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Undone
Jem Halliday is in Love with Her Best Friend.
It doesn't matter that Kai is gay, or that he'll never look at her the same way she looks at him. Their friendship is all she needs. But when Kai is outed online by one of their classmates, he does the he commits suicide. Jem's world is shattered. All she has left of her best friend are twelve letters―one for each month of the year―he wrote her before he died. Kai's letters beg her not to investigate what happened, but Jem can't let it go. She needs to know who did this, and she'll stop at nothing to find the person responsible for Kai's death. One way or another, someone is going down. Someone is going to pay... "I haven't felt so much for a book since If I Stay by Gayle Forman."―Confessions of a Book Addict " Undone is a story that will stick with me for a long time."―Book Passion for Life
It doesn't matter that Kai is gay, or that he'll never look at her the same way she looks at him. Their friendship is all she needs. But when Kai is outed online by one of their classmates, he does the he commits suicide. Jem's world is shattered. All she has left of her best friend are twelve letters―one for each month of the year―he wrote her before he died. Kai's letters beg her not to investigate what happened, but Jem can't let it go. She needs to know who did this, and she'll stop at nothing to find the person responsible for Kai's death. One way or another, someone is going down. Someone is going to pay... "I haven't felt so much for a book since If I Stay by Gayle Forman."―Confessions of a Book Addict " Undone is a story that will stick with me for a long time."―Book Passion for Life
378 pages, Hardcover
First published December 20, 2012
91 people are currently reading
5,193 people want to read
About the author
Cat Clarke
19books1,148followersCat was born in Zambia and brought up in Edinburgh and Yorkshire, which has given her an accent that tends to confuse people.
Cat has written non-fiction books about exciting things like cowboys, sharks and pirates, and now writes YA novels. She lives in Edinburgh with a couple of cats, Jem and Scout, who spend their days plotting to spit up furballs at the most inconvenient times. She likes cheese A LOT, especially baked camembert.
Cat has written non-fiction books about exciting things like cowboys, sharks and pirates, and now writes YA novels. She lives in Edinburgh with a couple of cats, Jem and Scout, who spend their days plotting to spit up furballs at the most inconvenient times. She likes cheese A LOT, especially baked camembert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 669 reviews
September 9, 2013
There are no words. Only heartbroken silence.
February 8, 2013
no words...don't read, you'll cry....A LOT. I've warned you. I love you Lucas.
July 8, 2017
Undone is the third offering from author Cat Clarke and it is just brilliant. I don't think I have the words to do justice to how good this book was but I'll give it a go.
Undone is the story of Jem. Jem is in a bad place. She has been in love with her best friend Kai for as long as she can remember even though he was gay. She was able to live with it but when he's outed in a video on the Internet and he can't deal with it and kills himself and suddenly Jem's whole world falls apart. Jem is practically at the point of being completely catatonic when she is visited by Jem's sister who gives her a series of letters from Kai, one of each month of the next year which gives her a reason to live again and the opportunity to get even with the group of popular kids she holds responsible for Kai's suicide.
Jem decides the best way to get back at those responsible for the death of Kai is to infiltrate the popular group and take them down from within. She changes the way she looks and dresses, makes friends with the enemy and starts to date the most popular boy in school. For me it was fascinating to see the transition Jem has to make to get in with the popular crowd. It said a lot about how fragile the system of popularity within a high school system actually is. The book also really highlights the devastating way in which discriminatory bullying can affect the life of a young person and how easily someone can ruin the life of another with a few choice words or put downs. Another way in which this book really hit me was the way which you really get under the skin of Jem. You really get the sense as a reader of how emotionally raw she feels as it oozes off the page and hits you full in the face. I just found myself wanting to pick her up and do whatever possible to make everything ok again.
The ending of the book is really poignant and is guaranteed to leave you a emotional wreck. Perfect and heart breaking at the same time. I pity the book I read next because there is no way it will compare to undone. A brilliant read which I cannot recommend highly enough.
Undone is the story of Jem. Jem is in a bad place. She has been in love with her best friend Kai for as long as she can remember even though he was gay. She was able to live with it but when he's outed in a video on the Internet and he can't deal with it and kills himself and suddenly Jem's whole world falls apart. Jem is practically at the point of being completely catatonic when she is visited by Jem's sister who gives her a series of letters from Kai, one of each month of the next year which gives her a reason to live again and the opportunity to get even with the group of popular kids she holds responsible for Kai's suicide.
Jem decides the best way to get back at those responsible for the death of Kai is to infiltrate the popular group and take them down from within. She changes the way she looks and dresses, makes friends with the enemy and starts to date the most popular boy in school. For me it was fascinating to see the transition Jem has to make to get in with the popular crowd. It said a lot about how fragile the system of popularity within a high school system actually is. The book also really highlights the devastating way in which discriminatory bullying can affect the life of a young person and how easily someone can ruin the life of another with a few choice words or put downs. Another way in which this book really hit me was the way which you really get under the skin of Jem. You really get the sense as a reader of how emotionally raw she feels as it oozes off the page and hits you full in the face. I just found myself wanting to pick her up and do whatever possible to make everything ok again.
The ending of the book is really poignant and is guaranteed to leave you a emotional wreck. Perfect and heart breaking at the same time. I pity the book I read next because there is no way it will compare to undone. A brilliant read which I cannot recommend highly enough.
June 18, 2017
This is a bit of an odd book, and if I had been asked at different intervals how I would rate it, it would have fluctuated wildly. The book opens strongly, with the protagonist reeling from the suicide of her closest - and only - friend. The author elicits empathy for the characters, along with horror at the events leading to Kai's suicide.
From there, the book slowly starts slipping away. There are a few reasons for that. The protagonist is truly unlikeable. Whilst having sympathy and empathy for her, she treats everyone poorly, and is caught in a cycle of projecting anger, which further alienates people, that leads to further anger. When she experiences periods of happiness, she squashes those and continues on a path of self-destruction anyway.
Further reasons I didn't like the book were the constant slut shaming from the main character; it truly was offensive and repugnant. In addition, was a strong sense of homophobia from many characters. Kai suicided due to being 'outed' in the most graphic of ways. So, the main character decided appropriate revenge for one of those she thought was responsible was to . Honestly, I found this 'revenge' storyline very difficult to stomach. I cannot imagine being so bitter and blinkered that I would cause such harm to people as this girl does. I found repulsive, and I felt dirty and revolted for reading it.
Then, the ending. It is impossible not to mention it. The author had a chance for her character to experience growth, and instead of allowing that chose to go for cheap shocks.
So why two stars rather than one? The secondary characters - the so called "team popular", were mostly (not all) great kids who showed a great deal of patience, respect, and forgiveness for Jem. All kindnesses that were not reciprocated by her. So, team pop were pretty awesome.
The other reason was that this really was compulsive reading. Despite all the flaws I mentioned above, this was one of those 'one more chapter, just one more chapter' books, til before you know it is nearly 1am on a work night and you need to be up in a few short hours to get yourself and the kids ready for another day. Eek.
So that leaves me frustrated with this author. She has great writing skill, and draws characters so very beautifully and realistically. You can hear the 'but' though right, BUT I think she needs to work on her plotting This could have been a very high quality novel if things had continued in the same vein as the start.
From there, the book slowly starts slipping away. There are a few reasons for that. The protagonist is truly unlikeable. Whilst having sympathy and empathy for her, she treats everyone poorly, and is caught in a cycle of projecting anger, which further alienates people, that leads to further anger. When she experiences periods of happiness, she squashes those and continues on a path of self-destruction anyway.
Further reasons I didn't like the book were the constant slut shaming from the main character; it truly was offensive and repugnant. In addition, was a strong sense of homophobia from many characters. Kai suicided due to being 'outed' in the most graphic of ways. So, the main character decided appropriate revenge for one of those she thought was responsible was to . Honestly, I found this 'revenge' storyline very difficult to stomach. I cannot imagine being so bitter and blinkered that I would cause such harm to people as this girl does. I found repulsive, and I felt dirty and revolted for reading it.
Then, the ending. It is impossible not to mention it. The author had a chance for her character to experience growth, and instead of allowing that chose to go for cheap shocks.
So why two stars rather than one? The secondary characters - the so called "team popular", were mostly (not all) great kids who showed a great deal of patience, respect, and forgiveness for Jem. All kindnesses that were not reciprocated by her. So, team pop were pretty awesome.
The other reason was that this really was compulsive reading. Despite all the flaws I mentioned above, this was one of those 'one more chapter, just one more chapter' books, til before you know it is nearly 1am on a work night and you need to be up in a few short hours to get yourself and the kids ready for another day. Eek.
So that leaves me frustrated with this author. She has great writing skill, and draws characters so very beautifully and realistically. You can hear the 'but' though right, BUT I think she needs to work on her plotting This could have been a very high quality novel if things had continued in the same vein as the start.
April 19, 2020
"They had no idea that normal didn't exist for me anymore. NORMAL had been smashed on the rocks beneath the bridge."
It was an amazing book. It made me want to cry, laugh and I truly felt that the emotions had driven me crazy. Jemima Haliday is a fabulous character and she loved Kai to bits.
No matter what gender he was, she still accepted him. That made this book a true masterpiece. When Kai committed suicide it made Jemima never forgive herself for that and felt as if a place in her heart was scarred for life; never able to heal. She really wanted to investigate but didn't want to betray Kai. Before Kai gave in to his life, he wrote 12 letters to her and put them in an envelope, with strict rules as she had to read them each month. He did not want Jem to feel as if her life ended without him so, he gave her comfort. Jem understood. But, she always wondered, why? He left her heart-broken. And undone. No one to ever heal the gap in her heart which was getting bigger as time went on. She wanted to pay back. Pay back for what they did to him. They made his life miserable just because he was gay. He would have been living a life now but, he truly didn't have no choice and had to put his life to an end as he couldn't cope with the torture anymore. This book will be in your lives forever and you will feel the depths of the story. You will understand the struggles some young people have to face throughout their very lives. Jem was an example. She couldn't take Kai's death into consideration and her whole in her heart ripped open making her commit the unthinkable, just like Kai. She couldn't take it any more: And that's what made me cry the most. The depth of the story will tell you that life doesn't expect it the way you expected it to be. What had happened to Jem's 'best friend', Sasha, was terribly sad. Her beautiful face was utterly ruined. Without pain you would never ever know joy. This story is life-changing and it shows how young adults have to suffer in deep remorse and grief. Just because of one simple thing. And in this book that thing was: homophobia. It tells us the hidden truth of the story which is exactly the same in reality. Many people have to experience hardship throughout life like Kai. It isn't fair he commited suicide, which was truly unthinkable, for homophobic thoughts against him. He was different. Everyone is different. Even if that post hadn't been sent, he would've still felt insecure. He would have felt that he didn't feel as if he was worth living in this world where everyone is disgusted by your gender. He still would have been gone. This book really make those adamant minds change and linger into your thoughts in a poignant emotion which will only make you feel pain, pain and more pain.
Kai felt as if everyday wasn't a day to be worth living for. And he left everyone for good. He let fear and hurt take over him just because of those hurtful comments.
Cat Clarke is an amazing author who teaches us the values of things teenagers and adults have to face everyday.
No one wants to feel like that. Not even you.
This book is unforgettable, heart-breaking and resentful. An it shocked me into heart-broken silence which will make you cry your heart out. But, it still wouldn't make a difference.
What's done is done for Kai.
It was an amazing book. It made me want to cry, laugh and I truly felt that the emotions had driven me crazy. Jemima Haliday is a fabulous character and she loved Kai to bits.
No matter what gender he was, she still accepted him. That made this book a true masterpiece. When Kai committed suicide it made Jemima never forgive herself for that and felt as if a place in her heart was scarred for life; never able to heal. She really wanted to investigate but didn't want to betray Kai. Before Kai gave in to his life, he wrote 12 letters to her and put them in an envelope, with strict rules as she had to read them each month. He did not want Jem to feel as if her life ended without him so, he gave her comfort. Jem understood. But, she always wondered, why? He left her heart-broken. And undone. No one to ever heal the gap in her heart which was getting bigger as time went on. She wanted to pay back. Pay back for what they did to him. They made his life miserable just because he was gay. He would have been living a life now but, he truly didn't have no choice and had to put his life to an end as he couldn't cope with the torture anymore. This book will be in your lives forever and you will feel the depths of the story. You will understand the struggles some young people have to face throughout their very lives. Jem was an example. She couldn't take Kai's death into consideration and her whole in her heart ripped open making her commit the unthinkable, just like Kai. She couldn't take it any more: And that's what made me cry the most. The depth of the story will tell you that life doesn't expect it the way you expected it to be. What had happened to Jem's 'best friend', Sasha, was terribly sad. Her beautiful face was utterly ruined. Without pain you would never ever know joy. This story is life-changing and it shows how young adults have to suffer in deep remorse and grief. Just because of one simple thing. And in this book that thing was: homophobia. It tells us the hidden truth of the story which is exactly the same in reality. Many people have to experience hardship throughout life like Kai. It isn't fair he commited suicide, which was truly unthinkable, for homophobic thoughts against him. He was different. Everyone is different. Even if that post hadn't been sent, he would've still felt insecure. He would have felt that he didn't feel as if he was worth living in this world where everyone is disgusted by your gender. He still would have been gone. This book really make those adamant minds change and linger into your thoughts in a poignant emotion which will only make you feel pain, pain and more pain.
Kai felt as if everyday wasn't a day to be worth living for. And he left everyone for good. He let fear and hurt take over him just because of those hurtful comments.
Cat Clarke is an amazing author who teaches us the values of things teenagers and adults have to face everyday.
No one wants to feel like that. Not even you.
This book is unforgettable, heart-breaking and resentful. An it shocked me into heart-broken silence which will make you cry your heart out. But, it still wouldn't make a difference.
What's done is done for Kai.
December 14, 2016
Mi reacción inicial con el final de este libro fue algo parecido a las 5 etapas del duelo. Primero experimente Աó: No podía, ni quería, creerlo.
Tras apenas unos pocos segundos pase (violentamente) a la ira: Quería ponerle cero estrellas. Quería retroceder el tiempo y abandonarlo. Quería comprarlo en físico solo para quemarlo y mutilarlo lentamente.
Luego, con el pasar de los días, fui recorriendo simultáneamente la Աdzó y la ó, hasta finalmente llegar a la ٲó. Casi dos semanas después de haberlo leído puedo decir que pensar en él ya no me enfurece. Puedo admitir que le da fuerza a la historia, que es el mejor posible. Puedo pensar en la trama y aceptar que que disfrute leyéndola y que me entretuvo. Puedo reconocer que se merece algo mas que cero estrellas.
Undone no es nada que no hayamos visto antes, sin embargo toma lo que otros young adult ya nos han contado y le da un giro de tuerca, logrando así una historia que se siente familiar sin sentirse repetida. Es la historia de Jem Halliday quien está enamorada de Kai, su mejor amigo. ¿El problema? Él es gay. ¿El otro problema? Kai se suicida, producto de un acto de bullying. Esto causará que Jem quede devastada pero decidida a vengarse de los responsables.
En medio de esa necesidad de venganza se dará el inicio de un nuevo romance y nuevas amistades, que se verán envueltas en una espiral de destrucción y engaños. La vendetta será por momentos un tanto juvenil, melodramática y tonta peeero nunca deja de ser completamente adictiva. Un libro que confirma el hecho de que es posible odiar al personaje principal (I REALLY, REALLY HATE YOU JEM) y aún así disfrutar la historia que nos cuenta. No se va a convertir en un clásico de la literatura, pero te aseguro que tampoco va a dejarte indiferente.
Tras apenas unos pocos segundos pase (violentamente) a la ira: Quería ponerle cero estrellas. Quería retroceder el tiempo y abandonarlo. Quería comprarlo en físico solo para quemarlo y mutilarlo lentamente.
Luego, con el pasar de los días, fui recorriendo simultáneamente la Աdzó y la ó, hasta finalmente llegar a la ٲó. Casi dos semanas después de haberlo leído puedo decir que pensar en él ya no me enfurece. Puedo admitir que le da fuerza a la historia, que es el mejor posible. Puedo pensar en la trama y aceptar que que disfrute leyéndola y que me entretuvo. Puedo reconocer que se merece algo mas que cero estrellas.
“It’s amazing, the lies you can tell yourself. Even more amazing, the lies you can believe when you’re desperate enough.�
Undone no es nada que no hayamos visto antes, sin embargo toma lo que otros young adult ya nos han contado y le da un giro de tuerca, logrando así una historia que se siente familiar sin sentirse repetida. Es la historia de Jem Halliday quien está enamorada de Kai, su mejor amigo. ¿El problema? Él es gay. ¿El otro problema? Kai se suicida, producto de un acto de bullying. Esto causará que Jem quede devastada pero decidida a vengarse de los responsables.
“Every good story deserves a happy ending � it’s a basic rule of storytelling. The boy next door certainly shouldn’t die.�
En medio de esa necesidad de venganza se dará el inicio de un nuevo romance y nuevas amistades, que se verán envueltas en una espiral de destrucción y engaños. La vendetta será por momentos un tanto juvenil, melodramática y tonta peeero nunca deja de ser completamente adictiva. Un libro que confirma el hecho de que es posible odiar al personaje principal (I REALLY, REALLY HATE YOU JEM) y aún así disfrutar la historia que nos cuenta. No se va a convertir en un clásico de la literatura, pero te aseguro que tampoco va a dejarte indiferente.
“Everyone’s got secrets. It’s what makes people interesting.�
July 31, 2015
Beautifully heartbreaking.
It didn't take me long to lose count of the amount of times I choked up and shed a tear (or several). This book truly has ruined me. And I couldn't be more grateful.
An amazing, well-written read.
It didn't take me long to lose count of the amount of times I choked up and shed a tear (or several). This book truly has ruined me. And I couldn't be more grateful.
An amazing, well-written read.
October 5, 2013
6/5
Je viens de finir UNDONE.
Toute ma famille m'a vu pleurer.
Et mes mains n'arrêtent pas de trembler.
Et je peux déjà ajouter ce roman à la liste de mes coups de cœurs.
Et... Et...
Je craque.
Merci, Cat Clarke. �
-----------------------------------------------------------
Elle a réussi. Une fois de plus, elle a réussi. Alors qu'à un certain moment je n'y croyais plus trop, Cat Clarke a réussi. Elle a réussi à me faire pleurer devant toute ma famille. Elle a réussi à me faire trembler et à m'arracher le cœur, à me couper le souffle et à me retourner l'estomac, à me faire vivre une aventure tellement intense que c'est comme si je l'avais rêvée. Elle a dépassé toutes mes attentes, alors que nous savons tous qu'elles étaient juste inaccessibles. Mais elle l'a fait. Undone est un coup de cœur. En fait, non. C'est tellement plus que ça. Je suis en train de vivre une véritable gueule de bois livresque. Je ne comprends pas comment les gens autour de moi peuvent continuer à agir normalement alors que mes sentiments viennent juste d'être éclatés, détruits, ravagés. Ce n'est pas normal. Undone m'a bouleversé. Undone m'a dérangé. Undone occupe mon esprit. Undone fait frissonner mes mains. Undone va me hanter. Undone va m'obséder.
Écrire cet avis ne va pas être une partie de plaisir. Loin de là même, je pense. Voyez-vous, je plains sérieusement le prochain livre que je vais lire, parce qu'il ne pourra pas arriver à la cheville de ce roman. Il y a tellement de choses à dire. Tellement de choses à ressentir. Tellement de choses à vivre. Je pense que je ne e dirai jamais assez : Cat Clarke est, en l'espace de quelques mois seulement, devenue ma déesse en tant qu'auteure de Young-Adult. Je ne vous cache pas qu'après avoir lu Confusion et Torn, j'en attendais donc beaucoup venant de Undone. Surtout que les avis sur ŷ étaient vraiment excellents, et qu'ils promettaient la réception de nombreuses claques. Je m'étais préparé à ça. Et, franchement, je ne pensais pas que Cat Clarke pouvait dépasser les limites déjà parfaites qu'elle s'était imposée avec ses deux précédents ouvrages. Sauf qu'elle l'a fait. Et merveilleusement bien, en plus. Undone m'a dévasté.
Undone c'est, avant tout, l'histoire de Jemima et de Kai. Une histoire d'amitié renversante et émouvante au possible, qui ne laissera personne de marbre. Kai est homosexuel et, malheureusement pour elle, Jem a complètement craquée pour lui depuis leur plus tendre enfance. La situation est assez spéciale et assez amusante quand on y pense, et Jem a appris à faire avec. Tout était parfait, jusqu'au jour où une vidéo de Kai a été mise en ligne. Vidéo dans laquelle on comprend clairement qu'il est gay. Pour Jem, ce n'est pas grand chose. Il va savoir vivre avec. Sauf que les choses ne se passent pas exactement comme ça. Kai se suicide, laissant derrière lui une Jem détruite. Mais il n'a pas vraiment dit son dernier mot. En effet, il a laissé douze lettres, une pour chaque mois de l'année, à Jemima.
Je n'ai pas vraiment l'habitude de développer un peu plus le résumé d'une histoire mais, pour écrire mon avis, je pense que cela est nécessaire. Sinon, vous ne comprendriez pas du tout mon ressenti sur l'héroïne, Jem. Jem est un personnage hors du commun. Mais pas le sens que vous pourriez croire. Elle n'est pas parfaite. Elle n'est pas plus intelligente, plus belle, plus connue ou plus forte que les autres. Elle est hors du commun parce qu'elle est dérangeante. Je ne sais pas vraiment si je me suis réellement attaché à elle. Quoique les larmes que j'ai laissé couler une fois ma lecture terminée me penchent à dire oui. Je vous explique : Jem s'est mise en tête de venger la mort de Kai. Pour elle, les responsables de son suicide ne sont autre que les élèves les plus populaires du lycée. Elle va donc décider de s'introduire dans leur cercle très fermé, pour le détruire de l'intérieur.
Undone nous permet donc de totalement et exclusivement vivre son désir de revanche. Au départ, j'ai eu du mal à la cerner. Puis au bout d'un moment, clac. Je me suis mis à l'adorer. Je ne sais pas comment ni pourquoi, mais un milliard de papillons se sont mis à battre des ailes dans mon ventre. Le truc, c'est que Cat Clarke joue carrément avec la santé mentale de Jem. Et, vous me connaissez, j'ai adoré ça. A des dizaines de reprises je me dis : "Non. Non ce n'est pas possible. Elle n'a pas fait ça. Oh purée si, elle l'a fait.". Et je parlais aussi bien pour Jem que pour l'auteure. Elles nous en font véritablement voir de toutes les couleurs. Jem m'a dérangé. Mais, genre, VRAIMENT dérangé. Le "est-ce-qu'elle-est-folle-ou-quoi-?" dérangé. Je n'arrive même pas décrire mes sentiments vis-à-vis d'elle. Elle à beau débloquer complètement et être prête à toucher la folie du doigt pour venger la mort de Kai, elle n'en reste pas moins touchante et renversante. Mais je ne devrais même pas m'en étonner. Cat Clarke a toujours eu ce pouvoir. Elle sait rendre ses protagonistes réels. Concrets. Cohérents. Humains. Destructeurs. J'ai souffert physiquement pour Jem. Je ne vous parle même pas de mon mental, qui est pratiquement décédé, là tout de suite. Jem est une étoile. Un peu folle et inquiétante, mais personne n'est parfait, non ? Puis sa quête de revanche pour son meilleur ami est magnifique, en un sens. Dangereuse, dérangeante et déchirante, mais magnifique.
Hormis Jem, Kai m'a, lui aussi, énormément convaincu. Il m'a touché comme rarement un personnage l'a fait. L'idée de ses lettres m'a carrément tué. Le retrouver chaque mois était devenu vital, aussi bien pour Jem que pour moi. Il m'a fait rire. D'ailleurs, le roman en général m'a fait rire. Plutôt bizarre. Enfin personnellement, je trouve ça juste magique. Cat Clarke a le don de nous faire sourire alors que l'ambiance de son récit est noire et ensorcelante. C'est juste... Ouaw. Kai m'a fait pleurer. Kai m'a donné envie de vivre. De sourire. De profiter de chaque seconde. Kai m'a tué, au même titre que Jem. Ces deux-là, ainsi que leur amitié inébranlable, ont fait saigner mon cœur et mon âme.
Niveau rebondissements, c'est l'explosion. Bon par contre, j'ai noté un petit bémol. Voyez-vous, je me suis quand même dit au bout d'une centaine de pages que j'en attendais trop, comme dit un peu plus haut. Cat Clarke ne faisait que tâter le terrain et mettre en place les bases de son récit. Je ne dis pas que c'était ennuyant, loin de là, mais j'aurais aimé que tout aille un tout petit plus vite. En même temps, je ne suis absolument pas objectif vu que j'avais mis la barre très haut. Donc bon. Toujours est-il que j'ai eu peur d'être déçu à un moment, et que je comprendrais totalement que certaines personnes trouvent quelques longueurs assommantes. Je le répète, ça n'a pas été mon cas, mais je préfère vous avertir. Mais Cat Clarke se rattrape parfaitement bien avec la suite de son histoire. La preuve, j'ai mis 6/5 à Undone malgré ce minuscule défaut, cela veut tout dire. Les coups de théâtre vont crescendo, et, au fur et à mesure que l'intrigue se développe, c'est comme si l'auteure nous enfonçait des coups de poignard dans l'estomac. On souffre vraiment. J'ai dû poser plusieurs fois le roman pour reprendre mon souffle. Undone, c'est ce genre de livre. Celui qui vous fait transpirer, qui vous pousse à aller voir votre demie sœur à 1h30 du matin dans sa chambre pour lui parler de vos sentiments carrément emmêlés les uns aux autres, qui vous empêche de dormir et vous pousse à réfléchir. Undone, c'est une histoire qui vous fait du mal et qui arrive à vous faire aimer ça. L'overdose nous guette à chaque page, tel un précipice mortel, et on se jette pourtant tête la première à l'eau.
Quand je vous dis qu'il vous pousse à réfléchir, j'entends par-là qu'il vous pousse VRAIMENT à réfléchir. Il y a tellement tellement tellement de messages à déchiffrer. Tellement de symboliques à comprendre. Tellement de choses à creuser et à interpréter. Rien que le fait que Jem puisse s'introduire dans le groupe le plus populaire du lycée laisse à penser : il ne serait donc pas si horrible que ça ? Il ne jugerait donc personne ? Et si ce que l'on pensait de lui était totalement faux ? Bon ok, à l'écrit ça paraît stupide, mais, quand j'y pense, je vous jure que les réflexions sont hyper importantes. Puis même, la revanche de Jem est ultra perturbante. De toute manière, tout est perturbant dans ce livre.
Amitiés, trahisons, mensonges et amours s'entremêlent et s'entrechoquent dans Undone. Je vous jure que la romance présente dans cette histoire m'a bouleversé. A cause de Jem, une fois de plus. Il y a du sexe. Beaucoup de sexe, d'ailleurs. Il y a des instants chargés de passion et d'émotions. Il y a des moments perdus entre beauté et horreur. Puis il y a des heures de lecture enchanteresses et palpitantes, qui ressemblent terriblement à des secondes qui s'engrènent trop vite.
Avec Undone, Cat Clarke va encore plus loin. Encore plus au cœur même des choses : des sentiments, des désirs, et de tous les éléments qui font de nous des êtres imparfaits. Elle a réussi à créer une histoire encore plus intense, plus touchante, plus à fleur de peau que ses précédents récits, chose qui semblait être juste impossible et impensable. Je ne sais pas si vous l'avez remarqué, mais je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de répéter les mots "dérangeant", "perturbant" et "obsédant". Mais Undone, c'est ça. Une histoire dérangeante et perturbante, qui ne peut pas s'empêcher de nous obséder. Je reviendrai souvent à ce livre, à ses personnages et à son histoire. J'en suis intimement persuadé.
La conclusion du livre est parfaite. Parfaite et déchirante. Je m'attendais à quelque chose de puissant, mais jamais je ne m'étais préparé à ça. Il y a, là aussi, énormément de messages et de symboles. La boucle est bouclée. C'est comme un cycle. En lisant le dernier chapitre, j'avais les mains qui tremblaient et les yeux qui commençaient à être humides. Puis en arrivant à la dernière page, ça a été l'implosion. Jamais je n'avais autant frisonner après avoir lu un livre. Jamais. Et je me suis ridiculisé en pleurant devant toute ma famille pendant cinq bonnes minutes. Quel genre de livre fait ça, sérieusement ? Purée. Et là, rien que d'en reparler, j'ai envie de craquer. Mais j'ai aussi envie de hurler, et de verser toutes les larmes de mon corps à l'idée que je ne vais pas relire du Cat Clarke de sitôt. Attendre pour son prochain roman est d'ores et déjà de la pure torture.
Au final, et je pense que mon immmmmense chronique en atteste parfaitement, je suis fier et heureux de vous annoncer que Undone est un énorme coup de cœur. Pour moi, pleurer et être brisé par une lecture est la plus belle des choses qui puissent exister. Merci, Cat Clarke. Undone est une histoire à ne pas manquer. Vraiment. Je suis de nouveau à court de mots. C'est vraiment horrible. Undone a modifié quelque chose en moi. A transformé une partie de moi. Jem m'a dévasté. Son histoire m'a achevé. Il y a tellement, tellement de choses à dire sur ce livre. Mais je vais m'arrêter là, et simplement vous conseiller de le lire. Mais préparez-vous. Vraiment. Je ne dis pas ça pour rigoler ou pour ajouter de l'effet. Il faut être préparé pour ce genre de lectures. « L'effet Cat Clarke » a fonctionné pour la troisième fois, et j'en suis juste hyper heureux. Undone est dérangeant. Undone est perturbant. Undone est obsédant. Undone est dévastateur. Je réalise que finir cet avis est synonyme d'adieux pour les personnages de cette histoire. Mais je ne suis vraiment pas prêt à les quitter. L'histoire de Undone peut venir me hanter quand elle veut, je n'y verrais aucun inconvénient. Une lecture indispensable signée d'une main de maître, qui me poursuivra encore longtemps.
May 1, 2014
4.5 stars
If you want a book that truly messes with your head.... If you want a book that has great characters who are gritty and real.... If you want a book that compels you to read it in one sitting... then this book is for you. I must in good conscience say that the book is full of foul language and sex. And typically I don't read books like that or even like them, but this book pulled me in and wouldn't let go. Cat Clarke clearly has a lot of talent, and I really enjoyed reading a book that delves so deeply in the psychological realm with her characters. There aren't any flat people in this book. They are all well-fleshed out characters, and I guarantee that you won't know which one to side with. Even the main character at times is questionable in her likeability. This is a study in the psychology of revenge as well. It shows the dark side of getting even. Clarke writes with a near clairvoyant sense into the inner workings of people's thoughts and actions. I will be seeking out other books by her. I am happy this is a stand alone novel, and it truly ended the only way it could have ended. Not saying I liked the ending - just saying I understand.
If you want a book that truly messes with your head.... If you want a book that has great characters who are gritty and real.... If you want a book that compels you to read it in one sitting... then this book is for you. I must in good conscience say that the book is full of foul language and sex. And typically I don't read books like that or even like them, but this book pulled me in and wouldn't let go. Cat Clarke clearly has a lot of talent, and I really enjoyed reading a book that delves so deeply in the psychological realm with her characters. There aren't any flat people in this book. They are all well-fleshed out characters, and I guarantee that you won't know which one to side with. Even the main character at times is questionable in her likeability. This is a study in the psychology of revenge as well. It shows the dark side of getting even. Clarke writes with a near clairvoyant sense into the inner workings of people's thoughts and actions. I will be seeking out other books by her. I am happy this is a stand alone novel, and it truly ended the only way it could have ended. Not saying I liked the ending - just saying I understand.
June 10, 2013
BEFORE READING:
Please God, let it be good just like Entangled!
AFTER READING:
Gah...
Please God, let it be good just like Entangled!
AFTER READING:
Gah...
July 3, 2013
OMFG.....
February 13, 2013
For your chance to win an ARC of this title (UK only) or a paperback of your choice (INT) visit my
It has taken me a long time to write this review because I have struggled to figure out what I want to say. Put simply I found this book gut wrenching, it was emotional, shocking and heart-breaking.
Undone tackles a whole host of series subjects such as suicide and bullying and does so with great respect. Cat Clarke is an amazing storyteller and a brilliant writer. I truly commend her for taking on such serious matters and for managing to handle it with such care.
To say this is angst driven would be an understatement and there were not many reasons to smile whilst reading this. Everything seemed to get worse and worse until you get to an ending that is truly shocking.
There was one big issue I had with this book and that was Jem. I really, really disliked her. She was extremely needy and in the end was one big walking, talking cliché. She relied on her best friend Kia far too much and was almost smothering in her affection for him. When she losses him I liked her even less. Of course I felt for her but her grief soon turns to bitter rage and self-pity that gets worse as time passes. She was hell bent on revenge, no matter the cost and full of selfishness. I just wanted her to stop because she hurts anyone and everyone in her path even those who love her and don’t deserve it.
Undone is one of the most deeply affecting emotionally draining books I have ever read. It stayed with me for days after I read it and although I am glad that I did read it and finish it, it is a book I will never be able to read again.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review
It has taken me a long time to write this review because I have struggled to figure out what I want to say. Put simply I found this book gut wrenching, it was emotional, shocking and heart-breaking.
Undone tackles a whole host of series subjects such as suicide and bullying and does so with great respect. Cat Clarke is an amazing storyteller and a brilliant writer. I truly commend her for taking on such serious matters and for managing to handle it with such care.
To say this is angst driven would be an understatement and there were not many reasons to smile whilst reading this. Everything seemed to get worse and worse until you get to an ending that is truly shocking.
There was one big issue I had with this book and that was Jem. I really, really disliked her. She was extremely needy and in the end was one big walking, talking cliché. She relied on her best friend Kia far too much and was almost smothering in her affection for him. When she losses him I liked her even less. Of course I felt for her but her grief soon turns to bitter rage and self-pity that gets worse as time passes. She was hell bent on revenge, no matter the cost and full of selfishness. I just wanted her to stop because she hurts anyone and everyone in her path even those who love her and don’t deserve it.
Undone is one of the most deeply affecting emotionally draining books I have ever read. It stayed with me for days after I read it and although I am glad that I did read it and finish it, it is a book I will never be able to read again.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review
October 28, 2013
Bcp de mal pour noter ce livre. A défaut de pouvoir, je lui mets un peu plus de la moitié.
D'un côté, rien à dire, c'est rondement mené, l'auteur tient son histoire de bout en bout. Je pense encore à ce livre après l'avoir fini, ça m'a complètement retournée.
D'un autre côté, J'ai détesté les réactions de Jem, sa manière de se comporter. Complètement aveuglée par sa vengeance, elle ne voit rien, elle ne se remet jamais en question, elle fonce aveuglement. Alors qu'elle voit que les personnes qu'elle accuse d'avoir mis la vidéo de Kai en ligne ne sont pas comme elle se les étaient imaginées... alors qu'elle sent que son opinion sur eux change, elle se braque. ça m'a saoulée, j'ai voulu entrer dans le livre pour lui remettre les pendules à l'heure.
A la fin, l'histoire m'a complètement rendu malade. Je n'étais pas choquée par la révélation sur la personne qui a mis la vidéo en ligne, je le savais depuis le départ et pourquoi elle avait fait cela. J'aurais franchement aim�� que cela se finisse autrement car là, je me sens très mal, je tourne en rond sur cette histoire, sur cette fin "et si..., et si..., et si...". Cette histoire ne m'a pas laissée indifférente, loin de là, je me suis bcp impliquée vu que le sujet parle d'exclusion, je me suis parfois retrouvée en Jem mais de voir ce qu'elle a fait ensuite, ça m'a vraiment mis en pétard contre elle, contre le roman. A la fin, je me sens vraiment mal, en plein malaise et je n'aime pas cette sensation. Si le but de l'auteur est de faire réagir, alors chapeau bas, ceci dit moi je n'aime pas ressentir autant de mal être en terminant un roman. Je ne sais donc pas si j'ai aimé ou pas au final. Mais une chose est sûre, il ne laisse pas indifférent. Et je suis contente de l'avoir lu.
D'un côté, rien à dire, c'est rondement mené, l'auteur tient son histoire de bout en bout. Je pense encore à ce livre après l'avoir fini, ça m'a complètement retournée.
D'un autre côté, J'ai détesté les réactions de Jem, sa manière de se comporter. Complètement aveuglée par sa vengeance, elle ne voit rien, elle ne se remet jamais en question, elle fonce aveuglement. Alors qu'elle voit que les personnes qu'elle accuse d'avoir mis la vidéo de Kai en ligne ne sont pas comme elle se les étaient imaginées... alors qu'elle sent que son opinion sur eux change, elle se braque. ça m'a saoulée, j'ai voulu entrer dans le livre pour lui remettre les pendules à l'heure.
A la fin, l'histoire m'a complètement rendu malade. Je n'étais pas choquée par la révélation sur la personne qui a mis la vidéo en ligne, je le savais depuis le départ et pourquoi elle avait fait cela. J'aurais franchement aim�� que cela se finisse autrement car là, je me sens très mal, je tourne en rond sur cette histoire, sur cette fin "et si..., et si..., et si...". Cette histoire ne m'a pas laissée indifférente, loin de là, je me suis bcp impliquée vu que le sujet parle d'exclusion, je me suis parfois retrouvée en Jem mais de voir ce qu'elle a fait ensuite, ça m'a vraiment mis en pétard contre elle, contre le roman. A la fin, je me sens vraiment mal, en plein malaise et je n'aime pas cette sensation. Si le but de l'auteur est de faire réagir, alors chapeau bas, ceci dit moi je n'aime pas ressentir autant de mal être en terminant un roman. Je ne sais donc pas si j'ai aimé ou pas au final. Mais une chose est sûre, il ne laisse pas indifférent. Et je suis contente de l'avoir lu.
July 16, 2014
No words. Oh my gosh. Wow. I need a few days to recover.
August 17, 2017
Not quite sure how I feel about that ending...
February 18, 2024
Rien ne va, rien du tout. Le personnage principal est détestable, l'histoire a aucun intérêt et est super mal gérée, le plot twist est nul et tout a fait attendu et la fin est nulle.
January 26, 2024
Ouais non déso, j'aurais peut-être aimé au collège en full emo mais là c'était vraiment une épreuve de finir surtout pour ça...
May 21, 2013
OH GOD WHY??? why did I read this...this.. i don't even know what to call it! abomination?piece of useless f*cking bullsh*t?
this may be able to capture a fraction of what i'm feeling:
why would Cat Clarke waste her amazingly awesome writing skills on this? i have read her other books and loved them and i thought i'd love this too....i was SO wrong=_______= this book,its just wrong!!it makes zero logic. i really really REALLY hope her next book will not be like this one:/
this may be able to capture a fraction of what i'm feeling:
why would Cat Clarke waste her amazingly awesome writing skills on this? i have read her other books and loved them and i thought i'd love this too....i was SO wrong=_______= this book,its just wrong!!it makes zero logic. i really really REALLY hope her next book will not be like this one:/
June 7, 2015
This book made me so so angry. The summary sounded amazing and I was so excited to read it but I was so disappointed. Jem is such an asshole,it's just unbelievable. The popular kids were actually really nice and she did horrible things to them. I mean come on Stu wasn't that nice but still and making everyone believe Bugs was gay was awful. Sasha was so sweet and genuinely wanted to be her friend and I felt so bad for her when she fell in the fire. She was so convinced that it was them, she didn't even stop to think if it was anyone else. She's just so awful
I really would have liked if Kai was a little more developed as a person cause it really doesn't seem like Jem loves him, idk she always talks about him like a friend. I also Found Kai selfish and I get what he went through but idk. Also the letters really annoyed me.
I really love Lucas, bugs and Sasha. Despite being popular they were really nice.
I really would have liked if Kai was a little more developed as a person cause it really doesn't seem like Jem loves him, idk she always talks about him like a friend. I also Found Kai selfish and I get what he went through but idk. Also the letters really annoyed me.
I really love Lucas, bugs and Sasha. Despite being popular they were really nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2017
This was an interesting read. I thought the story was well-written, and I thought the characters were interesting. I was not expecting to like this book that much, but I really did. Throughout the story, we follow Jem as she plans on getting revenge on the people who ousted her best friend, Kai (who she also loved for many years). I thought Kai's character was explained more through the letters to Jem, but I still wish his life did not have to end. Also, through his letters, I started to see Jem's insecurities come out and I also saw the potential she had as a character. I did not dislike the ending, but I thought that the ending was okay. I was upset and sad. Also, the plot twists in the book were great and kept me wanting more. I am now a fan of Cat Clarke. I can't wait to read more books by her. Overall, a great read.
February 10, 2024
JE SUIS OUTRÉE !
C'est quoi ce plot ? c'est quoi ces persos cringes, misogynes et homophobes af ?
L'héroïne qui est "pas comme les autres filles" ces salopes sans cervelles AHAHAHAHA, qu'est ce qu'on se marre. C'était déjà cringe en 2013 mais alors en 2023 c'est vraiment l'enfer à lire.
Elle incarne absolument toutes les choses qu'elle hait chez les autres. Je parle même pas de la fin absurde, j'ai rien ressenti c'était trop con mon dieu.
Quelle perte de temps, ça m'énerve.
C'est quoi ce plot ? c'est quoi ces persos cringes, misogynes et homophobes af ?
L'héroïne qui est "pas comme les autres filles" ces salopes sans cervelles AHAHAHAHA, qu'est ce qu'on se marre. C'était déjà cringe en 2013 mais alors en 2023 c'est vraiment l'enfer à lire.
Elle incarne absolument toutes les choses qu'elle hait chez les autres. Je parle même pas de la fin absurde, j'ai rien ressenti c'était trop con mon dieu.
Quelle perte de temps, ça m'énerve.
January 24, 2023
yeah no this was not it
it was sooo slow, i dfn it twice, and the only reason it doesn't have 1 star is bc of lucas 🫶🏻🫶🏻
it was so so slow and had basically no plot at all , also the ending was terrible😭
it was sooo slow, i dfn it twice, and the only reason it doesn't have 1 star is bc of lucas 🫶🏻🫶🏻
it was so so slow and had basically no plot at all , also the ending was terrible😭
July 15, 2018
What I love about Cat Clarke’s books is how well she writes LGBTQ characters and sensitive topics. I mean, usually. Because in this book? Not so much.
It might be that Clarke just learnt a lot about how to portray topics like suicide and mental illness in the past few years or maybe she tried to do something here that just didn’t really work in the end but “Undone� is about the most immature book I’ve read in the past few months and its portrayal of mental illness, suicide and bullying was� not good. It just wasn’t good. Especially compared to her newest novel “We Are Young� that I adored. Well, “Undone� is not “We Are Young� to say the least.
###
It’s actually mostly due to Jem, the protagonist. I hated Jem. She’s a judgemental, narrow-minded character. I actually think Jem might have worked for me had she been a real anti-heroine, someone who does bad things and who I’m not supposed to like. But Cat Clarke never really went there. Jem does a lot of really horrible stuff (false rape accusations for instance that made me want to shake some sense into the girl) but in the end Clarke always tries to redeem her somehow and I wish she hadn’t.
Maybe it’s because we’re stuck in Jem’s head for the whole novel. Her first person narration is grating because even though people sometimes call her out on how selfish and narrow-minded she is, these messages always get filtered through Jem’s mind first and made to look unreasonable and mean instead of actually true. And then there’s Kai of course who keeps validating Jem’s awfulness from beyond the grave in each of the twelve letters he writes her before he kills himself. “You’re judgmental and kind of horrible, but that’s actually what I love about you!�
The “just be yourself!� message the book has going on fell completely short for me. Because if you’re a judgemental, selfish, slut shaming person lying about rape and hellbent on revenge then� maybe don’t be yourself. Change yourself for the better, for god’s sake. And at one point I actually thought Jem would. Change for the better, I mean. She makes new friends, she falls in love, she opens up� but then Cat Clarke has her clamming up again because she realises she “lost her true self� among the way. What the fuck, really.
Jem is also the most immature character I’ve had the misfortune of reading about so far this year. She judges girls on how they look and she clings to Kai like a burr and claims she needs no one else but him (which is unhealthy af, something that is never discussed in the book). Jem utters the words “At least I won’t die a virgin� after having sex with someone she claims to hate and my eyes rolled so far back it hurt. (There were so many unnecessary sex scenes anyway? Great, you got yourself a boyfriend, Jem, but I actually don’t wanna read about how you bang him on his mum’s sofa or in a closet a school every few pages, Jesus Christ, we get it. This is especially bad because she judges other girls for doing the same.)
So there’s Jem, horrible, horrible Jem, who only feels secure in a co-dependent friendship that is no more because her best friend is dead. And I get that Cat Clarke tried to get that across. Because in his letters Kai does try to make Jem open up, to let him go. But it didn’t quite work (for me at least) because he also validates Jem in being narrow-minded and bitter, culminating in him admitting that he shouldn’t try to change her. And maybe I don’t get how deep and different Jem is but� no, Kai. Please do try to change her, even if you think it’s too late for yourself.
###
What really bothered me about this was that all the shit Jem says stays uncontested. She slut shames other girls all the time. Especially Amber, for wearing too much make-up and having big boobs and being proud of them, and Louise for liking sex. She also thinks she’s so much cleverer than girls like Amber, Louise and Sasha who care about make-up and boys. Jem is this goth girl who only wears black which is totally okay of course. What’s not okay is how much self-validation she draws from being different because that shit is toxic. And the problem is that Cat Clarke never really makes clear that it is. That Jem’s whole judgemental attitude is toxic and destructive.
It’s totally there in the subtext but I’d have wanted it to be addressed. Especially because this is a YA book and it’s very easy to miss the subtext and just take Jem’s awfulness for some kind of twisted celebration of being your true self even when you’re horrible. The thing is, I’m not quite sure what Cat Clarke was even trying to do here. And maybe that’s me. But the fact that I’m not sure if the author condones the stuff Jem says and does or criticises that type of behaviour is the whole problem here because this book is seriously sending some mixed messages to its teen readers.
###
Thing is, when you have your main character lie about having been raped it’s so important in this day and age to make clear the consequences of such a lie that go beyond “Your friends won’t like you anymore when you do this�. This is why actual victims are afraid to come forward because people might think they’re lying. And I wish that would have been talked about in “Undone� because the way it’s done it feels half-arsed. Same goes for what Jem does to Stu:
The biggest problem I have with “Undone� is that everything seems only half thought through. Cat Clarke introduces a lot of interesting topics she could have worked with: Jem’s slut shaming, the lie about having been raped, the business with Stu, it could have led to a great take-down of rape culture and internalised misogyny and how they work together. Kai’s suicide after being outed against his will could have helped young readers understand why outing someone is bad and sent some great messages against anti-lgbtq bullying. But none of that happens and everything is half-baked and feels kind of pointless in the end. And that made me quite a bit angry. Especially the treatment of Kai.
###
Kai kills himself because he believes he can’t ever be happy because he lives in a world that homophobia exists in. You know what, fine. I prefer books in which LGBTQ characters get to be happy but I knew this wouldn’t happen here. It was in the blurb, it’s the whole premise, so obviously I’m not criticising that. What I’m criticising is how Cat Clarke made Kai this tragic gay character who used to be the happiest child you could imagine and then gets crushed by homophobia. It happens, I guess. But what’s missing, again, is even the slightest nod towards the very real possibility that if Kai had not killed himself, if he had finished school and moved to London like he had planned, he would have been happy after all.
What’s missing is the good old “it gets better�. Because it does. And that’s my biggest quibble with “Undone�: It’s tragic for the sake of being tragic. It’s an issue book at heart but it doesn’t send any of the messages it could have sent. It could have tackled rape culture, sexism and homophobia. It could have made clear that even though things ended so horribly for Kai, it didn’t have to end this way and it doesn’t have to end this way for other people, that happiness is an option despite homophobia existing. In the end, the whole book is a punch to the gut for sure and there’s a lot of potential lurking here but it feels pointless because it is half-baked, none of the issues that are talked about are looked at in depth and it all just leads to nothing in the end.
I love Cat Clarke. I loved her portrayal of healthy happy LGBTQ characters in “The Lost and the Found� and “We Are Young� and I thought her exploration of mental illness and suicide in “We Are Young� was very good. But “Undone� just isn’t a good book. If you’ve never read anything by this author before, maybe start with one of her newer books. They are better. In the end “Undone� could have been a story about a girl who is so hellbent on revenge she turns bitter and lonely and I think that’s what it was meant to be. But it doesn’t really work for a multitude of reasons and in the end it just left me angry and disappointed.
It might be that Clarke just learnt a lot about how to portray topics like suicide and mental illness in the past few years or maybe she tried to do something here that just didn’t really work in the end but “Undone� is about the most immature book I’ve read in the past few months and its portrayal of mental illness, suicide and bullying was� not good. It just wasn’t good. Especially compared to her newest novel “We Are Young� that I adored. Well, “Undone� is not “We Are Young� to say the least.
###
It’s actually mostly due to Jem, the protagonist. I hated Jem. She’s a judgemental, narrow-minded character. I actually think Jem might have worked for me had she been a real anti-heroine, someone who does bad things and who I’m not supposed to like. But Cat Clarke never really went there. Jem does a lot of really horrible stuff (false rape accusations for instance that made me want to shake some sense into the girl) but in the end Clarke always tries to redeem her somehow and I wish she hadn’t.
Maybe it’s because we’re stuck in Jem’s head for the whole novel. Her first person narration is grating because even though people sometimes call her out on how selfish and narrow-minded she is, these messages always get filtered through Jem’s mind first and made to look unreasonable and mean instead of actually true. And then there’s Kai of course who keeps validating Jem’s awfulness from beyond the grave in each of the twelve letters he writes her before he kills himself. “You’re judgmental and kind of horrible, but that’s actually what I love about you!�
The “just be yourself!� message the book has going on fell completely short for me. Because if you’re a judgemental, selfish, slut shaming person lying about rape and hellbent on revenge then� maybe don’t be yourself. Change yourself for the better, for god’s sake. And at one point I actually thought Jem would. Change for the better, I mean. She makes new friends, she falls in love, she opens up� but then Cat Clarke has her clamming up again because she realises she “lost her true self� among the way. What the fuck, really.
Jem is also the most immature character I’ve had the misfortune of reading about so far this year. She judges girls on how they look and she clings to Kai like a burr and claims she needs no one else but him (which is unhealthy af, something that is never discussed in the book). Jem utters the words “At least I won’t die a virgin� after having sex with someone she claims to hate and my eyes rolled so far back it hurt. (There were so many unnecessary sex scenes anyway? Great, you got yourself a boyfriend, Jem, but I actually don’t wanna read about how you bang him on his mum’s sofa or in a closet a school every few pages, Jesus Christ, we get it. This is especially bad because she judges other girls for doing the same.)
So there’s Jem, horrible, horrible Jem, who only feels secure in a co-dependent friendship that is no more because her best friend is dead. And I get that Cat Clarke tried to get that across. Because in his letters Kai does try to make Jem open up, to let him go. But it didn’t quite work (for me at least) because he also validates Jem in being narrow-minded and bitter, culminating in him admitting that he shouldn’t try to change her. And maybe I don’t get how deep and different Jem is but� no, Kai. Please do try to change her, even if you think it’s too late for yourself.
###
What really bothered me about this was that all the shit Jem says stays uncontested. She slut shames other girls all the time. Especially Amber, for wearing too much make-up and having big boobs and being proud of them, and Louise for liking sex. She also thinks she’s so much cleverer than girls like Amber, Louise and Sasha who care about make-up and boys. Jem is this goth girl who only wears black which is totally okay of course. What’s not okay is how much self-validation she draws from being different because that shit is toxic. And the problem is that Cat Clarke never really makes clear that it is. That Jem’s whole judgemental attitude is toxic and destructive.
It’s totally there in the subtext but I’d have wanted it to be addressed. Especially because this is a YA book and it’s very easy to miss the subtext and just take Jem’s awfulness for some kind of twisted celebration of being your true self even when you’re horrible. The thing is, I’m not quite sure what Cat Clarke was even trying to do here. And maybe that’s me. But the fact that I’m not sure if the author condones the stuff Jem says and does or criticises that type of behaviour is the whole problem here because this book is seriously sending some mixed messages to its teen readers.
###
Thing is, when you have your main character lie about having been raped it’s so important in this day and age to make clear the consequences of such a lie that go beyond “Your friends won’t like you anymore when you do this�. This is why actual victims are afraid to come forward because people might think they’re lying. And I wish that would have been talked about in “Undone� because the way it’s done it feels half-arsed. Same goes for what Jem does to Stu:
The biggest problem I have with “Undone� is that everything seems only half thought through. Cat Clarke introduces a lot of interesting topics she could have worked with: Jem’s slut shaming, the lie about having been raped, the business with Stu, it could have led to a great take-down of rape culture and internalised misogyny and how they work together. Kai’s suicide after being outed against his will could have helped young readers understand why outing someone is bad and sent some great messages against anti-lgbtq bullying. But none of that happens and everything is half-baked and feels kind of pointless in the end. And that made me quite a bit angry. Especially the treatment of Kai.
###
Kai kills himself because he believes he can’t ever be happy because he lives in a world that homophobia exists in. You know what, fine. I prefer books in which LGBTQ characters get to be happy but I knew this wouldn’t happen here. It was in the blurb, it’s the whole premise, so obviously I’m not criticising that. What I’m criticising is how Cat Clarke made Kai this tragic gay character who used to be the happiest child you could imagine and then gets crushed by homophobia. It happens, I guess. But what’s missing, again, is even the slightest nod towards the very real possibility that if Kai had not killed himself, if he had finished school and moved to London like he had planned, he would have been happy after all.
What’s missing is the good old “it gets better�. Because it does. And that’s my biggest quibble with “Undone�: It’s tragic for the sake of being tragic. It’s an issue book at heart but it doesn’t send any of the messages it could have sent. It could have tackled rape culture, sexism and homophobia. It could have made clear that even though things ended so horribly for Kai, it didn’t have to end this way and it doesn’t have to end this way for other people, that happiness is an option despite homophobia existing. In the end, the whole book is a punch to the gut for sure and there’s a lot of potential lurking here but it feels pointless because it is half-baked, none of the issues that are talked about are looked at in depth and it all just leads to nothing in the end.
I love Cat Clarke. I loved her portrayal of healthy happy LGBTQ characters in “The Lost and the Found� and “We Are Young� and I thought her exploration of mental illness and suicide in “We Are Young� was very good. But “Undone� just isn’t a good book. If you’ve never read anything by this author before, maybe start with one of her newer books. They are better. In the end “Undone� could have been a story about a girl who is so hellbent on revenge she turns bitter and lonely and I think that’s what it was meant to be. But it doesn’t really work for a multitude of reasons and in the end it just left me angry and disappointed.
December 31, 2012
Oh I really didn't realise how much this book would hook me. It literally sucked me up and I read it in just over a day and this was a rather long proof at just over 500 pages. Undone is a very mesmerising novel about some dark subjects. There's sex, suicide, alcohol, bullying and discrimination towards gay people. There was a lot going on in this book but it was dealt with very well as Cat seems to be a master at writing realistic YA fiction.
Undone follows Jem Halliday whose gay best friend commits suicide due to him being bullied because of his sexuality. The first few chapters we get to know Jem and Kai's background and how they know each other. Then the inevitable happens Kai commits suicide due to a tape of him circulating online that immediately outs him. Kai was not ready to come out of the closet and can't cope with the large amount of hate mail he is getting so he finds a solution to the problem. Suicide. Kai's death sends Jem's own life spiralling downward, they were inseparable and now he's gone. Jem doesn't want to live without him, she loved him after all. She knows she must commit suicide too or the grief will never go away. Jem is counting out some pills when some letters from Jem appear, each one dated each month of the upcoming year. Jem is so startled she momentarily forgets about the pills and focuses on the letters. Kai wrote the letters in the last hours of his life and Jem will live another year so she can do that one last thing for him. In the mean time she seeks revenge on those who did this to Kai and she won't stop until she finds the culprit.
Jem was the complete opposite of what I was expecting. I expected this sweet quiet girl, what there was, was an grumpy, Gothic, angry girl, who would just as soon punch you instead of apologise. She was so different to what I was expecting, it sent me off the rails a bit. Alas in her revenge she knows she has to change to fit in with certain people and I liked the new Jem. She smiled and enjoyed herself, she let her hair down and didn't dwell on the death of her best friend. In a way she was moving on but it was all an act. It's what she should have done but she was so hell bent on revenge that this was just an act, a facade. I felt so sorry for some of the secondary characters at the end because she was a huge bitch to them. Yes I knew she suspected a few of them but she argued with them all, I wanted to hug the others instead of her. I know this was all the pent up anger from Kai's death but I think she should have realised that things weren't so bad in this new group of friends. There was a future there waiting for her but she blew it all away with false accusations. I don't think I've felt so strongly about one character in a long while, my views and emotions were changing so rapidly even I was getting slightly confused. For a detailed character you couldn't ask for better.
The popular group in the novel were very interesting, they weren't stuck up bitches and jocks that we're used to seeing on the TV. We have Lucas who is the popular boy who oozes self confidence but he was also so sweet, he wasn't cocky like I expected, there was a gentlemen under there somewhere. Sasha was a lovely kind girl who took Jem under her wing and what happened to her broke my heart. That was the last thing I was expecting. There are more characters who played important roles but I shall let you discover them.
The important things that are dealt with in the novel then. We have the subject of sexuality touched upon with Kai. He was gay but he wasn't ready to reveal that to the rest of the world just yet so when it was thrust upon him, he crumbled. Then all the hate mail arrived. It really shows how other peoples actions can ruin a persons life. You must think before you act because every single person has feelings and one simply slip of yours can change their life. Oh and there's nothing wrong with being gay, you should never judge someone who is. If you suspect someone is don't shout it to the world, it's their decision if they reveal it and after all you could be wrong. You don't know what's going on in that persons mind so don't make these life changing decisions for them. There's sex too, more than I actually expected but it worked well in the story and I had no problems with it being there. There's alcohol but hey it's teenagers and parties what more can you really expect? Suicide is another key part and again you should know that if you feel that down there will always be someone to talk to and help you. You are never alone, you should always remember that. There are many important subjects in the novel and all are dealt with well. There's a lot of wisdom in this book and you can learn a lot from it.
Undone is a heartbreaking novel. When you think that's the end and your heart has split in two, wait until the very end and then your heart will crumble. It will be so numb and shocking that there's nothing to sum up all the feelings that come to you. It is just so heartbreaking, if you're an emotional reader, do bring tissues, you're going to need a packet or two. Undone is a spectacular novel about some harsh subjects and a plot that will keep you on the edge until the end. Then you will then and truly fall over that edge and be left on the floor in a ball crying your eyes out.
Undone follows Jem Halliday whose gay best friend commits suicide due to him being bullied because of his sexuality. The first few chapters we get to know Jem and Kai's background and how they know each other. Then the inevitable happens Kai commits suicide due to a tape of him circulating online that immediately outs him. Kai was not ready to come out of the closet and can't cope with the large amount of hate mail he is getting so he finds a solution to the problem. Suicide. Kai's death sends Jem's own life spiralling downward, they were inseparable and now he's gone. Jem doesn't want to live without him, she loved him after all. She knows she must commit suicide too or the grief will never go away. Jem is counting out some pills when some letters from Jem appear, each one dated each month of the upcoming year. Jem is so startled she momentarily forgets about the pills and focuses on the letters. Kai wrote the letters in the last hours of his life and Jem will live another year so she can do that one last thing for him. In the mean time she seeks revenge on those who did this to Kai and she won't stop until she finds the culprit.
Jem was the complete opposite of what I was expecting. I expected this sweet quiet girl, what there was, was an grumpy, Gothic, angry girl, who would just as soon punch you instead of apologise. She was so different to what I was expecting, it sent me off the rails a bit. Alas in her revenge she knows she has to change to fit in with certain people and I liked the new Jem. She smiled and enjoyed herself, she let her hair down and didn't dwell on the death of her best friend. In a way she was moving on but it was all an act. It's what she should have done but she was so hell bent on revenge that this was just an act, a facade. I felt so sorry for some of the secondary characters at the end because she was a huge bitch to them. Yes I knew she suspected a few of them but she argued with them all, I wanted to hug the others instead of her. I know this was all the pent up anger from Kai's death but I think she should have realised that things weren't so bad in this new group of friends. There was a future there waiting for her but she blew it all away with false accusations. I don't think I've felt so strongly about one character in a long while, my views and emotions were changing so rapidly even I was getting slightly confused. For a detailed character you couldn't ask for better.
The popular group in the novel were very interesting, they weren't stuck up bitches and jocks that we're used to seeing on the TV. We have Lucas who is the popular boy who oozes self confidence but he was also so sweet, he wasn't cocky like I expected, there was a gentlemen under there somewhere. Sasha was a lovely kind girl who took Jem under her wing and what happened to her broke my heart. That was the last thing I was expecting. There are more characters who played important roles but I shall let you discover them.
The important things that are dealt with in the novel then. We have the subject of sexuality touched upon with Kai. He was gay but he wasn't ready to reveal that to the rest of the world just yet so when it was thrust upon him, he crumbled. Then all the hate mail arrived. It really shows how other peoples actions can ruin a persons life. You must think before you act because every single person has feelings and one simply slip of yours can change their life. Oh and there's nothing wrong with being gay, you should never judge someone who is. If you suspect someone is don't shout it to the world, it's their decision if they reveal it and after all you could be wrong. You don't know what's going on in that persons mind so don't make these life changing decisions for them. There's sex too, more than I actually expected but it worked well in the story and I had no problems with it being there. There's alcohol but hey it's teenagers and parties what more can you really expect? Suicide is another key part and again you should know that if you feel that down there will always be someone to talk to and help you. You are never alone, you should always remember that. There are many important subjects in the novel and all are dealt with well. There's a lot of wisdom in this book and you can learn a lot from it.
Undone is a heartbreaking novel. When you think that's the end and your heart has split in two, wait until the very end and then your heart will crumble. It will be so numb and shocking that there's nothing to sum up all the feelings that come to you. It is just so heartbreaking, if you're an emotional reader, do bring tissues, you're going to need a packet or two. Undone is a spectacular novel about some harsh subjects and a plot that will keep you on the edge until the end. Then you will then and truly fall over that edge and be left on the floor in a ball crying your eyes out.
May 2, 2014
British author Cat Clarke's latest novel is about Jem Halliday, who has been in love with her gay best friend for awhile. Even if she didn't have that crush, he's the most important person in her life. They've been friends through thick and then, and his sunny disposition helps her keep her chin up. Of course, that's how things were.
Kai killed himself after someone emailed a pornographic video to the whole school, outing him in the worst way possible. (I felt kind of weird about the fact that this storyline was clearly inspired by the real-life suicide of Tyler Clementi, but there was no author's note or afterward talking about the real case.) Jem doesn't know how she's going to survive without him, when Kai's sister gives her twelve letters: one per month, written by Kai before he killed himself. That's when Jem decides to track down whoever made the video and uploaded it and get revenge.
The first half of UNDONE flew by. Clarke has a compulsively readable style, and Jem's emotions were raw and real. She was angry, hurt, and confused by the things that started making her feel happy. But then the book slowed down and the conclusion went totally off the rails. (For those who read it: I'm not mad about the ending. It's the climax that's really messy.)
The revenge storyline should drive UNDONE, but it feels half baked. None of Jem's schemes are particularly clever, nor are they particularly brutal. (I like to see people get their revenge thoroughly.) Then there's the fact that she decides to base her entire course of revenge on an anonymous note. That's . . . convenient. There is literally no investigation into who did the crime, she just believes this note.
It's sad that the plot is such a shaggy mess, because Jem is the best kind of unlikeable character. She's lashing out, and she has an impressive steely reserve. She has an interesting emotional arc. She's confused by her own instincts and ignores the ways she's grown and changes on her own. And her grief is pitch perfect. There's also some interesting commentary on popularity.
There are seeds of a good story in UNDONE, but I can't really recommend it. The climax makes me want to bang my head into a table until I pass out. I'll stick to Clarke's other books.
If you are LGBTQ* and struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386.
Kai killed himself after someone emailed a pornographic video to the whole school, outing him in the worst way possible. (I felt kind of weird about the fact that this storyline was clearly inspired by the real-life suicide of Tyler Clementi, but there was no author's note or afterward talking about the real case.) Jem doesn't know how she's going to survive without him, when Kai's sister gives her twelve letters: one per month, written by Kai before he killed himself. That's when Jem decides to track down whoever made the video and uploaded it and get revenge.
The first half of UNDONE flew by. Clarke has a compulsively readable style, and Jem's emotions were raw and real. She was angry, hurt, and confused by the things that started making her feel happy. But then the book slowed down and the conclusion went totally off the rails. (For those who read it: I'm not mad about the ending. It's the climax that's really messy.)
The revenge storyline should drive UNDONE, but it feels half baked. None of Jem's schemes are particularly clever, nor are they particularly brutal. (I like to see people get their revenge thoroughly.) Then there's the fact that she decides to base her entire course of revenge on an anonymous note. That's . . . convenient. There is literally no investigation into who did the crime, she just believes this note.
It's sad that the plot is such a shaggy mess, because Jem is the best kind of unlikeable character. She's lashing out, and she has an impressive steely reserve. She has an interesting emotional arc. She's confused by her own instincts and ignores the ways she's grown and changes on her own. And her grief is pitch perfect. There's also some interesting commentary on popularity.
There are seeds of a good story in UNDONE, but I can't really recommend it. The climax makes me want to bang my head into a table until I pass out. I'll stick to Clarke's other books.
If you are LGBTQ* and struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386.
September 5, 2013
This book cemented a fact that I already knew.
Books about crazy vicious teenage girls obsessed with popularity and where everyone seems to be backstabbing anyone is NOT my cuppa tea. Books like Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girls, and of course Undone. So this may not be a bad book but is a book I hated.
But by the blurb I had expected this book to be a bit different. I don't know what I was thinking.
In the beginning the whole Letters from Kai with missions had a whole PS I Love You vibe going onwhich was another book/movie that I hated and I could not really make myself interested in all the moping Jem was doing. Then she started plotting revenge. It was all I could do to hold back my migraine from too much eyerolling.
It was not that the writing was bad, it was not. But I had serious problem with the plot and the characters, especially Jem. I hated how needy she was with Kai, and though I could live with that, I couldn't live with how she made everything - including Kai's death - about herself. She was selfish and cruel and hiding behind Kai's name as an excuse and her revenge was not for Kai but for herself.
And I couldn't get the character of Kai. At all. He was an idiot who tried to be cute. I could muster no sympathy whatsoever for him, and it is not because of my lack of trying. And his relationship with Jem was so out of the realms of acceptable.. I mean which gay dude continues to best and only friend with a girl even after knowing that she is in love with him? And which self-respecting girl acts all needy and clingy knowing that he knows how he feels and has zero chances of returning them?Insanity.
Being inside this girl's head made me want to slit my wrists. And no, it was not because she was "suicidal".She totally was not.
I am just the wrong person to read this book. And I DID NOT like it.
1 Star. That's all I can give it.
Books about crazy vicious teenage girls obsessed with popularity and where everyone seems to be backstabbing anyone is NOT my cuppa tea. Books like Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girls, and of course Undone. So this may not be a bad book but is a book I hated.
But by the blurb I had expected this book to be a bit different. I don't know what I was thinking.
In the beginning the whole Letters from Kai with missions had a whole PS I Love You vibe going on
It was not that the writing was bad, it was not. But I had serious problem with the plot and the characters, especially Jem. I hated how needy she was with Kai, and though I could live with that, I couldn't live with how she made everything - including Kai's death - about herself. She was selfish and cruel and hiding behind Kai's name as an excuse and her revenge was not for Kai but for herself.
And I couldn't get the character of Kai. At all. He was an idiot who tried to be cute. I could muster no sympathy whatsoever for him, and it is not because of my lack of trying. And his relationship with Jem was so out of the realms of acceptable.. I mean which gay dude continues to best and only friend with a girl even after knowing that she is in love with him? And which self-respecting girl acts all needy and clingy knowing that he knows how he feels and has zero chances of returning them?
Being inside this girl's head made me want to slit my wrists. And no, it was not because she was "suicidal".
I am just the wrong person to read this book. And I DID NOT like it.
1 Star. That's all I can give it.
December 9, 2017
After a video of Kai and his secret boyfriend is sent to his classmates, he commits suicide leaving behind twelve envelops for his best friend Jem to open monthly for the next year. While the dozen letters are suppose to inspire her to live her best life, Jem plots revenge against those who she believes caused Kai’s suicide. At the end of the twelve months, Jem plots to commit suicide.
Jem is one of the most horrible characters I’ve read recently. Even before Kai’s death she’s simply unkind to everyone but Kai. She has no other friends and while railing against the popular kids, her own judgments are just as bad. She makes fun of the one girl who tries to support and befriend her after Kai’s death. The revenge she plots against the three boys she blames is cruel, almost sociopathological. She falsely outs one boy as gay, not even considering in might lead him to suicide like Kai. Whenever Jem showed glimpses of conscience, she talks herself out of doing the right (or not wrong) thing.
I’m not certain why I loved UNDONE when I didn’t like Jem. I guess I kept waiting and hoping that she might turn herself around. I didn’t want her to hurt anyone. One of Kai’s requests was that she look after his younger (and homophobic) sister. For as devoted as Jem was to Kai, I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t nurture a relationship with her former friend. Kai was their link.
I wish all of Cat Clarke’s books were available for Kindle. I love her writing, even when I don’t love the characters. I don’t think UNDONE will appeal to every reader, but if you’re okay with unkind narrators, you’ll probably enjoy this.
Jem is one of the most horrible characters I’ve read recently. Even before Kai’s death she’s simply unkind to everyone but Kai. She has no other friends and while railing against the popular kids, her own judgments are just as bad. She makes fun of the one girl who tries to support and befriend her after Kai’s death. The revenge she plots against the three boys she blames is cruel, almost sociopathological. She falsely outs one boy as gay, not even considering in might lead him to suicide like Kai. Whenever Jem showed glimpses of conscience, she talks herself out of doing the right (or not wrong) thing.
I’m not certain why I loved UNDONE when I didn’t like Jem. I guess I kept waiting and hoping that she might turn herself around. I didn’t want her to hurt anyone. One of Kai’s requests was that she look after his younger (and homophobic) sister. For as devoted as Jem was to Kai, I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t nurture a relationship with her former friend. Kai was their link.
I wish all of Cat Clarke’s books were available for Kindle. I love her writing, even when I don’t love the characters. I don’t think UNDONE will appeal to every reader, but if you’re okay with unkind narrators, you’ll probably enjoy this.
June 9, 2018
While Undone is undoubtedly an accomplished story, what sets it apart from contemporary contempories is the level of writing. Cat Clarke has a preternatural ability to create authentic teenage voices to the point that one might suspect some sort of voodoo channeling shenanigans at her writing desk. Jem’s raw, ravenous grief pours of the page, the black selfishness of all consuming loss palpable and, at times, incredibly difficult to read. The many scenes set at school will speak loudly to anyone who is or ever was a teen and it is this realness that makes the novel’s denouement so outstanding. The greatest triumph here, though, is that towards the end, when Jem’s seems to have lost sight of anything that matters, Clarke reels it all in. She takes the reader back to the core of her story by stating the simplest of facts succinctly, sadly and with unarguable logic. It is this, as well as the phenomenal writing and compelling story, that should place this books in classrooms and libraries around the country where it can lead those who read it to a place where it need never ring true. Read this book, it’s powerful, it’s important, and then pass it on so others can read it too. Highly, highly recommended.
December 30, 2014
Undone is a pretty heavy and definitely compelling book that deals with teen suicide, bullying and the teen gay community. It was well written and engaging. That being said, I can't say that I really liked the story. It was a bit depressing at times. I also thought the story was a bit unbelievable. The letters were just odd and too optimistic. I had a hard time believing that someone about to commit suicide would take the time to write those letters. It just felt off to me.
While I could understand Jam's reasons for wanting revenge and to figure out who betrayed Kai, I didn't agree with the way she went about it. I also really disliked the way the book ended. I think I just have to chalk the book up to not being a good fit for me. It has gotten great reviews, so try it out for yourself and see what you think.
While I could understand Jam's reasons for wanting revenge and to figure out who betrayed Kai, I didn't agree with the way she went about it. I also really disliked the way the book ended. I think I just have to chalk the book up to not being a good fit for me. It has gotten great reviews, so try it out for yourself and see what you think.
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