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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mix The Perks of Being a Wallflower and the antisuperhero series The Boys, and you might come close to Patrick Ness' sharp coming of age humor about normal kid Mikey just trying to finish his senior year while heroes are battling interdimensional beings.
Well, I guess it is about time for me to give up completely on reading Fantasy. It is definitely not my genre. All I could think about is how unrealistic this whole thing was - which makes sense because I knew it was a fantasy, but again, UGH.
The characters were interesting enough to carry me through the story. Though, there was a time I just could not hear "indie kids" without eye rolling. The audiobook was certainly a smart decision here.
The characters were interesting enough to carry me through the story. Though, there was a time I just could not hear "indie kids" without eye rolling. The audiobook was certainly a smart decision here.
It's a good story, but somehow I still want to see the pov from the Indie gangs.
"They've always got some story going on that they're heroes of. The rest of us just have to live here, hovering around the edges, left out of it all, for the most part. Having said that, the indie kids do die a lot. Which must suck."
This was just a cool book. It had a lot of different elements going on, and I quite enjoyed it all.
Firstly, it was a story about the "rest of us," those individuals who weren't the Chosen Ones who fought the battles and saved the day. (In this book the chosen ones are referred to as the indie kids, and had ironically ridiculous names like Satchel and Finn). These are the normal everyday folk who are trying to get through their average lives and hardships, while trying to not get blown up or eaten alive by the undead while the indie kids handle their business. I just loved this. Each chapter would start with a satirical little synopsis of what was going on behind the scenes in the indie world. It poked fun at their drama, and the whole concept reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was welcome and nostalgic. But that was just s small piece of the story. Overall, as a certified average joe, I appreciated the recognition.
Secondly, it is a story about friendships and life and being confused. We follow a quirky group of friends who are set to go to prom and graduate high school in the upcoming weeks, as long as high school isn't blown up first. It is full of the uncertain angst of that stage in life, and coming to terms and realizations. I thought the group was diverse, interesting, and fun. While each had their own personal struggles and 'battle scars,' they felt real and relatable. The author heavily represents mental illness, as characters suffered from eating disorders, anxiety, OCD, alcoholism, etc. This was a really strong aspect throughout the book, which almost became a separate entity and felt like two books happening within one. Overall, this serious aspect was balanced out by some of the more lighthearted and supernatural elements that were happening around it. Yet in no way did it belittle or diminish the gravity of what the characters were going through.
Sometimes you watch TV and wonder how some of these chosen characters can possibly get through the endless barrage of obstacles and challenges that are thrown at them. But this book makes you realize that normal everyday life can be just as hard.
"We're just as screwed up and brave and false and loyal and wrong and right as anyone else."
This was just a cool book. It had a lot of different elements going on, and I quite enjoyed it all.
Firstly, it was a story about the "rest of us," those individuals who weren't the Chosen Ones who fought the battles and saved the day. (In this book the chosen ones are referred to as the indie kids, and had ironically ridiculous names like Satchel and Finn). These are the normal everyday folk who are trying to get through their average lives and hardships, while trying to not get blown up or eaten alive by the undead while the indie kids handle their business. I just loved this. Each chapter would start with a satirical little synopsis of what was going on behind the scenes in the indie world. It poked fun at their drama, and the whole concept reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was welcome and nostalgic. But that was just s small piece of the story. Overall, as a certified average joe, I appreciated the recognition.
Secondly, it is a story about friendships and life and being confused. We follow a quirky group of friends who are set to go to prom and graduate high school in the upcoming weeks, as long as high school isn't blown up first. It is full of the uncertain angst of that stage in life, and coming to terms and realizations. I thought the group was diverse, interesting, and fun. While each had their own personal struggles and 'battle scars,' they felt real and relatable. The author heavily represents mental illness, as characters suffered from eating disorders, anxiety, OCD, alcoholism, etc. This was a really strong aspect throughout the book, which almost became a separate entity and felt like two books happening within one. Overall, this serious aspect was balanced out by some of the more lighthearted and supernatural elements that were happening around it. Yet in no way did it belittle or diminish the gravity of what the characters were going through.
Sometimes you watch TV and wonder how some of these chosen characters can possibly get through the endless barrage of obstacles and challenges that are thrown at them. But this book makes you realize that normal everyday life can be just as hard.
"We're just as screwed up and brave and false and loyal and wrong and right as anyone else."
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
slow-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
2 1/2 stars.
Here's one thing for certain: Patrick Ness is a total Buffy fanboy. Or possibly he hated it, but either way he paid enough attention to seemingly frame an entire book around the concept of "The Chosen One" and - specifically - Xander's quote from season 7:
This is a book about the people in the background. The ones who aren't "indie kids" with names like Satchel and Finn. The ones who do not get chosen, never discover their secret powers, never fall in love with a vampire, and neither save nor destroy the world.
Each chapter opens with a short synopsis on what the "indie kids" are doing. Whether they've opened a supernatural portal, been contacted by immortals, or died. From these small paragraphs emerges a humourous parody of "The Chosen One" genre, before the chapter continues on with the everyday lives, loves, anxieties and mental health of the not chosen.
It's a clever and interesting concept, and yet I was more in love with the idea of it than the actual execution. If I wanted to sum this book up in a single sentence, I would say: Ness wrote a book about the boring, everyday kids and it was... kind of boring and everyday. I wish that wasn't the case, I really do. Especially because I generally love everything Ness writes. But, if I'm being honest, by far the strongest parts of this book were the small paragraphs at the start of each chapter.
Not that the normal kids are without sensationalism - not at all. Their lives are filled with eating disorders, OCD, car crashes, absent parents and unrequited love. But, even though the book is well-written on a technical level, I did not find their stories very compelling, or the characters themselves particularly interesting. Ness has succeeded in writing a book about people who do not stand out at all. I'm already forgetting about them.
I feel like credit should always be given where it's due, though, and I will say that Ness has written a fantastically diverse book, in all senses of "diverse". I applaud him for doing so. And I also applaud him for being one of the few YA authors to write sophisticated fiction that will make teenagers think and take them to places they can't get from the mainstream bestsellers.
I will continue to be excited when I see Ness has an upcoming release, but this one didn't quite do it for me.
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Here's one thing for certain: Patrick Ness is a total Buffy fanboy. Or possibly he hated it, but either way he paid enough attention to seemingly frame an entire book around the concept of "The Chosen One" and - specifically - Xander's quote from season 7:
"They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it."
This is a book about the people in the background. The ones who aren't "indie kids" with names like Satchel and Finn. The ones who do not get chosen, never discover their secret powers, never fall in love with a vampire, and neither save nor destroy the world.
Each chapter opens with a short synopsis on what the "indie kids" are doing. Whether they've opened a supernatural portal, been contacted by immortals, or died. From these small paragraphs emerges a humourous parody of "The Chosen One" genre, before the chapter continues on with the everyday lives, loves, anxieties and mental health of the not chosen.
It's a clever and interesting concept, and yet I was more in love with the idea of it than the actual execution. If I wanted to sum this book up in a single sentence, I would say: Ness wrote a book about the boring, everyday kids and it was... kind of boring and everyday. I wish that wasn't the case, I really do. Especially because I generally love everything Ness writes. But, if I'm being honest, by far the strongest parts of this book were the small paragraphs at the start of each chapter.
Not that the normal kids are without sensationalism - not at all. Their lives are filled with eating disorders, OCD, car crashes, absent parents and unrequited love. But, even though the book is well-written on a technical level, I did not find their stories very compelling, or the characters themselves particularly interesting. Ness has succeeded in writing a book about people who do not stand out at all. I'm already forgetting about them.
I feel like credit should always be given where it's due, though, and I will say that Ness has written a fantastically diverse book, in all senses of "diverse". I applaud him for doing so. And I also applaud him for being one of the few YA authors to write sophisticated fiction that will make teenagers think and take them to places they can't get from the mainstream bestsellers.
I will continue to be excited when I see Ness has an upcoming release, but this one didn't quite do it for me.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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