By Justin Ordoñez
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 is 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 without 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.
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