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A review by pikasqueaks
Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
4.0
What I liked the most about this book was how all Alex's relationships were explored so much more deeply than other, similar titles. That's what really makes this stand out from the others, I think. The need in Alex to find a place within all of her friends, within her family, and within the memory of her mother is understandable. You don't just have a lump of characters and see how they relate to her, you see how they don't relate to her. That makes her relationship with Cole all the more powerful.
The only character I didn't feel like we got to know well enough was Cole. Obviously even Alex didn't get to understand Cole enough until the end, which is fitting. But in the beginning of their relationship, all those conversations they have where they "talk about everything," we should have seen more of that. We should have seen more of the beginning, more of the build-up, more of Cole in general. The story wasn't necessarily about him, I get that, but it would have helped.
We did see too much of the "joking" between Bethany and Zack and Alex, though. After the first ten chapters, I was mildly irritated with how Zack didn't seem to have much of a personality, outside of being a walking "pervy punchline." It took until much further in the book to really get to know him, and I feel like that was too bad. I'd like to have seen more about Bethany's environmentalist nature, too.
As for the relationship itself, if you see where Alex feels like she doesn't belong, it's so much more clear why everything happens with Cole. You may think, "she's far too forgiving,” particularly if you’ve never been there. You might not understand, but if you pay attention, the answers are very much all there.
The only character I didn't feel like we got to know well enough was Cole. Obviously even Alex didn't get to understand Cole enough until the end, which is fitting. But in the beginning of their relationship, all those conversations they have where they "talk about everything," we should have seen more of that. We should have seen more of the beginning, more of the build-up, more of Cole in general. The story wasn't necessarily about him, I get that, but it would have helped.
We did see too much of the "joking" between Bethany and Zack and Alex, though. After the first ten chapters, I was mildly irritated with how Zack didn't seem to have much of a personality, outside of being a walking "pervy punchline." It took until much further in the book to really get to know him, and I feel like that was too bad. I'd like to have seen more about Bethany's environmentalist nature, too.
As for the relationship itself, if you see where Alex feels like she doesn't belong, it's so much more clear why everything happens with Cole. You may think, "she's far too forgiving,” particularly if you’ve never been there. You might not understand, but if you pay attention, the answers are very much all there.