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Klickitat
En la maravillosa Mi abandono, Peter Rock mostró su destreza para que conductas y situaciones extrañas parezcan completamente verosímiles, y para dotarlas de un profundo suspenso. Situada en los terrenos crepusculares entre la realidad y la fantasía, la locura y la cordura, donde muchos de nosotros vivimos durante la adolescencia, Klickitat cuenta una historia fascinante e inquietante sobre cómo escapar y esconderse a la vista de todos.
Ursula K. Le Guin
Los animales, como los humanos, cometen en la vida los errores que finalmente los conducen a la muerte, sea física, espiritual o emocional. Las personas y los animales que en la vida hacen siempre el mismo camino eventualmente harán un surco. Pronto los surcos se hacen tan profundos que las personas no pueden ver hacia los costados. No ven el peligro ni la belleza, solo el camino que tienen adelante, porque temen perder su seguridad y temen entrar en terreno desconocido.
Ursula K. Le Guin
Los animales, como los humanos, cometen en la vida los errores que finalmente los conducen a la muerte, sea física, espiritual o emocional. Las personas y los animales que en la vida hacen siempre el mismo camino eventualmente harán un surco. Pronto los surcos se hacen tan profundos que las personas no pueden ver hacia los costados. No ven el peligro ni la belleza, solo el camino que tienen adelante, porque temen perder su seguridad y temen entrar en terreno desconocido.
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2016
27 people are currently reading
1374 people want to read
About the author
Peter Rock
25 books338 followersPeter Rock was born and raised in Salt Lake City. His most recent novel, Passersthrough, involves a murder house, a fax machine, communications between the living and the dead, and a mountain lake that moves from place to place. He is also the author of the novels The Night Swimmers, SPELLS, Klickitat, The Shelter Cycle, My Abandonment, The Bewildered, The Ambidextrist, Carnival Wolves and This Is the Place, as well as a story collection, The Unsettling. Rock attended Deep Springs College, received a BA in English from Yale University, and held a Wallace Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. He has taught fiction at the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Deep Springs College, and in the MFA program at San Francisco State University. His stories and freelance writing have both appeared and been anthologized widely, and his books published in various countries and languages. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and an Alex Award, as well as a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, he currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where he is a Professor in the English Department of Reed College. Leave No Trace, the film adaptation of My Abandonment, directed by Debra Granik, premiered at Sundance and Cannes and was released to critical acclaim in 2018. His eleventh work of fiction, Passersthrough, will be published in early 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
July 16, 2021
Peter Rock retoma algunas ideas de "Mi abandono" y crea una nueva historia bastante angustiante de principio a fin. Debo admitir que me agradó mucho más de lo que esperaba. Es una lectura ágil, para leer en una sentada. Recomiendo ampliamente, sobre todo para quienes ya hayan leído "Mi abandono", ya que hace referencia a los eventos de este libro (aunque no pasa nada si no lo han leído y quieren empezar por Klickitat, se entiende de igual manera).
April 27, 2016
My first thought when I finished KLICKITAT was: what did I just read. But not in a bad way, because the more I thought about it, the more I realized I enjoyed this book, although I am still at a loss on how to rate it.
KLICKITAT has been compared to THE VIRGIN SUICIDES and WE WERE LIARS. I would almost add in OF SCARS AND STARDUST, but even that wouldn't be accurate; this is something entirely new, and I'm always up for a unique story.
Vivian is a somewhat unreliable narrator, which only adds to the mystery and prompts question of what the truth actually is. When her sister disappears she begins to see messages written in her notebook, written in an unfamiliar hand. There is a definite creep factor here, it's subtle, but some moments made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
I finished KLICKITAT in one sitting, driven by the need to know more and get my questions answered. There's a constant what's going on feeling that urges you to keep reading, and makes you come up with theories that are ultimately proved wrong (if you're me.) I can't say whether your questions will be answered, at least not in an obvious way, but it definitely makes you think and come up with your own conclusions.
There's a lot more to this story than what is described in the synopsis. KLICKITAT is an easy read due to its simplicity, but only if you do not look below the surface, where there is a wealth of hidden meanings and depth. The book trailer actually captures this story a little better. If anything, I would recommend that you check this one out for yourself and form your own interpretation.
KLICKITAT has been compared to THE VIRGIN SUICIDES and WE WERE LIARS. I would almost add in OF SCARS AND STARDUST, but even that wouldn't be accurate; this is something entirely new, and I'm always up for a unique story.
Vivian is a somewhat unreliable narrator, which only adds to the mystery and prompts question of what the truth actually is. When her sister disappears she begins to see messages written in her notebook, written in an unfamiliar hand. There is a definite creep factor here, it's subtle, but some moments made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
I finished KLICKITAT in one sitting, driven by the need to know more and get my questions answered. There's a constant what's going on feeling that urges you to keep reading, and makes you come up with theories that are ultimately proved wrong (if you're me.) I can't say whether your questions will be answered, at least not in an obvious way, but it definitely makes you think and come up with your own conclusions.
There's a lot more to this story than what is described in the synopsis. KLICKITAT is an easy read due to its simplicity, but only if you do not look below the surface, where there is a wealth of hidden meanings and depth. The book trailer actually captures this story a little better. If anything, I would recommend that you check this one out for yourself and form your own interpretation.
July 15, 2021
"Klickitat” fue una lectura un tanto extraña, me gustó pero siento que hay cosas que no entendí del todo. Aunque sé que es probable que esa haya sido la intención del autor. Es la segunda novela de Peter Rock que leo y me gustaría leer más del autor en el futuro. La edición es tan linda por fuera cómo por dentro con los detalles propios de @edicionesgodot. Si les gustan las historias sencillas para reflexionar entonces “Klickitat” es para ustedes.
March 10, 2022
Una novela corta y sutil, atravesada por un elemento fantástico como si fuera un túnel: algo que se esconde debajo de la superficie, de la realidad, algo a lo que pocos tienen acceso.
La narradora, Vivian, cuenta la historia de su hermana mayor, Audra: una adolescente que decide escapar de la civilización y vivir en la naturaleza, que aprende a esconderse y a construir refugios, a fabricar trampas y a caminar sin hacer ruido, descalza, con el sigilo de los zorros.
Audra se va de casa con ayuda de Henry, un hombre extraño que le enseña a dominar esas habilidades de supervivencia. Pero pronto vuelve por su hermana, y se la lleva para enseñarle lo que ha aprendido, para que se vaya con ellos.
Rock muestra la adolescencia como un momento liminal, un tiempo-pasaje que casi siempre desemboca en una vida adulta normal, pero que también es un punto de inflexión vulnerable y abierto a otras posibilidades, donde las decisiones tienen una fuerza que se pierde con los años.
Y Vivian es ella misma un pasaje, un canal: recibe mensajes misteriosos que aparecen en un cuaderno viejo, palabras que llegan de otro lado, que otra gente descubre en frecuencias de radio, que traen voces del más allá.
La narradora, Vivian, cuenta la historia de su hermana mayor, Audra: una adolescente que decide escapar de la civilización y vivir en la naturaleza, que aprende a esconderse y a construir refugios, a fabricar trampas y a caminar sin hacer ruido, descalza, con el sigilo de los zorros.
Audra se va de casa con ayuda de Henry, un hombre extraño que le enseña a dominar esas habilidades de supervivencia. Pero pronto vuelve por su hermana, y se la lleva para enseñarle lo que ha aprendido, para que se vaya con ellos.
Rock muestra la adolescencia como un momento liminal, un tiempo-pasaje que casi siempre desemboca en una vida adulta normal, pero que también es un punto de inflexión vulnerable y abierto a otras posibilidades, donde las decisiones tienen una fuerza que se pierde con los años.
Y Vivian es ella misma un pasaje, un canal: recibe mensajes misteriosos que aparecen en un cuaderno viejo, palabras que llegan de otro lado, que otra gente descubre en frecuencias de radio, que traen voces del más allá.
May 2, 2016
When I read the blurb for the book, I got goosebumps and expected it to be deliciously creepy but not creepy enough to make me check all of the locks on my doors. What I read has left me confused. Maybe I missed the point of it or am too concrete in my interpretation of it. There are two sisters, one of whom has some type of mental illness. The older sister decides that society/technology is too much and wants to live in the woods. She runs off with a guy and then that guy comes back later for the younger sister. Every second from that point on I was expecting abuse, kidnapping, something. I was on the verge of waiting for something bad to happen. They live under someone's house while saving money to go away. Weird. The guy gets creepier and I expect something...but nothing still. The ending makes me wonder how much was real and how much was in the sister's head who struggled with a mental illness or if I missed a big clue from the author or if it was confusing on purpose. I felt like it had a lot of potential but fell flat in some areas.
April 12, 2025
Una chica es la cosa más dulce y peligrosa. ¿Durante cuántos años son lo más peligroso? Pueden andar sin rumbo y pueden volver directo a casa. ¿O son un diamante a pulir? Pulir es afilar. Pensar solo en el peligro es un error, desde luego, ya que las chicas también son dulces, y tal es en parte su poder.
lo empecé sin expectativas y me atrapó enseguida. el primer capítulo me pareció una excelente muestra de cómo presentar un personaje y una situación, ya empieza a sembrar los elementos centrales de toda la historia, una maravilla. me quedé con muchísimas ganas de leer más libros del autor, y esa siempre es una sensación linda.
lo empecé sin expectativas y me atrapó enseguida. el primer capítulo me pareció una excelente muestra de cómo presentar un personaje y una situación, ya empieza a sembrar los elementos centrales de toda la historia, una maravilla. me quedé con muchísimas ganas de leer más libros del autor, y esa siempre es una sensación linda.
March 6, 2017
Klickitat was a rather strange read. Questions just kept piling up throughout the entire story, so much so that three-fourths through, I still had no idea what the story was about. I still have no idea.
I have to say that however inconclusive this book was, it kept me interested enough to keep wondering, to keep questioning, and to keep reading. The writing was good, and the narrative was interesting, in a strange kind of a way.
I received a copy of this book from Amulet Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say that however inconclusive this book was, it kept me interested enough to keep wondering, to keep questioning, and to keep reading. The writing was good, and the narrative was interesting, in a strange kind of a way.
I received a copy of this book from Amulet Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2015
Sixteen-year-old Vivian and her older sister Audra have a strong bond, and when Audra begins leaving their Portland house at night, Vivian feels left out. Audra dreams of roughing and living off the land, and when she finds Henry, an older man who knows how to do so, she leaves with him. Vivian knows that Audra would never leave her for long so she pays attention to everything around her, eventually noticing writing in a notebook, and then joining Henry and Audra who are living in the crawl space beneath a house. The author captures the desperation Vivian feels about being separated from her sister and the culture of the street life the three learn to navigate. Even while Audra distances herself from their parents, Vivian misses them and feels torn between the two branches of her family. Casting a spell of longing and loss intermingled with a need to belong somewhere, the author has captured parts of Portland perfectly, including the city's woods-filled parks and tunnels. While introducing characters from as far away as Iceland and painting a portrait of parents who seem unable to communicate with their teen girls, the author may make readers believe in ghosts and their ability to communicate from the beyond. Vivian's desperation while waiting for Audra and Henry to return while she fends for herself is particularly effective as is the fact that the author never really spells out what's bothering the two sisters or why home is a place to leave and not stay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
I think I need some time to let this settle in before trying to form coherent thoughts about it.
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July 11, 2021esperen la reseña en instagram :)
May 20, 2016
Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
Klickitat is quite possibly one of the most unique, strange books that I have read, and that isn't a bad thing. This book pulled off a story that, while at first I didn't know if I would enjoy, I ended up applauding how well it was written and how unique the plot itself is.
Vivian and her older sister, Audra, live in a nice suburban family with their parents. The sisters are pretty close, and since Vivian has a type of anxiety that causes her to become "agitated" and need to feel secure and often hold onto something or someone, her sister frequently calms her down and makes her feel better. Taken from their favorite childhood book, Ramona and Beezus, the word Klickitat is one that they often use to remind each other that everything is okay, and they are there for each other always. It helps calm Vivian down during some particularly bad episodes growing up, and it sticks for both of them and becomes an important sentiment between them.
As time goes on, Audra starts acting more and more strange. She spends a lot of time out in the woods walking around barefoot, reading wilderness survival guides, and giving their parents a hard time about their lives, claiming that she doesn't want to become a "robot" like society wants her to become. She says that Vivian does not need the medications that she takes, and that she would be better off without them. She starts telling Vivian that she is going to be leaving soon, to live out among the woods the way they were meant to live - without the technology and materialism that everyone seems to fall victim to.
So when Audra disappears one night, Vivian is crushed. She misses Audra and can't believe that she would just leave her behind. However, one night the man that Audra has been seeing and left with comes by to collect Vivian, and takes her to where he and Audra have been staying - outside, under a woman's porch, away from all the things that they hate and believe are poisoning the way everyone else lives and thinks.
As Vivian leaves her previous life behind and starts spending more and more time with her sister and her boyfriend, she begins to wonder if what they are doing is the right thing.
During her sister's disappearance and while she is living with Audra and her boyfriend, Vivian finds a notebook that seems to write her mysterious messages, and while they don't often make sense, they are often chilling (especially some of the messages toward the last chapters of the book.
From the first page to the very haunting conclusion, Klickitat is a book that will shock and surprise you. When I was reading this book, I got to see the world from a new viewpoint - that of a group of people who believed that living without technology and material items is the best kind of life. I found this book to be a treat that I just couldn't put down until I had finished it.
Vivian and Audra's relationship is the kind of sisterly bond that you can't help but love - the two of them together aren't only sisters, but friends as well. While the girls' parents seem a bit lacking when it comes to personality, you could tell that they loved their daughters and wanted to find them again.
While Klickitat is a rather quick read, the story comes across clearly and there is plenty of room to enjoy the characters and the plot. It seems to be the perfect length for an enjoyable rainy-day read!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Klickitat is quite possibly one of the most unique, strange books that I have read, and that isn't a bad thing. This book pulled off a story that, while at first I didn't know if I would enjoy, I ended up applauding how well it was written and how unique the plot itself is.
Vivian and her older sister, Audra, live in a nice suburban family with their parents. The sisters are pretty close, and since Vivian has a type of anxiety that causes her to become "agitated" and need to feel secure and often hold onto something or someone, her sister frequently calms her down and makes her feel better. Taken from their favorite childhood book, Ramona and Beezus, the word Klickitat is one that they often use to remind each other that everything is okay, and they are there for each other always. It helps calm Vivian down during some particularly bad episodes growing up, and it sticks for both of them and becomes an important sentiment between them.
As time goes on, Audra starts acting more and more strange. She spends a lot of time out in the woods walking around barefoot, reading wilderness survival guides, and giving their parents a hard time about their lives, claiming that she doesn't want to become a "robot" like society wants her to become. She says that Vivian does not need the medications that she takes, and that she would be better off without them. She starts telling Vivian that she is going to be leaving soon, to live out among the woods the way they were meant to live - without the technology and materialism that everyone seems to fall victim to.
So when Audra disappears one night, Vivian is crushed. She misses Audra and can't believe that she would just leave her behind. However, one night the man that Audra has been seeing and left with comes by to collect Vivian, and takes her to where he and Audra have been staying - outside, under a woman's porch, away from all the things that they hate and believe are poisoning the way everyone else lives and thinks.
As Vivian leaves her previous life behind and starts spending more and more time with her sister and her boyfriend, she begins to wonder if what they are doing is the right thing.
During her sister's disappearance and while she is living with Audra and her boyfriend, Vivian finds a notebook that seems to write her mysterious messages, and while they don't often make sense, they are often chilling (especially some of the messages toward the last chapters of the book.
From the first page to the very haunting conclusion, Klickitat is a book that will shock and surprise you. When I was reading this book, I got to see the world from a new viewpoint - that of a group of people who believed that living without technology and material items is the best kind of life. I found this book to be a treat that I just couldn't put down until I had finished it.
Vivian and Audra's relationship is the kind of sisterly bond that you can't help but love - the two of them together aren't only sisters, but friends as well. While the girls' parents seem a bit lacking when it comes to personality, you could tell that they loved their daughters and wanted to find them again.
While Klickitat is a rather quick read, the story comes across clearly and there is plenty of room to enjoy the characters and the plot. It seems to be the perfect length for an enjoyable rainy-day read!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2016
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This book was rambling and confusing and full of questions. It’s about two sisters who are incredibly close: Vivian and Audra. Audra is a huge brat who constantly yells at her parents, sneaks out of the house and complains about how her parents are “robots” because they expect her to do silly things like go to school or get a job. Insane, right? The parents don’t have a huge role in the book because it really is about the relationship between these two sisters, but the parents were showed enough for me to get a sense that they were frustrated by Audra’s behavior and they genuinely cared about their daughters.
This book was told from the POV of Vivian and I had zero emotional connection with her. First of all, there was something going on with her that required she take pills every day. I guess they were so important that her mom would count them every night to make sure she took them. The problem was that the author NEVER revealed this condition to the reader. It was so frustrating. It was talked about many times. Audra kept saying Vivian didn’t need the pills and her parents just wanted to keep her medicated. The only “symptom” it talked about was some kind of fit that Vivian would have sometimes when she would hold on to someone and not let go. Yeah, I didn’t get it either.
The rest of the book was just as confusing and there was really no point to the whole story. It was basically about sisters who run away from him for absolutely NO reason. Vivian’s thoughts were all over the place and sometimes it was tough to tell what had actually happened. I didn’t feel anything for Vivian and I despised Audra. Like I said, she was a brat and she kept pulling her sister into her mess. I hated that she had two parents who loved her and a safe place to live and yet, she acted like life with her parents was so miserable. The ending was very unsatisfying and because of how Vivian’s thoughts were, it took a bit to even realize what had happened. When I did realize it, I felt cheated. The main reason I kept reading was to find out what happens with both sisters and it was kind of ridiculous. I didn’t get the sense that anyone really learned anything.
The only thing I really liked about the book was that the title refers to the name of the street that Ramona and Beezus lived on (you know, from the books). The sisters would say that word to each other or leave it as a message when they wanted the other one to know everything would be okay. That part was sweet and I loved those books, so any mention of them is okay by me. That was about it though.
This book was rambling and confusing and full of questions. It’s about two sisters who are incredibly close: Vivian and Audra. Audra is a huge brat who constantly yells at her parents, sneaks out of the house and complains about how her parents are “robots” because they expect her to do silly things like go to school or get a job. Insane, right? The parents don’t have a huge role in the book because it really is about the relationship between these two sisters, but the parents were showed enough for me to get a sense that they were frustrated by Audra’s behavior and they genuinely cared about their daughters.
This book was told from the POV of Vivian and I had zero emotional connection with her. First of all, there was something going on with her that required she take pills every day. I guess they were so important that her mom would count them every night to make sure she took them. The problem was that the author NEVER revealed this condition to the reader. It was so frustrating. It was talked about many times. Audra kept saying Vivian didn’t need the pills and her parents just wanted to keep her medicated. The only “symptom” it talked about was some kind of fit that Vivian would have sometimes when she would hold on to someone and not let go. Yeah, I didn’t get it either.
The rest of the book was just as confusing and there was really no point to the whole story. It was basically about sisters who run away from him for absolutely NO reason. Vivian’s thoughts were all over the place and sometimes it was tough to tell what had actually happened. I didn’t feel anything for Vivian and I despised Audra. Like I said, she was a brat and she kept pulling her sister into her mess. I hated that she had two parents who loved her and a safe place to live and yet, she acted like life with her parents was so miserable. The ending was very unsatisfying and because of how Vivian’s thoughts were, it took a bit to even realize what had happened. When I did realize it, I felt cheated. The main reason I kept reading was to find out what happens with both sisters and it was kind of ridiculous. I didn’t get the sense that anyone really learned anything.
The only thing I really liked about the book was that the title refers to the name of the street that Ramona and Beezus lived on (you know, from the books). The sisters would say that word to each other or leave it as a message when they wanted the other one to know everything would be okay. That part was sweet and I loved those books, so any mention of them is okay by me. That was about it though.
December 12, 2016
What did I just read?
That was the thought that hit me after I finished the book, and it stuck with me the entire night. I just do not understand what happened in this book. On the surface, it's a book about two sisters. The oldest, Audra, is obsessed with people becoming stuck in ruts, turning into "robots", and thinks that running away to live in the wilderness is the only way to escape that fate. The younger, by a year or so, Vivian, has some kind of undisclosed mental illness that requires her to take three pills a day, and often gets "agitated", resulting in fits. These fits involve her holding tight to people and not letting go, and Audra is the only one who will let her do that without trying to pry her loose. Tight fighting clothing, like too small sweaters and life vests help. We get no insight from Vivian on how she feels during these fits, or why the tight spaces help her. It's rather annoying.
One day, Audra disappears after having talked about a man who will "teach them" how to live in the wild. But Vivian knows she'll be back for her. In the meantime, mysterious words come to Vivian in a blank notebook.
One night, the man who Audra spoke of comes for Vivian. His name is Henry, and he takes her to the place they've been staying, supposedly biding their time and saving money, practicing wilderness survival until they take off for Alaska. He tells Vivian she's special, that he knows about the words in the notebook, and that "they need people like her".
...I just have no idea, after finishing, what even happened. What this book meant. What happened to the characters. It is so confusing.
That was the thought that hit me after I finished the book, and it stuck with me the entire night. I just do not understand what happened in this book. On the surface, it's a book about two sisters. The oldest, Audra, is obsessed with people becoming stuck in ruts, turning into "robots", and thinks that running away to live in the wilderness is the only way to escape that fate. The younger, by a year or so, Vivian, has some kind of undisclosed mental illness that requires her to take three pills a day, and often gets "agitated", resulting in fits. These fits involve her holding tight to people and not letting go, and Audra is the only one who will let her do that without trying to pry her loose. Tight fighting clothing, like too small sweaters and life vests help. We get no insight from Vivian on how she feels during these fits, or why the tight spaces help her. It's rather annoying.
One day, Audra disappears after having talked about a man who will "teach them" how to live in the wild. But Vivian knows she'll be back for her. In the meantime, mysterious words come to Vivian in a blank notebook.
One night, the man who Audra spoke of comes for Vivian. His name is Henry, and he takes her to the place they've been staying, supposedly biding their time and saving money, practicing wilderness survival until they take off for Alaska. He tells Vivian she's special, that he knows about the words in the notebook, and that "they need people like her".
...I just have no idea, after finishing, what even happened. What this book meant. What happened to the characters. It is so confusing.
November 2, 2015
Wow! I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Nothing by Janne Teller in the way adults are almost irrelevant to the adolescents and in the existentialist atmosphere.
July 22, 2021
Vivian y Audra son dos hermanas que residen en un barrio de Oregon con sus padres. Audra –la mayor– está intentando tomar otra forma de vida y Vivian recibe mensajes enigmáticos en un cuaderno. Tienen una relación estrecha, pero un día Audra decide irse, despojándose de todas las comodidades de la casa y siguiendo a alguien misterioso.
La novela juega con lo que no se dice, con la (in)comunicación y con lo poco confiable que resulta ser Vivian como narradora –ella está escribiendo la historia–. Tiene una condición psicológica indeterminada que hace que su mirada sea parcial, inocente y, a la vez, muy madura. No juzga: solo cuenta y expresa algunas de sus emociones. La impetuosa Audra la arrastra para volver a la naturaleza y a otras costumbres que fueron olvidadas por el ser humano, pero que un grupo que decide salir del sistema –o que ya estaba afuera– pone en práctica. Los mensajes anónimos que Vivian lee son una especie de guía.
Ahora bien, el libro se pierde sutilmente en el desarrollo y se vuelve algo monótono, además de confuso. Para colmo, sentí que, como lectora, debía poner en pausa muchas cosas para poder “creer” la historia. Paradójicamente, lo que se me hacía raro y contradictorio era la parte realista, aquella que puede acontecer en nuestro mundo lógico. Desde ya, ni Audra ni el personaje manipulador pueden sostener sus ideas y creo que eso no ayudó a solidificar el conflicto.
Así y todo, me saco el sombrero ante el final. En las últimas páginas me quedé helada, atando cabos y pensando “no me digas que…”. Y sí. Las irregularidades de las páginas pasadas empiezan a borrarse y abren paso a esa conversación increíble, lejana y sensible. Fue mi parte favorita del libro y, aunque no comprendí del todo el trabajo del padre, me fascinó que posibilitara eso.
Peter Rock dijo en una entrevista que “Klickitat” –omití hablar sobre esta palabra por cuestiones de spoilers– fue pensado para un público juvenil. Admito que agrega una novela extraña y profunda a la extensa oferta de libro juveniles, así que lo felicito y recomiendo que lo lean si se hartaron del Young Adult. Quizás vuelvan a enamorarse.
Muchas gracias a la editorial por haberme dado el ejemplar.
La novela juega con lo que no se dice, con la (in)comunicación y con lo poco confiable que resulta ser Vivian como narradora –ella está escribiendo la historia–. Tiene una condición psicológica indeterminada que hace que su mirada sea parcial, inocente y, a la vez, muy madura. No juzga: solo cuenta y expresa algunas de sus emociones. La impetuosa Audra la arrastra para volver a la naturaleza y a otras costumbres que fueron olvidadas por el ser humano, pero que un grupo que decide salir del sistema –o que ya estaba afuera– pone en práctica. Los mensajes anónimos que Vivian lee son una especie de guía.
Ahora bien, el libro se pierde sutilmente en el desarrollo y se vuelve algo monótono, además de confuso. Para colmo, sentí que, como lectora, debía poner en pausa muchas cosas para poder “creer” la historia. Paradójicamente, lo que se me hacía raro y contradictorio era la parte realista, aquella que puede acontecer en nuestro mundo lógico. Desde ya, ni Audra ni el personaje manipulador pueden sostener sus ideas y creo que eso no ayudó a solidificar el conflicto.
Así y todo, me saco el sombrero ante el final. En las últimas páginas me quedé helada, atando cabos y pensando “no me digas que…”. Y sí. Las irregularidades de las páginas pasadas empiezan a borrarse y abren paso a esa conversación increíble, lejana y sensible. Fue mi parte favorita del libro y, aunque no comprendí del todo el trabajo del padre, me fascinó que posibilitara eso.
Peter Rock dijo en una entrevista que “Klickitat” –omití hablar sobre esta palabra por cuestiones de spoilers– fue pensado para un público juvenil. Admito que agrega una novela extraña y profunda a la extensa oferta de libro juveniles, así que lo felicito y recomiendo que lo lean si se hartaron del Young Adult. Quizás vuelvan a enamorarse.
Muchas gracias a la editorial por haberme dado el ejemplar.
September 12, 2025
'Algunos meses pasan sin que nada cambie, y después de repente todo es diferente, los días pasan rápido y se confunden."
July 11, 2021
Ok, no sé qué pensar ni qué decir de este libro.
¿Me gustó? No sé.
¿Me entretuvo? Sí.
¿Me dejó pensando? Sí.
¿Siento que hay varias cosas que no entendí? También.
Antes que nada, una aclaración importante: si leen “Mi abandono” previo a “Klickitat”, van a ver un par de referencias.
A ver, la narradora, Vivian, está casi tan perdida como el lector, así que no es de mucha ayuda que digamos. Vemos lo que ella ve, que es un 10% de la historia en sí, hay piezas del rompecabezas que tenemos que encontrar nosotros, y es bástate complicado.
No me pregunten por qué, pero aunque son solamente 150 páginas de lectura, tardé varios días y horas en terminarlo. Y eso que los capítulos son cortitos, pero había algo que me enllentecía la lectura.
Todavía no sé bien qué me pasó con este libro, como les digo, siento que hay mucho más de lo que leemos, pero todavía estoy procesándolo. Siento que me faltó algo más, pero siendo el segundo libro que leo de Peter, creo que es su estilo de escritura. Tiene este estilo confuso, dinámico, pero que hace que entiendas menos de lo que entendías antes de leer sus libros.
Me hubiese gustado ver el desarrollo de los personajes más en detalle, las descripciones son más que nada sobre la naturaleza y los ambientes, no sobre las personas.
En fin, todavía no sé si lo recomiendo o no. Por ahora, es un gran “no sé”.
¿Me gustó? No sé.
¿Me entretuvo? Sí.
¿Me dejó pensando? Sí.
¿Siento que hay varias cosas que no entendí? También.
Antes que nada, una aclaración importante: si leen “Mi abandono” previo a “Klickitat”, van a ver un par de referencias.
A ver, la narradora, Vivian, está casi tan perdida como el lector, así que no es de mucha ayuda que digamos. Vemos lo que ella ve, que es un 10% de la historia en sí, hay piezas del rompecabezas que tenemos que encontrar nosotros, y es bástate complicado.
No me pregunten por qué, pero aunque son solamente 150 páginas de lectura, tardé varios días y horas en terminarlo. Y eso que los capítulos son cortitos, pero había algo que me enllentecía la lectura.
Todavía no sé bien qué me pasó con este libro, como les digo, siento que hay mucho más de lo que leemos, pero todavía estoy procesándolo. Siento que me faltó algo más, pero siendo el segundo libro que leo de Peter, creo que es su estilo de escritura. Tiene este estilo confuso, dinámico, pero que hace que entiendas menos de lo que entendías antes de leer sus libros.
Me hubiese gustado ver el desarrollo de los personajes más en detalle, las descripciones son más que nada sobre la naturaleza y los ambientes, no sobre las personas.
En fin, todavía no sé si lo recomiendo o no. Por ahora, es un gran “no sé”.
February 8, 2021
I’m not really sure what the hell this was to be blunt about it. It all read to me like two teenage girls who had all the basics covered (parents who took care of them, a decent school life, etc.) and when one decides to jump on the weirdo cult bandwagon, the other quickly follows.
The cult leader narrative always seems to unravel the same way with barely any originality interwoven in the story. What is it with these YA ‘thrillers/mysteries’ having such dense main characters? Yeah, teenagers make stupid decisions, understood. But severely lacking common sense skills is beyond being a little dumb. Other than the character fiasco, I didn’t feel any intrigue in the story. It’s short enough (about 230 pages) that I went ahead and finished it but when I closed the book I realized I had a headache.
This was such a weird read and I’m not sure what the author was trying to teach/explain/tell here. Guess it went over my head.
Rating: 2/5 stars.
The cult leader narrative always seems to unravel the same way with barely any originality interwoven in the story. What is it with these YA ‘thrillers/mysteries’ having such dense main characters? Yeah, teenagers make stupid decisions, understood. But severely lacking common sense skills is beyond being a little dumb. Other than the character fiasco, I didn’t feel any intrigue in the story. It’s short enough (about 230 pages) that I went ahead and finished it but when I closed the book I realized I had a headache.
This was such a weird read and I’m not sure what the author was trying to teach/explain/tell here. Guess it went over my head.
Rating: 2/5 stars.
October 13, 2021
Conocemos la historia a través de Vivian, una adolescente con una capacidad singular para percibir el mundo que existe más allá de los cinco sentidos. Ella necesita a Audra, su hermana. Audra también la necesita a ella. Entre ellas... Klickitat. Y no cuento nada más para que cada lector le otorgue sentido y poder a esa palabra...si se anima.
Un libro extraño, difícil de clasificar, con apenas 150 páginas para permitirse entrar en terreno desconocido, hacer silencio, caminar descalza, ensayar nuevas maneras de comunicarse, escapar, esconderse y ser paciente.
Con un guiño del autor a quienes leímos Mi Abandono y una prosa exquisita, debo reconocer que Peter Rock, con klickitat, me dejó pensando.
Un libro extraño, difícil de clasificar, con apenas 150 páginas para permitirse entrar en terreno desconocido, hacer silencio, caminar descalza, ensayar nuevas maneras de comunicarse, escapar, esconderse y ser paciente.
Con un guiño del autor a quienes leímos Mi Abandono y una prosa exquisita, debo reconocer que Peter Rock, con klickitat, me dejó pensando.
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March 22, 2021I hate leaving reviews that are negative but I truly was so irritated once i finished this book. Great story line, awful ending. I actually checked through this book to make sure there were no missing pages because I just knew it wasn't that simple. There was no way this girl just went back home to her parents and that was that. Over. There were parts of this book I did sincerely love but, overall, it felt as if there could have been so much more to the story. Thankfully, I got this book from Dollar Tree and only spent $1 instead of the actual sticker price.
August 27, 2021
Como se hace una reseña de un libro del que no sabías que esperar, que te dio vueltas para un lado y para otro.
Por empezar, la pluma de Peter Rock es sumamente poética, estoy deseando leer otros libros de él.
En un libro de 160 páginas destaque tantas frases, tantas reflexiones. Impactada de todo lo que me dejo la lectura de esta historia.
Quiero agradecer a la librería de mi ciudad que decidió seleccionar este libro como la lectura del mes para el debate, porque siento que sino nunca hubiera leído esta historia.
Por empezar, la pluma de Peter Rock es sumamente poética, estoy deseando leer otros libros de él.
En un libro de 160 páginas destaque tantas frases, tantas reflexiones. Impactada de todo lo que me dejo la lectura de esta historia.
Quiero agradecer a la librería de mi ciudad que decidió seleccionar este libro como la lectura del mes para el debate, porque siento que sino nunca hubiera leído esta historia.
March 10, 2016
A young adult novel addressing adolescent mental health issues, Klickitat is eerie and filled with tension. When older sister Audra leaves home, younger sister Vivian is completely distraught. Set in Portland, by local author Peter Rock, Klickitat is a haunting story of broken souls looking for solace. A story thread that references a character from Rock's "My Abandonment," is a delicious surprise. Beautiful!
May 1, 2016
BRILLIANT!!!!!
November 8, 2024
Klick-i-tat
June 22, 2025
The truest part of this book is how tragically messed up, both mentally and emotionally, a teen or pre-teen can be. And how far they can be influenced by older humans that they admire and to what extremes these teens will go to. And regrettably, how this influence can shape the priorities of these young people minds dictating their future.
I wish the book had simply tried to portray this message, instead of the additional content.
I wish the book had simply tried to portray this message, instead of the additional content.
February 6, 2023
Recién termino de leerlo y aún no estoy preparado para escribir una reseña más reflexiva. Por lo pronto, decir que es una novela con una voz narrativa súper potente, entrañable y particular. El abanico de personajes es preciso y está muy bien construido, nada sobra, todo está por algo y ocupa su justo lugar. La historia conmueve, se desenvuelve de a poco, es extraña en su punto justo, consigue el efecto de querer seguir leyendo y realmente querer saber cómo va a continuar, porque puede disparar para cualquier lado. Plantea situaciones para debatir, el accionar de los personajes es verosímil y súper interesante, da para discutir sobre muchos temas como el modo en el que vivimos como sociedad, la comodidad e incomodidad, la familia, la naturaleza, el libre albedrío y el rol de la vincularidad en la supervivencia, la convivencia y el buen vivir.
A su vez, es muy poético, tiene frases hermosas y de mensaje profundo.
Lo leería de nuevo, lo recomendaría, y lo regalaría también, especialmente a un adolescente / lector joven.
A su vez, es muy poético, tiene frases hermosas y de mensaje profundo.
Lo leería de nuevo, lo recomendaría, y lo regalaría también, especialmente a un adolescente / lector joven.
May 19, 2017
My thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids Amulet Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
Errr...whut? This book was more confusing then it needed to be I think. It makes sense, but only after a LOT of heavy thinking that brings the thinker to the conclusion, "well, THAT was unnecessary".
Unreliable narrator, so the mystic realism could just be their lack of connection to reality and all in their head, or it could be real. I think more on the side of real, but it was really painful to get there.
The characters were rather distasteful and strange in a way that didn't click with me. I get the whole teenage rebellion thing, but it kind of annoys me, so I wasn't overly sympathetic with the older sister. The parents were rather distant, which annoys me in books like this. I don't think children/teens need any more reinforcement of the idea that adults, especially parents, just don't understand or care to.
This is geared towards kids and I don't really think it is good for that age. Maybe YA, BUT the whole reinforces adults/parents as stupid and unable to show their caring in effective ways is not a good message to send. I also think the mystical realism might throw a younger reader. It threw me, but who knows, I may just be one of those stupid adults the book is talking about. Maybe a teen could understand this better. I am getting old and crusty.
So, 1.5 stars, rounded up to 2, because I didn't hate it, but I really didn't like it all that much. Mileage may very. I'm not into magical realism, so this didn't work for me. It may work for you. It's a short book, so it has that going for it.
Errr...whut? This book was more confusing then it needed to be I think. It makes sense, but only after a LOT of heavy thinking that brings the thinker to the conclusion, "well, THAT was unnecessary".
Unreliable narrator, so the mystic realism could just be their lack of connection to reality and all in their head, or it could be real. I think more on the side of real, but it was really painful to get there.
The characters were rather distasteful and strange in a way that didn't click with me. I get the whole teenage rebellion thing, but it kind of annoys me, so I wasn't overly sympathetic with the older sister. The parents were rather distant, which annoys me in books like this. I don't think children/teens need any more reinforcement of the idea that adults, especially parents, just don't understand or care to.
This is geared towards kids and I don't really think it is good for that age. Maybe YA, BUT the whole reinforces adults/parents as stupid and unable to show their caring in effective ways is not a good message to send. I also think the mystical realism might throw a younger reader. It threw me, but who knows, I may just be one of those stupid adults the book is talking about. Maybe a teen could understand this better. I am getting old and crusty.
So, 1.5 stars, rounded up to 2, because I didn't hate it, but I really didn't like it all that much. Mileage may very. I'm not into magical realism, so this didn't work for me. It may work for you. It's a short book, so it has that going for it.
December 22, 2015
This wasn't at all what I expected. Here's the blurb:
"Vivian feels left behind when her older sister, Audra, runs away from home. She believes that Audra will return and pays careful attention to the clues around her. Then, inexplicably, writing begins to appear in a blank notebook.
When Audra does come back for Vivian, she's in the company of a strange man. The three of them run away together and practice wilderness survival. While Audra plans for the future, Vivian continues to gather evidence: Who is this mysterious man, and does he have any connection to the words appearing in her notebook?"
To me, that says fantasy, or magical realism. But despite its distant narrator and unusual moments, this is realism. I did enjoy it, but I probably wouldn't have chosen to read realistic YA about running away from home. But if that does interest you, this is a good choice.
"Vivian feels left behind when her older sister, Audra, runs away from home. She believes that Audra will return and pays careful attention to the clues around her. Then, inexplicably, writing begins to appear in a blank notebook.
When Audra does come back for Vivian, she's in the company of a strange man. The three of them run away together and practice wilderness survival. While Audra plans for the future, Vivian continues to gather evidence: Who is this mysterious man, and does he have any connection to the words appearing in her notebook?"
To me, that says fantasy, or magical realism. But despite its distant narrator and unusual moments, this is realism. I did enjoy it, but I probably wouldn't have chosen to read realistic YA about running away from home. But if that does interest you, this is a good choice.
July 3, 2016
Thanks to Abrams & Chronicle for providing me a physical copy of this book.
I love this book so much. It was amazing and interesting, but there are two things that I didn't really like: the story was a bit slower the first 100 pages, I didn't really like Audra as a character. I didn't understand her choices. This book was thrilling, but not as much as I expected it to be. The writing was really nice. This book really deserves 4/5 stars! :)
I love this book so much. It was amazing and interesting, but there are two things that I didn't really like: the story was a bit slower the first 100 pages, I didn't really like Audra as a character. I didn't understand her choices. This book was thrilling, but not as much as I expected it to be. The writing was really nice. This book really deserves 4/5 stars! :)
August 13, 2016
I really loved "My Abandonment" by this author but haven't enjoyed any of his works since then. I have friends who are ardent fans of his, so I keep trying their recommendations but without any success. This is another story of wilderness survival in the Northwest, a subject I find very interesting but I just couldn't be drawn into the story. Different strokes. . . .etc.
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