corrigan's Reviews (451)

I did not expect to be crying at the end of this book, but here we are.

Thought this was going to be boring and humorless, but it was actually quite funny at parts and largely captivating. If you're not a completest, an abridged version would probably be perfect. But I don't regret the hours spent learning esoteric whale and boat facts in this read. Somehow he makes it all so poetic.

This book is not really about a beach, nor is it really a beach read, not is it about a beach read. The characters live near a beach they don't really go to, and they write. Their reading habits aren't particularly central to the story. Somewhere Near a Beach Write. There. Fixed it.

Anyway, the title isn't the only thing misleading about this book. There are so many things going on, from January's mom's cancer to her dad's affair, to Gus's lousy childhood and his failed love life, to a genre swap challenge, to a local book club and a local death cult. And amidst all of this, we mostly just get the main characters being sarcastic at each other to the point where it feels like they have nothing in common and their relationship is held together by negging. January is constantly having meltdowns over absolutely nothing and it is a chore to be inside her head. I don't even know what I'd tell people this book is about.

The one thing I'll say in its favor is that the ending of Gus's book is brilliant.

This is definitely aimed at Gen-Z, and I felt a little old and disconnected reading it. That said, I think it's worthwhile to get a sense of where young people are coming from in facing the threat of climate change. The imminence of its devastating effects have forced them to be far more "political," for lack of a better word, than many teens have been in the past. He emphasizes that already marginalized people are the ones who are and will continue to be most impacted by climate change, but he also makes it clear that no one will be protected from it. Privilege will run out.

I appreciated that he focused on solutions, and making sure this isn't our imminent extinction. He celebrates, parties (alcohol free), makes music. He makes sure it's clear that staving off climate change requires art and science and passion and politics all bound up together. Teenagers should read it to understand on a basic level how they can be involved in fighting climate change, and older generations should read it and understand how important it is that we don't just leave this work for the kids.

Well, I'm destroyed.

I don't usually reread books because there are just too many I haven't yet read, but I know I will come back to this one over and over.

I'm glad so many others have dedicated their time to in-depth reviews of this book, because it is a mess and I just cannot be arsed.