Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - The Rest of Us Just Live Here

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The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

48 reviews

lonnahroyale's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-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

4.25

This was fabulous. I could discuss it forever.
So humorous and the characters were so loveable. They have such real flaws and the portrayal of mental illness was terrifying and stunning.

Mel’s eating disorders was taken seriously like it should be. The way it’s written about is scary and frightening and I think it should make you feel that way. EDs are so glamourized but there is NOTHING good or beautiful about them. No one treats eating disorders as deadly as they are, but Ness did. I’m really greatful for that.

His family dynamic was hard to read. It was just so sad cause the parent really were trying, they just also have their own…well, addictions. It’s real though. Everything in this book hurt but also made me hopeful.

Mikey had his flaws but he was struggling and going through a big change in his life all the while blue eyed people and strange and scary things were happening. The dive into Mikey’s self understanding and low self esteem was important. I related to him a lot growing up. This book will be helpful to young people to see that yes, people love you a lot more than you think you deserve to be loved.
And what a fantastic way to portray friendship and arguments friends have and Mikey’s terrible crush on Henna but how they resolved it. I just love the way love was written. It wasn’t happily ever after kind of love. It was real compromised, transformation, and sacrificial love.

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hannalovegood's review against another edition

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4.25

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captainrenjamin's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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conspystery's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.5

Overall, I don’t think I have much to say about this book; I thought the concept of following a group of not-chosen ones through the struggles of their regular lives while earth-shattering apocalyptic events took place around them was adorable, and its execution was great. The main cast of this book had enough depth to carry that idea past novelty and tell a funny yet genuine and sincere story about friendship under difficult circumstances-- be those circumstances in-fighting in a friend group, the changing relationships of people who’ve known each other a long time, graduation and the spreading out of a close group of people across distant lands, or the actual apocalypse. Possibly all at once! Mikey is flawed as any teenager is, with a wry tone throughout the novel that complements his moments of more serious contemplation. I liked how far this book went into dissecting his issues with self-worth; it didn’t shy away from dark themes, and I appreciated the realism of it even amidst the supernatural aspects of the setting. I will say that there were parts of this book that felt a bit juvenile to me-- strange asides in the writing, or scenes that felt contrived-- but this is a YA novel, so it’s to be expected, and it didn’t ruin the book for me at all. This is a story about finding a family versus making peace with the one you have, and also about being true to yourself and the people you surround yourself with; it’s about communication and growth and how complicated friendship can be. It was a solidly good book. I liked it.

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fancyfroggie's review

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challenging emotional 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

i really loved this book. only thing is it deals with mental health very seriously so if you're not in a good place mentally you should not read it, it will not be good for you.

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nannahnannah's review against another edition

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5.0

Ohh, this book hit home on so many levels. I don't think there's a Patrick Ness book I haven't cried while reading yet . . . and to think I thought this was a comedy beforehand! Yeah, it's not a comedy, in case you thought it was. At all.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here takes place in the middle of nowhere, in a place a lot like most small towns, with one restaurant, a high school, lots of trees, etc. But the "indie kids" there (or hipsters as I know them in my own little middle of nowhere) tend to be part of something bigger: what you'd think would be the plotline of the next big-trending fantasy. The main character, Mikey, is definitely not an indie kid, and that big ol' plotline is not for him. Instead, he and his friends are simply inhabitants of the same town those "main characters" live in. And, well, this is their story.

The result is some mixed realistic/coming-of-age and fantasy genre that ends up blending really well, surprisingly.

Patrick Ness really knows how to nail characterization - and show character in a few words. It took to about page 17 for me to fall head over heals for all the main 4 protagonists, and they're all so real it's terrifying. (I mean, maybe it's partly because they're diverse and actually have mental illnesses/struggles with body issues/etc. but I don't need to go into that further.)

The writing is even stronger when it comes to family dynamics. Even the supposedly "bad" parents are more layered and complicated than I thought at first. Right when I make up my mind about someone I'm finding my belief challenged.

I'm a little disappointed at the fatphobia (even if it was just a 1-sentence line - maybe my standards are set a little high for Patrick Ness). It could be the character, not the author, of course! But it's hard to know when that line (in the character's thoughts) aren't challenged at all.

Okay, so I lied when I said I was done talking about the importance of writing diverse characters. Because Mikey's personal story has helped me come to some realizations about myself.

Mikey has OCD and anxiety, and when the anxiety gets worse, so does the OCD. Okay, so there's some novels that have MC's with OCD, but the way Mikey's thoughts and patterns are written is all too relatable. I don't have OCD, but a bfrb (body-focused repetitive behavior), specifically dermatillomania (skin picking disorder). There are passages that I need to stop reading because I'm literally sobbing. The way Mikey can't stop doing something, even when it's causing him pain. It's all written in a way that it's hard not to relate to and feel validated if you struggle with something similar. Mikey eventually

goes to therapy for his problem, and goes on meds. (The conversation with his therapist--the entire thing--is the realest thing I've ever read. The discussion about "if I go on medication, does that mean I've failed?", the talk about being messed up, etc.) So, yeah, I think I need help, too. I'll probably bring this book with me. Moral support, you know.

I was going to talk about something else, too, but that's a bit spoilery for the book and a bit personal for me. So nah, not today.

In the end, the book reached out and pretty much grabbed my heart. It would be difficult for me to give it anything but five stars. (I've also forced it onto friends, so . . . )

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