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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
I listened to the audiobook, and I was confused most of the time as it changed from the past to the present and I couldn't keep the characters straight. But I was doing other things while listing so it might be all my fault.
As with Hate List, a survivor of a school shooting must reconcile her relationship with the shooter and her near death experience at his hands. The bulk of the story, and the processing of trauma, happens years after high school and as she is preparing to marry the man she's dreamed of having. The perfect life, as defined by what others esteem, is her goal and salvation; as she realizes how much she's shortchanged herself, she can begin to heal.
4.5. i had no idea what i was getting into with this one (the description doesn't help much), but i was completely engrossed. we're clearly meant to hate ani from the outset, and the book slowly reveals (twists galore) why she is the way she is. i didn't even dislike her that much--i LOVE a self-aware narrator, and she doesn't lie to us or sugarcoat, even by omission. the structure - alternating between 2001 and present day - was made more interesting by ani's frequent mentions of the future (in other words, the 2001 stuff was being told from present day, not just switching time periods). i'll be reccommending this.
terrible cover art. someone fix that. from far away it looks like a giant boulder.
terrible cover art. someone fix that. from far away it looks like a giant boulder.
I LOVED this book. It is smart and funny and sad and the heroine is real and believable. Reese Witherspoon is supposedly making this into a movie and I can’t wait.
I don't have to like characters to find the novels worthwhile reads, in this case, I really disliked her and found myself struggling to find anything about this particular novel to make it worth finishing. She is contradictory in that there seems to be some level of self-loathing while she is also extremely self-centered and possibly narcissistic. Her fiancé feels more like her victim than anything else also the fact that she feels like the only really developed character.
Also, while profane subject matter seems to be expected in novels recently, her sexual desires are too far out there for me to be anything but repulsed. I thought that she would probably make a good serial killer, mean I know but it honestly occurred to me. The issues with build and anorexia that seem to crop up also appears to me to be an author throwing everything she can at her novel and hoping it would make her book popular. Not worth trying to finish.
As an afterthought, I want to say that this character was so obsessed with the expensive clothes that she wore and what everyone else was wearing, I understood and appreciated that it was to help give us an understanding of her personality. The method that the author employs just felt like endless bragging and label name dropping, I reached a point where I could not roll my eyes or sigh in exasperation as expressions of my disgust or aggravation instead of building the story it just was off putting and irritating.
Also, while profane subject matter seems to be expected in novels recently, her sexual desires are too far out there for me to be anything but repulsed. I thought that she would probably make a good serial killer, mean I know but it honestly occurred to me. The issues with build and anorexia that seem to crop up also appears to me to be an author throwing everything she can at her novel and hoping it would make her book popular. Not worth trying to finish.
As an afterthought, I want to say that this character was so obsessed with the expensive clothes that she wore and what everyone else was wearing, I understood and appreciated that it was to help give us an understanding of her personality. The method that the author employs just felt like endless bragging and label name dropping, I reached a point where I could not roll my eyes or sigh in exasperation as expressions of my disgust or aggravation instead of building the story it just was off putting and irritating.
I watched the movie first, which is always the wrong way to do it! It was a good book overall, but there were some scenes that felt rushed and not fully thought out.
I read the book then watched the movie, and the book is soooo much better than the movie. The movie did not pick up on so many things and the shock factor in the book was amazing. 4 stars because there was a LOT of fluff, but overall really amazing.
One of the best books I've read this year. I didn't know a lot about it going into reading, and that may have served me well, but the characterization was breathtaking.
There was a lot going on in this book! When I was about halfway through the book, I wasn't sure if I wanted to finish it, but I kept with it and started to understand the main character, Ani's, issues more. She is not a very likable character most of the time so that made it hard to want to follow along with her story. Overall, I ended up liking the book but not loving it. I would give this author another try though.
Well-written, but lots and lots of similes. I found myself becoming distracted by them. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. It has some interesting twists.