Review- Suicide Watch by Kelley York

Goodreads Summary:

18-year-old Vincent Hazelwood has spent his entire life being shuffled from one foster home to the next. His grades sucked. Making friends? Out of the question thanks to his nervous breakdowns and unpredictable moods. Still, Vince thought when Maggie Atkins took him in, he might’ve finally found a place to get his life—and his issues—in order.

But then Maggie keels over from a heart attack. Vince is homeless, alone, and the inheritance money isn't going to last long. A year ago, Vince watched a girl leap to her death off a bridge, and now he's starting to think she had the right idea.

Vince stumbles across a website forum geared toward people considering suicide. There, he meets others with the same debate regarding the pros and cons of death: Casper, battling cancer, would rather off herself than slowly waste away. And there’s quiet, withdrawn Adam, who suspects if he died, his mom wouldn't even notice.

As they gravitate toward each other, Vince searches for a reason to live while coping without Maggie's guidance, coming to terms with Casper's imminent death, and falling in love with a boy who doesn't plan on sticking around.

REVIEW:

Kelley York is one of my most favourite authors. I've loved every book of hers that I've read and Suicide Watch isn't any different. It's a broken, sad and absolutely beautiful story about three teenagers who are fighting the battle between birth and death called life. Since the beginning of the year, I've been thoroughly into the whole absurdity of life phenomena. My hero Albert Camus, in his The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays says that there is no philosophical problem truly serious than suicide. Whether its alright or right even is for each one to decide for themselves. But trust me, Suicide Watch isn't a take on the philosophical battle that's been on the minds of intellectuals since centuries. It's just a simple story about complicated and messed up people who find acceptance, peace and solace amongst each other. 

In Suicide Watch, Vincent, Casper and Adam meet at a time in their lives when they don't know what to live for. They believe that no one would care if they disappear one day until they realise how wrong they were. Over a short period of time, they form a bond so strong that letting go of one of them becomes a painful and impossible task. They mess up. They manage somehow. But most importantly, they learn to value each other's presence in their lives since that's what's made all the difference in the first place. Kelley York is so gifted and talented and it shows in the way she portrays friendships in her books. Relationships- any of them- are never easy and she shows it for how it is. And she portrays same sex relationships beautifully. She shows people for who they truly are. When one reads the summary of Suicide Watch, one knows the story. But what one doesn't know is the powerful impact it will have on them after reading it. 

I am at a complete loss for words. I really have no idea what to say and most importantly, how to express the immense love I've developed for Suicide Watch over the course of the few days that I took to devour it. All I know is that this isn't the end. I'm sure I'm going to be contemplating over the characters and their lives for a very, very long time to come. And you know what? I love books that make me do that. And every book of Kelley York's makes me do that. That's why I love her books so much. Read. Relate. Realise. Attach. Contemplate. Remember. It's simple as that. 

Beyond what I have said and taking into consideration all that I would love to say but don't really know how to express, that's all I have to say. What I know and what I can guarantee is that Kelley York knows. It's very silly of me to say this but she knows how to write. By that, I mean that she knows exactly what goes into making a story unbelievable and unforgettable. The characters in her stories are flawed. The stories themselves are complicated. The compilation in itself is horrible and terrible up to a certain extent. But the way she does it is simply perfect. It takes courage to write that aspect of reality that we all know of, but none of us are bold enough to say out loud. That's the reason why I admire Kelley York and her books. Sometimes I feel like I praise the author more than the book, but the author writes the book so that makes sense. I loved Suicide Watch and I know that when others read it, they will too. 

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