michey2015's review against another edition
5.0
WOW! This book was way better than I thought it was going to be. There are so many emotions wrapped up into just over 400 pages. This one was hard to put down!
carlyroth10's review against another edition
5.0
Do I have words to describe this book? No, the real question is how am I supposed to fit all the words into this review. It takes a good book, actually a fantastic book, for me to read it fast (or for me fast).
Josh: angry, annoyed, has his own "forced field", and lives on wood making
Natya: emotionally disturbed, to many secrets to count, tiny, and lives on ice cream and running
Drew: the definition of a "man whore", but is probably the second most screwed up person in the book
This book will no doubt make you laugh, cry, punch a whole in the wall yourself, and make you get sunburned on the beach if you're dumb enough to read it on the beach, cause there is no stopping once you started.
All in all my real 5 star rating should be a 10 star rating
Josh: angry, annoyed, has his own "forced field", and lives on wood making
Natya: emotionally disturbed, to many secrets to count, tiny, and lives on ice cream and running
Drew: the definition of a "man whore", but is probably the second most screwed up person in the book
This book will no doubt make you laugh, cry, punch a whole in the wall yourself, and make you get sunburned on the beach if you're dumb enough to read it on the beach, cause there is no stopping once you started.
All in all my real 5 star rating should be a 10 star rating
hiltzmoore's review against another edition
5.0
Had I paid attention to what this book was about, I might not have started it this week, just days after the memorial service for my best friend, who died 6 months ago at age 33 after a long fight with breast cancer. However, reading it when all those emotions were at their strongest ended up really opening my eyes to the simple and tragic beauty that is this book. This is a book about grief, about life being unfair, about loving others even through that unfairness. I loved the deeper concepts about tragedy and grief that were the overall themes of the book, but I loved the simplicity and truth of the characters even more. As someone who lost a parent at age 7 (thank God, only one), I really related to Josh, and loved his interactions with the entire Leighton family - I know how the Leighton "normalcy" is both craved and envied when a young person has suffered a loss. I loved that Drew didn't get written as a stereotypical ass the way many young adult authors might have done, he simply had a bit of immaturity that is expected of someone living a very sheltered life. In fact, I thought this was one of the best YA books I've read, no dumbing down of hard topics or writing down to teens here - great work!
I will take a lot from this book as I move forward with my own current grief. Nastya's realization that there is a difference between self-pity and grief, as well as Josh's assertation that letting go of anger does not mean accepting what has happened were two key take-aways from this book.
I will take a lot from this book as I move forward with my own current grief. Nastya's realization that there is a difference between self-pity and grief, as well as Josh's assertation that letting go of anger does not mean accepting what has happened were two key take-aways from this book.
tbandlerjohnson's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely incredible. It is difficult, dark, and deep- yet funny and light in some moments as well. I don't get emotional in books often, or hardly ever, but this one did me in.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fantastic! Nastia was so broken, but still so much stronger than she thought she was. Josh and Drew were also characters that felt very real to me - so very teenaged boys - and the way they interacted with each other, and with Nastia made so much sense.
There is so much darkness in this story, though, but still, it didn't make me as sad as I thought it would. It was more about navigating through a new life, a life that was difficult to want. But that was there, and therefore had to be lived.
The narration was awesome, too - even if the female narrator spoke quite a bit faster than the male narrator.
There is so much darkness in this story, though, but still, it didn't make me as sad as I thought it would. It was more about navigating through a new life, a life that was difficult to want. But that was there, and therefore had to be lived.
The narration was awesome, too - even if the female narrator spoke quite a bit faster than the male narrator.
bookstuffq's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was Good till 80%
Tho MMC fcked up Idk why he did that but yeah it ruined a little for me otherwise a Gread read
</Spoiler>
Tho MMC fcked up Idk why he did that but yeah it ruined a little for me otherwise a Gread read
</Spoiler>
salshrem_nardea's review against another edition
I literally lost my physical copy of this book and I was almost done with it.
agrutle's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, so its been about an hour since I finished this book and honestly I still can't put in to words how much I loved it. I'll start by saying that my best friend, Corie pretty much forced me to read it because she knows what I like and knows that I wouldn't do it because I was being told to do it. I'm kind of a brat that way. I don't like being told what to do. Anyway, this book was amazing and I'm so glad she got me to read it. Once I picked it up to read, I hated putting it down to do menial chores like feeding my family.
Right off we meet Nastya, she's living with her aunt Margot, and she doesn't talk, ever. She's living with her aunt because she can't stand to be with her mom, dad and brother, because they expect her to be the girl she was before everything fell apart. She just can't, shes so angry and she hates everyone. She doesn't talk so she doesn't have to lie to them. She doesn't want the love that she doesn't feel she should get.
The first day of school is hard enough when you're a regular kid, but when you're starting at new school and you don't speak, it's like climbing a mountain. Nastya wants nothing to do with anyone. She doesn't want friends and she dresses the exact opposite of what she did before. Hiding in the bathroom everyday during lunch is her way of getting through the day. The first person she meets is Drew Leighton. He comes off as a cocky jerk that is all about one thing, SEX. All he talks about is getting in to Nastya's pants. Not talking hinders her from telling him no and being able to stand firm on it. So she goes to parties with him. In the end though Drew ended up being one of my most favorite characters. He's not all he seems and he's got a soft side.
Josh has an invisible force field around him. No one says anything to him because every around him has died. Now he's on his own, no one at home and all he wants to be is left alone to his woodworking. He noticed Nastya the first day of school, because really who wouldn't with the way she was dressed. He just doesn't want to get involved with anything or anyone. That goes out the window when Drew drops her off after a party. Drew's going to miss curfew and shes wasted, so he leaves her with Josh to get her home. After that he still doesn't want to have anything to do with her, until she just shows up and keeps showing up. Finally one day she talks to him. She only talks to him.
Their relationship is easy, they just are together. She feels safe with him and he just lets her be. He doesn't push and she doesn't either. Life isn't all puppy dogs and sunshine though. You have to read this. I mean seriously! It's my favorite book this year so far. I didn't plan to read it, now I can't imagine my life without having read it.
This was me after I finished this book and I'll bet you'll be just as excited!