someday this pain will be useful to you (by Arya T)

I finished reading this book a few weeks ago. I thought it was pretty good, so I'm going to tell you guys what my impressions of this novel are.

Someday this pain will be useful to you is a realistic fiction book written by Peter Cameron and published in 2007. The book takes place in New York City, telling the story of a confused and troubled eighteen-year-old named James Sveck who just can't seem to find his place in the world. He has a lot of troubling issues that he just can't seem to fix. But with the help of his unnerving therapist, D-list celebrity grandmother, and art gallery colleague, he might just pull through.

Warning: Spoilers ahead! 

Click away if you want to.

The book starts off by introducing us to Gillian, James's older, and annoying sister. On the same page, we are also introduced to their mother, an art gallery supervisor who has already been through her third marriage. James works at that same art gallery along with his only friend: John. John is more friendly and kind that James, while still straightforward and logical.

Originally, James is struggling on deciding what he's going to do for the rest of his life. His mother suggests that he go to Brown University, but he has different objectives. His dream life would be spent on the countryside in a small but spacious western-style house, reading literature and working at the library. Unfortunately, his parents don't approve of this lifestyle. He is certain that he doesn't want to go to Brown, but he doesn't want to disappoint his parents doing it. In this struggle to find what he wants to do, he goes to his grandmother (multiple times) for advice. In fact, his grandmother seems to be one of the most influential people in James's life at this point in time. She always worries about him and what he wants in life. She also helps him to discover what he really wants to do with his life and how to achieve that goal. 

After speaking with his divorced parents, they decide that he should see a therapist. James is strongly against this idea and ends up being particularly negative towards his therapist. Even though he has a very pessimistic attitude about therapy, it ends up being a tactic that weans him off his "dream life". When going therapy, he unknowingly discovers things about himself that he never knew before. During the therapy sessions, he realizes that he has a desire to learn, but he doesn't enjoy new experiences and being around new people. In a way, he is scared of college. His therapists helps him to except that there are good and bad experiences in life and that we have to learn to except them and live with them. 

Other than his therapist and his grandmother, there is one other person that has a major influence on him throughout the book. This character is John. John is his one and only friend, and James doesn't want to lose his only friend any time soon. John is in search of someone to be in a relationship with. The author hints that James is also in search of a relationship. John seems to be homosexual, while it is unclear what James's sexual orientation is. The author hints that James could be gay when James describes John as an "unnervingly attractive art gallery colleague". He also has had conversations with his parents where they both think he is gay (since he hasn't dated in high school and he seems to be somewhat of an introvert). 

In the middle of all this, James gets a message from a mysterious man. He quickly realizes that this is John and he decides to play a cruel joke on him. James pretends like he's interested in John, and John takes the bait. They decide to meet up at the art gallery and talk. Eventually, John realizes that he was being misled by James. James sees it as a joke, but John doesn't seem to feel the same way. John argues with James, saying: "I've met a smart and interesting man (profile James has created) who is interested in me. There is nothing I want more than that. Nothing." Clearly, John feels very hurt by what James has done. James brought John's hopes up so high, only to let them crumble to the ground. This was a devastating moment for James and John, where James realizes that he doesn't need something special for someone to like him. All he needs to do is be himself. 

After the argument between James and John, James's own mother ends up firing him from the art gallery since John no longer feels comfortable working with him. James goes one last time to his grandmother to get advice on what to do next. He opens up to her and tells her what he has done. She gives James someone to talk to and someone to open up to. When he is with her, he takes her advice and immediately starts to apply it to his own life. He starts to make amends and starts to consider the consequences of all that he's done. John eventually forgives him and gets James his job back in the art gallery. 

The last chapter cuts to James in college. James doesn't like it too much, but he seems to be in the right place. His grandmother has died, falling down the steps at her home. In fact, that home has been left to James, along with everything in it. His parents want him to sell the house, while James wants to keep the memories his grandmother and him had. In this last chapter, we see that James has retained his best qualities but has also gained a few new experiences, good and bad. 

I would rate this book a 9.4/10. It's a riveting, suspenseful, and extraordinary novel that tells the story of one trouble teenager that fuels this book with his comedic bravado. This novel is told with compassion and humor, making it a wonderful book to read. 

James has a lot of issues, but each one is solved through personal development and his urge to move forward in life. Peter Cameron managed to write a novel with teens that grappled with mental health, love (in someway), and character development while still making the plot interesting and entertaining. 

The side characters also add an extra kick to the story. His grandmother, therapist, and art gallery colleague are all major characters that aid in James's development. His grandmother's advice, his therapist's irritating remarks, and John's forgiveness, all mold James into a character that we get to know and love by the end of the book. The pain James experiences is unfathomable, but that pain creates the character we see in the last section of the book. In the last few chapters, I find a compassionate and comedic character that I don't want to leave just yet. 

Someday this pain will be useful to you was a wonderful novel and I just couldn't put down at times. Overall the book was really good, and I would strongly suggesting reading it.