Review by Cadence Chen, 17
Thoughts and Prayers By Bryan Bliss
Thoughts and Prayers by Bryan Bliss follows three teenagers who are still finding their way back to normalcy after a school shooting turned their world upside down. Claire has run hundreds of miles away from the scene of the incident, but still finds herself spiraling at even the smallest thing. Eleanor, still furious and raging, unwittingly became the face of a movement. And finally, Brezzen can barely handle going back to school without thinking of it as a game campaign, filled with obstacles and monsters he has to overcome.
Thoughts and Prayers is a story broken up into three parts, each told from a different perspective. Each story is heartbreakingly unique, and each main character has their own struggles, coping mechanisms, and journey which I appreciated. Due to the story being split up, the plot did not contain a lot of filler, but it left me somewhat unsatisfied. I wanted to know more about each person’s journey, and because each part was relatively brief, certain relationships and developments felt like they were cut short. Not only that but, the stories never intersect and this leaves each one feeling slightly disconnected from the other. However, these issues are minor and are overshadowed by the amazing character development and relationships built up during the respective story. Each narrative felt vastly different from the other, and I enjoyed reading about the different struggles of each character. Their character arcs felt realistic and believable, and I liked how the supporting characters went through their own small developments as well and did not stay stagnant. Overall, it was a short, sweet, and punchy story.
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