Last Days Of Archie Maxwell

by Annabel Pitcher

The petals were the colour of blood. Of flesh. Part of Tia's heart had been placed on the track. When he drifted off to sleep, Archie could still hear it beating …

Dads leave home all the time. It's not that unusual, really. Jack's dad ran off with another woman. So did Mo's. But Archie's? That's a different story - a story Archie must keep to himself. If Tia found out, let alone his mates, his life would be over. But other people are guarding much deeper secrets of their own, secrets that will change the course of Archie's days for ever …

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Grief, Fiction, Family, Mental Health

139 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2017

About the author

Annabel Pitcher studied English at Oxford and has since worked as a script writer and an English teacher. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband. MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE was her first novel. She is a full-time writer.

Reviews

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novels which open with no preamble are my favourite. I love having to scrabble for clues as the author immerses me into their world, with no arm bands for support. That is exactly what Annabel Pitcher does here.

Archie is the middle child of the Maxwell family. He lives a perfectly happy existence surrounded by elder sister, Maisy, younger sister, Amy, and his parents. But this familial tranquillity is shattered when their father announces that he is leaving their family. Scared for what the future holds Archie attempts to understand what has caused his once happy family to be torn apart, without him having that the seams were ripping. He suspects an affair, but this is a concept his young mind can't seem to really fathom and is, instead, only what he has overheard other divorced parents succumbing to. But when Maisy announces their father really has left them for someone else, and this someone is a he and not a she, everything Archie thought he knew about love and life is altered.

Discussions of sexuality are so important in literature and this particular perspective is one I have not explored in fiction before. An elder character confronting their sexuality for the first time, when already in a hetero relationship and with children, makes for heart-wrenching and powerful reading. The use of a younger character also exploring his first discovery of a non-male/female relationship is also just as poignant. The mixture of the two made this a novel of pure emotion.

This novel also explores how sex is often viewed in modern society. The ridiculous ‘boys will be boys’ mentality, where sexual innuendo, homophobia, and misogyny are the norm, is confronted. It is almost shocking the first time I encountered the novel encroaching on the subject in such an abrasive manner. But it was this abrasiveness that truly makes the reader feel the horror and disgust that such a perspective warrants. We are cleverly drawn attention to how such attitudes are regressive and have no place in a forward-thinking and accepting society.

These two aspects of Archie Maxwell's life also open up a number of other topics, such as mental health, bullying, and suicide. For such a short novel, this does each and every topic justice. These are topics that need to be spoken of, but in such a way as to be demonstrative and not harmful. This is the perfect mixture of stark confrontation and sensitivity.

It is heartening that an emergence of a multitude of viewpoints, stories, and perspectives are explored on a variety of topics of such poignancy. This story is a timeless and ageless on, enjoyed by all and with every reader having something to gain from it. This accessibility is especially important, as younger readers are given a chance to enrich their scope of life and alleviate any further prejudice that could develop from not obtaining information about love, in all its forms, from such a young age.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every page. If you like reading fiction then this is a fabulous read. If you don't like reading long books then this book will be most suitable for you with quite big writing with only 139 pages. If you know a young person who doesn't like reading I can assure you that they will enjoy readings about Archie, he is a bullied by a boy just because his dad is gay. This book is amazing as it has been designed that is dyslexia friendly. A very highly 5 recommend stars.

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a let down, I cant put my finger on what but just the general feeling of it?

[Lisa Guiry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the storyline of this book. But there was a big jump in the story towards the end and a very abrupt ending. If this book had been a longer story, it would have been a 4 star book for sure

[Claudia Torkan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tak veľmi jej chcel veriť. Túžil cítiť trepotanie nádeje v hrudi, ibaže jeho srdce stratilo krídla. Čas sa spomalil. Sopka prestala chrliť oheň. Zostal iba popol. Dym. Tma."

Táto kniha, aj napriek svojej dĺžke, sa pasuje s mnohým. Resp. nášho hlavného hrdinu, Archieho, toho od začiatku čaká veľa. Doma sa dozvie, že jeho rodičia sa budú rozvádzať, a aby toho nebolo málo, otec sa sťahuje k novej známosti.

V škole má Archie pár kamarátov, ktorí sú však rovnako povrchní ako sa od pubertiakov dá čakať. Robia si srandu z iných a všetko maskujú za "skutočnú maskulinitu". Archie čoskoro sám zistí, komu môže a komu nemôže veriť, ale čo je na tom dobré, keď kvôli tomu ostáva sám? A jediná osoba, ktorá sa s ním baví, to robí len kvôli lži, ku ktorej sa nevie priznať?

Ľudia... táto kniha obsahuje toľko tém, toľko problémov, toľko bolesti a starostí, až mi pri čítaní stískalo srdce. Sama som neraz premýšľala, ako sa s tým Archie popasuje, pretože ja sama by som nevedela, čo robiť. A to nás s kamoškom delí pomaly desať rokov.

Autor sa v knihe dotkol viacerých pálčivých tém, pri ktorých by som ocenila aspoň o takých 30-50 strán viac, avšak i tak sa mi páči, že sa nevyhýbal tomu, čo je dôležité, pretože problémy na človeka nečakajú v rade, aby sa vysporiadal s jedným a potom druhým. Nie. Problémy sa na nás lepia na kade tade a najčastejšie naraz.

Kniha mi v niečom pripomenula príbeh "Krása, ktorá pretrvá", a teda ak ste čítali jednu, myslím, že sa vám bude páčiť aj toto. :)

[sophia࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished it in one car ride! Love it! 😻

[Bash · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novella was an interesting idea but I feel like it wasn't carried out to its full potential. Exploring how a family reacts to one of the parents coming out is an amazing idea. But crowding it in with a bullying plotline and a depression plotline as well was a bit much. The characters all felt very one dimensional - possibly because there's too many for a story that clocks in at about 130 pages. But the spellings of names weren't even consistent so...

And for a story about accepting someone coming out as gay, there's a lot of homophobic language and behaviour that isn't really called out by the other characters, despite them acknowledging in their internal dialogue that it's horrible. And it's 2017 - I thought we'd gotten past using "r****d" as an insult. Take your ableism somewhere else.

I'm hoping that Pitcher's other novels are better but this novella doesn't instil much faith.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read. This book deals with a range of difficult topics such as suicide and sexuality. I liked the idea for this book as it follows a teenage boy struggling to come to terms with his father's sexuality. I don't think I have read anything that deals with this topic as usually books deal with a character's own sexuality rather than a parent's. However, I did feel that the story could have been developed more.

I felt that this book was too short as we didn't get to see the characters being developed fully and the story felt a little rushed. I do appreciate that the author discusses difficult topics in her books which is what I look for in contemporary novels.

I would recommend this book for younger readers as it is a very easy read and starts a discussion on some important issues.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟 / 5

This book was a quick, easy read but I didn’t feel like I properly connected to any of the characters. I could certainly empathise with Archie as he felt like his whole world was changing around him but due to the pacing of the book, it felt like certain relationships and plot points were a little rushed; which did somewhat detract from my enjoyment of the story.

On a side note — I did appreciate the blurb at the end of the novel, where the author and the publisher discussed the efforts they had made to make the book easier to read for people with dyslexia. I have a lot of respect for them for doing so and trying to improve access to reading for those who may find it difficult.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deals with teenage depression, suicide, sexuality, bullying and relationships. Contains strong language and overly detailed sexual acts... Also has some cringy 'my scar was tingling' sorry did I just step into Harry Potter?

Anyway,
I liked this novel however I wasn't a fan of the graphic details of gay sex... I didn't think it was necessary as this is a book for young adults and teens. I think it's more 18+ due to the language but other than that I liked the story and the characters I really liked Jared's character

[Dagmar Garciová · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*
Poslední dny Archieho Maxwella opět přináší sondu do jedné rodiny, která se potýká s otázkou sexuality jednoho z rodičů. Krom toho se v knize řeší sebevražedné sklony a šikana. Není toho zrovna málo na tak rozsahem malou knížku, logicky tak autorka nemohla jít do hloubky, jak by si osudy postav zasloužily. I přesto si ale myslím, že spisovatelka popisuje ožehavá témata s citem a s nesmírnou přirozeností.

Kniha je určena pro jedince starší dvanácti let, krom dospívajících si knihu užijí i dospělí. Díky příběhu se čtenář ponoří do problematik, jež hýbou dnešním světem a které trápí nejen mládež.

Více v recenzi zde: https://recenzarium.webnode.cz/l/posl...

[Eivor · Rating 3 out of 5]

«He deserved to be happy, even if Archie wasn’t brave enough to witness it.”

“Wondering how men ever got to the point where they could casually undress a girl when it was this overwhelming to clothe one.”

[Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was very emotional.

[The Bibliognost Bampot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double-issue story handled sensitively.

I've loved all of Pitcher's work, some hard topics written about with care and love. Here the author manages to craft a shorter version of one of these hard-hitting thematic pieces, and connects two painful stories and families as they struggle to cope with confusion and grief.

Archie is bowled over when his dad leaves the family home to move in with 'Malcolm', uncomfortable around his friends and embarrassed, not knowing how to act or what to think. He is still feeling the usual teenage feelings towards a crush though, and is just as embarrassed when Tia approaches him - but she asks him something unexpected about her own family situation.

The two teenagers and their stories connect in a painful and heart-rending way, and the whole story feels as though it could have been expanded to a full-length novel, and almost feels abridged to have become a Barrington Stoke title.

I always enjoy these titles, complete stories but in a shortened format, with talented authors tempting reluctant readers with powerful stories.

This is quite a dark and potentially upsetting novella, and does provide contact details for any readers affected by the issues raised.

For ages 13 and above.

[Seawood · Rating 5 out of 5]

You get a tremendous amount of bang for your buck with this one, what a powerful story. I picked it up originally because the author is coming to Northern YA Litfest later this year, and I hadn't realised it's a Barrington Stoke publication. If you're not familiar with this publishing house, the books are "super-readable" - that is, printed on dyslexia-friendly buff pages with a much more readable font and spacing between the lines. The language is...not simplified, exactly, but the books tend to be strong on story because of the length constraints, and some of the range are "low-high" - aimed at low ability readers with a high interest level. For example, I have just bought some for our school library which have a reading age of 7 but are suitable for readers of up to 12. Archie is very much aimed at teenagers, though.

Anyway, that's part of the reason Archie Maxwell is short and strong. There is no messing about with preamble and daydreaming; it's straight to the point all the way through and in all honesty, I think the issues dealt with are *far* better done in this style. Teens often need answers and relatable characters fast when they have big questions and life events; Archie's story is no-holds-barred. The raw pain jumps off the page.

My daughter has snaffled it so I can't check the cover, but I think it does give keywords on the back for "coming out, suicide, truth" - handle with care and be prepared to answer questions or signpost if you stock/recommend this.

[Daniella · Rating 2 out of 5]

After being disappointed with Silence is Goldfish, I was determined to fall back in love with Annabel’s books. I saw The Last Days of Archie Maxwell available at my local library, and after reading the synopsis, I thought I would give it a go. This short novella focuses on a young boy called Archie who finds out that his parents have split up and his dad has come out as gay. There were a lot of topics discussed in the story such as sexuality, homophobia, bullying and mental illness but for me personally, it didn’t work in such a short format. I fully appreciate that it was a short story for reluctant readers but in my opinion, it needed more room to flourish.

[Imi (Imi Reviews Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mini-review

A really lovely short novel, written to help people that don’t read or have reading difficulties get into YA. Contemporary about a teenage boy whose father comes out as gay and how he deals with his own mental health at the time. Very interesting and touching.
--

21st May 2018

Short but sweet - a very interesting look into the mind of teenage boys, especially when dealing with difficult emotional situations.

I also really love that the physical is optimised for those who struggle to read or have dyslexia.

[eik madsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unchallenged homophobia up until the epilog. Glorification of suicide. The r-word thrown around. Bad representation of the LGBT community. Actually a shit book, also how old is the main character? He acted 12 but then said things a 16 year old would say? Idk but it was a letdown of the biggest kind.

[Mattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Triggers: Suicide, bullying, homophobia

Archie’s family is falling apart. His dad has just revealed that he is moving out of their house to stay with his friend, Malcolm. But Archie quickly realises that Malcolm is much more than a friend and struggles to handle the reality that his dad is gay.

At school, Archie is bullied by Leon, his supposed friend, who threatens to tell everyone about his dad’s secret. When Archie’s crush, Tia, finally notices him and wants to spend time with him, things start looking up. But Tia only wants to talk about her brother, Tathum, who committed suicide on the train tracks. As the pressure and frustration builds, Archie starts to feel himself drawn more and more to the tracks.

Review
This short story packs a real punch. It doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of coming out or committing suicide. These topics are discussed very frankly throughout the book in an eye-opening and shocking manner.

Having said that, the language used in this book is often crude and vulgar. The homophobia is difficult to read at times, but is designed to make the reader feel uncomfortable, which is definitely manages.

Archie’s turmoil is written well and the reader is fully engaged with his perspective. It is interesting and moving to read about his connection with Tia and how they are each coping with their family situation.

It is rare to find a novel that deals with a parent coming out and the impact that has on the family. This is an original and difficult perspective to tackle and it is presented and explored well in this book.

The story focuses on Archie and him processing his emotions on his own. There is very little focus on Archie’s relationship with his dad, despite that being the primary story line. This is perhaps a missed opportunity.

The writing is perfectly balanced between frank and poetic. The dialog is clear and easy to read, interspersed with enough imaginative and flowery description to add elegance to a harsh and hard-hitting story.

The book is written to be “super-readable” so that people with dyslexia and other issues with reading are able to access it.

Summary
I enjoyed reading this story and appreciated the honesty with which the themes were handled. Despite it being a short story, an awful lot is packed into this book to keep readers engaged. I know a lot of readers who would read this book in one sitting.

I thought it was unnecessarily vulgar at times. I really didn’t like that masturbating was presented as something that boys have to do to control their desire before they can consider the girl as a person—I thought that was very tasteless and sexist and doesn’t send a good message to teenage boys or girls.

However, I think this book is unique and will allow teens to explore the heavy topics of coming out, bullying, homophobia and suicide. Although, this book isn’t for everyone as the language used and the topics discussed are very mature.

[Anthony Connors-Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an independent author, I wanted to read novellas in the same category as mine for market research. After scanning my local Waterstones, this short story was the only one I could find, but I’m glad I found it. Although it is a very different story to mine, the fact it’s dyslexia friendly inspired me to do the same, and I observed lots of positive things regarding the story.

The story follows Archie, a young boy whose dad is gay and who is coming to terms with his dad's revelation. I thought it was brilliantly written, and the scenes of homophobic bullying transported me there and my heart raced reading it.
I loved the story so much I ordered two other books from the same author on Amazon but have yet to read them. Brilliant writer!

The only thing I would critique and it’s nothing to do with the authors work but the publishers as they typically decide the cover. I think the cover could do with an update now but I understand this book was released a few years so it could be that. This story is brilliant but just deserves a better cover front and back. Especially the tagline in the font and rainbow ombré. It gives me Microsoft word art vibes.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a quick read on a short flight or to kill a few hours during the lunch break.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age - 16+

Archie is reeling after a family announcement. His father is leaving. His mother doesn't even seem mad about it, and his big sister knows more than she's letting on. When Archie learns the whole truth, his whole world implodes.

What if the guys at school find out? His life won't be worth living. They will show no mercy. And that's when Archie begins to think about that guy who ended it all on the train tracks behind his house.

Archie likes a girl at school - who just happens to be the sister of the guy on the tracks. She blames herself and is trying to understand why her brother did it. When Archie offers her some relief from her guilt, they become a little closer. But she has her own secrets too. Is Archie strong enough to resist a final solution for himself and protect her from the same?

This is an easy read/novella for not only dyslexic teens, but those who may find larger texts daunting or unappealing. It was gritty, true to life, showing the no-filter language of teen boys amongst themselves and about girls. Fantastic read.

(Dyslexic, Homophobia, Suicide, Bullying, Mental Health, School, Family)

[dxnxsx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten konec byl takovej... plytkej. Já jsem až čekala, že pod ty koleje opravdu skočí, bylo vidět, že Archie, ale vlastně i Tia byli v depresi, ale tím, že o tom s nikým nemluvili je to tak akorát požíralo zaživa. Možná si i nakonec pomohli sami a bylo fajn, že Archie už pak byl více v pohodě co se týče homosexuality jeho táty. Upřímně je pro mě strašně těžký vidět mladý lidi, kteří tohle nedokáží pochopit a pobrat. Tady si myslím, že byl problém v Leonovi, který šikanoval všechny ostatní, protože sám se pravděpodobně necítil doceněný, možná byl i homosexuál, ale v životě by si to nepřiznal. Ale celkově ty myšlenky skrz celou tu knihu byly dobrý, líbíl se mi ten barvitý popis těch depresivních stavů co zažíval Archie, pro široké publikum, které se s tím třeba takto výrazně nesetkalo je to lépe představitelné. Hrozně mě iritovala máma Archieho, která se šla starat o svoje 2 dcery a kdykoli Archie naznačil, že třeba něco není v pohodě, tak mu řekla, že na tohle už nemá sílu, že je přece hodnej chlapec, a ať se tak chová. Má ty děti 3 a ne 2, tak se má starat o všechny. Chápu, že je to pro ní těžký období, ale prostě to, že dítě mlčí, neznamená, že je v pohodě.

[Laura Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: divorce/suicide/suicidal ideation/homophobia/mention of self harm/ R slur used/bullying

Content may be triggering to those who are struggling with their mental health! Approach with caution.
Samaritans: (UK) 116 123
Mental health America: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Straight and to the point, tale of a teenage boy struggling to accept his fathers sexuality and his parents’ divorce. The world around him seems to be moving on as if everything is normal, however Archie is struggling to accept

Writing style reads quite young, however graphic themes and explicit words/phrases suggest otherwise. Read in one sitting late at night, enjoyed the short read & the ending was really touching!
Also appreciate how the paper is printed on two coloured heavy paper to help those who struggle with reading and font which is dyslexia friendly!

Overall, 3.5* 🌟

[Andrew Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book containing a lot of potentially triggering themes, mental health, suicide, suicide ideation, LGBT things, Bullies amongst others. Archie Maxwell's dad comes out and lobs a grenade into Archie's life. The story opens with his parents splitting up and develops from there. friends aren't always friends, and there's an interesting love story to boot. I enjoyed it but because it has taken on so many issues and its a Barrington Stoke - albeit one of their longer books - space is limited to develop characters and discuss everything fully. Perhaps it would have been better as a full length novel? i dont know. Annabel Pitcher has written some top class books and this is a good one as well.

[Rach (pagesofpiper) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was so much contained in this short story I don't know where to begin. The main focus was Archie's mental health and suicide tendencies linked to bully he received because his Dad recently comes out as gay. I felt this book really dived deep into Archie's mind, how he was constantly thinking and playing out scenarios in his head. I loved how the rest of the family reacted, if only it could be like that everytime for everyone!

[Hannah Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annabel Pitcher never disappoints. She writes with incredible clarity and the simplicity of the unflinching language she uses only serves to highlight the complexity of the narrative she is telling. I've read all of her books, multiple times, and her ability in this one to show the power of friendship is stunning. Dealing with loss, love, mental health issues and the terror of keeping secrets, she has yet again written a short masterpiece, worthy of reading all in one go.

[Emma Vardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book for teens dealing with mental health issues and sexuality. It's important to talk and share but sometimes that can be difficult, reminds the reader to listen and make sure people are ok. What I also liked was how accessible the book was, the author has clearly thought about her audience and how to engage them.

[Vojtěch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upřímně, Poslední dny Archieho Maxwella jsou asi nejslabší z knih Anabel Pitcherové. Respektive ani tato kniha svoji tematikou není rozhodně špatná, je ale dost krátká a oproti dalším knihám a dalším tématům, která jsou v nich zpracována o dost zevrubněji. Poslední dny Archieho Maxwella opět upozorňují na důležitou problematiku, mohla by být však o něco důkladnější.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kdyby tohle byl nástin pořádné knihy, tak by mě to zaujala a chtěla bych si ji přečíst... bohužel je tohle ale celá kniha a nefunguje to. Na to, co se tam autorka snažila řešit, by potřebovala tak čtyřikrát víc stránek - takhle je tu hodně témat, žádné není pořádně zpracované, postavy jsou nic moc a závěr taky za moc nestojí.
A přitom má ten hlavní námět velký potenciál.