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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
This has the skin of a satire, with the story beneath an empathetic exploration of everyday insecurity and anxiety. The satire is about being one of the "normal" teens in school with the heroic teens fighting off supernatural threats. The exploration is about learning to deal with all of the "normal" challenges that come with being a person: friendship & family, relationships & love, and changing life circumstances.
Mikey and his best friends are in their last month of high school, anticipating graduation, college, and life without each other. He sees time slipping away to finally act on his unstated feelings for Henna, wonders what Jared isn't telling him, and worries protectively about his sister Mel. He worries not only about the strange blue lights that have been killing the town's "indie kids" lately, but also about pressure from his politician mother, lack of pressure from his alcoholic father, and what will happen to little sister Meredith after he and Mel move out. And then there's the new kid who seems to be pushing his way into their little group, potentially undermining all of their familiar dynamics. Who needs vampires, ghosts, and immortals when you are having enough trouble figuring out where you stand with all of your relationships, including the one with yourself?
Highly relatable with enough humor to keep it from getting too heavy.
Mikey and his best friends are in their last month of high school, anticipating graduation, college, and life without each other. He sees time slipping away to finally act on his unstated feelings for Henna, wonders what Jared isn't telling him, and worries protectively about his sister Mel. He worries not only about the strange blue lights that have been killing the town's "indie kids" lately, but also about pressure from his politician mother, lack of pressure from his alcoholic father, and what will happen to little sister Meredith after he and Mel move out. And then there's the new kid who seems to be pushing his way into their little group, potentially undermining all of their familiar dynamics. Who needs vampires, ghosts, and immortals when you are having enough trouble figuring out where you stand with all of your relationships, including the one with yourself?
Highly relatable with enough humor to keep it from getting too heavy.
And yeah, so fine, our part of town has more than its fair share of trees and less than its fair share of multiplexes, but don't look down on us. It was just as bad here as it was for you when the indie kids were battling the undead in our neck of the woods (though that was just after I was born, so I only know about it from my uncle Rick, who doesn’t get invited around very much anymore). We had the same amount of heartache when a new round of indie kids exorcised the sorrow from all those soul-eating ghosts eight years later (that was the year they blew up the high school, a heretofore unknown part of the exorcism ritual, I guess). And don’t even get me started on when the indie kids fell in love with and then defeated all the vampires a few years back. Henna’s older brother Teemu got mixed up with them and pretty much vanished one day. They haven’t seen him since, though he writes the occasional email. Always at night.
And we dream the same in my town as you probably do in a city. We yearn the same, wish the same. We’re just as screwed up and brave and false and loyal and wrong and right as anyone else. And even if there’s no one in my family or my circle of friends who’s going to be the Chosen One or the Beacon of Peace or whatever the hell it’s going to be next time around, I reckon there are a lot more people like me than there are indie kids with unusual names and capital-D Destinies (though I’m being mean here; they’re often quite nice, the indie kids, just . . . they’ve got a clan and they’re sticking to it).
Me, all I want to do is graduate. And have a last summer with my friends. And go away to college. And (more than) kiss Henna (more than) once. And then get on with finding out about the rest of my life.
Don’t you?
3 Stars
To be honest I really didn't know what to expect, I only new that I was very interested in the concept that we follow the non-chosen ones or in this case, the "indie kids." I do have to say this book is more contemporary then it is a fantasy or paranormal. That aspect (to me at least) felt like it took a back seat, it's there (very clearly) but thats not the reason for this story. If anything, Patrick Ness pokes fun at it and the chosen ones, but in a good way. It's about life, and finding the extraordinary within yourself and through others, even though they are living through a very weird, confusing time and people are dying.
Overall I enjoyed the story, and the message behind it. I loved the diversity of characters even though I found some to be a bit annoying, Henna.
To be honest I really didn't know what to expect, I only new that I was very interested in the concept that we follow the non-chosen ones or in this case, the "indie kids." I do have to say this book is more contemporary then it is a fantasy or paranormal. That aspect (to me at least) felt like it took a back seat, it's there (very clearly) but thats not the reason for this story. If anything, Patrick Ness pokes fun at it and the chosen ones, but in a good way. It's about life, and finding the extraordinary within yourself and through others, even though they are living through a very weird, confusing time and people are dying.
Overall I enjoyed the story, and the message behind it. I loved the diversity of characters even though I found some to be a bit annoying, Henna.
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
There was a good portion of this book where I felt dragged along aimlessly on some giant trek towards ambivalence. I'd tried to read the hardcover once, and then, as also happened when I'd first read [b:Going Bovine|6512140|Going Bovine|Libba Bray|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1320391025s/6512140.jpg|4733312], I couldn't chew through it, and instead decided to come in a second time with the audio. This quest to be ordinary or even {gasp} normal, was one that I eventually grew to like.
If I were at Hogwarts trying to get that elusive A from Mcgonagall and Harry Co. kept getting into nonsense that got us all in danger, I'd be pretty pissed off. This is Mikey's life. He just wants to finish high school, get out of this town, enjoy his last few months with his best friends, and finally get his friend Henna to love him. All pretty simple tasks, if only there weren't yet another epic battle brewing with those pesky "Indie Kids" (the author's term for the Harry, Katniss, Bella Swan's of their world). But beyond the epic and fantastic, Mikey is also struggling with just the mundane. He battles OCD, has an alcoholic father, an anorexic sister who he almost lost once due to her disease, and a politician mother who he feels spends more time campaigning than actually parenting.
One of the cooler things about the book, was how the author used the chapter titles to tell the tales that would have normally been the big story. The battles between the immortals, or the Gods, or whomever else, was told in quick, couple-sentence blurbs before each chapter, and it really showed how while we were all watching Katniss and Peeta take down the Capital, someone else was still just having to get up and bake that damn bread every morning, and their story was just as dire.
Overall, I think this book does fall victim to its own hype. There are a LOT of moments where if you aren't a Ness follower, you're probably staring at the page like
There are also moments where he throws things in randomly, like how Mikey has fooled around with his best friend Jared, but there's no real purpose to this information other than to ask if maybe that's why Henna isn't convinced that he likes her. Then the "romance" of he and Henna fizzles really into just Henna learning to love herself more than anyone. It gets confusing.
There were some gems hidden in the madness, ironically being Mikey's bouts with his OCD and anxiety, but otherwise, if you're picking this one up just because everyone has told you to, and you're really expecting something extraordinary,...don't.
If I were at Hogwarts trying to get that elusive A from Mcgonagall and Harry Co. kept getting into nonsense that got us all in danger, I'd be pretty pissed off. This is Mikey's life. He just wants to finish high school, get out of this town, enjoy his last few months with his best friends, and finally get his friend Henna to love him. All pretty simple tasks, if only there weren't yet another epic battle brewing with those pesky "Indie Kids" (the author's term for the Harry, Katniss, Bella Swan's of their world). But beyond the epic and fantastic, Mikey is also struggling with just the mundane. He battles OCD, has an alcoholic father, an anorexic sister who he almost lost once due to her disease, and a politician mother who he feels spends more time campaigning than actually parenting.
One of the cooler things about the book, was how the author used the chapter titles to tell the tales that would have normally been the big story. The battles between the immortals, or the Gods, or whomever else, was told in quick, couple-sentence blurbs before each chapter, and it really showed how while we were all watching Katniss and Peeta take down the Capital, someone else was still just having to get up and bake that damn bread every morning, and their story was just as dire.
Overall, I think this book does fall victim to its own hype. There are a LOT of moments where if you aren't a Ness follower, you're probably staring at the page like
There are also moments where he throws things in randomly, like how Mikey has fooled around with his best friend Jared, but there's no real purpose to this information other than to ask if maybe that's why Henna isn't convinced that he likes her. Then the "romance" of he and Henna fizzles really into just Henna learning to love herself more than anyone. It gets confusing.
There were some gems hidden in the madness, ironically being Mikey's bouts with his OCD and anxiety, but otherwise, if you're picking this one up just because everyone has told you to, and you're really expecting something extraordinary,...don't.
This is a fun read. But it also is Emotionally Educative because it frames mental imbalance in proportion with Earth-shattering events. Creates an overall wonky feel for sure.
The first three or four chapters caused a fun surprise for me, as I sighed at the introduction for each chapter: "chapter one—in which blah blah blah Immortal Realm . . . " I skimmed those parts, and then began into the plot. And I had to stop and think, "wait. This is not what the chapter said would be happening. I'm still reading about Mikey and his crew." And I chuckled to realize that the crazily named "indie kids" were shuffled away into trivial sidenotes, instead of getting all the attention.
It doesn't matter who is falling in love with vampires, fighting zombies, blasting through time-space contiunuums, or becoming demi-gods or whatever. We're here to discuss what it's like when you CANNOT STOP WASHING YOUR HANDS, and THE GIRL YOU LOVE IS DATING SOMEONE ELSE. Obviously more everyday essential.
The first three or four chapters caused a fun surprise for me, as I sighed at the introduction for each chapter: "chapter one—in which blah blah blah Immortal Realm . . . " I skimmed those parts, and then began into the plot. And I had to stop and think, "wait. This is not what the chapter said would be happening. I'm still reading about Mikey and his crew." And I chuckled to realize that the crazily named "indie kids" were shuffled away into trivial sidenotes, instead of getting all the attention.
It doesn't matter who is falling in love with vampires, fighting zombies, blasting through time-space contiunuums, or becoming demi-gods or whatever. We're here to discuss what it's like when you CANNOT STOP WASHING YOUR HANDS, and THE GIRL YOU LOVE IS DATING SOMEONE ELSE. Obviously more everyday essential.
First, if the ending had gone differently, it probably would've scored lower so I'm just grateful that didn't happen.
I liked this book. I liked the diversity, the concept and the characters. I wasn't sure at first but once I got to the end of it, it just clicked that I really did love the story and I was invested in the MC, mostly because he's basically me, but it was just a different, unique novel and beautifully written. If you're ever wondering what the people around the 'chosen ones' live like, the ones not in the spotlight, this is the book for you.
Gah I'm just so glad I ended up liking it.
I liked this book. I liked the diversity, the concept and the characters. I wasn't sure at first but once I got to the end of it, it just clicked that I really did love the story and I was invested in the MC, mostly because he's basically me, but it was just a different, unique novel and beautifully written. If you're ever wondering what the people around the 'chosen ones' live like, the ones not in the spotlight, this is the book for you.
Gah I'm just so glad I ended up liking it.
This book holds up as one of my favorites of all time. It's a beautifully honest depiction of different types of relationships not often represented in YA novels: a close and vulnerable male friendship, a deeply protective brother-sister relationship within a larger friend group, a more nuanced take on the "I'm in love with my friend" plotline. The way the characters care about each other, get frustrated with each other, and navigate life together feels so real. The book's depiction of youth is just fantastic: these characters and many of their worries feel very high school, but not in a dismissive way. Their problems feel young and their problems feel very real and relatable. I feel that in many YA novels, the characters are young simply because it appeals to the audience - here, it feels like youth is treated with more respect in and of itself. The book's depiction of Mikey's OCD and other anxieties is also really well done - it's not a gimmick, just another part of his life. He's a flawed character, and there are scenes where you really don't like him, making the book more authentic.
The premise of normal kids living in the background of a dystopian-fantasy-YA-type story is also super interesting and sets up the heart of the book really well. The book is about a group of friends living out their senior year of high school amongst personal and interpersonal problems, magical or not. The indie kids are dying and our characters are still worried about acing their final exams (and worried about the indie kids too, of course). Having these fantastical problems contrasted with the "normal" problems we're familiar with highlights the notion that just because there are big scary things going on in the world doesn't make your worries any less painful and difficult - both can coexist. I think this is a really beautiful thing to emphasize. It was also comforting to read during a politically-tumultuous pandemic: I can be worried about the state of the world and I can be worried about what classes to take this semester. I think that's an important message to be reminded of, and it contributes to the respect and care this book shows towards its characters.
TL;DR: this book will continue to be the one I keep by my bed for when I'm in between books and want something comforting to read.
The premise of normal kids living in the background of a dystopian-fantasy-YA-type story is also super interesting and sets up the heart of the book really well. The book is about a group of friends living out their senior year of high school amongst personal and interpersonal problems, magical or not. The indie kids are dying and our characters are still worried about acing their final exams (and worried about the indie kids too, of course). Having these fantastical problems contrasted with the "normal" problems we're familiar with highlights the notion that just because there are big scary things going on in the world doesn't make your worries any less painful and difficult - both can coexist. I think this is a really beautiful thing to emphasize. It was also comforting to read during a politically-tumultuous pandemic: I can be worried about the state of the world and I can be worried about what classes to take this semester. I think that's an important message to be reminded of, and it contributes to the respect and care this book shows towards its characters.
TL;DR: this book will continue to be the one I keep by my bed for when I'm in between books and want something comforting to read.