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A review by watsoncrenshaw
We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
2.0
The concept of this book was spectacular (especially because it somewhat mirrored the current state of our world right now pertaining to the coronavirus) but the actual execution fell short. The characters were beyond dislikable, and each was stereotypical and unreal. The smart girl with strict parents wants to become a singer, the popular athlete boy wants the unpopular girl, etc. I could not help myself from rolling my eyes whenever they spoke. I felt like I was trapped in a cheesy Netflix series (you know the ones).
I really felt like this would be a book that would deliver a big punch and a deeper meaning, but this never happened for me. Maybe my expectations were too high from the cover and reading other reviews before starting it, but the book fell flat when it came to real issues and topics. Additionally, the coverage of POC, LGBTQ+, and women was underwhelming and added nothing new to the conversation (I actually feel like I didn't add anything at all). The second I put the book down, nothing stuck with me and I was never left thinking about it or its characters.
However, on the positive side, Wallach did an amazing job of representing the world in which something like this (or *cough cough* Covid-19) actually happens. Right now in March 2020 we can see grocery stores are becoming empty and people are fighting over what would usually be considered everyday items (toilet paper). We saw this same scenario accurately play out in this novel. Although the characters felt fake and unreal, the world around them was spookily accurate.
For me, the book was not the most enjoyable read for due to the nature of its dislikable characters and its lack of any real meaningful themes. However, I think for an audience who enjoys end of the world stories or is just looking for a quick read, it just might work.
I really felt like this would be a book that would deliver a big punch and a deeper meaning, but this never happened for me. Maybe my expectations were too high from the cover and reading other reviews before starting it, but the book fell flat when it came to real issues and topics. Additionally, the coverage of POC, LGBTQ+, and women was underwhelming and added nothing new to the conversation (I actually feel like I didn't add anything at all). The second I put the book down, nothing stuck with me and I was never left thinking about it or its characters.
However, on the positive side, Wallach did an amazing job of representing the world in which something like this (or *cough cough* Covid-19) actually happens. Right now in March 2020 we can see grocery stores are becoming empty and people are fighting over what would usually be considered everyday items (toilet paper). We saw this same scenario accurately play out in this novel. Although the characters felt fake and unreal, the world around them was spookily accurate.
For me, the book was not the most enjoyable read for due to the nature of its dislikable characters and its lack of any real meaningful themes. However, I think for an audience who enjoys end of the world stories or is just looking for a quick read, it just might work.