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agramugl 's review for:
How to Say Goodbye in Robot
by Natalie Standiford
True story: I actually met Natalie Standiford before buying this book. She came to read at my MFA program, and all she read was the scene where Beatrice and Jonah go to that luncheon for the radio station. That was all it took for me to love this book.
And damn, this book is good.
Like, really good.
Maybe my standards are lower after reading the first two books of the Mortal Instruments series. Maybe I'm just surprised that a non-fantasy/sci-fi/horror turned out to be such a page turner. But damn. This is the best YA novel I've read in awhile.
The plot is pretty basic. Bea is a weird girl. She goes to a new school, and meets and even weirder boy named Jonah. The two form a very passionate friendship over their last year at school. Every night, the two of them listen to a local radio broadcast, where the two go by the aliases of Robot Girl and Ghost Boy.
What makes this book so good is how real it feels. This isn't just some silly YA romance or a dumb little story about the power of friendship. There are good stories that deal with that topic. This is not one of those. While there is tons of cute stuff that happens over the course of this narrative, the simple truth is that this story is really, really, REALLY fucking depressing. It's not depressing in the way you think, though. This isn't some sappy, dumb story with crying scenes straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel (btw, not a Sparks fan). This is the kind of book where you see a bunch of really depressed people being depressed together.
A large complaint with a lot of YA is how they idealize very toxic relationships. Jonah and Bea, despite how cute they can be, have a very toxic relationship. This is clear, but, within the context of the narrative, this isn't glossed over. Jonah can be a jackass to Bea at times, and Bea can't imagine life without him. She misses a lot of opportunities to be happy because she's waiting for Jonah to show her some attention.
However, unlike lesser works like Twilight or Hush, Hush, which presents this as an idealized relationship, this relationship isn't perfect. It really sucks, but that's kind of the point, that even sucky relationships can make people happy. Lonely people can be lonely together. And that's really sweet, in that special way that kills you on the inside.
Now, aside from that, the book flows really well. The writing is superb, in that simple way that relays a ton of personality and warmth in a few words. Or cold. I literally read it in a day. It's a fast read. And light reading, too. Despite how heavy this book is, it feels like light reading. The book's short, but the subject matter's heavy--you get it.
The supporting characters are very memorable, despite having small roles. The real focus is on Bea and Jonah. You expect the characters calling into the radio station to be awesome--and they are--but the other characters are great, too. The parents have a very interesting storyline that hits that weird cord between melancholy and comedy. One thing I'm impressed by are the other students in the school. A lot of stories pull this stupid cliche where the other classmates are a bunch of jerks or superficial, all to highlight how perfect the primary relationship is. But no, again, not the case at all. With one exception, the characters are all very likable and endearing. You just love 'em, for one reason or another. Hell, a couple of them I wanted to give a hug after awhile. (Seriously, Walt is such a fucking awesome guy it's not even funny).
Of course, what holds the story together is Bea. Easily one of the most interesting, well written ladies in a YA book in some time. She's not Katniss or someone like her, who's badass and cool. No, she's just such a fucking dork. She's adorable, precious, but also very sad. She walks that thin line between tragedy and humor, and embodies it. She is a character with her own arc, and you REALLY feel sorry for her when shit hits the fan.
I know I'm saying fuck a lot in this review. But that's the one word hanging in my head after finishing the book. Fuck. Just...fuck...
And damn, this book is good.
Like, really good.
Maybe my standards are lower after reading the first two books of the Mortal Instruments series. Maybe I'm just surprised that a non-fantasy/sci-fi/horror turned out to be such a page turner. But damn. This is the best YA novel I've read in awhile.
The plot is pretty basic. Bea is a weird girl. She goes to a new school, and meets and even weirder boy named Jonah. The two form a very passionate friendship over their last year at school. Every night, the two of them listen to a local radio broadcast, where the two go by the aliases of Robot Girl and Ghost Boy.
What makes this book so good is how real it feels. This isn't just some silly YA romance or a dumb little story about the power of friendship. There are good stories that deal with that topic. This is not one of those. While there is tons of cute stuff that happens over the course of this narrative, the simple truth is that this story is really, really, REALLY fucking depressing. It's not depressing in the way you think, though. This isn't some sappy, dumb story with crying scenes straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel (btw, not a Sparks fan). This is the kind of book where you see a bunch of really depressed people being depressed together.
A large complaint with a lot of YA is how they idealize very toxic relationships. Jonah and Bea, despite how cute they can be, have a very toxic relationship. This is clear, but, within the context of the narrative, this isn't glossed over. Jonah can be a jackass to Bea at times, and Bea can't imagine life without him. She misses a lot of opportunities to be happy because she's waiting for Jonah to show her some attention.
However, unlike lesser works like Twilight or Hush, Hush, which presents this as an idealized relationship, this relationship isn't perfect. It really sucks, but that's kind of the point, that even sucky relationships can make people happy. Lonely people can be lonely together. And that's really sweet, in that special way that kills you on the inside.
Now, aside from that, the book flows really well. The writing is superb, in that simple way that relays a ton of personality and warmth in a few words. Or cold. I literally read it in a day. It's a fast read. And light reading, too. Despite how heavy this book is, it feels like light reading. The book's short, but the subject matter's heavy--you get it.
The supporting characters are very memorable, despite having small roles. The real focus is on Bea and Jonah. You expect the characters calling into the radio station to be awesome--and they are--but the other characters are great, too. The parents have a very interesting storyline that hits that weird cord between melancholy and comedy. One thing I'm impressed by are the other students in the school. A lot of stories pull this stupid cliche where the other classmates are a bunch of jerks or superficial, all to highlight how perfect the primary relationship is. But no, again, not the case at all. With one exception, the characters are all very likable and endearing. You just love 'em, for one reason or another. Hell, a couple of them I wanted to give a hug after awhile. (Seriously, Walt is such a fucking awesome guy it's not even funny).
Of course, what holds the story together is Bea. Easily one of the most interesting, well written ladies in a YA book in some time. She's not Katniss or someone like her, who's badass and cool. No, she's just such a fucking dork. She's adorable, precious, but also very sad. She walks that thin line between tragedy and humor, and embodies it. She is a character with her own arc, and you REALLY feel sorry for her when shit hits the fan.
I know I'm saying fuck a lot in this review. But that's the one word hanging in my head after finishing the book. Fuck. Just...fuck...