Reviews and Recommendations

Review by Sophia Raines 

(Book Reviewed: Part of Me:  Stories of a Louisiana Family by Kimberly Willis Holt)

The Rest of Us Just Live Here  Book Review By Sophia Raines            

Calling all fangirls! And fanboys.

It’s the brutal truth that we, as book readers, must face. We are not special like the heroes and heroines in our favorite novels. We will never be the chosen wizard, son or daughter of a god/goddess, beholder of the all-powerful gift, defender of the light, be loved by a vampire, the one true king, and etc. The list goes on and on and on about the endless possibilities of what we cannot be. We read about these people and their exciting lives and we adore their strength and courage, and most of all how special they are. As much as we love these heroes and their thrilling lives, we also envy them; we all long to be the special one needed to save the world. You can cosplay and make-believe that you are the centerpiece of the magical world in which you long to live in, but you know deep down that you are not.

That is the concept for bestselling author Patrick Ness in his latest book, The Rest of Us Just Live Here. It follows four friends (Henna, Jared, Mikey, and his sister Mel) in their senior year of high school, through the lens of Mikey. All they want is simple, to have fun, and graduate, so long as the indie kids manage to not blow up the school. Who are the indie kids you ask? Well, you are already quite familiar with them. They are those smart aleck, hipsters, with those fifties names, and thrift shop clothes, and are so antisocial and against anything popular. Those chosen few, the ones that become the wizards or protectors of the light and all that jazz. Sure, they might go on cool adventures, but they have this tendency to die pretty often and cause a lot of collateral damage.           

What I love personally about this book is the refreshing perspective it brings to our favorite plucky young heroes. We often get swept up in their escapades and bravery that we overlook their faults. How destructive and selfish they really are. The craziest thing is that the protagonist in this novel are more captivating in their average lives because they are not the heroes. They are not special and they know that. Just like us.

            It is wonderfully clever, and heartbreakingly realistic. It is impossible not to get attached to these characters and fear for them. If you are a fan of YA adventure novels, a teenager in high school, and have a sense of humor, you will take extreme pleasure at poking fun at some of your favorite books. It is a must read, and a great gift for the season.