From a corner in the library

pinterest.com

Book Info

Title: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Author: Judy Blume
Date of publication: 1970
Synopsis: If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God, and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in! Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him?
[From goodreads.com]


 I really don't like to review books that are classics or super well-known because probably whatever I say has been said before. But here I go anyway.
The other book I've read by Judy Blume was Summer Sisters (which according to my copy of Are You There God? is one of her books for adults), so I didn't really know what to expect of this one. But of course I've heard all the fuss about it.
It was super short (read it in about 3 hours...?) and it was fun, simple and perfect for teenagers, I think. The whole religious dilemma really got me, because I live in a country where pretty much everybody is Catholic and you don't really get much say about it. And if you're not Catholic, you'd better not say anything... What really caught my attention was the fact that she was really interested in knowing more about the different religions and she wanted to pick one in which she could 'feel' God. All of this, while her grandmothers were trying to push her into their religions only because it was theirs. Stupid? I don't know... That's what happened to me. And I never really thought about it until I was around 20-21 years old. I guess I still haven't found answers to my questions...
What makes me like the book and think it's perfect for teens is the fact that Margaret spends a lot of her time wondering if she's "normal." Now, I don't remember really thinking about that... but I know that most people do (Trust me, I've seen it). I don't think anybody is normal, even if they try to appear to be so. And what's normal, anyway?
I did feel the book was way to short. There were just some things I wanted to know more about. Like what did Mr. Benedict told her about her letter? And what happened with Laura? And did Barbara forgive her parents? What happened with Janie when she was the last one to get it? They are all stupid questions (and they made me feel like Hazel Grace :P), but I just felt that if I'd read this as a teen, it wouldn't have been enough.
But, you know... BBTTR, right? I'll imagine the rest ;)

Would I read it again? Maybe.

Book info

Title: All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven (http://www.jenniferniven.com/)
Date of publication: January 2015
Synopsis: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. (from https://www.goodreads.com)

Ok. So when a book gets compared to my favorite book and one of my favorite books (The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, respectively), the obvious reaction is to get the book and read it. High expectations were part of the process. Because I mean, TFiOS is TFiOS and John Green is John freaking Green... Now all of a sudden, here comes this book which was published just four months ago and it's getting made into a movie (excited about Elle Fanning...not so much about the guy who's playing Finch). Anyway, I was intrigued. I was curious.  But mostly I was prepared to hate it.
I couldn't.
It's difficult to explain, because I didn't love the characters, I didn't feel like I connected with them, but I somehow enjoyed the book.
Obviously, you might be murdered if you say that you hated a book about teenage suicide. But oddly, that's not what bothered me. Actually that was the part that I liked. I feel like the author things right, though sometimes it was very difficult and confusing.
It's the characters, mainly and for me, what ruined the book. I just couldn't connect with them, I couldn't love Theodore. And the worst part was that I could feel the author trying to make me like him. 
Violet. Well, I felt her pain. I know she suffered and that she was super brave, but I don't know...
The first part of the book reminded me of It's Kind of a Funny Story. The two teenage kids with mental problems and suicidal thoughts (been done before). And omg! Once he died, it just felt like I was reading a bad version of Paper Towns, you know? When Q starts looking for Margo and finding the clues.


So I didn't love them, I didn't love their love, I didn't love the book but I (in lack of a better word) like the story. I know that when you're depressed it all feels useless, like life is just a bunch of moments of waiting before you die. And nothing or no one can make you change your mind or the way you feel. Even though you want somebody to help you out, even though you're hiding what you're feeling. Confusing. Like Finch.

Something that made my blood boiled was the fact that his family didn't really care about him. Oh, but they were crying when he was gone:  
Next to him is Decca, and then Kate, and then Mrs. Finch. Everyone is crying, even the dad.
Fuck! I know he was good at hiding things. Even Violet was kept in the dark. But his mom and Kate?! They lived in the same house! How could they think it's normal that he just disappear from time to time?! And the dad? Just don't get me started on the dad...

So, yeah... it was a pretty confusing book. No, actually, it wasn't confusing... but it caused confusing emotions. I hope what I wrote here makes sense. Because it was terribly difficult to make up my mind as for how many stars to rate it with.

Would I read it again? Probably not.