Reasons to read:
1. An unlikable main character
Hear me out. Liz is cruel, broken, and just plain toxic to those around her. The beauty about this book is that we get to experience her development. The different stages of her life–from childhood to the day she decides to end her life–are presented beautifully. While you might hate her decision, you also grow to understand them. Isn’t that awesome? Zhang created a very interesting and complex character and I love her for it.
2. The feels
As you can probably tell by the summary, this novel is an emotional sucker-punch to the heart. There’s something about it that makes it feel very personal. Reading about someone who is spiraling out of control is never easy. I didn’t get emotional but I did feel like I had a sock down my throat. I wanted to change the outcome somehow but all I could do was read and enjoy the ride.
3. The writing
This novel had me from the very first sentence. The tone of the book is very dark, but the story itself is gripping and poignant. Amy Zhang (a high school student!) crafted an emotional journey about self-destruction and second chances.
Reasons to pass:
If you’re sensitive to suicide/depressing stories, you might want to skip this one. While I enjoyed it immensely, it can be a little slow at times and the end feels a little rushed. Other than that, I think all of you should keep the release date of this beautiful novel in mind!
