dlrosebyh's Reviews (773)

Alice Davis goes on a run on January 1st. Her very first fun. It's terrible and embarrassing, but so was the fact that the one college she cares about rejected her application. Alice is aware that she has to stop moaning about how useless she is to her best friend Jenni and her pet mouse Walter. She doesn't realize, however, that by taking those first steps outside, she is beginning a journey full of new difficulties, such as painful side stitches, chafing in inappropriate places, and a fast-paced first love, and fortifying herself to endure when the going suddenly becomes harder than she could have ever imagined.

Although I admire the book's goal, I'm not a great fan. It did a great job of handling loss, rejection, and denial. Thus, this book begins with Alice being turned down by Yale, her top dream school. She owned a rodent by the name of Walter. Walter has been there for Alice through good times and bad. It is certainly not a good combination to get denied from your dream school while yearning for academic praise. We lack optimism, light, enthusiasm, and hope.

Despite the fact that Alice had just recently begun running, we watched her progress with it, and she showed signs of development, she wasn't the runner others had made her out to be. The characters didn't seem to be as likeable to me. except for Joan, that is. I cherished Joan. Alice was very conceited and unappreciative. And for some reason, I don't like Miles. Their romance was not it and was lacking chemistry.

— i am in misery.

guys idk how to tell you but this fic literally owns everything in me. my mind, my body, my heart, my soul ?? “fanfics aren’t real literature” idk but this fic is PEAK literature here

Sweet Rose has aspirations of finding love and starting her own tiny coffee business. Being a romantic, Rose marrying the icy Jack is completely out of character, but sometimes you have to make a radical decision because of circumstances. Jack is an absolute perfectionist with a promising future. He never makes errors. And being married to Rose—even solely for business purposes—might be a bad decision. Jack doesn't have emotions, but over time he begins to fall in love with Rose and can't stop thinking about her. As long as she can, Rose clings to the idea that "it's just a contract," but her feelings for Jack also shift.

Given the intriguing idea, I completely did not expect a character-driven narrative like this. The story started out moving pretty slowly. The personalities struck me as dull and shallow. Rose would frequently weep about how jack never smiled and was a miserable asshole. 

But as the narrative progressed, I began to feel a connection to the people and the plot. I was unable to put it down. The conflict was the sole reason I gave it 3.75 stars instead of 4 or 5. I felt the conflict was very ridiculous and didn't enjoy it.

Instead of reading a novel, it feels more like reading a journal that has all the tropes blended into one. It had advantages and disadvantages. I wasn't a big fan of the prose, but I wasn't completely against it either. I simply believe it might be better.

i wish it was better, tbh. the writing was obviously better but the ending was just horrible.

i hate holden but i love his gf

Craig learns at his new school that he isn't as smart as the other students; he's merely average, and perhaps not even that. He quickly witnesses the demise of his formerly ideal future. When the tension becomes intolerable, Craig stops eating and sleeping, and one night, he comes dangerously close to committing himself.

Due to a suicidal episode, Craig is admitted to a psychiatric institution where he meets the self-elected President Armelio, a transgender sex addict, and a girl who has cut her own face with scissors. Craig is finally able to tackle the causes of his anxiousness there, away from the overwhelming expectations of school and friends.

Craig has been masterfully executed as a character. I connected with him a lot on a personality level. I'm afraid of change, any kind of change. EVERYTHING applies, including character, appearance, height, weight, place, friends, and mental stability. Reading this book made me feel more visible than ever before. Some might argue that craig is an irritating or unbearable character, but I truly adored him. I feel like my guardian angel actually delivered this book as a blessing for me. Am I prejudiced? probably.

I was cautious to pick this book at first. I mean, it could seem careless for a book to include a hilarious anecdote about despair. It's important to remember that depression is not something to be joked about or treated lightly. The portrayal of mental illness and how it was handled were both wonderful in this novel. The majority of books I've read on depression or mental health in general romanticized the condition, but this one dealt with everything so expertly and at just the correct speed.