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A review by leciurro
How to Survive Everything by Ewan Morrison
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Some spoilers included in paragraph 4 of the review (and by that I mean I completely spoil the book):
I love a good "is there or isn't there an apocalypse going on outside of this place I'm technically imprisoned in" story - 10 Cloverfield Lane , for example. How to Survive Everything by Ewan Morrison is one of those stories, and it's good. Morrison's writing style is very engaging, especially with the voice of his main character, Haley. Her first person perspective gives an often humorous take on what is really a horrific situation. These, and many other positive aspects, kept me reading.
Now, some of the negatives that stopped me from enjoying the story. The pacing of the story felt a little weird, almost like it was completely removed from any structured sense of time. With a story like this, where a person is experiencing Stockholm Syndrome and being held against their will, I prefer feeling like I am going through their captivity with them, which was lost as days, weeks, and months blurred together.
I understand that a satirical story creates caricatures out of its characters, but that doesn't mean they should be devoid of any soul or humanity. This may have been done intentionally, as a way to show the narrow focus of teenage girls and their understanding of the world around them, but it was a big swing and a miss for me. What started as humorous quickly became jarring and, some times, monotonous and repetitive.
Now, for the real spoilers.I was disappointed by the choice of conclusion. I would have really enjoyed if the book ended after Haley found out her father really is a manipulative man who truly believes he's doing what's best for his family but was actually just wrong. I would have also really enjoyed if Morrison didn't slip in the oft repeated and tedious take that "technology is ruining our society and tearing families apart." On the one hand, it's annoying. On the other, it felt like Morrison temporarily self-inserted himself into the story so he could share his personal polemic against cell phones, ADHD, and other Gen X woes. It did not sound like something Haley would say, even after months (I think?) of brainwashing.
All this being said, I did still enjoy Ewan Morrison's How to Survive Everything, and believe it will have commercial success.
I love a good "is there or isn't there an apocalypse going on outside of this place I'm technically imprisoned in" story - 10 Cloverfield Lane , for example. How to Survive Everything by Ewan Morrison is one of those stories, and it's good. Morrison's writing style is very engaging, especially with the voice of his main character, Haley. Her first person perspective gives an often humorous take on what is really a horrific situation. These, and many other positive aspects, kept me reading.
Now, some of the negatives that stopped me from enjoying the story. The pacing of the story felt a little weird, almost like it was completely removed from any structured sense of time. With a story like this, where a person is experiencing Stockholm Syndrome and being held against their will, I prefer feeling like I am going through their captivity with them, which was lost as days, weeks, and months blurred together.
I understand that a satirical story creates caricatures out of its characters, but that doesn't mean they should be devoid of any soul or humanity. This may have been done intentionally, as a way to show the narrow focus of teenage girls and their understanding of the world around them, but it was a big swing and a miss for me. What started as humorous quickly became jarring and, some times, monotonous and repetitive.
Now, for the real spoilers.
All this being said, I did still enjoy Ewan Morrison's How to Survive Everything, and believe it will have commercial success.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Body horror, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexual content