“Dad, they think I have a demon inside me. Does that seem normal for you?”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. They were just praying for you. Nothing wrong with that.”
Firstly, I think the subject this novel deals with are extremely important and they should be talked/ written about. I admire the author for having found the strength to process his own experiences.
The premise of the novel sounded promising, but in the end I was rather disappointed. The Dangerous Art of Blending in didn’t convince me. The story was messy (in a way that I don’t think the author intented) and it wasn’t flashed out enough for me personally. I just felt like there were many pieces missing.
The teenage characters were not authentic for me (and my teenage years have just recently ended). The text messages annoyed me. Who writes like that? I have English-speaking friends and none of them texts me like this.
*spoilers*
Let’s talk about Henry, Evan’s best friend and eventually boyfriend. Should the reader like him?
I guess so, but I didn’t. I really did not like him. He doesn’t respect when Evan says that Henry shouldn’t touch him, that Henry shouldn’t come to his house.
When Henry finds out that Evan is being abused he’s just like “I want to kill your mother” or “I want to help you”.
But he doesn’t help him! Either Henry is really an idiot or his character just wasn’t thought through.
The end of the novel also came quite abruptly and it didn’t satisfy me. Evan’s character should have been explored in more depth here. This would have rounded everything up.
The story definitely has potential and it could be really a great book if the editor(s) had been more strict.
2.75 stars⭐
