Name: We Are the Ants
Rating: 4.082579185520362 (221 reviews)
ISBN: 9781481449632

Shaun David Hutchinson

After the suicide of his boyfriend, Henry deals with depression and family issues, all while wondering if he was really abducted and told he has 144 days to decide whether or not the world is worth saving.

We Are the Ants

Lucia 

casey

We have to watch Nana's life slipping away from her like a forgotten word. I thought I understood what's happening to her, but this isn't like being robbed a penny at a time. Memories aren't a currency to spend; they're us. Age isn't stealing from my grandmother; it's slowly unwinding her.

Grief is an ocean, and guilt the undertow that pulls me beneath the waves and drowns me.

Jill

I’d say it again, this is just utterly beautiful and incredibly, fucking sad. And that people, is the kind of book you need in your life. This is probably the best one I’ve read since the year started (and if I’m being honest, all of last year too). I suck at writing reviews but I just have to try with this one. I can’t promise that it’s going to make you want to pick this up too. This is probably going to be messy as my emotions are all over the place and my mind is racing with all golden thoughts about this book but I’ll try. It’s compelling, it’s poignant and it’s weird. I cannot, for the life of me, think of a single thing I didn’t like about this book which is unlike me at all. I would typically dig deep and mull over and dig some more until I pinpoint that one, minute thing to hate but that didn’t happen at all here. GAH. It is very rare, people, to just know that you will fall in love with a story a few pages in but We Are The Ants does just that. It’s different, it’s unlike anything you’ll ever get your hands (and heads) into. The characters are so well-developed. I just came to a realization that Henry Denton is my kind of narrator. He’s hilarious. He can just draw you in. His thoughts are oh so compelling. He’s witty. He webbed through intricate relationships, showed us the power of familial ties and friendships and all the beautiful and ugly that comes with this vast world we live in. His thoughts often are dark and gritty but comes off as comical. Disclaimer: you will be filled with an astronomical amount of grief as you journey with him and web through what his reality is and what he truly believes about himself but trust me when I say that it is going to be more than enjoyable and heartbreaking. So buckle up. And then there’s his family who I cannot, even if I tried, hate. They were realistically flawed but I love them even if they didn’t always know how to show that they cared. Hutchinson let us peeled all layers in hopes to truly understand another human being and he showed with immeasurable depth how there is always more than one side to a person. As heartbreaking as this is in its own way, I’m at a loss for actual words yet I have so many fighting fiercely inside, dying to just come out if that will make you even for just a sec, want to give this the chance it so fucking deserves. It’s a thought-provoking novel that’s hard to come by and when you come across something like that, I sincerely hope you don’t let the chance slip you by.

So what would you do if the aliens abducted you told you that the world is ending but you can save it by pushing a red button? Would you do it or would you rather let the world turn into dust?

This book reminds me so much of Ari and Dante. I pretty much love the main character, our hero Henry Denton. He's so sarcastic and awkward and hate this world we're living in. Pretty much some of them could relate in a spiritual level. There are some phrases and sentences here that I couldn't help but tear up. This book is so beautiful. So freaking beautiful. It teaches you a lot about life. How to deal with it and live with it despite the shitty things that keep happening to your life. That the world is not all about glitters and sunflowers and rainbows but you just got to move on. I want to say more but it's best to make it short.

Friendly advice: YOU NEED TO READ THIS.

i didn’t really know what to initially expect, but was pleasantly surprised. a lovely book tackling trauma, grief, and depression, through the lens of a teenage boy struggling to see the beauty in life and the purpose of living because his life is a complete dumpster fire. i did not expect to like someone like charlie more by the end of the book. nana was such a lovely character (who did break my heart on the occasion), diego and audrey were reliable friends. sped through this novel in three days.

Jamieson

The universe may forget us but it doesn't matter. Because we are the ants, and we'll keep marching on
 

When people used to say to me  what do you want to be when you grow up? I'd ALWAYS say astronaut. In fact, I still want to be an astronaut .. I just don't think I will be ( unfortunately it turns out getting to space involves a shit ton of MATH and I don't do math very well.) 

But the point stands I am absolutely a SLUT for space. What can I say, stars are pretty, planets intrigue me and I want to meet me some aliens (and yes aliens are real, you can't tell me in a universe of 60 tillion planets there aren't some aliens about somewhere) 

ANYWAY, this relates, I promise. We are The Ants has space, and aliens too. Space isn't the only thing that made me fall in love with this book but it helped. The aliens helped too. But what also helped was the incredible characters, the witty dialogue, the beautiful prose, the enchanting plot line, the emotions that this book dragged out of me and had churning within the first few pages. 

 
 
by dvnwild on tumblr


Listen, I NEVER recommend contemporaries.  I DO NOT LIKE CONTEMPORARIES !! Traditionally, anyway. Of course there was some that get me all emotional. We are the Ants is a contemporary I didn't just enjoy, but fell head over heels for. I love this book. 

This book man. It's kinda The Perks of Being a Wallflower meets ET and holy shit I love it. Our main character, Henry Denton, is a victim of reoccurring alien abductions. (YES PEOPLE, aliens are a thing in this book) and yet somehow the fact the aliens abduct him all the time (And at inconvenient times might I add) that isn't even his main problem Because not only do the aliens abduct him, they've also told him the world is ending in 144 days unless he stops it. 

Actually, I wanna slow this down and sober it up a bit because it is a heavy book. And like, the space and aliens are fun but this book isn't entirely fun. Henry Denton, the protagonist, is coping with a lot. His dad walked out on his family, his mum is a mess, his unemployed college drop out brother has a pregnant girlfriend and Henry's boyfriend, Jesse, recently committed suicide. So on top of alien invasions he's dealing with a bit. He's supposed to save the world for the aliens, and he's not even sure it's worth it. 

(I KNOW THIS SEEMS ALOT OF INFO BUT IT'S NOT SPOILERS PROMISE 

This book is heavy, and it's bizarre and I love it. The main character is wonderful. I constantly have an issue with how teenage boys are written in books - I can never connect. But I connected with Henry, oh my god I loved him. I sympathised with him so much, I understood him completely and I found him to be a perceptive, thoughtful narrator who successfully gave me an existisitential crisis. And me, a catastrophic thinker, could relate a little too much to his overthinking. 

But really, I love all the characters in this. Mysterious Diego, Audrey, Marcus and Zooey, I loved them all by the end. (but not Adrian tho. Fuck Adrian. ) (view spoiler)[and especially fuck Marcus for the end.  (hide spoiler)]

The most beautiful thing about this though was the prose. The writing was literally stunning. Rich, with a wry tone and a frank perspective on the world. I enjoyed that while it was philosophical and reflective, it was also a bit deadpan and didn't beat around the bush. I liked the way this book offered a reflection on the things that worry us as people, and how it was ultimately hopeful despite all the despair and the heaviness of some of the themes. 


 

We Are the Ants covers some heavy themes and topics. I loved it for it's LGBT+ representation, but be aware there are trigger warnings for rape, suicide (view spoiler)[and miscarriage (hide spoiler)] 
Despite that I think it's important, and I'm glad this book gave an honest perspective into some of the troubles facing both the teenage lgbt+ community, but also just teenagers in general. I loved the cast of diverse characters with interesting backstories. AND I LOVED THE REPRESENTATION OF MEDICATION !! STOP DEMONISING MEDICATION IN YOUR BOOKS But this book man. .. It can be dark, and heavy and it weighs on you, you truly feel the depth and weight of this book. I adore that. I adore it. 

I loved the messages this book sent, and the way the problems and issues were tackled. I liked that things were not neatly tied in a bow, I liked the ambiguous ending. 

In fact, there wasn't much at all I didn't like (it is a 5* book for a reason). But this is one of those books that was a 5* from the opening page to the last. There was simply not a moment I did not love? I read this in one sitting pretty much and I was emotionally drained by the end, but I was in love. 

I've truly never read anything like this. For me, contemporary YA is becoming alot of the same but this stood out. I haven't been so shook by a contemporary since I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower back in 2012 or something. 

I adore this book so much. I think everyone should read it. It's raw, it's honest. A poignant insight into people, and how we so desperately try to make things matter. A reminder that we matter on a small level to those around us, that being great does not mean achieving fame and notoriety. 

And it's incredibly, disgustingly underrated and under read. This book is truly beautiful, and important and still makes me so emotional just by looking at the cover. I think about this book everyday. It deserves more attention, it's a truly beautiful book. 

It's a book about remembering and cherishing the small things, about learning to let go, about loving fiercely and making sacrifices. About remembering we are who we are, that we define ourselves. That we matter. Oh, and it's about aliens too.  


 MY "WE ARE THE ANTS" PLAYLIST


  “We're not words, Henry, we're people.
Words are how others define us, but we can define ourselves any way we choose.”

midnightjelly

Why didn't I read this sooner? Can't imagine what kind of impact it would've had on me if I had read it back in high school.

Nicole Dykeman

I’ll start off by saying I put this off for way too long. It’s been sitting on my shelf for nearly two years now, waiting to be picked up and read, but I kept looking at it and saying “I’ll save it for another day”, procrastinating with shorter books. I didn’t want to commit to the length, or the time that it would take me to read it.

Apparently, that was a concern I never even needed to consider, because I devoured this in literally two days, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I turned the last page. 

Henry’s character is so lovable and heartbreaking. I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and hide him away from anything that could hurt him. He goes through hell and back in this story, but he still stops to consider what might still be good about the world. Every character is incredibly well-developed - Audrey, Diego, Charlie, even Jesse, who never actually makes a physical appearance. I loved and hated them all in their own little ways. 

This is gonna be one of my special books that goes on my “favorite” shelf, a title that is essentially synonymous with “I read this at the speed of light”. It sucked me in immediately, and then spit me back out as an emotional wreck.

jess

This reminds me a lot of The Rest of Us Just Live Here in that it is a contemporary with elements of genre fiction with a lot of focus on mental illness. And this kind of storyline is my shit, and by this kind of storyline, I mean I am very attracted to queer YA fiction with a focus on mental illness. I also like space. And aliens. And apocalyptic scenarios. I really liked The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley and I really like We Are the Ants. Henry is easy to relate to, and his character development is really good. It's a sad book without being angsty, the narration is nihilistic and frustrated without being whiny, and there are a lot of funny moments too. In case you haven't noticed ... nihilistic sad characters are my shit (cough Theo Decker, Grantaire, Nico di Angelo, Andrew Minyard). 

One thing I find funny is how Hutchinson said that Andrew Brawley was the darkest book he'd ever write and personally I find this a lot darker in some ways. 

As for things I disliked there were a lot of vague elements in the story and while it was intentional, I'd sure as heckie like to know if the planet is destroyed. What is it with impending doom books leaving us at a cliffhanger? But that's just me. It wasn't perfect but it was really good and I love Henry's character. Did I say that already? I'm going to say that again.

I liked it a lot.

Victoria P

i had no clue what this book was about until i read the back just before start reading it and such a good decision! 

this book was very gut wrenching for me. the depiction of depression it had was as if the author himself took all of my feeling and thoughts, organized them and wrote them in the book. 

the way henry missed jesse all throughout the book felt like a dagger in my chest. i have not experienced that (thank you so much universe) and i hope i never have to go through something like that but it really resonated within me. 

i’m so happy i read it. i’m so happy with the message at the end. it doesn’t really matter, we’re just specks of dust in this infinite infinite universe. just enjoy what you have right now, that’s all that matter.

Sarahi Flores

(disclosure- This was an audiobook I ended up listening to) I picked this one up because it involved aliens. Especially leaving the sake of humanity in the hand of a child, what more could you want in a novel?

CAUTION this is a semi-spoiler review! Read at your own risk!!!

This book contains:
Attempted rape, violence, mental illness, bullying, suicide, and a whole lot more.
Well upon finishing this audiobook, I was left with one word, What the f*ck??
Ok so this so called aliens is more of a metaphorically speaking than I was led on. This goes deeper than what the synopsis cared to explain. It sorta left me feeling pretty heavy. This is not a light hearted book so if you think you can handle it. Don't get me wrong, the story was spot on. However, It's a sensitive subject for young readers. I would mainly recommend it for readers who are not feeling down.
The protagonist, Henry, is just looking for answers almost everyone tends to ask themselves. He had to mourn and deal with so many things that can be hard to handle and I felt pretty bad for him.
Nevertheless, I gave this book four stars because of the realism of how one feels when they are in the state of despair. It's an emotional rollercoaster, it's vivid, and raw. It's a beautiful chaos. This is mainly a review of how the novel left me.

We Are the Ants

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