jessicafacchinigould's review
4.0
I love books written in verse. Although the protagonist is a little unlikeable sometimes, I did like You Are Not Here a lot.
mountie9's review
5.0
The Good Stuff
* Absolutely wonderful, absorbing and real, you will not want to put it down
* Unusual, raw and poignant
* I'm at a loss on how to express how wonderful I though this book was. If you have ever lost someone you love, you will recognize all the thoughts and emotions that Annaleah goes through in her grieving process
* Must go find more of the author's books tomorrow - seriously impressed
* The last chapter is sad and beautiful and hopeful
* Some nice light humour
* Secondary characters bring in some nice brief insight
* Easy quick read that really could grab the attention of a reluctant reader
* Truly heartbreaking at times, I dare you not to tear up at least a little
The Not so Good Stuff
* The short prose that at first glance looks like poetry may turn some off (it almost made me put it down) very glad I didn't
* Once again a Mom is useless, but as I have mentioned before, teens think we are, so I really should let that go
* Not for those who are only in to fluff
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"I am a different kind of ghost. There are no traces of me here except for my fingerprints. Brian was the only other person who shared my memories here. And now that he is gone, I am their sole keeper."
"It is the day after Brian's funeral. The sky should be black. Lightning should knife through the air. There should be blast of thunder. Rain should fall in bullets and shatter windshields."
"Brian died, not you, Annaleah. Your life can't stop just because his did."
"Definitely not Mr. Lowry. He was giving me a D in history. I don't think someone who gave you Ds would speak at your funeral."
What I Learned
* Grief sucks and it is really lonely. Yeah, never mind, I have lost my Mom and my Dad -- learned that horrible lesson long ago.
* Nothing more intense than teenage love
Who should/shouldn't read
* Teens who have lost someone they love -- never mind in general teens will love this. Catches their feelings and thought processes dead on -- bought me back to those years and the heightened emotions
* Pretty much anyone who has lost someone, will understand Annaleah's grief and living and learning through it
* A must have for any high school or public library
4.5 Dewey's
I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review
* Absolutely wonderful, absorbing and real, you will not want to put it down
* Unusual, raw and poignant
* I'm at a loss on how to express how wonderful I though this book was. If you have ever lost someone you love, you will recognize all the thoughts and emotions that Annaleah goes through in her grieving process
* Must go find more of the author's books tomorrow - seriously impressed
* The last chapter is sad and beautiful and hopeful
* Some nice light humour
* Secondary characters bring in some nice brief insight
* Easy quick read that really could grab the attention of a reluctant reader
* Truly heartbreaking at times, I dare you not to tear up at least a little
The Not so Good Stuff
* The short prose that at first glance looks like poetry may turn some off (it almost made me put it down) very glad I didn't
* Once again a Mom is useless, but as I have mentioned before, teens think we are, so I really should let that go
* Not for those who are only in to fluff
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"I am a different kind of ghost. There are no traces of me here except for my fingerprints. Brian was the only other person who shared my memories here. And now that he is gone, I am their sole keeper."
"It is the day after Brian's funeral. The sky should be black. Lightning should knife through the air. There should be blast of thunder. Rain should fall in bullets and shatter windshields."
"Brian died, not you, Annaleah. Your life can't stop just because his did."
"Definitely not Mr. Lowry. He was giving me a D in history. I don't think someone who gave you Ds would speak at your funeral."
What I Learned
* Grief sucks and it is really lonely. Yeah, never mind, I have lost my Mom and my Dad -- learned that horrible lesson long ago.
* Nothing more intense than teenage love
Who should/shouldn't read
* Teens who have lost someone they love -- never mind in general teens will love this. Catches their feelings and thought processes dead on -- bought me back to those years and the heightened emotions
* Pretty much anyone who has lost someone, will understand Annaleah's grief and living and learning through it
* A must have for any high school or public library
4.5 Dewey's
I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review
heykellyjensen's review
3.0
I think this is one of the few novels in verse that the verse format actually works for the story quite well.
A story about grief and loss, and it felt real and authentic. Annaleah wasn't as strong a character -- I'm not talking grief here, I mean in development, period -- as I'd have preferred. I wanted a little more out of here for me to buy into her passion for the loss, especially since Brian seemed to treat her like dirt (and she knew it, too). Was she weak before him? Is she usually clingy? Those are the kinds of things that could have ratcheted her up just a tad for me as a reader.
A story about grief and loss, and it felt real and authentic. Annaleah wasn't as strong a character -- I'm not talking grief here, I mean in development, period -- as I'd have preferred. I wanted a little more out of here for me to buy into her passion for the loss, especially since Brian seemed to treat her like dirt (and she knew it, too). Was she weak before him? Is she usually clingy? Those are the kinds of things that could have ratcheted her up just a tad for me as a reader.
chloesumner1317's review
4.0
I liked the verse this novel was written in, and I think it was a good length, but I felt like the plot was a bit oddly paced. I felt like, for about 2/3 of the novel it was very slow, and the last 1/3 just sped up completely. However, if you like novels in verse, this is definitely a must-read.
mariareads613's review
5.0
This book was so amazing. I could not put it down. I love books written in verse. The writing was so beautiful. Schutz writes with so much emotion that I start to feel what Annaleah is going though. I recommend this book to any one, especially someone who hasn't read a book written in verse.
booksargram's review
4.0
This book, written in verse, was very powerful. It examined what it's like to lose someone and not even want to move on. It was moving, sad, and above all, hopeful. Samantha Schutz has a wonderful way with verse that makes you feel what her character's feeling. It was a beautiful and fast read.
fictionaladventures's review
2.0
This book was okay. Maybe barely even that. Some other people might like it, but it just wasn't for me.
I found myself not understanding the main character's reasoning for anything she did. She was too dramatic and to be pining over a dead guy who didn't even treat her right when he was alive actually kind of made me really upset with this book. And that was like the whole plot.
At least it was short.
***
I realize this seems like a mean review, so I'll say that I kind of liked the character Ethan. But that's about it.
I found myself not understanding the main character's reasoning for anything she did. She was too dramatic and to be pining over a dead guy who didn't even treat her right when he was alive actually kind of made me really upset with this book. And that was like the whole plot.
At least it was short.
***
I realize this seems like a mean review, so I'll say that I kind of liked the character Ethan. But that's about it.
kristid's review
3.0
It's funny, how verse novels with such few words can often invoke more emotion than a novel with twice as many. You Are Not Here is a novel about loss, and ultimately moving on.
Annaleah's relationship with Brian was complicated. From what we find out I'm not sure that Brian felt the same way that Annaleah did. It's easy to be mad at her for being so naive, yet at the same time it's easy to see how being in love can blind you. The depiction of the grieving process was done extremely well. You can feel Annaleah's hopelessness flowing off the page.
Perhaps it was the novels prose but, I felt a distance from all of the characters. That being said, Shultz is a very talented writer and I enjoyed reading the novel overall, with it's poetic nature. I reread many of the passages because they were that gripping.
An emotional and fast read, You Are Not Here is a beautiful story of love, loss and forgiveness.
Annaleah's relationship with Brian was complicated. From what we find out I'm not sure that Brian felt the same way that Annaleah did. It's easy to be mad at her for being so naive, yet at the same time it's easy to see how being in love can blind you. The depiction of the grieving process was done extremely well. You can feel Annaleah's hopelessness flowing off the page.
Perhaps it was the novels prose but, I felt a distance from all of the characters. That being said, Shultz is a very talented writer and I enjoyed reading the novel overall, with it's poetic nature. I reread many of the passages because they were that gripping.
An emotional and fast read, You Are Not Here is a beautiful story of love, loss and forgiveness.