mjenae's reviews
249 reviews

I'm so confused.
It was a great story, and the artwork was wonderful of course, and it was definitely Sanderson... but I don't know exactly what the moral is. Maybe "love the unlovable"? Even the villains deserve a chance? I hope there's a sequel, or else someone just needs to explain this ending to me. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take away.

Five words I would use to describe this book:

1. Autobiography.
2. Everyday
3. Inclusive
4. Nostalgic
5. Art

I am suddenly seeing the little details of everything. Every minute is notable. Ordinary things are so beautiful.

Such a fun and inspiring experience. Jessica is a great storyteller—hilarious and sincere at intervals and so encouraging. I took away a lot of good advice from this book, and l expect to return to it in the future. Here's a big 5 STAR RECCOMENDATION for any introvert looking to live vicariously to your full potential in society—and I wouldn't be surprised if it spilled out into your real life interactions as well. Don't worry; Jessica knows what she's talking about. You'll love her. I promise.

I didn't catch on until a couple pages in that this book dealt largely with anxiety. I already knew I'd connect some, and I knew I'd enjoy it anyway if I didn't because it's Raina Telgemeir, but I didn't predict it would hit so close to home. For the first time in any book ever, I wanted to read the author's note—and I liked it just as much as the story.
Of course, the formatting is impeccable. I love Raina's style, and I like how she chooses to tell the honest truth even when it's not the most comfortable thing to do. I wish I'd had this book when I was younger. I'm glad it's available for the children and adolescents of today.

Things I liked:

1. Elliot. I really, truly liked him, from the beginning. He was never perfect. I don't even remember the author talking about how he looked much, or all the ways he was wonderful. But he was his own person, he was an idiot when it was funny, and he was an absolute gentleman when it counted.
2. The theme—the plot. An author fighting with her own characters about how to write the book? I am 100% here for it. It was the only reason I read the book, actually, and the only reason I kept reading. It was so very intriguing, something I've never seen done before.
3. Annabelle's graduation speech, and the way the whole story settled into a strong ending. It was the most well-written part of the entire book.

Things I didn't like:

1. The romantic element was extremely cliche. It was cliche. It was. And it was on purpose, I know, but it was still cliche. And I really don't care for trite love stories.
2. In general, the prose wasn't much to look at. I found a grammatical error or two. I was slightly disappointed because I loved the idea so much. I'd like to see this story written by a more experienced writer.
3. ...basically, it all comes back to the first thing on this list. This story is a study of how love cannot be perfect, but before that can be realized, everything is perfect. I really wish I could've liked Will, because he seemed great, but he was two-dimensional at best. Most of them were, really. I felt like the author tried hard to flesh out her characters but she only succeeded with Elliot.

TLDR: Probably wouldn't read it again, probably wouldn't reccomend it (except for the writing element), but it was a fun quick read.

Brilliant. Everything came through clear and fine—the little details were just right and unique enough to make each paragraph, each sentence engaging. I loved everyone in this book.

I especially loved when Neeley told Francie goodbye—it was the perfect ending. I didn't have a lot of emotion throughout the book, but I cried, then.

Unlikely. Unrealistic. Complete imagination.

I know why people love this book. The relationship between Natasha and Daniel is so perfect. It's what everyone wishes would happen to them, in some form. The readers are allowed to watch their fantasies play out on the page. It's like a validation.
“Here,” it says. “You can have this; this perfect blossoming love. You can hold the idea for the time you're in this book, hold it safely. Until you look away, you can believe it's possible. You can believe it's you.”

I wouldn't have minded if the author would've left out the religious/evolution aspect—but I see why she included it. It was necessary for Natasha's character. I also would've appreciated less cursing.
But. I could have read the whole book just for the theme of connection. How everything you do sets off a chain reaction. How coincidence and fate collide; how every choice you make leads you toward a new ending; how the tiniest act can mean the difference between life and death for anyone—for the person beside you.
And Daniel. He's what I wish I was. If I had more confidence, I would be him. I felt it from the minute he followed Natasha into the record store, and even more when he pulled out the 36 questions. I'm glad I could look into his life, could experience the most important day with him.

So no, I probably won't read it again. But it will stick with me for a long time.
Thank you, Nicola. Thank you for the hope.

My sister and I listened to this book together a couple years ago and absolutely loved it. I think it may have been the first full cast audio drama we'd ever experienced. Lately, we decided to relisten to it... only to find that we have no motivation to finish. It's a brilliant book the first time around; it's well-written, well-performed, and engaging. But a mystery is never as fun the second time. (Plus, I'm not really in the right mood to enjoy it right now.)
For those who have never listened to The Mystery of Alice, consider this a five star review. This book is basically The Secret History for middle graders—just with an innocent student as the main character, and obviously not nearly as graphic. If you like immersive mystery/thriller, this is for you.

Okay, so for some reason I didn't catch on that this was a parenting book. Unobservant much? I'd say. But I'm glad I read it. I now have a much better understanding of the love languages. (And besides, parenting books are intriguing. It's fun to look at them from the other side of the equation.)

I've come away:
• More knowledgeable about Chapman’s theories.
• Validated, strangely. This guy gets it. I agreed with almost everything he said.
 • Convinced that one's primary love language does not change. He explained this aspect and answered many of my other questions as well.
 • Eager to read the other books in his love language series.

(Something worth noting:
I know this isn't such a big thing, but the author used “she” as a general pronoun just as much as “he,” and it was kind of nice. It was very minor, and according to grammar textbooks not even correct, but I noticed and appreciated it.)