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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Was a really lovely book to read and covered so many topics in such a nice endearing way.
I enjoyed the style it was written between the 2 pen pals. As if you were reading the letters between them.
However, I just couldn't get round to liking Ollie (hence 3.5 and not 4 stars). God he was such a self centred character that I felt didn't really have any growth. His character couldn't have a really good 180 turn but I felt he basically stayed the same. He got called out for being selfish but he still turned to other people to validate him. Ew no, goodbye.
I enjoyed the style it was written between the 2 pen pals. As if you were reading the letters between them.
However, I just couldn't get round to liking Ollie (hence 3.5 and not 4 stars). God he was such a self centred character that I felt didn't really have any growth. His character couldn't have a really good 180 turn but I felt he basically stayed the same. He got called out for being selfish but he still turned to other people to validate him. Ew no, goodbye.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wish I would have read this book when I was younger, about the age of Ollie and Moritz. I liked this book and it was interesting to see the author's take on the type of person who is secluded from society and has only met a few people. When creating a character like that, you need to think carefully and logically about the words that person would know - would they use slang? Do they use a certain dialect? What accent do they have?
The ending was a great way to end a book like this! To me, it felt like the end of a movie when the credits are rolling and the main character has a heartfelt moment.
The ending was a great way to end a book like this! To me, it felt like the end of a movie when the credits are rolling and the main character has a heartfelt moment.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
A new favorite that has shaken, taken, and stolen my whole heart!! I love both Ollie and Moritz so much, and you can't help but cheer, cry, or feel so damn proud of them for how much they grow over the course of their correspondence. It hits home the sentiment that just because you've never met someone doesn't mean they aren't real, and even if you may be physically isolated or feeling like a ghost in a sea of strangers, you're never as alone as you think or as unworthy of love/understanding/forgiveness as you believe. Even if all another person knows about you is what they've revealed to you, it doesn't mean that everything you've built is fabricated. Your words alone have the power to change lives, as they discover so vividly!
I'm not sure if I should say that this book has been on my TBR list for almost a decade now, but I do feel as if I've been waiting until just the right time in my life to finally pick it up, when it most needed to find me and when I could best appreciate its big-hearted wisdom the most.
I have a vivid memory of being in college and seeing its cover in the shelves of new arrivals of the Barnes & Noble a few minutes off-campus. I remember reading the synopsis and the premise struck me as so unique, I took a picture of the cover and made a note of the title on a phone I barely knew how to use so that I wouldn't forget it again--I never had to look at the note again, because it's been in my mind all this time and I remembered exactly what it looked like, what it was called, and what it was about.
I'm thirty this year, and I can't help but feel grateful that I put off reading this book until now. You know how some people talk about not feeling guilt over your TBR pile or not reading a new addition to your collection immediately, that books are like fine wine for you to open at the right occasion? I don't think I would have been able to truly appreciate "Because You'll Never Meet Me" as a teenager, or even at 22 when it was first published. But now, as a queer person who's forged a bond with someone almost exclusively through text/messaging halfway across the world, and as someone who's dealt with the pain of love, acceptance, sorrow and hardship that can't always be dealt with when there's an ocean between you, this book tugged on my heartstrings in the BEST ways!!
If you're someone (queer or not) who's ever felt the sting of feeling isolated from your peers even when they're right next to you/closed off from the world just because of who you are, then this book will be exactly the dose of serotonin and self-acceptance that you've been needing!
I'm not sure if I should say that this book has been on my TBR list for almost a decade now, but I do feel as if I've been waiting until just the right time in my life to finally pick it up, when it most needed to find me and when I could best appreciate its big-hearted wisdom the most.
I have a vivid memory of being in college and seeing its cover in the shelves of new arrivals of the Barnes & Noble a few minutes off-campus. I remember reading the synopsis and the premise struck me as so unique, I took a picture of the cover and made a note of the title on a phone I barely knew how to use so that I wouldn't forget it again--I never had to look at the note again, because it's been in my mind all this time and I remembered exactly what it looked like, what it was called, and what it was about.
I'm thirty this year, and I can't help but feel grateful that I put off reading this book until now. You know how some people talk about not feeling guilt over your TBR pile or not reading a new addition to your collection immediately, that books are like fine wine for you to open at the right occasion? I don't think I would have been able to truly appreciate "Because You'll Never Meet Me" as a teenager, or even at 22 when it was first published. But now, as a queer person who's forged a bond with someone almost exclusively through text/messaging halfway across the world, and as someone who's dealt with the pain of love, acceptance, sorrow and hardship that can't always be dealt with when there's an ocean between you, this book tugged on my heartstrings in the BEST ways!!
If you're someone (queer or not) who's ever felt the sting of feeling isolated from your peers even when they're right next to you/closed off from the world just because of who you are, then this book will be exactly the dose of serotonin and self-acceptance that you've been needing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Outing, Injury/Injury detail
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I'm glad this was a Morris nominee, because I probably wouldn't have read it, otherwise, and it will be one I'll recommend to certain readers. The letter format and the voice didn't really resonate with me personally, but it's definitely got appeal.
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
honestly loved this book. twas very natural but was confused at the lack of going over the whole "i love you" thing. not because im disappointed that they didn't get together, but because i feel like it either should've been talked about more (cuz thats a huge thing) or not mentioned at all