Review: Before My Eyes by Caroline Bock

Title: Before My Eyes

Author: Caroline Bock

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication date: February 11th, 2014
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 304

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Dreamy, poetic Claire, seventeen, has spent the last few months taking care of her six-year-old sister, Izzy, as their mother lies in a hospital bed recovering from a stroke. Claire believes she has everything under control until she meets “Brent” online. Brent appears to be a kindred spirit, and Claire is initially flattered by his attention. But when she meets Max, the awkward state senator’s son, her feelings become complicated.

Max, also seventeen, has been working the worst summer job ever at the beachside Snack Shack. He’s also been popping painkillers. His parents—more involved in his father’s re-election than in their son’s life—fail to see what’s going on with him.

Working alongside Max is Barkley, twenty-one. Lonely and obsessive, Barkley has been hearing a voice in his head. No one—not his parents, not his co-workers—realizes that Barkley is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Until the voice in his head orders him to take out his gun.

I am a huge fan of realistic fiction, and Before My Eyes definitely seemed like a book that I would definitely enjoy. This book is told from three different point of views. We have Claire, Max, and Barkley. Reading the synopsis, we don't get to understand much about what the story would  be about, and unfortunately, I STILL don't get it. When I started this book, it was weird. The writing was different, it took time to get used to it, but I liked it. I even told my sister "It's weird, but good weird, will probably get better." For me, it didn't. I still don't know why I didn't DNF this book, but for some reason I though there would be an explanation at the end of the book. THERE WAS NOTHING. I was so confused. 

I don't think I liked any of the characters. They were weird, and I just didn't feel like I was able to connect to any of them. My major problem with this book is that it just lacked a plot. The pace of the book was incomprehensible. I just felt like the book was so jumbled up, and nothing ever made sense to me. The book was full of dialogues of stuff that I felt were useless. I tried looking at the bigger picture, I really tried. I just couldn't understand what it was about, and I just couldn't enjoy it. 

My opinion of this book will remain my opinion. I just wished I didn't waste my time reading it till the end, because all I read could have been summarized in about two chapters. Will I recommend this book to a friend? No. Does that mean you shouldn't pick it up? Of course not! If you end up picking it up, and you end up understanding the "message" behind this book, don't hesitate to tell me.