A huge thanks to my good friend Lisa for sending me this book for Christmas! I'm so glad I got the chance to read this, because I'm not sure I would have picked it up on my own if someone hadn't suggested it to me.
What I liked: This idea fascinates me. Like forget all the ways this concept couldn't be physically possible (especially for him to remain exactly the same), this is so freaking cool. It also makes you question a lot of things about life and death. And the writing was great with doing just that. There were some really poignant moments that stuck with me, and I could really sympathize with Travis at times. Mostly though, my favorite part was watching this poor kid keep up with the times, even though it was only five years later. Just think about how much has changed in the last five years, and if you can't think of any, this book will point them out. It's funny but sad, and really makes the book.
What I didn't like: Oh boy... I was incredibly frustrated by Travis for the whole book. Dude, I understand that it feels like you just woke up from a nap, but things are completely different from when you were last alive. Some behavior is just not acceptable. Like, he is obsessed with getting his girlfriend back even though she's ENGAGED to someone else. He acts annoying, ridiculous, and so immature and it really bothered me. That's not okay. There come a point when you have to just accept the facts and move on with life, but throughout the whole book, he refuses to do that. It's childish, and it made me not really like the book. I just couldn't get past it. Especially since he absolutely refuses to respect Cate's decision and doesn't listen to her at all. Not cool.
So that was annoying and I had a hard time liking the book because Travis himself was so unlikeable and selfish. For someone who was given a second chance at life, I really expected much more from our main character. He's kinda lame. There's not even a lot of character development for me to change my mind. There was never a point where I saw him change and mature, which is sad because I liked the idea of this book so much. Bummer.
-Annie
Aw, this book sounds so disappointing. The concept has so much potential - it puts a twist on your basic unrequited love story, and it has a funny blurb to match. But the protagonist sounds SO irritating. Like you said, it seems like he should be more mature and know how to take no for an answer, especially since he was given a second chance at life! It's too bad this book let you down so much. :(
ReplyDeleteI agree! The concept is so interesting and brings up some really interesting questions about having a second chance at life, but it fell short for me. Very disappointing :(
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Emily! :D