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This Can Never Not Be Real
FIVE TEENAGERS
WITH NOTHING IN COMMON,
THROWN TOGETHER
BY AN ACT OF TERRORISM,
CAN'T SURVIVE THE NIGHT
WITHOUT EACH OTHER.
A compelling, thrilling yet heartbreaking book for fans of Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Jennifer Niven and Holly Jackson.
In the unremarkable town of Amberside, the unthinkable has happened: Terrorists have attacked a local festival. No one knows why, and no one knows who the attackers are, but that doesn’t matter. What matters first is survival. And what matters after that is survival, too.
In this brilliantly written account of hope, humour and humanity, five ordinary teenagers are caught up in a truly extraordinary situation. It’s a heart-pounding and gripping account of the fight for survival, told from multiple perspectives, as the attackers prowl the festival grounds.
A book for anyone who needs to see that behind the hate that makes the headlines, there is always love.
WITH NOTHING IN COMMON,
THROWN TOGETHER
BY AN ACT OF TERRORISM,
CAN'T SURVIVE THE NIGHT
WITHOUT EACH OTHER.
A compelling, thrilling yet heartbreaking book for fans of Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Jennifer Niven and Holly Jackson.
In the unremarkable town of Amberside, the unthinkable has happened: Terrorists have attacked a local festival. No one knows why, and no one knows who the attackers are, but that doesn’t matter. What matters first is survival. And what matters after that is survival, too.
In this brilliantly written account of hope, humour and humanity, five ordinary teenagers are caught up in a truly extraordinary situation. It’s a heart-pounding and gripping account of the fight for survival, told from multiple perspectives, as the attackers prowl the festival grounds.
A book for anyone who needs to see that behind the hate that makes the headlines, there is always love.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2021
56 people are currently reading
4635 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
April 25, 2021
When I had finished This Can Never Not Be Real I’m not afraid to admit I sat down and cried. I’m not entirely sure which part of the multi layered narrative finally broke me but I was a wreck of a person at the end.
This novel follows a group of young people caught up in a heinous and unexpected attack, cut off from safety and help, thrown together in a struggle for survival that feels eternal. Sera Milano is a purely brilliant writer, in her grasp of character, her ability to set a scene and to tell a story with the immersive feel of absolute reality. You live it.
This is not a thriller this is a human story that celebrates in the end the beauty of triumph over adversity, yet acknowledges that this triumph ends up as a life goal, it doesn’t end once safety is achieved it simply morphs into something new..
Through the eyes of Ellie, Violet, Joe, Peaches and March we see things unfold in vivid clarity, the violence is in tune with, but on the periphery of ,their story. As intense relationships form, as love and loss play out in front of them, as the smallest of decisions take on the complexity of the hardest maths problems, you will be utterly hooked. This is a gripping, intense and emotionally wrenching narrative that never loses focus on the things that ultimately make us human.
This might be a novel for young adults but it is a story for us all and certainly as an adult it really resonated with me. This is not a story about the bad guys this is a story of hope and love in the face of unbelievable danger and even though it made me cry I loved it and it has gone straight onto my books of the year list.
Highly Recommended.
This novel follows a group of young people caught up in a heinous and unexpected attack, cut off from safety and help, thrown together in a struggle for survival that feels eternal. Sera Milano is a purely brilliant writer, in her grasp of character, her ability to set a scene and to tell a story with the immersive feel of absolute reality. You live it.
This is not a thriller this is a human story that celebrates in the end the beauty of triumph over adversity, yet acknowledges that this triumph ends up as a life goal, it doesn’t end once safety is achieved it simply morphs into something new..
Through the eyes of Ellie, Violet, Joe, Peaches and March we see things unfold in vivid clarity, the violence is in tune with, but on the periphery of ,their story. As intense relationships form, as love and loss play out in front of them, as the smallest of decisions take on the complexity of the hardest maths problems, you will be utterly hooked. This is a gripping, intense and emotionally wrenching narrative that never loses focus on the things that ultimately make us human.
This might be a novel for young adults but it is a story for us all and certainly as an adult it really resonated with me. This is not a story about the bad guys this is a story of hope and love in the face of unbelievable danger and even though it made me cry I loved it and it has gone straight onto my books of the year list.
Highly Recommended.
April 29, 2021
Who made my heart break multiple times?
This book.
Who dared make me sob?
This book!
Who gave me hope and feelings?
Also this book!
I love how this story, while terrifying in the most awful of ways, is told from the survivors POV, not letting the terrorists have space nor importance. Because their "reasons" don't matter, the lives they take, those are important.
Told in four different POVs in interview form narrating the night terrorists with rifles turned a fun night into a massacre, it was a different kind of experience but it worked perfectly for this book. It often jumped between all the pov in a single page, letting you experience everything and everyone at once. It felt overwhelming because that's exactly what these kids were feeling. If I could've entered the book and hug them, I would have!! Unputdownable from beginning to end! When they said the title of the book? Chills!!
This book.
Who dared make me sob?
This book!
Who gave me hope and feelings?
Also this book!
I love how this story, while terrifying in the most awful of ways, is told from the survivors POV, not letting the terrorists have space nor importance. Because their "reasons" don't matter, the lives they take, those are important.
Told in four different POVs in interview form narrating the night terrorists with rifles turned a fun night into a massacre, it was a different kind of experience but it worked perfectly for this book. It often jumped between all the pov in a single page, letting you experience everything and everyone at once. It felt overwhelming because that's exactly what these kids were feeling. If I could've entered the book and hug them, I would have!! Unputdownable from beginning to end! When they said the title of the book? Chills!!
April 19, 2024
I am not okay!!! 😩😩 I’m still crying!!! 😢
April 10, 2021
This is a story about terrorism, but it is not about
terrorists. It is about survival, impossible decisions and the bonds formed in moments of distress.
There is no shying away from the true brutality and it is a story soaked in human emotion, leaving its
beautiful vulnerability open on every page.
Sera Milano sets the scene perfectly, drawing you in to the magical night, before hauling you heart
first through tragedy, forcing the air from your chest over and over again. The writing is at times
lyrical, always compelling and paced perfectly. Each character voice unique and open and authentic,
their diversity emerging organically. Sera is a champion of inclusivity in her writing and this book is
no exception. Race, sexuality, and weight feature, as well as grief, disability and less than perfect
home lives. All written with her undeniable skill and effortless prose. She has managed to step with
grace from the quirky middle grade sector and land sure footed in a very grown-up Young Adult
world.
This Can Never Not Be Real is wickedly clever, well-written and compelling. In a YA world of romance
and fairy tale retellings, this stands out and once you are in its orbit, you have no choice but to be
sucked in. If you like to be on the edge of your seat with your heart in your throat and tears burning
your eyes, this is for you.
terrorists. It is about survival, impossible decisions and the bonds formed in moments of distress.
There is no shying away from the true brutality and it is a story soaked in human emotion, leaving its
beautiful vulnerability open on every page.
Sera Milano sets the scene perfectly, drawing you in to the magical night, before hauling you heart
first through tragedy, forcing the air from your chest over and over again. The writing is at times
lyrical, always compelling and paced perfectly. Each character voice unique and open and authentic,
their diversity emerging organically. Sera is a champion of inclusivity in her writing and this book is
no exception. Race, sexuality, and weight feature, as well as grief, disability and less than perfect
home lives. All written with her undeniable skill and effortless prose. She has managed to step with
grace from the quirky middle grade sector and land sure footed in a very grown-up Young Adult
world.
This Can Never Not Be Real is wickedly clever, well-written and compelling. In a YA world of romance
and fairy tale retellings, this stands out and once you are in its orbit, you have no choice but to be
sucked in. If you like to be on the edge of your seat with your heart in your throat and tears burning
your eyes, this is for you.
August 11, 2021
*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
"People don't get to choose how they die, so why should someone I don't even know be allowed to choose for me?"
This Can Never Not Be Real by Sera Milano is a YA Thriller that describes a terror attack on a small town during a yearly festival called Ambereve. The story is told from five teenagers' POV to the police; how the attack started, how people randomly got shot at and how they searched for safety.
First off, I found the dedication inspiring, that alone is a motivator to keep moving forward in life. It took me some time to get used to the different POVs but soon I was alongside Joe, Ellie, Peaches, Violet and March when the terrorists started shooting.
No one knows why the terrorists chose Ambereve and no one knows who they are, but that night they changed many people's lives. The focus is on the teenagers and not on the terrorists. We see how they and others around them get shot at. We experience their fear and anxiety as they hide and hope their family that attended the event is safe. We experience their pain as they witness the carnage left behind by the terrorists.
These kinds of things happen in real and have a devastating effect on the survivors, but this book shows the ability we as humans have to fight, to survive, no matter what.
This is an emotional and gripping read that takes the reader to the basic instinct of survival; to be brave for yourself and others and to not lose hope. I like what the author wrote in the 'Author's Note': "Drown killers in silence and amplify survivors' words". The author did just that with this book. She amplified the survivors' words, gave their voices back when it was taken from them. As the story nears the end it includes the accounts of survival and how the survivors experienced day to day life after the horrific attack. There are trigger warnings for this book which includes violence, suicide, racial and faith based micro-aggressions, negative body image, terrorism, graphic injuries and parental death.
A night that was supposed to be filled with laughter was filled with gunshots and screams.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers but also to people who have survived whatever life has thrown at them.
I found the following quotes memorable:
"One thing I remember too clearly is the way that people's screams change, between the time when they fear death is nearby and the moment it arrives."
"Love makes us into protectors, in whatever way we can be."
"False hope's worse than fear, sometimes."
"This was just the first goodbye. I've learned since that when you lose someone you love, you have to say a thousand of them."
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.c...
"People don't get to choose how they die, so why should someone I don't even know be allowed to choose for me?"
This Can Never Not Be Real by Sera Milano is a YA Thriller that describes a terror attack on a small town during a yearly festival called Ambereve. The story is told from five teenagers' POV to the police; how the attack started, how people randomly got shot at and how they searched for safety.
First off, I found the dedication inspiring, that alone is a motivator to keep moving forward in life. It took me some time to get used to the different POVs but soon I was alongside Joe, Ellie, Peaches, Violet and March when the terrorists started shooting.
No one knows why the terrorists chose Ambereve and no one knows who they are, but that night they changed many people's lives. The focus is on the teenagers and not on the terrorists. We see how they and others around them get shot at. We experience their fear and anxiety as they hide and hope their family that attended the event is safe. We experience their pain as they witness the carnage left behind by the terrorists.
These kinds of things happen in real and have a devastating effect on the survivors, but this book shows the ability we as humans have to fight, to survive, no matter what.
This is an emotional and gripping read that takes the reader to the basic instinct of survival; to be brave for yourself and others and to not lose hope. I like what the author wrote in the 'Author's Note': "Drown killers in silence and amplify survivors' words". The author did just that with this book. She amplified the survivors' words, gave their voices back when it was taken from them. As the story nears the end it includes the accounts of survival and how the survivors experienced day to day life after the horrific attack. There are trigger warnings for this book which includes violence, suicide, racial and faith based micro-aggressions, negative body image, terrorism, graphic injuries and parental death.
A night that was supposed to be filled with laughter was filled with gunshots and screams.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers but also to people who have survived whatever life has thrown at them.
I found the following quotes memorable:
"One thing I remember too clearly is the way that people's screams change, between the time when they fear death is nearby and the moment it arrives."
"Love makes us into protectors, in whatever way we can be."
"False hope's worse than fear, sometimes."
"This was just the first goodbye. I've learned since that when you lose someone you love, you have to say a thousand of them."
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.c...
August 4, 2021
3.5
This would be a four if not for the totally unnecessary romances.
This would be a four if not for the totally unnecessary romances.
April 14, 2024
That was heartbreaking. So so heartbreaking. The tone, the way it's written, the actual story so simple, so concise, so almost detached and yet absolutely gut-wrenching. Loved it.
July 19, 2021
Very unsure about the star rating on this one. It feels like a five star read, but at the same time I don't think I'll ever want to read it again, and five stars are usually reserved for books I could read over and over. Therefore it will be a four, though it kind of is a five.
The audio version was incredible. Each character has a different voice, and I thought the voice fitted the personality of the character extremely well. I think the constant jumping between characters would have been confusing on audio with only one reader, but in this case I got to know each of the characters through their voice and after a while wouldn't have needed them to read out the name of the character speaking.
It just felt like I was there. I lived this night with these characters, and it was such an intense and powerful listening experience. It's possible that I might have more to critique if I'd read the novel instead of listening to it, but since I got close to these characters, felt for them, lived with them, heard their testimonies spoken in their own voices, it got under my skin. It feels like I can't try to be objective. But any author that manages that has surely done a lot of things right.
The audio version was incredible. Each character has a different voice, and I thought the voice fitted the personality of the character extremely well. I think the constant jumping between characters would have been confusing on audio with only one reader, but in this case I got to know each of the characters through their voice and after a while wouldn't have needed them to read out the name of the character speaking.
It just felt like I was there. I lived this night with these characters, and it was such an intense and powerful listening experience. It's possible that I might have more to critique if I'd read the novel instead of listening to it, but since I got close to these characters, felt for them, lived with them, heard their testimonies spoken in their own voices, it got under my skin. It feels like I can't try to be objective. But any author that manages that has surely done a lot of things right.
November 29, 2021
This Can Never Not Be Real is a book I had high hopes for, and it’s one that left me conflicted. While I enjoyed the message of the story and the way things were handled, I was not a fan of the style in which the story was told. This is probably just me being picky, yet it made it difficult for me to get into the story.
Although many are sure to love the way this story is told, I was not a fan of the way we were given snippets of the story through each character, bouncing every sentence or paragraph between them. For me, it made it hard to connect with them. Add in the fact that we were supposed to be reading the testimony of the events, and I felt like it didn’t feel like a testimony at all. Despite this, the story did have me powering through it quickly. The style of storytelling meant it took a while for me to get into it, but I could not put it down once the pieces started to move.
All in all, I enjoyed the story, yet I was not won over by the style of telling.
Although many are sure to love the way this story is told, I was not a fan of the way we were given snippets of the story through each character, bouncing every sentence or paragraph between them. For me, it made it hard to connect with them. Add in the fact that we were supposed to be reading the testimony of the events, and I felt like it didn’t feel like a testimony at all. Despite this, the story did have me powering through it quickly. The style of storytelling meant it took a while for me to get into it, but I could not put it down once the pieces started to move.
All in all, I enjoyed the story, yet I was not won over by the style of telling.
March 24, 2024
wow. that was pretty good. very gripping and dramatic and the ending was beautiful. ALSO. the author signed my copy this book when i met her and said ‘to gracie - a lucky one’ and i didn’t get it until now and omg😭😭😭 there’s more of a backstory there as well but i don’t need to go into that you all just need to know that’s special to me and this book will be treasured - if only i didn’t bend the spine💀
May 9, 2021
Wow. How do I even begin to review this? I absolutely loved it all! I feel bad that I loved it as much as I did due to the nature of the book being a terrorism attack. It is a brilliant read. Eye opening. Scary. It’s real. It happens. This is the story of how five teenagers survived and coped during and after this attack.
This book had me scared! Holding my breathe I felt like I was right there with them the whole time. When you think its quiet and the shooting has stopped there’s always something else and something bigger. Theres no escape they’re surrounded. They’ve seen the dead. They’ve seen the injured and theyve seen the shooters. It’s a real page turner which I devoured. A story told through each of the characters making it an easy read.
It’s a heartbreaking read but also one full of hope, love, family and friendships. It’s a survival story and the aftermath. The ending shows us how each of the characters coped, the losses of loved ones and the injuries they sustained all very different. Cannot praise this book enough! Highly recommend. A must read. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me. This is going into my top books of the year.
This book had me scared! Holding my breathe I felt like I was right there with them the whole time. When you think its quiet and the shooting has stopped there’s always something else and something bigger. Theres no escape they’re surrounded. They’ve seen the dead. They’ve seen the injured and theyve seen the shooters. It’s a real page turner which I devoured. A story told through each of the characters making it an easy read.
It’s a heartbreaking read but also one full of hope, love, family and friendships. It’s a survival story and the aftermath. The ending shows us how each of the characters coped, the losses of loved ones and the injuries they sustained all very different. Cannot praise this book enough! Highly recommend. A must read. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me. This is going into my top books of the year.
June 14, 2021
I don't know how to review such a heart-shattering book, but I figured I'd do it while the feelings are fresh in my mind, my bones...my everything.
Told in five different POVs, this book follows the teens as their night of fun turns into tragedy while armed terrorists infiltrate their festival and open fire. They each scatter into different sections of the park, hiding and doing what they must to outrun the gunman. The fear and horror of the situation is a tangible thing. My gut was coiled in agony throughout this book, remembering scenes such as Pulse in Orlando or Las Vegas, my heart breaking with every page.
I cannot truly tell you that I enjoyed the book in ways that a book should be enjoyed, but I can say what gave this book five stars was the focus on survivors and giving them a voice, and letting the terrorists be erased from the world's memory.
This book is going to be difficult for some readers so this your warning. I may have to snag a fluffy romance off my shelves to read next because I don't think I'll ever stop reeling.
Told in five different POVs, this book follows the teens as their night of fun turns into tragedy while armed terrorists infiltrate their festival and open fire. They each scatter into different sections of the park, hiding and doing what they must to outrun the gunman. The fear and horror of the situation is a tangible thing. My gut was coiled in agony throughout this book, remembering scenes such as Pulse in Orlando or Las Vegas, my heart breaking with every page.
I cannot truly tell you that I enjoyed the book in ways that a book should be enjoyed, but I can say what gave this book five stars was the focus on survivors and giving them a voice, and letting the terrorists be erased from the world's memory.
This book is going to be difficult for some readers so this your warning. I may have to snag a fluffy romance off my shelves to read next because I don't think I'll ever stop reeling.
March 3, 2023
This was put together very well
May 10, 2021
I adored this book and devoured it, reading it in a day.
I was gripped from the first page and couldn't put the book down - the storyline was engaging and well-paced and I enjoyed the characters, I don't always love a multiple-perspective book, however I think it really works for this story and helped to keep the events moving.
As a young adult contemporary, I think this is an excellent display of emotional writing and sensitive tackling of some difficult topics by Sera Milano. The character's feelings are always at the forefront, stopping the violence and trauma from becoming too overwhelming.
I was gripped from the first page and couldn't put the book down - the storyline was engaging and well-paced and I enjoyed the characters, I don't always love a multiple-perspective book, however I think it really works for this story and helped to keep the events moving.
As a young adult contemporary, I think this is an excellent display of emotional writing and sensitive tackling of some difficult topics by Sera Milano. The character's feelings are always at the forefront, stopping the violence and trauma from becoming too overwhelming.
January 19, 2022
'this can never not be real' follows a group of teenagers experiencing a day of fun at a concert, until they are caught up in a life threatening terrorist attack, stuck in the terrorists' bounds and fighting for survival. the majority of the novel is told in the point of view of four teenagers which actually really distracted me at first because the book's synopsis stated the story would follow five different characters. this led to a constant nagging in the back of my head wondering when the fifth point of view would come in. not really an important detail but just a little bit about my personal reading experience (and dw! it'll come together as you go on).
through their recounts, we see how the night unfolded from an initial sense of confusion to utter terror and violence. the book is filled with tragedy, loss, and just utter devestation and yet, there are underlying themes of love and friendship that shine through by the end. don't think of it as just a book about loss but about strength and hope as well.
this book had me hooked all the way till the end while tears were streaming down my face. it is so heartbreaking yet compelling and moving and ultimately, so worth the read.
*i think you can tell from this review that this book is filled with potentially triggering content so please please check trigger warnings!
rating: 5/5
through their recounts, we see how the night unfolded from an initial sense of confusion to utter terror and violence. the book is filled with tragedy, loss, and just utter devestation and yet, there are underlying themes of love and friendship that shine through by the end. don't think of it as just a book about loss but about strength and hope as well.
this book had me hooked all the way till the end while tears were streaming down my face. it is so heartbreaking yet compelling and moving and ultimately, so worth the read.
*i think you can tell from this review that this book is filled with potentially triggering content so please please check trigger warnings!
rating: 5/5
October 13, 2022
Ein Amoklauf auf einem Festival aus der Sicht von sechs Jugendlichen und danach wird nichts wie vorher sein...
Sera Milano schafft es eine eindringliche Geschichte zu erzählen, die einen nicht so schnell wieder loslässt. Erzählt wird das ganze rückblickend aus durch unsere sechs Protagonisten, die alle einen etwas anderen Blick auf die Geschehnisse haben. Dabei lernen wir die Jugendlichen besser kennen und durch ihre Schilderungen der schrecklichen Tat wird man direkt auf die Festivalwiese katapultiert. Mir sind die Geschehnisse manchmal recht nah gegangen, da ich mich total in die Situation hineinversetzten konnte.
Sera Milano hat einen ganz eigenen Schreibstil, an den ich mich erst mal gewöhnen musste, durch die kurzen Kapitel kommt man aber recht schnell voran. Ich fand es spannend den Erzählungen zu folgen und der Chronologie des Amoklaufs zu folgen, dabei entwickelt sich eine immer angespanntere Atmosphäre in dem Buch. Zum Ende hätte ich mir allerdings noch einen Ausblick in die Zukunft gewünscht, um die Geschichte perfekt abzurunden.
Nichts wird wie vorher sein ist eine eindringliche Schilderung eines schrecklichen Amoklaufs, der einem mit seiner Unvorhersehbarkeit immer wieder einen Schlag in den Magen verpasst, ohne dass man aufhören kann weiter zu lesen.
4 von 5 Sternen
Sera Milano schafft es eine eindringliche Geschichte zu erzählen, die einen nicht so schnell wieder loslässt. Erzählt wird das ganze rückblickend aus durch unsere sechs Protagonisten, die alle einen etwas anderen Blick auf die Geschehnisse haben. Dabei lernen wir die Jugendlichen besser kennen und durch ihre Schilderungen der schrecklichen Tat wird man direkt auf die Festivalwiese katapultiert. Mir sind die Geschehnisse manchmal recht nah gegangen, da ich mich total in die Situation hineinversetzten konnte.
Sera Milano hat einen ganz eigenen Schreibstil, an den ich mich erst mal gewöhnen musste, durch die kurzen Kapitel kommt man aber recht schnell voran. Ich fand es spannend den Erzählungen zu folgen und der Chronologie des Amoklaufs zu folgen, dabei entwickelt sich eine immer angespanntere Atmosphäre in dem Buch. Zum Ende hätte ich mir allerdings noch einen Ausblick in die Zukunft gewünscht, um die Geschichte perfekt abzurunden.
Nichts wird wie vorher sein ist eine eindringliche Schilderung eines schrecklichen Amoklaufs, der einem mit seiner Unvorhersehbarkeit immer wieder einen Schlag in den Magen verpasst, ohne dass man aufhören kann weiter zu lesen.
4 von 5 Sternen
August 3, 2021
HOLY SH*T, this book.
This book follows five teenagers during a terrorist attack. What matters first is survival. What matters after that is survival, too.
I don’t think I’ve ever read such an intense book before. It’s heart throbbing and shocking. I literally had to put it down a few times to get a chance to breathe. It felt like I was actually part of the story, I was literally living it.
Some scenes are kind of graphic, so be aware of that.
This book made me feel all the feels and I just have to give it 5/5⭐️
This book follows five teenagers during a terrorist attack. What matters first is survival. What matters after that is survival, too.
I don’t think I’ve ever read such an intense book before. It’s heart throbbing and shocking. I literally had to put it down a few times to get a chance to breathe. It felt like I was actually part of the story, I was literally living it.
Some scenes are kind of graphic, so be aware of that.
This book made me feel all the feels and I just have to give it 5/5⭐️
January 8, 2022
Fy fan vilken hemsk bok. En viktig, hjärtbultande, fruktansvärd och samtidigt livsviktig och vacker bok. Mitt hjärta har skenat från de första sidorna och tårarna har sprutat de sista 20.
Läs den här. Gör det bara. För det här är tyvärr verkligheten för många, alltför många har tvingats vara med om terror och den här boken är så skickligt skriven och utförd att det är precis om att befinna sig där!!
Shit.
Läs den här. Gör det bara. För det här är tyvärr verkligheten för många, alltför många har tvingats vara med om terror och den här boken är så skickligt skriven och utförd att det är precis om att befinna sig där!!
Shit.
March 9, 2025
Super impressed that this managed to keep a strong realistic tone throughout. Due to the gun violence I admit I was expecting it to be set in the US, not the UK when I first picked it up. The way the story would switch POV from paragraph to paragraph did seem jarring, but I got used to it quickly.
October 18, 2022
numb.
this book kept tension till the last page and now when everything has let go I'm just numb
this book kept tension till the last page and now when everything has let go I'm just numb
October 14, 2024
Wow! Dieses Buch lässt uns Leser*innen atem- und sprachlos zurück. Es bewegt und macht nachdenklich. Noch lange nach Beendigung der Lektüre.
Aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen wird uns hier eine komplexe Geschichte erzählt. Diese verschiedene Stimmen lassen die Handlung nahbarer erscheinen.
Große Leseempfehlung, auch als Schullektüre geeignet.
Aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen wird uns hier eine komplexe Geschichte erzählt. Diese verschiedene Stimmen lassen die Handlung nahbarer erscheinen.
Große Leseempfehlung, auch als Schullektüre geeignet.
April 7, 2021
This Can Never Not Be Real - Sera Milano :: 2.5/5
** Please be aware that this book does depict a terrorist attack, so there are scenes of violence that may be distressing for some readers **
There has been a terrorist attack in the small town of Amberside where hundreds have gathered at a local festival. This Can Never Not Be Real is told from the multiple perspectives of five teenagers at the event as they try to stay alive and get to safety.
This was an incredibly fast paced read and I managed to finish it in two sittings! It’s very gripping and the anticipation and suspense is enough to keep you at the edge of your seat.
Although I liked the general story and the overall focus on the people trying to survive the attack, as opposed to them trying to find out the attackers motives etc, I was not a fan of how it was executed. The story is told in multiple perspectives in the style of police reports. However, each ‘section’ did not read like a report. Instead they were around a paragraph of far too descriptive purple prose to seem like a proper transcript.
Sometimes each character would only get one sentence in their section, and this was nowhere near enough time for me to properly connect with them. By the end of the novel I still had trouble distinguishing each character, and I didn’t feel as much sympathy for the characters as I think I could have if I’d understood and connected with them better.
There were a couple of romances entwined in this story that I didn’t think added anything to the plot except make it more unbelievable for me. I couldn’t discern how people who had barely spoken to each other before the story began had come to hopelessly falling in love in the span of mere hours. One person went from calling someone a moron to kissing them in the span of about 50 pages.
I also didn’t find the ending very satisfactory - it felt like we’d had all of this build up for something very abrupt and wishy washy.
Overall this is a gripping story about surviving a terrorist attack that unfortunately just wasn’t for me.
TW: terrorism, suicide, death, violence, guns, graphic descriptions [of injuries]
** Please be aware that this book does depict a terrorist attack, so there are scenes of violence that may be distressing for some readers **
There has been a terrorist attack in the small town of Amberside where hundreds have gathered at a local festival. This Can Never Not Be Real is told from the multiple perspectives of five teenagers at the event as they try to stay alive and get to safety.
This was an incredibly fast paced read and I managed to finish it in two sittings! It’s very gripping and the anticipation and suspense is enough to keep you at the edge of your seat.
Although I liked the general story and the overall focus on the people trying to survive the attack, as opposed to them trying to find out the attackers motives etc, I was not a fan of how it was executed. The story is told in multiple perspectives in the style of police reports. However, each ‘section’ did not read like a report. Instead they were around a paragraph of far too descriptive purple prose to seem like a proper transcript.
Sometimes each character would only get one sentence in their section, and this was nowhere near enough time for me to properly connect with them. By the end of the novel I still had trouble distinguishing each character, and I didn’t feel as much sympathy for the characters as I think I could have if I’d understood and connected with them better.
There were a couple of romances entwined in this story that I didn’t think added anything to the plot except make it more unbelievable for me. I couldn’t discern how people who had barely spoken to each other before the story began had come to hopelessly falling in love in the span of mere hours. One person went from calling someone a moron to kissing them in the span of about 50 pages.
I also didn’t find the ending very satisfactory - it felt like we’d had all of this build up for something very abrupt and wishy washy.
Overall this is a gripping story about surviving a terrorist attack that unfortunately just wasn’t for me.
TW: terrorism, suicide, death, violence, guns, graphic descriptions [of injuries]
May 31, 2021
Honestly, this book is up there in my top 5 favourites. When I say I couldn’t put it down, I mean, my heart was THUMPING. I was so invested in all the characters and the story filled me with fear, hope and a whole other world of emotions. I sat and read this in one day and struggled to put it down - honestly I’ve not felt like that about a book in a long while.
This is a story about the victims of a terrorist attack during a local festival. This is not the terrorists story, that does not matter. This is about those who lived it, lost loved ones and feared for their lives. When / if you come to read this book, please read the authors note at the end, it’s so so important 💛
The way Sera Milano has written this story is beautiful. In the first couple of pages I was unsure on the style she had used to write it but quickly realised how impactful it was and how I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My heart still thumps thinking about this book and what those characters went through, although it is a work of fiction, it is not far from reality for many people and my heart goes out to anyone who has ever experienced anything like this or lost a loved one because of such an unforgivable act.
I loved everything about this book and cannot recommend it enough 🥺✨💛
I’d also just like to say... THIS BOOK HAS TRIGGER WARNINGS ✨ before it even starts! ✨ and that for me just made me love it all the morel!
This is a story about the victims of a terrorist attack during a local festival. This is not the terrorists story, that does not matter. This is about those who lived it, lost loved ones and feared for their lives. When / if you come to read this book, please read the authors note at the end, it’s so so important 💛
The way Sera Milano has written this story is beautiful. In the first couple of pages I was unsure on the style she had used to write it but quickly realised how impactful it was and how I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My heart still thumps thinking about this book and what those characters went through, although it is a work of fiction, it is not far from reality for many people and my heart goes out to anyone who has ever experienced anything like this or lost a loved one because of such an unforgivable act.
I loved everything about this book and cannot recommend it enough 🥺✨💛
I’d also just like to say... THIS BOOK HAS TRIGGER WARNINGS ✨ before it even starts! ✨ and that for me just made me love it all the morel!
June 30, 2021
Woah
This book was one hell of a ride. Ended on such a highish note but took the long way to get there. I loved that this didn't focus on the terrorists and focused only on the people. This was a wild ride. Having multiple POVs and storylines meant we saw all the action all at once. As the characters separated and came together with their own tales of survival and loss. This was a gut puncher in quite a few ways
This book was one hell of a ride. Ended on such a highish note but took the long way to get there. I loved that this didn't focus on the terrorists and focused only on the people. This was a wild ride. Having multiple POVs and storylines meant we saw all the action all at once. As the characters separated and came together with their own tales of survival and loss. This was a gut puncher in quite a few ways
July 3, 2021
4.5 stars
A raw, harrowing and brutal read that gripped me right from the first page. I was actually quite shocked by the level of violence and detail because this is a YA novel (it seems graphic even for an adult novel). However, the author did a good job in telling a powerful story without glorifying terrorism and violence.
The book follows a group of teens whose paths (physically and metaphorically) intersect at a music festival. As what is supposed to be a carefree night descends into terror and chaos, the teens are thrown together in a desperate bid for survival. Trapped with their one escape route blocked, they endure heartstopping moment after heartstopping moment as the terrorists continue their prowl to eliminate any remaining survivors.
We see how ill-prepared the town is because while you read about acts of terrorism in the news, no one ever expects this to happen to them. In a small town like this, law enforcement's biggest crisis is "officers needing wellington boots to retrieve sheep blocking muddy roads". Meaning that help was slow to arrive and reach the victims, who even then continue to be held hostage.
The story is told through the perspectives of multiple teens. We get to learn about their dreams, hopes and fears outside of their ordeal because they are so much more than victims. While most of the novel takes place over one horrifying night, we also get to see how the characters struggle to return to life after the tragedy and cope with losing their loved ones.
I like that it is never revealed who the terrorists are or what their motivations are, because as the book mentions, their voices do not matter and they do not deserve to have one. And it's really refreshing because when you read about terrorism in real life, it's always the aggressors whose names are remembered while the victims and their lives fade into the background.
This is a story about survival, but also one of hope and humanity. I think the author handled a sensitive subject extremely well and I'm amazed that this is a debut. I would recommend this book to everyone, though do look up trigger warnings.
A raw, harrowing and brutal read that gripped me right from the first page. I was actually quite shocked by the level of violence and detail because this is a YA novel (it seems graphic even for an adult novel). However, the author did a good job in telling a powerful story without glorifying terrorism and violence.
The book follows a group of teens whose paths (physically and metaphorically) intersect at a music festival. As what is supposed to be a carefree night descends into terror and chaos, the teens are thrown together in a desperate bid for survival. Trapped with their one escape route blocked, they endure heartstopping moment after heartstopping moment as the terrorists continue their prowl to eliminate any remaining survivors.
We see how ill-prepared the town is because while you read about acts of terrorism in the news, no one ever expects this to happen to them. In a small town like this, law enforcement's biggest crisis is "officers needing wellington boots to retrieve sheep blocking muddy roads". Meaning that help was slow to arrive and reach the victims, who even then continue to be held hostage.
The story is told through the perspectives of multiple teens. We get to learn about their dreams, hopes and fears outside of their ordeal because they are so much more than victims. While most of the novel takes place over one horrifying night, we also get to see how the characters struggle to return to life after the tragedy and cope with losing their loved ones.
I like that it is never revealed who the terrorists are or what their motivations are, because as the book mentions, their voices do not matter and they do not deserve to have one. And it's really refreshing because when you read about terrorism in real life, it's always the aggressors whose names are remembered while the victims and their lives fade into the background.
This is a story about survival, but also one of hope and humanity. I think the author handled a sensitive subject extremely well and I'm amazed that this is a debut. I would recommend this book to everyone, though do look up trigger warnings.
✨ "One thing I remember too clearly is the way that people's screams change, between the time when they fear death is nearby and the moment it arrives."
May 24, 2021
✨“The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.”✨
― Nicholas Sparks
Trigger warnings: Terrorism, serious injury, suicide, and death.
🌷Broke into five perspectives, this book follows teenagers in the ordinary town of Amberside where nothing exciting ever really happens. But one day, Terrorists attack their local festival. It becomes a battleground and everyone is fighting, screaming for their survival.
The majority of this book is set at this festival, and we see humanity at its rawest. What will or won’t people do to protect themselves?
🌸This was so heartbreaking. I was honestly on the edge of my seat. My heart was in my throat and I could not stop reading. The emotions, and the reactions of each character felt. so. freaking. real. When the terrorists attacked, all the characters could think about was why. Why were they doing this? Why is this happening to us? Why is no one helping? Why won’t they stop?
Honestly guys, you need to mentally prepare before you read this. It is seriously scary in terms of ‘I can imagine this— this could be real’.
Thank you so much for emotionally scarring me @Netgallery, @EgmontBooks, @ElectricMonkey and @SeraMilano.
Read. Be happy. Stay safe.
― Nicholas Sparks
Trigger warnings: Terrorism, serious injury, suicide, and death.
🌷Broke into five perspectives, this book follows teenagers in the ordinary town of Amberside where nothing exciting ever really happens. But one day, Terrorists attack their local festival. It becomes a battleground and everyone is fighting, screaming for their survival.
The majority of this book is set at this festival, and we see humanity at its rawest. What will or won’t people do to protect themselves?
🌸This was so heartbreaking. I was honestly on the edge of my seat. My heart was in my throat and I could not stop reading. The emotions, and the reactions of each character felt. so. freaking. real. When the terrorists attacked, all the characters could think about was why. Why were they doing this? Why is this happening to us? Why is no one helping? Why won’t they stop?
Honestly guys, you need to mentally prepare before you read this. It is seriously scary in terms of ‘I can imagine this— this could be real’.
Thank you so much for emotionally scarring me @Netgallery, @EgmontBooks, @ElectricMonkey and @SeraMilano.
Read. Be happy. Stay safe.
April 28, 2021
I mean where do I begin?! MY EMOTIONS!
From the offset, this was so gripping and a complete emotional rollercoaster. It was so fast paced.
It was written in an interview transcript style so it was very easy to read and this definitely added to the pace and atmosphere building.
I devoured it in about 3 hours. It was tense, atmospheric and just overall, very sad and scary.
My heart just broke for the characters and their storylines. It was absolutely heart wrenching and it all felt so real.
Definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time.
It’s a hard topic, so please consider the trigger warnings before you go in.
From the offset, this was so gripping and a complete emotional rollercoaster. It was so fast paced.
It was written in an interview transcript style so it was very easy to read and this definitely added to the pace and atmosphere building.
I devoured it in about 3 hours. It was tense, atmospheric and just overall, very sad and scary.
My heart just broke for the characters and their storylines. It was absolutely heart wrenching and it all felt so real.
Definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time.
It’s a hard topic, so please consider the trigger warnings before you go in.
May 8, 2023
A tough book to read about a terrorist attack at a bonfire night celebration.
I'm not a massive YA fan, but this fast paced, multiple POV book following teens stuck in the middle of a terrorist attack just had me hooked. Told is short vignettes flicking between characters, the book tells of their struggles, of how they worked together and apart to just get through.
The characters all stood out as being different, despite the short snippets we got from each and the tension throughout was perfect.
Maybe didn't need the romance elements, but a really solid book that I would recommend.
I'm not a massive YA fan, but this fast paced, multiple POV book following teens stuck in the middle of a terrorist attack just had me hooked. Told is short vignettes flicking between characters, the book tells of their struggles, of how they worked together and apart to just get through.
The characters all stood out as being different, despite the short snippets we got from each and the tension throughout was perfect.
Maybe didn't need the romance elements, but a really solid book that I would recommend.
September 17, 2021
Olipa mielenkiintoinen lukukokemus, joka käsittelee terrorismia selviytyjien välittömästä näkökulmasta. Tapahtumia seurataan hetki hetkeltä viiden teinin näkökulmasta, jotka tekevät kaikkensa selviytyäkseen hengissä silmittömältä väkivallalta. Välitön, ahdistava ja koskettava kirja.
February 19, 2022
JE SUIS BOUCHE BÉE face à ce livre! Mon coeur est lourd, mais cette lecture est tellement nécessaire. Un coup au coeur pour ces adolescents, pour le réalisme de la situation, pour les réflexions que nous apportent ce roman. Quelle CLAQUE!!!
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