radradradish's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
jjjjuliafreitas's review against another edition
3.0
this book broke my heart. Seriously. It was very tough and omg I still can't get over it. Esther Earl was such a beautiful human, and deserved a better ending. But maybe God wanted it to be this way, and maybe, just maybe, it's better for everybody.
heidipretzel's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know you Esther Grace but I love you as dearly as my family and mourn and celebrate your return to the next life. You have and will continue to shine so bright. Don't forget to be awesome up there with God, yeah? Shine bright my friend-you've fought for so long and now is your time to rest.
amymck05's review against another edition
5.0
An inspiring book for both teenagers and parents...I was a blubbering fool reading Esther ' s story. John Green, author of The Fault in our Stars, was a big fan of this girl and I can see why.
forsakenfates's review against another edition
“The measure of friendship is not its physicality but its significance. Good friendships, online or off, urge us toward empathy; they give us comfort and also pull us out of the prisons of our selves."
I do not really know what to say about this book. I have put off reading it since it came out because I do not like books that are inherently sad. And while this book is sad, I appreciate how it showcased what Esther went through post diagnosis. This book is constructed as entries from Esther’s diaries, her parents blogging about her progress, and other entries by people who knew and loved Esther.
This book has a lot of mixed reviews and I think that is mostly due to it not being what you expect. It is a document dump, but it is the truth and it what was really going through their minds throughout this whole process. And yes there were typos and grammar issues, but that is because that was how it was written by Esther. The entries were kept as she initially wrote them.
The biggest thing for me was just how real Esther’s thoughts and emotions were. Her entries really showed how hard what she was going through was. It showed how hard it was for her to stay positive and not completely give up. And even when she was sad and wanted to give up she was still a rock and was more concerned about others rather then herself.
This review is all over the place, but I’m struggling with what I want to say. Yes, I’m glad I finally read it, even if it was heartbreaking to read from the perspectives of people who knew her rather than my perspective of knowing a bit about her and her contributions to nerdfighteria. But at the same time how do you review a book about someone’s life, especially someone who was taken from this world way too soon.
I’ve decided that I’m not going to give this book a “rating”. I honestly don’t know what to give it. I want to give it five stars for how amazing Esther was as a person, however I feel like I cannot adequately give it a rating that it truly deserves both as a book and as a window into Esther’s life. Just know that I am glad I read it.
I do not really know what to say about this book. I have put off reading it since it came out because I do not like books that are inherently sad. And while this book is sad, I appreciate how it showcased what Esther went through post diagnosis. This book is constructed as entries from Esther’s diaries, her parents blogging about her progress, and other entries by people who knew and loved Esther.
This book has a lot of mixed reviews and I think that is mostly due to it not being what you expect. It is a document dump, but it is the truth and it what was really going through their minds throughout this whole process. And yes there were typos and grammar issues, but that is because that was how it was written by Esther. The entries were kept as she initially wrote them.
The biggest thing for me was just how real Esther’s thoughts and emotions were. Her entries really showed how hard what she was going through was. It showed how hard it was for her to stay positive and not completely give up. And even when she was sad and wanted to give up she was still a rock and was more concerned about others rather then herself.
This review is all over the place, but I’m struggling with what I want to say. Yes, I’m glad I finally read it, even if it was heartbreaking to read from the perspectives of people who knew her rather than my perspective of knowing a bit about her and her contributions to nerdfighteria. But at the same time how do you review a book about someone’s life, especially someone who was taken from this world way too soon.
I’ve decided that I’m not going to give this book a “rating”. I honestly don’t know what to give it. I want to give it five stars for how amazing Esther was as a person, however I feel like I cannot adequately give it a rating that it truly deserves both as a book and as a window into Esther’s life. Just know that I am glad I read it.
orionsleftfoot's review against another edition
1.0
Reading this instantly reminded me how strongly I dislike John Green.
The very first sentence drug that feeling out of the forgotten recesses of my mind; “[Everything] began, as so many great love stories do, at a Harry Potter convention.” And seeing pictures of him hanging out with a bunch of girls less than half his age....while describing how “grown up” they are were....disgusting. I would never be okay with my teen daughter Skype calling an adult man she met at a con, regardless of how famous he was.
And the way he talks about her.....Everything he says about Esther relates right back to himself. It’s like he takes pride in the fact the last thing she did was help make a video for his 30-whatever-th birthday.
And I don’t care how much he denies it, FiOS did, at least in part, capitalize on this poor girl’s death. “She died and I realized teenagers weren’t all that bad! Let’s write her story and tweak some of it so it’s not obvious!”
Furthermore, there’s no reason for this book to exist beyond contributing to Green’s fame, and the popularity of FiOS. It’s a scrapbook. A scrapbook of blog posts, video transcripts, and personal dairy entries. Personal dairy entries of a dying teenage girl.
I hope, wherever Esther is, she’s made peace with that fact her parents published something so personal.
The very first sentence drug that feeling out of the forgotten recesses of my mind; “[Everything] began, as so many great love stories do, at a Harry Potter convention.” And seeing pictures of him hanging out with a bunch of girls less than half his age....while describing how “grown up” they are were....disgusting. I would never be okay with my teen daughter Skype calling an adult man she met at a con, regardless of how famous he was.
And the way he talks about her.....Everything he says about Esther relates right back to himself. It’s like he takes pride in the fact the last thing she did was help make a video for his 30-whatever-th birthday.
And I don’t care how much he denies it, FiOS did, at least in part, capitalize on this poor girl’s death. “She died and I realized teenagers weren’t all that bad! Let’s write her story and tweak some of it so it’s not obvious!”
Furthermore, there’s no reason for this book to exist beyond contributing to Green’s fame, and the popularity of FiOS. It’s a scrapbook. A scrapbook of blog posts, video transcripts, and personal dairy entries. Personal dairy entries of a dying teenage girl.
I hope, wherever Esther is, she’s made peace with that fact her parents published something so personal.
mmchampion's review against another edition
3.0
This is a good book. I really like the connections that can be made to John Green's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, even though the main character is not Esther. (He simply dedicated the book to her.) I appreciated hearing Esther's voice and the voices of her family and friends (even John Green), but I thought the book was a bit too long. The addition of her fiction writing seemed to dilute the poignancy of the book for me.
sarahtissh's review against another edition
5.0
Now that my emotions in check, I feel fit to write a full review now. This book was fantastic. Esther Earl is easily one of the most influential people ever. The presence she had on the Nerdfighter community when she was alive was large, and the presence she still has is seen. I wish I could've met her and talked Harry Potter with her. I will not lie, I was sobbing at the end. Esther Earl was truly a star. She was a great person that went through so many hardships that she did not deserve. It is true that if more people were like her, the world would be a much better place. I REALLY recommend this book, everyone should all go read it now. DFTBA Esther, and rest in peace.
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Esther Grace Earl was a bit of an internet celebrity and a superhero. While Esther had various challenges with her health, which would ultimately kill her, her commitment to ending world suck left a lasting impact. Esther's parents compiled letters, internet chat logs, diary entries, and artwork to portray the life of Esther Grace. This novel reminds me of Anne Frank's diary, not because both girls were impacted by mass genocide, but because both girls were able to positively impact the world despite the crap life dishes out. I believe that this is one the best inspirational works published this year. It has encouraged me to interact with life in a new way. *10 o'clock dance party*