Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

38 reviews

librarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-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

5.0

This is the second time I've read The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I think I loved it more than I did the first time. Ness does a fantastic job writing these well rounded, dynamic characters. They're all so flawed and deeply human that they're easy to love. Meredith is one of my favorite characters. She's got all the trappings of an overachieving Mary Sue protagonist, but she circumvents that pidgeon hole by being a regular kid under all of the genius. Mike, Mel, and Meredith's relationship is one of the best written sibling dynamics I've ever read, and I love how much they love and look out for each other. I also really enjoy how involved their parents are in the storytelling, even if they're not actively involved in the children's lives in the capacity that would best suit them. Their mother is flawed and bad at keeping her political aspirations from harming her children and their well being, but the reader sees her grow as a person throughout the novel as Mike gets a closer look at why their mom is the way she is. Their father's alcoholism is also very well written. They're all done expecting anything from him, but despite that they still love him in their own ways.
The way this group of friends cares for each other and know each other makes this novel really special.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Car accident, Dementia, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism and Animal death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

no_this_is_patrick's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident

Moderate: Eating disorder and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts

fatherprozac's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-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

3.0

This book could be fun and frustrating at the same time. The characters are interesting but the book's refusal to even say the word "bisexual" is ridiculous as one character

debates whether they are straight or gay

. There are a few moments of blatant fatphobia despite one character

literally suffering from an eating disorder

. There was also a gross comment fetishizing mixed race babies from the only known poc character in the book which was uncomfortable. Additionally, there is a romantic relationship between a 19yr old and a 25-26yr old (aka a high schooler and a college graduate) which is super questionable. Otherwise the story is okay, nothing too remarkable. The characters often feel flat with only one or two big traits. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Chronic illness, Dementia, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Cursing, and Grief

Minor: Biphobia, Gaslighting, Police brutality, War, and Alcohol

drcyrr's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Car accident

Minor: Animal death, War, Sexual content, and Homophobia

booksthatburn's review against another edition

I wanted to like this, but I generally don't like YA contemporary, and once all the weird/magic/superhero stuff is confined to brief glimpses and chapter headings, it leaves an interestingly framed YA contemporary novel where crushes, school dances, and ongoing parental neglect are the big stakes. I'm not interested in those stakes, but if you are then this might work for you. The depiction of OCD was realistic in a way that might be triggering for anyone else who has it, including a lot of ideation. I haven't read anything else I can recall with such a realistic portrayal of this condition, so I liked that inclusion, but that wasn't enough to hold my interest (especially when that started getting stressful for me). It has a very irreverent tone which is used for everything from crush woes to discussions of current and past trauma, so please check the CWs before proceeding. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Self harm

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Ableism, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Dementia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, and Gore

Minor: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Vomit, and Excrement

rayne_1906's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.75

I adore the concept of this book. In typical YA fantasy, you never stop to think about all the people that the book is NOT about. This subverts that, and focuses on ordinary teenagers trying to live ordinary lives, in a world that is slightly more fantastical than our own. I like the focus on mental health, and the discussions of recovery. I also liked the representation of parental relationships, where there are a lot of problems between parent and child, without it being the typical, 'awful' relationship that is seen very often - there isn't anything wrong with this, but it was a refreshing change to see a different perspective. Overall, I really liked this.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Car accident, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Eating disorder

otterpop's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Eating disorder

ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring 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

5.0

You will find a surprisingly heartfelt story amidst the witty writing and unique plot. A ripe coming-of-age story that makes me ache because of its realism. Also one of the most honest, true-to-life descriptions of OCD I've ever read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Addiction, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Car accident, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Sexual content

ezrantheherb's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

I keep falling in love with Ness's characters and the ways they love one another.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Car accident, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Dementia and Alcoholism

_eleanorgreen8_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a very ethereal and atmospheric book which focuses on the ordinary lives of 4 high school friends, with a supernatural fantasy story occurring in the background. It was quite difficult to understand what was really happening behind the scenes and the supernatural aspect only briefly intersects with the main storyline, which I found quite weird but also sort of effective. By the end of the book, everything had been resolved and it was much easier to understand. Overall, it was unlike anything I've ever read and was fresh perspective on teenage life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Car accident

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Eating disorder

Minor: Sexual content