Justin Ordoñez

Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/08/sykosa-blog-tour-indie-review-sykosa...

Wow! To say I don't know where to begin is an understatement. This book truly knows how to stand out. It is so unique and in-your-face, that it will take you by surprise. This may be pegged as Young Adult, but this is not the kind of book you would let them read. It is tragic and gritty and begs for attention.

This is definitely a character-driven book. And our main character, Sykosa, definitely has a lot of character. She is so many things rolled into one and that is what makes her so compelling. Last year, her sophomore year, something terrible happened to her. She survived, but something came with her. Something she calls the "blackness". She feels a void, an overwhelming emptiness that can't be filled. She is struggling with her new found sexuality, keeping up her grades, and trying to keep herself and her best friend Niko sane. But the "blackness" is always there and she is barely keeping it at bay. Her best Things aren't all that great for Niko either. She is also having trouble. She may seem like a spoiled rich girl, but she is dealing with major issues herself. She is having a tough time after things that have happened with her mom (which is the key point of when things started going wrong with her) and trying to fit in with a certain click and boys.

The plot of this book bounces around a bit. But it isn't the true focus of the book. Everything is the way our characters make it. More than the environment changing the story, it all comes from them. It is like reading a diary. But the story is a mixture of many things. You have Sykosa trying to define her "relationship" with Tom (the guy that saved her that day), her "blackness", her friendship with her disturbed best friend Niko and more. Sykosa is a really complex character and her story is proof of that. It is quite a unique writing style. But this leads me to a complaint.

Don't get me wrong, I love the unique style of the book. Ordonez does a great job with this book. It is fast and modern. But the biggest problem I have with this book is the character transitions. The characters' point of view changes from one paragraph to the other. One second we see things from Niko's POV then we immediately are in Sykosa's mind. It is a bit clustered. There are even times when the book switches from first person to third in the blink of an eye. You get a little confused sometimes because you don't know who you are following. There are even a couple of times when we get into Tom's head and it is so random. We follow Sykosa for so long and he is just wedged in there from nowhere. So just beware of that.

This book is truly difficult and raw. You really must keep an open mind when reading this. Like I said, this is definitely more for the 18+ audience. It is pretty graphic. I knew the book would be graphic, but I wasn't fully prepared for the full impact. It is a coming-of-age story for the modern age. It sort of reminds me of the tv show Skins, it deals with all the same controversial issues. And like Skins, it shows that life for some teenagers isn't like how it is shown on Nickelodeon. Things happen that lead to difficult situations that are just too big to handle. But I love how real the book feels. It doesn't shy away from the realism of it all. This book showcases those issues in full force. This is like nothing I have read before. It will grab your attention in more ways than one. So captivating.… (mehr)

This is the first YA book I’ve read that has very mature content and is much too graphic for the intended genre. When it comes to YA fiction, I tend to go for the adventure or fantasy genre because I prefer the fast-paced, light and easy reading that I feel project a positive experience for the young reader. I read Sykosa because I like to read and review books for children and young adults, and I agreed to read it as part of a book blog tour.

Sykosa is in high school, but her high school life and that of her friend Niko reads like the makings of some seriously messed up people. You could say this is some kind of a coming-of-age story, although the entire conflict revolves around a past event that changed the lives of the characters. The book doesn’t really talk about this specific event in details; the author just eludes to it, and the reader can only try to piece things together. I kept on reading because I wanted to know what exactly happened and I was hoping all the snippets would eventually give me the whole picture, and make this a more positive review.

It is always interesting to read about how emotional experiences and traumatic events affect and shape young people and drive them to do things that are counter productive to their own welfare. That insight is the only redeeming factor of this book

The writing as free-flowing and informal, and though I like that style most of the time, It is easy for a reader to get confused about whose point of view they are reading. The writing style reflects the inconsistent flow of thoughts and emotions of a typical teenager. I would challenge the author to write this character study with out easy out of using smut, or reclassify it as erotica.

This YA story is written from a male perspective. Personally, I find it sexist and demeaning. That said if you are into naughty schoolgirls, out to destroy rivals and give in to peer pressures— like drink, drugs, and graphic sexual acts—you will probably enjoy Sykosa’s exploits.
Review by Jackie Anton

Note: The author intended this as a YA book, but I have put it in X rated due to Language and sexual content. I recommend readers be over 17.… (mehr)

Sykosa is like any other teen girl, beautiful, intelligent, and determined to make the most of any situation. Yet she also has secrets. Secrets that, at times, threaten to engulf her. Secrets she detests in keeping. Part of her knows she has no choice in keeping them. Trouble would ensue if she does not, yet she finds it difficult sometimes to hold them close.

Her life hasn't been that easy, even though people would like to think so. She's had everything she's ever wanted, yet her life, sometimes, feels lacking. Her best friend, Niko, is broken in more ways than one and she's a part of the secrets Sykosa has tucked into the back of her mind. It's her way of not having to deal with what she doesn't want to deal with. Yet sometimes the little door swings open and those secrets pour out unexpectedly.

Then there's Tom, her beloved boyfriend. She loves him more than anything, at least she thinks she does. She wants to please him and make him like her all the more and does her best to entice him in every way possible. Using her charms, she's able to wrap him around her finger, delighting in the way she's able to incite his passions. They're just like every couple. Their relationship is full of up's and down's, but there's one thing she's sure of, Tom is hers and she'll do anything to keep him.

The events of the past threaten to engulf her as each day passes. She detests the fact that she knows more about what happened than she really wants to know. Yet part of her knows she can never truly divulge what she's seen. Not if she wants to keep her high standing in school. Despite her disappoints, Sykosa is able to come to terms with her past and the life she leads. To some extent, anyway.

This was definitely a very unique read. It was refreshing to catch a glimpse of Sykosa and her friends. To see her triumphs and her disappointments. I think the author did a good job in tapping into his 'feminine' side, so to speak, in order to make Sykosa more real. I enjoyed the story, although I must be honest and say that I felt there were some parts of the story that dragged a little. But other than that, the book is a good read.… (mehr)