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A review by bluebeereads
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
5.0
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
I'm going to start this very long review with a question. Recently I read a book and I was very indifferent about it because it bored me. It was the same thing as all the other works from that author. And in that review I also said I would have liked it better if I hadn't been so spoiled with great contemporary books this year. Now here's the question: why would I read a book that tells the same old story with the same cliche characters when I can read a brilliant book like this?
Because You'll Never Meet Me is the story of two boys who will probably never meet. One of them is Ollie, he lives somewhere in the middle of a forest in Michigan. He's allergic to electricity and he lives his life mostly alone with his mother there in that cabin in the forest. One day he writes a letter to someone his mother and doctor said is very similar to him. That boy is Moritz. He lives in Germany. Moritz was born without eyes. Where we have eyes, eyelids and eyebrows, he has nothing more than skin. He also has a pacemaker. If these two boys were ever to meet, they'd most likely kill each other. But they become friends and a lifeline to each other.
This wonderful story is told in alternating POV's. Told through the letters these two boys send each other. This way of storytelling may not seem very new when I say it like that, but I assure you, this book is very new. I have never read anything like it. I have never read two different POV's, told through letters, with such distinct personalities to them. I didn't need anything telling me which one was writing the letter because I could tell from every first sentence. I knew which chapters were from Ollie and which ones were from Moritz. That, I'm sure you know, is not an easy thing to accomplish. Needless to say, the writing is nothing short of perfect.
I have never felt so much while reading a book. And I have read plenty of books that gave me all the feels. But this one raised it to another level. One page I was laughing, the next I was crying. I have never updated my status on Goodreads as much as I did in the first half of this book. I couldn't in the second half because I was speechless. I didn't know what to say other than "the feels!". I was already gushing about this book when I was only 10% in. I knew then that this book would be excellent.
Before I tell you about these two wonderful characters, I want to make sure that you know this is not another 5-star rating to me. This book is a True Five Star Book. I rate with my feels. I always have and I probably always will. But if I were to use the Rating Report and rate each category there is to a book separately, this book right here would still come out as a 5-star book. It's perfect on every level.
I do feel like this won't be for everyone. It doesn't have all the unnecessary angst and drama you see so much off in books these days. It's very quiet and some may think of it as boring. Though I don't know how. I'd ask those people if they were reading the same book because I was not bored for a second while reading this. I was glued to the pages and had to rip myself apart from them forcefully to go to sleep at 3.30am. It was that good. And that's all because of these two characters.
I can find myself in each of these boys. They're both very much unique but also kind of the same. I fell in love with both of them instantly. Ollie at first seems like a ray of sunshine. Positive, upbeat and constantly babbling. But the more we read, the deeper we get to know him. And I felt so much for Ollie. I loved his bond with his mother and with Liz. Though I did not like her sometimes. Then we have Moritz, who's very reserved and doesn't really trust anyone. I can't blame him after reading all of his story, which unfolds throughout the book like Ollie's does. I felt his struggle and I wanted very much to hug him silly. Both of them for that matter. Also, though Mo may not have eyes, he can see. He kind of sees like Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender. With his ears and sonic waves and stuff. Like Daredevil. It's the coolest thing.
I think it speaks for itself by this point that the friendship between these two is nothing short of brilliant. The bromance, seriously. It's off to a rough start but I love how their bond grew and how they became each other's lifelines. After a while I even shipped these two, though I know that may never happen. One can dream, right? Also, some may find some things about the ending a bit far-fetched, or it ruins the rest of the story, but I didn't. Because it was explained very well and told in a way that made it very realistic to me. The author herself describes this book as speculative fiction, though I'm not completely sure what that is exactly, haha. I really liked it though. Don't go into this expecting a normal contemporary.
If you are a fan of contemporary, this one has to be on top of your TBR. If you aren't, this book should still be on top of your TBR. I recommend this to everyone and I hope all of you will love it as much as I did. Because, and listen to me closely when I say this because I have never said this before in my life about any book, Because You'll Never Meet Me is without a doubt, the best book I have read in my whole life.
This review is also (or -soon- will be) posted on Istyria book blog.
I'm going to start this very long review with a question. Recently I read a book and I was very indifferent about it because it bored me. It was the same thing as all the other works from that author. And in that review I also said I would have liked it better if I hadn't been so spoiled with great contemporary books this year. Now here's the question: why would I read a book that tells the same old story with the same cliche characters when I can read a brilliant book like this?
Because You'll Never Meet Me is the story of two boys who will probably never meet. One of them is Ollie, he lives somewhere in the middle of a forest in Michigan. He's allergic to electricity and he lives his life mostly alone with his mother there in that cabin in the forest. One day he writes a letter to someone his mother and doctor said is very similar to him. That boy is Moritz. He lives in Germany. Moritz was born without eyes. Where we have eyes, eyelids and eyebrows, he has nothing more than skin. He also has a pacemaker. If these two boys were ever to meet, they'd most likely kill each other. But they become friends and a lifeline to each other.
This wonderful story is told in alternating POV's. Told through the letters these two boys send each other. This way of storytelling may not seem very new when I say it like that, but I assure you, this book is very new. I have never read anything like it. I have never read two different POV's, told through letters, with such distinct personalities to them. I didn't need anything telling me which one was writing the letter because I could tell from every first sentence. I knew which chapters were from Ollie and which ones were from Moritz. That, I'm sure you know, is not an easy thing to accomplish. Needless to say, the writing is nothing short of perfect.
I have never felt so much while reading a book. And I have read plenty of books that gave me all the feels. But this one raised it to another level. One page I was laughing, the next I was crying. I have never updated my status on Goodreads as much as I did in the first half of this book. I couldn't in the second half because I was speechless. I didn't know what to say other than "the feels!". I was already gushing about this book when I was only 10% in. I knew then that this book would be excellent.
Before I tell you about these two wonderful characters, I want to make sure that you know this is not another 5-star rating to me. This book is a True Five Star Book. I rate with my feels. I always have and I probably always will. But if I were to use the Rating Report and rate each category there is to a book separately, this book right here would still come out as a 5-star book. It's perfect on every level.
I do feel like this won't be for everyone. It doesn't have all the unnecessary angst and drama you see so much off in books these days. It's very quiet and some may think of it as boring. Though I don't know how. I'd ask those people if they were reading the same book because I was not bored for a second while reading this. I was glued to the pages and had to rip myself apart from them forcefully to go to sleep at 3.30am. It was that good. And that's all because of these two characters.
I can find myself in each of these boys. They're both very much unique but also kind of the same. I fell in love with both of them instantly. Ollie at first seems like a ray of sunshine. Positive, upbeat and constantly babbling. But the more we read, the deeper we get to know him. And I felt so much for Ollie. I loved his bond with his mother and with Liz. Though I did not like her sometimes. Then we have Moritz, who's very reserved and doesn't really trust anyone. I can't blame him after reading all of his story, which unfolds throughout the book like Ollie's does. I felt his struggle and I wanted very much to hug him silly. Both of them for that matter. Also, though Mo may not have eyes, he can see. He kind of sees like Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender. With his ears and sonic waves and stuff. Like Daredevil. It's the coolest thing.
I think it speaks for itself by this point that the friendship between these two is nothing short of brilliant. The bromance, seriously. It's off to a rough start but I love how their bond grew and how they became each other's lifelines. After a while I even shipped these two, though I know that may never happen. One can dream, right? Also, some may find some things about the ending a bit far-fetched, or it ruins the rest of the story, but I didn't. Because it was explained very well and told in a way that made it very realistic to me. The author herself describes this book as speculative fiction, though I'm not completely sure what that is exactly, haha. I really liked it though. Don't go into this expecting a normal contemporary.
If you are a fan of contemporary, this one has to be on top of your TBR. If you aren't, this book should still be on top of your TBR. I recommend this to everyone and I hope all of you will love it as much as I did. Because, and listen to me closely when I say this because I have never said this before in my life about any book, Because You'll Never Meet Me is without a doubt, the best book I have read in my whole life.
This review is also (or -soon- will be) posted on Istyria book blog.