Author: wigglysubu
Hold on to your fucking panties because this isn't going to be a fun ride. I'm fired, and salty, and ready to rumble. Also at the author, I'm not here to personally attack you, but your book really got me going, and the comment section wasn't big enough for me.
To start with this was a critique request, and I did critique the book, and there were some issues that I came across that I want to repeat over and over again to make sure I am understood. And because I have so much to say.
To the good stuff:
I hate, hate, hate it when author's use illness improperly and more as a "look at me I'm #relateable" because illness is a big part of life. Obviously, most people know someone who is terminally ill and has died from it. Therefore making it common and something that people can relate to. The most popular culprits with this are cancer and mental illness. They show up in so many stories, and unfortunately are misused. I think more often than not it is because of lack of research and actual knowledge on a subject, but at times it does come down to writing that lacks the capability of actually portraying anything, making it all come crashing down.
In this story cancer and depression (suicide to be specific) show up. And not in a good way. It pissed me off so much, and I'm still just barely cooling down from it. Obviously, these are nothing to make fun of or light of but this book did a really bad job at explaining it. I don't even know if you could call it that. The portrayal was horrible. The main character starts out with dialogue about her death, and it is all in a joking manner. And from there she is walking around talking on a phone, and mentions that she could drop dead any second (from cancer). This obviously isn't how cancer works or most illnesses for that matter, especially if you're sick enough that your time is that limited. There was no mention of her having any issues as she's walking around, or exhaustion, there was literally nothing to indicate that this girl had cancer and was going to die that soon. There is no way in hell that she's out and about, and if she is it's dangerous and she should be feeling the affects that cancer has had on her body. ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE SAYING SHE COULD DIE THAT SOON. I can't stress it enough how off that is, and I don't even know why that pissed me off so much, other than the fact that it came off as a side thing but also all about her. It's just so glaringly incorrect that I can't read it and not get aggressive.
Now from there we have her seeing the guy on the bridge it says something about him looking ready to jump, and the MC is on her phone still talking to her bestie, and tells him to call the police because the guy might be about to commit suicide. The bestie says "Holy shit, drama! Where's my butter popcorn--". This line disgusts me so much, I can't put it into words. I already kind of hate the character but this put me over the edge. Who the hell in their right mind responds to someone saying that there could be someone ready to end their life and calls it "drama" and wants to grab popcorn. Even jokers know when to stop and be serious. It puts such a joking, carefree spin on suicide that I can't handle it. Suicide is serious fucking business as we all know. And a character can be humorous, but if you want to make a character sound more realistic you have to make them react in a human way, and to me that isn't human at all.
With that said the main character who is going to die from cancer soon...bolts...as in sprinting or running. *bashes laptop into head* I don't need to say that she can't do that, which I already did in the comments, but still, I can't. After all this, what came next is what really took my anger to the next level. The main character responds to someone who is going to jump off a bridge by saying "I won't let you die so easily! I can't do that, I just can't . . . And if you jump, I'll jump right after you and I'm not even kidding. You see, I have cancer, so it doesn't matter if I die now because in a few days anyway, I'll be gone. I'll be your mirror, you jump, I jump, you die, I die, as simple as that." Now this is a direct quote from the text, I did not alter anything. The issue here? The MC is talking about herself, she is bringing herself into what this guy is about to do. That, to me is fucking terrible. I know that she has cancer that she can run with even though she's going to die in a few days, but still, suicide is about the person committing it and no one else. To shove yourself on someone like that, and throw their pain and suffering away because you want to do the right thing and save them isn't right. This isn't the right way to talk to someone that is suicidal and seriously considering taking their life. Seriously. It. Is. Not. The most important thing is to get them talking, and to listen to them. It is about them, not you, and also don't say that suicide isn't the answer, don't argue. Be kind and find help, just showing them that you care enough to listen can help sway someone from making the final leap to end their pain and suffering.
I could preach all day long about suicide but, I'm not going to. I just wish that these characters were better created in a way that doesn't shed such a negative light on everything. I think these characters could have been better created and thought through so that it doesn't come off as kind of comical and mocking. And I doubt that that was the intention, but it kept coming and coming and I literally couldn't physically take it anymore. It came off as repulsive and I was offended and hardcore triggered by it.
Now, after all the wonderfulness with the MC that wants to talk down a suicidal person my threatening them, and talking more about herself than anything else, finally gets the boy off the edge of the bridge. And when the police arrive she says this "I erm . . . called them so that if I wasn't successful in this, they could . ." (another direct quote from the next, near the end of the first chapter. This is so fucking insensitive that I can't even comprehend how this character would say something like this to someone who just decided not to jump off of a bridge. I feel like anyone in their right mind knows better than to say something like this to anyone, especially a stranger, that tried to kill themself. Seriously, it's sick and gross and I hate it.
Anyways that's the end of this. I feel a little bit better now, and I'm glad that didn't turn into hardcore bashing, I tried to keep it civil. But as a note to any author, do your research and properly portray things in your books. Because it isn't good when you do it improperly.
