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purplee_rain89's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
It was so beautifully written and you could totally immense yourself in the story, almost feeling like you're the one living through it. The topics it talks about are difficult but important nonetheless and it's done in a way that portrays the seriousness of mental illness and suicide/suicidal ideation really well but even despite this, the end of the book leaves you with some sort of hope that healing is possible and you can in fact find your own way. It was heart wrenching and devastating but has its own beauty after all and I'll definitely read it again.
Sending lots of love to anyone struggling right now, you matter and you're so so strong. You will find your way through this eventually; I believe in you, truly <3
Sending lots of love to anyone struggling right now, you matter and you're so so strong. You will find your way through this eventually; I believe in you, truly <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Bullying, and Car accident
Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Abandonment, Self harm, Addiction, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
paigestilwill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
While I enjoyed the world building in this story (the characters are assigned a school project that takes them on adventures to unique places in their home state), the love story didn’t build tension as much I tend to prefer. I found it a bit predictable, though the reveal at the end was still emotional and raw nonetheless. This is not a read for anyone who is triggered by suicide or suicidal thoughts, but I thought the book did a good job showing a wholistic view of someone with bipolar disorder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Suicide, and Self harm
Minor: Homophobia
azallys's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
sma_olivia'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Physical abuse
Minor: Eating disorder
parasihir's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book eats me up from the inside. Reading Theodore's point of view can kill me. Poor my baby blue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Grief, Self harm, Physical abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Vomit
sophienocturne's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
If you enjoyed 13 Reasons Why, The Fault In Our Stars and Paper Towns then you'll love this book. Unfortunately I did not, so to me it's just another YA book that romanticises suicide and has pretentious main characters that quote dead poets at each other. I found it very depressing and I'm not sure what the point of it all was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, and Physical abuse
Minor: Eating disorder
bookw0rmj1nx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
such an incredible, tragically beautiful book.
i wish we got to know more about violet’s magazine but I can see why it was left the way it was.
i wish we got to know more about violet’s magazine but I can see why it was left the way it was.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
whatbidoureads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
(TW: heavy topics are brought up in this review, if you are triggered by mental illnesses, please skip this review and have a great day!)
I bought this book when it first came out and left it on the shelf because the main topic is one that hits close to home.
Then a movie came out (because every best seller needs a movie am I right…) and I watched it. I know you’ll say you should read the book first blablabla and most times I agree with you. But this time I don’t.
The movie I watched, even “enjoyed” to some extent.
BUT THE BOOK.
I usually put a book down when I don’t like it but I finished this one just to write a review. Bare with me as I try to word it out in a clear nice way.
As someone who has an understanding, and first hand experience of the main topics in this book I would never recommend it to someone. I’d go as far as to say it can cause so much harm if I’m the wrong hands (aka someone dealing with S.A and mental illnesses).
I understand this book was written by a survivor of suicide through the loss of a friend and it almost feels like an autobiography dedicated to the love Jennifer had for her friend, and I can get behind that. (note: everyone’s grieving process is different, and I am in no way undermining her grief, or the process she has gone through)
But the take she has on mental illness, and teenagers is appalling.
The book starts nice and gentle with 2 teens connecting under the circumstances of Violet - popular girl- dealing with the loss of her sister in a car accident, and Finch - outcast- dealing with bullying and depression (to make it short). The beginning is sweet as he kind of forces his way into her life and picks her up off the ground to “live again” after her sisters death. But on the other side you have his story. A glorified anti-hero who is at first portrayed as this cool, misunderstood, handsome so called “freak” with personal struggles, who towards the end is portrayed as someone who was trying to get better, and wanted to live. As a survivor myself, I can tell you I didn’t see it. (And I’m one to annotate and highlight my books).
At no point was there any indication of character growth towards that, or any indication of help he could have gotten from others. So on one hand you have Violet, main character, good growth, she eventually grieves all her losses (without any counseling, help group, friend or family’s help but finch - like what), and Finch who was left for dead from the beginning of the book.
There’s a few topics that annoyed me in this book as well, and that in my eyes are cannot be overlooked as they are everywhere in the book.
- Talk of mental illnesses in the sense that some characters are simply restricted to their illness (such asself-harm, eating disorders, depression), and Finch is basically a glorified suicide victim,
-slut shaming,
- body shaming,
- Speech about the girls in the book (they are looked down upon),
- the lack of adult/parental figure. In fact there was literally NO ONE helping Finch to get better. His mother too worried about her own personal struggles, the COUNCELOR too busy explaining that if a student dies on school grounds he will get a lawsuit, his dad with a new family, his so called friends who randomly pop into the story, and the help group with literally one session and no follow ups on that lead in the story.
Overall, this book is very disappointing and if you skip it, you won’t miss anything unfortunately..
I bought this book when it first came out and left it on the shelf because the main topic is one that hits close to home.
Then a movie came out (because every best seller needs a movie am I right…) and I watched it. I know you’ll say you should read the book first blablabla and most times I agree with you. But this time I don’t.
The movie I watched, even “enjoyed” to some extent.
BUT THE BOOK.
I usually put a book down when I don’t like it but I finished this one just to write a review. Bare with me as I try to word it out in a clear nice way.
As someone who has an understanding, and first hand experience of the main topics in this book I would never recommend it to someone. I’d go as far as to say it can cause so much harm if I’m the wrong hands (aka someone dealing with S.A and mental illnesses).
I understand this book was written by a survivor of suicide through the loss of a friend and it almost feels like an autobiography dedicated to the love Jennifer had for her friend, and I can get behind that. (note: everyone’s grieving process is different, and I am in no way undermining her grief, or the process she has gone through)
But the take she has on mental illness, and teenagers is appalling.
At no point was there any indication of character growth towards that, or any indication of help he could have gotten from others. So on one hand you have Violet, main character, good growth, she eventually grieves all her losses (without any counseling, help group, friend or family’s help but finch - like what), and Finch who was left for dead from the beginning of the book.
There’s a few topics that annoyed me in this book as well, and that in my eyes are cannot be overlooked as they are everywhere in the book.
- Talk of mental illnesses in the sense that some characters are simply restricted to their illness (such as
-
- body shaming,
- Speech about the girls in the book (they are looked down upon),
- the lack of adult/parental figure. In fact there was literally NO ONE helping Finch to get better.
Overall, this book is very disappointing and if you skip it, you won’t miss anything unfortunately..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Bullying, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Abandonment, Body shaming, Car accident, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Mental illness
dyagan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, and Self harm
Minor: Eating disorder
megan_wy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Heard a lot of good things about this book, however, I personally don’t feel like it lived up to the potential. I just don’t feel like the whole start of this book in the bell tower is realistic, nor is it cute. Also, Violet’s character endured SO MUCH from start to end and I don’t think the character development and grief from her perspective was fully realistic. As someone who struggles with my own mental health, it was slightly difficult to read things on Finch’s end. In his mind, death was fascinating and a way to be free, and people that really are struggling are hard to be saved. Even though he was loved and experienced happiness with Violet, he couldn’t be saved from his own internal demons. These parts were depressing to read through, but felt more vulnerable and more intricate than other aspects of this book. I was just never fully pulled into this book though. The whole “wandering” and “UltraViolet Remarkey-able” was overdone and too cliché for my liking. I think Violet’s character was written to suffer and be an emotional piece. She has been through more at 17 than some people will go through for their entire life. We needed more realism, grief, and deeper emotions and looks into her mind. I guess I was just expecting more! And just a general warning, this book has many many many casual references to suicide that can be triggering or difficult for some readers to get through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Car accident and Violence