The Taking Of Jake Livingston Book Review – By Ryan Douglass
I’ve been really getting into spooky gay books during Halloween and The Taking Of Jake Livingston was one that sat on my TBR shelf for years and I thought it was finally time to give it a read. I mean who doesn’t have a huge TBR!
I’d heard amazing things about The Taking Of Jake Livingston book so I was ready to jump in with an open mind. I will say that although it was spooky, I don’t think it lived up to the hype that surrounded it which was a shame but all in all, it was still a decent book.
If you haven’t read The Taking Of Jake Livingston then all spoilers will be marked in italics, make sure you avoid them if you want to read it.
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The Taking Of Jake Livingston Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston has a unique and chilling ability: he sees the dead, trapped in endless loops of their final moments. But as one of the few Black students at St. Clair Prep, Jake’s daily life is already haunted by challenges, from racist teachers to feeling like an outsider. Just as things start to shift with the arrival of Allister, a new Black student who sparks Jake’s first glimpse of romance, Jake’s life as a medium takes a terrifying turn.
Most spirits Jake encounters are benign, but Sawyer Doon is different. In life, Sawyer was a disturbed teen who committed a tragic mass shooting before taking his own life. Now, as a ghost, he’s powerful and filled with dark intent—and he’s set his sights on Jake. Suddenly, high school becomes a very different battle for survival, as Jake faces a ghost with a deadly agenda he may not be able to escape.
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The Taking Of Jake Livingston Overal Rating – 4.25/5
Like I said, there were parts of this book that didn’t really make sense to me and I’ve explained why throughout and that reflects my rating. That being said, it was a decent book for Halloween if you don’t want to think to hard about the plot.
Let me know if you agree with The Taking Of Jake Livingston book review or if you think I was either too nice or too harsh. This is just my opinion, and I understand everyone has the right to their own opinions.
The Taking Of Jake Livingston Plot – 3.5
For me the plot was an easy read, it made sense throughout and it was great for my dyslexic brain. That being said there were some plot holes and some bits that didn’t make loads of sense which is why I only rated it a 3.5 for the plot.
It made no sense to me why Jake would let Sawer possess him when his main goal was to not let him do exactly that and to try and banish him. The fact that he let him and thought that Sawer wouldn’t do anything just to go and kill his SA uncle, well what did he think would happen? In my opinion, this was a weird turn of events and just didn’t make sense.
The Taking Of Jake Livingston Charachters – 4.5
I actually quite liked the characters. I thought Alister was a refreshing addition to the overall book. He gave Jake hope, which then got him to come out of his shell, and we saw more of him.
For me, though it was River who really stole the show, invoked emotions and made it worth reading on to see what happened to her ecto-mist kicking butt!
The Taking Of Jake Livingston Emotion – 4.5
There was emotion throughout. As it was a spooky book, I expected it to have moments where I said, “WTF!” or sat there wanting to read on, unable to take my eyes off the pages. The Taking of Jake Livingston delivered, and I can easily say, plot holes aside, that this is one of my favourite spooky books thanks to how it made me feel.
I will say the most emotional part was down to River, I loved her character and with the letter she wrote for her mum, it had me in actual tears reading it. Tied with the school shootings and the realisation the book delivers, it was spot on.
The Taking Of Jake Livingston Ending – 4.5
Endings are always hit-and-miss, and this one was decent. Yes, it did leave some questions floating like a ghost, but overall, everything was answered. Jake got his happy ending and the friends her deserved and left the wasters in the dust, and things were looking up for him. Would I have liked an epilogue, yes.
The Taking Of Jake Livingston Spice – 0.5
There wasn’t really much spice, a ghost checking you out in the shower, and some kissing towards the end. Not all books have spice and that’s totally fine. That’s why I don’t add the spice rating to the overall rating as it’s unfair.
If you are looking for something like something most people can read, then The Taking Of Jake Livingston is the book you want and need.
