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minimajjs's review against another edition
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
alongreader's review against another edition
3.0
This is a read of two halves, so I'll review them separately.
The apocalyptic story: Although it's a very plausible apocalypse, I didn't quite follow the way it presented. The CO2 was seeping out all the time, which is why the weather got hotter and birds and small animals died. But at some point, it was going to erupt in a huge wave and kill everyone everywhere all at once, and they could track that right to a specific day? I just didn't follow it, and I know that Libby didn't care much so wasn't reading any research about it but I still think we could have been given a better explanation.
Libby's adventures: It's easy for an introverted character to be swept along by an extrovert, she says from pained experience. And from outside the story we can see things much more clearly than the characters can. I'm torn about whether Libby should have suspected Natasha or not; to me personally she just didn't seem like a nice person, but Libby so badly wanted a connection that I can understand why she ignored all those little things. I can say now that I wouldn't have let anyone push me into the things Natasha pushes Libby into, but if I were in that situation? Hard to say.
Overall it's an intriguing read. I'd have liked to know more about how the world was reacting to the Creep, but as Libby was actively avoiding finding that out it would have been hard for the author to work it in. The romance seemed a little creepy to me if I'm honest, but at least Zoe seemed really nice and friendly. I felt bad for Libby's mother, and loved her stepfather for all the assurances that of course they wouldn't make Libby chose between them and her father's family. Her little half siblings were cute but not in it very much.
I'm glad I read it, and I think other readers will enjoy it, but I won't be racing to reread it.
The apocalyptic story: Although it's a very plausible apocalypse, I didn't quite follow the way it presented. The CO2 was seeping out all the time, which is why the weather got hotter and birds and small animals died. But at some point, it was going to erupt in a huge wave and kill everyone everywhere all at once, and they could track that right to a specific day? I just didn't follow it, and I know that Libby didn't care much so wasn't reading any research about it but I still think we could have been given a better explanation.
Libby's adventures: It's easy for an introverted character to be swept along by an extrovert, she says from pained experience. And from outside the story we can see things much more clearly than the characters can. I'm torn about whether Libby should have suspected Natasha or not; to me personally she just didn't seem like a nice person, but Libby so badly wanted a connection that I can understand why she ignored all those little things. I can say now that I wouldn't have let anyone push me into the things Natasha pushes Libby into, but if I were in that situation? Hard to say.
Overall it's an intriguing read. I'd have liked to know more about how the world was reacting to the Creep, but as Libby was actively avoiding finding that out it would have been hard for the author to work it in. The romance seemed a little creepy to me if I'm honest, but at least Zoe seemed really nice and friendly. I felt bad for Libby's mother, and loved her stepfather for all the assurances that of course they wouldn't make Libby chose between them and her father's family. Her little half siblings were cute but not in it very much.
I'm glad I read it, and I think other readers will enjoy it, but I won't be racing to reread it.
kazza27's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the Write Reads for my invitation to the ultimate blog tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.
Olivia has just found out along with everyone else her life is likely to end in nine months. The air is running out and ‘The Creep’ as it has been named is coming. Olivia is a quiet girl and she is in love with another girl called Zoe and she writes to her but never sends the messages. Then she finds out that her Dad had a brother who has recently died and that she has a cousin Natasha who lives in America.
Natasha is the complete opposite of Olivia and she tries to encourage Olivia to be braver, which she struggles with. Her Mum and Stepfather decide that they should all take a trip to Europe, for what what will probably be their last summer together. Olivia is happy to go along, she then finds out that Natasha is coming to Europe for the summer too. This makes her anxious but feels that she can’t prevent her from coming but what will it mean for her ?
I really enjoyed this story, it was fast paced and kept me interested. I felt sorry for Olivia who not only is anxious and insecure about herself but she is living with the knowledge that her short life could soon be over. Natasha made my heckles go up immediately, I just didn’t trust her and the further the book progresses I knew I was right to have this feeling! I won’t give anymore away but this is a great read. I loved Olivia’s teenage angst and how she grows as a person in an unimaginable situation. There is a lot of secrets and deception and I really enjoyed the travel to Madrid and Paris. A pacey book with a lot to absorb but very entertaining.
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Olivia has just found out along with everyone else her life is likely to end in nine months. The air is running out and ‘The Creep’ as it has been named is coming. Olivia is a quiet girl and she is in love with another girl called Zoe and she writes to her but never sends the messages. Then she finds out that her Dad had a brother who has recently died and that she has a cousin Natasha who lives in America.
Natasha is the complete opposite of Olivia and she tries to encourage Olivia to be braver, which she struggles with. Her Mum and Stepfather decide that they should all take a trip to Europe, for what what will probably be their last summer together. Olivia is happy to go along, she then finds out that Natasha is coming to Europe for the summer too. This makes her anxious but feels that she can’t prevent her from coming but what will it mean for her ?
I really enjoyed this story, it was fast paced and kept me interested. I felt sorry for Olivia who not only is anxious and insecure about herself but she is living with the knowledge that her short life could soon be over. Natasha made my heckles go up immediately, I just didn’t trust her and the further the book progresses I knew I was right to have this feeling! I won’t give anymore away but this is a great read. I loved Olivia’s teenage angst and how she grows as a person in an unimaginable situation. There is a lot of secrets and deception and I really enjoyed the travel to Madrid and Paris. A pacey book with a lot to absorb but very entertaining.
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
bookloversofi's review against another edition
3.0
Super grateful for being part of the blog tour for this title & as always, my opinions are honest and my own.
I ended up enjoying the book, I hoped to enjoy it even a little more, but it was very good, and the author's style resonates a lot with me, even so, it was not entirely what I expected. The plot begins with a certain super catastrophic but at the same time intriguing promise that manages to keep you hooked from the first pages, but then begins to transform into a more than anything contemporary book of self-discovery, which wasn't an impediment to my enjoyment, it was just different and unexpected. I adore the author's style and how she always manages to give us a solid setting and relatable characters. In summary, I found a very interesting book to explore even though it doesn't cover the full experience that I expected, nor does it have a very clear direction.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can find more of my reviews & other fun content on my A Book. A Thought. blog
In this book, we follow Olivia, a highly introverted girl who's trying to live her life as comfortably as possible, until one-day humanity recognizes the damage has done to the earth for thousands of years is irreversible, therefore there are only nine months left till the "end of the world." Due to this tragic news, everyone is driven to start living their lives to the fullest and make the most of the time they have left as much as possible, which becomes a challenge for the shy Olivia who's still not sure how she wants to live her last months. But then almost out of nowhere Natasha, a cousin that Olivia didn't know, appears in her life and this will affect and change Olivia in ways she didn't expect.
This is a very interesting plot to read, as I said before, I was expecting something denser in terms of the end of the world and this apocalyptic thing, you know, but instead, I found a point of view more focused on the contemporary side, and in the consequences or actions that this news has on people and how, above all, it affects the main character Libby (Olivia), who has always lived a little fearful and withdrawn from other people. This approach isn't something negative as such, just something surprising for me, anyway I think it's important to emphasize it in case any of you are interested in reading it and perhaps a contemporary plot isn't what you're really looking for.
I'd already read the author in the past, I read [b: The One Memory of Flora Banks|30849412|The One Memory of Flora Banks|Emily Barr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474490389l/30849412._SY75_.jpg|46768863] and although I know it's an unpopular opinion, I loved it! So I was quite excited to read more about the author and even more to participate in this blog tour, which I don't regret since I think she has a very unique ability to describe settings, to create interesting and relatable characters, such as also to give a unique touch to their stories that make them stand out from others, perhaps exploring issues that aren't touched too much in the genre. This time I really liked the way the author gives personalities to the characters since both Olivia and Natasha and even the secondary characters, have very marked personalities and differ widely from each other, which puts the characters in difficult, uncomfortable, or even new situations, which makes the relationship between them help each of them to grow and develop, especially for Olivia this is an important factor since starting to interact with her cousin starts a strong journey of self-discovery and even acceptance for her.
Although I don't care that the book is more focused on the story of the girls, and the things we would do if we knew that the world was going to end, instead of focusing more on the apocalyptic of the matter, I have to confess I'd have loved to have that point of view too, maybe something more dystopian where people make plans to try to survive or this kind of thing.
In this book, it's rather a collective realization where everyone understands that although it's difficult to assimilate, the reality in which they live is like this, and now they must hurry to do everything they have always wanted to do. There are simply so many points to explore in a plot as such, that I feel that they were somehow left aside to focus on the more contemporary and human aspects. It also gives me the sense that it is poorly resolved as such, especially towards the end it's kind of messy as if the author didn't know well what definition to give it, in any case, I highlight the revelations since they seemed well executed.
In summary, I think that when you give your book such a dark and urgent tone, maybe the focus should be more developed in that area at least for the first part of the book, and then transition to the worldly problems of the characters, even so, This is my opinion and as I always say, you don't have to think the same.
As a contemporary plot, touches on extremely interesting and even important topics, such as revelations about the family, the search for who we are, and what we want to do with our lives. Why is it really worth fighting for? & the value of simply living fully, you know? What would you do if you knew that you only have nine months to live? I think it's an extremely interesting and intriguing question to explore and is asked quite intentionally in this book.
I quite liked the book, I don't think it's a bad read at all, it's not what I expected certainly, even so, it provides very unique moments, great characters and life lessons, as well as reflective moments that explore things in life we can all feel identified with. I recommend it? Of course! but only if you're looking for a solid contemporary book with a plot focused on the existential as such rather than an apocalyptic plot, you know? in that case, it's super easy to read, flows for the most part well as well and the characters are worth it. I'm still interested in continuing to read the works of the author since I really like her writing style.
cerilouisereads's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
sannareads's review against another edition
2.0
This book was neither good or bad according to me. Okay?
Readable? Yes. Would I recommend it? Probably not.
Libby was a good main character BUT a bit too naive and I really didn’t understand her parents. I did like the writing a lot, Barr’s way of writing made the book quick to read and even though I wasn’t a big fan of the plots of the book the writing was captivating.
I must admit that the ending got me a bit confused.
Readable? Yes. Would I recommend it? Probably not.
Libby was a good main character BUT a bit too naive and I really didn’t understand her parents. I did like the writing a lot, Barr’s way of writing made the book quick to read and even though I wasn’t a big fan of the plots of the book the writing was captivating.
I must admit that the ending got me a bit confused.
amy_da1sy's review against another edition
4.0
I was recommended this book by a friend and honestly it’s a very good book I wasn’t expecting it.
alliki's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
1.5