What if you aren’t the Chosen One?
The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?
What if you’re 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 is worshipped by mountain lions.
The Rest Of Us Just live Here is fantastic. This is the story of 4 teens graduating, their last few months and some weird stuff going on it their town that they don’t think affects them.
Mikey is our main character, Mikey is smart, awkward, and such a real character. He feels like he’s the least wanted friend, the one to be pitied but he’s not, he’s so much more than that and he learns it in the best way.
All the characters on their own are fantastic but it’s Mikey’s interactions with them that make them special.
You know what, I was going to talk about why all these characters are amazing and powerful and inspirational but I think everyone should discover that for themselves. What I really want to talk about is how this book describes having your friends as your family. I don’t know about you guys but I’d count my friends as more than friends, I’d count my love for them not as a romantic love but as a love you have for your family and that’s what these four characters have.
Mikey and Mel have been through a lot together and are still working on life and to be honest aren’t we all?
The chapters all start off with what’s happening with the indie kids that are trying to save the world and town from sudden doom and I loved that. This book is amazing and relatable and just everything I could ever want in a not the chosen one story. Mikey is so relatable, all the friendships are messy and lovely, the issues are well done and truthful there is no romanticizing, there are no perfect families, there are real coming of age things all in a real world that might also feature some immortals and soul eating ghosts.
I can’t wait to read more Patrick Ness and I know understand why everyone is so entranced by him and his books, it’s because they are real and fantastical, and all things I could ever want to read. Also can this be a movie please, but like not a crappy movie? A real well done movie that everyone can love and have because I need my non book friends to experience this story.
5/5 Stars
I have A Monster Calls on my TBR list…
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I read it in December and it was amazing. It’s such a perfect combination of contemporary and fantasy and relationships between the characters were so strong. Literally the most relatable book ever. 😊
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I want to read his books!
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After I finished this one I went out and bought 3 more by him 🙂 I can’t wait to read more and I hope you get to read one of his books this year 😀
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Thank you I hope so to.
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This is sitting on my side table right now, waiting for me to pick it up!
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Pick it up! I loved it, it was just different and tonnes of fun 🙂 I hope you really like it when you read it 😀
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Yay! It’s next on my list…
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I haven’t read anything by Patrick Ness but I keep adding his to my TBR 😂
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That was me before I read this one! I bough A Monster Calls and I plan on reading that next, the illustrations are beautiful so I can’t wait to read the story 😀 Hope you can pick up one of his books soon 🙂
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I’m so glad you liked this book! I recently read it myself, and I just didn’t connect as well. In fact, it was the book I enjoyed the *least* in November. 😅 Sadly, I haven’t found myself connecting with Patrick Ness’s writing. i also listened to the audiobook and the narrator voiced every female character identically. From the Psychologist to Mom to Mel. It was frustrating. Your review makes me wonder what I missed in this book…
That said, I still hope to read and connect to A Monster Calls!
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I read More Than This after this one and I didn’t like or connect to that one so it sounds like we had the same experience but with different books of his XD
I have A Monster Calls as well and the illustrations are amazing so I can’t wait to pick it up, I’m hoping to read it really soon and then watch the movie, i’ve seen so many good things about it that I think I’m going to love it 🙂
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That is EXACTLY the right thing to do. I am planning on doing the same myself, but I am anxious that my dislike will continue. I look forward to your review!
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I hope it doesn’t continue but hey we all like and dislike different things so there’s plenty more Authors to read from 😀
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Exactly! Besides, what fun would it be if everyone agreed on everything?
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I really need to read this one!! Ever since I read The Monster Calls I’ve wanted to read all of Patrick Ness’ work and this one sounds so interesting. Glad to see you loved it! Great review, Casey ♥
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I have A Monster Calls on my shelf and the illustrations look amazing I can’t wait to read the story I haven’t seen a bad review for it so I’m sure I’ll love it 😀 Hope you like this one when you get to it!
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Patrick Ness is one of my all-time-favourite authors! I’m glad you liked this one, you should read his other works too because they are just that good *.*
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He is an amazing writer! I went out and bought More Than This, A Monster Calls, and The Knife of Never letting go and I’m so excited to read them 🙂 I’m planning on reading A Monster Calls next 😀
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Was this your first Ness book? I can’t remember if you read A Monster Calls or not… Anyways I’ve only read A Monster Calls and definitely want to read more of his work. I’ve also heard good things about his Chaos Walking series…
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First book! I’ve also now read More Than This and as soon as I’m finished with my current reads I’ll be getting to a Monster Calls, my illustrated copy came and it’s so beautiful I can’t wait to read it 🙂
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I was just about to suggest the illustrated edition! It really helps set the atmosphere 🙂
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