto diversi da quelli di Ramiro. E dal mio punto di vista, molto meno seri. Jake abita nella parte di ricca e bella, e frequenta la scuola per ragazzi bianchi e ricchi che sta di fronte a quella di Ramiro.
È un ragazzo a tratti un po' rompiscatole, che entra in conflitto con la madre (idiota come pochi, eh, su questo Jake ha ragione) per la loro differenza totale di opinione. Certamente in questo campo Jake è svantaggiato rispetto a Ram, che ha una madre e una zia amorevoli e vicine.
La madre di Jake è una patetica repubblicana che per certi versi fa concorrenza a Trump. Però nel corso del libro mi fa anche tanta pietà. È cieca verso ciò che non vuole vedere. Il patrigno non è meglio. Il padre di Jake chiama ogni tanto e gli manda soldi, ma non vuole rapportarsi con il figlio.
Nel corso del libro vediamo Jake evolvere, non solo perché cambia atteggiamento, ma anche perché comincia a rapportarsi con persone coi piedi per terra come Ram e Alli, e trovare il proprio posto in un mondo che non sembra fatto per nessuno dei tre. Mi piace anche il fatto che cerchi di riaggiustare il rapporto con sua madre, che alla fine può essere messo a posto con un po' di lavoro da parte di entrambi.
Alejandra è irritante. Insopportabile. Almeno, lo è all'inizio. Poi cominciamo a capire com'è davvero, e quanto anche lei abbia un vuoto dentro che è paragonabile a quello dei ragazzi. Solo che non essendo un personaggio p.o.v. e avendo una personalità molto diversa riesce a nasconderlo meglio.
A lei manca la madre, non il padre. È viziata, e lo si vede, ma mi è piaciuto il fatto che comunque fosse sempre lì quando Ram o Jake avevano bisogno. È un personaggio positivo, proprio come Eva e Lisa, la madre e la zia di Ramiro.
I personaggi nei libri di Sáenz sono sempre così particolari e a tutto tondo che è difficile non affezionarsi e amarli. Non credo di averne odiato mai nessuno, alla fine dei conti. Sono loro che guidano la storia, e che la rendono quella che è.
Come ho detto, poi, lo stile è molto personale. Scorrevole e facile da leggere, non c'è mai una parola fuori posto. Giuro che ogni singola parola è piazzata in modo da pugnalare il lettore.
Nei suoi libri la prima persona non mi da fastidio come in altri, e anzi contribuisce a creare un rapporto tra lettore e personaggio che non penso potrebbe esserci con una terza persona.
Nel complesso, come gli altri, un ottimo libro che consiglio caldamente.
August 16, 2020
i feel heavy. this book made me feel like i’m carrying the weight of the world, not necessarily in a bad way because benjamin’s writing never disappoints but the things the characters went through just makes me mad at the world.
it definitely is a sad book, the only thing that made me feel good was jake’s humor.
i’ve always been iffy about two perspective books but i think i have a whole other view on them now after reading this book, something about knowing how each character felt about the other without them knowing it themselves was very interesting and it was written so beautifully.
it definitely is a sad book, the only thing that made me feel good was jake’s humor.
i’ve always been iffy about two perspective books but i think i have a whole other view on them now after reading this book, something about knowing how each character felt about the other without them knowing it themselves was very interesting and it was written so beautifully.
August 17, 2008
The author of Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood tells the story of Ram, a Mexican American teen, and Jake, a student in an honors school, who meet and form a surprising friendship. Both boys are fatherless and feel incomplete.
June 1, 2024
I gotta say it’s not what I was expecting but it was so effin good.
Home is not a material thing, it’s not a place, it’s not something you can touch or see, home is a feeling. We have to find our real homes, we owe it to ourselves.
Home is not a material thing, it’s not a place, it’s not something you can touch or see, home is a feeling. We have to find our real homes, we owe it to ourselves.
August 23, 2020
Oh man this book destroyed me. This is what Jake would have said.
I love Benjamin Alire Saenz. He is one of my favorite authors and will forever be an important author for me.
# 1
Jake and Ramiro doesn't have many similarities: they live in different worlds (rich & poor), in different dangerous areas and go to different schools. They don't even know each other that good and just maintain to be sort of buddys. But they have one thing in common: their fathers left when they were little and they never cared to be there for their sons.
This book promises not only a lot of family drama but also a real sight into the life of an teenager who doesn't get the chance to be listenend to.
# 2
The adults in this book are mostly aweful. Jakes mother is the perfect copy of a rich lady who has shallow opinions of the rest of the world and only cares about herself. Jakes stepdad is an asshole and the only good adults are Ramiros mum and aunt - two hardworking ladys and loving ones. And I think even though this is an YA contemporary book, it's represents honestly a true world of the perspective of an angry and sad teenager (who has every right to be angry and sad). I was for Jake and Ramiro so frustrated and desperate - I just wanted that this story ends good for both of them. But real life doesn't work that way.
# 3
Benjamin Alire Saenz doesn't write in a fancy way. He uses simple words to deliver a powerful message and I just love his books so much. This is my 4th book and even though it's "just" 4 stars, I loved it dearly. This works always deals with heavy topics: poverty, drug use, alc use, sexuality, etc. I loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and The Inexplicable Logic of My Life but my favorite book of all those 4 so far is Last Night I Sang to the Monster. I honestly recommend everything. This won't be the last book I read by him.
# 4
The reason why I didn't give this 5 stars is because I had different expectations which is fully on me. I thought Jake and Ramiro will be friends and discover their life through their friendship sorta way but even at the end of the book they are just becoming loose buddys. I wished their lifes overlapped more.
I love Benjamin Alire Saenz. He is one of my favorite authors and will forever be an important author for me.
# 1
Jake and Ramiro doesn't have many similarities: they live in different worlds (rich & poor), in different dangerous areas and go to different schools. They don't even know each other that good and just maintain to be sort of buddys. But they have one thing in common: their fathers left when they were little and they never cared to be there for their sons.
This book promises not only a lot of family drama but also a real sight into the life of an teenager who doesn't get the chance to be listenend to.
# 2
The adults in this book are mostly aweful. Jakes mother is the perfect copy of a rich lady who has shallow opinions of the rest of the world and only cares about herself. Jakes stepdad is an asshole and the only good adults are Ramiros mum and aunt - two hardworking ladys and loving ones. And I think even though this is an YA contemporary book, it's represents honestly a true world of the perspective of an angry and sad teenager (who has every right to be angry and sad). I was for Jake and Ramiro so frustrated and desperate - I just wanted that this story ends good for both of them. But real life doesn't work that way.
# 3
Benjamin Alire Saenz doesn't write in a fancy way. He uses simple words to deliver a powerful message and I just love his books so much. This is my 4th book and even though it's "just" 4 stars, I loved it dearly. This works always deals with heavy topics: poverty, drug use, alc use, sexuality, etc. I loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and The Inexplicable Logic of My Life but my favorite book of all those 4 so far is Last Night I Sang to the Monster. I honestly recommend everything. This won't be the last book I read by him.
# 4
The reason why I didn't give this 5 stars is because I had different expectations which is fully on me. I thought Jake and Ramiro will be friends and discover their life through their friendship sorta way but even at the end of the book they are just becoming loose buddys. I wished their lifes overlapped more.
January 11, 2021
Ten autor ma w sobie coś takiego, że potrafi lekko pisać o ciężkich tematach. I to nie tak, że usiłuje upraszczać, ułatwiać nam pewne rzeczy. Nie. On po prostu nie próbuje jeszcze bardziej komplikować tego, co już samo w sobie jest skomplikowane. Przemawia prostymi słowami i wielkimi emocjami. I tym samym zapewnił swoim książkom honorowe miejsce na moim regale, a swoim bohaterom - w moim sercu.
Tym razem patrzymy na świat oczami Ramiro i Jake'a - dwóch nastoletnich chłopców, których na pierwszy rzut oka różni wszystko.
Ramiro mieszka wraz z mamą i młodszym bratem w biednej dzielnicy, Jake natomiast należy do rozpuszczonych, bogatych dzieciaków, mieszkających w świetnej okolicy wraz z matką i ojczymem.
Poznali się zupełnym przypadkiem, a jednak połączyła ich przyjaźń. Może to przez ich spojrzenie na świat dookoła. Może przez fakt, że żaden z nich nie zna swojego ojca. A może to wszystko się łączy?
Może po prostu świat dąży do połączenia ich ze sobą, ponieważ wie, że obaj są zranieni i zagubieni, że potrzebują kogoś, kto ich zrozumie, kogoś, przy kim nie będą się więcej czuli samotni. I niepotrzebni.
Autor porusza kwestię samotności, braku zrozumienia, więzi rodzinnych i ogólnie związków i relacji międzyludzkich widzianych oczyma dwóch niemal pełnoletnich chłopców. Pokazuje nam ich ból, tęsknotę za ojcem, którego nie znali oraz różne relacje z resztą członków rodziny - ciepło od mamy Ramiro, jednak brak umiejętności dogadania się z młodszym bratem oraz materializm matki Jake'a i brak zainteresowania ze strony ojczyma.
I pokazuje nam to wszystko poprzez odczucia naszych bohaterów, ich emocje i myśli. A ci bohaterowie są tak ludzcy, tak prawdziwi, że nie możemy nie odczuwać tego na sobie, nie możemy się od nich odwrócić i powiedzieć sobie 'e, to tylko książka'. Oj, nie. Autor po raz kolejny stworzył bohaterów, z którymi się zaprzyjaźniamy, z którymi się śmiejemy i których łzy pragniemy otrzeć. Ich cząstka zostaje z nami nawet po skończonej lekturze.
Zwłaszcza, że temat rodziny jest bliski każdemu. Nieważne, czy pochodzimy z pełnej, kochającej się rodziny, czy tak jak Jake i Ramiro brakuje nam ojca, czy jak w przypadku Alejandry - matki. Każda rodzina przechodzi przez swoje wzloty i upadki i w którymś momencie tej historii odnajdujemy nie tylko chłopców w sobie, ale i siebie w tej opowieści. I to jest jeden z talentów Saenza - pisze tak, że przestajemy czytać książkę i zaczynamy z nią współistnieć i żyć jako część jej historii.
Tym razem patrzymy na świat oczami Ramiro i Jake'a - dwóch nastoletnich chłopców, których na pierwszy rzut oka różni wszystko.
Ramiro mieszka wraz z mamą i młodszym bratem w biednej dzielnicy, Jake natomiast należy do rozpuszczonych, bogatych dzieciaków, mieszkających w świetnej okolicy wraz z matką i ojczymem.
Poznali się zupełnym przypadkiem, a jednak połączyła ich przyjaźń. Może to przez ich spojrzenie na świat dookoła. Może przez fakt, że żaden z nich nie zna swojego ojca. A może to wszystko się łączy?
Może po prostu świat dąży do połączenia ich ze sobą, ponieważ wie, że obaj są zranieni i zagubieni, że potrzebują kogoś, kto ich zrozumie, kogoś, przy kim nie będą się więcej czuli samotni. I niepotrzebni.
Autor porusza kwestię samotności, braku zrozumienia, więzi rodzinnych i ogólnie związków i relacji międzyludzkich widzianych oczyma dwóch niemal pełnoletnich chłopców. Pokazuje nam ich ból, tęsknotę za ojcem, którego nie znali oraz różne relacje z resztą członków rodziny - ciepło od mamy Ramiro, jednak brak umiejętności dogadania się z młodszym bratem oraz materializm matki Jake'a i brak zainteresowania ze strony ojczyma.
I pokazuje nam to wszystko poprzez odczucia naszych bohaterów, ich emocje i myśli. A ci bohaterowie są tak ludzcy, tak prawdziwi, że nie możemy nie odczuwać tego na sobie, nie możemy się od nich odwrócić i powiedzieć sobie 'e, to tylko książka'. Oj, nie. Autor po raz kolejny stworzył bohaterów, z którymi się zaprzyjaźniamy, z którymi się śmiejemy i których łzy pragniemy otrzeć. Ich cząstka zostaje z nami nawet po skończonej lekturze.
Zwłaszcza, że temat rodziny jest bliski każdemu. Nieważne, czy pochodzimy z pełnej, kochającej się rodziny, czy tak jak Jake i Ramiro brakuje nam ojca, czy jak w przypadku Alejandry - matki. Każda rodzina przechodzi przez swoje wzloty i upadki i w którymś momencie tej historii odnajdujemy nie tylko chłopców w sobie, ale i siebie w tej opowieści. I to jest jeden z talentów Saenza - pisze tak, że przestajemy czytać książkę i zaczynamy z nią współistnieć i żyć jako część jej historii.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2019
This is a bit of a hard novel to review for a few reasons. First of all, it's written by one of my all time favorite authors who usually gets an easy, no-brainer 5 star rating from me. So it's a bit strange to mark this as anything less than 5 stars.
I felt that it was difficult to keep the 2 main character's story straight as the book tended to awkwardly flip-flop back and forth between the two perspectives. The story really only picked up about halfway through and that's when I finally started recognizing the author's familiar prose scattered here and there.
This might be one of the only times where reality did not meet my expectations, in regards to this author. That's not discount the novel's messages though - messages of family, loss, unity, friendship, and hope.
At the end of the day, the messages still hold true.
I felt that it was difficult to keep the 2 main character's story straight as the book tended to awkwardly flip-flop back and forth between the two perspectives. The story really only picked up about halfway through and that's when I finally started recognizing the author's familiar prose scattered here and there.
This might be one of the only times where reality did not meet my expectations, in regards to this author. That's not discount the novel's messages though - messages of family, loss, unity, friendship, and hope.
At the end of the day, the messages still hold true.
September 4, 2018
I like this author, and I loved his "Dante and Aristotle..." but this book did nothing for me. Not a lot happens in this book, as it is more of a character study, and I felt nothing for the main two characters so I was bored to tears. I must confess I started skimming pages once I was down to the last 75 because I just wanted it to end!
I had already purchased his new book before I read this one, again, just based on how much I enjoyed "Dante and Aristotle," so I am hoping this one was just a fluke.
I had already purchased his new book before I read this one, again, just based on how much I enjoyed "Dante and Aristotle," so I am hoping this one was just a fluke.
December 23, 2018
“Some boys... Are perfect shits. & other boys are very, very beautiful.”
4.5⭐ Benjamin Alice Sáenz’s writing style is definitively one of my favourite. I effen love this book and Ram and Jake. The voices of both these characters were so raw and heart-breaking. And the friendships in this book is just beautiful. This story destroyed me.
4.5⭐ Benjamin Alice Sáenz’s writing style is definitively one of my favourite. I effen love this book and Ram and Jake. The voices of both these characters were so raw and heart-breaking. And the friendships in this book is just beautiful. This story destroyed me.
June 12, 2019
An emotional journey
Lesson learned: take care of yourself...after all you have to live with yourself every day. I connected with Jake and Ram in this book. Both still angry that they have a father who checked out on them. Absent. Living in another state. Well written and painful at times to read. 4.75 for beginnings.
Lesson learned: take care of yourself...after all you have to live with yourself every day. I connected with Jake and Ram in this book. Both still angry that they have a father who checked out on them. Absent. Living in another state. Well written and painful at times to read. 4.75 for beginnings.
August 25, 2025
i feel like this was a very stream of consciousness style narration that i struggled with, because while some of it made sense, and the characters were talking about important things to them, it also just felt like it went on, and on, and on. and also some of the characters, especially the parents, made me so angry, but in a way where it was like i can't keep reading this, it's driving me insane
March 4, 2018
3.5 stars.
November 23, 2019
¿Llegará el día en que no me guste un libro de este hombre? I don't think so.
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