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A review by kim_j_dare
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
5.0
I loved this so much.
First Unstoppable Praying Mantis Soldiers from [a:Andrew Smith|26810|Andrew Smith|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]; now zombie deer from Patrick Ness.
Actually, the zombie-ish creatures-- deer and otherwise-- don't play a big role in the story. At the beginning of each chapter, Ness gives us very brief brushstrokes of a plot involving the Immortals coming through a portal and attacking all the indie kids-- the cool kids, the ones who usually feature in zombie and vampire stories-- in an effort to take over the world. After he gently pokes fun at these more typical tropes, he turns our attention to the ignored "average" kids for the main story. And as we meet siblings Mikey and Mel, and their friends Henna and Jared, and see the things they're up against as they try to survive the last few weeks of high school, we realize that they are anything but "average."
Jared tries to explain it to narrator Mikey like this:
"Not everyone has to be the Chosen One. Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world. Most people just have to live their lives the best they can, doing the things that are great for them, having great friends, trying to make their lives better, loving people properly. All the while knowing that the world makes no sense but trying to find a way to be happy anyway."
A lovely, humorous page-turner about all those kids who AREN'T the Chosen Ones-- but who are pretty amazing when you get to know them.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the digital ARC.
First Unstoppable Praying Mantis Soldiers from [a:Andrew Smith|26810|Andrew Smith|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]; now zombie deer from Patrick Ness.
Actually, the zombie-ish creatures-- deer and otherwise-- don't play a big role in the story. At the beginning of each chapter, Ness gives us very brief brushstrokes of a plot involving the Immortals coming through a portal and attacking all the indie kids-- the cool kids, the ones who usually feature in zombie and vampire stories-- in an effort to take over the world. After he gently pokes fun at these more typical tropes, he turns our attention to the ignored "average" kids for the main story. And as we meet siblings Mikey and Mel, and their friends Henna and Jared, and see the things they're up against as they try to survive the last few weeks of high school, we realize that they are anything but "average."
Jared tries to explain it to narrator Mikey like this:
"Not everyone has to be the Chosen One. Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world. Most people just have to live their lives the best they can, doing the things that are great for them, having great friends, trying to make their lives better, loving people properly. All the while knowing that the world makes no sense but trying to find a way to be happy anyway."
A lovely, humorous page-turner about all those kids who AREN'T the Chosen Ones-- but who are pretty amazing when you get to know them.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the digital ARC.