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Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Rest of Us Just Live Here in Books
Jun 24, 2019
This is the second book I've read by Patrick Ness, the first being More Than This which I adored. So I was really looking forward to The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I was not disappointed!
The theme of this novel was basically what if you're not the Chosen One? As in, what if you aren't the one who slays the vampires, or exorcises all the demons? What if you don't fall in love with a Goddess or an angel? What if you're just a regular kid, like Mike?
At the start of each chapter, there's a short summary of what's happening in the "main story" - the indie kids fighting the Immortals, saving the world and that kinda thing. But that's all we get of their story; the rest is dedicated to Mike and his friends and family, struggling to lead happy, normal lives.
Each character is so unique and realistic. This is the important bit. There are characters with OCD, alcoholic parents, eating disorders. All of them are so well developed and relatable (expect perhaps Jared, who happens to be 1/4 God of Cats). I just love how their lives are normal lives, and how that doesn't mean they don't get a book written about them. Okay, Henna and Mikey nearly die, Jared can heal people and they encounter blue-eyed creatures a few times, but for the most part they aren't the heroes. They are just people.
I loved how you could compare the normal lives of the gang to what's happening with the indie kids. You can see how certain things affect each group of people differently, and how everything changes what they do. Such as the ending with Finn #2, which decides Jared's fate and alters the indie kids' story completely.
The writing is sometimes a little simplistic, like the kind of thing you read when you're a pre-teen or something. But it's easy to read, and really does draw you in. I have a few other Ness books I'd like to read, and I really am loving his work so far.
As you may or may not know, I'm a sucker for books featuring mental health problems. Anxiety, OCD, anorexia... They need to be addressed! It's great seeing how Mike and his sister get on with their lives despite the problems they're facing, and how they get involved without being judged based on their issues. Like I said, this is a really honest book, which we really need! I'd say 4 stars for this; I love it, but it's not quite in my favourites.
The theme of this novel was basically what if you're not the Chosen One? As in, what if you aren't the one who slays the vampires, or exorcises all the demons? What if you don't fall in love with a Goddess or an angel? What if you're just a regular kid, like Mike?
At the start of each chapter, there's a short summary of what's happening in the "main story" - the indie kids fighting the Immortals, saving the world and that kinda thing. But that's all we get of their story; the rest is dedicated to Mike and his friends and family, struggling to lead happy, normal lives.
Each character is so unique and realistic. This is the important bit. There are characters with OCD, alcoholic parents, eating disorders. All of them are so well developed and relatable (expect perhaps Jared, who happens to be 1/4 God of Cats). I just love how their lives are normal lives, and how that doesn't mean they don't get a book written about them. Okay, Henna and Mikey nearly die, Jared can heal people and they encounter blue-eyed creatures a few times, but for the most part they aren't the heroes. They are just people.
I loved how you could compare the normal lives of the gang to what's happening with the indie kids. You can see how certain things affect each group of people differently, and how everything changes what they do. Such as the ending with Finn #2, which decides Jared's fate and alters the indie kids' story completely.
The writing is sometimes a little simplistic, like the kind of thing you read when you're a pre-teen or something. But it's easy to read, and really does draw you in. I have a few other Ness books I'd like to read, and I really am loving his work so far.
As you may or may not know, I'm a sucker for books featuring mental health problems. Anxiety, OCD, anorexia... They need to be addressed! It's great seeing how Mike and his sister get on with their lives despite the problems they're facing, and how they get involved without being judged based on their issues. Like I said, this is a really honest book, which we really need! I'd say 4 stars for this; I love it, but it's not quite in my favourites.
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BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I would like to begin by saying one simple word, WOW. This book left me absolutely speechless to be honest. This book is a masterpiece and I’m absolutely in love with this author. This book begins quite calm, by looking for some properties in London and introducing the characters: then - Simon and Emma and now - Jane. It tells two stories at the same time, the action which happened three years ago and the action which is happening currently. I really enjoyed that there is not story from one person’s perspective but two characters are telling their story at the same time. All the main characters are really disturbed in this book and have their own problems which influenced their personalities. There is this taste of “fifty shades of Gray” in this book; just it doesn’t flatter the book unfortunately. I really liked the way characters where untangled while you flip the pages, the way their personalities unfolded. They were not boring, one thing what I would’ve liked, is more insight into Simon's and Edward's personalities and how do they think, I would’ve liked their perspective in the book. Even though the men in this book seemed like strong and demanding ones, in the end of the day I think the women were the strong ones and the most determined ones in this book.
I found the plot original and I loved all the twists and turns which were going on in the book. Every chapter had something happening and it didn’t leave me bored. The more you go into the book, the more plot thickens, the more twists happen and it really kept me hooked. I think it was really great, that the book talked about really important topics, and the psychological aspects of eating disorders, how parents feel after still birth, parents thought about disabled children or how minimalist sees world. I’m new to minimalism and just briefly checked on it, but after reading this book I’m confused if I really want to know more… I loved that the name “the girl before” had deeper meaning than only finding out Emma’s story, it felt way deeper than it looked. The book itself is easy to read and the writing style was not difficult. The chapters are quite short so it doesn’t drag along. I really loved the ending of the book, which concluded the book really nicely but at the same time left me questioning. So to conclude, even though a lot of reviewers bashed this book, I loved this twisted, fast paced and full of suspense and psychological labyrinths creation and I recommend to try it and decide for yourself.
I found the plot original and I loved all the twists and turns which were going on in the book. Every chapter had something happening and it didn’t leave me bored. The more you go into the book, the more plot thickens, the more twists happen and it really kept me hooked. I think it was really great, that the book talked about really important topics, and the psychological aspects of eating disorders, how parents feel after still birth, parents thought about disabled children or how minimalist sees world. I’m new to minimalism and just briefly checked on it, but after reading this book I’m confused if I really want to know more… I loved that the name “the girl before” had deeper meaning than only finding out Emma’s story, it felt way deeper than it looked. The book itself is easy to read and the writing style was not difficult. The chapters are quite short so it doesn’t drag along. I really loved the ending of the book, which concluded the book really nicely but at the same time left me questioning. So to conclude, even though a lot of reviewers bashed this book, I loved this twisted, fast paced and full of suspense and psychological labyrinths creation and I recommend to try it and decide for yourself.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Tubing in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Well this book definitely brought more than I was expecting. It crept under my skin pretty bad, I will be looking around the carriage every time I’m on the tube.
The main character in this novel was Polly. She has a great job and perfect boyfriend, but she gets obsessed with the stranger, who had sex with her on the tube in front of everyone. She liked it so much that she is ready to risk everything for Tubing. And what really got me, why would you lose everything because of a shag? I really did not like Polly’s character. I did not like the way she thought about everything: her career, her boyfriend, her friends. I was sad and angry of how she was slowly destroying her life and didn’t care a bit about it. 😦 If I would’ve been Oliver, she would’ve been on the street a long time ago.
The narrative was told from single, Polly’s perspective and I think the idea is incredibly original. I really loved the topics which author was discussing in this book, such as family relationships and postnatal depression, as well as eating disorders. I found them really interesting to read about. I picked this book because of the title. I wanted to see, how much information there is going to be about the tube, and how well the research has been done. I do have to agree that I did learn some new things from this novel, however, there was quite a bit of the information about the tube which was not very accurate. (Just trust me on this 😉 ) I think author’s life and work experience was utilized very well, she lived in London and has a great knowledge of how the newspaper publishing works, and I really enjoyed reading about it.
The writing style was really pleasant to read with decent length chapters, which didn’t drag for me at all. I found this book quite easy to read, and the chapters just flew by, I really got engrossed in the story. I would like to throw in a disclaimer that there is plenty of sex scenes in this novel so, I wouldn’t recommend it for very young readers. The ending of this book was well deserved but didn’t leave me fully satisfied. It left my questions unanswered and I wanted to know more about what happened to Polly after everything. So, to conclude, even though I was very angry on Polly and other characters most of the time, I really enjoyed the plot and all the events which Polly had to endure. I think it is really amusing to read and would recommend to give it a go and indulge yourself into the disturbing world of Tubing, just PLEASE DO NOT TRY IT IN REAL LIFE! 😀
The main character in this novel was Polly. She has a great job and perfect boyfriend, but she gets obsessed with the stranger, who had sex with her on the tube in front of everyone. She liked it so much that she is ready to risk everything for Tubing. And what really got me, why would you lose everything because of a shag? I really did not like Polly’s character. I did not like the way she thought about everything: her career, her boyfriend, her friends. I was sad and angry of how she was slowly destroying her life and didn’t care a bit about it. 😦 If I would’ve been Oliver, she would’ve been on the street a long time ago.
The narrative was told from single, Polly’s perspective and I think the idea is incredibly original. I really loved the topics which author was discussing in this book, such as family relationships and postnatal depression, as well as eating disorders. I found them really interesting to read about. I picked this book because of the title. I wanted to see, how much information there is going to be about the tube, and how well the research has been done. I do have to agree that I did learn some new things from this novel, however, there was quite a bit of the information about the tube which was not very accurate. (Just trust me on this 😉 ) I think author’s life and work experience was utilized very well, she lived in London and has a great knowledge of how the newspaper publishing works, and I really enjoyed reading about it.
The writing style was really pleasant to read with decent length chapters, which didn’t drag for me at all. I found this book quite easy to read, and the chapters just flew by, I really got engrossed in the story. I would like to throw in a disclaimer that there is plenty of sex scenes in this novel so, I wouldn’t recommend it for very young readers. The ending of this book was well deserved but didn’t leave me fully satisfied. It left my questions unanswered and I wanted to know more about what happened to Polly after everything. So, to conclude, even though I was very angry on Polly and other characters most of the time, I really enjoyed the plot and all the events which Polly had to endure. I think it is really amusing to read and would recommend to give it a go and indulge yourself into the disturbing world of Tubing, just PLEASE DO NOT TRY IT IN REAL LIFE! 😀
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The Employment of Negro Troops
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The work started in the 1940s is written in the vernacular of the period. From the volume - As in...
Too weird for me
The girls of the sorority house are a close-knit--if not particularly happy--group. That is until Margot's death. When she's found dead in the house, it changes things, and each girl must deal with Margot's passing and its aftermath in her own way.
Well, this was a weird one. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. We are introduced to the sorority girls in the first chapter by a "chorus," who tells us who lives in each room and a small bit about each one. Except for Margot's room, we're told; Margot is dead.
Then the following chapters detail a snippet of time in each girls' life. Some chapters may take place before Margot's death; others take place after. I was really glad I was reading a hardcopy, because at the start of each chapter, I had to flip back to that first chapter about all of the girls and find that girl's little paragraph or so blurb that introduced them. I could never keep any of them straight--perhaps because there was so many or maybe because most them didn't really stand out to me.
Because yes: I didn't really love this one. The short bits of time spent with each character make it hard to get attached to anyone. While we are technically following the thread of Margot's death, there's really no arc to the story. The book probably speaks to some higher meaning that I just didn't get. Instead it's a bit disturbing (some of the chapters are really awful), and no one is happy at all, which was really depressing. Sure, some of these dark glimpses into people's lives can be a little oddly fascinating, but honestly, it was often horrifying too. For me, it felt like the book was trying to be literary and clever and it just didn't work for me (or, more likely, I'm just not a good candidate for literary, smart books, ha).
For instance, was this one praising or mocking sororities? I really don't know. Margot's death seemed so pointless, so it certainly didn't seem to be doing the idea of sororities any favors. A lot of the book didn't seem to show the sisterhood in a good light. Yeah, I just didn't get it. I'm not sure exactly why I slogged through it, except that the full details of Margot's death aren't completely revealed until the end. I actually liked Margot the best, but she was dead, and yes, that probably sums up this book the best for me.
Overall, this one was too weird for me. I can do dark, but dark, strange, no real plot, and few characters with any redeemable value--it just didn't work for me. I'm sure it is enjoyable for others, especially those that don't need a real plot arc. And I do feel the need to point out that there's a trigger for self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders in this novel.
Well, this was a weird one. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. We are introduced to the sorority girls in the first chapter by a "chorus," who tells us who lives in each room and a small bit about each one. Except for Margot's room, we're told; Margot is dead.
Then the following chapters detail a snippet of time in each girls' life. Some chapters may take place before Margot's death; others take place after. I was really glad I was reading a hardcopy, because at the start of each chapter, I had to flip back to that first chapter about all of the girls and find that girl's little paragraph or so blurb that introduced them. I could never keep any of them straight--perhaps because there was so many or maybe because most them didn't really stand out to me.
Because yes: I didn't really love this one. The short bits of time spent with each character make it hard to get attached to anyone. While we are technically following the thread of Margot's death, there's really no arc to the story. The book probably speaks to some higher meaning that I just didn't get. Instead it's a bit disturbing (some of the chapters are really awful), and no one is happy at all, which was really depressing. Sure, some of these dark glimpses into people's lives can be a little oddly fascinating, but honestly, it was often horrifying too. For me, it felt like the book was trying to be literary and clever and it just didn't work for me (or, more likely, I'm just not a good candidate for literary, smart books, ha).
For instance, was this one praising or mocking sororities? I really don't know. Margot's death seemed so pointless, so it certainly didn't seem to be doing the idea of sororities any favors. A lot of the book didn't seem to show the sisterhood in a good light. Yeah, I just didn't get it. I'm not sure exactly why I slogged through it, except that the full details of Margot's death aren't completely revealed until the end. I actually liked Margot the best, but she was dead, and yes, that probably sums up this book the best for me.
Overall, this one was too weird for me. I can do dark, but dark, strange, no real plot, and few characters with any redeemable value--it just didn't work for me. I'm sure it is enjoyable for others, especially those that don't need a real plot arc. And I do feel the need to point out that there's a trigger for self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders in this novel.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie (Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
One day in Ohio Adam Meltzer is celebrating his twelfth birthday when suddenly he dies from a fatal be sting. Then he comes back to life – sort of. Jeff Norton’s children’s book <i>Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie</i> is a comical tale narrated by Adam who is, as the title suggests, a zombie.
Three months after his death Adam claws his way out of his coffin and heads home where he attempts to carry on with life (afterlife?) even though his sister has taken over his bedroom and all his clothes have been donated to charity. Oh, and his body had already started decomposing. However it is not long until he discovers that he is not the only unnatural being in his neighbourhood. Connected by their weirdness, Adam becomes firm friends with Corina (a half-vampire) and Ernesto (a chupacabra). Inspired by a school science project (being half-dead is no reason for exemption, apparently) the three of them set out to track down the bee that killed Adam and solve the mystery concerning his return from the grave.
<i>Memoirs of Neurotic Zombie</i> is full of humour targeted at nine to twelve year olds, so reviewing this from an adult’s perspective if rather difficult. As people get older child humour becomes less funny, particularly in relation to certain bodily functions – namely poo. Even though being a children’s book limits the amount of seriousness, some of the story line did not feel quite right. Adam’s parents and sister were far too accepting of the situation and the lies he told at school to explain what had happened were rather farfetched.
An important element to the story was that Adam was suffering from OCD and as a result was gripped by a fear of dirt, bacteria and disease – rather ironic considering his physical condition. There is nothing wrong with writing for children about characters with disorders such as OCD, however there was no explanation about the seriousness of this mental illness. Adam’s behaviour was used to make him appear less “normal” than other children his age – something campaigners are encouraging people <u>not</u> to think!
There were some deliberate inaccuracies in Adam’s narrative, which added to the hilarity, although how much the reader will benefit from these will depend on their own intelligence. On the other hand there were one or two errors that may not have been intentional. “I lurched forward like a tweenage Frankenstein” – surely that should be “Frankenstein’s monster”? Unless, of course, Norton intended Adam not to be aware that Frankenstein was the scientist?
The storyline overall is enjoyable and something children, particularly boys, would enjoy. Then again it may not be suitable for the more sensitive child as it deals with themes of death and paranormal creatures. Adam comes across as rather intelligent for his age – despite taking some things too literally – so there are footnotes to explain definitions of difficult words or to clarify something further. In spite of a few misgivings I would recommend this book to its intended target audience.
One day in Ohio Adam Meltzer is celebrating his twelfth birthday when suddenly he dies from a fatal be sting. Then he comes back to life – sort of. Jeff Norton’s children’s book <i>Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie</i> is a comical tale narrated by Adam who is, as the title suggests, a zombie.
Three months after his death Adam claws his way out of his coffin and heads home where he attempts to carry on with life (afterlife?) even though his sister has taken over his bedroom and all his clothes have been donated to charity. Oh, and his body had already started decomposing. However it is not long until he discovers that he is not the only unnatural being in his neighbourhood. Connected by their weirdness, Adam becomes firm friends with Corina (a half-vampire) and Ernesto (a chupacabra). Inspired by a school science project (being half-dead is no reason for exemption, apparently) the three of them set out to track down the bee that killed Adam and solve the mystery concerning his return from the grave.
<i>Memoirs of Neurotic Zombie</i> is full of humour targeted at nine to twelve year olds, so reviewing this from an adult’s perspective if rather difficult. As people get older child humour becomes less funny, particularly in relation to certain bodily functions – namely poo. Even though being a children’s book limits the amount of seriousness, some of the story line did not feel quite right. Adam’s parents and sister were far too accepting of the situation and the lies he told at school to explain what had happened were rather farfetched.
An important element to the story was that Adam was suffering from OCD and as a result was gripped by a fear of dirt, bacteria and disease – rather ironic considering his physical condition. There is nothing wrong with writing for children about characters with disorders such as OCD, however there was no explanation about the seriousness of this mental illness. Adam’s behaviour was used to make him appear less “normal” than other children his age – something campaigners are encouraging people <u>not</u> to think!
There were some deliberate inaccuracies in Adam’s narrative, which added to the hilarity, although how much the reader will benefit from these will depend on their own intelligence. On the other hand there were one or two errors that may not have been intentional. “I lurched forward like a tweenage Frankenstein” – surely that should be “Frankenstein’s monster”? Unless, of course, Norton intended Adam not to be aware that Frankenstein was the scientist?
The storyline overall is enjoyable and something children, particularly boys, would enjoy. Then again it may not be suitable for the more sensitive child as it deals with themes of death and paranormal creatures. Adam comes across as rather intelligent for his age – despite taking some things too literally – so there are footnotes to explain definitions of difficult words or to clarify something further. In spite of a few misgivings I would recommend this book to its intended target audience.