kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
i think i read this while i was still a teenager, before the movie came out. loved it. i have very happy memories of laughing my ass off on our back deck when marcus throws a baguette at a duck and kills it.
abiwalkerne's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Really really loved this!
gwybbie's review against another edition
2.0
I think I found this more disappointing than I would have if it had turned out to be a really terrible book. There wasn't anything that I necessarily hated, but at the same time I felt like this paled in comparison to A Long Way Down, which I loved. Sometimes it's more fun to rant about a horrible book than it is to read something that's just okay.
alipaperbag's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying and Mental illness
emsb0oks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was another one of these books that felt so real while reading it. Despite the more serious topics, it was easy and engaging to read and I liked the dual POV. I accidentally bought the German translation and didn't read the original English, which I regretted, since I probably would have enjoyed the writing more.
But even in this way I enjoyed the book and the way it was written, because you could really feel the age difference between the two main characters like this was really written from the perspective of a twelve year old vs a 36 year old.
I felt towards the ending some things came a bit surprising/random such as the introduction of Rachel and also kind of Ellie.
But even in this way I enjoyed the book and the way it was written, because you could really feel the age difference between the two main characters like this was really written from the perspective of a twelve year old vs a 36 year old.
I felt towards the ending some things came a bit surprising/random such as the introduction of Rachel and also kind of Ellie.
nuhaslibrary's review against another edition
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sooo funny. even tho it handled some heavy topics, never has a book made me actually burst out laughing the way this did.
campbelle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emdowd's review against another edition
2.0
Read this with an 11th grade standard level English class in Mainz. Didn't really enjoy it until the final 50 pages or so and I still can't make up my mind if I think Hornby is someone who will become dated in a positive or negative sense in a few years. On the one hand, the references to the music and fashion of the early 1990s make the book a wonderful example of Zeitgeschichte but on the other it can very easily get too bogged down in its time and loose its punch. I did, personally, feel a little offended by the Joni Mitchell hate (as someone whose Mother loved Joni and who grew up to be a fan as well) but that's neither here nor there. I like the theme of a chosen family it wove throughout the novel and am not quite sure why the teacher I'm working with chose this to do with a class. Read while in transit between Copenhagen and Frankfurt airports.
dilliano's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25