A review by xoczarina
An Off Year by Claire Zulkey
4.0
i admit, i intentionally delayed finishing this book, albeit how short it was, because i didn't want it to end. i was a college drop-out and like cecily, i mostly just stayed at home doing nothing & having no idea what to do in life. it was probably the lowest point in my life up to date, and i would've needed this book then, but it also means a lot to me now, because i'm also going through a tough time. and maybe that's why i didn't want this to end, because i wanted to be confused & do nothing with cecily. but turns out, i have to finish this, i just have to find out how this ended, because life goes on, and i just need something to make me feel hopeful again.
this book isn't plot-driven, but character-driven, and cecily changing & trying to figure things out has kept me until the end. i mean, it's not that stellar eye-of-the-tiger-playing-in-the-background kind of inspirational, but it has helped me think about what i've been doing with my life. a tiny wake-up call, if you will. and granted, cecily was privileged & was mostly pushed by her dad, but i get it. sometimes, it's not so bad when adults point you to the direction where you should be headed, because everything is too overwhelming when you're a confused & clueless teenager. hell, i'm 23 and i'm still confused & clueless. but what i really wanted to get out of this book is that you have to GET. OUT. OF. YOUR. COMFORT. ZONE. and it's going to be scary & you'll feel stupid at first, and that's okay. you'll eventually get the hang of it, and you'll be fine. also, there's nothing wrong with starting out later than your friends. it's your life, take as much time as you need to figure things out. worry about yourself first instead of what other people are saying about you.
so this has gone on a long affirmation post for myself instead of being an actual book review. sorry. but just so you know, this book has a special place in my heart. and if you're feeling confused & unmotivated about life, i suggest you read this, too.
this book isn't plot-driven, but character-driven, and cecily changing & trying to figure things out has kept me until the end. i mean, it's not that stellar eye-of-the-tiger-playing-in-the-background kind of inspirational, but it has helped me think about what i've been doing with my life. a tiny wake-up call, if you will. and granted, cecily was privileged & was mostly pushed by her dad, but i get it. sometimes, it's not so bad when adults point you to the direction where you should be headed, because everything is too overwhelming when you're a confused & clueless teenager. hell, i'm 23 and i'm still confused & clueless. but what i really wanted to get out of this book is that you have to GET. OUT. OF. YOUR. COMFORT. ZONE. and it's going to be scary & you'll feel stupid at first, and that's okay. you'll eventually get the hang of it, and you'll be fine. also, there's nothing wrong with starting out later than your friends. it's your life, take as much time as you need to figure things out. worry about yourself first instead of what other people are saying about you.
so this has gone on a long affirmation post for myself instead of being an actual book review. sorry. but just so you know, this book has a special place in my heart. and if you're feeling confused & unmotivated about life, i suggest you read this, too.