The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand Paperback – February 6, 2014

Or perhaps, it’s more accurate to say that this is an outsider’s view of suicide; the author clearly didn’t do his research properly, experienced an attempt, and decided to believe that a town would watch a teen try to kill him self 39 times without doing anything drastic about it. This hurt to read. “Dyke” is thrown around as if LGBT teens don’t have one of the highest rates of suicide. Only the writing gives this book a generous 2/5; I rounded up. I regret reading this but the only thing I can do now is warn others.

I read As Simple As Snow and really loved it. I was hoping this would be similar. As an "old" person, I couldn't really get into this book, it just seemed repetitive to me. I still have to finish it after about 6 months. Maybe it will get better. I think someone up to the age of early 20's would enjoy it more.

The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand is a fascinating read that keeps you thinking long after you've finished. Galloway hooks you and keeps you invested in the characters right from the start. I highly recommend.

This was a very well written book with a great purpose.I highly recommend it to those struggling with the choice of living or taking your own life.The right choice is always life.

This book is just so interesting

(TRIGGER WARNING: This book involves the topic of suicide, and the actual act of committing it. 39 times. In detail. Please, if this is not something you can handle, skip this book.)The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand is a quick read about a teenage boy who is "not depressed, just bored", and as a result, proceeds to kill himself 39 different times. And every time wakes up, usually in his own bed, as though nothing happened. There is no explanation for it, no one has any idea why it happens, but the town has come to accept finding Adam dead, and aren't phased because they know he will just wake up unharmed. If anything, the town is annoyed by it, because what is he trying to prove? Adam himself doesn't have an answer for this.As awful as this sounds, I found myself not really blaming the town, seeing as Adam wasn't written to be a very sympathetic character. I wanted so badly to care, to want him to stop what he was doing, but the few redeeming characteristics he displayed weren't given enough time to develop effectively... It wasn't so bad that I wanted to stop reading, but I was left constantly wondering if/ when it would get better. (It does a little towards the end.)The story is told out of order, which had the opportunity to make the plot stronger, but without a connecting factor, it felt like a bunch of separate, unrelated stories, especially towards the latter half of the book. With the author's writing style, perhaps it would have been more sentimental if told chronologically.A few philosophical ideas are present throughout, which are neat to be presented with, and in the end the story does have a meaningful point, even if it was a long and convoluted time getting there. Galloway had the right idea in writing the story, but it took a long time to realize what that point was... But perhaps that makes it a perfect metaphor for life itself: as long and convoluted as it is, there is a point by the end (or so we'd like to think).

Many readers who have reviewed this book have commented on Adam's depression. I'm convinced that Adam is not depressed but is experiencing the stagnation and boredom that seems to engulf young people his age. As a parent and a person who works with younger people I've seen the 'dead eye' syndrome. It's easier to maintain a jaded façade than to actually rack up some enthusiasm about something. For many young people this is a temporary phase; they ultimately run across something that leaves them impressed, jazzed and actually, dare I say it...hopeful.This hasn't happened to Adam yet. His 17th summer is pretty much same same...drink, hang out with friends, and talk about things that matter little. As a result his goal in life is to actually end his life and success on that front is hard to come by. So far death by his own hand, by various means has eluded him. His multiple deaths/resurrections have taxed the patience of the community who now treat him as an annoyance. His friends regard him as a dependable source of entertainment and his parents fruitlessly look for solutions to his 'problem.'Even this atypical young man experiences the problems of a typical teen boy: his feelings for Jodi, a girl whose friendship has been an anchor, are taking a turn to the romantic, his father is creatively grounding him whenever he breaks curfew (but the question arises as to the fairness of adding the time that he is actually dead to his penalty) and it's beginning to dawn on him he may just actually have to deal with the question of what comes after high school, since death is not an option.The writing is amazing, the subject matter is difficult. It's hard to read about someone who is so intent on self-destruction and who leaves it to others to deal with the wreckage of his body after each attempt. As someone who grew up in a small town where entertainment options for young adults were limited, I can identify with some of the humor. But as a person who is approaching 60, I can attest that there is much to live for.