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bunbunbunny's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my views & opinions below.
This is the first Amy Zhang book I’ve ever picked up. All I could say is that it was so-so. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the writing but… I can’t say the same about the story itself. I tend to usually steer clear of books with poetic or nonlinear prose because I feel like the writing kind of takes away from the reader’s ability to connect with the story. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the books that I’ve read, but so far, I haven’t encountered a single book written in nonlinear prose that still left me able to empathize with the characters and their story. (Except for [b:We Were Liars|16143347|We Were Liars|E. Lockhart|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402749479s/16143347.jpg|21975829]).
Let me tell you, when I started reading this book, I was confused for 35% of it. That was probably because of Micah. He didn’t even know what was going on around him and his forgetfulness made him a very unreliable narrator. Janie, on the other hand, was a bit more of a complex character. She was sweet and naïve, yes, but she was also rude to people and obnoxious. She has so many personality traits that her character gave me a whiplash sometimes. However, the extremes of her personality were very compelling to read about. Her fairytale fantasies were whimsical and quirky which I think contrasted with Micah’s bleak grayness. Even though I couldn’t connect with either of them, it was interesting to read about their downward spiral and the toxicity of their relationship with each other and other people.
What bothered me about this story was the way Janie treated Micah. Micah would do anything for Janie, which she was quite aware of, and Janie used that to manipulate him. Why did she tell him she loved him and then date other people? Why did she ignore him at school but talk to him outside it? Janie practically had Micah at her beck-and-call and he was too spineless to do something about it. In a weird/sick way, it was fascinating watching all of this unfold.
The main factor that irked me about this book was its predictability. It was obvious where the story was going, which made it lack a sense of urgency. The inability to connect with any of the characters contributed to that, too. Yes, Janie and Micah were two very emotional narrators but it was just very difficult to devote myself to their story. Also, was it just me or was the ending extremely lacking? So many loose ends, unanswered questions and zero impact. When I finished the book, it was less of an “oh damn” moment and more of an “oh okay” moment.
There are so many conflicting emotions about this book. The writing was magnificent and outstanding, but the story itself failed to pull me in. The unreliable narrators were very hard to connect with and the story was predictable. I adored the writing but disliked the story. The struggle is real. I won’t be dissuaded by this book, though. I’ve heard tons of good things about Amy Zhang’s [b:Falling into Place|18163646|Falling into Place|Amy Zhang|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393613084s/18163646.jpg|25526485] so I will definitely be giving that shot!
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This is the first Amy Zhang book I’ve ever picked up. All I could say is that it was so-so. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the writing but… I can’t say the same about the story itself. I tend to usually steer clear of books with poetic or nonlinear prose because I feel like the writing kind of takes away from the reader’s ability to connect with the story. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the books that I’ve read, but so far, I haven’t encountered a single book written in nonlinear prose that still left me able to empathize with the characters and their story. (Except for [b:We Were Liars|16143347|We Were Liars|E. Lockhart|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402749479s/16143347.jpg|21975829]).
Let me tell you, when I started reading this book, I was confused for 35% of it. That was probably because of Micah. He didn’t even know what was going on around him and his forgetfulness made him a very unreliable narrator. Janie, on the other hand, was a bit more of a complex character. She was sweet and naïve, yes, but she was also rude to people and obnoxious. She has so many personality traits that her character gave me a whiplash sometimes. However, the extremes of her personality were very compelling to read about. Her fairytale fantasies were whimsical and quirky which I think contrasted with Micah’s bleak grayness. Even though I couldn’t connect with either of them, it was interesting to read about their downward spiral and the toxicity of their relationship with each other and other people.
What bothered me about this story was the way Janie treated Micah. Micah would do anything for Janie, which she was quite aware of, and Janie used that to manipulate him. Why did she tell him she loved him and then date other people? Why did she ignore him at school but talk to him outside it? Janie practically had Micah at her beck-and-call and he was too spineless to do something about it. In a weird/sick way, it was fascinating watching all of this unfold.
The main factor that irked me about this book was its predictability. It was obvious where the story was going, which made it lack a sense of urgency. The inability to connect with any of the characters contributed to that, too. Yes, Janie and Micah were two very emotional narrators but it was just very difficult to devote myself to their story. Also, was it just me or was the ending extremely lacking? So many loose ends, unanswered questions and zero impact. When I finished the book, it was less of an “oh damn” moment and more of an “oh okay” moment.
There are so many conflicting emotions about this book. The writing was magnificent and outstanding, but the story itself failed to pull me in. The unreliable narrators were very hard to connect with and the story was predictable. I adored the writing but disliked the story. The struggle is real. I won’t be dissuaded by this book, though. I’ve heard tons of good things about Amy Zhang’s [b:Falling into Place|18163646|Falling into Place|Amy Zhang|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393613084s/18163646.jpg|25526485] so I will definitely be giving that shot!
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
megzxo's review against another edition
3.0
It's kind of like a shittier version of Looking for Alaska, lol. The writing is beautiful and poetic, albeit a little disjointed and confusing at times, but the plotline is just.. UGH. Manic pixie dream girl + milquetoast main male character + unnecessary triggers = typical teen drama with a horrendous ending. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, and it was pretty short so at least it wasn't a huge waste of time.. but yeah. Not the greatest.
cindyjac's review against another edition
4.0
First book completed for the new year and works for the "unreliable narrator" category on the 2017 Reading Challenge prompts. Alternating between two characters, Micah (after) and Janie (before) the story gradually gets to the day that caused Micah's injury and apparent amnesia. Definitely geared for a young adult audience, I found some of Janie's drama to be a bit overboard, but we've all been young...overall it was a good read. I thought of it as a cross between We Were Liars and PaperTowns. Can't say too much without giving away the story.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Amy Zhang’s writing is beautiful, poetic and emotional. I love reading her words even if the plot feels a bit meandering. Broken down to the main points, This is Where the World Ends probably sounds quite clichéd and predictable, but it was still a pleasure to read.
Janie is manipulates her friendships with Micah. We probably wouldn’t like to admit it, but her behaviour probably isn’t all that unusual. I bet loads of people had childhood friends who they love but don’t want to be seen with at school. The fact that she doesn’t completely dump him means that she does care, deep down at least, and her journal entries reflects that.
Like many high school stories, it’s about trying to stay on top of the social hierarchy. When something awful happens, Janie feels she has no choice other than bury it. The fairy tales she writes for her English project portray what she really feels.
The Metaphor, which Janie decides is a metaphor for their life, is a pile of rocks in the quarry where she and Micah meet. You keep trying to climb to the top but, the harder you try, the further you fall. As the story continues, the Metaphor grows smaller.
The story feels like it is mostly told by Micah but the narrative is split between them, slowly revealing what happened and getting to see Janie’s side of the story. Because there’s always two sides to a story, however much you want to side with one person. Despite how much I may have disliked Janie’s behaviour, my heart broke for both of them.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Janie is manipulates her friendships with Micah. We probably wouldn’t like to admit it, but her behaviour probably isn’t all that unusual. I bet loads of people had childhood friends who they love but don’t want to be seen with at school. The fact that she doesn’t completely dump him means that she does care, deep down at least, and her journal entries reflects that.
Like many high school stories, it’s about trying to stay on top of the social hierarchy. When something awful happens, Janie feels she has no choice other than bury it. The fairy tales she writes for her English project portray what she really feels.
The Metaphor, which Janie decides is a metaphor for their life, is a pile of rocks in the quarry where she and Micah meet. You keep trying to climb to the top but, the harder you try, the further you fall. As the story continues, the Metaphor grows smaller.
The story feels like it is mostly told by Micah but the narrative is split between them, slowly revealing what happened and getting to see Janie’s side of the story. Because there’s always two sides to a story, however much you want to side with one person. Despite how much I may have disliked Janie’s behaviour, my heart broke for both of them.
Review copy provided by publisher.
aelong1399's review against another edition
3.0
I really, really wanted to like this book, because I LOVED Falling Into Place. And while I still love Zhang's writing style, the plot seemed a little...I don't know. Borrowed. Kind of like a mix of Paper Towns, All The Bright Places, and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. It's worth a read for the way she writes, but it's not the most original book.
alyssabookrecs's review against another edition
this book triggered a visceral, awful reaction in me. Part of it is because of my own personal mental state at the time of reading it, but the book contributed in part to festering those feelings.
mikaylataggart's review against another edition
1.0
i tried so hard to finish this book a couple of times, and when i finally did the ending was really triggering.
-don’t read past here if you haven’t read the book-
as a SA victim i feel like i should’ve been more prepared, but it’s still hard. not to be confused for me liking janie bc i hated how narcissistic and hypocritical she was towards micah, but no one should ever have to experience that.
-don’t read past here if you haven’t read the book-
as a SA victim i feel like i should’ve been more prepared, but it’s still hard. not to be confused for me liking janie bc i hated how narcissistic and hypocritical she was towards micah, but no one should ever have to experience that.