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rjdevore2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
phoenixrose23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Finished this in one day wtf it was so good
lynnburg's review against another edition
3.0
honestly wasn’t the best book i’ve read, but also wasn’t the worst. the “before” was pretty boring and therefore difficult to get through, however i did enjoy the pace of the “after”. it could’ve been soooo much better if john just added a couple more pages to give more detail to some of the activities they were doing, it honestly would’ve improved the book a LOT.
ichigo_fields's review against another edition
1.0
(Holy shite, this is the longest I'd ever written about a book. Or given it any thought. And it wasn't even a good book. Hm.)
This review will contain spoilers, because most of what pisses me off about the book is about the main twist.
First off, I just want to say that I did not read the book, I listened to the audiobook while at work (I drive around for 8 hours a day. This is how I pass time now.) The hick-town accents were atrocious, so that already deterred me from enjoyment. I did not ever find a reason to like any of the characters. Not even Alaska, who is the golden Midas of the story.
I actually forgot that the first plot of the book was the main characters trying to prank back the rich kids. They abruptly bring that back after the "After" bit of the book. It was a nod back to, oh yeah, this is the crap I'd had to hear about the first quarter of the book.
The whole idea of this school was obnoxious. The writing style annoyed me. I hate how the characters interacted and conversed. And then all of a sudden WOAH BLOWJOB SCENE that was epically depressing and facepalm. I despised Pudge. He had absolutely no clue what he wanted. What he thought he wanted, he went against and went with some Russian chick instead.
Now to the part that really annoyed me: The whole plot of the book. It's all spoilers.
They basically go the rest of the book (we're about halfway through by this point... sigh.) retracing her steps, getting as drunk as she was that night to see if her vision was off. Bullshit after bullshit. They had basically decided that it was not suicide, because there was not A.) A letter she had left.
B.) She didn't start giving her stuff away
C.) Any stereotypical signs of a suicidal girl that just wants attention.
There were signs throughout the whole book. It's just not that she was looking for attention. She wanted to die, but at the right time. Or when she felt like it. She sucked down cigarettes "not to enjoy them, but to die." She was rarely sober. She had a idgafos attitude and didn't care about much at all. It seemed as though finally, for the first time in her life, she was somewhat enjoying herself and was biding her time, embracing that smidgen of happiness while she could. Still not being enough to want to live with the pain of everything she had gone through, and still is.
I will totally go into the philosophy of all that forever, but I just don't care enough to. Basically what really bothered me is that for 2 1/2 hours of this audio book, I had to listen to their stupid specifications of what suicide is, and why she would have and how it is or isn't possible. "There wasn't time for her to plan it. You have to plan it for it to be suicide." "She didn't give any signs. Didn't give any of her stuff away." Etc.
There doesn't have to be a plan. There could be, but doesn't have to. There actually doesn't have to be any signs, if that person doesn't want there to be. I have been pushed to that edge before three times. I have always been depressed, and hurt more than most people. But I never show it, not really. You'll know when I'm unhappy, sure, but you'll never know just how unhappy. I'd been too scared to show that side of me. As a child I'd figured that my family wouldn't know what to do with me, that people would be scared of me, and I'd go to a hospital. Some weird misconception I had since I was 12 and first started giving up. So I never showed a thing. And I got into that habit. Still do sometimes, though I'm not nearly as bad. As for planning, I had ideas of how I would. But if I ever decided to go, it'd be in the heat of it all. I wouldn't say "oh, I'm going to do it next Tuesday, cus I have a thing that Monday" or anything. That's fucking ignorant to say that.
Ok, off that subject completely. We never find out. They pull that one last prank, that was not that great. I actually think I spaced out on the very end anyway, it wasn't worth it to me, and I started listening to some Doctor Who instead.
So I really hated this book, but because of the countdown (46 days before, 28 days before...) of course I wanted to know what happened. Then it did, I rolled my eyes, and continued out of sheer boredom and this stupid ish couldn't get any worse, right? Oh? It's now offensive to me! Rad. Fuck this book.
This review will contain spoilers, because most of what pisses me off about the book is about the main twist.
First off, I just want to say that I did not read the book, I listened to the audiobook while at work (I drive around for 8 hours a day. This is how I pass time now.) The hick-town accents were atrocious, so that already deterred me from enjoyment. I did not ever find a reason to like any of the characters. Not even Alaska, who is the golden Midas of the story.
I actually forgot that the first plot of the book was the main characters trying to prank back the rich kids. They abruptly bring that back after the "After" bit of the book. It was a nod back to, oh yeah, this is the crap I'd had to hear about the first quarter of the book.
Spoiler
That still never was resolved. I never learned why they almost killed Pudge with that prank. I guess it was because they're rich bitches, and Pudge is friends with Colonel (Was that his name? I can't remember. It was stupid, just like all the names in this book.) who is poor and lives in a trailer with his mother. That's a bit of an overkill of a prank if you ask me.The whole idea of this school was obnoxious. The writing style annoyed me. I hate how the characters interacted and conversed. And then all of a sudden WOAH BLOWJOB SCENE that was epically depressing and facepalm. I despised Pudge. He had absolutely no clue what he wanted. What he thought he wanted, he went against and went with some Russian chick instead.
Now to the part that really annoyed me: The whole plot of the book. It's all spoilers.
Spoiler
Ok. This chick Alaska. She's pretty manic depressive. A know-it-all feminist as well. Usually ok, but she lacked any sort of conviction so I did not care for her. Now, correct me if I'm wrong. She and Takumi were a thing, yes? But then all of a sudden there's Jake. She drunkenly makes out with Pudge, but then freaks out in the middle of the night and drives off, still drunk. Of course, drinking and driving resulted in her death. Now her friends Pudge and Colonel are blaming themselves for her death (as they fucking should. They just fell asleep as she freaked out and cried, and they actually helped her break out of their school via lighting off fireworks.) But here's the big question they have: Was it an accident that she died, or was it suicide?They basically go the rest of the book (we're about halfway through by this point... sigh.) retracing her steps, getting as drunk as she was that night to see if her vision was off. Bullshit after bullshit. They had basically decided that it was not suicide, because there was not A.) A letter she had left.
B.) She didn't start giving her stuff away
C.) Any stereotypical signs of a suicidal girl that just wants attention.
There were signs throughout the whole book. It's just not that she was looking for attention. She wanted to die, but at the right time. Or when she felt like it. She sucked down cigarettes "not to enjoy them, but to die." She was rarely sober. She had a idgafos attitude and didn't care about much at all. It seemed as though finally, for the first time in her life, she was somewhat enjoying herself and was biding her time, embracing that smidgen of happiness while she could. Still not being enough to want to live with the pain of everything she had gone through, and still is.
I will totally go into the philosophy of all that forever, but I just don't care enough to. Basically what really bothered me is that for 2 1/2 hours of this audio book, I had to listen to their stupid specifications of what suicide is, and why she would have and how it is or isn't possible. "There wasn't time for her to plan it. You have to plan it for it to be suicide." "She didn't give any signs. Didn't give any of her stuff away." Etc.
There doesn't have to be a plan. There could be, but doesn't have to. There actually doesn't have to be any signs, if that person doesn't want there to be. I have been pushed to that edge before three times. I have always been depressed, and hurt more than most people. But I never show it, not really. You'll know when I'm unhappy, sure, but you'll never know just how unhappy. I'd been too scared to show that side of me. As a child I'd figured that my family wouldn't know what to do with me, that people would be scared of me, and I'd go to a hospital. Some weird misconception I had since I was 12 and first started giving up. So I never showed a thing. And I got into that habit. Still do sometimes, though I'm not nearly as bad. As for planning, I had ideas of how I would. But if I ever decided to go, it'd be in the heat of it all. I wouldn't say "oh, I'm going to do it next Tuesday, cus I have a thing that Monday" or anything. That's fucking ignorant to say that.
Ok, off that subject completely. We never find out. They pull that one last prank, that was not that great. I actually think I spaced out on the very end anyway, it wasn't worth it to me, and I started listening to some Doctor Who instead.
So I really hated this book, but because of the countdown (46 days before, 28 days before...) of course I wanted to know what happened. Then it did, I rolled my eyes, and continued out of sheer boredom and this stupid ish couldn't get any worse, right? Oh? It's now offensive to me! Rad. Fuck this book.
camib93's review against another edition
3.0
It would have to be a 2.5, when I first read it would defiantly been a 4 star rating. But I re-read it and I disliked both Pudge and Alaska. I do enjoy John Green's writing but I don't like his characters.
wordsunbound's review against another edition
5.0
I'm speechless.
It was very addicting; a page turner for me!!
I'll definitely be rereading this
It was very addicting; a page turner for me!!
I'll definitely be rereading this
ktbkitten's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5