The Rest of Us Just Live Here

by Patrick Ness

[Kelly]

4.5 Stars.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/07/the-rest-of-us-just-live-here-by.html
Ever wondered about the secondary characters within our young adult fantasy and dystopian novels? The adults or the teens who aren't tasked with saving the world? This is their story. Mikey and his group of friends are ordinary teens who have seen it all, the paranormal descending upon their town and helpless to stop the pending apocalypse. The Chosen Ones are the kids known as The Indies, teens who segregate themselves from the school community and are named as uniquely as themselves.

But The Rest of Us Just Live Here isn't about those who save the world, it's the teens who are trying to live their life within the extraordinary town. Real teens that struggle with issues such as obsessive compulsive disorder, anorexia, workaholic and alcoholic parents, and having a new kid suddenly arrive within only six weeks left until graduation. The concept is completely bizarre and the storyline allows readers glimpses of the pending doom that is set to strike their town. But life goes on for the Others, those who are usually restricted to background characters while someone else saves the world.

Without a doubt, Patrick Ness is a phenomenal author and this may possibly be his best work to date. It's intelligent, quirky and still addresses real issues such as mental illness and substance abuse such as alcoholism. The cast of characters is diverse, which is what readers have come to expect from Patrick Ness. It reads as a subtle swipe at the young adult tropes that irritate what most readers take issue with, the Chosen Ones, the town that seemingly turns a blind eye to paranormal invasion, clueless adults and when you're one of the Others, how life continues on and no matter what's going on around you. Your own issues are still as important than the world coming to an end.

Beautifully imaginative, The Rest of Us Just Live Here is an exploration of those who aren't meant to save the world, but the bystanders who create their own storyline. Patrick Ness is a phenomenal author, who can enchant, enthrall and entice readers to believe in the impossible. Bizarre, incredible and utterly captivating.