What do you think?
Rate this book
A Flicker in the Clarity: An Emotional YA Novel―When Betrayal Fractures Friendship and One Girl Spirals Beyond Reach
For as long as Evie can remember, she and Emma have been best friends. They’ve gone through everything together—only Evie understood what it was like for Emma to lose her older brother in a car accident. And though they couldn’t be more different—Emma is the life of the party while Evie is shy—the dynamic has always worked for them.
But then Evie makes a careless mistake that ends up having serious consequences for Emma. They’ve had their squabbles before, but this is different. When Evie tries to apologize, Emma ignores her texts, gets a new best friend, and completely freezes her out. Evie didn’t mean to betray Emma in the way that she did, and she’s desperate to get back in Emma’s good graces. Who is Evie without Emma?
Then Evie meets Theo, a kindred spirit unlike any boy she’s ever encountered. With him, she can at least pretend like her life is normal. But just as she’s about to let go and fully fall into whatever is happening with him, Emma resurfaces, miraculously letting Evie back in—though it’s not without consequence. Erratic behavior, drunken incidents, and panicked late-night calls are only some of the hoops Emma makes Evie jump through. All Evie has wanted is to get her best friend back—but Emma seems hell-bent on self-destruction. Evie is used to swooping in to pull Emma out of her troubles, but how do you help someone who doesn’t want to be saved?
But then Evie makes a careless mistake that ends up having serious consequences for Emma. They’ve had their squabbles before, but this is different. When Evie tries to apologize, Emma ignores her texts, gets a new best friend, and completely freezes her out. Evie didn’t mean to betray Emma in the way that she did, and she’s desperate to get back in Emma’s good graces. Who is Evie without Emma?
Then Evie meets Theo, a kindred spirit unlike any boy she’s ever encountered. With him, she can at least pretend like her life is normal. But just as she’s about to let go and fully fall into whatever is happening with him, Emma resurfaces, miraculously letting Evie back in—though it’s not without consequence. Erratic behavior, drunken incidents, and panicked late-night calls are only some of the hoops Emma makes Evie jump through. All Evie has wanted is to get her best friend back—but Emma seems hell-bent on self-destruction. Evie is used to swooping in to pull Emma out of her troubles, but how do you help someone who doesn’t want to be saved?
428 pages, Hardcover
First published June 12, 2018
14 people are currently reading
2352 people want to read
About the author
Amy McNamara
3 books171 followersAmy McNamara is the author Lovely, Dark, and Deep (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) and a manuscript of poems, the new head chronometrist. Her poems appear in a wide variety of literary journals and have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is married to the artist Doug McNamara and they live in Brooklyn with their two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 27, 2018
RATING: 4/5
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
This book mentally drained me.
For as long as Evie can remember, she and Emma have been best friends. They’ve gone through everything together—only Evie understood what it was like for Emma to lose her older brother in a car accident. And though they couldn’t be more different—Emma is the life of the party while Evie is shy—the dynamic has always worked for them.
But then Evie makes a careless mistake that ends up having serious consequences for Emma. They’ve had their squabbles before, but this is different. When Evie tries to apologize, Emma ignores her texts, gets a new best friend, and completely freezes her out. Evie didn’t mean to betray Emma in the way that she did, and she’s desperate to get back in Emma’s good graces. Who is Evie without Emma?
I always enjoy reading about friendships, specially complex ones. Evie and Emma were definitely dysfunctional but none of them seemed to realize it. I tried to like Emma, I really did. But she was so annoying and I couldn't believe how selfish she was most of the time. Evie had her issues as well, but I could relate more to her personality and struggles (not just because she was the narrator).
This friendship in particular really made me reflect on friends I've had in the past and my behavior towards them. When you're in high school, you depend a lot on your friends. They start influencing what you do and think, without you even noticing. It gets even worse when you're shy and insecure (Like Evie). For the most part, I understand Evie's actions. I think they were realistic.
I really liked Theo (Evie's love interest). He was very refreshing and unlike any male character I've ever read about. I loved how committed he was to achieving his goals and how he encouraged Evie to do the same.
The ending was good. I think (almost) everything got resolved.
In conclusion, I liked this. I would definitely recommend it. :)
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
This book mentally drained me.
For as long as Evie can remember, she and Emma have been best friends. They’ve gone through everything together—only Evie understood what it was like for Emma to lose her older brother in a car accident. And though they couldn’t be more different—Emma is the life of the party while Evie is shy—the dynamic has always worked for them.
But then Evie makes a careless mistake that ends up having serious consequences for Emma. They’ve had their squabbles before, but this is different. When Evie tries to apologize, Emma ignores her texts, gets a new best friend, and completely freezes her out. Evie didn’t mean to betray Emma in the way that she did, and she’s desperate to get back in Emma’s good graces. Who is Evie without Emma?
I always enjoy reading about friendships, specially complex ones. Evie and Emma were definitely dysfunctional but none of them seemed to realize it. I tried to like Emma, I really did. But she was so annoying and I couldn't believe how selfish she was most of the time. Evie had her issues as well, but I could relate more to her personality and struggles (not just because she was the narrator).
This friendship in particular really made me reflect on friends I've had in the past and my behavior towards them. When you're in high school, you depend a lot on your friends. They start influencing what you do and think, without you even noticing. It gets even worse when you're shy and insecure (Like Evie). For the most part, I understand Evie's actions. I think they were realistic.
I really liked Theo (Evie's love interest). He was very refreshing and unlike any male character I've ever read about. I loved how committed he was to achieving his goals and how he encouraged Evie to do the same.
The ending was good. I think (almost) everything got resolved.
In conclusion, I liked this. I would definitely recommend it. :)
Read
February 4, 2018*before reading*
When is this book coming out? I desperately need a Amy McNamara fix. It's been forever since she blessed us with Lovely, Dark and Deep.
*after reading*
A Flicker in the Clarity mentally drained me. That's my main beef with the book. Our heroine's best friend is destructive. She's promiscuous and reckless. Evie's always there for Emma. When Emma's brother dies she starts acting out. Reading about their relationship was hard because everyone wants to help out a friend in need. But you can't help someone who doesn't want to be saved. In a way it's the most realistic approach but it was not the best book to read when you-yourself are in a destructive mindset. It does make you think though. Sadly, the friendship between these two girls didn't save this book for me.
Might put up the rating after the release.
When is this book coming out? I desperately need a Amy McNamara fix. It's been forever since she blessed us with Lovely, Dark and Deep.
*after reading*
A Flicker in the Clarity mentally drained me. That's my main beef with the book. Our heroine's best friend is destructive. She's promiscuous and reckless. Evie's always there for Emma. When Emma's brother dies she starts acting out. Reading about their relationship was hard because everyone wants to help out a friend in need. But you can't help someone who doesn't want to be saved. In a way it's the most realistic approach but it was not the best book to read when you-yourself are in a destructive mindset. It does make you think though. Sadly, the friendship between these two girls didn't save this book for me.
Might put up the rating after the release.
December 19, 2018
I struggled with this book a lot, especially at first, because I HATED Emma and couldn't stand the toxic, unhealthy friendship between her and Evie. However, I thought it was a very realistic portrayal of how unhealthy friendships can be, and how scenarios can play out given different factors, and how people can easily get stuck in negative patterns/mindsets - but there is hope and possibility to work through them and grow, even if it means letting go of something familiar/ingrained because it's harmful to you. It was still difficult to read a lot of it, but I think it was more due to how visceral the negative behaviors/interactions were, which is what the author was trying to portray.
(...I don't know if this makes any sense at all.)
(...I don't know if this makes any sense at all.)
November 6, 2018
♥ Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings
- - -
*CONTAINS SPOILERS*
Evie and Emma are best friends. The type of best friends where one is shy and one is outgoing. The dynamic has worked for them so far, but the book begins with them having a rift. Now, the synopsis will have you believing that something huge happens; some terrible thing with terrible consequences. No. Emma is out with some older guy, spending the night with him, partying, etc. Evie always covers for her with Emma's parents, right? Well Emma stands Evie up when they are supposed to meet. Evie gets angry as it isn't the first time, so when Emma's dad asks Evie if she has seen Emma, she lies and says NO, haven't seen her today. That's basically THE THING that breaks their friendship. Emma's parents are strict and very religious, and they frown upon all of the partying Emma does and wouldn't approve of her older boyfriend and all of that mess. So when they find out where she really was, she is grounded. Big fucking deal, yeah? So, teen angst ensues. Emma stops speaking to Evie. Emma befriends Evie's arch nemesis. Evie meets a guy. Instalove.
So, the romance. Said guy that Evie meets...well, it was a shit show. Theo. Theo is an oh-so ~mYstEriOuS~ cute guy that shows Evie a bit of attention, and she goes haywire. This is barely a romance we have here. Evie is enthralled by the guy, but he barely speaks to her at first. He is really closed-off (aren't they always?) and sort of an asshole to her. After he warms up, they are basically madly in love for a week, have sex, and then he stops speaking to her. She gets upset and goes to his house to confront him. He has some “excuse” about it, then says he is going on some mission trip and leaving forever and ever. They are done. BYE BYE. Romance was a bust, to be honest.
Let us move on to Emma. This is where I had my biggest problem with the book. So, Emma is very high and low. One moment she is pissed off and mean to Evie, and the next moment she is showing up at Evie's house for a random road trip. Then, the girl is so depressed she ends up sitting on some subway rails and almost gets herself killed. Now, there is a serious note to this book. Emma's older brother died awhile back and she is still pretty devastated; still trying to deal with the grief. She is sad, angry, and doesn't know what to do with herself. So this book really touches on grief and what it can do to a person and how it can change their relationships, etc. Now, I acknowledge that the author made Emma so unstable because of her grief, but her behavior was borderline bipolar. This girl was MANIC. The things she was doing and how she spoke truly read like a mental illness/disorder. The girl needed help, not grounding from her parents. I don't know, it just bothered me how it all played out. In the end, she got no help and things were just sort of left unsaid and up-in-the-air; no closure at all!
And that about wraps up the review for me. The book had so many loose ends. I felt like nothing was wrapped up. The friendship wasn't resolved. We don't find out how Emma's parents end up dealing with her mental instability. We don't see if Evie's mom's relationship works out (because they make that into a thing). Theo disappears from the face of the earth. It was really just NOT my cup of tea. The pace of the book was also quite slow. If you like A LOT of angst and instalove, this may be a book for you, but otherwise... not recommending. I was going to give it a 1.5, but chose to round up to two because the title is just lovely and I did enjoy reading about how Emma's brother died and the story behind all of that. Otherwise, it was a flop for me.
- - -
Book source: Via publisher for review
Publisher: HarperTeen
• For more of my reviews, check out my blog!
June 23, 2018
In all fairness this book is written for a young adult audience. With that clarified I didn't like it. So much teen angst. I don't know how Evie isn't medicated but it could probably help her out some. The character's felt flat and not fleshed out and as such it took away from what could've been a really good emotional stuff. Instead we get teen angst on practically every page and tears, lots and lots of tears. From what I can tell the main character spent the majority of her time either crying or overthinking things. It also didn't seem like anything really happened until the very end and even then not everything is fixed or set in stone with solutions. Evie is trying something and we don't find out if she succeeds or not, if her relationship with her mom ever improves, how things with her mom's boyfriend goes, meeting his family etc., we get to see none of that and that sort of thing would have been of interest to me. While I didn't like the book I'm sure there are plenty of people who will and I'm happy for them but this one wasn't for me.
January 8, 2019
This was a pretty good book, even if the prose was a little bit over-complicated at times and the plot was dragged on somewhat. I know that it was about a girl cutting ties with a problematic and toxic friend, but the fact that she continued to be affiliated with her after everything that the friend did was somewhat shocking to me. Having cut off a toxic friendship before, I know what it takes, but by the end of the book it wasn't treated as the moral of the story- instead, it was more along the lines of "moving on" and "forgiveness". Which are great morals, but they didn't fit with the whole buildup of the story. Despite that, I liked the main character and the rest of the story.
November 17, 2021
Not your average YA title. I was slightly disappointed with the last 3rd of the book (no spoilers), but overall, I thought it was a well written and incredibly thoughtful book, and gave teens more credit than some YA books do. Will be interested to read others by this author.
June 18, 2018
LOVED this story of Evie and Emma! A Flicker in the Clarity is another beautiful read by one of my favorite YA authors, Amy McNamara. This is such an empowering contemplation for girls, truly anyone, to continue striving to LIVE no matter what seemingly insurmountable challenges face us in life. There is an extra treat within the pages of A Flicker in the Clarity for those already in love with Lovely Dark and Deep also by Amy McNamara. Do not miss this book!
A Flicker in the Clarity
Amy McNamara
A Flicker in the Clarity
Amy McNamara
March 25, 2018
I cannot even find the words best to describe this book. I was taken on a wild ride, looking into everyone and understanding so much. I have connected so much with this book that moments where I wasn't reading it left my mind wondering what Evie, Emma, Theo and Jack were up to. But never Alice. Never the cabbage. The ending of course wrecked me. why did that have to happen? why did it end like that? I'm a blubbering mess because of it and I don't even want to think that this is the end. it's not the end is it?
March 1, 2021
I was slightly annoyed by this book for a few reasons. It's basically mostly about high school drama narrated by a very insecure character. She reminds me a lot of me in middle/high school and that's way I was so annoyed. She's insecure and refuses to stand up to her awful friend who has a ton of issues and instead of being her own person, she spends the entire book wishing she could be like Emma, who is the worst person ever (also reminds me of friends I had in high school). Many many cliches in this book but it was somewhat enjoyable to read, hence the 3 stars. Also I just needed to rant a little bit haha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2018
You can also read this review on my blog :)
A Flicker in the Clarity aims towards representing reality with all its imperfections: unresolved issues, toxic relationships, unexpected events, and the pain of heartbreak. For this, the novel gets its stars. However, I wish the novel had gone deeper. I was left wanting to know a lot more than what I got.
As far as plot goes, there isn't one clearly mapped out. That's why I think the book represents reality so well. We get a peek into these people's lives and are left wondering what happened when we left them. That was positive and negative at the same time. I liked that the author didn't force resolutions, but I also wanted to see some characters interact a lot more and be more open to each other.
The characters are presented unapologetically trying to find themselves, and I'm not only talking about the teenagers, but the adults as well. I wasn't particularly keen on any of them, but that's not a requirement for me to like a book. They all made mistakes; they were all flawed.
Our main character, Evie, was constantly carried away by her best friend, Emma, who was selfish and emotionally unavailable for her. It was draining to see their interactions and how heavily Emma relied on her without considering to do the same for her. All that Evie had for herself were here maps. She loved art and throughout the novel she designs and paints maps that represent her feelings or situations. It's hard to explain and, I'm not going to lie, it was a bit strange to understand how these maps could look, but I appreciated that they served as the character's emotional outlet.
For me, the most important theme this book handled was toxic relationships. Relationships mean having a commitment with someone, but never over your own self care. It showed well how our forgiveness doesn't mean we are allowing ourselves to get trampled over. Still, I wish the novel had expanded more on this subject. I found the ending a little abrupt on that sense.
Amy McNamara presents here a bubble of reality and how we need to be careful with our dedication towards someone, and also how, especially for this generation, following our dreams is easier said than done considering both family and financial struggles.
A Flicker in the Clarity aims towards representing reality with all its imperfections: unresolved issues, toxic relationships, unexpected events, and the pain of heartbreak. For this, the novel gets its stars. However, I wish the novel had gone deeper. I was left wanting to know a lot more than what I got.
As far as plot goes, there isn't one clearly mapped out. That's why I think the book represents reality so well. We get a peek into these people's lives and are left wondering what happened when we left them. That was positive and negative at the same time. I liked that the author didn't force resolutions, but I also wanted to see some characters interact a lot more and be more open to each other.
The characters are presented unapologetically trying to find themselves, and I'm not only talking about the teenagers, but the adults as well. I wasn't particularly keen on any of them, but that's not a requirement for me to like a book. They all made mistakes; they were all flawed.
Our main character, Evie, was constantly carried away by her best friend, Emma, who was selfish and emotionally unavailable for her. It was draining to see their interactions and how heavily Emma relied on her without considering to do the same for her. All that Evie had for herself were here maps. She loved art and throughout the novel she designs and paints maps that represent her feelings or situations. It's hard to explain and, I'm not going to lie, it was a bit strange to understand how these maps could look, but I appreciated that they served as the character's emotional outlet.
For me, the most important theme this book handled was toxic relationships. Relationships mean having a commitment with someone, but never over your own self care. It showed well how our forgiveness doesn't mean we are allowing ourselves to get trampled over. Still, I wish the novel had expanded more on this subject. I found the ending a little abrupt on that sense.
Amy McNamara presents here a bubble of reality and how we need to be careful with our dedication towards someone, and also how, especially for this generation, following our dreams is easier said than done considering both family and financial struggles.
July 9, 2018
There was a point where I'd put this book down for a couple days, and when I came back to it I'd completely forgotten what it was about and everything I'd read so far. I didn't connect with this title the way I so easily do with almost everything I read, but it wasn't bad. I just definitely won't be coming back to it. (As for a review of the actual story...I honestly have nothing to say.)
And this has been another unhelpful review by Theresa!~
And this has been another unhelpful review by Theresa!~
December 5, 2018
Chalk would work better, and I make a mental note to pick up some, but an artist makes use of the tools at hand. I scratch a pair of rakes crisscrossed like swords onto the soft surface of one of the bricks. I'll map where I've been found.
May 5, 2018
This is a wonderful story that shows how Evie's life truly begins after a fight with her best friend, including how she finally chooses to save herself. Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC.
March 3, 2019
I really hated Emma! Like omg she got on my nerves!
February 2, 2019
Amy McNamara delves back into familiar territory six years after her debut, as "A Flicker in the Clarity" once again rattles with the aftershocks of death—the same death, apparently, that haunted the wintry world of 2012’s "Lovely, Dark and Deep". Though the concept’s recycled, the emotions are not, as McNamara crafts a poignant new story with poetry and skill.
When an impulsive decision lands her best friend in hot water, shrinking violet Evie finds herself all but cut out of Emma’s life. The breakup couldn’t be more catastrophic-both girls are still reeling from the death of Emma’s older brother Patrick, and Evie feels she is completely lost without Emma’s mercurial influence. Enter Theo, a cryptic young man whose charm allows the drifting Evie a safe harbor, but whose dark past (a requisite in teen drama) means he has his own baggage to deal with. The two barely have time to hit it off before Emma abruptly reemerges, all too willing to drag Evie back into their shared downward spiral. Now, Evie faces a tough decision: stop her lifelong friend from self-destructing, or start embracing the girl who truly needs the support.
In a market where young love is ever the eternal conquerer, McNamara must be commended for her candid portrayal of teen relationships, as the attachments wavering across A Flicker in the Clarity are in turns ardent, ambiguous, and very, very messy. At the heart of it all are Evie and Emma, and their unbalanced dynamic is oftentimes excruciating to sit through. Evie feels the odd one out among her more socially and economically advantaged classmates, and Emma habitually manipulates this loneliness to keep her friend a willing cohort and confidante. This same imbalance is artfully carried over into Evie’s romance with Theo, who captivates not through allure but through emotional availability—a distinction by which Evie inadvertently comes to view him as both savior and salve.
This dynamic poses a unique challenge, however. Evie’s journey isn’t so much a scene-by-scene contemplation, but life written in microcosms. In her eyes, the world is both overwhelming and constrained, and bright possibilities are forever overshadowed by the prospect of loss versus gain. Because "Flicker" is exclusively Evie’s story, the pessimism often threatens to halt the admittedly meandering tempo of her musings. Thankfully, McNamara’s plot structure effectively sidelines the looming melodrama; Evie’s darker turns are sharply written in short, staccato bursts, while page numbers for more substantial experiences—encounters that potentially challenge and uplift our heroine’s downtrodden perspective—lengthen into the double digits.
Throughout the roller coaster of emotions, Evie remains a likable character, and what’s more, the same can be said for the teens and adults who share the stage with her. Even Emma, the near constant source of Evie’s internal grapplings, is never fully labeled the villain. Her selfishness grates, but through the manic facade come flickering glimpses of intense self-loathing, alongside a pointed envy toward Evie’s own practicality. And while it is never made clear whether Emma’s exploitation is a conscious effort, one can at least be sure her actions stem from self-inflicted need rather than pure malice.
Indeed, the sole weak thread in "Flicker"’s narrative web is romantic lead Theo. His characterization ultimately suffers from an over-reliance on quirky—the kid’s full name is “Theophilus” for crying out loud—and his beguiling laissez faire altruism ultimately feels one-dimensional next to Evie’s more realized growth and development.
It is only when Evie looks outside of herself that "Flicker" draws to its graceful conclusion, and the resulting catharsis reveals McNamara at her best: a lyrical poet with a firm grasp on emotive tension, whose writing adopts all the quiet focus of still-life portraiture. That that focus stumbles slightly over some surplus chapters is beside the point; tighter plot structure can be developed, particularly by one who so clearly revels in mapping out the myriad thoughts, fears and desires plaguing the teenaged psyche. As to that ending? Storybook-romantics may find themselves underwhelmed. The rest of us will be too busy awaiting McNamara’s next offering; I for one would like to see what she does with an entirely new concept, if only to let poor Patrick finally rest in peace.
When an impulsive decision lands her best friend in hot water, shrinking violet Evie finds herself all but cut out of Emma’s life. The breakup couldn’t be more catastrophic-both girls are still reeling from the death of Emma’s older brother Patrick, and Evie feels she is completely lost without Emma’s mercurial influence. Enter Theo, a cryptic young man whose charm allows the drifting Evie a safe harbor, but whose dark past (a requisite in teen drama) means he has his own baggage to deal with. The two barely have time to hit it off before Emma abruptly reemerges, all too willing to drag Evie back into their shared downward spiral. Now, Evie faces a tough decision: stop her lifelong friend from self-destructing, or start embracing the girl who truly needs the support.
In a market where young love is ever the eternal conquerer, McNamara must be commended for her candid portrayal of teen relationships, as the attachments wavering across A Flicker in the Clarity are in turns ardent, ambiguous, and very, very messy. At the heart of it all are Evie and Emma, and their unbalanced dynamic is oftentimes excruciating to sit through. Evie feels the odd one out among her more socially and economically advantaged classmates, and Emma habitually manipulates this loneliness to keep her friend a willing cohort and confidante. This same imbalance is artfully carried over into Evie’s romance with Theo, who captivates not through allure but through emotional availability—a distinction by which Evie inadvertently comes to view him as both savior and salve.
This dynamic poses a unique challenge, however. Evie’s journey isn’t so much a scene-by-scene contemplation, but life written in microcosms. In her eyes, the world is both overwhelming and constrained, and bright possibilities are forever overshadowed by the prospect of loss versus gain. Because "Flicker" is exclusively Evie’s story, the pessimism often threatens to halt the admittedly meandering tempo of her musings. Thankfully, McNamara’s plot structure effectively sidelines the looming melodrama; Evie’s darker turns are sharply written in short, staccato bursts, while page numbers for more substantial experiences—encounters that potentially challenge and uplift our heroine’s downtrodden perspective—lengthen into the double digits.
Throughout the roller coaster of emotions, Evie remains a likable character, and what’s more, the same can be said for the teens and adults who share the stage with her. Even Emma, the near constant source of Evie’s internal grapplings, is never fully labeled the villain. Her selfishness grates, but through the manic facade come flickering glimpses of intense self-loathing, alongside a pointed envy toward Evie’s own practicality. And while it is never made clear whether Emma’s exploitation is a conscious effort, one can at least be sure her actions stem from self-inflicted need rather than pure malice.
Indeed, the sole weak thread in "Flicker"’s narrative web is romantic lead Theo. His characterization ultimately suffers from an over-reliance on quirky—the kid’s full name is “Theophilus” for crying out loud—and his beguiling laissez faire altruism ultimately feels one-dimensional next to Evie’s more realized growth and development.
It is only when Evie looks outside of herself that "Flicker" draws to its graceful conclusion, and the resulting catharsis reveals McNamara at her best: a lyrical poet with a firm grasp on emotive tension, whose writing adopts all the quiet focus of still-life portraiture. That that focus stumbles slightly over some surplus chapters is beside the point; tighter plot structure can be developed, particularly by one who so clearly revels in mapping out the myriad thoughts, fears and desires plaguing the teenaged psyche. As to that ending? Storybook-romantics may find themselves underwhelmed. The rest of us will be too busy awaiting McNamara’s next offering; I for one would like to see what she does with an entirely new concept, if only to let poor Patrick finally rest in peace.
June 8, 2018
A Flicker in the Clarity by Amy McNamara is a beautifully written, quiet contemporary young adult novel about Evie, who has been best friends with Emma for years. Emma was always the outgoing one, but after Evie makes a mistake and Emma shuts her out, Evie has to figure who she is on her own. There are a lot of books about friends or sisters where one outshines the other, but what makes Evie's story so special is McNamara's writing and the character depth and complexity of the story.
Evie's character just feels so real. She is quiet and shy and doesn't see the good parts of herself and I just wanted to reach through the pages and tell her to take better care of herself. Her love interest, Theo, is quirky and smart, and I loved his passion and was really rooting for them. Everything about A Flicker in the Clarity felt genuine, even the ending...even if I might have wanted something different, it was refreshing to read a book with this kind of believable ending.
I actually realized after reading A Flicker in the Clarity that it appears to be a companion novel to McNamara's first book Lovely, Dark, and Deep so I wish I had picked up that one first, but given there was a 6 year wait between books, I'm glad I have one more novel by McNamara left to read while I wait anxiously for her next book.
Evie's character just feels so real. She is quiet and shy and doesn't see the good parts of herself and I just wanted to reach through the pages and tell her to take better care of herself. Her love interest, Theo, is quirky and smart, and I loved his passion and was really rooting for them. Everything about A Flicker in the Clarity felt genuine, even the ending...even if I might have wanted something different, it was refreshing to read a book with this kind of believable ending.
I actually realized after reading A Flicker in the Clarity that it appears to be a companion novel to McNamara's first book Lovely, Dark, and Deep so I wish I had picked up that one first, but given there was a 6 year wait between books, I'm glad I have one more novel by McNamara left to read while I wait anxiously for her next book.
May 16, 2018
Plot:
Emma has always looked out for Evie. At their private competitive high school, Bly, Evie was going to get bullied because she was a scholarship kid. Yet, with Em at her side since day one, Evie has managed to get to junior year with no incidents. Em has given her everything Evie could want, her old iPhone when Em got a new one, a dress when they went to a dance together, even advise as Evie, instead of kissing the boy she liked back, ducked and did an awkward laugh. Evie for Emma, allowed her to rant about her family, support her after her older brother, Patrick, drove drunk and died. Evie was even the messenger between Em and her boyfriend, as Evie dumped him for Em, so that Em can spend more time with her college boy, Ryan. It was with Ryan that night that Em left Evie outside a restaurant for hours. When a text came from Em’s father asking where she is, Evie did not lie: she did not know. This is what ended her friendship with Em. Because her parents were waiting up for when Em came home, late, drunk, and high, and basically wanted to know where their daughter was. With a strict leash put on Em, she blames Evie for not covering her, and thus getting her caught. With her friendship with Em out the window, school became the worst place for Evie, as she had to listen to Em talk about her, but not to her. On the class field trip, she met Theo, the tour guy for her group, and instantly a spark hit. Wanting to reach Theo again, but with no phone he just ‘shows up’ in her life, and became the source of happiness in Evie’s Em-less life. Em was not going to stay gone for long, letting Evie back in her life, she goes on a whirlwind of emotion, leaving Evie to go pick up the pieces. When Theo turns out not to be who Evie thought he was, Em bent on self-destruction, Evie must save her friend by doing the one thing she thought she could not to: let her go.
Thoughts:
This book had the typical fashion of a teenage love story and friendship, with a little twist that made it unique. Amy McNamara gives us the character of Evie, her father died before she could really remember him, mother misses him desperately, so she tries to keep their depressing apartment in New York a little less depressing. Then Em came into her life, the polar opposite personality wise to Evie, yet they got along, and grew up together. McNamara gave us a realistic idea of a teenage girl's life, as after Em had sex for the first time, started acting older and superior to Evie. That was their shift in equalness, as Em starting going through guys like crazy, and Evie could not even manage to kiss the one she liked. Their friendship turned toxic as Em started using Evie to cover up for her, which Evie did because she loved Em, and did not want to betray her. After all, we witness the one time Evie did not cover for Em and looked what happens. This book also contained several plots, each of them answered by the end of the book. The friendship plot between Evie and Em, the romance between Evie and Theo, then Patrick’s death and how that affected Em’s current day life. Where this book would not stand out to you for any reason, besides McNamara beautiful cover for it, this book is important because it is all about dealing with a toxic friend, how to get out of that friendship and be better off without it.
Emma has always looked out for Evie. At their private competitive high school, Bly, Evie was going to get bullied because she was a scholarship kid. Yet, with Em at her side since day one, Evie has managed to get to junior year with no incidents. Em has given her everything Evie could want, her old iPhone when Em got a new one, a dress when they went to a dance together, even advise as Evie, instead of kissing the boy she liked back, ducked and did an awkward laugh. Evie for Emma, allowed her to rant about her family, support her after her older brother, Patrick, drove drunk and died. Evie was even the messenger between Em and her boyfriend, as Evie dumped him for Em, so that Em can spend more time with her college boy, Ryan. It was with Ryan that night that Em left Evie outside a restaurant for hours. When a text came from Em’s father asking where she is, Evie did not lie: she did not know. This is what ended her friendship with Em. Because her parents were waiting up for when Em came home, late, drunk, and high, and basically wanted to know where their daughter was. With a strict leash put on Em, she blames Evie for not covering her, and thus getting her caught. With her friendship with Em out the window, school became the worst place for Evie, as she had to listen to Em talk about her, but not to her. On the class field trip, she met Theo, the tour guy for her group, and instantly a spark hit. Wanting to reach Theo again, but with no phone he just ‘shows up’ in her life, and became the source of happiness in Evie’s Em-less life. Em was not going to stay gone for long, letting Evie back in her life, she goes on a whirlwind of emotion, leaving Evie to go pick up the pieces. When Theo turns out not to be who Evie thought he was, Em bent on self-destruction, Evie must save her friend by doing the one thing she thought she could not to: let her go.
Thoughts:
This book had the typical fashion of a teenage love story and friendship, with a little twist that made it unique. Amy McNamara gives us the character of Evie, her father died before she could really remember him, mother misses him desperately, so she tries to keep their depressing apartment in New York a little less depressing. Then Em came into her life, the polar opposite personality wise to Evie, yet they got along, and grew up together. McNamara gave us a realistic idea of a teenage girl's life, as after Em had sex for the first time, started acting older and superior to Evie. That was their shift in equalness, as Em starting going through guys like crazy, and Evie could not even manage to kiss the one she liked. Their friendship turned toxic as Em started using Evie to cover up for her, which Evie did because she loved Em, and did not want to betray her. After all, we witness the one time Evie did not cover for Em and looked what happens. This book also contained several plots, each of them answered by the end of the book. The friendship plot between Evie and Em, the romance between Evie and Theo, then Patrick’s death and how that affected Em’s current day life. Where this book would not stand out to you for any reason, besides McNamara beautiful cover for it, this book is important because it is all about dealing with a toxic friend, how to get out of that friendship and be better off without it.
February 15, 2019
“I used to joke with her that sometimes I forget what I look like, and it’s kind of true. But it’s not about looks. It’s bigger than that. I’m a blank. I need an example, someone to look up to, someone to tell me how to be. I’ve always needed to see how other people do it, check out the possible options before I can decide for myself.”
After a horrible reading year, due to studying occupations I found myself stuck in a reading slump. While I was going through a book series, nothing seemed appealing to me. Last week, the network went off and I thought I’ll check the epubs that I have already saved. I found that book. “A flicker in the clarity”. Interesting title. Beautiful cover. I started the first page wishing I could get out of that phase and actually read a book and finish all of it; Happily, it worked.
At first, I thought it was like any other young adult novel. High school kids, a story that’s written in a cheesy mediocre way that made me hate this genre for a while. But that wasn’t the case. In the opposite, I enjoyed that novel from the start until the end.
It’s true that the plot isn’t that fascinating, and the characters aren’t that unique and well built, but we watched them all growing through the chapters, and evolving with every event in a smooth way that made me comfortable and kind of familiar with how every character thinks and behaves.
The author did a great job presenting each character, the way she describes their emotions without missing the slightest detail, she unfolded to the reader some secretive sides of the characters personalities that they couldn’t admit or even acknowledge to themselves. Here, I found myself in an intimate relation with Evie, who is so much like me. Nearly my age, responsible, tries to look after others and be a good friend, but forgets about herself most of the time, as well as her best friend Emma, that I think I share her wildness and recklessness and also some of her insecure unsatisfied part.
Again, this novel wasn’t a lot to take in. simple events, sort of expected ending, amusing using of language, still I loved it too much. Maybe it was at the right timing, or maybe the fact that it proved me wrong being unlike any usual young adult novel.
It's true that I know it all before, but this story kind of brought these ideas to the surface again. You can’t save everyone. It’s not your responsibility nor your battle to fight. And sometimes when you try to win someone’s love you just lose yourself. Also, we’re not our parents. We can be much more successful and put together, and we can prove so much hardness towards tough times while they can easily fall apart and reach out for our help.
Such a light sweet meal for me, made me hungry for more reading. And found me right in the mood to consider so many things about myself, and why not write a detailed review, or just an opinion about it.
Thanks for reading.
“It’s impossible to run away from yourself. Believe me, I tried. Hiding from what scares you feels like a solution, but it really only deepens the fear. Remember: “the only way out is through”.
After a horrible reading year, due to studying occupations I found myself stuck in a reading slump. While I was going through a book series, nothing seemed appealing to me. Last week, the network went off and I thought I’ll check the epubs that I have already saved. I found that book. “A flicker in the clarity”. Interesting title. Beautiful cover. I started the first page wishing I could get out of that phase and actually read a book and finish all of it; Happily, it worked.
At first, I thought it was like any other young adult novel. High school kids, a story that’s written in a cheesy mediocre way that made me hate this genre for a while. But that wasn’t the case. In the opposite, I enjoyed that novel from the start until the end.
It’s true that the plot isn’t that fascinating, and the characters aren’t that unique and well built, but we watched them all growing through the chapters, and evolving with every event in a smooth way that made me comfortable and kind of familiar with how every character thinks and behaves.
The author did a great job presenting each character, the way she describes their emotions without missing the slightest detail, she unfolded to the reader some secretive sides of the characters personalities that they couldn’t admit or even acknowledge to themselves. Here, I found myself in an intimate relation with Evie, who is so much like me. Nearly my age, responsible, tries to look after others and be a good friend, but forgets about herself most of the time, as well as her best friend Emma, that I think I share her wildness and recklessness and also some of her insecure unsatisfied part.
Again, this novel wasn’t a lot to take in. simple events, sort of expected ending, amusing using of language, still I loved it too much. Maybe it was at the right timing, or maybe the fact that it proved me wrong being unlike any usual young adult novel.
It's true that I know it all before, but this story kind of brought these ideas to the surface again. You can’t save everyone. It’s not your responsibility nor your battle to fight. And sometimes when you try to win someone’s love you just lose yourself. Also, we’re not our parents. We can be much more successful and put together, and we can prove so much hardness towards tough times while they can easily fall apart and reach out for our help.
Such a light sweet meal for me, made me hungry for more reading. And found me right in the mood to consider so many things about myself, and why not write a detailed review, or just an opinion about it.
Thanks for reading.
“It’s impossible to run away from yourself. Believe me, I tried. Hiding from what scares you feels like a solution, but it really only deepens the fear. Remember: “the only way out is through”.
August 23, 2021
This book was excellent, and I am surprised I enjoyed reading it. I could relate so much to the main character Evie. Evie may be introverted, but how she thought about life and how she struggled to interact with others properly is something I can sympathize with. She wasn't great with sharing her emotions and often much rather be helping others instead of being helped. She didn't have every guy looking at her and came off dorky and awkward but I loved that about her. Her relationship with her mother was intersting as I could tell her mother was depressed since their father died. I was so glad towards the end, Evie knew how to better communicate with her mom and they supported one another as Evie was okay with her mother marrying her lover and have a family. Evie's personality throughout the story was interesting because Evie always pushed herself back and never realized how worthy she was until the end. She learned that she had to love herself to live the life that she wanted, and getting validated by always helping her best friend wasn't going to help her in the long run. I am so glad that her teacher gave her a chance to help her pursue art because it was excellent for Evie to move forward on what she was passionate about and do great things.
Furthermore, honestly, I wouldn't say I liked Emma, and I still am not a massive fan of her, but I can understand why she does what she does. Emma is opposite from Evie because she is outgoing, flirty and confident. Evie always felt like she lived under Emma's shadow because Emma was toxic, selfish, and observed. I felt like Emma always tried to bring Evie down to make herself look better, and she projected her negative thoughts of herself onto Evie expecting Evie to save her. It was eye-opening to learn that Evie realized that she was ignoring herself by always being there for Evie. Emma came off manipulative when she tried to make Evie feel bad whenever she was confronted as she enjoyed being in control. However, I did start to understand Emma's toxic behaviour when she became highly drunk at a party as she blurted out she hated herself. Emma's older brother died in a crash, and Emma couldn't fully recover from what happened as she missed him and felt guilty and angry for his loss. Even though Emma had all the guys after her and people wishing to be her, she hated herself, and always believed she was a screw-up. It can also be related to Emma and her relationship with her strict parents, who demand a lot from her, so she felt hopeless, assuming she was not living up to their expectations. However, I love the message behind the story, which said that just because it makes sense that Emma lived through depression and anger did not mean that it was Evie's responsibility to fix her, especially if she didn't want to be. Evie learned she had to let Emma and her problems go to become herself fully. While I felt bad for Emma, I was proud of Evie for standing up to her and, in the end, learning to walk away from a toxic person. It taught me you couldn't fix anyone because it wasn't Evie's job, to begin with.
Another character was Evie's love interest Theo, and I don't like him personally. At first, I was rooting for Evie and Theo to be together because they were both different from one another and brought out the good in each other. Evie was more quiet, innocent and fearful, while Theo was adventurous, mysterious and outgoing. Theo taught Evie to take risks and do what scared her especially since Evie was fantastic in her art skills and drew maps but was fearful of showing anyone. Theo was always mysterious because whenever Evie asked about his life, he always shut down. I was interested in learning more about him because he was viewed as having a dark, violent, and scary past. But obviously, Theo's part in Evie's story came to an end where he decided he would leave town to start a new life in Haiti since his parents were trying to control his life. While, I understand why Theo had to leave, I was not too fond of the way he broke up with Evie. To begin with, he wasn't even planning on telling her anything and secretly leave until Evie had to go to his house himself and ask what happened. The way he was trying to break up with her, I felt like he was blaming her as he said "I can't be your hero" and it makes sense that Evie had some unresolved issues with Emma so Theo didn't have to always be there for her but everyone has some issue in their life as clearly he was going to leave regardless. Either way, Theo should have just been honest with his intentions with Evie from the start cause it was heartbreaking when poor Evie had her hopes crashed after he broke up with her.
Jack, Evie's friend and another love interest, was an annoying character for me. He literally stopped hanging out with Evie after their one encounter when they were kids & suddenly, when Evie had a thing going on with Theo, Jack started to pay attention to her again. Jack was always clingy and obsessive about Evie, like DUDE BACK OFF OMG. Also, the way he lied about Theo saying he was dangerous when in reality Jack actually bullied him in the past was just messed up. I could never trust anything what Jack said as he came off too desperate. And he also had a girlfriend he kept ignoring and using while trying to get Evie's attention. It annoyed me because if he liked Evie, he would break up with his girlfriend instead of using her. Anyway, regardless, I think I like Jack and Evie better as friends, and it was so lovely when he was there for her at the end when she had some family issues. However, not all friendships need to lead to romance so I'm glad they were nothing more.
Furthermore, I felt bad for Jack's girlfriend Alice, who Evie and her friends pitied and were rude towards her. Alice was seen as boring and weird but honestly I found her interesting and I was glad when she stood up to Evie when she came off standoffish. What I don't like about Alice? Sometimes, she would do things on purpose knowing it would hurt Evie such as Emma started using Alice as a replacement best friend when her relationship with Evie was rocky, which led to Evie hating Alice. I noticed how Alice would sometimes try to get close with Emma to hurt Evie, which I thought was petty and immature. But, regardless, Alice was a stronger character than you would think as she realized her worth and broke off with Jack, who LITERALLY IGNORED HER and treated her like a second option. I was glad when Evie finally realized her mistake of being mean to Alice and their feud died down. I hope they become friends because I think they both had a lot in common.
Mamie, Emma's brother (who died)'s ex-girlfriend, seemed like the kindest person you would ever meet. Emma hated Mamie because she believed she was at fault with killing her brother since Mamie was in the car with him. I wish Emma actually got to know Mamie to grieve with her as they both lost someone dear to them. Emma wanted to destroy Mamie's show regarding her brother and needed Evie to help her out but I'm so glad that Evie didn't do anything and realized being mean would get her nowhere. Mamie actually was so kind to Evie despite finding out she was going to ruin her. I wish Emma gave her a chance; Mamie was so kind and gentle when she gave Evie advice to focus on her own life as she couldn't save Emma all the time. Mamie's advice was powerful and wise, which could have helped Emma, who was struggling with her loss. But it was relieving to see Mamie in another relationship trying to move on and grow.
Overall, I loved this book a lot. It showed me that you can't always change people and it's dangerous to seek validation from toxic people who don't want to see you grow. Some people will take advantage of you and want you to cater to all their needs refusing to accept you are a whole human being that they can't control. Evie taught me that we have to find ourselves by letting those people go: even if they are your best friend.
Furthermore, honestly, I wouldn't say I liked Emma, and I still am not a massive fan of her, but I can understand why she does what she does. Emma is opposite from Evie because she is outgoing, flirty and confident. Evie always felt like she lived under Emma's shadow because Emma was toxic, selfish, and observed. I felt like Emma always tried to bring Evie down to make herself look better, and she projected her negative thoughts of herself onto Evie expecting Evie to save her. It was eye-opening to learn that Evie realized that she was ignoring herself by always being there for Evie. Emma came off manipulative when she tried to make Evie feel bad whenever she was confronted as she enjoyed being in control. However, I did start to understand Emma's toxic behaviour when she became highly drunk at a party as she blurted out she hated herself. Emma's older brother died in a crash, and Emma couldn't fully recover from what happened as she missed him and felt guilty and angry for his loss. Even though Emma had all the guys after her and people wishing to be her, she hated herself, and always believed she was a screw-up. It can also be related to Emma and her relationship with her strict parents, who demand a lot from her, so she felt hopeless, assuming she was not living up to their expectations. However, I love the message behind the story, which said that just because it makes sense that Emma lived through depression and anger did not mean that it was Evie's responsibility to fix her, especially if she didn't want to be. Evie learned she had to let Emma and her problems go to become herself fully. While I felt bad for Emma, I was proud of Evie for standing up to her and, in the end, learning to walk away from a toxic person. It taught me you couldn't fix anyone because it wasn't Evie's job, to begin with.
Another character was Evie's love interest Theo, and I don't like him personally. At first, I was rooting for Evie and Theo to be together because they were both different from one another and brought out the good in each other. Evie was more quiet, innocent and fearful, while Theo was adventurous, mysterious and outgoing. Theo taught Evie to take risks and do what scared her especially since Evie was fantastic in her art skills and drew maps but was fearful of showing anyone. Theo was always mysterious because whenever Evie asked about his life, he always shut down. I was interested in learning more about him because he was viewed as having a dark, violent, and scary past. But obviously, Theo's part in Evie's story came to an end where he decided he would leave town to start a new life in Haiti since his parents were trying to control his life. While, I understand why Theo had to leave, I was not too fond of the way he broke up with Evie. To begin with, he wasn't even planning on telling her anything and secretly leave until Evie had to go to his house himself and ask what happened. The way he was trying to break up with her, I felt like he was blaming her as he said "I can't be your hero" and it makes sense that Evie had some unresolved issues with Emma so Theo didn't have to always be there for her but everyone has some issue in their life as clearly he was going to leave regardless. Either way, Theo should have just been honest with his intentions with Evie from the start cause it was heartbreaking when poor Evie had her hopes crashed after he broke up with her.
Jack, Evie's friend and another love interest, was an annoying character for me. He literally stopped hanging out with Evie after their one encounter when they were kids & suddenly, when Evie had a thing going on with Theo, Jack started to pay attention to her again. Jack was always clingy and obsessive about Evie, like DUDE BACK OFF OMG. Also, the way he lied about Theo saying he was dangerous when in reality Jack actually bullied him in the past was just messed up. I could never trust anything what Jack said as he came off too desperate. And he also had a girlfriend he kept ignoring and using while trying to get Evie's attention. It annoyed me because if he liked Evie, he would break up with his girlfriend instead of using her. Anyway, regardless, I think I like Jack and Evie better as friends, and it was so lovely when he was there for her at the end when she had some family issues. However, not all friendships need to lead to romance so I'm glad they were nothing more.
Furthermore, I felt bad for Jack's girlfriend Alice, who Evie and her friends pitied and were rude towards her. Alice was seen as boring and weird but honestly I found her interesting and I was glad when she stood up to Evie when she came off standoffish. What I don't like about Alice? Sometimes, she would do things on purpose knowing it would hurt Evie such as Emma started using Alice as a replacement best friend when her relationship with Evie was rocky, which led to Evie hating Alice. I noticed how Alice would sometimes try to get close with Emma to hurt Evie, which I thought was petty and immature. But, regardless, Alice was a stronger character than you would think as she realized her worth and broke off with Jack, who LITERALLY IGNORED HER and treated her like a second option. I was glad when Evie finally realized her mistake of being mean to Alice and their feud died down. I hope they become friends because I think they both had a lot in common.
Mamie, Emma's brother (who died)'s ex-girlfriend, seemed like the kindest person you would ever meet. Emma hated Mamie because she believed she was at fault with killing her brother since Mamie was in the car with him. I wish Emma actually got to know Mamie to grieve with her as they both lost someone dear to them. Emma wanted to destroy Mamie's show regarding her brother and needed Evie to help her out but I'm so glad that Evie didn't do anything and realized being mean would get her nowhere. Mamie actually was so kind to Evie despite finding out she was going to ruin her. I wish Emma gave her a chance; Mamie was so kind and gentle when she gave Evie advice to focus on her own life as she couldn't save Emma all the time. Mamie's advice was powerful and wise, which could have helped Emma, who was struggling with her loss. But it was relieving to see Mamie in another relationship trying to move on and grow.
Overall, I loved this book a lot. It showed me that you can't always change people and it's dangerous to seek validation from toxic people who don't want to see you grow. Some people will take advantage of you and want you to cater to all their needs refusing to accept you are a whole human being that they can't control. Evie taught me that we have to find ourselves by letting those people go: even if they are your best friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2018
"'It's impossible to run away from yourself. Believe me, I tried. Hiding from what scares you feels like a solution, but it really only deepens the fear.'"
When I saw this book described in the Harper 360 newsletter, I knew I wanted to read it. Meaningful contemporaries have this tendency to pull me in and break my heart, but unfortunately this just didn't have the pulling power I'm used to.
Maybe it was because this is linked to McNamara's first book, and I haven't read that, but this is seemingly a standalone, that doesn't need to be read with Lovely, Dark and Deep.
Emma wasn't as destructive as I thought she would be, and the mistake Evie makes is not as big a deal without some form of backstory, something I definitely thought was lacking. McNamara's exploration into their friendship didn't delve that far, and Evie was almost a 2D character, dependent on other people. In fact, throughout the story, the character's all seemed a little 2D, with so many of them only doing things to be noticed, or only having a snippet of their backstory shared.
Without Emma, Evie almost seemed grey, which may have been the intention, but for the most part was purely frustrating. She didn't do that much, and her character development was almost instantaneous. In fact, for the majority of the book, nothing really happened, and then at the end, there was a rush of several different things that were there to round the story off. Evie went from being someone who needed a stronger person to guide her, and at the end she'd turned into a strong girl who realised she no longer needed to rely on other people to form her personality for her. All because she'd spent a week with a boy.
Theo was just as bland, and completely unnecessary. I expected a swoon-worthy guy, capable of winning me over with nothing but a smile, and instead he was distant and confusing. One minute he was all over Evie, and the next, he'd disappear, and it soon became evident that he was nothing but a stepping stone in her development. To say he was mentioned so heavily in the synopsis, it felt like he was only involved for a fleeting moment.
Of course, there were good things about the book itself, for example, I really enjoyed the writing style, and the way in which she wrote about Mamie, which makes me want to pick up her first book, as it essentially follows her story. But overall, this felt like it was lacking something, and I didn't really feel like I could connect to the story. Compared to other books with a similar plot point (I'm looking at Beautiful Broken Things and I didn't even really like that one either...), this just felt weak.
The driving point behind the story was interesting, as it follows the same death as in her previous book, but from a different viewpoint, and it handles the situation pretty well, but I just couldn't connect emotionally to the characters, especially Evie.
I do think that many people will like this book, it's just a shame I'm not one of them, instead falling to a grey category where I neither loved, nor disliked this book.
If you like reading about teenage drama, with a sad backstory, this is definitely the book for you! I just wasn't as drawn in as I thought I would be, hence the rating.
When I saw this book described in the Harper 360 newsletter, I knew I wanted to read it. Meaningful contemporaries have this tendency to pull me in and break my heart, but unfortunately this just didn't have the pulling power I'm used to.
Maybe it was because this is linked to McNamara's first book, and I haven't read that, but this is seemingly a standalone, that doesn't need to be read with Lovely, Dark and Deep.
Emma wasn't as destructive as I thought she would be, and the mistake Evie makes is not as big a deal without some form of backstory, something I definitely thought was lacking. McNamara's exploration into their friendship didn't delve that far, and Evie was almost a 2D character, dependent on other people. In fact, throughout the story, the character's all seemed a little 2D, with so many of them only doing things to be noticed, or only having a snippet of their backstory shared.
Without Emma, Evie almost seemed grey, which may have been the intention, but for the most part was purely frustrating. She didn't do that much, and her character development was almost instantaneous. In fact, for the majority of the book, nothing really happened, and then at the end, there was a rush of several different things that were there to round the story off. Evie went from being someone who needed a stronger person to guide her, and at the end she'd turned into a strong girl who realised she no longer needed to rely on other people to form her personality for her. All because she'd spent a week with a boy.
Theo was just as bland, and completely unnecessary. I expected a swoon-worthy guy, capable of winning me over with nothing but a smile, and instead he was distant and confusing. One minute he was all over Evie, and the next, he'd disappear, and it soon became evident that he was nothing but a stepping stone in her development. To say he was mentioned so heavily in the synopsis, it felt like he was only involved for a fleeting moment.
Of course, there were good things about the book itself, for example, I really enjoyed the writing style, and the way in which she wrote about Mamie, which makes me want to pick up her first book, as it essentially follows her story. But overall, this felt like it was lacking something, and I didn't really feel like I could connect to the story. Compared to other books with a similar plot point (I'm looking at Beautiful Broken Things and I didn't even really like that one either...), this just felt weak.
The driving point behind the story was interesting, as it follows the same death as in her previous book, but from a different viewpoint, and it handles the situation pretty well, but I just couldn't connect emotionally to the characters, especially Evie.
I do think that many people will like this book, it's just a shame I'm not one of them, instead falling to a grey category where I neither loved, nor disliked this book.
If you like reading about teenage drama, with a sad backstory, this is definitely the book for you! I just wasn't as drawn in as I thought I would be, hence the rating.
May 28, 2018
Thank you Edelweiss+ for this Advanced eGalley of A Flicker in the Clarity.
After the death of her older brother, Emma begins to spiral out of control. Evie, her best friend and confidant, hopes to save Emma by shielding her from consequences. However, after Emma puts Evie in a questionable moral situation, yet again, Evie makes a decision that leads her to not only question her co-dependent relationship with Emma, but the demons of fear that plague her personal insecurities as well.
This book is mostly about grief.
Emma is fighting for a way to face hers, but does so in destructive ways. While Evie is trying her best to understand who she is in relation to those around her—without the benefit of a father. Hers died when she was young, and her mother is still reeling from his death.
Friendship is a theme, I guess, but I’m too old to view friendship and co-dependency as exclusive to each other.
A lot of YA books seem to do this: couch friendship in such a way that one person is so wrapped up in the other they can’t function without them.
That’s not friendship. It’s an unhealthy attachment disguised as “close friendship”.
But I digress.
Everyone is viewed through Evie and, honestly, Evie is a mess.
She’s uncertain of her place in the world, without Emma’s approval, she may possibly be deeply depressed, and she doesn’t seem to like herself very much, in general.
In other words, viewing everyone through her eyes was exhausting and sometimes tough to deal with because Evie was needy as heck.
After awhile, I grew annoyed at her choice to live her life under a dark cloud—even when there were chances for sunlight, she’d find ways to snuff it out—and would skim passages to get beyond the whole “woe is me” stuff.
That said, I also understand I am not the audience for this book. So maybe I’m too much beyond the angst teen stage to feel overly empathetic.
Even so, the way this plot line stretched on and on, with so little growth by the characters, was unsatisfying.
While I have no doubt McNamara’s tale will resonate with others, it was too long, in my opinion; and living inside Evie’s psyche for 400+ pages, with so little development to be found along the way, was beyond frustrating.
After the death of her older brother, Emma begins to spiral out of control. Evie, her best friend and confidant, hopes to save Emma by shielding her from consequences. However, after Emma puts Evie in a questionable moral situation, yet again, Evie makes a decision that leads her to not only question her co-dependent relationship with Emma, but the demons of fear that plague her personal insecurities as well.
This book is mostly about grief.
Emma is fighting for a way to face hers, but does so in destructive ways. While Evie is trying her best to understand who she is in relation to those around her—without the benefit of a father. Hers died when she was young, and her mother is still reeling from his death.
Friendship is a theme, I guess, but I’m too old to view friendship and co-dependency as exclusive to each other.
A lot of YA books seem to do this: couch friendship in such a way that one person is so wrapped up in the other they can’t function without them.
That’s not friendship. It’s an unhealthy attachment disguised as “close friendship”.
But I digress.
Everyone is viewed through Evie and, honestly, Evie is a mess.
She’s uncertain of her place in the world, without Emma’s approval, she may possibly be deeply depressed, and she doesn’t seem to like herself very much, in general.
In other words, viewing everyone through her eyes was exhausting and sometimes tough to deal with because Evie was needy as heck.
After awhile, I grew annoyed at her choice to live her life under a dark cloud—even when there were chances for sunlight, she’d find ways to snuff it out—and would skim passages to get beyond the whole “woe is me” stuff.
That said, I also understand I am not the audience for this book. So maybe I’m too much beyond the angst teen stage to feel overly empathetic.
Even so, the way this plot line stretched on and on, with so little growth by the characters, was unsatisfying.
While I have no doubt McNamara’s tale will resonate with others, it was too long, in my opinion; and living inside Evie’s psyche for 400+ pages, with so little development to be found along the way, was beyond frustrating.
August 15, 2021
I had such high hopes for this book. The title, the cover, the synopsis...seemed like it was a YA book that was right up my alley! I loved the idea of two best friends who are complete opposites-Emma, the bright, "magnetic" girl who is "songbirds, sweet tears, and magic apples" juxtaposed with Evie, the sensible, quiet girl.
First of all, I disliked Emma strongly. She was annoying, not "magnetic." There was absolutely no character development for her. All we ever have is Evie *telling* us that Emma is so amazing, everyone loves her, blah blah blah. Emma herself? Annoying.
Let's move on to Evie. I want to say that I LOATHE the YA trend of "I'm not like other girls," which usually includes the girl in question being described as mousy. Brown hair and eyes, likes to read, quiet, dresses in vintage, etc. You get the idea. They think they're not attractive until the love interest spots them. Anyway, our author went so far as to even bring up a childhood nickname of "Mouse" for Evie. So cliche I wanted to cry. I didn't like Evie, and not just because of that. She was annoying and rude and childish as well as Emma.
Moving on to plot and writing! The huge incident that the inside flap promises is....not a big deal. At all. Apparently, "Evie must decide if saving her best friend is worth losing herself in the process." I thought that there was going to be A Big Thing that happens. Something shocking, something deep. But no. Evie stays in her good mouse girl box and Emma stays in her annoying drunk girl box.
The author used "skillz" unironically and I wanted to die of secondhand embarrassment. Some other gems: "Robot girl powers down to avoid total circuit disintegration" (when her crush turns her down), "Fathers. Unknowable creatures from the country of men" (uh, what?) and she compares 'love' to 'adult' concepts like "dinner parties" and "husbands."
tl;dr - Emma is not magnetic, just annoying. Evie is a cliche. The plot is weak and I was not invested, nor did I believe for a second that Evie would do THE THING that would supposedly make her "lose herself." The writing was try-hard, but make it awkwardly dated. I wanted to love it, but I just...couldn't.
First of all, I disliked Emma strongly. She was annoying, not "magnetic." There was absolutely no character development for her. All we ever have is Evie *telling* us that Emma is so amazing, everyone loves her, blah blah blah. Emma herself? Annoying.
Let's move on to Evie. I want to say that I LOATHE the YA trend of "I'm not like other girls," which usually includes the girl in question being described as mousy. Brown hair and eyes, likes to read, quiet, dresses in vintage, etc. You get the idea. They think they're not attractive until the love interest spots them. Anyway, our author went so far as to even bring up a childhood nickname of "Mouse" for Evie. So cliche I wanted to cry. I didn't like Evie, and not just because of that. She was annoying and rude and childish as well as Emma.
Moving on to plot and writing! The huge incident that the inside flap promises is....not a big deal. At all. Apparently, "Evie must decide if saving her best friend is worth losing herself in the process." I thought that there was going to be A Big Thing that happens. Something shocking, something deep. But no. Evie stays in her good mouse girl box and Emma stays in her annoying drunk girl box.
The author used "skillz" unironically and I wanted to die of secondhand embarrassment. Some other gems: "Robot girl powers down to avoid total circuit disintegration" (when her crush turns her down), "Fathers. Unknowable creatures from the country of men" (uh, what?) and she compares 'love' to 'adult' concepts like "dinner parties" and "husbands."
tl;dr - Emma is not magnetic, just annoying. Evie is a cliche. The plot is weak and I was not invested, nor did I believe for a second that Evie would do THE THING that would supposedly make her "lose herself." The writing was try-hard, but make it awkwardly dated. I wanted to love it, but I just...couldn't.
September 9, 2023
*4.5 Stars
Notes: This book is about Evie growing up in high school while dealing with immense grief. She is really into art, and enjoys making maps of places in her free time. Her mom was extremely nice in this book, which was something I liked reading about.
Her best friend Emma essentially talks to her pretty often. Their friendship is really good, though their friendship can be rocky at times. Emma isn’t particularly the smartest character ever, but she has several of her own strengths. She really just wants to live and get to have all of the experiences she can.
I will add in that this book has a lot of content regarding dealing with grief, which may be depressing to read about. I personally liked how that was portrayed, and I felt immensely sorry for Evie for having to go through all that. I’ll add trigger warnings for grief, parental loss, and drama.
The other main character I’ll mention, Theo Gray, was written very uniquely. I just found him to be an extremely strong person. The good thing about him is that he actually wants to help other people. This is delved into more later in the book, though I could tell that about him in the beginning of it.
I was able to finish reading this book in a day. The plot is very easy to follow, and the pacing starts off extremely fast in the beginning of the book. I typically read a lot of fantasy books and not contemporaries, so consider this book to be extremely good because I read it so fast. I was unable to put this story down, and I’ll recommend it to anyone looking for a really well written YA contemporary.
Notes: This book is about Evie growing up in high school while dealing with immense grief. She is really into art, and enjoys making maps of places in her free time. Her mom was extremely nice in this book, which was something I liked reading about.
Her best friend Emma essentially talks to her pretty often. Their friendship is really good, though their friendship can be rocky at times. Emma isn’t particularly the smartest character ever, but she has several of her own strengths. She really just wants to live and get to have all of the experiences she can.
I will add in that this book has a lot of content regarding dealing with grief, which may be depressing to read about. I personally liked how that was portrayed, and I felt immensely sorry for Evie for having to go through all that. I’ll add trigger warnings for grief, parental loss, and drama.
The other main character I’ll mention, Theo Gray, was written very uniquely. I just found him to be an extremely strong person. The good thing about him is that he actually wants to help other people. This is delved into more later in the book, though I could tell that about him in the beginning of it.
I was able to finish reading this book in a day. The plot is very easy to follow, and the pacing starts off extremely fast in the beginning of the book. I typically read a lot of fantasy books and not contemporaries, so consider this book to be extremely good because I read it so fast. I was unable to put this story down, and I’ll recommend it to anyone looking for a really well written YA contemporary.
October 27, 2020
I gave this book 5 stars because it pulled me in so much I finished it in a day, and because so much of it felt very, very true.
I've noticed that several of the unhappier reviews were not mad at the writing, but at the characters and the plot. What can you say to that? Don't get frustrated with the book, get frustrated with life. Sometimes people don't know how to get the help they need, or don't even realize they need help, and Evie would be less real if she magically found a therapist, a role model, and a scholarship halfway through the book. Sometimes people are manipulative and chip away at to those close to them, but it would be a shallower story if Evie made it look easy and wrote Emma off after a couple chapters. What 16-year old knows how to do that? I know full-blown adults who can barely do it. When you're inside it, everything is hazy.
I loved Evie's voice. She sounded as confused and blurry and occasionally illuminated as I felt at her age. I even loved that Theo was imperfect (like "I can't be your hero" but also "I need to go save Haiti" -- come on, dude) because a perfect romance would have cheapened the book. The few things I felt were not fleshed out just make me hope there's a sequel coming.
I'm sure I could find things to complain about if I tried, but when a book has you curled up in a corner of the couch for hours straight in a book-brain-movie fog, you don't want to look for its faults.
I've noticed that several of the unhappier reviews were not mad at the writing, but at the characters and the plot. What can you say to that? Don't get frustrated with the book, get frustrated with life. Sometimes people don't know how to get the help they need, or don't even realize they need help, and Evie would be less real if she magically found a therapist, a role model, and a scholarship halfway through the book. Sometimes people are manipulative and chip away at to those close to them, but it would be a shallower story if Evie made it look easy and wrote Emma off after a couple chapters. What 16-year old knows how to do that? I know full-blown adults who can barely do it. When you're inside it, everything is hazy.
I loved Evie's voice. She sounded as confused and blurry and occasionally illuminated as I felt at her age. I even loved that Theo was imperfect (like "I can't be your hero" but also "I need to go save Haiti" -- come on, dude) because a perfect romance would have cheapened the book. The few things I felt were not fleshed out just make me hope there's a sequel coming.
I'm sure I could find things to complain about if I tried, but when a book has you curled up in a corner of the couch for hours straight in a book-brain-movie fog, you don't want to look for its faults.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2018
Emma and Evie have been friends for as long as they can remember though they are as different as any two high schoolers can be. They balance each other in their best moments and repel each other in their worst.
I spend a lot of time clucking my tongue and sighing at the lack of attention given to the nitty-gritty side of mental health in fiction.
There is often an emphasis on normal-spiral-treatment-healed.
A Flicker In the Clarity does no such thing.
Emma and Evie both stumble through their traumas and grief in their own ways, leaning on each other and away from each other in less than healthy or neatly tied up ways.
Because their journeys were presented in realistic, messy ways, the entire book felt pretty frustrating but that was what I loved about it, too.
The writing as beautiful and the story was authentic. In moments of frustration, I had to remind myself that the way each young woman was acting (either acting out or enabling of the other) was far closer to reality than I had come across before this particular book. When I could step back and gain that perspective, I was able to truly appreciate the raw beauty of the book.
September 27, 2018
2.75/5
Emma is such a bitch, a worst friend ever I swear :/ Even Jack - the guy Evie had a crush on - is a bad guy, too. Being surrounded by those like that is a torture to anyone. That's why you should your pick friends carefully and keep people who have negative influences on you at arm's length.
Every parts about Evie and Theo is cute and heartwarming, and the rest are awful and annoying. It's such a mess. Evie was carried away by her best friend and always put herself in Emma's shoes, but Emma didn't do the same. She froze Evie out their senior year after Evie impulsively fails to cover for Emma to her parents. (so silly). When Emma went off the rails, Evie tried her best to stop her, while Emma just keep Evie as a loyal codependent to do insane things with her. I thought Emma should visit a therapist immediately!
I was happy because at the end, self sacrificing Evie came to realize that she could be as important as everyone else in her life instead of worrying about others taking offence. In any relationship, you shold treasure yourself. However, I didn't like how the story ended. The role of Theo is underestimated. He appeared for nothing - maybe a person who passes through Evie's life?
Emma is such a bitch, a worst friend ever I swear :/ Even Jack - the guy Evie had a crush on - is a bad guy, too. Being surrounded by those like that is a torture to anyone. That's why you should your pick friends carefully and keep people who have negative influences on you at arm's length.
Every parts about Evie and Theo is cute and heartwarming, and the rest are awful and annoying. It's such a mess. Evie was carried away by her best friend and always put herself in Emma's shoes, but Emma didn't do the same. She froze Evie out their senior year after Evie impulsively fails to cover for Emma to her parents. (so silly). When Emma went off the rails, Evie tried her best to stop her, while Emma just keep Evie as a loyal codependent to do insane things with her. I thought Emma should visit a therapist immediately!
I was happy because at the end, self sacrificing Evie came to realize that she could be as important as everyone else in her life instead of worrying about others taking offence. In any relationship, you shold treasure yourself. However, I didn't like how the story ended. The role of Theo is underestimated. He appeared for nothing - maybe a person who passes through Evie's life?
May 8, 2018
So I have so many amazing feels for this book. 😊 It threw me back into my high school life and allowed me to revisit some of the friendships I had. This book helped me really understand how toxic those friendships were and how great of a thing it is that they are over. Evie truly was myself in high school and this book was something I really needed. Friendship is powerful in both good and bad ways and it is beautiful to go on Evie’s journey and discover that your choice can be wrong and have bad outcomes, but you have to learn and grow.
The ending of this book was abrupt for me. I feel like it could have gone on for 100 more pages and still been amazing and I would have loved every second of it!
There are trigger warnings for familial death, drinking, and toxic friendships in this book.
The ending of this book was abrupt for me. I feel like it could have gone on for 100 more pages and still been amazing and I would have loved every second of it!
There are trigger warnings for familial death, drinking, and toxic friendships in this book.
June 21, 2018
I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. This one disappointed me a bit with how everything wrapped up in the end I was looking for something that was more tied together. I would have probably rated this one a 4 star read if the ending had been better because I was thoroughly enjoying it up to that point. This book follows Evie who is in a fight with her destructive best friend Emma after Emma's brother dies. Evie has to work to find herself when everyone is shutting her out. Evie and Emma make up but Emma is still going about with her destructive ways and takes advantage of Evie always being there for her. If you like YA contemporaries this one might be for you maybe you will enjoy the ending better than I did.
March 20, 2019
I am so conflicted. I really loved the writing. The prose was beautifully written, like poetry. However the main character Evie? One word, annoying. I guess I was expecting this book to go in a completely different direction than how it went. It did stir up a lot of emotions and kept me turning each page until I could figure out how the author would tie up everything and end the book. But honestly? I didn't love the ending... I felt like it wasn't really an ending? Honestly not sure how I feel about this book. Also I was really hoping to like Theo, I was hoping for something different for him and Evie, and I didn't get that so that might be one reason why I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would. Still recommend, just not my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews