Tag: book review

Book Review: The Perfect Girl – Gilly Macmillan

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To the rest of the world Zoe is perfect, a model daughter and musical genius on Piano, but Zoe has a secret. She’s not as perfect as she may seem because Zoe was responsible for the deaths of three other teenagers. While she’s tried her best to leave it all behind that past has a way of catching up to you, after her recital is interrupted the truth comes spilling out, 12 hours later her mother is dead. I received a copy of The Perfect Girl in return for an honest review from the publishers at Little Brown Books.

I love a good Thriller, but after the hype surrounding Gone Girl and my later disappointment I’m always a little sceptical  picking one up that’s been recommended. I’m pleased to let you know that this is not one of those times. The Perfect Girl deserves every bit of praise it gets. While I have seen mixed reviews it was thoroughly enjoyable to read and had some definite twists and turns within the plot. It also looks at the life and pressures of being someone so young and yet so talented, something I haven’t seen in this genre and adds the realism it needs to be believable.

The novel has multiple narrators Zoe, her Aunt and her Lawyer. As the novel opens Zoe is preparing for another performance with her step-brother. This performance, however, is disrupted and the perfect illusion that Zoe and her mother created is quickly put under the spotlight. While they have spent months rebuilding their lives and now her mother is happily remarried and Zoe dotes on her baby sister, Grace. Will Zoe’s second chance family be able to survive the truth coming out? Or will the curse of the perfect girl strike again? At first the blurb leaves you questioning why you would need another narrator, Zoe’s Aunt and Lawyer give different insights into how the story unfolds, adding more to the plot.

The novel does have elements of being incredibly creepy, which are needed and the further in you get the darker the plot becomes. This really stepped up the plot at a time where it could have otherwise slipped because the plot wasn’t without any potential holes, however Macmillan makes sure these are covered by the end of the novel, while also ending up giving the reader a few surprises along the way. Without spoiling the plot I will say that the plot is enriched by multiple subplots, that said there is one that I felt was stopped rather abruptly and could have been left out but was a nice additional nonetheless.

I ended up giving the novel 4 stars. It was the first thriller I’ve really enjoyed in a long time, one that I couldn’t put down for too long because it was always on my mind, I always had questions about it. There were a few issues I had, for example, I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending of the novel and certain decisions that are made by certain characters, but I have read a lot, lot worse. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that is worth picking up if you like a solid thriller.

Book Review: Others Of My Kind – James Sallis

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Jenny Rowan has spent years re-building her life. After being kidnapped at the age of eight by a paedophile and kept under his bed for two years, she finally managed to break free and ends up living in her local mall. It takes 18 months for the urban legend of ‘mall girl’ to be found and placed in the state care system after she can’t even remember her real name. We meet Jenny yeas later after she’s built herself a life and career, but her past starts catching up with her.

Although I fell in love with Sallis’s style and generally the way he writes I didn’t really understand the meaning of the novella. It was as if there were so many avenues that Sallis could have taken and so many unanswered questions remained at the end. The story moves quite quickly and you can generally assume that this is building up to a key part of the story. It wasn’t until after I finished I realised that there isn’t a  huge moment in this novel, instead, the plot actually seems to reflect the personality of the protagonist.

I found the character of Jenny to be sweet but I don’t feel like I really knew her throughout the novel. The changes were almost too quick and despite knowing her back story the reader doesn’t have a relationship with her. The novel doesn’t focus on Jenny’s past, which although others say is one of the perks, I found quite disappointing. I also didn’t understand the relationship between Jenny and Jack, it didn’t really make sense to me and perhaps that is due to the lack of context. They just seemed to be thrown together and get on instantly, it didn’t seem real or likely. As did Jenny’s relationship with Cheryl, while it highlighted Jenny’s open and caring nature, this also seemed rushed, perhaps because this is a novella. That said Jenny’s empathy for the squatters was what, for me, showed her as the ‘good person’ she is described as on the back of the book.

Overall I enjoyed the short story and it was interesting but it could have done with more suspense or general push behind it. I’m going to give this 3 stars ***, I did enjoy it but I found it difficult to follow. For example, Sallis also brings in some sort of political agenda, one which I struggled to understand. While it relates to Jenny’s past I wish it had added more suspense rather than just being there as an issue and a link. This would definitely have made a much better full length novel in my opinion.

Book Review: On The Other Side – Carrie Hope Fletcher

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“No, I won’t be hopeless. I am full of hope. I’m a HopeFUL. – Evie Snow”

Evie is 82 years old, so when she finds herself at a former home and is 27 again she’s more than a little surprised. The truth is that Evie has passed away in her sleep and she is in ‘heaven’s waiting room’, because her soul is restless, Evie has to make her peace the three ways before she can enter heaven. Evie soon knows what she has to do and that to do so she’s going to need the help of some of the people she loves most.

I’ve been a follower of Carrie’s youtube channel for quite a while now and also bought her first book All I Know Now, although I gave this to my sister as I felt a little old for it. So, knowing that this was going to be her first novel I was excited when I picked it up in my local Waterstones. I’m not usually someone who buys novels that mention love stories on the back BUT I was intrigued by what this novel would be like. I was definitely impressed, the novel made me think it would be quite fluffy but it wasn’t it dealt with heartbreak, expectation and doing what is right.

I loved the idea of her ‘own private heaven’, I’m very sceptical of books about heaven, because I don’t believe that it’s this one huge place, it just wouldn’t work. Carrie, however, has really thought this out. Her character goes back to the time that she was truly happy, her own personal heaven, which may surprise people in regards to who is there and who is not. She’s also taken care of the problem of ‘automatic heaven’, at one point in the novel we see what can happen when a person’s soul is restless and doesn’t deal with what it left behind. It also has a message for all of us, to try and make peace with the things we know are wrong in our lives.

I definitely had mixed feelings about the love in the plot line – but I think that’s personal preference. This is a love story, but it’s also much more than just a romantic love. I completely understand why the character did what she did BUT at one point I just wanted to shout no! That said, it was right for the ending of the novel, even if it did cause a bit of heartache for the reader. I would have liked to have known more about Evie’s life with her children and brother but can understand why they were pushed aside slightly in the novel, simply because of the main point of the plot.

The novel very much has Carrie’s voice to it. I could almost hear her reading it to me, it has her bubbly tone and optimistic outlook on life. There are also some parts (not character related) that seemed to have a Disney quality to them, such as the way that Evie has to settle her problems, this magical element just adds to the story. One thing to be mindful of this that the writing can come across a little young, although I wouldn’t say this was a bad thing. This is Carrie’s first novel and so I feel that she’s trying to determine her writing style, it’s still fab but I feel like it’s worth mentioning because for a first novel this is pretty incredible.

I gave this 4 stars! I really liked this novel and it pleasantly surprised me. I was slightly nervous when picking it up but it really is a charming novel that is well thought out and easy to fall in love with. I’ll definitely be picking up any of Carrie’s future novels because she clearly has a talent for writing as well as her many others!

 

 

 

Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl- Jesse Andrews

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“If after reading this book you come to my home and brutally murder me, I do not blame you.”

Greg tells us from the beginning that he has no friends, apart from Earl who’s the closest thing he has to a friend because they make movies together. He’s happy to be on his own, being a loner at school will get him through high school almost unnoticed. Well, that is until his mother asks him to comfort a childhood friend who has cancer, how can he say no to a person with cancer?  After Rachel stops her treatment for Leukemia, Greg decides to make a film for her and this is that story.

There was a lot of hype around this novel, especially when it was announced that it would be turned into a film. As always I wanted to read the book before seeing the film and now I don’t think I’ll be watching the film at all as this novel really isn’t what I thought it would be.

There is a time for self deprecating humour, but throughout a whole novel is not the place for it. I understand that it is part of that character and how he perceives himself and the world but the character of Greg drove me insane throughout the whole novel. It felt as if Andrews wanted us to hate the book, it got old pretty fast.

The novel just didn’t sit well with me, while at times it was honest I couldn’t get on with the narrative style, that doesn’t mean it was a bad book, just not to my taste. I think one of the things I struggled with was that I don’t think Rachel was fleshed out as well as she could have been and Earl was very stereotypical.

Overall I really didn’t like this book, there were points the felt kind of sweet but this was quickly taken away. I just felt that I couldn’t connect with Greg at all and if I’m honest he just annoyed me. This made me really sad as I’d heard so much hype about how funny and charming it was but I honestly didn’t find like that at all. With that in mind I gave it a 2 star review BUT I do think this would work a lot better as a film just because of the way in which it is written.

So, should I watch the film? Did you like the novel? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: The Baby Laundry for Unmarried Mothers – Angela Patrick with Lynne Barrett-Lee

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I became interesting in this subject after watching a TV show called Lost Families on UK’s ITV 1,  a show trying to reunite families with their loved ones, often due to a child being adopted. As I watched again and again, the same story was repeatedly coming up. A young woman getting pregnant between the 1930’s to the 1970’s (ish) and being sent away in shame and disgrace or removing themselves to mother and baby homes, run by Nuns to give birth alone, spend mere weeks with their children (who were desperately loved by their mothers in the majority of cases) and being put up for adoption often leading to years of guilt and heavy secrets for the mother.  I was walking around my local library and I saw this blurb…

‘I’d been denied saying goodbye to my baby,

denied that last chance to stroke his cheek and feel his fingers grip mine,

to kiss his tiny mouth in loving farewell’

That alone is heart wrenching. The year is 1963 and a young nineteen year old girl is forced to wear a fake wedding ring, to go alone to a convent run by so called ‘women of God’ (which made me seriously consider why people don’t think religion is about power), to endure a horrendous labour with no comfort and no idea of what was going on, then to fall in love with her perfect little boy Paul only to have to give him away and why? To avoid stigma and ultimately to make sure she did not disgrace her family in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Although Angela forgave her mother and step father (after the death of her own beloved father) her story made me feel uneasy.

However it haunts me that throughout in all aspects of things going wrong or Angela feeling pain, she repeatedly asks God if he has forgiven her yet, desperately praying for her personal hell to be over, for her sins to be forgiven. To me, this in itself is pretty alarming here is this young intelligent woman, with a job in London and what seems to be a loving family (even though some love cannot be expressed) who does what she needs to do in societies eyes but ultimately pays the price her entire life because of wondering what God would think? It just proves that too me religion is so dangerous and don’t even get me started on these lovely nuns! Sister Act they were not, women were forced to work in heavy labour jobs until the day they went into labour, not laughing, no smiling, insulting these vulnerable women, leaving the babies all night long with no feeding and no changing, no holding the babies and god forbid you give your own child a kiss goodbye!  Even after leaving the nuns behind, Angela is terrified and heartbroken after leaving her son , she is later sure that being unable to conceive is God still punishing her for having sex before marriage!

Angela does move on, although never forgetting Paul, happily marrying and having a ‘miracle baby’, her daughter Katherine. Although the joy that pours from these pages when Paul finally gets hold of his mother is euphoric, it really makes you ecstatic even though you know it will happen! This story has made me realise the true bond of mother and child. I do not have children myself, although I desperately wish to have them in the future, it seems strange to think that within the next ten years if I am lucky I will have my own child.

It’s so clear that Angela truly loved this tiny baby boy the agony she must of had to endure hearing him crying and not being able to say goodbye.  It is both sad and beautiful, we know from the blurb  that Angela will find Paul again, for the reunion she dreamt of for thirty years, but in the thick of it you forget that, you feel her pain. This is a valid part of history that cannot be forgotten we must learn as a younger generation from these poor women and children’s stories and make sure that it never happens again.

 

This book is truly unique, heart breaking and inspiring❤

 

I give it 5 stars.

Review originally posted in 2012.

 

Book Review: Boys Don’t Cry – Malorie Blackman

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On A Level results day the doorbell rings, it’s not the postman with your results but your ex-girlfriend with a baby. She pops out to get supplies and calls to say the child’s yours, and she’s not coming back.

Dante is thrown into a life he didn’t chose (ok I know some of you will say he had sex he did chose it but by not knowing that Emma even existed means he didn’t), as struggles to work out what to do and how he can be a father he’s faced with more than just the sleepless nights and trying to work out why his daughter is crying instead of the Freshers nights at uni he planned. One of the many things that stand out about this novel is that it is entirely believable. This could happen in real life and I feel really sorry for the guys who aren’t told until the child is born (unless of course there is an abusive nature to the relationship). Dante handles the sudden shock as many young men would do I think, disbelief, a little bit of denial, struggling and then trying to make a tough decision.
“How could ten forgettable minutes of not much turn both our lives inside out and upside down like this?”

There are a lot of novels out there that portray the struggles that young mothers face after the birth of a baby, although Blackman highlights this when Melanie says she can’t cope, she has done a fantastic job in showing the struggles of a young father – something society seems to forget. From sexist remarks when he doesn’t know the answer to something ‘Maybe her Mum could come in and register her’, to the social worker who has concerns about the father raising a child alone and generally not knowing what to do on a natural level that women have from carrying a child for nine months. With help from his own Dad and brother (after his Mum had passed away when he was younger) he slowly begins to work out what’s best for him and Emma.

The use of subplot was used spectacularly as well, never one to hide from tough things to deal with Dante’s younger brother Adam has his own worries. Although Adam is comfortable with his sexuality, other around him (including his father and older brother) aren’t as comfortable. One night things change dramatically leaving everyone on edge and Adam’s future hanging in the balance.

I’m giving Boys Don’t Cry five stars *****. I loved this novel, it had a really unique perspective and challenged a lot of perceptions of young Dads. Once again Blackman has shown us the world through a view we might not necessarily consider, if I had my way schools would have to teach this in a combined English/Health class and hopefully we would also have a less judgemental society because of it. I’d love to read a sequel to this and I’m full to the brim with questions…so you can tell it’s a great novel!

Book Review: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – J.K Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

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Last year it was announced that the Harry Potter story would continue in a new work, this time a play. Rowling was to work with a small team to carry on the story, this time focusing on the next generation of Potter’s, Granger-Weasley’s and Malfoy’s.

I wrote last week about how I was going to queue up at midnight to get my copy of The Cursed Child, along with Abbie and my Mum. I’ve been a Harry Potter fan since I was a little girl and I hoped, like all the other Potterheads out there that this was going to be something incredible, although I was disappointed it wasn’t going to be a novel. So I eagerly tucked in to what was billed the eighth story in the Harry Potter universe and read a little when I got home and the rest the morning after and, well, I kind of wish I hadn’t. While I was nervous about reading this and quite apprehensive, as many of the people I spoke to were, I didn’t think this was going to be the final product, especially after the incredible reviews the play has received. Please note this is ONLY MY OPINION I respect other’s opinions :).

The play starts where Deathly Hallows finishes, on Platform 9 and 3/4, where Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione are about to wave off their children. For Albus Potter and Rose Granger Weasley this is the first time they’ll take the trip to Hogwarts and start their magical education in a place we’ve all firmly kept in our hearts. While the first part of the play almost completely matches the novel, that is where I feel the similarities end. The first shock was Rose Granger-Weasley, while I think the aim was to create similarities between Rose and Hermione at the same age, she came across as a brat, not how I imagined her at all.

I can’t go into a lot of detail because of spoilers and the fact I would probably ramble on for hours. I think the main issue with it is that you can tell this wasn’t written by J.K Rowling, it may have been her idea but this does not read like her work at all. At best this reads like a fan fiction, and not necessarily a good one. In fact knowing that Rowling is supposed to have come up with this entire plot makes me very sad, the energy and passion isn’t there. It has so many classic fan fiction tropes that just made me mad. I wanted to shout at the book, what are you doing to the world we’ve all fallen in love with.

The hardest thing though was the trio themselves. It didn’t feel like I was reading about the character’s I’d grown up with. Harry said certain things that I felt Harry just wouldn’t say, Hermione had lost her spark of being able to take control of a situation and Ron was probably the hardest of all. When he was in the play, which wasn’t a lot, he just milled around and was used as minor comic relief but, as will Harry and Hermione, had lost what made Ron, Ron. I will say though that I absolutely loved Draco Malfoy in this, we really got to see him come into his own and develop as a character so gold stars for that. Ginny Weasley, however, is pushed to the side in this play as she was in the films, in fact I felt like all the women were pushed aside which was very disappointing.

When it comes to the new generation again it was a Malfoy that I liked, the character of Scorpio was probably my favourite and reminded me of someone from the original novels, although not his father. The relationship between Scorpio and Albus was sweet and there was an understanding between them. I wish I like the character of Albus as much but I didn’t, thankfully Scorpio will tell his friend when he is being ridiculous, because someone has to. There were rumors there would be a romance between the two and as great as that would have been, I can confirm it is not true.

There are some surprising characters that appear throughout the play and some…interesting concepts too. Other than that we are mostly following Albus, Scorpius and their parents over about three years.

I’m only giving this 2 stars (**), frankly I am heartbroken that this is now canon in the word of Harry Potter. While I’m sure this is a lot better in the medium is was written for, it doesn’t feel like Harry Potter to me. At most this is a basic plot relying heavily on fan fiction tropes and in some cases completely ignoring what happened in the previous seven books and the wizarding law within them. I have a ticket for the play next year and I’m kind of curios to see how it looks on stage (because, you know I already paid for it) but it’s safe to say this doesn’t work in the same way the books do. Do I think it should have been published and given the hype it did? Not at all. In my mind there are 7 Harry Potter books, that’s all the canon we need and want.

 

What did you guys think? Love it, hate it? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Book Review: Before I Die – Jenny Downham

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I had very high expectations when I very excitedly bought this book. I had heard fantastic reviews, everyone who had read it that I had come across ranted and raved about it and its protagonist, Tessa. The blurb looked okay but oh how wrong I was, I thought this would be a tale of strength, determination and really living your last days to the full with happiness and laughter. That said I was also expecting her to be scared or upset that is a given but well I’m afraid thats all it was at times, fear and wanting to achieve the unachievable. It’s not just that the tale was sad, it was outright miserable to read.

I’m sorry to admit I got bored of this book extremely quickly, I forced myself to carry on reading and in the end I’m glad I did as parts of the novel were beautifully written, especially any references to nature. However, this doesn’t stop my annoyance at the author Jenny Downham, sixteen year old Tessa writes a list of things she wants to do before she dies of terminal leukaemia, sounds like a good plot line right? That’s what I thought but throughout the entire novel we do not see this list at all!!! I feel that if you are going to write a whole novel on the idea of a kind of bucket list, then wouldn’t you include the list somewhere in the book itself? However Downham does not give us one, we are left trying to struggle to remember what Tessa has achieved from the list and therefore making it slightly pointless.

While the novel is classed as young adult, it did feel rather immature for its subject matter and focused heavily on clichè. Number one on the list is to have sex, resulting in a quite strange night, which, if I’m honest seemed out of place in relation to the character and the plot itself. Another on the list is to get stoned, say yes for an entire day (which actually turns out to be quite sweet) and get famous, yes you read that right… I wasn’t that impressed. Then throw into the mix an amazingly annoying best friend who is ‘wild’, a runaway mother, a doting father (who I felt Tessa treated extremely badly), a very sweet younger brother (who should of had more emphasis put on him and the relationship he has with his sister) and the boy, because of course there’s a boy next door.

Tessa herself has not been portrayed in the best light. I felt little sympathy or connection to her at all. Yes she is a young dying girl, with a right to feel unhappy and wanting to do this her way, but she just came across as terribly selfish to absolutely everyone around her and, really, a bit of a brat. I was especially annoyed at the way she treated her father who had done nothing but good for her and obviously loves her so much, if this relationship had been expanded then maybe there would of been more to like about Tessa. Although that said there is obviously a deep connection between her and her younger brother Cal, although he to, is not always well portrayed and this could have been explored more.

For this I only give 2 stars **, I really wasn’t that impressed with it compared to other books I have read that surround the subject of terminal illness. The character of Tessa was not terribly likeable, nor did I feel I could connect with her and the plot.

Book Review: Water For Elephants

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The novel opens with a prologue from a young Jacob Jankowski, describing the one time disaster broke out in his beloved circus, wetting the reader’s appetite for the destruction to come later on. Although after doing this the next chapter is rather depressing and slow compared to the ideas of the prologue. Fast forward a good 50/60 years and Jacob is alone grumpy, old and starting to loose his mind a little in a nursing home where the only good thing is a sweet nurse and the fact that the circus is finally coming to town possibly for the last time Jacob will ever see it (throughout the novel we are forced back and forward, which to some could be seen as slightly depressing)

After the excitement regarding the circus Jacob is forced to sit alone after an argument with a fellow resident claiming he ‘carried water for the elephants’, but going back to his youth Jacob knows this is a lie after all he was the vet on one of the ‘greatest circus’ on earth’. This sets the tone for the whole novel, as the reader is constantly drawn to and from the past which in a way makes this a story of triumph tinged with sadness throughout, as we know how it ends with Jacob waiting for his children, waiting to get back a piece of his life and true love, Marlena.

Young Jacob is a student with dreams of being a vet and getting that one girl to sleep with him, although in one day his whole life,happiness and studies are destroyed by the sudden death of his parents. Going home he learnt he has lost everything he thought he had. His father has been in crippling debt just so that Jacob had the education he needs. Alone, heartbroken and penniless Jacob has no way of going back to college and no job prospects Jacob decides to take a risk. He’s manages to wing his way onto the circus as the circus vet.

Although beware! Do not expect this novel to be all glitter, spangles and performing monkeys, Gruen’s tale will break your heart. The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth may be spectacular but in more ways than you can imagine adultery, prostitution, murder,lies,secrets and of course romance. From the very beginning Jacob is hooked on the beautiful Marlena a horse entertainer,she is truly the beauty and the heart of the circus especially with dreams of performing with the ‘dumb elephant’  Rosie,that the circus has just acquired. However there is a catch, despite Jacob’s love  for Marlena and the animals, he must work over the watchful and evil ring master, August, who is also coinsidently Marlena’s husband. Yes it is obvious he has reached a problem.

Although through the help of friends he aquires along the way (although let me tell you he starts off as the lowest of the low with a lot to learn) Jacob begins his battle to save Marlena from her abusive husband and finally teach Rosie in a way that nobody else could. It has been said that the real hero of this story is not Jacob at all, that the real hero is Rosie (for later events that I won’t spoil now), a beautiful creature who is not as ‘stupid’  that people are lead to believe. However with a bit of a psycho at the head of it all, it’s obvious that life and love will not run smoothly.

Gruen has done a beautiful job with description, it is simple to image everything you read. To see Marlena’s acts and Rosie’s beauty while feeling Jacob’s pain. The reader is transported to another time and another world the smells, the feelings, everything. The only criticism I can give is when it goes back to old Jacob, yes it’s vital and there for a reason but it does get dull and you do want to skip it, however this said once finished I put down my book and discovered it was one of the best books I have ever read.

I give this beauty 5 stars *****. For the nearly flawless storytelling and an amazing plot line! I will forever be disappointed by the circus from now on.

Book Review: An Abundance of Katherines – John Green

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“How do you just stop being terrified of getting left behind and ending up by yourself forever and not meaning anything to the world?”

It’s a known fact that I think John Green is a genius and I ended up buying and devouring any book of his I pick up. I chose An Abundance of  Katherines as my third John Green novel to read about Paper Towns although this novel isn’t bad I wish I had chosen to pick up the latter.

Colin Singleton is a child prodigy, his mind is incredible and he is expected to do incredible things, that is until he hits a limit and start to wonder if he’ll ever have a ‘eureka’ moment. It doesn’t help that Colin has yet again been dumped by another Katherine, number 19 to be exact. To get away from it all, with the help of friend Hassan the two boys take a road trip after graduation and end up in Gutshot, Tennessee and end up having a very different experience to what they had planned.

While the pair find summer jobs in Gutshot and make friends with the beautiful Lindsey, Colin still has Katherine’s on the brain. He settles down to work on the mathematical likelihood of relationships, starting with Katherine one and working through them to perfect the equation. Although it doesn’t sound amusing it is and doesn’t take up the whole book which I was thoughtful for. What I think this novel is really about is a young guy who’s trying to work himself out through the only way he knows, math.

Although the novel was interesting and again Green has worked his magic at making believable characters and that loveable and slightly annoying nerd at the centre of it all, I wasn’t as hooked as I had been with previous novels. Throughout the novel I really didn’t understand the importance of all the Katherines and felt quite confused by it all! On top of that, to match Colin’s character there are a lot of foot notes with various explanations, comments etc and for me it didn’t help. I like getting lost in a novel and I just felt that the footnotes took away from that and made me think about them too much. Although that said I know people who found that to be the best part of the novel, so it really is down to personal preference.

I want to give An Abundance of Katherines 3 stars. I did like it but it’s not my favourite John Green novel. As with Green’s other novels you can’t help but feel as if you are friends with the characters and have your own hopes for them. I would have liked to have known more about genius Colin and what Lindsey did next but that’s not what this novel was about. From my experience of reading it I felt like it was about having that time before a big change to figure yourself out, as usual Green has been fantastic in getting into the teenage mind.