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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Pretty sure I finished this book within 24 hours. It was a quick and easy read, but so emotionally engrossing! The two boys' letters to each other were so heartfelt and told such a great story of otherness and what makes a hero vs. a villain or just an only. I'm going to be thinking about the themes of good intentions, of hope, of cruel reality and working to go beyond, and many more of the truly moving, unique themes that were explore in these pages. Thought provoking and funny and sad all at once.
It's so fucking good. I read this for the first time FOUR YEARS AGO and I still think it's one of the most heartwarming stories I've ever read.
This book was a bit slow to get into for me, but once I was about half through, the story took a turn that I wasn't expecting and I was hooked. Two boys with special disabilities are set up as pen pals by their parents and what starts as a cute back and forth between an optimistic boy who is allergic to electricity and a grumpy kid who is "blind" turns into a story of hope and friendship that transcends, with a fun plot twist.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Because You'll Never Meet Me is one of the most unique and unexpected reads of the year for me. I was drawn in straight away by the premise - two young protagonists with disabilities who seem so very different to each other, but turn out to have a number of similarities. They are both isolated in different ways; Ollie physically, and Moritz mentally through bullying and lack of acceptance.
The entire book is in letter format as the boys become pen pals, and the author executes this brilliantly. They both have such strong voices which come through very clearly and as we progress through the story the change in their emotions and maturity is evident. It did take me a little while to warm to them both, however. They seemed a little flat, and Moritz almost caricature-like to begin with, but as they get to know each other we get to know them and all their many complexities. Definitely worth sticking with them, even if you don't find the boys that likeable in the beginning.
One of the most surprising things about this story is the direction that it took. It is genre-bending, and the book I thought I was reading at the start, is not the one I was reading by the end. What starts off simply as contemporary fiction, adds in elements of sci-fi in quite an unexpected way! This took me completely by surprise, but was great fun, and the core of the story is the boys and their relationships, a theme that carries through from start to finish.
Recommended for those looking for something original and different from YA contemporary fiction, with the happy bonus of both disabled and queer core characters. Because You'll Never Meet Me works very well as a standalone, but I personally am very happy there is a sequel, and look forward to spending more time with Ollie and Moritz!
Because You'll Never Meet Me is one of the most unique and unexpected reads of the year for me. I was drawn in straight away by the premise - two young protagonists with disabilities who seem so very different to each other, but turn out to have a number of similarities. They are both isolated in different ways; Ollie physically, and Moritz mentally through bullying and lack of acceptance.
The entire book is in letter format as the boys become pen pals, and the author executes this brilliantly. They both have such strong voices which come through very clearly and as we progress through the story the change in their emotions and maturity is evident. It did take me a little while to warm to them both, however. They seemed a little flat, and Moritz almost caricature-like to begin with, but as they get to know each other we get to know them and all their many complexities. Definitely worth sticking with them, even if you don't find the boys that likeable in the beginning.
One of the most surprising things about this story is the direction that it took. It is genre-bending, and the book I thought I was reading at the start, is not the one I was reading by the end. What starts off simply as contemporary fiction, adds in elements of sci-fi in quite an unexpected way! This took me completely by surprise, but was great fun, and the core of the story is the boys and their relationships, a theme that carries through from start to finish.
Recommended for those looking for something original and different from YA contemporary fiction, with the happy bonus of both disabled and queer core characters. Because You'll Never Meet Me works very well as a standalone, but I personally am very happy there is a sequel, and look forward to spending more time with Ollie and Moritz!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
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
Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.
An intriguing premise and I really enjoyed it at the start but then it started to drag so I started to scan instead of read. The letters are really engaging but just not enough to hold my attention.
An intriguing premise and I really enjoyed it at the start but then it started to drag so I started to scan instead of read. The letters are really engaging but just not enough to hold my attention.
A common complaint that I've read about this book is the inability to connect with the characters. I would absolutely agree. Both characters are boring. Sometimes the author seemed like she was trying too hard to explain that they are "hermits" (i.e., when Ollie doesn't know what an arcade is....) and Moritz's voice is incredibly inauthentic. I wanted to like it- the plot seemed interesting- but I just didn't.