YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

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 worshiped by mountain lions.

Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.

Thanks Sarah! I'm excited for this one. Its actually going to be my first Patrick Ness book.

Me too. I hope I like it!

I'm going to start reading this on the plane later! :)

Chapter 1:
(view spoiler)[I find the start of this book weird. It's like the book just jumped into the middle of something that was already happening. (hide spoiler)]

25%
(view spoiler)[ This book feels flat to me. It's a weird book and I don't really understand what's going on, and it's not particularly gripping or exciting either. (hide spoiler)]

43%
(view spoiler)[For a fantasy book, it feels like there's there's still nothing major or exciting enough that's happening, even though I'm almost halfway through the book already. (hide spoiler)]

Sorry I didn't get the chance to read this today girls! I only have an ecopy on my iPad and I don't have my iPad with my at the moment. I'll start tomorrow though, hopefully.

Okay, so what the heck do they mean by 'indie' kid? does that mean he's indian? or he's emancipated? I don't get it!

17% (view spoiler)[ what awful people to resent their daughter for living?! really?! (hide spoiler)]

Kim at Divergent Gryffindor wrote: "Chapter 1:
[spoilers removed]

"

(view spoiler)[ that's totally how I felt, i turned the page back to see if i'd missed something! (hide spoiler)]

21% (view spoiler)[ wasn't expecting the accident. I'm pretty bored though. (hide spoiler)]

30% (view spoiler)[ a dead dear, standing on broken legs, with a broken neck, with glowing blue eyes. those are some good painkillers he's on. (hide spoiler)]

59%
(view spoiler)[The mystery with Nathan is making things a bit interesting, but still not enough.. (hide spoiler)]

73%
(view spoiler)[I hate the discrimination towards "indie kids," whatever/whoever they are.. (hide spoiler)]

Kim at Divergent Gryffindor wrote: "Chapter 1:
[spoilers removed]

25%
[spoilers removed]

43%
[spoilers removed]"


(view spoiler)[ i was exactly the same, there was nothing happening! and it made no sense either! (hide spoiler)]

Kim at Divergent Gryffindor wrote: "59%
[spoilers removed]

73%
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ i still have no freaking idea what an indie kid is! so annoying! (hide spoiler)]

@Sarah: This is my first Patrick Ness book and I must say, I'm not impressed.

I will not be rushing to read any more. I am seriously irritated by this book! What was the freaking point?!

Finished:(view spoiler)[I just finished this book and it was not redeemed in my eyes. This sucked. (hide spoiler)]

I totally agree with you. It was just utterly pointless. It was like we were only getting half of the story, and it was the dull half at that!

Oh no, I hate pointless books but I'll give this one a try anyway since I liked one of the author's other books

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Reading from the 6th of January 2016

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I just started this and read two chapters. I dunno what's going on. There's a bunch of characters introduced and they have verbal diarrhoea... No context, just talking about anything. It makes my head spin. I'm put off already

Chapter the First: (view spoiler)[Err, what? Their parents are out so it means it's safe to go home? How? (hide spoiler)]
Chapter the Second: (view spoiler)[I don't understand what indie kids mean... Is that some sort of stereotype? (hide spoiler)]
Chapter the Third: (view spoiler)[Mikey has OCD, huh? (hide spoiler)]

You're right, Noella. I'm confused now too. I don't know where this is headed :/ I'm not even sure I understand what's happening!

Sorry Mei I picked this book up again and I just can't continue. It's frustrating and frankly gibberish to me :(

So is this a DNF for you? :)

That's okay. I'm waiting for 50% to see if this is worth it, actually.

Chapter the Sixth: (view spoiler)[Okay... so there are vampires, soul-eating ghosts, so-called "Immortals" and now gods and goddesses. Jared is a grandson of the Cat Goddess and he can freaking heal. I still don't know where this is headed... (hide spoiler)]
Chapter the Seventh: (view spoiler)[This is really slow. Okay something happened, like Henna and Mikey got in a car accident, then his mom's running for Congresswoman, and the first paragraphs in chapter introductions say something about "the indie kids" and "the Immortals" but I seriously can't follow. Like, okay, what's the point? It's all talk and I feel like an outsider. It's kinda dull. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah. I'll be interested to know how you find things at the half way mark!

Is this your first Ness book?
I read his Monster Calls and it's one of my favorites :/

Chapter the Ninth: (view spoiler)[I srsly can't take this anymore. WHAT THE HELL ARE INDIE KIDS. I know it's described in the book like they are kind of nerds or something but why? Why them??!!

On the other hand, Henna's starting to piss me off. She wants to kiss Mikey because she's afraid she might regret not doing it before she leaves for Africa and she tells him THAT SHE'S AFRAID SHE'S GOING TO HURT HIM? Uh uh sister! Set your mind clear on what you really want. I don't get what's with Nathan and then Mikey... *rolls eyes*
(hide spoiler)]
Chapter the Tenth: (view spoiler)[It's so tiring how "adults" pretend to be in-denial of the news or even not doubt the authorities. Why shouldn't anyone believe the cops anyway? But the cops themselves have turned into some soul-eating ghosts, too! This is getting tiring... I don't even know what to expect next, and that's a bad thing. Because I'm not invested enough to be curious. That, and this is all so confusing. You don't know what to expect not just because you're bored, but YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A FREAKING IDEA.

On the other hand, I call bullsh*t for Henna. Why can't the two just talk about what's with the two of them?
(hide spoiler)]
Chapter the Eleventh: (view spoiler)[I guess it's worth to give credit to the family and sibling values in this book. We got to see a side of their mom, the non-politics, but I'm curious about their dad, too. I admire how the siblings are best friends. (hide spoiler)]
Chapter the Twelfth: (view spoiler)[Is it just Mikey who notices EVERY LITTLE THING that Nathan does? I'm starting to become intrigued at him.

Gaaah I don't feel the characters at all. I could not relate to them nor connect to them. (hide spoiler)]
Chapter the Thirteenth: (view spoiler)[I wonder if Teemu shows up in this book. I wonder if he's still alive. I wonder if I'm not still interested enough to even see. I wonder if I've put the book down by that time. (hide spoiler)]

monster calls was my first book from him too and I liked it a lot!

Chapter the Fourteenth: (view spoiler)[Eh... the only time I got my interest picked up, when Mel punches a reporter. Lol (hide spoiler)]

I think I'm just finishing this book for the sake of not marking as a DNF...

Chapter the Twentieth: (view spoiler)[Okay. FIRST, Mikey says he's been in love with Henna for a long time. SECOND, he's jealous with Nathan because of Henna's feel-in-the-stomach speech crap only to find out he's gay. THIRD, Mikey confesses his love and they just went through a car accident that almost killed them both which made Henna realize he likes Mikey all along. They kissed after the accident wavered. FOURTH, and not just kissed, they freaking slept together. FIFTH, they don't know if they're boyfriend-girlfriend, yet but they said they'll "explore". Well, she's going to Africa after high school after all.

ONLY FOR US TO FIND OUT THAT THEY'RE JUST FRIENDS ALL ALONG?
“Yeah. And we figured out we really are only just friends. It’s been kind of … kind of great, actually.”
Kind of great, boo hoo. You're in love with the girl for years and even slept with her and now you're friends after that AND IT'S GREAT!!???!!!? What kind of crap is that?!
(hide spoiler)]

Finished. FINALLY. 1 star though. Though I might give it a 1.5.

It's not terrible bad. It's just that I couldn't connect to the characters and story. I was too confused what's happening and I didn't care. I was reading to finish it not because I was interested. First one star for 2016, though.

Good job Mei

11%
(view spoiler)[ ok for starters, wtf is going on. They talk about vampires like it's nothing. Then you keep referring to these Indie kids! WTFFF IS AN INDIE KID!? secondly. what career does his mom have! i hate books that do not explain anything and just throw sh*t at you (hide spoiler)]

22%
(view spoiler)[ WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!!!!! i'm so confused and lost and angry. Still nothing has been explained well at all. I don't know what's real or not. These people are legit nuts or something. (hide spoiler)]

30%
(view spoiler)[ The deer freaked me out. Badly. This whole book freaks me out. (hide spoiler)]

Ending Thoughts
(view spoiler)[ i rated this 4 stars but now that i'm explaining, i'm gonna lower it to 3 stars. I don't think me and Ness are gonna work out. Nothing was explained. NOTHING! The freaking school blows up and still, NOTHING! Then these kids who "loved" each other, do the dirty and then was like "nah, nvm, lets just be great friends...". Yah no, that's not how it should have went down. I have so many issues... (hide spoiler)]

Brooke wrote: "11%
[spoilers removed]"

My exact thoughts on my entire reading experience of the book. Still, you rated it higher than I did :)

Brooke wrote: "Ending Thoughts
[spoilers removed]"

Hahaha exactly! I hated it when Mikey goes nuts being jealous to Nathan and then finally, he slept with the girl he's been in love with and it's just great that they're friends?! It's crappy. I also hates how Henna crushes on Nathan, but still kinda haven't moved on from her ex Toby but he also kisses Mikey. Like wtf right?

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Reading from the 7th of October 2017

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Chapter the Eighth
(view spoiler)[I really like the little excerpts about what's going on with the "indie kids", and how they play into common tropes. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter the Twelfth
(view spoiler)[I really wish something would kill Henna. Because I REALLY don't like her. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter the Sixteenth
(view spoiler)[Okay, can I just say that I loved this chapter? Because that conversation between the doctor and Michael was the best thing in this book so far. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter the Eighteenth
(view spoiler)[Okay, that was a seriously shitty thing to do. All his so-called friends doing that to him. Even his sister. (hide spoiler)]

The End
(view spoiler)[I'm glad the stupid Henna obsession is over. Thank fuck. It was the most pointless thing. The two have zero chemistry. (hide spoiler)]

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Date changed. Restarting August 19th 2018. Happy Reading ☺

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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25% (view spoiler)[Wow this is weird. I didn’t understand much at first but I think I’m getting into the story. I still don't know what an indie kid is, though. I love the characters, especially Jared. I mean, he has the power to heal cats! I dislike Mikey's parents. That accident with the deer was weird. I’m still not sure about the plot but I'm intrigued to see how the story follows. (hide spoiler)]

54%(view spoiler)[Lmao this is a weird book. Interesting but different from what I expected. I wonder what all those people were up to when they were painting the bridge. Also, I don’t like how unfair Mikey is with Nathan. (hide spoiler)]

74% (view spoiler)[That chapter about the bomb at the concert made me feel so anxious x.x
I love the OCD and anxiety representation, it’s very relatable. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[I thought this book was okay. Different from what I expected. I liked the characters but I wasn’t too attached to them or the story. Jared was a gem, though. (hide spoiler)]

25% (view spoiler)[
Why is the deers eyes glowing blue? I wonder whats wrong with jared, why doesnt mike say something if he notices. Oh wow they kissed. I didnt think they would. What does he mean “and not just being-stopped-by-a-cop trouble” ? are these cops vampires or something? Why is it just the indie kids? (hide spoiler)]
50% (view spoiler)[
Are they really going to paint the bridge? I guess they are. I wonder what it would be like to always have cats following you. What does she mean when she likes nathan and mike? (hide spoiler)]
75% (view spoiler)[
Thats nice someone put the dead kids names there. Oh no not the blue eyed people again. I really want to know more about this nathan.
(hide spoiler)]
Finished (view spoiler)[
Why is he driving away with his lights off? What is nathan up to? Was mike really singing along? Why would anyone wish they had cancer? Oh no thats not good. Who set the bomb and why?
(hide spoiler)]

Ari wrote: "25% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ yeah i was very confused at first as well. i dont know what an indie kid is either. (hide spoiler)]