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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
3.5 stars... When I'm reading this book I don't quite know what I think about it, and now that I'm done I'm still as confused. I understand the author and his reasons and ways of writing and yes, there were parts that were deep and thought-provoking. I have read many books along these lines, and this is not one of the best. I wouldn't re-read this and probably wouldn't recommend it, but I will say that in ways I enjoyed it and I don't regret it.
Interesting, very interesting. I enjoyed this book I really did but something was missing. It seemed to drag a little bit. Not all the time but I did have to put the book down several times purely out of boredom.
I mean, it was beautifully written, almost like every word was carefully chosen. Filer conveyed the sense of mental instability so well I actually can't believe how well he did it.
All in all, pretty good, fancy and well written but at some points a snooze fest. Although that ending HEARTBREAKING!!!!
I mean, it was beautifully written, almost like every word was carefully chosen. Filer conveyed the sense of mental instability so well I actually can't believe how well he did it.
All in all, pretty good, fancy and well written but at some points a snooze fest. Although that ending HEARTBREAKING!!!!
I went into this book expecting too much I think. I don't mind a little jumping, but this book jumped to different time periods too often for me. I thought the premise of the story was good I just think it should've been written in a different way to make the story easier to follow.
*4.75*
I don't know what's stopping me from giving this a full five stars, so I'm gonna bump it up to five but keep my official rating a little lower just because. Regardless, I really loved this book. It was something completely different than anything I'd read before, & I loved how unique and real it felt.
Plot- I really don't want to say a lot about what the plot specifically is, because I think it's revealed very well slowly throughout the novel. It is about a narrator with mental illness, and it examines the aspect of mental illness as well as the effect of grief on a family. It's told in a non-linear format, & I think it works very well. I was confused at some parts, but it was totally intentional, and it worked. I loved the way the plot developed, and how the story of the past was just as important as what was going on in the present. I read this super quickly, I was so invested in it, and I was never bored. I really liked how unique the novel was in its setup, it made it feel more real. The themes were presented beautifully, and the development of those themes and the plot itself felt very natural. I also really liked the ending, I actually found it inspirational, and really hopeful, despite everything else in the novel. Additionally, I liked how it showed that just because you have a mental illness does not mean you're crazy 24/7 and can't function.
Writing- I adored the writing in this. It was so raw, real and so true to the narrator. You could tell the author really got into the head of his character, and the writing felt natural. It also was very beautiful, and had some powerful passages about topics such as memories, and life in general. I also liked the inclusion of drawings throughout, and the added switch of font (if you've read it you know what I mean), it really breathed life into the novel & made it feel like you were actually there when Matt was writing it.
Characters- I was surprised at how connected to these characters I became. I really felt for our narrator Matt, and I just felt a real attachment to him. I thought his progression through the novel was really well done in my opinion. I thought the rest of the characters were really well fleshed out, like I really felt like I knew Nanny Noo, and I was surprised by it by the time I was done. That to me means character done well, when you know the characters, and you become attached and you don't even notice it, it just feels natural.
Overall- I really liked this book. As I've said before, I really like unique books, and I think this is a unique book. I can't say if it represented mental illness in the most truthful way, as I've never experienced the type of mental illness expressed in this, the author was a mental health nurse, so he has good ethos going on that front. I think this book felt very real, and I liked that a lot, and I will definitely recommend this to people, especially if you liked It's Kind of a Funny Story. I feel like this is a more adult, gritty cousin of that book.
I don't know what's stopping me from giving this a full five stars, so I'm gonna bump it up to five but keep my official rating a little lower just because. Regardless, I really loved this book. It was something completely different than anything I'd read before, & I loved how unique and real it felt.
Plot- I really don't want to say a lot about what the plot specifically is, because I think it's revealed very well slowly throughout the novel. It is about a narrator with mental illness, and it examines the aspect of mental illness as well as the effect of grief on a family. It's told in a non-linear format, & I think it works very well. I was confused at some parts, but it was totally intentional, and it worked. I loved the way the plot developed, and how the story of the past was just as important as what was going on in the present. I read this super quickly, I was so invested in it, and I was never bored. I really liked how unique the novel was in its setup, it made it feel more real. The themes were presented beautifully, and the development of those themes and the plot itself felt very natural. I also really liked the ending, I actually found it inspirational, and really hopeful, despite everything else in the novel. Additionally, I liked how it showed that just because you have a mental illness does not mean you're crazy 24/7 and can't function.
Writing- I adored the writing in this. It was so raw, real and so true to the narrator. You could tell the author really got into the head of his character, and the writing felt natural. It also was very beautiful, and had some powerful passages about topics such as memories, and life in general. I also liked the inclusion of drawings throughout, and the added switch of font (if you've read it you know what I mean), it really breathed life into the novel & made it feel like you were actually there when Matt was writing it.
Characters- I was surprised at how connected to these characters I became. I really felt for our narrator Matt, and I just felt a real attachment to him. I thought his progression through the novel was really well done in my opinion. I thought the rest of the characters were really well fleshed out, like I really felt like I knew Nanny Noo, and I was surprised by it by the time I was done. That to me means character done well, when you know the characters, and you become attached and you don't even notice it, it just feels natural.
Overall- I really liked this book. As I've said before, I really like unique books, and I think this is a unique book. I can't say if it represented mental illness in the most truthful way, as I've never experienced the type of mental illness expressed in this, the author was a mental health nurse, so he has good ethos going on that front. I think this book felt very real, and I liked that a lot, and I will definitely recommend this to people, especially if you liked It's Kind of a Funny Story. I feel like this is a more adult, gritty cousin of that book.
I would have read this in one sitting had I not fallen asleep after Christmas dinner yesterday. All I knew going into this book was the blurb: I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name's Simon. I think you're going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he'll be dead. And he was never the same after that.
I didn't know what to expect going into this book, and there's not much I can say without giving away any spoilers, but what I will say is that it is beautifully written, and the different fonts and the pictures make it all seem so real. It's hard to believe that this is Nathan Filer's debut novel. I kind of wish they had done it as the pile of papers with Patricia's cut out words glued down with Prit Stick and the pictures and letters added in and the mixture of computer printouts and typewriter ink smudged onto the papers.
This novel was funny and sweet in places, but mostly intense and deep and sometimes dark. It was brilliant and I loved it a lot. I feel like I'll probably be thinking about this for a few days yet, and it'll stick with me for even longer. Beautiful.
I didn't know what to expect going into this book, and there's not much I can say without giving away any spoilers, but what I will say is that it is beautifully written, and the different fonts and the pictures make it all seem so real. It's hard to believe that this is Nathan Filer's debut novel. I kind of wish they had done it as the pile of papers with Patricia's cut out words glued down with Prit Stick and the pictures and letters added in and the mixture of computer printouts and typewriter ink smudged onto the papers.
This novel was funny and sweet in places, but mostly intense and deep and sometimes dark. It was brilliant and I loved it a lot. I feel like I'll probably be thinking about this for a few days yet, and it'll stick with me for even longer. Beautiful.
Some books are made of characters and this was my first one. I enjoyed it. it was real. There was an interweaving of different characters that contributed in some way or the other which made it unique.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Based on reviews such as "Impossible to put down" and "It won me heart and soul," I was expecting to like this book more than I did. And I can't quite pinpoint what it was that disappointed me. However, I'd still say it was a good read, just not a five-star read for me. It definitely made two stuck-in-the-middle-seat flights bearable!
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes