Scan barcode
lnocita's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you, Lauren Oliver for writing a book that does not end predictably, mired in happily ever after. Thank you for writing about deeply flawed characters who are real; who manage to embody some of the toughest lessons of adolescence.
Samantha is one of the "it" girls, royalty of the senior class. Everyone knows someone like her and her friends. It exists in every middle and high school in the country. She is shallow, cavalier, and unimpressed by her life. She goes along with her friends because to do otherwise is unthinkable. Popularity is tenuous. Any unscripted moment could send you careening from the top of the heap in a flash. And if life doesn't always seem fun now, it could always be worse. So she imperiously goes along and joins in with the teasing, taunting, and flaunting without questioning or thinking, anything to maintain the facade. Until one fateful night when her world comes crashing in around her, forcing her examine her life and her behavior.
"It amazes me how easy it is for things to change, how easy it is to start off down the same road you always take and wind up somewhere new. Just one false step, one pause, one detour, and you end up with new friends, or a bad reputation or a boyfriend or a breakup. It's never occurred to me before; I've never been able to see it. And it makes me feel, weirdly, that all of these different possibilities exist at the same time, like each moment we live has a thousand other moments layered underneath it that look different...just one lunch period away from eating alone in the bathroom. I wonder if it's ever really possible to know the truth about someone else, or if the best we can do is stumble into each other, heads down, hoping to avoid collision." p.285
Definitely for mature readers. Probably not for my chat n chew group who seem to mainly consist of sixth graders this year. Very immature sixth graders at that! Will have to pick a new selection for them! Drinking, swearing, sexual references, and drug use. But a very powerful story about identity; who we are and who we could become. A 1,000 butterflies....
Samantha is one of the "it" girls, royalty of the senior class. Everyone knows someone like her and her friends. It exists in every middle and high school in the country. She is shallow, cavalier, and unimpressed by her life. She goes along with her friends because to do otherwise is unthinkable. Popularity is tenuous. Any unscripted moment could send you careening from the top of the heap in a flash. And if life doesn't always seem fun now, it could always be worse. So she imperiously goes along and joins in with the teasing, taunting, and flaunting without questioning or thinking, anything to maintain the facade. Until one fateful night when her world comes crashing in around her, forcing her examine her life and her behavior.
"It amazes me how easy it is for things to change, how easy it is to start off down the same road you always take and wind up somewhere new. Just one false step, one pause, one detour, and you end up with new friends, or a bad reputation or a boyfriend or a breakup. It's never occurred to me before; I've never been able to see it. And it makes me feel, weirdly, that all of these different possibilities exist at the same time, like each moment we live has a thousand other moments layered underneath it that look different...just one lunch period away from eating alone in the bathroom. I wonder if it's ever really possible to know the truth about someone else, or if the best we can do is stumble into each other, heads down, hoping to avoid collision." p.285
Definitely for mature readers. Probably not for my chat n chew group who seem to mainly consist of sixth graders this year. Very immature sixth graders at that! Will have to pick a new selection for them! Drinking, swearing, sexual references, and drug use. But a very powerful story about identity; who we are and who we could become. A 1,000 butterflies....
ifeelokayish's review against another edition
Grew tired of the reoccurring explanations; want to just watch the movie adaptation instead.
ibelieveinmermaids's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
macpau_'s review against another edition
4.0
It's Wonderfully written, very bitter-sweet and romantic, don't let the Young Adult label fool you. This is a terrific read!
lizrdbrth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
andaleeiswriting's review against another edition
4.0
The ONLY reason I have this book 4 stars was because I HATED the ending! But the rest of the book deserves five!!!! It's been a looooong time since I've read a book I didn't want to put down. I loved it. I wish there was more! I didn't want it to end.
aranel52's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book up to the last chapter. The story as a whole was very unique and well written, and it was enjoyable. However, the last chapter was very confusing. Samantha's emotions change completely without warning when she wakes up the 7th time, and we never see why she suddenly has a change of heart. The book also has an unexpected and unexplained ending that could have been avoided by more development on the author's part. Overall though, the book was very interesting and thought provoking.
jaebreezy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jellicalcats's review against another edition
4.0
This really is a beautiful book. It is captivating, but not in the way you expect. Why the 4/5 rating? It was a little predictable. I could easily tell what was going to happen next and how it was going to end. Apart from that it's a great book.
awriterslament's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been on my 'to-read' list for over three years or so. I got the book a little after that, and when I started reading it, I'll be honest: I quickly lost my interest. Everything about the book so far made it unappealing to me. The main character and her best friends are mean, stuck-up and popular. I put the book down, but a few months ago, I came back to it because I had nothing to read, and honestly, I'm glad that I did.
There was some mature content in there, but looking past that, it was a really great book. Lauren Oliver is now on my list of favorite authors, and one of my role models for writing. She writes so beautifully; her words are so simple but poetic, so raw and honest, and she manages to capture the really small details. Samantha Kingston's character changed throughout the whole book into someone I actually liked, so props to the author for that. Oliver is also good with handling romance (although there is a very slight theme in the book, she writes it really well): building it up without the main character's notice, small details leading up to her realization and then the climax.
I'm not going to write a summary of the whole story, but overall, I really did like it! :) I could really relate to most parts.
There was some mature content in there, but looking past that, it was a really great book. Lauren Oliver is now on my list of favorite authors, and one of my role models for writing. She writes so beautifully; her words are so simple but poetic, so raw and honest, and she manages to capture the really small details. Samantha Kingston's character changed throughout the whole book into someone I actually liked, so props to the author for that. Oliver is also good with handling romance (although there is a very slight theme in the book, she writes it really well): building it up without the main character's notice, small details leading up to her realization and then the climax.
I'm not going to write a summary of the whole story, but overall, I really did like it! :) I could really relate to most parts.