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agenericmirkwoodelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
3.5
3.5, but I’ll round up to 4!
I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did! It’s so different from what I usually decide to pick up. Perhaps I should stray out of my comfort zone more often, because I have definitely encountered some gems on the world of contemporary this year!
Let’s start with what I enjoyed:
- The concept. Depth and feeling is ingrained in the very nature of what this book is about. It makes for an interesting read- heavy themes paired with a writing styles typically used for lighthearted stories! I think that’s part of what makes it such an effective experience. I was leery of the simple prose at first, but truthfully, that was key to humanizing it!
I here someone compare it to the writing style of a journal, and I think that works well. Throughout the story, photography is used to capture the little moments. And, at its core, isn’t that what a journal does too?
I also thought the pacing was well done! It was slow and a bit meandering, but still perpetually moving. The way it was broken up really helped this effect as well! There was some semblance of a climax, but it really wasn’t what the story was building to. In fact, it was more akin to a high-action moment of setup. In the topic of setup, this story excels in that area! The inevitability of the outcome really drags readers through. We’re kept on our toes because we have no idea ho it’s going to come about. It’s the same tactic used by non-linear stories, such as Vicious, condensed beautifully!
It was very much an exploration of fate.
The ending didn’t hit me as hard as it might have, and I think that’s because the acceptance of it happening was the journey that the characters went on. And the journey that I, as a reader, went on with them. By the time they had learned t accept it, so had I.
So, why not 5 stars?
As much as I thought the writing was effective, I would have liked a little bit more in terms of scene description. It was someone’s hard to picture the environment the characters were in, which made it a little bit difficult to connect to the message of living life to the fullest in this world.
But yeah! I’m glad I read this book!
I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did! It’s so different from what I usually decide to pick up. Perhaps I should stray out of my comfort zone more often, because I have definitely encountered some gems on the world of contemporary this year!
Let’s start with what I enjoyed:
- The concept. Depth and feeling is ingrained in the very nature of what this book is about. It makes for an interesting read- heavy themes paired with a writing styles typically used for lighthearted stories! I think that’s part of what makes it such an effective experience. I was leery of the simple prose at first, but truthfully, that was key to humanizing it!
I here someone compare it to the writing style of a journal, and I think that works well. Throughout the story, photography is used to capture the little moments. And, at its core, isn’t that what a journal does too?
I also thought the pacing was well done! It was slow and a bit meandering, but still perpetually moving. The way it was broken up really helped this effect as well! There was some semblance of a climax, but it really wasn’t what the story was building to. In fact, it was more akin to a high-action moment of setup. In the topic of setup, this story excels in that area! The inevitability of the outcome really drags readers through. We’re kept on our toes because we have no idea ho it’s going to come about. It’s the same tactic used by non-linear stories, such as Vicious, condensed beautifully!
It was very much an exploration of fate.
The ending didn’t hit me as hard as it might have, and I think that’s because the acceptance of it happening was the journey that the characters went on. And the journey that I, as a reader, went on with them. By the time they had learned t accept it, so had I.
So, why not 5 stars?
As much as I thought the writing was effective, I would have liked a little bit more in terms of scene description. It was someone’s hard to picture the environment the characters were in, which made it a little bit difficult to connect to the message of living life to the fullest in this world.
But yeah! I’m glad I read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
whatsmyuser's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
2.75
The ending is good, intense in comparison but still not brilliant. Nah their relationship would’ve lasted a long time. Maybe a lifetime. The settings apart from in bed and foster home were really boring. Okay train and the make a memory place were cool. There were a lot of places!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide and Gun violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
glitzi0's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
my whole way throughout this book was such a fun journey . I loved how it was written and the plot itself but I lost a lot of my love for it with the ending .
the fact mateo dies due to the stove after he's previously mentioned felt flat to me . I loved the use of everything that was previously mentioned beforehand , but the fact that out of the two *he* was the one to die because of it didn't feel right .
overall I loved the characters we got to meet and the plot overall , it just fell flat with very certain but limited points .
overall I loved the characters we got to meet and the plot overall , it just fell flat with very certain but limited points .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gun violence and Cursing
kim_lommaert's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Gun violence
awalt2790's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Good and heartfelt but ended abruptly
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Violence, Bullying, Death, Suicide, Car accident, Grief, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
mesta's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, and Terminal illness
mabelb's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Grief, Death, and Gun violence
kingangie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Car accident, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Suicide attempt
gzaborski's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.0
Really cute book with adorable and likable characters- felt a bit long but thats kind of the point I suppose. The narrative switching between the two main characters took some getting used to and might have to contributed to the book feeling longer than it was/ needed to be. Conclusion felt a bit rushed after such a slow burn of a story, but overall enjoyable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Child death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Terminal illness
micaelamariem's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
Wonderful book, characters, worldbuilding! Would’ve just loved more in general
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Bullying, Car accident, Grief, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Gun violence