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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
I bopped down the rating because there was no trigger warning for the rape scene. Please note that there is a rape scene in this book!!!
TW: ableist slurs, fire, underage drinking, sexual assault, suicide ideation, suicide
Fricking heck! I love the way Amy Zhang writes, I love the way the books get set out, the disjointed way they move. There's something about the way they're set that grabs my heart and doesn't let go.
“This Is How The World Ends” is in the same level as “Falling Into Place”, they both break you in the best way. They drag you in with their characters who are imperfect, who are broken in ways that are almost hard to describe. They drag you in with the broken story line, the way its shattered ad pulled together. I LOVE THEM!
This book focuses on friendship. It's toxic and ugly but there's this thing about it. I can't put it into words. I know how awful the friendships are, how everyone seems mostly to be friends because they don't know anything else, they're not familiar with any thing else. This is what they know, Janie and Micah clinging to each other because theyre in love with the idea of their friendship, Micah and Dewey who seem to only be friends because they're not friendswit anyone else, Janie and Piper who are, as Janie describes it, “no-commitment, zero-accountability, convenient-as-hell” friendship.
At first its kind of hard to tell where this is going, you're not really sure what the story is. But then you get it, you see it. Rape culture. The person who gets away with it, the other who has to live with it, the reactions of people around, them excusing what happened because “she was asking for it”, because “they're dating though”, because “she's wanted him for years”. is failed by people around her because of this ugly mentality. It's heartbreaking and angers, because this shit happens in real, people have to live through this. Time and again we see it, see the same people who say #MeToo defending their friends because “I've know him for years and he would never”.
This book, much like “This Book Betrays My Brother”, hits hard and fast. Again, much like TBBMB, I wish there'd been a trigger warning for the sexual assault. But overall, this is a good book!
TW: ableist slurs, fire, underage drinking, sexual assault, suicide ideation, suicide
Fricking heck! I love the way Amy Zhang writes, I love the way the books get set out, the disjointed way they move. There's something about the way they're set that grabs my heart and doesn't let go.
“This Is How The World Ends” is in the same level as “Falling Into Place”, they both break you in the best way. They drag you in with their characters who are imperfect, who are broken in ways that are almost hard to describe. They drag you in with the broken story line, the way its shattered ad pulled together. I LOVE THEM!
This book focuses on friendship. It's toxic and ugly but there's this thing about it. I can't put it into words. I know how awful the friendships are, how everyone seems mostly to be friends because they don't know anything else, they're not familiar with any thing else. This is what they know, Janie and Micah clinging to each other because theyre in love with the idea of their friendship, Micah and Dewey who seem to only be friends because they're not friendswit anyone else, Janie and Piper who are, as Janie describes it, “no-commitment, zero-accountability, convenient-as-hell” friendship.
At first its kind of hard to tell where this is going, you're not really sure what the story is. But then you get it, you see it. Rape culture. The person who gets away with it, the other who has to live with it, the reactions of people around, them excusing what happened because “she was asking for it”, because “they're dating though”, because “she's wanted him for years”.
Spoiler
JanieThis book, much like “This Book Betrays My Brother”, hits hard and fast. Again, much like TBBMB, I wish there'd been a trigger warning for the sexual assault. But overall, this is a good book!
I want to say 3.5 stars. Here’s the thing, the plot and amount of mystery definitely kept me hooked, but Janie really pissed me off and I felt bad for Micah until he started pissing me off towards the last 70 pages maybe? I actually really enjoyed how it was written and stuff but I can’t get over the characters. I wish Janie could’ve told Micah. I really wish she could’ve.
TW: rape and suicide
slow burn book, I almost DNF but I just wanted to get over it with
slow burn book, I almost DNF but I just wanted to get over it with
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt
This book was a struggle for me - I felt like it was Janie' story - her teenage, selfish story - mixed with Micah's story - a story that was wimpy and frustrating because he let himself be so captivated by Janie - who drug him along like a fish on a line. It's not a book I'd encourage teens to read as the characters do not deserve to be role models. The story is sad - it is hard to see teens hurting - but all they do is numb their pain with alcohol and sex. I was just not impressed and the language was horrific - I felt like it was a lot of swearing and could have been so much more.
My love for Falling Into Place made me read this.
More often, I wish I just didn't.
Alot of scenes really just confused the hell out of me.
And the ending, is not the kind of ending that would somehow save the story, save the book.
More often, I wish I just didn't.
Alot of scenes really just confused the hell out of me.
And the ending, is not the kind of ending that would somehow save the story, save the book.
3.5/5
I thought that I'd hate this book, but I didn't! It was confusing at first, but I love the plot and the story and how it was written. Although, I'm in a love-hate relationship with both Janie and Micah. Such a fucked up ""friendship"". But the book's good.
I thought that I'd hate this book, but I didn't! It was confusing at first, but I love the plot and the story and how it was written. Although, I'm in a love-hate relationship with both Janie and Micah. Such a fucked up ""friendship"". But the book's good.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
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.