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I Crawl Through It
Four talented teenagers are traumatized-coping with grief, surviving date rape, facing the anxiety of standardized tests and the neglect of self-absorbed adults--and they'll do anything to escape the pressure. They'll even build an invisible helicopter, to fly far away to a place where everyone will understand them... until they learn the only way to escape reality is to face it head-on.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2015
About the author
A.S. King
22 books3,682 followersA.S. King is the author of the highly-acclaimed I CRAWL THROUGH IT, Walden Award winner GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE, REALITY BOY, 2013 LA Times Book Prize winner ASK THE PASSENGERS, 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ and THE DUST OF 100 DOGS as well as a collection of award-winning short stories for adults, MONICA NEVER SHUTS UP.
Look for Amy's work in anthologies DEAR BULLY, BREAK THESE RULES, ONE DEATH NINE STORIES, and LOSING IT. Two more YA novels to come in 2016 & 2018. Find more at www.as-king.com.
p.s.- If I don't accept your friend request, don't feel sad. It's because I don't really use Goodreads even though I'm completely thrilled that you do!
Look for Amy's work in anthologies DEAR BULLY, BREAK THESE RULES, ONE DEATH NINE STORIES, and LOSING IT. Two more YA novels to come in 2016 & 2018. Find more at www.as-king.com.
p.s.- If I don't accept your friend request, don't feel sad. It's because I don't really use Goodreads even though I'm completely thrilled that you do!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 869 reviews
September 29, 2015
As I walk, I feel the rift in my cells. I don’t know if everyone can feel their cells. I can feel every one of mine.
China says she can feel her cells. China is my best friend. China is inside out, so I bet she knows more about cells than anyone.
I honestly applaud anyone who can finish this book. Because I couldn't do it. I tried so hard to love it, then just to finish it, but finally my frustration won.
I want you to know that I have often considered A.S. King one of my favourite YA authors. I love her creative, thoughtful contemporaries - Please Ignore Vera Dietz (about grief), Everybody Sees the Ants (about bullying), Ask the Passengers (about coming out) - and I have especially always loved how she doesn't follow trends and always tries to do something different. She thinks outside the box.
But I Crawl Through It is so far out of the box... it's insane. Some people are calling it "magical realism", a genre which I personally love, but I would simply call this "surrealism". Roughly translated as "what the fuck is happening?"
Fragmented, stilted sentences describe how one teen is building an invisible helicopter, another is inside out because she swallowed herself and another tells lies, which makes her hair grow. "It's a metaphor", you say? "It's deep", you say? I'm genuinely happy for all the people who thought so. To me, it looked like someone had vomited on a page and called it art.
Maybe if you don't know me, you are now making some assumptions - that I can't appreciate metaphor, or books with depth, or books that are a bit weird - but you would be wrong on all accounts. I just recently read a wonderful, strange book with many metaphors - Cuckoo Song - and I absolutely loved it. I loved the metaphors I had to work hard for in All the Light We Cannot See.
But nothing should be this hard to enjoy. That's why I'm not finishing it. If you have to force yourself to like something, what's the point?
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September 17, 2015
I asked myself that question throughout this whole book. I like this author and don't get me wrong, this book is very well written.
It just makes no sense at all to me.
Four teenagers stories intertwine in this book. Stanzi who sees herself as split in two.
Do you know what a tetragametic chimera is?
We learned about it during a genetics discussion last fall.
It's some crazy thing that happens to you between when you're conceived as cells and when you're a zygote. Somewhere between sperm-meets-egg and embryo. Somewhere in there you used to be fraternal twins. And then you blended. Two into one.
Stanzi likes to dissect things. Mostly frogs. She wears her lab coat everywhere and her parents make field trips to sites where disasters happened. Sandy Hook. Columbine. Etc.
Gustav is building an invisible helicopter. He got the kit from the naked guy that sells letters and roofie spiked lemonade out of his bush.
Mama says Gustav is mad crazy. I think he is a genius. I think Mama is jealous. I think she would build a helicopter and take off as soon as she could if she could, be she can't so she doesn't and says lies about Gustav like "That boy isn't right in the head" or "He's going to end up in the looney tunes if he's not careful."
And China.
I am China-the girl who swallowed herself. I just opened my mouth one day and wrapped it around my ears and the rest of me. Now I live inside myself. I can knock on my rib cage when it's time to go to bed. I can squeeze my own heart. When I fart, no one else can smell it.
I write poems.
Then Lansdale. Who can't help but constantly tell lies. She knows she does it and still continues. Her version of Pinocchio but instead of her nose growing...it's her hair. Even though she has to cut it everyday.
Now I totally feel like an evil witch for not liking this book more than I did.
But I didn't.
It's very different and haunting and I hope hipper people than me read it and understand.
I'm just a hipster wanna be..well not really. I'm too lazy to wanna be.
I'll just have to settle with watching from the sidelines.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
My friend Kelly did an awesome Hawkeye inspired review of this book. Kelly is my Goodreads bestie and is one of the reasons I love this site so much. Check out her review.
October 4, 2020
i think i understood this book
but that doesn't mean that it really worked for me. i think i did myself a disservice reading Dig by the same author before this one. because i think that one had a very similar method of storytelling with a more clear and concise message.
i understand that this is supposed to be surrealist but ultimately i didn't care about what happened. and if you're going to tell a weird story, i should at least care about the outcome. in Dig there are unexpected twists and truly heartbreaking moments. in this book there were lackluster reveals and me thinking "so what."
definitely not the worst thing that i've read this year but it's not something that i am tempted to ever revisit.
but that doesn't mean that it really worked for me. i think i did myself a disservice reading Dig by the same author before this one. because i think that one had a very similar method of storytelling with a more clear and concise message.
i understand that this is supposed to be surrealist but ultimately i didn't care about what happened. and if you're going to tell a weird story, i should at least care about the outcome. in Dig there are unexpected twists and truly heartbreaking moments. in this book there were lackluster reveals and me thinking "so what."
definitely not the worst thing that i've read this year but it's not something that i am tempted to ever revisit.
August 21, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“We could have been so much more, but no one would let us fly.”
What happens when you throw a girl who can split herself in two, another who can swallow herself inside out, a third whose hair grows a foot each time she tells a lie, and a boy who is building an invisible airplane together? Well, you get an A.S. King book. The synopsis for this one was a little . . . off putting (??? for lack of a better term) to me. However, Everybody Sees the Ants remains one of the most amazing Young Adult books I’ve ever read, so even after I saw that I Crawl Through It was going to be “boldly surreal” I was all . . .
and Mitchell was like . . .
I’m glad we took a chance. While this is most definitely not a book everyone will enjoy, A.S. King always brings a completely unique delivery to her stories and tackles some heavy issues that get the reader thinking. This time we learn that . . .
and that Hawkeye Pierce also says . . .
“Without love, what are we worth? Eighty-nine cents. Eighty-nine cents’ worth of chemicals walking around lonely.”
Confession time:
I received an advanced copy, so there is a chance that quotes may change before the final version is released. I hope this one remains . . .
“We’re alive. We have words and shapes and ideas. We will throw them at you when you do not believe. We will throw our love and our hate and our failure and success. We’ll split in two right in front of you and be our best and our worst. We’ll lie and tell the truth. But we are alive.”
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
“We could have been so much more, but no one would let us fly.”
What happens when you throw a girl who can split herself in two, another who can swallow herself inside out, a third whose hair grows a foot each time she tells a lie, and a boy who is building an invisible airplane together? Well, you get an A.S. King book. The synopsis for this one was a little . . . off putting (??? for lack of a better term) to me. However, Everybody Sees the Ants remains one of the most amazing Young Adult books I’ve ever read, so even after I saw that I Crawl Through It was going to be “boldly surreal” I was all . . .
and Mitchell was like . . .
I’m glad we took a chance. While this is most definitely not a book everyone will enjoy, A.S. King always brings a completely unique delivery to her stories and tackles some heavy issues that get the reader thinking. This time we learn that . . .
and that Hawkeye Pierce also says . . .
“Without love, what are we worth? Eighty-nine cents. Eighty-nine cents’ worth of chemicals walking around lonely.”
Confession time:
I received an advanced copy, so there is a chance that quotes may change before the final version is released. I hope this one remains . . .
“We’re alive. We have words and shapes and ideas. We will throw them at you when you do not believe. We will throw our love and our hate and our failure and success. We’ll split in two right in front of you and be our best and our worst. We’ll lie and tell the truth. But we are alive.”
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
December 23, 2015
Straight up, you'll either love this or just not get it. I can see both sides, but AS King is the one for me. This book was everything and surrealist fiction is my new normal.
August 25, 2015
Dictionary definition of 'crawl':
1. To move slowly on the hands and knees or by dragging the body along the ground; creep:
The baby crawled across the floor.
2. To advance slowly, feebly, laboriously, or without frequent stops: We crawled along in traffic so we reached the highway.
3. To proceed or act servilely: she was going to come crawling back to me, eloquently detailing exactly how sorry she was.
4. To be or feel as if swarming or covered with moving things: The accident scene was crawling with police officers. My flesh crawl in horror.
5. To swim to crawl.
The title, "I crawl Through It", is quintessential .... absolutely perfect in representing the pages within. It's exactly what the four main characters are doing... 'Crawling Through their lives...
At times it feels as if they are "swarming or covered by moving things".
For about the first 20 percent into this book....(as a reader)... It was like walking through
a labyrinth .... I was enjoying the 'maze-crawl' ... but bewildered. 'Slowly' ... the author peeled back the onion...layers being revealed.
At the root of this story are four teens who are disillusioned about the world.
We meet the four teens: Stanzie, Gustav, China, and Lansdale. They are each dealing with different types of trauma: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, long term neglect.. and are just not
relating to the world as most of there contemporaries are.
Phonies..pressure to perform and excel, loneliness, grief, etc.
The surreal creation of an invisible helicopter is pretty good antidote for an aching soul. ....
Or the talents such as being able to split yourself in 'two', ...or swallow oneself inside out,
and grow a foot of hair every time a lie is told.
"AP English is the one class a day where I pay some sort of attention. I like the truth. I like expression. I like the feeling of yelling like Sylvia Plath or Walt Whitman. They yelled louder than any damn voice, and they use paper, too.
They said more than I ever say about the truth.
The truth is upside down.
That's all that comes out when I try to explain why I swallowed myself.
I am a human being, but nobody seems to recognize this".
This is a universal tale... Kids disconnected-dealing with personal sufferings-- yet discovering the best ways to crawl through the maze. The author's VERY-unique writing style teaches
us the values of imagination.
I think most young adults will eat this up ... and as an adult ...I found it pretty darn terrific.
I'll definitely read more books by this author.
Thank You Little Brown Books, Netgalley, and A.S. King ... 'Love how original this novel is!
1. To move slowly on the hands and knees or by dragging the body along the ground; creep:
The baby crawled across the floor.
2. To advance slowly, feebly, laboriously, or without frequent stops: We crawled along in traffic so we reached the highway.
3. To proceed or act servilely: she was going to come crawling back to me, eloquently detailing exactly how sorry she was.
4. To be or feel as if swarming or covered with moving things: The accident scene was crawling with police officers. My flesh crawl in horror.
5. To swim to crawl.
The title, "I crawl Through It", is quintessential .... absolutely perfect in representing the pages within. It's exactly what the four main characters are doing... 'Crawling Through their lives...
At times it feels as if they are "swarming or covered by moving things".
For about the first 20 percent into this book....(as a reader)... It was like walking through
a labyrinth .... I was enjoying the 'maze-crawl' ... but bewildered. 'Slowly' ... the author peeled back the onion...layers being revealed.
At the root of this story are four teens who are disillusioned about the world.
We meet the four teens: Stanzie, Gustav, China, and Lansdale. They are each dealing with different types of trauma: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, long term neglect.. and are just not
relating to the world as most of there contemporaries are.
Phonies..pressure to perform and excel, loneliness, grief, etc.
The surreal creation of an invisible helicopter is pretty good antidote for an aching soul. ....
Or the talents such as being able to split yourself in 'two', ...or swallow oneself inside out,
and grow a foot of hair every time a lie is told.
"AP English is the one class a day where I pay some sort of attention. I like the truth. I like expression. I like the feeling of yelling like Sylvia Plath or Walt Whitman. They yelled louder than any damn voice, and they use paper, too.
They said more than I ever say about the truth.
The truth is upside down.
That's all that comes out when I try to explain why I swallowed myself.
I am a human being, but nobody seems to recognize this".
This is a universal tale... Kids disconnected-dealing with personal sufferings-- yet discovering the best ways to crawl through the maze. The author's VERY-unique writing style teaches
us the values of imagination.
I think most young adults will eat this up ... and as an adult ...I found it pretty darn terrific.
I'll definitely read more books by this author.
Thank You Little Brown Books, Netgalley, and A.S. King ... 'Love how original this novel is!
September 28, 2015
I have no idea wtf happened in this book, but I was captivated from the very beginning.
The plot is odd, the characters are strange, and the ending doesn't really explain anything. And somehow all of those same things are reasons why I enjoyed it so much. The writing is weirdly lyrical and only A.S. could create something so jumbled and satisfying.
**Huge thanks to Little Brown and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
The plot is odd, the characters are strange, and the ending doesn't really explain anything. And somehow all of those same things are reasons why I enjoyed it so much. The writing is weirdly lyrical and only A.S. could create something so jumbled and satisfying.
**Huge thanks to Little Brown and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Want to read
June 12, 2015A new A.S King book. I don't care what it's about; I'll read anything by this woman. Enough said.
October 3, 2015
This book made me sad.
September 22, 2016
Edit: 9/21/16
This review is brought to you by random tweets from Jaden Smith's twitter account.
*Me when starting this book*: A.S. King! I'm so excited!
*Me when I'm halfway through the book*: Huh?
*Me when I finished reading the book*: ...What the fuck did I just read????
To The Artist Of This Coming Generation And Of The Renaissance. The People That Truly Understand Your Art are The People Who Don't Comment . -Jaden Smith
Words cannot describe how much I absolutely hated this book. This is by far the worst book I have ever read for 2015 Yeah, I went there.
The thing is, I loved A.S. King's previous works. They were so amazing with their magical realism and how she manages to create such unique characters. No one does magical realism like her!
Now, I will say that Glory O'Brien's History of the Future wasn't like her other novels. I did like the message, but wasn't a fan of Glory and her father. I didn't like how Glory was so quick to judge. Not to mention her and her father slut shame Glory's best friend because she had sex and got lice. I still liked it, but it was a bit of a let down. 3 stars at best.
However, I now prefer Glory O'Brien's History of the Future over I Crawl Through It. Hell, I prefer The Book Thief and I DNF'd that book!
The Great Gatsby Is One Of The Greatest Movies Of All Time, Coachella. -Jaden Smith
I had expected so much from A.S. King. There were mixed reviews on this book. Even Emily May, whose reviews I trust gave this book a 1 star. I told myself that despite the reviews, I'll still read it and I might be one of those people who liked it.
Holy shit was I wrong.
If Everybody In The World Dropped Out Of School We Would Have A Much More Intellegent Society. -Jaden Smith. (I don't know why he capitalizes the beginning of every word.)
By now, you're probably wondering why I'm quoting tweets from Jaden Smith's twitter account. It's because reading this book felt like Jaden Smith wrote it. I kid you not, not a single word in this book made sense. I had to re-read sentences just to understand what the character said. And I still didn't understand it! A.S. King tries so hard to make everything a metaphor when in reality, it looks like Jaden Smith wrote it.
"But Cesar! You just need to read between the lines and understand that that the characters are smarter than they seem."
No! I didn't get the message and the characters are all fucking crazy. I am not joking when I say they're crazy. Like literally, if you all put them in a mental institution, I'm sure the doctors will find something wrong with them and commit them.
"But Cesar! Gustav's helicopter was a sign of wanting to leave but you can never leave!"
No! All I saw was some teenager playing with tools and not building anything! I didn't even like Gustav! If ever I met Gustav and told me weird stuff and told me that he's building an invisible helicopter, I wouldn't go near him with a ten foot pole.
"But Cesar! China's character arc is important. She finally doesn't have to hide from herself"
No! Yes, I know that China went through something really horrible and I'm glad that she was some what able to overcome it by then end, but the whole "I swallowed myself" is just plain weird. Plus, she called her former friends sluts. Really China? You call them sluts and at one point in the book, you are an anus on the outside.
"But Cesar! Lansdale's hair growing was symbolic. It meant her lies would get worse and so will her life!"
No! It's just some girl who cannot stop telling lies. There are people like that out there in the real world, but their lies doesn't make their hair grow like when Pinocchio lies and his nose grows longer.
"But Cesar! Stanzi is split in two and those two parts cannot agree with each other!"
No! Stanzi was the pure definition of someone who is not right in the head. This isn't a spoiler since you kind of know at the beginning of the book something happened in her past, but I did not care for her nor did I care if her problems would be resolved.
"But Cesar-"
No! There was not one thing in this book that I liked.
School Is The Tool To Brainwash The Youth. -Jaden Smith
For the love of God, I literally have no idea what I just read. Even as I'm writing this review, I still find it hard to believe that A.S. King wrote this. This was her way of trying to be creative and use metaphors to describe the lives of these teenagers. That in itself sounds like a great idea for a book. I'm sure there are books out there that uses metaphors and I'm sure they're great. Just not this one.
In the end, I hated this book. The characters were about as interesting as watching grass die. The plot was nothing more than just some teenagers doing weird shit. And the message didn't make sense.
Would I recommend this book? Fuck no.It's best if you read it from the library. On second thought, don't read it at all.
Thanks for reading my review!
-Cesar
This review is brought to you by random tweets from Jaden Smith's twitter account.
*Me when starting this book*: A.S. King! I'm so excited!
*Me when I'm halfway through the book*: Huh?
*Me when I finished reading the book*: ...What the fuck did I just read????
To The Artist Of This Coming Generation And Of The Renaissance. The People That Truly Understand Your Art are The People Who Don't Comment . -Jaden Smith
Words cannot describe how much I absolutely hated this book. This is by far the worst book I have ever read for 2015 Yeah, I went there.
The thing is, I loved A.S. King's previous works. They were so amazing with their magical realism and how she manages to create such unique characters. No one does magical realism like her!
Now, I will say that Glory O'Brien's History of the Future wasn't like her other novels. I did like the message, but wasn't a fan of Glory and her father. I didn't like how Glory was so quick to judge. Not to mention her and her father slut shame Glory's best friend because she had sex and got lice. I still liked it, but it was a bit of a let down. 3 stars at best.
However, I now prefer Glory O'Brien's History of the Future over I Crawl Through It. Hell, I prefer The Book Thief and I DNF'd that book!
The Great Gatsby Is One Of The Greatest Movies Of All Time, Coachella. -Jaden Smith
I had expected so much from A.S. King. There were mixed reviews on this book. Even Emily May, whose reviews I trust gave this book a 1 star. I told myself that despite the reviews, I'll still read it and I might be one of those people who liked it.
Holy shit was I wrong.
If Everybody In The World Dropped Out Of School We Would Have A Much More Intellegent Society. -Jaden Smith. (I don't know why he capitalizes the beginning of every word.)
By now, you're probably wondering why I'm quoting tweets from Jaden Smith's twitter account. It's because reading this book felt like Jaden Smith wrote it. I kid you not, not a single word in this book made sense. I had to re-read sentences just to understand what the character said. And I still didn't understand it! A.S. King tries so hard to make everything a metaphor when in reality, it looks like Jaden Smith wrote it.
"But Cesar! You just need to read between the lines and understand that that the characters are smarter than they seem."
No! I didn't get the message and the characters are all fucking crazy. I am not joking when I say they're crazy. Like literally, if you all put them in a mental institution, I'm sure the doctors will find something wrong with them and commit them.
"But Cesar! Gustav's helicopter was a sign of wanting to leave but you can never leave!"
No! All I saw was some teenager playing with tools and not building anything! I didn't even like Gustav! If ever I met Gustav and told me weird stuff and told me that he's building an invisible helicopter, I wouldn't go near him with a ten foot pole.
"But Cesar! China's character arc is important. She finally doesn't have to hide from herself"
No! Yes, I know that China went through something really horrible and I'm glad that she was some what able to overcome it by then end, but the whole "I swallowed myself" is just plain weird. Plus, she called her former friends sluts. Really China? You call them sluts and at one point in the book, you are an anus on the outside.
"But Cesar! Lansdale's hair growing was symbolic. It meant her lies would get worse and so will her life!"
No! It's just some girl who cannot stop telling lies. There are people like that out there in the real world, but their lies doesn't make their hair grow like when Pinocchio lies and his nose grows longer.
"But Cesar! Stanzi is split in two and those two parts cannot agree with each other!"
No! Stanzi was the pure definition of someone who is not right in the head. This isn't a spoiler since you kind of know at the beginning of the book something happened in her past, but I did not care for her nor did I care if her problems would be resolved.
"But Cesar-"
No! There was not one thing in this book that I liked.
School Is The Tool To Brainwash The Youth. -Jaden Smith
For the love of God, I literally have no idea what I just read. Even as I'm writing this review, I still find it hard to believe that A.S. King wrote this. This was her way of trying to be creative and use metaphors to describe the lives of these teenagers. That in itself sounds like a great idea for a book. I'm sure there are books out there that uses metaphors and I'm sure they're great. Just not this one.
In the end, I hated this book. The characters were about as interesting as watching grass die. The plot was nothing more than just some teenagers doing weird shit. And the message didn't make sense.
Would I recommend this book? Fuck no.It's best if you read it from the library. On second thought, don't read it at all.
Thanks for reading my review!
-Cesar
April 26, 2015
A.S. King's upcoming novel, October 2015. At first I thought "departure"--but I think now, it's more EVOLUTION of her style in her earlier realistic novels. Stanzi, China, Lansdale face issues like those that derail Vera, Lucky, Astrid, Glory. The world is still indifferent to their traumas. They are all alone. still. I'm grappling for words to explain the difference: These kids are braver, somehow. They are reaching out for solutions, as surreal as they are. They are not as alone.
Be brave yourself. Grapple with their pain. Look at this world we crawl through. Find the ones who can hear and help. Share this book!
Be brave yourself. Grapple with their pain. Look at this world we crawl through. Find the ones who can hear and help. Share this book!
April 9, 2017
Actual Rating: 2
I Crawl Through It follows several different characters:
Gustav, the boy who is building an invisible helicopter.
China, who has swallowed herself.
Swanzi, who has a split personality.
And Lansdale, who can't stop lying.
This was quite possibly the most bizarre book I've ever read. There definitely is a very meaningful message, but the way it was executed was honestly extremely confusing. I am someone who loves symbolism and metaphors and magical realism, but this one was definitely different - and to be honest, I wouldn't have shelved it under magical realism either.
At the very beginning, I was hooked, but after a while, although the plot was changing, the entire style was too ambiguous for me to get anything out of it. By the last few pages, where the reveal is, I had already predicted what was going on and had lost interest. Even the blurb is more concrete than the story itself.
The thing about this book is that the writing style is beautiful. A.S. King's writing styles always are. But just because it was beautiful doesn't mean it was engaging, and I honestly thought that the story was a little too convoluted.
The only character that I could even remotely understand was Swanzi. The other characters felt disconnected, which is a shame, considering how much potential they had. Their stories just didn't really seem to intertwine.
In addition, I was very interested in what was on the back of this book, but the story was extremely different and the "bomb threats" that were mentioned only showed up a little. Another part of the book that stood out to me was "the man in the bush". Even now, I'm very confused about what that was and I wish I knew even more about the letters that he gave.
I did really love the writing style, but the book was simply too hard to enjoy. I really don't know how to describe this book in any word other than bizarre. I didn't even try to love it. I don't think I understand it enough to.
After the book ended, there were still so many unanswered questions, and although this does play into the author's message, I felt like there was no closure. I do appreciate the attempts to address several societal issues such as rape or PTSD, but the story itself was just a little too confusing for the point to be made.
Although I enjoyed the writing style, I felt like I was reading each page "separately", as if I was enjoying the rhythm of the words as they flowed, but not really taking and what they were saying. Overall, I don't even know who to recommend this too, but if you're a fan of ambiguous metaphors, then by all means, go ahead.
I Crawl Through It follows several different characters:
Gustav, the boy who is building an invisible helicopter.
China, who has swallowed herself.
Swanzi, who has a split personality.
And Lansdale, who can't stop lying.
This was quite possibly the most bizarre book I've ever read. There definitely is a very meaningful message, but the way it was executed was honestly extremely confusing. I am someone who loves symbolism and metaphors and magical realism, but this one was definitely different - and to be honest, I wouldn't have shelved it under magical realism either.
At the very beginning, I was hooked, but after a while, although the plot was changing, the entire style was too ambiguous for me to get anything out of it. By the last few pages, where the reveal is, I had already predicted what was going on and had lost interest. Even the blurb is more concrete than the story itself.
The thing about this book is that the writing style is beautiful. A.S. King's writing styles always are. But just because it was beautiful doesn't mean it was engaging, and I honestly thought that the story was a little too convoluted.
The only character that I could even remotely understand was Swanzi. The other characters felt disconnected, which is a shame, considering how much potential they had. Their stories just didn't really seem to intertwine.
In addition, I was very interested in what was on the back of this book, but the story was extremely different and the "bomb threats" that were mentioned only showed up a little. Another part of the book that stood out to me was "the man in the bush". Even now, I'm very confused about what that was and I wish I knew even more about the letters that he gave.
I did really love the writing style, but the book was simply too hard to enjoy. I really don't know how to describe this book in any word other than bizarre. I didn't even try to love it. I don't think I understand it enough to.
After the book ended, there were still so many unanswered questions, and although this does play into the author's message, I felt like there was no closure. I do appreciate the attempts to address several societal issues such as rape or PTSD, but the story itself was just a little too confusing for the point to be made.
Although I enjoyed the writing style, I felt like I was reading each page "separately", as if I was enjoying the rhythm of the words as they flowed, but not really taking and what they were saying. Overall, I don't even know who to recommend this too, but if you're a fan of ambiguous metaphors, then by all means, go ahead.
April 15, 2015
I cannot decide if this was the most bizarre or most brilliant book I have ever read. I think it was about some terribly traumatic things that can happen while you're a teen. I think it was about the pressure and stress of growing up in this fast-paced, high pressure world. There may or may not have been an invisible helicopter. It sounds disjointed and unpolished, but I think that was the point. Everything you read here is up for interpretation. This is something that would benefit from multiple readings and every reading may result in a new and different realization. The ultimate realization will be that A.S. King is brilliant and it doesn't matter if you "get" it or not - you'll still read every thing she ever writes because you'll feel like you're missing out on something if you don't.
October 6, 2020
"Love doesn't just show up and disappear. Not real love ... I've known enough...to know that some people just show up and don't have any love at all. They just have needs."
Who has love and who is just showing up?
I've never read a novel like this one. I wasn't sure at first if I liked it and was going to finish it, but I kept going and am glad I did. As one of my favorite reviewers on here said (that's you, Elyse Walters!), it's like peeling an onion. I didn't know wtf was going on most of the time and am not used to such an inventive, imaginative playing field. But eventually, it all comes together (mostly) and the characters that for the most part remain aloof to us for much of the book (why I think many didn't finish) open up and break your heart at the end. The story line that most tugged at my heartstrings was that of China, a girl who was raped by a popular student. I can't spoil the ending, but I loved the interaction with her mother. I also loved the bush man, a sort of Jesus/Devil figure, if you can combine the two.
It's a timely look at the effects on children of school shootings and school trauma, and now add to that global warming and recent politics and you have a perfect storm of stress for today's young folks. How do they crawl out of it? Read it and see for yourself...
Who has love and who is just showing up?
I've never read a novel like this one. I wasn't sure at first if I liked it and was going to finish it, but I kept going and am glad I did. As one of my favorite reviewers on here said (that's you, Elyse Walters!), it's like peeling an onion. I didn't know wtf was going on most of the time and am not used to such an inventive, imaginative playing field. But eventually, it all comes together (mostly) and the characters that for the most part remain aloof to us for much of the book (why I think many didn't finish) open up and break your heart at the end. The story line that most tugged at my heartstrings was that of China, a girl who was raped by a popular student. I can't spoil the ending, but I loved the interaction with her mother. I also loved the bush man, a sort of Jesus/Devil figure, if you can combine the two.
It's a timely look at the effects on children of school shootings and school trauma, and now add to that global warming and recent politics and you have a perfect storm of stress for today's young folks. How do they crawl out of it? Read it and see for yourself...
July 12, 2015
I CRAWL THROUGH IT is the weirdest book I've ever read. Period. Reminiscent of Haruki Murakami's singly unique style, King has delivered yet another standalone masterpiece.
Personally, I have a hard time understanding metaphors in fiction, and I struggle with literary writing. I think this book is brilliant but I don't know quite why. There is a lot being said about an educational system based on standards and testing, and the effects that has on youth. King also has a lot to say about expectations and becoming adults, and her characters have very unique yet relatable reactions to that.
The story follows 4 teens who are coming of age together in their sleepy little town where everyone knows everyone else's business. They long to escape from their own boxes and cages, and they have very strange ideas of how they're going to do so. One boy is building an invisible helicopter to fly away in. Another girl writes impressive poetry that so accurately reflects the world around her. The lives of these teens are intertwined, their actions and reactions affecting each other in nuanced ways. I couldn't stop turning the pages, to find out what happens next. A great book with a clever premise and fantastic writing that will keep readers enthralled.
A.S. King is a master of literary YA fiction, and her latest novel is no exception. Metaphors and analogies, combined with skilled writing and a fascinating plot, ICTI is simply brilliant.
Personally, I have a hard time understanding metaphors in fiction, and I struggle with literary writing. I think this book is brilliant but I don't know quite why. There is a lot being said about an educational system based on standards and testing, and the effects that has on youth. King also has a lot to say about expectations and becoming adults, and her characters have very unique yet relatable reactions to that.
The story follows 4 teens who are coming of age together in their sleepy little town where everyone knows everyone else's business. They long to escape from their own boxes and cages, and they have very strange ideas of how they're going to do so. One boy is building an invisible helicopter to fly away in. Another girl writes impressive poetry that so accurately reflects the world around her. The lives of these teens are intertwined, their actions and reactions affecting each other in nuanced ways. I couldn't stop turning the pages, to find out what happens next. A great book with a clever premise and fantastic writing that will keep readers enthralled.
A.S. King is a master of literary YA fiction, and her latest novel is no exception. Metaphors and analogies, combined with skilled writing and a fascinating plot, ICTI is simply brilliant.
June 2, 2015
Wow, the publisher's blurb for this book makes it sound like a chemistry equation:
"Four talented teenagers" + (trauma + "self-absorbed adults") --> "invisible helicopter" --> valuable lesson
It is so not that. Or, if it is, it tells this story in terms that transcend this story's banal facts. What might look like an introverted, humiliated high school senior is in reality a walking digestive system - because that is the reality of humiliation. What looks like a normal high school ticking along day to day may in fact explode at any time.
They're calling this book "surrealist" and that's ok, but only if you remember that surrealism is about showing the truth that you don't really see.
I'm going to write a longer review closer to the pub date. Look for it on unadulterated.us
"Four talented teenagers" + (trauma + "self-absorbed adults") --> "invisible helicopter" --> valuable lesson
It is so not that. Or, if it is, it tells this story in terms that transcend this story's banal facts. What might look like an introverted, humiliated high school senior is in reality a walking digestive system - because that is the reality of humiliation. What looks like a normal high school ticking along day to day may in fact explode at any time.
They're calling this book "surrealist" and that's ok, but only if you remember that surrealism is about showing the truth that you don't really see.
I'm going to write a longer review closer to the pub date. Look for it on unadulterated.us
January 27, 2018
It's really a 1.5 stars, but I'll bump it up because maybe I'm just not wired right for this one.
I really have no idea what this book is about. I mean, I see the cases of assault and trauma etc., but all of the overbearing metaphor was completely bizarre. From the helicopter that Stanzi can only see on Tuesdays, to Lansdale whose hair grows when she lies, to the dangerous naked man in the bush who will trade kisses for letters (like, ABC letters, not correspondence) and who also occasionally will sell lemonade with ruffies. Obsessions with dissecting frogs, parents who run a sex dungeon, a girl who swallows herself so is sometimes a rectum?
The list could go on. I just cannot.
I really have no idea what this book is about. I mean, I see the cases of assault and trauma etc., but all of the overbearing metaphor was completely bizarre. From the helicopter that Stanzi can only see on Tuesdays, to Lansdale whose hair grows when she lies, to the dangerous naked man in the bush who will trade kisses for letters (like, ABC letters, not correspondence) and who also occasionally will sell lemonade with ruffies. Obsessions with dissecting frogs, parents who run a sex dungeon, a girl who swallows herself so is sometimes a rectum?
The list could go on. I just cannot.
October 22, 2015
I received an ARC of this novel from my editor, and HOLY SMOKES I am SO glad I did. I continue to be one of the biggest A.S King fans out there. I CRAWL THROUGH IT is David Lynch in book form.
You will love it!
You will love it!
August 7, 2016
(ACTUAL RATING 4.5)
Even though this novel didn't recieve my full five star rating I must say that it is one of my favorite books of 2016 so far! This book is one of the most distinct young adult novels out there. This was certaintly a surrealist novel. I have recently come to gain interest in magical realism, and I thought what better way to start exploring it then reading I Crawl Through it by the best of magical realism stories A.S King!
The character development was surely hard to not see, the growth of the characters just amazed me throughout the course of the novel. I loved all the characters but my favourite character was China, she writes down her emotions as poetry which I find relatable, she has been through a heck of a lot and reading through her journey and emotions shattered me but at the same time made me feel wholesome. The story portrays the hardships and testing that teenagers have to face and all of the impacts due to these issues. This book discussed several things but to sum up everything it talked about humanity, the youth, reality and the overall truth. The story was a puzzle and the reader had to put it all together using the detail and the hints in the story, it is all about the readers interpertation. This book deals with real life issues and shows that a teenagers life can be complicated and the dilemmas can be tough for each individual teenager. Each of the four characters have a specific belief about themselves and it's up to them to face everything to find the answers they seek. This is definately a book that I want to read over and over and further analyze to assimilate the story in depth.
Even though this novel didn't recieve my full five star rating I must say that it is one of my favorite books of 2016 so far! This book is one of the most distinct young adult novels out there. This was certaintly a surrealist novel. I have recently come to gain interest in magical realism, and I thought what better way to start exploring it then reading I Crawl Through it by the best of magical realism stories A.S King!
The character development was surely hard to not see, the growth of the characters just amazed me throughout the course of the novel. I loved all the characters but my favourite character was China, she writes down her emotions as poetry which I find relatable, she has been through a heck of a lot and reading through her journey and emotions shattered me but at the same time made me feel wholesome. The story portrays the hardships and testing that teenagers have to face and all of the impacts due to these issues. This book discussed several things but to sum up everything it talked about humanity, the youth, reality and the overall truth. The story was a puzzle and the reader had to put it all together using the detail and the hints in the story, it is all about the readers interpertation. This book deals with real life issues and shows that a teenagers life can be complicated and the dilemmas can be tough for each individual teenager. Each of the four characters have a specific belief about themselves and it's up to them to face everything to find the answers they seek. This is definately a book that I want to read over and over and further analyze to assimilate the story in depth.
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 1, 2015Pages read: 13
I Crawl Through It is already too weird for me. I've really enjoyed/loved the early A. S. King I've read, but it seems to have tipped over even more to the literary such that I don't have a clue what's happening anymore. Probably if I finished, I would understand at least somewhat, but I suspect I wouldn't enjoy the ride.
I Crawl Through It is already too weird for me. I've really enjoyed/loved the early A. S. King I've read, but it seems to have tipped over even more to the literary such that I don't have a clue what's happening anymore. Probably if I finished, I would understand at least somewhat, but I suspect I wouldn't enjoy the ride.
April 8, 2020
I normally LOVE A.S. King’s books. I enjoy the weird surrealist or fabulist elements really that work as metaphors to tell a deeper story. However, in this book I felt like it got so weird that I couldn’t tell what the meaning of some things were supposed to be. Maybe that was intentional, but I didn’t like ending the book and feeling like I didn’t totally understand what happened.
Usually with her books there will be some time where things are confusing, but by the end it has all come together and I get what the surrealist elements were representing. Unfortunately that didn’t happen with everything in this book. I could follow what was happening with China and Lansdale and thought that those parts of the story were powerful. I thought that the way China’s trauma was represented was extremely visceral and compelling. However, I’m still confused by a lot of what happened with Stanzi, Gustav, and the helicopter.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this as anyone’s first A.S King book, but if you’ve read her stuff before I think it’s worth checking out. Some of it is extremely impactful even if I don’t think it completely worked as a whole.
Usually with her books there will be some time where things are confusing, but by the end it has all come together and I get what the surrealist elements were representing. Unfortunately that didn’t happen with everything in this book. I could follow what was happening with China and Lansdale and thought that those parts of the story were powerful. I thought that the way China’s trauma was represented was extremely visceral and compelling. However, I’m still confused by a lot of what happened with Stanzi, Gustav, and the helicopter.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this as anyone’s first A.S King book, but if you’ve read her stuff before I think it’s worth checking out. Some of it is extremely impactful even if I don’t think it completely worked as a whole.
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 2, 2017TÁ, CHEGA! Eu não sei se é o audiobook - que é narrado pela autora que talvez não tenha experiência narrando - ou se é realmente a história que não faz sentido. Eu fiquei ativamente tentando entender todos os detalhes, mas 2 mais 2 tá dando 359 aqui. Eu vou abandonar esse livro por enquanto e tentar de novo daqui a algum tempo - e isso me dói o coração porque eu já li uns 4 trabalhos da autora e gostei de todos :/
September 24, 2015
From her first novel, THE DUST OF 100 DOGS, A.S. King has been interested in realistic issues but tackled them with fantastic flourishes. With each of her novels, her popularity and critical acclaim have risen. I love that she's taken the opportunity not to do the same thing repeatedly, but to push her work further and further into the edges. I CRAWL THROUGH IT leaps into full surrealism.
The majority of the book is told through the point of view of Stanzi. (Her name isn't Stanzi.) She is split into two and finds refuge in her love of biology, always wearing a lab coat and compulsively dissecting frogs. Some is told by China, who swallowed herself. Some is told by Lansdowne Cruise, whose hair grows when she lies. (She has very long hair.) Some is told by Patricia, who is trapped in a place with no departures. Their friend Gustav tells none of it, but he is central to the story - as is the helicopter he is building, which Stanzi can only see on Tuesdays.
It's a convoluted story, and on top of the surrealism, all of the narrators are unreliable. Some truths are easy to find. We all know what Irenic Brown did to China. The details can be harder to determine, and much is left to the reader's interpretation. King has a lot to say. She sometimes hammers her point in, but she's often subtle. (I do love the touch that despite there being prominent male characters, there are no male characters. This is a book where women's voices have primacy.)
Much is made in the blurb of I CRAWL THROUGH IT, as well as the design of the book itself, about the testing angle. Yes, there is satire of the modern school curriculum culture. In many ways I wouldn't pick that out as the central issue of the novel. I think it has far more to say about how girls' voices are devalued, but maybe that's just me.
I CRAWL THROUGH IT is King's least accessible novel. I think it accomplishes what King said out to do with it, and that her fans will have a lot of fun tangling through it. It is definitely not my favorite King novel. Like GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE, sometimes the polemics take over the story. However, it is a rich read and a bold artistic statement.
The majority of the book is told through the point of view of Stanzi. (Her name isn't Stanzi.) She is split into two and finds refuge in her love of biology, always wearing a lab coat and compulsively dissecting frogs. Some is told by China, who swallowed herself. Some is told by Lansdowne Cruise, whose hair grows when she lies. (She has very long hair.) Some is told by Patricia, who is trapped in a place with no departures. Their friend Gustav tells none of it, but he is central to the story - as is the helicopter he is building, which Stanzi can only see on Tuesdays.
It's a convoluted story, and on top of the surrealism, all of the narrators are unreliable. Some truths are easy to find. We all know what Irenic Brown did to China. The details can be harder to determine, and much is left to the reader's interpretation. King has a lot to say. She sometimes hammers her point in, but she's often subtle. (I do love the touch that despite there being prominent male characters, there are no male characters. This is a book where women's voices have primacy.)
Much is made in the blurb of I CRAWL THROUGH IT, as well as the design of the book itself, about the testing angle. Yes, there is satire of the modern school curriculum culture. In many ways I wouldn't pick that out as the central issue of the novel. I think it has far more to say about how girls' voices are devalued, but maybe that's just me.
I CRAWL THROUGH IT is King's least accessible novel. I think it accomplishes what King said out to do with it, and that her fans will have a lot of fun tangling through it. It is definitely not my favorite King novel. Like GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE, sometimes the polemics take over the story. However, it is a rich read and a bold artistic statement.
August 24, 2015
I was lucky enough to hear A.S. King speak when she visited our Library in August 2015. Eventually, after much fascinating talk, one of the moderators got around to asking her about her newest book, I Crawl Through It. "What's it about?" We all laughed, as we had earlier established how difficult it can be to neatly summarize a King novel. But then King's expression turned serious and she said, "It's about the way teens have to deal, daily, with both intruder drills and standardized tests - and how messed up that is." I had already been planning on reading King's new book, but now I knew I had to read it now.
A.S. King's particular brand of magical realism edges far more into surrealist territory with this slim novel. If you're not used to surrealist literature - and we just don't have that much modern surreal literature to consume - you're going to need to let go of some expectations. Like, the expectation of understanding it all. Let me tell you right off the bat, don't bother questions like, "Is China REALLY a walking digestive system, though?" And "yeah but what is Gustav sitting on when he's working inside the imaginary helicopter...is he just hanging in midair?" Those are not the important questions, but it can be tempting to get tripped up on them. Instead, let the strange metaphors King uses work on you as you read, and think about the important questions. Like how we survive trauma, and then keep on surviving, day to day, as the memory of the trauma fades but its effects linger. How do we connect with people in a world packed full of things that are violent, senseless, or both? And how do we expect teens to deal with all of that when adults haven't figured it out, either?
King's book doesn't (can't) answer those questions. But works of literature as profound as I Crawl Through It are nonetheless part of the solution. They force us to think about the world in which we live and the people we share it with. They force us to reflect on our own stories as we engage in these characters' lives. And they allow us to experience trauma, hope and connection through one channel still left to us in this messed up world - books.
A.S. King's particular brand of magical realism edges far more into surrealist territory with this slim novel. If you're not used to surrealist literature - and we just don't have that much modern surreal literature to consume - you're going to need to let go of some expectations. Like, the expectation of understanding it all. Let me tell you right off the bat, don't bother questions like, "Is China REALLY a walking digestive system, though?" And "yeah but what is Gustav sitting on when he's working inside the imaginary helicopter...is he just hanging in midair?" Those are not the important questions, but it can be tempting to get tripped up on them. Instead, let the strange metaphors King uses work on you as you read, and think about the important questions. Like how we survive trauma, and then keep on surviving, day to day, as the memory of the trauma fades but its effects linger. How do we connect with people in a world packed full of things that are violent, senseless, or both? And how do we expect teens to deal with all of that when adults haven't figured it out, either?
King's book doesn't (can't) answer those questions. But works of literature as profound as I Crawl Through It are nonetheless part of the solution. They force us to think about the world in which we live and the people we share it with. They force us to reflect on our own stories as we engage in these characters' lives. And they allow us to experience trauma, hope and connection through one channel still left to us in this messed up world - books.
Want to read
January 27, 2015I haven't read anything by A.S. King before, but this sounds really interesting. Also Andrew Smith said on his Facebook page that it's one of the best books he's read in his life. So ... I am intrigued. :)
February 9, 2024
a.s. king you are so weird and i’m always here for it
also it’s been 9 years and i think publishers should give this book another shot. republish this with a different cover!! and don’t try to market it as something it’s not! trying to fit this into genres and descriptions that aren’t fitting means that this book is read by people who don’t actually want to read it, and missed by people who probably do. i crawl through it is a strange, risky, surreal YA novel—truly creative and unique, but in the way where it’s hard to categorize and i honestly can’t think of any suitable comp titles. the cover is so god awful boring and makes it seem like it’s just a regular YA contemporary about well, test anxiety?? sure, that’s mentioned in the synopsis, but that is so, so misleading. a.s. king has such a distinct voice and never shies away from tough topics, so i think it would have been beneficial to lean into the weirdness because most of the negative reviews say this book is too weird. let people know from the beginning that this is not your regular contemporary YA and embrace the fact that it veers off into indistinguishable territory. draw people in with the idea that this book makes you raise an eyebrow.
edited review 2 hours later: oopsies it IS going to be republished this year!! silly me!!!! not sure how i managed to complain about a random 9-year-old out-of-print book the same year it’s going to be reprinted but i am looking forward to what better be a ~thrilling~ new cover, right dutton? ;) riiiight?
also it’s been 9 years and i think publishers should give this book another shot. republish this with a different cover!! and don’t try to market it as something it’s not! trying to fit this into genres and descriptions that aren’t fitting means that this book is read by people who don’t actually want to read it, and missed by people who probably do. i crawl through it is a strange, risky, surreal YA novel—truly creative and unique, but in the way where it’s hard to categorize and i honestly can’t think of any suitable comp titles. the cover is so god awful boring and makes it seem like it’s just a regular YA contemporary about well, test anxiety?? sure, that’s mentioned in the synopsis, but that is so, so misleading. a.s. king has such a distinct voice and never shies away from tough topics, so i think it would have been beneficial to lean into the weirdness because most of the negative reviews say this book is too weird. let people know from the beginning that this is not your regular contemporary YA and embrace the fact that it veers off into indistinguishable territory. draw people in with the idea that this book makes you raise an eyebrow.
edited review 2 hours later: oopsies it IS going to be republished this year!! silly me!!!! not sure how i managed to complain about a random 9-year-old out-of-print book the same year it’s going to be reprinted but i am looking forward to what better be a ~thrilling~ new cover, right dutton? ;) riiiight?
April 3, 2018
Rating and running on this one! Just didn’t get it! I’m planning on seeing her at AWRF this year, I’ve enjoyed 3 of her other books, but this one is baffling and weird.
November 4, 2016
I love AS King. Like, auto-buy, stand-in-line-for-hours, always-sing-her-praises kind of love her. Her books have this perfect balance of realistic adolescent frustration, feminism, magical realism, and intelligent characters to please me as a super-picky reader. So when I saw I Crawl Through It on Edelweiss, I downloaded it immediately.
And then I was afraid to touch it for six months. I knew this AS King was a little different and, judging from early reviews, not as accessible as her other books. While Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future was amazingly bizarre, I Crawl Through It is King’s next step in growing as a writer…all the way to the world of surrealist fiction.
I’ll try to give a synopsis, but with a book like this it almost doesn’t matter. Everything is a metaphor, everything is confusing, and that’s okay. The story is narrated by several characters, but primarily follows four teenagers all attending the same high school: Stanzi wears a labcoat everywhere, Gustav is building an invisible helicopter, China has swallowed herself (and is, thus, a walking stomach), and Lansdale’s hair grows when she tells lies. Add in that someone keeps calling in bomb threats to their school and a man who stands in the bushes handing out letters of the alphabet, it all just sounds simply insane.
However, this book is supposed to be confusing. It’s supposed to be an open-ended maze with no easy answers. Everything is a metaphor, and each reader can apply his or her life experience to the metaphors and get a unique story. Though King does eventually reveal some of the reasons behind these teens’ strange behaviors and their disconnection from the world around them, other elements remain open to interpretation. Yes, this is a story about trauma and mental health and all the horrible horrible shit that so many adolescents face. But there are so many layers here than I think I could find dozens of new thoughts to ponder upon subsequent rereads.
This book is not easy. One motif throughout the story is the references to standardized testing. The bubbles, the stress, the school’s focus on test result above all others. My favorite part of the whole novel was how brazenly King took this on without overdoing it. The test rules all, but King shows us how much of a dog and pony show it really is. To add another layer, the book itself is the counterpoint to the standardized test. It is not singular, it is not factual, it is not easily interpreted. Life is an open-ended question and there are no right answers. Message received.
FINAL GRADE: B
I Crawl Through It is not for everyone. However, if you are looking for more complex YA, this might be a good starting place. Whether or not you enjoy the story, you have to applaud King for treating adolescents like complex, intelligent beings who aren’t just interested in love triangles and getting the boy. This book channels the legacies of Kurt Vonnegut and other surrealist writers and adds something new to YA that can help the interest level gain critical and literary legitimacy. It’s not my favorite AS King novel, but I do like the direction she is moving and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.
And then I was afraid to touch it for six months. I knew this AS King was a little different and, judging from early reviews, not as accessible as her other books. While Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future was amazingly bizarre, I Crawl Through It is King’s next step in growing as a writer…all the way to the world of surrealist fiction.
I’ll try to give a synopsis, but with a book like this it almost doesn’t matter. Everything is a metaphor, everything is confusing, and that’s okay. The story is narrated by several characters, but primarily follows four teenagers all attending the same high school: Stanzi wears a labcoat everywhere, Gustav is building an invisible helicopter, China has swallowed herself (and is, thus, a walking stomach), and Lansdale’s hair grows when she tells lies. Add in that someone keeps calling in bomb threats to their school and a man who stands in the bushes handing out letters of the alphabet, it all just sounds simply insane.
However, this book is supposed to be confusing. It’s supposed to be an open-ended maze with no easy answers. Everything is a metaphor, and each reader can apply his or her life experience to the metaphors and get a unique story. Though King does eventually reveal some of the reasons behind these teens’ strange behaviors and their disconnection from the world around them, other elements remain open to interpretation. Yes, this is a story about trauma and mental health and all the horrible horrible shit that so many adolescents face. But there are so many layers here than I think I could find dozens of new thoughts to ponder upon subsequent rereads.
This book is not easy. One motif throughout the story is the references to standardized testing. The bubbles, the stress, the school’s focus on test result above all others. My favorite part of the whole novel was how brazenly King took this on without overdoing it. The test rules all, but King shows us how much of a dog and pony show it really is. To add another layer, the book itself is the counterpoint to the standardized test. It is not singular, it is not factual, it is not easily interpreted. Life is an open-ended question and there are no right answers. Message received.
FINAL GRADE: B
I Crawl Through It is not for everyone. However, if you are looking for more complex YA, this might be a good starting place. Whether or not you enjoy the story, you have to applaud King for treating adolescents like complex, intelligent beings who aren’t just interested in love triangles and getting the boy. This book channels the legacies of Kurt Vonnegut and other surrealist writers and adds something new to YA that can help the interest level gain critical and literary legitimacy. It’s not my favorite AS King novel, but I do like the direction she is moving and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.
May 27, 2022
4⭐️
After being extremely disappointed by Switch I was a little bit nervous to read AS King's other surrealist novel.
Thank god I still gave this one a shot because it was absolutely stunning.
This is a book about life, and all of the bad things that come with it, it is about a group of high school teenagers who are just trying to get by.
Each of these characters has a unique set of hardships that they are going through and they all have their different ways of handling them. One girl swallows herself, another boy is building an invisible helicopter, another lies so much it makes her hair grow.
It give me chills thinking about it.
I will admit that at times it did get to be a little too abstract for my tastes but overall this is an absolutely beautiful book that I will continue to think about for a while.
---------------
This was so good. I��m broken, and it’s time for a nap.
- - - - - - - - - -
Wanted to do something fun and different so for the next 48 hours (ish) I'm going to be reading books by my favorite authors!
Who knows, maybe I'll find three new favorite reads!!
Book 1: I Crawl Through It
Book 2: Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day
Book 3:The Weight of Feathers
After being extremely disappointed by Switch I was a little bit nervous to read AS King's other surrealist novel.
Thank god I still gave this one a shot because it was absolutely stunning.
This is a book about life, and all of the bad things that come with it, it is about a group of high school teenagers who are just trying to get by.
Each of these characters has a unique set of hardships that they are going through and they all have their different ways of handling them. One girl swallows herself, another boy is building an invisible helicopter, another lies so much it makes her hair grow.
It give me chills thinking about it.
I will admit that at times it did get to be a little too abstract for my tastes but overall this is an absolutely beautiful book that I will continue to think about for a while.
---------------
This was so good. I��m broken, and it’s time for a nap.
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Wanted to do something fun and different so for the next 48 hours (ish) I'm going to be reading books by my favorite authors!
Who knows, maybe I'll find three new favorite reads!!
Book 1: I Crawl Through It
Book 2: Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day
Book 3:The Weight of Feathers
June 14, 2016
"You are not ovals. You are not letters. You are human beings and every time someone rolls their eyes like your opinion doesn't count, picture me giving them the finger."
I loved this author, always have. Every book I pick up is always my new favorite.
But this one challenged me. It's different and has a definite different vibe. But if you stick with it, the message is still there. The end pulls it all together and let's you in on the big stuff. I like that I struggled with the story and the magic realism feel because there are a lot of things high schoolers are into and like that I don't get. And these things - cosplay and tumblr, snapchat and furries - are just as foreign to me as invisible helicopters.
.
The amazing words of A.S. King are still here and still truly take my breath away. I love that she wrote this book because I see the need for it. Between AP testing and common core, shooter drills and bomb scares - we have no idea how these are hurting our kids. And I think this story reminds us just how tough it is to be a young adult.
I loved this author, always have. Every book I pick up is always my new favorite.
But this one challenged me. It's different and has a definite different vibe. But if you stick with it, the message is still there. The end pulls it all together and let's you in on the big stuff. I like that I struggled with the story and the magic realism feel because there are a lot of things high schoolers are into and like that I don't get. And these things - cosplay and tumblr, snapchat and furries - are just as foreign to me as invisible helicopters.
.
The amazing words of A.S. King are still here and still truly take my breath away. I love that she wrote this book because I see the need for it. Between AP testing and common core, shooter drills and bomb scares - we have no idea how these are hurting our kids. And I think this story reminds us just how tough it is to be a young adult.
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