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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Ahh, this book was weird-- a super interesting and unique plot. Sometimes the books that are mainly realistic fiction but with that ONE THING that makes them super unbelievable kind of annoy me. Like I can either go into a book expecting a world completely unlike this one, or I can expect a world that is entirely realistic. So when it's 90% real and 10% science fiction, I can push back a little bit.
But I really jived with this book-- I laughed out loud many times, which is something I rarely do when reading. (Or at least, I don't do it enough notice.) I thought the characters' voices were extremely distinct, and even as Ollie and Moritz developed and grew, their voices still remained uniquely theirs. I loved the secondary characters and the world that Thomas built for the reader; she has really lovely prose and I can't wait to read more of her work.
At this point there's nothing really that I found lacking in this book; it was a really great read that I devoured in a day! (Which begs the question: should I be doing something more productive?)
I'm not happy that I read this book-- I'm happy because I read this book. Wow, mushy. But reading this book did really make me hopeful, and those are the endings I like the best. I've said this in a recent review, but I hate the "everything's fine now!! hahaha yayyy!" endings because it makes it seem like everything is always, or will always end up being, fine and wrapped up nicely. The way this book ended was a really smart move, in my opinion. :)
But I really jived with this book-- I laughed out loud many times, which is something I rarely do when reading. (Or at least, I don't do it enough notice.) I thought the characters' voices were extremely distinct, and even as Ollie and Moritz developed and grew, their voices still remained uniquely theirs. I loved the secondary characters and the world that Thomas built for the reader; she has really lovely prose and I can't wait to read more of her work.
At this point there's nothing really that I found lacking in this book; it was a really great read that I devoured in a day! (Which begs the question: should I be doing something more productive?)
I'm not happy that I read this book-- I'm happy because I read this book. Wow, mushy. But reading this book did really make me hopeful, and those are the endings I like the best. I've said this in a recent review, but I hate the "everything's fine now!! hahaha yayyy!" endings because it makes it seem like everything is always, or will always end up being, fine and wrapped up nicely. The way this book ended was a really smart move, in my opinion. :)
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
(4.2.) this book did a 360 on my ass and punched me in the face. it was so good and one of the best books ive read in the letter format. the characters were amazing and the twists really hit ya. phenomenal read.
The end of this book has left me with so many feels. I don't know whether to laugh or cry! Full review to come...
Updated 1/31/16
Because You'll Never Meet Me was one of my most anticipated reads of 2015, and after finally getting the chance to read it, I understand that it was worth the wait.
The story basically follows these two characters, Ollie and Moritz. Both are suffering from stage diseases. Ollie gets seizures whenever he goes near electricity, so he lives in a cabin in the woods with his mom and never sees outside civilization. Moritz, on the other hand, has no eyes and also has a somewhat mechanical heart. However, he can pretty much sense things around him, so it's like he can see without actually seeing, which is pretty awesome. The two of them can never meet, because Ollie would have seizures upon meeting Moritz. Yet, they still worked so hard to encourage each other to be happier in their lives.
I felt so deeply for both of these characters. Ollie was so sweet and lighthearted, though he changed so much after some of the changes in his life, especially involving his mom and Liz. Meanwhile, Moritz was living with someone who adopted him, and he didn't like to talk about his mom or laboratories. I just felt so connected to the characters and everything that happened to them throughout the story. I was rooting for the both of them to have their happy endings.
Another thing worth noting is that the story is told through letters between the two, which made for a very fascinating read. The two took turns writing to each other, and the reader got to read those letters. The two also had very different and distinct voices, so I was never once questioning whose story I was actually reading in the chapters. Also, there are LGBT elements, so yay! I really love how those elements shined through, because you don't really get them until the end, but the feelings were so sweet.
The beginning of the story felt very much like a contemporary, though towards the end, I got very hardcore sci-fi vibes, so I'd say that this is a good mix of the two. I also got some Frankenstein vibes, though I don't exactly know why! All I can say is that Because You'll Never Meet Me is a book that you won't want to miss out on.
Updated 1/31/16
Because You'll Never Meet Me was one of my most anticipated reads of 2015, and after finally getting the chance to read it, I understand that it was worth the wait.
The story basically follows these two characters, Ollie and Moritz. Both are suffering from stage diseases. Ollie gets seizures whenever he goes near electricity, so he lives in a cabin in the woods with his mom and never sees outside civilization. Moritz, on the other hand, has no eyes and also has a somewhat mechanical heart. However, he can pretty much sense things around him, so it's like he can see without actually seeing, which is pretty awesome. The two of them can never meet, because Ollie would have seizures upon meeting Moritz. Yet, they still worked so hard to encourage each other to be happier in their lives.
I felt so deeply for both of these characters. Ollie was so sweet and lighthearted, though he changed so much after some of the changes in his life, especially involving his mom and Liz. Meanwhile, Moritz was living with someone who adopted him, and he didn't like to talk about his mom or laboratories. I just felt so connected to the characters and everything that happened to them throughout the story. I was rooting for the both of them to have their happy endings.
Another thing worth noting is that the story is told through letters between the two, which made for a very fascinating read. The two took turns writing to each other, and the reader got to read those letters. The two also had very different and distinct voices, so I was never once questioning whose story I was actually reading in the chapters. Also, there are LGBT elements, so yay! I really love how those elements shined through, because you don't really get them until the end, but the feelings were so sweet.
The beginning of the story felt very much like a contemporary, though towards the end, I got very hardcore sci-fi vibes, so I'd say that this is a good mix of the two. I also got some Frankenstein vibes, though I don't exactly know why! All I can say is that Because You'll Never Meet Me is a book that you won't want to miss out on.
It was just quite slow paced and the plot felt ridiculous to me with too many gaps.
Because You'll Never Meet Me tells us the story of two boys who, you guessed it right, will probably never meet. On one hand, we have Ollie, who lives in a cabin in the middle of a forest. The reason behind is the fact that he is allergic to electricity making it impossible for him to survive in a modern day city or town or even in a village. He lives there with his mother, tucked away from everyone and everything. On the other hand, we have Moritz, a boy born without eyes and a pacemaker in his heart. Ollie and Moritz write letters to each other, thanks to Ollie’s doctor who told him about Moritz. Knowing that they will never meet, not only because of their physical distance but also because of the fact that Moritz’s pacemaker could potentially cause Ollie to have seizure, they tell each other anything and everything. This is a story of their beautiful friendship.
The book is written in epistolary format – the letters of the boys make up for the individual chapters. I find that I thoroughly enjoy reading this format of literature. The format also gives us the opportunity to hear from both the point of views of Ollie and Moritz. As a result it is a beautiful experience to read this book. The author has kept general flow of the story going in a perfect pace that tells us enough about the boys yet the pace doesn’t feel dragging at any point. Ollie and Moritz are two different characters who are similar in some manner yet very different from each other on the whole. The author has done a fantastic job of giving individual voices to them. It was inspiring to see the ‘voice’ change so drastically every time the chapter changed. To top it off, the character growth and development over the book is so well handled that it happens subtly yet is very much visible. And yes, for those who are always looking for more, there is an underlying mystery that connects them both. What more can you ask for?
I seriously cannot believe that this is the author’s debut novel. It is so awesome! I hope that there is another book down the line that will tell us about the two boys later in their lives.
This engaging novel leaves you wanting for more…
The book is written in epistolary format – the letters of the boys make up for the individual chapters. I find that I thoroughly enjoy reading this format of literature. The format also gives us the opportunity to hear from both the point of views of Ollie and Moritz. As a result it is a beautiful experience to read this book. The author has kept general flow of the story going in a perfect pace that tells us enough about the boys yet the pace doesn’t feel dragging at any point. Ollie and Moritz are two different characters who are similar in some manner yet very different from each other on the whole. The author has done a fantastic job of giving individual voices to them. It was inspiring to see the ‘voice’ change so drastically every time the chapter changed. To top it off, the character growth and development over the book is so well handled that it happens subtly yet is very much visible. And yes, for those who are always looking for more, there is an underlying mystery that connects them both. What more can you ask for?
I seriously cannot believe that this is the author’s debut novel. It is so awesome! I hope that there is another book down the line that will tell us about the two boys later in their lives.
This engaging novel leaves you wanting for more…
I'd give this book a 4.75 if that was an option. It was an extremely enjoyable mix of realistic and science fiction. It's hard to explain.
But the end left me literally screaming noooooooooo!!!
But the end left me literally screaming noooooooooo!!!
This was a delightful, feel good buddy book. What a fascinating premise. I loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone but especially younger boys.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abandonment
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Vomit
Originally posted here
Because You’ll Never Meet Me is the story of friendship. Two boys, Ollie and Moritz, who live on completely opposite sides of the world (Upper Michigan and Germany) who both have something in common: they both were born with defects that have made them hermits of society. While Ollie is forced to live in the middle of nowhere because he can’t be near electricity; Moritz is fine to live in the middle of the city, however, he wears goggles due to having no eyes and has a pacemaker.
Which means the two of them will never meet.
Due to this fact, the two open up and tell each other things, that they would have never felt comfortable telling anyone else. The two of them also learn things about not only each other, but their selves, far more than they could have expected to. As someone who reads, a lot, I was pleasantly surprised by how much this novel shocked me. I found Thomas’ writing style to be solid and to involve twists and turns that I was not aware of happening.
Of course looking back, they were obvious and I should have seen them coming, but I was so caught up in the letters that these two boys were writing that I couldn’t help but be caught up in their story. They’re two boys who have very messed up and fucked up lives. But what was constant was each other and their parents. Their parents loved them fierily and did everything they could to protect their parents, even if that wasn’t always enough.
Both boys are not perfect. They fuck up. They yell at each other. They yell at their parents. They yell at their friends. All because they don’t feel like they fit in. They aren’t comfortable in their own bodies and then when they are, they’ve alienated everyone. I found this to be a universal story. I’m not allergic to electricity, but I know what it’s like not to feel comfortable in my own body. I know what it’s like to alienate my friends, because I’m trying to protect them, but I end up hurting them instead.
While I rated this book three stars, it is not a bad three stars! It is a solid three stars and illustrates that while I enjoyed this book I have little to no interest in re-reading it.
Because You’ll Never Meet Me is the story of friendship. Two boys, Ollie and Moritz, who live on completely opposite sides of the world (Upper Michigan and Germany) who both have something in common: they both were born with defects that have made them hermits of society. While Ollie is forced to live in the middle of nowhere because he can’t be near electricity; Moritz is fine to live in the middle of the city, however, he wears goggles due to having no eyes and has a pacemaker.
Which means the two of them will never meet.
Due to this fact, the two open up and tell each other things, that they would have never felt comfortable telling anyone else. The two of them also learn things about not only each other, but their selves, far more than they could have expected to. As someone who reads, a lot, I was pleasantly surprised by how much this novel shocked me. I found Thomas’ writing style to be solid and to involve twists and turns that I was not aware of happening.
Of course looking back, they were obvious and I should have seen them coming, but I was so caught up in the letters that these two boys were writing that I couldn’t help but be caught up in their story. They’re two boys who have very messed up and fucked up lives. But what was constant was each other and their parents. Their parents loved them fierily and did everything they could to protect their parents, even if that wasn’t always enough.
Both boys are not perfect. They fuck up. They yell at each other. They yell at their parents. They yell at their friends. All because they don’t feel like they fit in. They aren’t comfortable in their own bodies and then when they are, they’ve alienated everyone. I found this to be a universal story. I’m not allergic to electricity, but I know what it’s like not to feel comfortable in my own body. I know what it’s like to alienate my friends, because I’m trying to protect them, but I end up hurting them instead.
While I rated this book three stars, it is not a bad three stars! It is a solid three stars and illustrates that while I enjoyed this book I have little to no interest in re-reading it.