camille_farrar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent
elyseah's review against another edition
5.0
What emotion didn't this book make me feel!?! I laughed, I cried, I wanted to punch a boy lol. This book is so good. The characters are so wonderful its easy to live them all. Nelson has to be my favorite. This is my first book by TJ Klune pardon me while I go binge the rest of his books!!
h_lunsford's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
knchinn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
srkbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
reesespieces20's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the first few chapters, the humor was inviting and the narrative felt fresh. It was about halfway through that I felt the story started dragging and becoming a bit repetitive with the dialogue and jokes. I think 100 pages could have been easily cut out, including Nancy’s subplot (while sad, seemed forced in). Wallace also seemingly changed overnight in personality, going from a unintentionally funny jerk to a dude serving up a lot of platitudes in a matter of days.
The ending was what changed me from four to three stars though. The characters use the line ‘a river only runs one way’ several times throughout the story to cement the fact that once you die you can only move past your old life to whatever is next, you can’t go back. So while I saw it coming, I still cringed when Wallace was brought back to life, which starkly contrasted with that essential message of the book about letting go to what’s next. It would have been way more unexpected for Wallace to actually pass through the door and have an epilogue about how Hugo can still carry on.
I love Klune’s other work and would still recommend this book to others, as it does have moments where I laughed aloud (opening scenes in the office and the funeral), or batted away a tear (Nelson and Apollo’s ending). I think it has a place on the shelf, just not a book I would reach for again.
The ending was what changed me from four to three stars though. The characters use the line ‘a river only runs one way’ several times throughout the story to cement the fact that once you die you can only move past your old life to whatever is next, you can’t go back. So while I saw it coming, I still cringed when Wallace was brought back to life, which starkly contrasted with that essential message of the book about letting go to what’s next. It would have been way more unexpected for Wallace to actually pass through the door and have an epilogue about how Hugo can still carry on.
I love Klune’s other work and would still recommend this book to others, as it does have moments where I laughed aloud (opening scenes in the office and the funeral), or batted away a tear (Nelson and Apollo’s ending). I think it has a place on the shelf, just not a book I would reach for again.
anaisfaubert's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
maddiehaun's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ecahilly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25