The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Released: 27th August 2015
Published by: Walker Books
Genre: YA Contemporary/Paranormal
Source: Publisher
Pages: 282
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
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.
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
Thank you to Walker Books Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
The idea of 'the chosen one' is one that permeates YA and seems to follow a similar pattern: certain seemingly average teenager is suddenly in the midst of some sort of crisis or revolution which they must find the solution to. What Patrick Ness has artfully done in The Rest of Us Just Live Here is turn this common trope on its head. Dealing with the struggles of ordinary adolescent life in a world where the extraordinary lies on the outskirts of normal existence, this is a story that is subtly told and more engrossing than I first thought it to be.
What's the point of lying about anything? We could keep being too afraid to say we don't know stuff and then the future will come and eat us anyway and we'll regret not doing all those things we wished we did. You know?
Mikey isn't trying to be a hero, and instead of having the responsibility of trying to save the world, he's just trying to focus on getting through high school and manage his OCD. That's not to say that he isn't special. In a society where the times of zombies and vampires have been more than just tropes in fiction, Mikey and his friends have more challenges than your typical teen today. There are weird creatures about and things happening in the city which simply can't be explained. I really found it fascinating to see how the author blended both elements of a contemporary and a touch of the paranormal, all while making everything seem almost normal.
We share our craziness, our neuroses, our little bit of screwed-up-ness that comes from our family. We share it. And it feels like love.
Whenever I've picked up a Patrick Ness novel, I've learnt to expect something surreal - a reality that is in many ways similar to our own and yet at the same time utterly different. With a hint at the supernatural and creative prose, this ended up being a truly unique read. At first I have to admit I wasn't totally convinced I would enjoy this one, but the more I read and got to know what was happening on the sidelines from the main plot I became inadvertently hooked. This is a story in a story, an inception-like creation that divulges only a small part of the real action at the beginning of each chapter. The 'indie kids' are the characters who we don't get to know in great detail, and yet their tribulations are so central to the plot. This really is a reversal of what you would expect from a traditional novel, and I applaud it for its unflinching divergence from the trend.
Not everyone has to be the Chosen One. Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world. Most people just have to live their lives the best they can, doing the things that are great for them, having great friends, trying to make their lives better, loving people properly. All the while knowing the world makes no sense but trying to find a way to be happy anyway.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In all, The Rest of Us Just Lives Here will definitely appeal to existing Ness fans who are used to his unique way of storytelling, and could undoubtedly win him some new fans as well. It's a novel which teaches us that no, you don't have to be the 'chosen one', but that doesn't ever mean you're insignificant because everybody has their purpose.
In all, The Rest of Us Just Lives Here will definitely appeal to existing Ness fans who are used to his unique way of storytelling, and could undoubtedly win him some new fans as well. It's a novel which teaches us that no, you don't have to be the 'chosen one', but that doesn't ever mean you're insignificant because everybody has their purpose.
I LOVED this book. Patrick Ness is just incredible, isn't he? I don't think there's a genre he doesn't write well. This book kind of has something for everyone :D
ReplyDeleteHe is! His books never quite fit into one genre very easily since they're so diverse - and that's what makes them special.
DeleteI wasn't really that interested in this one, I have so much to read, but after reading your review, this sounds like a book I would really enjoy. Great review, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYay! I hope you do get to reading it Rochelle, it's such a unique read :)
DeleteYay! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Eugenia! This one sounds amazing and I'm so glad oyu enjoyed it - I definitely need to read more Patrick Ness!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Ebony! More Patrick Ness means more awesome reading :)
DeleteYippee, glad to hear you ended up enjoying this one because of the alternative storyline against the tropes! This one I wasn't the biggest fan of, but I did appreciate the difference.
ReplyDeleteI can see why it wouldn't appeal to everyone as it is quite a quirky read, though I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what he'll write next.
DeleteI LOVED this book. Like you, I wasn't sure if I would end up liking and because of how much hype there is around Patrick Ness in general, I was kind of scared of what I would think. But I ended up falling in love. The prose was so simple but completely captivating, and I love how it turned YA paranormal tropes on their head, making fun of them but still respecting them in a way (if that makes sense).
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it, too :D And I definitely agree with what you've said about it gaining him new fans because there's one right here!
Lovely review as always <3
Exactly! It did really impress me overall despite the hype, and I'm glad for that :)
DeleteI really enjoyed this one too! It was so unique, and I loved Ness' take on the whole reversal real life in a fantastical setting. Such a wonderful story, and Mikey was a great narrator too!
ReplyDeleteJoy @ Thoughts By J
Mikey was definitely a good narrator - his voice was realistic and believable, definitely one that made the story easy to read and engrossing.
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