Michelle FalkoffRecensioni

*3.75

Eh.
It had a cool premise, a friend leaves a playlist for the protagonist after he dies. But it really was just boring. Uninteresting writing. 2/5 stars

The mention of The Breakfast Club is what sold me on this one right away. The title itself felt like the perfect read considering the current state of everything. I was expecting a sort of dystopian novel, and it definitely isn't, but I think I like it better this way. It was a quick read that I found myself invested in from the start.

The main character, Amina, was relatable, which made it easy to connect with her. I loved Wyatt and Jo, but I had mixed feelings on Hunter and Chloe; they were tolerable at times and frustrating at others. I also liked Brianna, Amina's roommate, but we didn't see too much of her. The two get off on the wrong foot straight away, and though they do reconcile in the end, it felt forced and rushed.

I loved the friendship and romances the group formed over the course of the book. There was constant drama amongst the Eucalyptus group, and it was easy to get swept up in that. The chemistry between the characters, both platonically and romantically, felt natural and realistic. I did guess who would end up together in the beginning, but I'm fairly pleased with it either way.

Though there's not much of a mystery other than the pranks, the idea is still present. It didn't feel like the main focus of the book until the very end, but I often found myself trying to figure it out. The revelation was also pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed the ending.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via iRead Book Tours. This did not influence my opinion in any way.

Ever since an attack on her synagogue, Amina becomes obsessed with anti-Semetic behavior and has begun to live in fear with recurring nightmares. When a scholarship position to the prestigious Gardner Academy opens up, Amina's parents send her in order to change her mindset. Amina is very unsure about Gardner, but attends a pre-orientation game night where an interesting question in Would You Rather captures her interest. The question leads to a gathering of five people from the game night: Wyatt, Hunter, Chloe, Jo and Amina. Amina finds that she has plenty in common with the group, they all have fears. More so, she finds a group of friends that she is comfortable with. However, someone seems to be targeting their small group with very personalized attacks and Amina has a new set of fears to deal with.

How to Pack for the End of the World is a contemporary Young Adult fiction that deals with a lot of issues in a unique way. None of the issues become too heavy and none of the characters are designed around their fear, social standing, sexuality or mental health. They are all just regular teens dealing with everyday issues. Each character was well developed and unique. While their backstories and challenges weren't all divulged at once, this added another layer of mystery to the story. I loved the idea of the Eucalyptus Group and how each game they played helped them develop more as well as get to know one another. The personal attacks were another added layer that almost seemed like a side story to me but were really more at the heart. It was difficult for me to forget that this story took place at a high school and involved kids that were 16 to 17 years old as some of the situations felt more at a college level and classwork seemed to take a back seat. Overall, an entertaining young adult story with amazing characters.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

At first, Amina was furious with her parents for forcing her to attend this boarding school. They were concerned about her obsession, nightmares and more... But after a few days, she actually found friends and her nightmares soon ceased, so she decided to make the best of it.

This is a story of five very different youth, from very different social backgrounds who form a Club and each is required to plan out a unique game with the idea of survival of the "End of the World". As they compete and try to solve each puzzle, they begin to change attitudes, ideas and appreciation for others.

The author successfully unlocks mysteries and inspires the reader to avoid stereotyping others. She takes a popular concern and examines it from different sources, then concludes the story with a wise and varied moral.

The book was slightly difficult t "get into" at first but it soon "came together" and was captivating. From that point on, the plot maintained the readers curiosity, eager for the next scenario.

*This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review.

Not a book to be read quickly. This must be savored. A 16-year old commits suicide and leaves his friend a playlist to discover why he committed suicide. Listen to the song at the beginning of each chapter and see how it fits. Listen more than once. Make sure you know what is being sung. I only knew one of the songs but found a lot of them I enjoyed. Listening caused me to read slower but I wanted to be able to put the clues together to figure it out as Sam (the friend) was figuring it out.

I liked Sam. Started out hating some of the characters while loving others I met throughout the story. The ending changed my feelings towards some of the characters but not all. Some are just jerks and you can't change that. Some seemed cool but had feet of clay. Others were hurt just as much by the popular kids but managed not to lose their integrity.

Read this book for the experience.

I would recommend it at least for the songs in the book.

It's books like this one that keep me hooked onto the YA genre and prove how awesome it really is.

Playlist For The Dead was an unputdownable read about a boy named Sam losing his best-and only-friend Hayden and blaming himself for his suicide.

The book is so on the spot about suicides and how much a person's suicide affects those who were near him.

As the story goes, Sam realizes that he's not the only who blames himself for Hayden's death.

The book shows just how many people blamed themselves for Hayden's death, the boy who had just one friend.

I absolutely loved Playlist For The Dead, and it's another book that's going to be very close to my heart and read multiple times more!

This book follows the aftermath of suicide as a result of severe bullying from the perspective of his best friend. I gave this book a 3 out of 5 because I think the subject being so taboo, the author could've went more into detail. Otherwise the book was a written well and I loved the plot line.

What Thirteen Reasons Why should have been, but wasn't. Loved listening to the music with each chapter.

Eh, it's probably not a 5 star but I really enjoyed it and it kept my interest better than most things two days away from the US presidential election. I thought it was going to be one type of the book but the layers of mystery surprised me and I powered through.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A suicide playlist.

Opening Sentence: All my years of watching TV made me think it was possible you could find a dead body and not know it until you turned the person over and found the bullet hole or stab wound or whatever.

The Review:

Playlist for the Dead is told from Sam’s perspective; a teenager whose best friend has committed suicide and he’s the one who found him. This was a decent read, especially since May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The story dives into Hayden’s deep rooted depression, which ultimately results in his demise.

Despite the core subject of suicide and the events that led to it, what I found more interesting was reading the story from the best friend’s perspective. Sam feels responsible for Hayden’s death, especially as their last conversation was in the form of an argument.

Who needed a group? What was so bad about having one best friend, anyway?
I missed Hayden as much as I had since he died. I missed him so much I finally didn’t even feel bad thinking about it; I just sank into it, let it roll over me in waves. It was the closes I’d come to crying and if I hadn’t been like two feet away from a field full of people I mostly didn’t know or couldn’t stand, I might have just said fuck it and started bawling.

In this book, each chapter begins with a song from the playlist Hayden left Sam; basically his suicide note. Sam listens to the playlist almost obsessively trying to figure out why Hayden resorted to such a measure. I enjoyed listening to each of these songs via YouTube as I started each chapter and found that, despite the overall ominous taste, I quite enjoyed a few! It was an interesting way to engage the reader, that’s for sure.

The only concern I had with this story was how similar it was to some of the YA books I’ve already read, in terms of depression, suicide and the resulting guilt. I feel like this subject has been explored a lot recently. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, we need greater awareness around mental health, but at the same time it’s becoming a leeetle repetitive.

“See?” Rachel said. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, Mom.”
“Guilty as charged,” she said.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was finding people surprising thse days. It made me wonder whether everyone had these secret lives, these aspects of themselves that didn’t match who they seemed to be.

The moral I took from this story was how many lives a suicide can affect and it’s not just the immediate family and closest friends that are hurt. It also highlighted the seriousness of depression and how important it is to try and listen to other people; sometimes even the smallest act of kindness can help. Sam, Astrid and a lot of other people felt responsible for Hayden’s death and the truth is that they all had a part to play but there’s no singular person that can be blamed. Sometimes it’s best to just accept what has happened and live your life the best way you can, and try to positively engage with as many people as possible. At least, that’s what I’m going to try and do.

Notable Scene:

“Can you describe your friendship to me at all?” he asked gently.

What did he expect me to say? That we were both socially awkward misfits? That we’d saved each other from loneliness for a really long time, and now that was over? “We were friends. What else am I supposed to say?”

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Playlist for the Dead. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

"Playlist For the Dead" was a quick, engaging read about loss, friendship, bullying and growing up. I really liked Sam's narration - it was nice having a boy's perspective for a change. Sam was a compelling character, with the genuine voice of a teenage boy struggling to solve the mystery of his best friend's suicide, whilst also trying to cope with his anger, his guilt, his sorrow and his confusion. I didn't bother listening to the playlist, however, I don't think I lost anything by not doing so. I think the ending was done well. Not all the threads were tied together neatly, instead they were left slightly messy, but it still left this reader satisfied. Overall, a touching read.

Sam’s best friend Hayden commits suicide. He leaves a note and a playlist for Sam so that he will understand why he did it. Hayden was a victim of bullying, especially by his older brother and his friends, all athletes, the complete opposite of Hayden the “computer game nerd.” While Sam tries to figure out what the defining moment was that caused Hayden to take his final step, he meets some interesting people. He also comes to the conclusion that while everyone could have, should have, it was ultimately Hayden’s decision to end his life.

The jacket copy of PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD by Michelle Falkoff compares this novel to YA favorites like THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and THIRTEEN REASONS WHY. The jacket copy is dead on.

This debut novel tackles the tough topic of teen suicide with unexpected humor and a flash drive full of music -- music left by Hayden as something of a suicide note for his best friend Sam. Naturally, Sam is distraught. He's not only Hayden's only friend (honestly, Hayden was his only friend, too), but he found Hayden on the night after they had a fight at a party. At the funeral, Sam is upset at the fakeness of everyone there -- mostly the Bully Trifecta, which includes Hayden's older brother.

But Sam isn't sleeping much -- he's mostly listening to his playlist and (possibly in insomnia-fueled hallucinations) talking to someone who might be Hayden on Google Chat. When he's awake, he's trying his best to just get through the day. Which has lead him to finding a new friend in Astrid, a girl he's never talked to who goes to his school. Crazy from lack of sleep and grief, and with someone seemingly out to get the Bully Trifecta, Sam starts to look for clues that might tell him why Hayden killed himself. And, slowly, the night of the party is revealed -- both to the reader and to Sam, who only knows half the story.

PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD is beautiful and articulate and funny and everything YA readers -- both teen and adult -- crave in a juicy, tear-jerking contemporary novel. Michelle Falkoff, much like Rainbow Rowell, is an author to watch, and I certainly can't wait to see what she does next.

I really wanted to like this book, and I didn't totally hate reading it but I cannot say it was good. The idea had a lot of potential but it absolutely fell flat.

It is exciting, the plot leaves you guessing but it feels very standard. I did enjoy reading it a bit, so I feel bad that my rating fell so low but I enjoyed it perhaps in part because of how bad it was.

The idea of using a playlist was unique but in the end none of the songs mean enough that they needed to be included at all, the entire book wouldn't change if Hayden had left a series of pictures or books or games or anything else. The songs are just briefly mentioned and then brushed away. It's pointless and yet it's the selling point for the novel.

The book also has a sickening view of romance as the reason to live basically. The few girl characters that exist only exist in their relation to males and are horribly written as nearly one-dimensional tropes. The fact that a woman wrote this book is unfathomable to me. It's also riddled with mentions that girls are not geeks and don't enjoy those sorts of things. If they do it's fake or they're some sort of precious gem.

There is no satisfying conclusion, huge events are explained away with "I wasn't getting enough sleep,". Characters who deserve to have justice brought to them end up being loved and romanticized because when you're hurt doing anything is okay and completely forgivable.

A novel which had a great chance to be a poignant view of suicide ended up being a messed up romantic mystery that had one of the least satisfying conclusions I have ever seen.

Despite all this, it at least presents an interesting playlist which it refuses to actually use adequately;

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=...

So enjoy that, it's probably a lot more fun than the book was.

Make sure to check out http://betterbooks.tumblr.com/ for new reviews every Tuesday!

Full review : One Less Lonely Blog: BOOK REVIEWSt

I'm still debating the tittle. The playlist in the first place, is not for a dead. Hayden left a playlist like a suicide note, so the playlist is not for the dead, is for the living ones to listen and understand. Sam listen to this playlist all the time looking for answers but the songs really does not tell him anything important. Sam and Hayden were mostly gamers and most of the mystery of the book is around video gaming, other people, things he find, but not in the songs.

The character development was kind of forced. The way Sam is dragged into new friends and stuff, it happens very quick. He barely struggled with having to find new friends because, he's just following a girl he likes. It felt like after Hayden, his life was more outgoing and better. I don't know, there're lots of things we can understand and analyze from the story and the characters.

Sam and Hayden were best friends, they did everything together, they relied on one another and they told each other everything. Until they didn't.

When Hayden commits suicide Sam is left alone, lost and racked with guilt, he can't stop blaming himself for the events that led up to Hayden's death.

All Hayden left behind is a flash drive and a note saying that it will explain everything. When Sam opens the files on the drive he realizes that Hayden left him a playlist in way of a suicide note. On the playlist are songs Sam has listened to countless times and songs he's never heard before. But each one takes him one step closer to finding out the truth and one step closer to finding himself.

I'm on the fence about this book. I wanted so badly to like it, and don't get me wrong, there were some parts I really enjoyed, but for the most part it left me feeling very underwhelmed. I hated the way that Hayden was treated and that he felt like the only way out was taking his own life but other than that this book left me feeling, well, nothing.

Even when the bullies who had made Hayden's life a living hell were being taught lessons and getting tastes of their own medicine I couldn't help but think that the author could have amped it up a little bit and pushed it a little further.

I like books that twist my insides up and grab at my heart strings and leave me sobbing my eyes out at 3 o'clock in the morning. While Playlist For The Dead had all the ingredients for that type of book I feel like it fell short.

Until next time,
Ginger

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review.
My review is my honest opinion.

“Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was finding people surprising these days. It made me wonder whether everyone had these secret lives, these aspects of themselves that didn’t match who they seemed to be.”

Where to begin with this? For starters, don’t worry about the music. I did listen to some of the songs but it’s really not necessary to follow the story. The music has more to do with Sam and Hayden’s relationship than the actual storyline. The songs on the playlist are meant to help Sam understand why Hayden committed suicide, but after listening to it several times the songs only confuse him.

During the story Sam finds that Hayden had other friends he didn’t know about and secrets he was keeping even from his best friend. The bullying everyone was aware of, but slowly though-out the book Sam is introduced to new characters and new perspectives of the fate filled night at the party.

What I really loved about this book is that it’s psychologically light, but layered with the emotions those that are left behind face: guilt, blame, anger, sadness, loneliness, hopelessness. It could be possible that everyone and no one is to blame for Hayden’s death. The narrative by Sam also made me able to really understand his feelings at any point in the story. Just how a passage was written would leave me just as frustrated or confused as Sam. Bravo.

What I didn’t like is, like in so many other YA novels, the complete lack of parent interaction. It seems like a go-to fix-it for YA novelists if you need parents out of the way, then the kid has a no-show dad and mother who is either a) a waitress at a 24/7 dinner or b) a nurse with odd hours.

Overall, Playlist for the Dead is a great realistic fiction novel from this debut author. I recommend it for anyone who likes psychological YA fiction that’s on the tragic side.

www.readingbifrost.com

2/5