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chiara_pio's review against another edition
3.0
loveddd it,
the two boys are so sweet, even though they were capable of much nastier things. my fav idea would be : 'They left us in the toilet. In the deepest pile of shit. And we’re coated in the crappy residue of their decisions. But that does not mean we are the one who pooped, Moritz. And neither are we the poop.
Never think that. We are not the poop.
i think hermitboy should've been trained to use his power, could've lived much ore normally but that's the whole idea anyway. moritz has a superpower like no other and can use it to his advantage in everything and yet its so super that it hurts.
the two boys are so sweet, even though they were capable of much nastier things. my fav idea would be : 'They left us in the toilet. In the deepest pile of shit. And we’re coated in the crappy residue of their decisions. But that does not mean we are the one who pooped, Moritz. And neither are we the poop.
Never think that. We are not the poop.
i think hermitboy should've been trained to use his power, could've lived much ore normally but that's the whole idea anyway. moritz has a superpower like no other and can use it to his advantage in everything and yet its so super that it hurts.
allison_sirovy's review against another edition
5.0
Ollie is a born storyteller, and Mo is a super hero in disguise. Two boys who can never meet captured my heart from the first page. This book will not disappoint although it will break your heart at times - humans can be so cruel.
cmacler's review against another edition
5.0
I made the fatal error of reading the first book without having the sequel on hand. Absolutely loved this story. Two characters fighting against their pasts, families, their worlds, and their own bodies. The two main characters were some of the most real characters I’ve ever read. Absolutely heart breaking and warming at the same time. Definitely one of my new favourites!
meeranair_54's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending a copy of this book for review.
In this epistolary novel, Leah Thomas pens down a friendship so rare; a sense of optimism seldom seen through the characters of Oliver Paulot and Moritz Faber. Each a vital component of this touching narrative, teach us that sometimes youngsters can be a lot more mature than they are given credit for. Oliver is allergic to electricity and has epilepsy. He lives far from civilization, cocooned in a no-electricity zone with his mother. On the other hand, Moritz was born without eyes and uses a pacemaker to stabilize his heart. Through letters, they become the best of friends; becoming a sort of life jacket for each other. Except for one misfortune – neither can meet face to face for that would mean the end of one. Oliver and Moritz have always yearned for a shot at normalcy and to discover their apparently common history. With the help of loved ones, they strive to get there. But sometimes life gets too overwhelming when bullies, loneliness, love and suppression get the best of the two boys. Because You’ll Never Meet Me is not just the sun shining through the storm, it is a flag of strength and endurance.
Its been long since I enjoyed every page of a book from to start to finish. This novel is so captivating with its innocence and beautiful writing that it will for long be a standard of YA epistolary fiction for me. Oliver for most of the book is a very cheerful, buoyant character who urges Moritz to be strong and dauntless. Moritz initially is a very rigid, serious person who doesn’t appreciate Oliver’s forward nature. But slowly as they share their woes with each other and learn to be a “kickstand”, both of them grow to become more satisfied and happy. Dual narration is not an easy writing technique and Leah Thomas has done a commendable job of bringing out the perspectives of two very different individuals in her novel. I absolutely love her writing style, which is very fluid and simple. Not too many complexities and such.
There is also a mysterious air in the novel, as Oliver wishes to know about his father and similarly Moritz about his mother. This suspense, however, does not intervene in the process of creating a very contemporary setting for the novel. Liz, Oliver’s neighbour is a spirited girl who shows Oliver that not everyone sees him as a “freak” and ultimately he starts liking her. But I really didn’t like Liz’s character and many a times, she seemed shallow. Moritz too gets his heart set on someone and I definitely cheered them on. The plot, the characters, the writing all come together to give life to this wonderful story. BYNMM deserves more than a five star rating, it deserves to be read over again – because its just that amazing! Please please give this book a try, you most certainly won’t regret it.
In this epistolary novel, Leah Thomas pens down a friendship so rare; a sense of optimism seldom seen through the characters of Oliver Paulot and Moritz Faber. Each a vital component of this touching narrative, teach us that sometimes youngsters can be a lot more mature than they are given credit for. Oliver is allergic to electricity and has epilepsy. He lives far from civilization, cocooned in a no-electricity zone with his mother. On the other hand, Moritz was born without eyes and uses a pacemaker to stabilize his heart. Through letters, they become the best of friends; becoming a sort of life jacket for each other. Except for one misfortune – neither can meet face to face for that would mean the end of one. Oliver and Moritz have always yearned for a shot at normalcy and to discover their apparently common history. With the help of loved ones, they strive to get there. But sometimes life gets too overwhelming when bullies, loneliness, love and suppression get the best of the two boys. Because You’ll Never Meet Me is not just the sun shining through the storm, it is a flag of strength and endurance.
Its been long since I enjoyed every page of a book from to start to finish. This novel is so captivating with its innocence and beautiful writing that it will for long be a standard of YA epistolary fiction for me. Oliver for most of the book is a very cheerful, buoyant character who urges Moritz to be strong and dauntless. Moritz initially is a very rigid, serious person who doesn’t appreciate Oliver’s forward nature. But slowly as they share their woes with each other and learn to be a “kickstand”, both of them grow to become more satisfied and happy. Dual narration is not an easy writing technique and Leah Thomas has done a commendable job of bringing out the perspectives of two very different individuals in her novel. I absolutely love her writing style, which is very fluid and simple. Not too many complexities and such.
There is also a mysterious air in the novel, as Oliver wishes to know about his father and similarly Moritz about his mother. This suspense, however, does not intervene in the process of creating a very contemporary setting for the novel. Liz, Oliver’s neighbour is a spirited girl who shows Oliver that not everyone sees him as a “freak” and ultimately he starts liking her. But I really didn’t like Liz’s character and many a times, she seemed shallow. Moritz too gets his heart set on someone and I definitely cheered them on. The plot, the characters, the writing all come together to give life to this wonderful story. BYNMM deserves more than a five star rating, it deserves to be read over again – because its just that amazing! Please please give this book a try, you most certainly won’t regret it.
jade_ls_lee's review against another edition
4.0
"The thing about having no eyes is that you can never close them."
"Heh - you're superpowered, I'm powerless."
"Between the two of us, perhaps we can spread the misery a bit thinner."
Lieliska grāmata, kas aizgāja negaidītā virzienā. Apraksts uzdeva toni, ka būs džongrīnīga friendship un viegls YA neparastākā mērcē. Kā tad. Tas viss izvērtās par diezgan spēcīgu (un arī kvalitatīvu) sci-fi, ar šur tur esošu m/m piesitienu, bet galvenā vērtība tomēr paliks cilvēcīgajās attiecībās un draudzības veidošanā. Kā viens otru uztveram, kā iztulkojam viens otram teikto. Pilnīga reālā dzīve pa vidu sci-fi dzīvei.
"Heh - you're superpowered, I'm powerless."
"Between the two of us, perhaps we can spread the misery a bit thinner."
Lieliska grāmata, kas aizgāja negaidītā virzienā. Apraksts uzdeva toni, ka būs džongrīnīga friendship un viegls YA neparastākā mērcē. Kā tad. Tas viss izvērtās par diezgan spēcīgu (un arī kvalitatīvu) sci-fi, ar šur tur esošu m/m piesitienu, bet galvenā vērtība tomēr paliks cilvēcīgajās attiecībās un draudzības veidošanā. Kā viens otru uztveram, kā iztulkojam viens otram teikto. Pilnīga reālā dzīve pa vidu sci-fi dzīvei.
bluebeereads's review
5.0
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
I'm going to start this very long review with a question. Recently I read a book and I was very indifferent about it because it bored me. It was the same thing as all the other works from that author. And in that review I also said I would have liked it better if I hadn't been so spoiled with great contemporary books this year. Now here's the question: why would I read a book that tells the same old story with the same cliche characters when I can read a brilliant book like this?
Because You'll Never Meet Me is the story of two boys who will probably never meet. One of them is Ollie, he lives somewhere in the middle of a forest in Michigan. He's allergic to electricity and he lives his life mostly alone with his mother there in that cabin in the forest. One day he writes a letter to someone his mother and doctor said is very similar to him. That boy is Moritz. He lives in Germany. Moritz was born without eyes. Where we have eyes, eyelids and eyebrows, he has nothing more than skin. He also has a pacemaker. If these two boys were ever to meet, they'd most likely kill each other. But they become friends and a lifeline to each other.
This wonderful story is told in alternating POV's. Told through the letters these two boys send each other. This way of storytelling may not seem very new when I say it like that, but I assure you, this book is very new. I have never read anything like it. I have never read two different POV's, told through letters, with such distinct personalities to them. I didn't need anything telling me which one was writing the letter because I could tell from every first sentence. I knew which chapters were from Ollie and which ones were from Moritz. That, I'm sure you know, is not an easy thing to accomplish. Needless to say, the writing is nothing short of perfect.
I have never felt so much while reading a book. And I have read plenty of books that gave me all the feels. But this one raised it to another level. One page I was laughing, the next I was crying. I have never updated my status on Goodreads as much as I did in the first half of this book. I couldn't in the second half because I was speechless. I didn't know what to say other than "the feels!". I was already gushing about this book when I was only 10% in. I knew then that this book would be excellent.
Before I tell you about these two wonderful characters, I want to make sure that you know this is not another 5-star rating to me. This book is a True Five Star Book. I rate with my feels. I always have and I probably always will. But if I were to use the Rating Report and rate each category there is to a book separately, this book right here would still come out as a 5-star book. It's perfect on every level.
I do feel like this won't be for everyone. It doesn't have all the unnecessary angst and drama you see so much off in books these days. It's very quiet and some may think of it as boring. Though I don't know how. I'd ask those people if they were reading the same book because I was not bored for a second while reading this. I was glued to the pages and had to rip myself apart from them forcefully to go to sleep at 3.30am. It was that good. And that's all because of these two characters.
I can find myself in each of these boys. They're both very much unique but also kind of the same. I fell in love with both of them instantly. Ollie at first seems like a ray of sunshine. Positive, upbeat and constantly babbling. But the more we read, the deeper we get to know him. And I felt so much for Ollie. I loved his bond with his mother and with Liz. Though I did not like her sometimes. Then we have Moritz, who's very reserved and doesn't really trust anyone. I can't blame him after reading all of his story, which unfolds throughout the book like Ollie's does. I felt his struggle and I wanted very much to hug him silly. Both of them for that matter. Also, though Mo may not have eyes, he can see. He kind of sees like Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender. With his ears and sonic waves and stuff. Like Daredevil. It's the coolest thing.
I think it speaks for itself by this point that the friendship between these two is nothing short of brilliant. The bromance, seriously. It's off to a rough start but I love how their bond grew and how they became each other's lifelines. After a while I even shipped these two, though I know that may never happen. One can dream, right? Also, some may find some things about the ending a bit far-fetched, or it ruins the rest of the story, but I didn't. Because it was explained very well and told in a way that made it very realistic to me. The author herself describes this book as speculative fiction, though I'm not completely sure what that is exactly, haha. I really liked it though. Don't go into this expecting a normal contemporary.
If you are a fan of contemporary, this one has to be on top of your TBR. If you aren't, this book should still be on top of your TBR. I recommend this to everyone and I hope all of you will love it as much as I did. Because, and listen to me closely when I say this because I have never said this before in my life about any book, Because You'll Never Meet Me is without a doubt, the best book I have read in my whole life.
This review is also (or -soon- will be) posted on Istyria book blog.
I'm going to start this very long review with a question. Recently I read a book and I was very indifferent about it because it bored me. It was the same thing as all the other works from that author. And in that review I also said I would have liked it better if I hadn't been so spoiled with great contemporary books this year. Now here's the question: why would I read a book that tells the same old story with the same cliche characters when I can read a brilliant book like this?
Because You'll Never Meet Me is the story of two boys who will probably never meet. One of them is Ollie, he lives somewhere in the middle of a forest in Michigan. He's allergic to electricity and he lives his life mostly alone with his mother there in that cabin in the forest. One day he writes a letter to someone his mother and doctor said is very similar to him. That boy is Moritz. He lives in Germany. Moritz was born without eyes. Where we have eyes, eyelids and eyebrows, he has nothing more than skin. He also has a pacemaker. If these two boys were ever to meet, they'd most likely kill each other. But they become friends and a lifeline to each other.
This wonderful story is told in alternating POV's. Told through the letters these two boys send each other. This way of storytelling may not seem very new when I say it like that, but I assure you, this book is very new. I have never read anything like it. I have never read two different POV's, told through letters, with such distinct personalities to them. I didn't need anything telling me which one was writing the letter because I could tell from every first sentence. I knew which chapters were from Ollie and which ones were from Moritz. That, I'm sure you know, is not an easy thing to accomplish. Needless to say, the writing is nothing short of perfect.
I have never felt so much while reading a book. And I have read plenty of books that gave me all the feels. But this one raised it to another level. One page I was laughing, the next I was crying. I have never updated my status on Goodreads as much as I did in the first half of this book. I couldn't in the second half because I was speechless. I didn't know what to say other than "the feels!". I was already gushing about this book when I was only 10% in. I knew then that this book would be excellent.
Before I tell you about these two wonderful characters, I want to make sure that you know this is not another 5-star rating to me. This book is a True Five Star Book. I rate with my feels. I always have and I probably always will. But if I were to use the Rating Report and rate each category there is to a book separately, this book right here would still come out as a 5-star book. It's perfect on every level.
I do feel like this won't be for everyone. It doesn't have all the unnecessary angst and drama you see so much off in books these days. It's very quiet and some may think of it as boring. Though I don't know how. I'd ask those people if they were reading the same book because I was not bored for a second while reading this. I was glued to the pages and had to rip myself apart from them forcefully to go to sleep at 3.30am. It was that good. And that's all because of these two characters.
I can find myself in each of these boys. They're both very much unique but also kind of the same. I fell in love with both of them instantly. Ollie at first seems like a ray of sunshine. Positive, upbeat and constantly babbling. But the more we read, the deeper we get to know him. And I felt so much for Ollie. I loved his bond with his mother and with Liz. Though I did not like her sometimes. Then we have Moritz, who's very reserved and doesn't really trust anyone. I can't blame him after reading all of his story, which unfolds throughout the book like Ollie's does. I felt his struggle and I wanted very much to hug him silly. Both of them for that matter. Also, though Mo may not have eyes, he can see. He kind of sees like Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender. With his ears and sonic waves and stuff. Like Daredevil. It's the coolest thing.
I think it speaks for itself by this point that the friendship between these two is nothing short of brilliant. The bromance, seriously. It's off to a rough start but I love how their bond grew and how they became each other's lifelines. After a while I even shipped these two, though I know that may never happen. One can dream, right? Also, some may find some things about the ending a bit far-fetched, or it ruins the rest of the story, but I didn't. Because it was explained very well and told in a way that made it very realistic to me. The author herself describes this book as speculative fiction, though I'm not completely sure what that is exactly, haha. I really liked it though. Don't go into this expecting a normal contemporary.
If you are a fan of contemporary, this one has to be on top of your TBR. If you aren't, this book should still be on top of your TBR. I recommend this to everyone and I hope all of you will love it as much as I did. Because, and listen to me closely when I say this because I have never said this before in my life about any book, Because You'll Never Meet Me is without a doubt, the best book I have read in my whole life.
This review is also (or -soon- will be) posted on Istyria book blog.
bibisuzanne's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.75
inquiring_minds_saugerties's review against another edition
5.0
If it seems unrealistic, that's because it is. But it's also... awesome. This was the type of book which had sadness that was difficult to differentiate from my own. Though not one of my favorites, I can point out next to no flaws with this book. Every other line is quotable, and even that which isn't quite realistic is given the exact explanation it deserves. Okay, maybe it could be a *little* bit more realistic, but all in all, Because You'll Never Meet me was a great book. A lovely experience through and through, and will have a special place in my heart as well as on my shelf.
-Matt
-Matt
kim_j_dare's review
2.0
An interesting concept, and I tried to feel a connection to Ollie or Moritz and to suspend my disbelief over the way their friendship developed through their letters-- but I just couldn't do it.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the digital ARC.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the digital ARC.