Review: Believing Rory by S. C. Wynne

Posted May 16, 2016 by Dale

Blurb:

Will Rory bring them together or stand between them?

Eighteen-year-old Lane Graham has always relied on his braver, more confident buddy, Rory. But Rory’s sudden suicide blindsides Lane and sends him into an emotional tailspin. How’s he supposed to start college in a few months feeling this damaged?

Baron MacDonald knew Rory from playing League of Legends together. He was always intrigued by Lane’s online presence, and Rory had promised to set them up. Now that Rory’s gone, Baron has to approach Lane on his own.

On the surface, Baron and Lane couldn’t seem more different. Baron is confident and serious, and Lane is guarded and uncertain. But it’s the pain beneath the flesh that binds these two souls together like barbed wire and cement.

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Trigger Warnings: Suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and mention of sexual abuse.

My Review:

After reading the blurb I was prepared for a book that isn’t fluffy and all hearts and roses. But what the blurb doesn’t tell you, and I only saw it mentioned in ONE review, is that Lane and Baron are suicidal too. And it should have been mentioned somewhere! So if any of the above mentioned themes are triggery for you, don’t read the book.

It took me a while to figure out how to write this review, because Believing Rory isn’t an easy book and I’m not sure if I really liked it or not.

What I liked about it was that the book portrays depression in a real and gripping way. Nothing is glossed over or softened to make it easier. The writing is raw and real and painful. It shows that depression is an everyday struggle. That one day you can feel almost “normal” and the next day you don’t know how to go on.

But then somewhere along the way the author focused more on stupid fights and jealousy; things that seemed so unimportant, until almost to the end of the book when Baron’s issues came to the forefront again like she remembered that she needed to tie that up before the book was over.
I understand that both protags are teenagers and they’re supposed to react that way but come on! It was just too much drama. And I had expected more after the first half of the book.
And why the hell didn’t Lane’s mum make him go to a psychiatrist? He’s tried to kill himself before, then his best friend commits suicide and his mom doesn’t make him go and see someone professional? I just can’t believe that and it seems so unrealistic! And don’t get me started on the whole thing that love makes them feel better and they just need to be together..

This one had a lot of potential but sadly fell short for me.