i’m a little conflicted on this book because i thought both halves were interesting independently (although part two was vastly superior in my opinion), but it didn’t feel like there was a strong thread of connection between the two halves. i can see what some other reviews are saying about the disconnect being lockwood’s way of conveying how drastically life shifts during and after a tragedy, but it just didn’t feel cohesive enough.

part one is a witty and entertaining examination of our Terminally Online main character, but i wish it hadn’t taken up the entire first half of the book. part two is where lockwood’s fantastic writing really shines through—it’s so emotional and raw and beautiful. if we had less of part one and more of part two, this would absolutely be a five-star read because i was brought to tears several times during the second half. it’s absolutely phenomenal and i will be checking out more of lockwood’s work despite my slight disappointment in this one.