kiracanread
Written on Jul 4, 2020
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness's bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness's bold and irreverent novel powerfully asks what if you weren't the Chosen One? The one who's supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you were like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week's end of the world and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend might just be the God of mountain lions... An exceptional novel from the author praised by John Green as "an insanely beautiful writer".
- ISBN10 0062403176
- ISBN13 9780062403179
- Publish Date 27 September 2016 (first published 27 August 2015)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Imprint Collins
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 336
- Language English
Reviews
Nessa Luna
Written on Apr 18, 2019
nitzan_schwarz
Written on Feb 23, 2019
So, first things first... I love Patrick Ness. I really, really do. He's one of the only authors who has managed to make me fall in love with a dystopian-ish series (Chaos Walking), so I knew I was in good hands when it comes to him. Don't ask me why it took me so long to FINALLY get around to reading it, because I ain't got no answers.
Anyways, I knew from page one I was going to love this one, for several reasons:
1. The concept is SO cool. Every chapter begins with a recap of a different story that is happening while our story takes place, to the Chosen Ones with their crazy names and their interesting lives. And even though that story is pretty weak (although I have full trust in Mr. Ness that, should he ever write it, it would be amazing) it was such an interesting touch and I loved the whole idea of it.
2. Our main character, Mikey. I loved his voice, and I connected to him so much it was crazy. The therapist scene? I felt triggered because it was like she was talking to ME and not Mikey. That's some powerful stuff, you know. Plus, Mikey is NOT perfect. Not by a long shot, and not because of his OCD. Because he is just a stupid teenager lol. He lets his emotions get the best of him, he says things he regrets and sometimes he just really wants to pick a fight so--screw it!--he's going to. Like I said--dumb teenager. I love it.
2. FAMILY- Can I get some clapping in the audience for the incredible sibling love portrayed in this novel?? Mel, Meredith and Mikey are so precious and I adored them!! Also, not going to lie, I loved their mother. Yes, she was flawed. Yes, she was dumb for being so judgmental about our precious angel Jared. But. BUT. That's not all she was. Instead of leaving her the typical fame crazy mother, Ness made sure we saw there were far more to her. That she loves her children fiercely. That she is coming from a place her kids never consider. That she is human, but she is definitely not entirely bad, and I LOVED that.
3. FRIENDSHIP! Seriously, Ness just nailed this. Jared, Mikey's best friend, is a gift from the gods. He is so kind and awesome and he's a jock?? I feel it's so rare for us to get a jock character who is not portrayed as:
a. a jerk
b. an enemy
c. totally out of the main character's sphere, unless the main character is also a jock (which, yeah... not Mikey).
But Jared is none of the above. He loved Math. He's gay (and a great representation because he is just an all around great guy!). He cared for his friends more than he cares for himself, and he is great with cats. GREAT. I loved him with all of my heart!
I also appreciated Henna, Mike and Mel's second best friend and Mike's love interest. She was cool, interesting and I did enjoy her taking charge and grabbing life by the balls.
Nathan, the newcomer to the group, is a little more of a missed character IMO. There wasn't much to him, at the end of the day, except a catalyst for Mikey going a bit off the rails in a way (lol). I would have liked to get to know him better because he actually seemed really cool!
In fact, I would love to see a spin-off about Jared and him, especially considering the way this book ended!.
Final verdict: Great book! Well worth the read, has great representation on all sides, meaningful yet fun and fuzzy at times, just generall a great balance!
bookperson
Written on Jul 26, 2018
journalingirl
Written on Aug 3, 2016
Bianca
Written on Jul 5, 2016
Not everyone has to be the Chosen One. Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world. Most people just have to live their lives the best they can, doing the things that are great for them, having great friends, trying to make their lives better, loving people properly. All the while knowing that the world makes no sense but trying to find a way to be happy anyway.
Sam@WLABB
Written on Mar 30, 2016
The story centers around a diverse group of friends at the end of their senior year of high school. They are dealing with all the impending changes, while dealing with some pre-existing personal issues (eating disorders, OCD/anxiety, alcoholic parents, strict conservative parents, LGBTQ+). At the same time, there is a new wave of strange events, which is claiming the lives of indie kids, and they must work to save the world...again.
I liked the structure of the novel. Each chapter began with a little bit of the indie kids story as they work to "save the world", then it continues, in Mikey's voice, as he recounts the events in his world. The juxtaposition served the title well, and added an interesting layer to the story.
Mikey was quite special. He suffered from OCD and anxiety. He worried about everything, but mostly, he worried about the people he loved. His heart was huge! It was commendable the way Ness dealt with the mental health issues. The characters struggled with their illnesses, but they knew, in their hearts, that they could overcome these issues, and that they were not defined by their illnesses.
This book had so many elements. Witty dialogue, quirky characters, issues -- real issues. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I was very invested in the outcome for the characters. However, I still thought the story was odd. Not bad, odd, and I really enjoyed this book.
nannah
Written on Mar 7, 2016
Book content warnings:
alcoholism
eating disorders
suicide ideation
The Rest of Us Just Live Here takes place in the middle of nowhere, in a place a lot like most small towns, with one restaurant, a high school, lots of trees, etc. But the "indie kids" there (or hipsters as I know them in my own little middle of nowhere) tend to be part of something bigger: what you'd think would be the plotline of the next big-trending fantasy. The main character, Mikey, is definitely not an indie kid, and that big ol' plotline is not for him. Instead, he and his friends are simply inhabitants of the same town those "main characters" live in. And, well, this is their story.
The result is some mixed realistic/coming-of-age and fantasy genre that ends up blending really well, surprisingly.
Patrick Ness really knows how to nail characterization - and show character in a few words. It took to about page 17 for me to fall head over heals for all the main 4 protagonists, and they're all so real it's terrifying. (I mean, maybe it's partly because they're diverse and actually have mental illnesses/struggles with body issues/etc. but I don't need to go into that further.)
The writing is even stronger when it comes to family dynamics. Even the supposedly "bad" parents are more layered and complicated than I thought at first. Right when I make up my mind about someone I'm finding my belief challenged.
I'm a little disappointed at the fatphobia (even if it was just a 1-sentence line - maybe my standards are set a little high for Patrick Ness). It could be the character, not the author, of course! But it's hard to know when that line (in the character's thoughts) aren't challenged at all.
Okay, so I lied when I said I was done talking about the importance of writing diverse characters. Because Mikey's personal story has helped me come to some realizations about myself.
Mikey has OCD and anxiety, and when the anxiety gets worse, so does the OCD. Okay, so there's some novels that have MC's with OCD, but the way Mikey's thoughts and patterns are written is all too relatable. I don't have OCD, but a bfrb (body-focused repetitive behavior), specifically dermatillomania (skin picking disorder). There are passages that I need to stop reading because I'm literally sobbing. The way Mikey can't stop doing something, even when it's causing him pain. It's all written in a way that it's hard not to relate to and feel validated if you struggle with something similar. Mikey eventually goes to therapy for his problem, and goes on meds. (The conversation with his therapist--the entire thing--is the realest thing I've ever read. The discussion about "if I go on medication, does that mean I've failed?", the talk about being messed up, etc.) So, yeah, I think I need help, too. I'll probably bring this book with me. Moral support, you know.
I was going to talk about something else, too, but that's a bit spoilery for the book and a bit personal for me. So nah, not today.
In the end, the book reached out and pretty much grabbed my heart. It would be difficult for me to give it anything but five stars. (I've also forced it onto friends, so . . . )
Linda
Written on Jan 1, 2016
The Rest of Us Just Live Here is simply brilliant! Well written, going very deep into the coming of age theme, and with a very diverse cast, as well as diversity in other ways as well.
With all the paranormal young adult novels out there, The Rest of Us Just Live Here takes a completely different perspective. It's like a meta-story of a paranormal novel, because the main characters are 'just' the normal people. The ones the usual heroes don't really care about, because they're off fighting the vampires or the fae or the dangerous shapeshifters. Here, we get to follow the teens who are aware of the paranormal aspect of their world, but how aren't really special. They talk about the special kids, and how it must be both exhilarating and scary to be in their shoes. These 'normal' kids have their own problems and heartaches, and in some ways their story reads like a contemporary YA, apart from the fact that they know about all the things that go bump in the night.
I found the characters to be very well done, they were diverse in many ways, and they don't need to be indie kids to be snarky, that's for sure. And how I loved their snark! Sharing how the indie kids are really present in every school, and how they are always the chosen Ones. Especially when it comes to sacrificing themselves for the greater good of humanity. And because of this snark, as well as the ever present other in The Rest of Us Just Live Here, I fell completely both for the story, the plot and the characters. And Mikey is the perfect character to share this story with the readers, too. He's mostly a normal teenager, lusting after one of his friends, trying to do well in school, and hoping his prom will be fun.
Refreshing, fun and quite fast-paced, this story appealed to me in every way, and made me want to try more books by Ness in the future. Written from Mikey's perspective, in first and third person point of view, with so many witty dialogues and back and forth comments between the friends I have highlighted half the book, I was pretty much mesmerized from start to finish.
"Your stomach isn't the boss of you," Mel says, evenly.
"Oh," Jared says, realizing. "Sorry - "
Mel shakes her head, brushing it off. "Not what I meant. Your heart isn't the boss of you either. Thinks it is. Isn't. You can always choose. Always."
"You can't choose not to feel," Henna says.
"But you can choose how to act."
The wind picks up a little more (Terribly sorry, I imagine it saying; apparently, the wind is British, wondering how it got all the way over here) and Henna has to snap her hand down on a page of an assignment that's threatening to fly away. "Why do we even have paper any more?"
Which is when one of the indie kids comes running out of the treeline, his old-timey jacket flapping out behind him. He pushes his fashionably black-rimmed glasses back on his nose and runs about twenty feet from where we're all tumbled together. He doesn't see us - the indie kids never really see us, not even when we're sitting next to them in class - just crosses the Field and disappears into the opposite treeline, which we all know only leads to deeper forest.
Beth C.
Written on Nov 1, 2015
Patrick Ness has written a book with a unique perspective, but one that seems so normal for every teenager living. Finding the extraordinary that is within us all, when everyone else seems to be "the special one" can truly be a challenge - and that challenge doesn't end when high school does. The voice of Mikey rings so true, even though I'm so far out of high school that I now have a high schooler of my own. The writing is honest, and the occasional Immortal floating around just makes the struggle to find what is special all the more poignant.
The story is also done as a sort of story-within-a-story. Each chapter begins with a synopsis of the current goings-on in the battle of the "indie" kids against the Immortals. For example, the book begins:
"Chapter The First, in which the Messenger of the Immortals in a surprising shape, looking for a permanent Vessel; and after being chased by her through the woods, indie kid Finn meets his final fate."
The rest of the chapter then goes on with Mikey telling his story outside of the supernatural one. Each chapter begins the same, with an update on the supernatural battle at the beginning, before Mikey carrying on. It was an interesting way to both set the tone of the chapter, compare the differences in the "ordinary vs. extraordinary" in Mikey's view, and (honestly) giggle a little bit at the cliche stories of the regular kid who becomes the hero.
Overall, it was a fun and mellow read with a great message. It's not a beat-you-over-the-head-until-you-realize-my-point kind of message either, which most teens and pre-teens would respond to. It's just...a good story.