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Elephant
Summer of 2006. Four childhood best friends. A family secret.
After a strange encounter leaves him hospitalized, a timid teenage boy named Matt "Matty" Smith comes home to a continuous series of events met with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Under the guardianship of his grandma, Lucia, Matt lives with unspoken questions about his deceased grandpa and father, and his missing mother. The elephant in the room. As Matt develops over the summer, the secrets only grow more profound and complex. Will the answers ever come? While searching for answers, Matt and his three childhood best friends encounter the meanings of love, forgiveness, and fate.
After a strange encounter leaves him hospitalized, a timid teenage boy named Matt "Matty" Smith comes home to a continuous series of events met with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Under the guardianship of his grandma, Lucia, Matt lives with unspoken questions about his deceased grandpa and father, and his missing mother. The elephant in the room. As Matt develops over the summer, the secrets only grow more profound and complex. Will the answers ever come? While searching for answers, Matt and his three childhood best friends encounter the meanings of love, forgiveness, and fate.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 12, 2020
About the author
Natalie Rodriguez
32 books16 followersNATALIE RODRIGUEZ is an award-winning, Los Angeles based director, screenwriter, author, and mental health and anti-violence/trauma advocate. In 2014, she graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in Radio-Television-Film. Her first experiences in entertainment were an internship at the Conan O'Brien show and a position at Peter Guber's Mandalay Pictures, where she worked in the offices of producers, Matthew Rhodes ("Cherry," "Men in Black: International") and Academy Award-winner, Cathy Schulman ("Sharp Objects," "Crash").
Natalie has been a panelist at events hosted by organizations such as Google, Hispanicize, and YouTube, where she has shared her story as a female writer and filmmaker working in the entertainment industry. She has written for publications including the HuffPost Blog, Thrive Global, Anxiety Resource Center, NowThis News, Hello Giggles, and The Mighty.
In 2017, she founded Extraordinary Pictures, a production company focusing on films, television, digital series, and social issue projects ranging from diversity, mental health, and recovery. The company has produced short films, and feature films of different genres, including comedies and dramas. Natalie's first directorial feature films, “The Extraordinary Ordinary” and "Howard Original,” which started as short films, screened at various film festivals. Both projects are, now, streaming on multiple streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime, Roku, and Tubi. “The Extraordinary Ordinary” is also available to subscribers of the products for public libraries (Access Video On Demand) and colleges & universities (Films On Demand). Ask your library for details.
• “The Extraordinary Ordinary” is an independent drama about a college freshman who moves across the country to cope with her mental health, as well as a traumatic incident from high school while befriending a classmate and a co-worker who have a history of their own. The film won 'Best Film About Women's Empowerment' at the Glendale International Film Festival and scored nominations in the Best Director, Best Female Director, and Best Picture categories. The film also had a sold-out world premiere screening at the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival (LADFF) and won 'Best Performance' by a leading actor.
• “Howard Original" is a comedy-drama satire about the entertainment industry, where a washed-up screenwriter encounters multiple life crises when his pet cat comes to life. The film took home the ‘Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Medium Form’ at the Culver City Film Festival.
Natalie's other screenplays and films have been featured and placed in the final rounds at HollyShorts Film Festival, NALIP: Latino Lens Film Festival, Shorts TV, Stage 32: Comedy Screenplay, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Culver City Film Festival, Indie Night Film Festival, Hollywood Screenplay Contest, Table Read My Screenplay - Austin Film Festival, and others.
She was also an ambassador for Jen Zeano Designs (JZD), a clothing company in association with USA Networks. While Natalie continues to build her creative background, she is always open to collaborating with other artists and advocates. In-between productions, Natalie spends most of her time writing books and watching horror films. Her first young adult thriller book series, "Elephant," was published during the pandemic. The series is about four childhood best friends who uncover multiple family secrets. The books were also a finalist at Clare Books' the Binge-Watching Cure II contest for 'Best Novel.' The final installment of the series is set for publication in late 2022. In addition, she also adapted "The Extraordinary Ordinary" into a New Adult novel which will be available in eBook and paperback in spring 2022.
For details on previous and upcoming projects, be sure to check out her social media pages by visiting linktr.ee/extraordpictures
-Extraordinary Pictures
Natalie has been a panelist at events hosted by organizations such as Google, Hispanicize, and YouTube, where she has shared her story as a female writer and filmmaker working in the entertainment industry. She has written for publications including the HuffPost Blog, Thrive Global, Anxiety Resource Center, NowThis News, Hello Giggles, and The Mighty.
In 2017, she founded Extraordinary Pictures, a production company focusing on films, television, digital series, and social issue projects ranging from diversity, mental health, and recovery. The company has produced short films, and feature films of different genres, including comedies and dramas. Natalie's first directorial feature films, “The Extraordinary Ordinary” and "Howard Original,” which started as short films, screened at various film festivals. Both projects are, now, streaming on multiple streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime, Roku, and Tubi. “The Extraordinary Ordinary” is also available to subscribers of the products for public libraries (Access Video On Demand) and colleges & universities (Films On Demand). Ask your library for details.
• “The Extraordinary Ordinary” is an independent drama about a college freshman who moves across the country to cope with her mental health, as well as a traumatic incident from high school while befriending a classmate and a co-worker who have a history of their own. The film won 'Best Film About Women's Empowerment' at the Glendale International Film Festival and scored nominations in the Best Director, Best Female Director, and Best Picture categories. The film also had a sold-out world premiere screening at the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival (LADFF) and won 'Best Performance' by a leading actor.
• “Howard Original" is a comedy-drama satire about the entertainment industry, where a washed-up screenwriter encounters multiple life crises when his pet cat comes to life. The film took home the ‘Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Medium Form’ at the Culver City Film Festival.
Natalie's other screenplays and films have been featured and placed in the final rounds at HollyShorts Film Festival, NALIP: Latino Lens Film Festival, Shorts TV, Stage 32: Comedy Screenplay, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Culver City Film Festival, Indie Night Film Festival, Hollywood Screenplay Contest, Table Read My Screenplay - Austin Film Festival, and others.
She was also an ambassador for Jen Zeano Designs (JZD), a clothing company in association with USA Networks. While Natalie continues to build her creative background, she is always open to collaborating with other artists and advocates. In-between productions, Natalie spends most of her time writing books and watching horror films. Her first young adult thriller book series, "Elephant," was published during the pandemic. The series is about four childhood best friends who uncover multiple family secrets. The books were also a finalist at Clare Books' the Binge-Watching Cure II contest for 'Best Novel.' The final installment of the series is set for publication in late 2022. In addition, she also adapted "The Extraordinary Ordinary" into a New Adult novel which will be available in eBook and paperback in spring 2022.
For details on previous and upcoming projects, be sure to check out her social media pages by visiting linktr.ee/extraordpictures
-Extraordinary Pictures
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 16, 2020
Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez is an insane coming-of-age psychological suspense novel. It is a book that talks in good detail about the crucial subject of mental health. No, there are no lessons, no preach. Rather, there is a character that deals with the intricacies of his mind. A character that is grieving and battling with his own self while searching for his answers. It is a book that translates the emotions of friendship, fear, anxiety, guilt, and love to create a vivid image of the story.
Mental health is increasingly getting traction in society. People acknowledge it, people accept it though a complete acceptance is still far. There are movies discussing it, there is literature written on it, there is art created to illustrate it, there is a discourse, there is a validation granted to it. We talk about communicating, we talk about giving an audience to the one suffering from mental health but do we really talk about the elephant in the room? Of course, we don't. Despite all the grandiose talks, we fail to see the problem because we are scared of the internalized notions regarding mental health.
Natalie's book takes a young boy into account and develops an image of how a victim of bad mental health suffers in his life. Getting over nagging issues is not easy and we see its consequences as our protagonist Matt fails to calm himself. His story disturns the reader as he oscillates back and forth in his mind. His anxiety and panic attacks create knots in our stomachs. Something weird is happening in the story and simultaneously, our brains are getting haywire. Well, that was the intensity of 'Elephant.'
The atmospheric novel crafted by Natalie has brilliant narration and a realistic narrative. While reading it, I did arrive at points when I was confused, dazed as to what is happening, triggered, cringed. I did take my breaks to process the events and continued to find my answers. The puzzle didn't have too many missing pieces but the writing created that effect. And yes, my head spun with the heaviness of the plot. I felt uneasy to absorb the sombreness of Matt's life that affected his loved ones. And yet, I persisted to be floored by a baffling climax.
In a nutshell, it indeed is an important book but demands time to be consumed well. Perhaps, a round of editing is what it needs to address the elephant in the room clearly.
Mental health is increasingly getting traction in society. People acknowledge it, people accept it though a complete acceptance is still far. There are movies discussing it, there is literature written on it, there is art created to illustrate it, there is a discourse, there is a validation granted to it. We talk about communicating, we talk about giving an audience to the one suffering from mental health but do we really talk about the elephant in the room? Of course, we don't. Despite all the grandiose talks, we fail to see the problem because we are scared of the internalized notions regarding mental health.
Natalie's book takes a young boy into account and develops an image of how a victim of bad mental health suffers in his life. Getting over nagging issues is not easy and we see its consequences as our protagonist Matt fails to calm himself. His story disturns the reader as he oscillates back and forth in his mind. His anxiety and panic attacks create knots in our stomachs. Something weird is happening in the story and simultaneously, our brains are getting haywire. Well, that was the intensity of 'Elephant.'
The atmospheric novel crafted by Natalie has brilliant narration and a realistic narrative. While reading it, I did arrive at points when I was confused, dazed as to what is happening, triggered, cringed. I did take my breaks to process the events and continued to find my answers. The puzzle didn't have too many missing pieces but the writing created that effect. And yes, my head spun with the heaviness of the plot. I felt uneasy to absorb the sombreness of Matt's life that affected his loved ones. And yet, I persisted to be floored by a baffling climax.
In a nutshell, it indeed is an important book but demands time to be consumed well. Perhaps, a round of editing is what it needs to address the elephant in the room clearly.
January 4, 2021
The Elephant in the Room
In other words, the obvious problems that are present in our world, society, families today. The uneasy issues that inevitably arise from miscommunication, bad parenthood, lack of sufficient protection for the vulnerable, lack of social awareness — whatever the reason might be, the results are grim. And there is something that must be done at various levels — be it legislative, social, educational etc.
Talking about mental health and well-being as a whole, we need to analyze the environment and the people involved first. Then, doctors/counselors and/or social workers would be most effective and useful. The reasons, that is, to be clarified.
An interesting additional notion to be researched here could be the link between mental health and criminal mind/intentions — human nature, so to speak. Whereas, I do not mean the protagonist, the teenage boy, specifically however.
Keeping family or ugly secrets could be just a pretext for covering up some even worse matters.
Otherwise, the messages of this book are powerful, pressing and current.
Perhaps there can be remarks regarding the writing style as well as editorial concerns, but overall the value of the story is undisputed.
Eye-opening and thought-provoking.
In other words, the obvious problems that are present in our world, society, families today. The uneasy issues that inevitably arise from miscommunication, bad parenthood, lack of sufficient protection for the vulnerable, lack of social awareness — whatever the reason might be, the results are grim. And there is something that must be done at various levels — be it legislative, social, educational etc.
Talking about mental health and well-being as a whole, we need to analyze the environment and the people involved first. Then, doctors/counselors and/or social workers would be most effective and useful. The reasons, that is, to be clarified.
An interesting additional notion to be researched here could be the link between mental health and criminal mind/intentions — human nature, so to speak. Whereas, I do not mean the protagonist, the teenage boy, specifically however.
Keeping family or ugly secrets could be just a pretext for covering up some even worse matters.
Otherwise, the messages of this book are powerful, pressing and current.
Perhaps there can be remarks regarding the writing style as well as editorial concerns, but overall the value of the story is undisputed.
Eye-opening and thought-provoking.
July 21, 2020
"There are no big or small achievements in life. Everything is larger than life".
.
📕 'Elephant' by Natalie Rodriguez is a young adult psychological suspense novel. It is one hell of a book that talks precisely about mental health. Protagonist 'Matty' is a teenager and he lives with his grandmother. He is traumatized after the occurance of an unfortunate event. He was clueless about it, there were many unanswered questions in his mind for which he was getting no answers. That trauma lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and eventually Matty end up being hospitalized.
🐘 As i started with this book, in the beginning i was all confused and puzzled. It was literally making no sense to me and i was not able to connect the interlinks. But as i continued, i started connecting with the character and plot. It's definitely not an easy read neither does it provide any lessons, learnings or to-dos but they way author has portrayed the character, one would definitely get an insight of the repercussions of nit adress the elephant in the room.
🐘 I felt pitty for Matty. He was suffering a lot by oscillating continuously between past and present which sometimes left my mind swing. Despite of having a loving grandmom and set of true friends, nothing was helping him. His anxiety, frustration and severe panic attacks made my heart sank.
🐘 Narration of this book is very crisp and strongly addresses the consequences of mental illness. Elephant here is used as a metaphor or a figure of speech for mental health.
You should pick this book if:-
1️⃣ You want to read something that talks about psychology and mental health.
2️⃣ You are looking for an intense and valuable read.
3️⃣ You want to know more about the repercussions of mental illness.
4️⃣ If you're dealing with some issues and feel like your voice is unheard.
❎ Don't pick this book if you are already feeling low or depressed as there are some slight triggering content in this book.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.7 /5
It was a valuable read and i would recommend this book to everyone.
.
📕 'Elephant' by Natalie Rodriguez is a young adult psychological suspense novel. It is one hell of a book that talks precisely about mental health. Protagonist 'Matty' is a teenager and he lives with his grandmother. He is traumatized after the occurance of an unfortunate event. He was clueless about it, there were many unanswered questions in his mind for which he was getting no answers. That trauma lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and eventually Matty end up being hospitalized.
🐘 As i started with this book, in the beginning i was all confused and puzzled. It was literally making no sense to me and i was not able to connect the interlinks. But as i continued, i started connecting with the character and plot. It's definitely not an easy read neither does it provide any lessons, learnings or to-dos but they way author has portrayed the character, one would definitely get an insight of the repercussions of nit adress the elephant in the room.
🐘 I felt pitty for Matty. He was suffering a lot by oscillating continuously between past and present which sometimes left my mind swing. Despite of having a loving grandmom and set of true friends, nothing was helping him. His anxiety, frustration and severe panic attacks made my heart sank.
🐘 Narration of this book is very crisp and strongly addresses the consequences of mental illness. Elephant here is used as a metaphor or a figure of speech for mental health.
You should pick this book if:-
1️⃣ You want to read something that talks about psychology and mental health.
2️⃣ You are looking for an intense and valuable read.
3️⃣ You want to know more about the repercussions of mental illness.
4️⃣ If you're dealing with some issues and feel like your voice is unheard.
❎ Don't pick this book if you are already feeling low or depressed as there are some slight triggering content in this book.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.7 /5
It was a valuable read and i would recommend this book to everyone.
January 11, 2021
I honestly did not really enjoy this book. I thought that the story/plot was all over the place and very hard to follow. We are so focused on this one character the whole time and even then, you don’t really get to know them because the book doesn’t really flow well.
Half the time, you don’t know what is real and what isn’t. There is some big secret that everyone is trying to uncover and there is never really a resolution for anything that happens in the book. It was set up to have a sequel but I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
I feel like this could be a really good psychological thriller movie but I have the feeling that this is not the genre the book is going for.
I just think that this was a book that I couldn’t really get into. I think others might like it but it was just not for me.
Half the time, you don’t know what is real and what isn’t. There is some big secret that everyone is trying to uncover and there is never really a resolution for anything that happens in the book. It was set up to have a sequel but I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
I feel like this could be a really good psychological thriller movie but I have the feeling that this is not the genre the book is going for.
I just think that this was a book that I couldn’t really get into. I think others might like it but it was just not for me.
July 6, 2020
Elephant is a YA psychological suspense book written by Natalie Rodriguez. It is the story of a teenage boy Matthew Jimmy Smith (Matty/Matt) who lives with his grandmother Lucia. Matt has three dear friends Derek, Lisa and Jamie. A strange incident leaves Matt in a trauma which consequently turns into Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because of all this, he ends up being hospitalized, where he still gets a memory of that incident with a lot of unanswered questions. He keeps asking his friends and grandma, but they don’t tell him the exact truth, and he keeps getting panic attacks one after another. Weird things keep happening, and his life becomes chaotic.
“ Life is nothing but an assault. It messes up with you and won’t ever take the blame for it”
I was kind of clueless at a point and was unable to understand anything, I still kept reading because I wanted to know what happens next. It is that kind of a book. This is the story of strong friendship and many other emotions with a hint of secrets. I loved how childhood memories of Matt with his grandmother are added into the ongoing story. I felt emotional at some points.
Saying anything more about the story line might force me to give out some spoilers so I will stop here.
About the title Elephant, it is a metaphorical one, more like ‘Elephant in the room’. It addresses how mental health issues like depression, panic attacks, traumas are critical, but most of us choose to not talk about them.
“ There are no big or small achievements in life. Everything is larger than life."
You should read this book if :
You want to read a book with beautifully portrayed teenage friendships
You are looking for psychological suspense and mental health-related reads
You like on-point Character development. The author has given equal importance to the characters in highlight. No less, No more. I liked that.
The language of this book is easy and narration is straightforward. It is not so bookish or complicated.
There are some points where slightly triggering content is there. So, if that bothers you, read this book when you feel comfortable reading such content.
I recommend this to everyone whose voices go unheard, and they feel alone, insecure and helpless at some point in there life. Overall, it was a good read and you can go for it.
“ Life is nothing but an assault. It messes up with you and won’t ever take the blame for it”
I was kind of clueless at a point and was unable to understand anything, I still kept reading because I wanted to know what happens next. It is that kind of a book. This is the story of strong friendship and many other emotions with a hint of secrets. I loved how childhood memories of Matt with his grandmother are added into the ongoing story. I felt emotional at some points.
Saying anything more about the story line might force me to give out some spoilers so I will stop here.
About the title Elephant, it is a metaphorical one, more like ‘Elephant in the room’. It addresses how mental health issues like depression, panic attacks, traumas are critical, but most of us choose to not talk about them.
“ There are no big or small achievements in life. Everything is larger than life."
You should read this book if :
You want to read a book with beautifully portrayed teenage friendships
You are looking for psychological suspense and mental health-related reads
You like on-point Character development. The author has given equal importance to the characters in highlight. No less, No more. I liked that.
The language of this book is easy and narration is straightforward. It is not so bookish or complicated.
There are some points where slightly triggering content is there. So, if that bothers you, read this book when you feel comfortable reading such content.
I recommend this to everyone whose voices go unheard, and they feel alone, insecure and helpless at some point in there life. Overall, it was a good read and you can go for it.
May 21, 2020
Note: The version I have read and reviewed may vary from the final version that comes out.
🦄🦄🦄
“She’s hurting like the rest of us, but, sometimes, we just need to grieve, alone.”
🦄🦄🦄
After Matty experiences a trauma that leaves him with severe PTSD and depression, he needs answers.
But the only people who can provide him with the answers he needs (i.e. his friends and grandmother) refuse to answer any questions about his past.
When a strange accident leaves Matty hospitalised, he is forced to encounter his past by putting his present in danger.
Will his loved ones ever give him peace by acknowledging the elephant in the room?
🦄🦄🦄
Elephant is a Young Adult suspense novel by Natalie Rodriguez.
I'm a huge fan of this genre and I have got mixed feelings about this book because on one hand it's an interesting storyline with a great build-up but the ending left me a little bit unsatisfied and frustrated.
The writing also gives me mixed vibes because on one hand it's majorly written from the perspective of a boy who is going through mental trauma so is experiencing a lot of chaos, but at times the writing was so chaotic it made me confused as to what was actually going on.
Is he thinking about the past, present, is it real or all inhis head and it was hard to keep up with the story in my mind.
But, like I said I do understand why it is the way it is, but maybe there could have been a bit more refinement in the writing.
I loved many of the scenes because of the vividness and the author's storytelling capabilities
I also love most of the characters especially Matty and his grandmother because they're complex, their wounds run deeper than what can be seen at the surface so it makes them relatable.
There are so many unanswered questions related to various characters involvement but there is a possibility that there will be a sequel so hopefully it'll clear things up.
Overall, it's a good YA suspense novel but there are tweaks that could be made.
🦄🦄🦄
Rated 8/10
Melina L.
🦄🦄🦄
“She’s hurting like the rest of us, but, sometimes, we just need to grieve, alone.”
🦄🦄🦄
After Matty experiences a trauma that leaves him with severe PTSD and depression, he needs answers.
But the only people who can provide him with the answers he needs (i.e. his friends and grandmother) refuse to answer any questions about his past.
When a strange accident leaves Matty hospitalised, he is forced to encounter his past by putting his present in danger.
Will his loved ones ever give him peace by acknowledging the elephant in the room?
🦄🦄🦄
Elephant is a Young Adult suspense novel by Natalie Rodriguez.
I'm a huge fan of this genre and I have got mixed feelings about this book because on one hand it's an interesting storyline with a great build-up but the ending left me a little bit unsatisfied and frustrated.
The writing also gives me mixed vibes because on one hand it's majorly written from the perspective of a boy who is going through mental trauma so is experiencing a lot of chaos, but at times the writing was so chaotic it made me confused as to what was actually going on.
Is he thinking about the past, present, is it real or all inhis head and it was hard to keep up with the story in my mind.
But, like I said I do understand why it is the way it is, but maybe there could have been a bit more refinement in the writing.
I loved many of the scenes because of the vividness and the author's storytelling capabilities
I also love most of the characters especially Matty and his grandmother because they're complex, their wounds run deeper than what can be seen at the surface so it makes them relatable.
There are so many unanswered questions related to various characters involvement but there is a possibility that there will be a sequel so hopefully it'll clear things up.
Overall, it's a good YA suspense novel but there are tweaks that could be made.
🦄🦄🦄
Rated 8/10
Melina L.
November 13, 2020
Thanks to Booktasters I was able to get a free digital ARC of this book.
"Elephant" is a YA suspense novel by Natalie Rodriguez that combines several layers of mental health issues: PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and where Matty Smith goes through inexplicable experiences that leave him mentally unstable. Matt lives with his grandma, and the book revolves around four childhood friends and undisclosed family history. Matt encounters a strange event that triggers depression, anxiety, and trauma he has been carrying since childhood.
It's not an easy read, as it's challenging to connect with the plot and the characters and not to mention the heaviness of the topic, but with the way the author has portrayed the character, the reader would definitely get an insight into the consequences of not addressing the elephant in the room.
The book is incredibly and thoroughly bizarre, as Matt himself has no recollection of what happens to him and what triggers his PTSD. All he knows is that he gets sudden panic attacks which causes him to blackout. As he starts to get more of these episodes, he gets flashbacks and starts to recollect memories. The descriptions are weird and jarring, and I absolutely loved how everything was revealed slowly and poetically. I hated the ending but also loved it!
This book is definitely underrated and Natalie Rodriguez deserves more appreciation for highlighting such important issues in a unique way.
"Elephant" is a YA suspense novel by Natalie Rodriguez that combines several layers of mental health issues: PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and where Matty Smith goes through inexplicable experiences that leave him mentally unstable. Matt lives with his grandma, and the book revolves around four childhood friends and undisclosed family history. Matt encounters a strange event that triggers depression, anxiety, and trauma he has been carrying since childhood.
It's not an easy read, as it's challenging to connect with the plot and the characters and not to mention the heaviness of the topic, but with the way the author has portrayed the character, the reader would definitely get an insight into the consequences of not addressing the elephant in the room.
The book is incredibly and thoroughly bizarre, as Matt himself has no recollection of what happens to him and what triggers his PTSD. All he knows is that he gets sudden panic attacks which causes him to blackout. As he starts to get more of these episodes, he gets flashbacks and starts to recollect memories. The descriptions are weird and jarring, and I absolutely loved how everything was revealed slowly and poetically. I hated the ending but also loved it!
This book is definitely underrated and Natalie Rodriguez deserves more appreciation for highlighting such important issues in a unique way.
October 12, 2020
When you pick up a fiction after years, it has to hit on the spot!
And this one is a brilliant write by Natalie Rodriguez.
While we all have been talking about mental health lately, there is another perspective to it which takes you back to the roots. The early life adversities are one of the major reasons that cause anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies later in life.
An intense psychological Novel, this book will keep you on edge with the curiosity of what comes next! The book revolves around four childhood friends & undisclosed family history. The lead character Matt encounters a strange event that triggers depression, anxiety and trauma he has been carrying since childhood.
There is no lesson and no takeaways you will get from this read! But this is a story where you read, relate, understand and feel the characters. A read that you would not want to put down because it's a story we all lived at some point!
And this one is a brilliant write by Natalie Rodriguez.
While we all have been talking about mental health lately, there is another perspective to it which takes you back to the roots. The early life adversities are one of the major reasons that cause anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies later in life.
An intense psychological Novel, this book will keep you on edge with the curiosity of what comes next! The book revolves around four childhood friends & undisclosed family history. The lead character Matt encounters a strange event that triggers depression, anxiety and trauma he has been carrying since childhood.
There is no lesson and no takeaways you will get from this read! But this is a story where you read, relate, understand and feel the characters. A read that you would not want to put down because it's a story we all lived at some point!
June 20, 2020
Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez is a story about a protagonist Matthew Jimmy Smith or Matty. Matt, a teenager lived with his grandmother Lucia. He sometimes wonders about his grandfather and his parents. Due to the mental trauma that Matt was going through, everything seemed chaotic in his life.
As the story progresses, Matt heard voice of Abyss girl? Who is she? What does Elephant in the room actually means? Read the story to know yourself.
Like Matt many kids are timid and they have so many questions in their mind which they never ask. I really loved the character of Matt and Lucia. Author's story narration skills is what I liked the most. Trauma and depression are quite common these days. So, reading a book that revolves around mental health is definitely a good choice.
As the story progresses, Matt heard voice of Abyss girl? Who is she? What does Elephant in the room actually means? Read the story to know yourself.
Like Matt many kids are timid and they have so many questions in their mind which they never ask. I really loved the character of Matt and Lucia. Author's story narration skills is what I liked the most. Trauma and depression are quite common these days. So, reading a book that revolves around mental health is definitely a good choice.
April 16, 2021
This is a YA psychological suspense fiction story that addresses mental health, anxiety, and panic attacks. It's a story that will show you the way some people live with this. Matty is a character that will really put you in his shoes. His story goes back and forth between past and present. It starts slow and I had to keep on reading to really start connecting it all. It's not a book for everyone, please keep in mind it might have some triggers for people suffering from depression, anxiety, etc. Overall I think Natalie Rodriguez was able to address mental illnesses in a way for people to relate and for those that suffer from it has a way to relate to the situations that are presented within the story. Definitely worth reading and recommended.
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July 8, 2020
Amazing Thriller story
Book : Elephant
Author : Natalie Rodriguez
Have you ever been in depression? This book is amazingly a different one. This is based on psychological thriller story. This is not a short read . The language used in this book is very easy and understanding though the story in the mid of the book is quite confusing .
This book is about a boy named Matt who lives with his grandma, Luci. Matt is having three friends named as Jamie, Derek and Lisa. The bond between them is so pure and emotional. The story revolves around the part where Matt used to get panic attacks and how he had been hospitalized. The pressure, anxiety, and depression are main focus of this book. The author describes the story in two parts : the one with the childhood incidents of Matt and the second about when he had been admitted in hospital. One big incident which made the condition of Matt worst.
The second half of the story was quite boring and confusing until I came towards the end of the story. Honestly, everything got sort out after reading the last chapter and yes there is a twist in the story. This story is really unique and must be read by all. The suspense is that is there any connection of Matt's panic attacks with his family or with friends? You surely need to read this book to find it out. I am eagerly waiting to know what happens next in this story in the next book. Highly recommended!!
Book : Elephant
Author : Natalie Rodriguez
Have you ever been in depression? This book is amazingly a different one. This is based on psychological thriller story. This is not a short read . The language used in this book is very easy and understanding though the story in the mid of the book is quite confusing .
This book is about a boy named Matt who lives with his grandma, Luci. Matt is having three friends named as Jamie, Derek and Lisa. The bond between them is so pure and emotional. The story revolves around the part where Matt used to get panic attacks and how he had been hospitalized. The pressure, anxiety, and depression are main focus of this book. The author describes the story in two parts : the one with the childhood incidents of Matt and the second about when he had been admitted in hospital. One big incident which made the condition of Matt worst.
The second half of the story was quite boring and confusing until I came towards the end of the story. Honestly, everything got sort out after reading the last chapter and yes there is a twist in the story. This story is really unique and must be read by all. The suspense is that is there any connection of Matt's panic attacks with his family or with friends? You surely need to read this book to find it out. I am eagerly waiting to know what happens next in this story in the next book. Highly recommended!!
July 3, 2020
First off, thanks to Booktasters for putting me through to the author.
Now the review.
When I think of books on mental health, I usually think of self-help books. Elephant is not. It's a story. And it's a good one.
It follows a boy, Matty, who deals with some trauma caused by an event that he can't seem to remember. The good part is that he has the help of his grandmother and friends who, in their way, help him cope with what he's dealing with. The way this book tackles mental health is really good.
The storytelling is great in that it keeps you flipping the pages to find out what's next. The characters are well-written. The way important issues are highlighted and weaved into the story is seamless. And the ending... oh my gosh. Brilliant. I hate it but I love it.
Natalie Rodriguez is a genius. This book is awesome.
Now the review.
When I think of books on mental health, I usually think of self-help books. Elephant is not. It's a story. And it's a good one.
It follows a boy, Matty, who deals with some trauma caused by an event that he can't seem to remember. The good part is that he has the help of his grandmother and friends who, in their way, help him cope with what he's dealing with. The way this book tackles mental health is really good.
The storytelling is great in that it keeps you flipping the pages to find out what's next. The characters are well-written. The way important issues are highlighted and weaved into the story is seamless. And the ending... oh my gosh. Brilliant. I hate it but I love it.
Natalie Rodriguez is a genius. This book is awesome.
June 22, 2020
Elephant
Thank you to the publisher and Book sirens for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review
One day Matt our main character is involved in a strange accident that leaves him in the hospital. After this accident Matt begins struggling with various mental illnesses ie. ptsd, anxiety, and depression. With the recent events he is being forced to uncover secrets from his past.
I found this book to have a very intriguing theme and was very interested after reading the synopsis. After picking up the book I found that the first 10% was a little bit slow and confusing between the writing and storyline.
However after that first 10% I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the writing style that Natalie Rodriguez presented in this novel. The complexity of the characters was so fun to read.
I was so surprised that this was the authors debut novel because the complexity of the story line was just so insane.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would read future books from this author, I also loved all of mental health representation that this book contained. 3.5/5
Thank you to the publisher and Book sirens for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review
One day Matt our main character is involved in a strange accident that leaves him in the hospital. After this accident Matt begins struggling with various mental illnesses ie. ptsd, anxiety, and depression. With the recent events he is being forced to uncover secrets from his past.
I found this book to have a very intriguing theme and was very interested after reading the synopsis. After picking up the book I found that the first 10% was a little bit slow and confusing between the writing and storyline.
However after that first 10% I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the writing style that Natalie Rodriguez presented in this novel. The complexity of the characters was so fun to read.
I was so surprised that this was the authors debut novel because the complexity of the story line was just so insane.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would read future books from this author, I also loved all of mental health representation that this book contained. 3.5/5
March 10, 2021
Detailed Review Of "Elephant" By Natalie Rodriguez
Genre - Fiction
Ratings 4.5/5
Elephant is an amazing young adult psychology suspence story of matty who is a teenager who live with her grandmother and few events happen with him which lead to hospitalization of him. Read book to know all.
Character and plot are developed at proper pace and author has shown very nicely the arc of characters.
The language of the book is simple and easy to read. The writing style of the author is also pretty simple and error free.
The storytelling makes you dive into story and you won't want to come out of it.
The spotlight for me is the cover of the book, I really loved it. It just look so amazing with great detailing.
Title of the book is very nice and it's a highlight for me. Author has narrated this story very nicely.
Moreover it's an amazing read and I really loved it. I highly recommend this book to all.
Genre - Fiction
Ratings 4.5/5
Elephant is an amazing young adult psychology suspence story of matty who is a teenager who live with her grandmother and few events happen with him which lead to hospitalization of him. Read book to know all.
Character and plot are developed at proper pace and author has shown very nicely the arc of characters.
The language of the book is simple and easy to read. The writing style of the author is also pretty simple and error free.
The storytelling makes you dive into story and you won't want to come out of it.
The spotlight for me is the cover of the book, I really loved it. It just look so amazing with great detailing.
Title of the book is very nice and it's a highlight for me. Author has narrated this story very nicely.
Moreover it's an amazing read and I really loved it. I highly recommend this book to all.
June 19, 2020
Have you ever start befriending something which is metaphorical to your state of mind?
--
'Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez' is a coming of age novel. Matt A. K. A. Matty Smith faces a shocking encounter which leaves him depressed, choking nightmares and panic attacks. He starts living with his grandmother, Lucia who tries to help him in keeping a balance.
'Elephant' in his room is metaphorical. It depicts how heavily Matt is disturbed with his encounter of an uneventful situation.
--
The book's spotlight is 'mental health'. It is important to know what your younger siblings, companions are going through.
Matt's situation is heartbreaking and horrific at the same time because reality is stranger than fiction. This book is a journey how character, the protagonist of this story recovers through this difficult journey.
--
Writing and narration are easy to understand and is delicately crafted to deliver right tone and aura. I really loved this book. I hope more and more people can understand that mental health needs to be discussed. It's a subject which needs proper education.
--
'Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez' is a coming of age novel. Matt A. K. A. Matty Smith faces a shocking encounter which leaves him depressed, choking nightmares and panic attacks. He starts living with his grandmother, Lucia who tries to help him in keeping a balance.
'Elephant' in his room is metaphorical. It depicts how heavily Matt is disturbed with his encounter of an uneventful situation.
--
The book's spotlight is 'mental health'. It is important to know what your younger siblings, companions are going through.
Matt's situation is heartbreaking and horrific at the same time because reality is stranger than fiction. This book is a journey how character, the protagonist of this story recovers through this difficult journey.
--
Writing and narration are easy to understand and is delicately crafted to deliver right tone and aura. I really loved this book. I hope more and more people can understand that mental health needs to be discussed. It's a subject which needs proper education.
July 4, 2020
MY TAKE🌼:
This book belongs to young adult suspense genre, something I have been exploring a lot lately. Okay, so the protagonist Matthew Smith is a teenager who live with his grandma, Matthew was going through a mental trauma that caused him depression, his life was quite chaotic. Depression and anxiety are the star topics of this book also, it being quite usual these days it's important to talk about it as much as we can and normalise it. This definitely has grown my fondness for the book. Why elephant? The word elephant is just a metaphor or figure of speech in layman language that is been used to describe the mental state of matt. I don't know but I felt sympathetic towards matt, I mean his mental situation was disturbing, the monotonous events that were happening with him were leading him towards a dull place in life.
I'm really intrigued by the whole book, Matt's journey, the narration, the plot and everything but I'm kind of disappointed by the ending I think it could have been better.
This book belongs to young adult suspense genre, something I have been exploring a lot lately. Okay, so the protagonist Matthew Smith is a teenager who live with his grandma, Matthew was going through a mental trauma that caused him depression, his life was quite chaotic. Depression and anxiety are the star topics of this book also, it being quite usual these days it's important to talk about it as much as we can and normalise it. This definitely has grown my fondness for the book. Why elephant? The word elephant is just a metaphor or figure of speech in layman language that is been used to describe the mental state of matt. I don't know but I felt sympathetic towards matt, I mean his mental situation was disturbing, the monotonous events that were happening with him were leading him towards a dull place in life.
I'm really intrigued by the whole book, Matt's journey, the narration, the plot and everything but I'm kind of disappointed by the ending I think it could have been better.
July 1, 2020
The author has wonderful prose. She develops the scenes, the description is well constructed, the feelings and the emotions of the characters come across. The premise of the story is also very good.
Yet, there were some consistent problems with the story that I cannot ignore. First, it needs another go through with a proofreader for grammar and usage. Second, each chapter is like a stand alone scene. They are not being threaded together. This makes the reading of the chapter disjointed. I had to figure out in each chapter where the author was placing me in the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Yet, there were some consistent problems with the story that I cannot ignore. First, it needs another go through with a proofreader for grammar and usage. Second, each chapter is like a stand alone scene. They are not being threaded together. This makes the reading of the chapter disjointed. I had to figure out in each chapter where the author was placing me in the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 18, 2020
Written Review Of "Elephant" By Natalie Rodriguez
Available On : Amazon
Pages : 257
Genre : Fiction
The Story Is About A Boy Matt Who Lives With Her Granny, Luci He Has Three Friends And He Get Panic Attacks And He Had Been Hospitalized. He Got All This Due To Mental Pressure And Anxiety. Its A Unique & Amazing Read. You Have To Read This Book To Know All.
The Vocabulary Of The Book Is Good & Author Has Narrated This Story Very Nicely. The Language Of The Book Is Also Easy So Even If You're A Beginner You Can Easily Read It.
The Cover Of The Book Is Simple And Nice And I Really Liked It.
The Story Is Very Engaging And Kept You Hooked With It And It Also Contain Thrilling Elements To It Which Kept You Interested In It Through Out.
Overall Its An Amazing Read And I Highly Recommend This Book To All The Readers.
.
.
.
.
My Ratings 4/5
Available On : Amazon
Pages : 257
Genre : Fiction
The Story Is About A Boy Matt Who Lives With Her Granny, Luci He Has Three Friends And He Get Panic Attacks And He Had Been Hospitalized. He Got All This Due To Mental Pressure And Anxiety. Its A Unique & Amazing Read. You Have To Read This Book To Know All.
The Vocabulary Of The Book Is Good & Author Has Narrated This Story Very Nicely. The Language Of The Book Is Also Easy So Even If You're A Beginner You Can Easily Read It.
The Cover Of The Book Is Simple And Nice And I Really Liked It.
The Story Is Very Engaging And Kept You Hooked With It And It Also Contain Thrilling Elements To It Which Kept You Interested In It Through Out.
Overall Its An Amazing Read And I Highly Recommend This Book To All The Readers.
.
.
.
.
My Ratings 4/5
May 27, 2020
Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez is a coming of age story.
Matty Smith has experienced a tragedy in his family, but he cannot remember what and it has left him mentally unstable.
A mysterious accident leaves him in hospital. He relies on his grandmother and friends to help him understand what is going on, but they are keeping the truth from him.
Matty's unbalanced mind, continuous anxiety attacks, depression, and PTSD are controlling his daily life, the intricacy of the unfortunate events that are happening to him don't help.
Will he find out the truth for himself and will the truth make him suffer more?
A well written psychological suspense, mystery drama story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Matty Smith has experienced a tragedy in his family, but he cannot remember what and it has left him mentally unstable.
A mysterious accident leaves him in hospital. He relies on his grandmother and friends to help him understand what is going on, but they are keeping the truth from him.
Matty's unbalanced mind, continuous anxiety attacks, depression, and PTSD are controlling his daily life, the intricacy of the unfortunate events that are happening to him don't help.
Will he find out the truth for himself and will the truth make him suffer more?
A well written psychological suspense, mystery drama story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 2, 2021
This book by Natalie Rodriguez is a suspense novel and turned out to be a lovely read for me. This book mainly focus on mental health which has become a really sensitive topic in todays generation. It's all about the protagonist Matty, who lives with his grandmother and deals with the murk of his head. Matty is a teenage boy who suffers thorugh a traumatizing unfortunate event that bruised him to his core. He had no idea what happened and how that happened whatsoever, there were a lot of complications in his head that he kept finding answers to but was getting nowhere. All that stuff going on pushes him off the ledge and the post-trauma leds him to stress dissorder that gets him hospitalized. Now, when I say this book is all about "Mental health", it doesn't mean it has chapters of how you can cope with it or what to do. It is a whole damn story of this boy who was suffering throbbingly. At present, everyone goes through things they don't talk about. For me, I could actually relate to the protagonist and the story. I loved how the author embeded real points that makes one suffer just like Matty was. He was unable to feel love even though he had people who cared about him, he was constantly going back and forth in past and present inside of his head. Nothing was having any effect on his stress and anxiety which really made my heart melt. To see teenagers nowadays being depressed is really heart breaking, it's hard to see teens cutting themselves just in the hope of thinking that this just might be the way to cope. People underlook the fact that how unnerving having depression can be, how it eats you up from the inside. This book really shines a light on one of the most underestimated and really sensitive topic. It's like there are millions of Matty's out there who are going through the toughest times of their lives. I love this insightful thought of the book by the author. Judging by the title being "Elephant", I didn't really expect it to be this touching and serious. Just as much I loved metaphor "Elephant" used to symbolize mental illness and the whole story of it, I am really excited to read the upcoming parts of this book. I had a great time reading this book and was really baffled by the climax, it did actually catch me off guard and I loved it.
I am so thankful to Natalie for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful work of her.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second part of this book. I would suggest everyone to go through this book with a strong heart as mental illness is a really sensitive topic, it might be unsetteling for some. Besides that I would HIGHLY suggest you guys to read this book. Get your hands on it guys!!
I am so thankful to Natalie for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful work of her.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second part of this book. I would suggest everyone to go through this book with a strong heart as mental illness is a really sensitive topic, it might be unsetteling for some. Besides that I would HIGHLY suggest you guys to read this book. Get your hands on it guys!!
April 20, 2020
Summary
Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez is a coming of age story about Matty Smith who went through inexplicable experiences that left him mentally unstable. There has been a tragedy in his family that he couldn’t remember. Then, a mysterious accident leaves him hospitalized. Not knowing the truth, he only has his own grandmother and friends to enlighten him, except they kept the truth from him. With unsettled mind, incessant attacks of anxiety, depression, and PTSD occupy his daily life, and the vagueness of the series of unfortunate events that happened to him isn’t helping. Will he find out the truth for himself? And if he does, will the truth make him suffer more?
Review
When I read the book, I had no background of the author - didn’t know if it this was her debut novel, didn’t know what connections she had, didn’t know a thing about her, except that she wrote the book. Then when I started reading, I was instantly captivated by the writing style. I thought, this couldn’t be her first novel. The vividness of details and descriptions and the metaphors in her narrative made me pause for a while and check out her background. Then I found out she’s in the entertainment industry and that she was an award-winning writer and filmmaker! And that explained why it didn’t make me feel like I was reading a book - it felt more like I was watching a movie.
This book has mixed vibes – a cross between Christopher Pike and Stephen King. Screen-wise, it was like Black Mirror that didn’t revolve around technology. Truth is, it didn’t feel like it was written by a girl. It was hard to understand because of all the weird things happening, but it was one of those books where you just had to keep reading even if you were clueless about it. All the actions and emotions seemed like they were real, and almost as if the author experienced them herself. You could easily tell she has good visualizations while writing the book. In fact, this is a story that will be more appreciated as a movie, or a television series.
Overall, I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars. The storyline was insane, but I couldn’t stop reading because I had to find out the missing pieces. This psychological suspense and mystery drama would probably be more appreciated by male readers, or those who are interested in mind-boggling stories. I’ve had a rollercoaster ride of emotions in reading this and you will too. Warning: there are no rainbows, unicorns, and butterflies in this story.
Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez is a coming of age story about Matty Smith who went through inexplicable experiences that left him mentally unstable. There has been a tragedy in his family that he couldn’t remember. Then, a mysterious accident leaves him hospitalized. Not knowing the truth, he only has his own grandmother and friends to enlighten him, except they kept the truth from him. With unsettled mind, incessant attacks of anxiety, depression, and PTSD occupy his daily life, and the vagueness of the series of unfortunate events that happened to him isn’t helping. Will he find out the truth for himself? And if he does, will the truth make him suffer more?
Review
When I read the book, I had no background of the author - didn’t know if it this was her debut novel, didn’t know what connections she had, didn’t know a thing about her, except that she wrote the book. Then when I started reading, I was instantly captivated by the writing style. I thought, this couldn’t be her first novel. The vividness of details and descriptions and the metaphors in her narrative made me pause for a while and check out her background. Then I found out she’s in the entertainment industry and that she was an award-winning writer and filmmaker! And that explained why it didn’t make me feel like I was reading a book - it felt more like I was watching a movie.
This book has mixed vibes – a cross between Christopher Pike and Stephen King. Screen-wise, it was like Black Mirror that didn’t revolve around technology. Truth is, it didn’t feel like it was written by a girl. It was hard to understand because of all the weird things happening, but it was one of those books where you just had to keep reading even if you were clueless about it. All the actions and emotions seemed like they were real, and almost as if the author experienced them herself. You could easily tell she has good visualizations while writing the book. In fact, this is a story that will be more appreciated as a movie, or a television series.
Overall, I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars. The storyline was insane, but I couldn’t stop reading because I had to find out the missing pieces. This psychological suspense and mystery drama would probably be more appreciated by male readers, or those who are interested in mind-boggling stories. I’ve had a rollercoaster ride of emotions in reading this and you will too. Warning: there are no rainbows, unicorns, and butterflies in this story.
November 7, 2020
I was given a digital ARC of this book by BookSirens, thank you so much for letting me read it!
ELEPHANT is a YA thriller/suspense novel that combines several layers of mental health issues: PTSD, depression, and anxiety. It's from the main perspective of Matt, a boy who lives with his grandma, and has an extremely shadowed past. All he knows is that his grandfather and father died in a car accident years before. On Matt's 14th birthday, a freak accident occurs, landing Matt in hospital with no clear recollection of what happened to him. All he knows is that he's left with severe panic attacks that cause him to black out and kind of recollect his past. As more episodes of that happen, more flashbacks are given, piecing together more and more of Matt's hazy past. Two days later, Night Two happens: once again, Matt has a near-death experience, but this time it involves his friends witnessing. He's landed back in hospital--and following more and more episodes, he doesn't get discharged. However, while in hospital, the web of the story grows to include Mr. Barry and Dr. Brown, cousins, who harbour a secret: somehow, they're linked to Matt--and they know the truth of Matt's family's death.
This book is incredibly bizarre, and read like a dream: I never quite knew what was going on for the hazy, choppy way the style has. However, I was thoroughly gripped and read it in less than 12 hours, in two sittings. The ending is a cliffhanger that made me screech--because I just felt like I had a grip on the story before the truth was dropped--and then the book ends, and the sequel isn't due until 2021.
I loved the cast of characters, the weird descriptions, how everything was poetic and jarring and just downright nonsensical at times. I loved the gasping moments and the "oh wow" moments of realisation--understanding what the grandmother went through, what Matt remembers, what Dr. Brown and Mr. Barry have in common, their own secrets. Everything both tied in and floated as it's own entity. This was a new genre and type of book for me, and I wasn't disappointed. Thank you, BookSirens.
ELEPHANT is a YA thriller/suspense novel that combines several layers of mental health issues: PTSD, depression, and anxiety. It's from the main perspective of Matt, a boy who lives with his grandma, and has an extremely shadowed past. All he knows is that his grandfather and father died in a car accident years before. On Matt's 14th birthday, a freak accident occurs, landing Matt in hospital with no clear recollection of what happened to him. All he knows is that he's left with severe panic attacks that cause him to black out and kind of recollect his past. As more episodes of that happen, more flashbacks are given, piecing together more and more of Matt's hazy past. Two days later, Night Two happens: once again, Matt has a near-death experience, but this time it involves his friends witnessing. He's landed back in hospital--and following more and more episodes, he doesn't get discharged. However, while in hospital, the web of the story grows to include Mr. Barry and Dr. Brown, cousins, who harbour a secret: somehow, they're linked to Matt--and they know the truth of Matt's family's death.
This book is incredibly bizarre, and read like a dream: I never quite knew what was going on for the hazy, choppy way the style has. However, I was thoroughly gripped and read it in less than 12 hours, in two sittings. The ending is a cliffhanger that made me screech--because I just felt like I had a grip on the story before the truth was dropped--and then the book ends, and the sequel isn't due until 2021.
I loved the cast of characters, the weird descriptions, how everything was poetic and jarring and just downright nonsensical at times. I loved the gasping moments and the "oh wow" moments of realisation--understanding what the grandmother went through, what Matt remembers, what Dr. Brown and Mr. Barry have in common, their own secrets. Everything both tied in and floated as it's own entity. This was a new genre and type of book for me, and I wasn't disappointed. Thank you, BookSirens.
August 25, 2020
Complex read.
This was quite a confusing read from the very beginning. It continuously swaps between past and present and it took me few pages to get a grasp over the flow. It definitely requires undivided attention to understand the underlying concept of this heavy plot and the deep rooted trauma in Matty's character. The plot is as complex as the human mind itself.
The intricate and vivid imagery of each one of Matty's thought made me very uncomfortable. This sneak peak into a teenager's private thoughts, stress and anxiety, troubles and fear - thinking about it still makes me shudder. Because the very thought of seeing someone in so much discomfort in his own body, his very private self - is scary. And the saddest part is a lot of people go through this. They face their inner demons every day, every moment. The thought of living with troubled thoughts makes my mind hammer hard. It's heartbreaking to think what people go through. It's hidden in the mind, it's not physical - it's tricky.
He had the three greatest friends and a grandmother who loved him. And the way everything happening with Matty affected them - it was upsetting. They all loved him and cared for him. I applaud how the Author has given equal importance to each character and presented a very raw picture of each emotion they go through. I loved the little details of Matty and Jamie getting attracted to each other.
Mental health is very important. It's not a scar that you see on someone's body and know that they aren't well. It's not something onto which you'll apply an ointment and provide fast aid to make someone feel better. It's inside of a human mind. You can do nothing except being considerate, kind, empathetic and non-judgmental.
This is a very important book. Even though a bit confusing in the beginning, the writing style is good. The book could use a few rounds of editing. This won't teach you lessons. It'll grab your attention and push you into a little boy's mind - for you to experience whatever he's feeling.
This was quite a confusing read from the very beginning. It continuously swaps between past and present and it took me few pages to get a grasp over the flow. It definitely requires undivided attention to understand the underlying concept of this heavy plot and the deep rooted trauma in Matty's character. The plot is as complex as the human mind itself.
The intricate and vivid imagery of each one of Matty's thought made me very uncomfortable. This sneak peak into a teenager's private thoughts, stress and anxiety, troubles and fear - thinking about it still makes me shudder. Because the very thought of seeing someone in so much discomfort in his own body, his very private self - is scary. And the saddest part is a lot of people go through this. They face their inner demons every day, every moment. The thought of living with troubled thoughts makes my mind hammer hard. It's heartbreaking to think what people go through. It's hidden in the mind, it's not physical - it's tricky.
He had the three greatest friends and a grandmother who loved him. And the way everything happening with Matty affected them - it was upsetting. They all loved him and cared for him. I applaud how the Author has given equal importance to each character and presented a very raw picture of each emotion they go through. I loved the little details of Matty and Jamie getting attracted to each other.
Mental health is very important. It's not a scar that you see on someone's body and know that they aren't well. It's not something onto which you'll apply an ointment and provide fast aid to make someone feel better. It's inside of a human mind. You can do nothing except being considerate, kind, empathetic and non-judgmental.
This is a very important book. Even though a bit confusing in the beginning, the writing style is good. The book could use a few rounds of editing. This won't teach you lessons. It'll grab your attention and push you into a little boy's mind - for you to experience whatever he's feeling.
October 3, 2020
Matt is fourteen – just at the beginning of the book his grandmother and friends are celebrating his birthday. Lots of junk food, short phrases and bright descriptions, very visual and initially hard to go along with.
Matt is fourteen and his friends are fourteen as well. And their memories are short, and the descriptions are repetitive, some swearing here and there, and a lot of blank spaces the reader has to fill in, but it’s just as if listening to a story told by four adolescents.
Movies and music references are recognizable – at least for an eighty’s tween like myself. And that feels comfortable.
I happen to write sometimes like Natalie. Short phrases, as if suddenly interrupted by thoughts, followed by sweet metaphors, like innocent apologies for the shortness before.
Her scenery descriptions are very visual, either depicting a peaceful morning, or horrific, dark, violent scenes. She also seems to know her way with metaphors. I also like metaphors.
Short juggling between present time and reminiscences (written in italic) make the reading a little challenging, as if switching between tabs in a program, past and present, and that past is also in motion, it’s not the same past, or is it? I guess I like a little bit of linearity in my reading.
It's not easy to follow the story! Especially if you have dealt with your own demons and men in black. And it’s not necessarily that Matt’s story woke up old, fossilized ghosts, but I like my reading to flow like a crystal-clear river. Natalie’s prose is abrupt, like Siula Grande’s walls. And I remember at one point in my life I was dreaming of climbing Siula Grande.
I finished ELEPHANT because I don’t like giving up on books. Because I didn’t want to give up on Matt. Because I’m one of those who fought Strangers in their lives, and, luckily for me, I defeated them!
Matt is fourteen and his friends are fourteen as well. And their memories are short, and the descriptions are repetitive, some swearing here and there, and a lot of blank spaces the reader has to fill in, but it’s just as if listening to a story told by four adolescents.
Movies and music references are recognizable – at least for an eighty’s tween like myself. And that feels comfortable.
I happen to write sometimes like Natalie. Short phrases, as if suddenly interrupted by thoughts, followed by sweet metaphors, like innocent apologies for the shortness before.
Her scenery descriptions are very visual, either depicting a peaceful morning, or horrific, dark, violent scenes. She also seems to know her way with metaphors. I also like metaphors.
Short juggling between present time and reminiscences (written in italic) make the reading a little challenging, as if switching between tabs in a program, past and present, and that past is also in motion, it’s not the same past, or is it? I guess I like a little bit of linearity in my reading.
It's not easy to follow the story! Especially if you have dealt with your own demons and men in black. And it’s not necessarily that Matt’s story woke up old, fossilized ghosts, but I like my reading to flow like a crystal-clear river. Natalie’s prose is abrupt, like Siula Grande’s walls. And I remember at one point in my life I was dreaming of climbing Siula Grande.
I finished ELEPHANT because I don’t like giving up on books. Because I didn’t want to give up on Matt. Because I’m one of those who fought Strangers in their lives, and, luckily for me, I defeated them!
December 8, 2020
Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez begins with Matt Smith, a teenager with a seemingly normal life, his three best friends Derek, Lisa, and Jamie who is also a potential love interest.
Matt's grandmother who was his only surviving family and care taker has only one thing centered around her life, her grandchild, Matt.
Matt, Jamie, Lisa and Derek appear to have a normal stereotypical teenage life, forming a click away from the cool kids crowd in school, his friends with their contrasting personalities support the main character and give a feel of the warmest kind of friendship.
One night after Matt's 14th birthday a mysterious event takes place that shakes up life as they know it.
While family secrets are kept hidden, something else lurks and haunts the remainder of the Smith family(a ghost of the family's past?)
My favourite part of the book is the suspense and how the writer maintains it till the final pages of the book and the cliffhanger it signs off it.
Jamie, a supporting character possessing strong will and the kind of personality that keeps her in the mind of the reader even in pages she isn't mentioned and the mystery that keeps unraveling while raising more curiosity in the reader's mind ... While those closest the Smith family are kept in the dark, two mysterious characters whose job is to help solve the family misery and unearth the truth appear to know more than they let on...
Matt's grandmother who was his only surviving family and care taker has only one thing centered around her life, her grandchild, Matt.
Matt, Jamie, Lisa and Derek appear to have a normal stereotypical teenage life, forming a click away from the cool kids crowd in school, his friends with their contrasting personalities support the main character and give a feel of the warmest kind of friendship.
One night after Matt's 14th birthday a mysterious event takes place that shakes up life as they know it.
While family secrets are kept hidden, something else lurks and haunts the remainder of the Smith family(a ghost of the family's past?)
My favourite part of the book is the suspense and how the writer maintains it till the final pages of the book and the cliffhanger it signs off it.
Jamie, a supporting character possessing strong will and the kind of personality that keeps her in the mind of the reader even in pages she isn't mentioned and the mystery that keeps unraveling while raising more curiosity in the reader's mind ... While those closest the Smith family are kept in the dark, two mysterious characters whose job is to help solve the family misery and unearth the truth appear to know more than they let on...
July 30, 2020
This book takes a while to get into, but once started the themes of trauma and relationships and the impact these can have are interwoven nicely. The chaos and confusion caused by trauma and various associated mental illnesses are clear with the narrative style, although I think a greater introduction to the story (what do the italics mean, how is it narrated) may serve to increase the mystery of the story and make it more gripping rather than taking away from the tension. It felt like as a reader you don't know much from the start, so there isn't anything to hold on to and lead you on with the story.
That said, I think the characterisation within the novel is good, with Matt as a somewhat enigmatic, compelling character and Jamie as a cool, supporting secondary character. I would have liked to see Lucia's more quiet, less hysterical moments as well as those where she seems completely beside herself, but it certainly adds to the mystery and she is an intriguing character.
Overall, it was worth reading and compelling and is a fascinating portrayal of the impact of trauma, but would have been more enjoyable if it focused on details and complexities and allowed the reader to become more embedded in the narrative world before throwing you in.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
That said, I think the characterisation within the novel is good, with Matt as a somewhat enigmatic, compelling character and Jamie as a cool, supporting secondary character. I would have liked to see Lucia's more quiet, less hysterical moments as well as those where she seems completely beside herself, but it certainly adds to the mystery and she is an intriguing character.
Overall, it was worth reading and compelling and is a fascinating portrayal of the impact of trauma, but would have been more enjoyable if it focused on details and complexities and allowed the reader to become more embedded in the narrative world before throwing you in.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 12, 2021
'Elephant' is the 1st book written by author Natalie Rodriguez, and it’s filled with emotions that we all find scary to stand it.
I found this book unique and very heart-touching though this book is not a short read, there are moments that the author has described, are emotional and very heart whelming.
The language used in this book is easy to read but you have to read carefully and with concentration to understand the storyline. The flow of the storyline is a tad confusing, it's due to the storyline, or it's just the writing style of the author I’m not sure, but the story in whole itself is impressive.
The twist at the end was just amazing, The author has cleverly ended the book with a cliffhanger, which was just amazing, and intrigued me to read the second book which is a continuum of this story.
Coming to the emotional part of the book the author has described each and every expect from depression to pressure, from anxiety to heartbreak, from mystery to illusions, from anger to love, from friendship to drama, in details and it felt relatable at some point.
I liked every bit of this book, also the characters are developed creatively making each scene unique and interesting.
Overall a must-read series, so if you like reading books with powerful emotions and mystery then read now Elephant written by Natalie Rodriguez.
I found this book unique and very heart-touching though this book is not a short read, there are moments that the author has described, are emotional and very heart whelming.
The language used in this book is easy to read but you have to read carefully and with concentration to understand the storyline. The flow of the storyline is a tad confusing, it's due to the storyline, or it's just the writing style of the author I’m not sure, but the story in whole itself is impressive.
The twist at the end was just amazing, The author has cleverly ended the book with a cliffhanger, which was just amazing, and intrigued me to read the second book which is a continuum of this story.
Coming to the emotional part of the book the author has described each and every expect from depression to pressure, from anxiety to heartbreak, from mystery to illusions, from anger to love, from friendship to drama, in details and it felt relatable at some point.
I liked every bit of this book, also the characters are developed creatively making each scene unique and interesting.
Overall a must-read series, so if you like reading books with powerful emotions and mystery then read now Elephant written by Natalie Rodriguez.
July 14, 2021
I must say when I first started reading this book I was confused, I was Sure who the main character was . I was sure that they were only two characters Matt and Dr. Brown. As I continue to read the book I was amazed on the character development I was sure these characters were still there. I loved the fact that we were experiencing the same traumas that Matt was. I think they got me the most was the fact that Matt seem to have a lot of friends with him we were not sure about them until the very end. Parts of the story reminded me of me when I was going through my seizure about as he suffered through his pain and trauma. To be honest with you I love this book but was unsure about how I was going to end. Now that I have read it my opinion has greatly changed on the book I would have rated a three out of five but now I want to say that it is a five out of five. I would highly recommend the readers to enjoy and take it slowly as they read the book. I am excited to say that I can’t wait for part two to come out and I hope this writer has much success in writing the story because after all that is one thing that is the elephant in the room end.
June 20, 2020
Elephant is a Young Adult Fiction written by the author Natalie Rodriguez. The story is about a woman Lucia Smith and her grandson Matthew Jimmy Smith. Matthew was also known as Matt or Matty. Matty was suffering from trauma which resulted in PTSD. There was so much void in his life and mind that needs to be filled by someone.
As I read the story further, I saw the impact of some tragic life incidents on Matty's life as he ended up being admitted to a hospital.
The ending paragraph of the first book will make you shiver and will make you think how this could happen. Reading this book was a rollercoaster ride for me.
I really appreciate the storyline. If a movie could be made on this story, it would be even more amazing for the children. I would like to recommend this book to children, teenagers and adult who have went through so much in their life and is not yet healed from their pain. I am looking forward for the next book from the author.
As I read the story further, I saw the impact of some tragic life incidents on Matty's life as he ended up being admitted to a hospital.
The ending paragraph of the first book will make you shiver and will make you think how this could happen. Reading this book was a rollercoaster ride for me.
I really appreciate the storyline. If a movie could be made on this story, it would be even more amazing for the children. I would like to recommend this book to children, teenagers and adult who have went through so much in their life and is not yet healed from their pain. I am looking forward for the next book from the author.
December 2, 2020
I chose this book because I found the theme interesting, having suffered from anxiety and depression myself. Frankly, I had a difficult time getting into it. Despite plopping the reader in the middle of everything, where characters are already dead and others are already having attacks from their mental illness, I found the story to be slow and dragging at times. Other times I got confused as to where we are in the timeline; add to this the many asterisks and italicized text. I had to repeat the first half several times because I was thinking maybe it was me not focusing on the story enough because I keep getting lost as to what's happening to whom. It becomes exciting in the last few chapters as it reveals the mystery, but this might have been too late for me to keep my interest for the next part of the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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