I had just DNFed two books (one rather forcefully with an actual slam of the pages) and had decided that maybe I just didn't like reading. Maybe books are not my thing anymore. Maybe I should just scroll reddit while pseudo watching television like other people in the world. Maybe my entire identity as a bookworm is false and I need to get a new hobby. Thankfully Side Effects May Vary by July Murphy was the next book in my stack or who knows what I would be doing right now. Possibly nothing good.
Alice is a teenager. She discovers her mom is cheating on her dad and then she finds out she has cancer. The cancer goes into remission and then Alice is terrible, terrible to everyone in her life.
I recently learned the phrase "dirtying the nest" in a blog post about someone whose child was going off to college and was a real pill in the days leading up to dorm drop off. And that's what it seems like was going on with Alice in this book. She had a way she thought things were going to go (she would die) and then when that never happened, she was just pushing everyone away. It makes sense and was an interesting look at that psychological impact of actually surviving a serious illness.
Also, my husband and I also have decided that asshat (page 204) does not count as a hat mention. This has come up before and I've never actually written about an intense discussion we had about it once. We concluded that it doesn't meet the spirit of the hat scavenger hunt.
4/5 stars
Lines of note:
Our conversation ratio was a solid 10:1. Debora ten, me one. (page 191)
LOLOLOLOL. I think it's more like 25:1 in our house.
I'm going to give thinks, I swear. But first, I want to tell you - whoever you are - that I barely graduated high school and completely bombed the SAT. I am telling you this be cause I want you to know that the path to dreams is flawed, and it is the beauty of flaws that makes you. (page 331, from the author's acknowledgements)
I thought this was a beautiful thing to write in a YA novel. Happenstance is life, right?
Hat mentions:
"Hey, guy!" I yelled through my still-open window. "The hat!" I said, motioning to my head. "Hand it over." Alice punched me in the thigh. "Now." He took his time walking to the car, trying to make a sad display of James Dean cool, and tossed the hat into my lap. (page 86)
I heard Eric moving behind me, and a minute later he appeared in front of me with his hat on and my hoodie in his hand. (page 142-3)
The four of us got out of the car, all bundled up in winter coats, hats, and scarves. (page 146)
...tugging down on her purple knit hat...(page 146)
I have literally never heard the term asshat until today? But I guess I'd have to agree - after looking up the definition - that it doesn't quite fit the MO. Too bad, because that would be a funny addition to your growing hat quote collection.
ReplyDeleteHa. And books not your thing. I think you'd DNF a million books in a row (perish the thought) and still keep trying!
Asshat comes up more than you might think in the books I read. And I always puzzle over including it. But now I have a rule and the rule is that it doesn't count!
DeleteI love the term asshat. I don't use it nearly often enough. I agree that it doesn't count as "hat" but I'd be willing to debate it if anyone had strong feelings.
ReplyDeleteI think the rule for DNF is that it's never you. It might be the book, or it might be the intersection of the book and where your head is at a particular moment in time. The next book that was meant to be will come along soon enough. Scrolling reddit and watching TV is an option, except oops I can't remember the last time that I saw a good TV show.
I just really hate it when I DNF books in a sequence because it makes it seem like it IS me. One of these is a book you really enjoyed, too, so I start to think maybe I'm just not a good enough reader. LOL. Like there's some measure for it!
DeleteI just looked this up and it's not at my library! Maybe it's on the CPL ebook, I'll check that out.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! I didn't know it wasn't widely available. Egads. I try to note it when it's not easily accessible.
DeleteThis book sounds good! And I'm glad you don't have to give up reading- think what a sad life that would be.
ReplyDeleteYes, this book is solely responsible for me not having to give up reading forever. ;)
DeleteThank goodness you hit a good one! I know that when I've been on a streak of books I don't get caught up in, I start to wonder what's wrong with me. When it's just that the books aren't right for me! No book works for every reader at every moment.
ReplyDeleteYes. Maybe I'll revisit those books some other time. (Or maybe not.)
DeleteThe reading slump malaise struggle is real, yo. Usually when that happens to me I have to read a paper book rather than on my ipad - makes zero sense, but works.
ReplyDeleteI agree about asshat - it's not quite a hat, not quite an ass, belongs in neither category.
It IS at my library, and is available this very moment as an ebook, but I have JUST resolved to pause the library ebooks until i catch up on Kindle reads. It is a DILEMMA.
Allison! They were both paper books!
DeleteDon't worry about reading this one. It's good, but not FANTASTIC.
I appreciate the visual of you slamming a book shut. Phew, glad this book was one you enjoyed. I'd hate to have a 3rd DNF book steer you off your bookwork path forever. I love that you and your husband had a discussion about whether or not asshat would count towards your 'hat' tally. So funny.
ReplyDeleteI did slam it shut and I said some choice words. Sigh. Sometimes I'm too prudish!
DeleteOMG... I think I always thought asshat was said "Ass -shat" and something to do with comparing said person to excrement. I learn so much about popular culture here.
ReplyDeleteYou've never heard anyone say it out loud?! We use it with some regularity in my house. Maybe we're more vulgar than you!
DeleteOkay, now I am thinking way too hard about what "asshat" means and what "an asshat" is. Why is the word "hat" in there at all? An actual hat made out of ass would be... far weirder and more upsetting than what I think of when I call a person an asshat.
ReplyDeleteI have had a rough spate of DNFs, too, Engie, and it sucks. I tried five separate audiobooks and could not deal with ANY OF THEM. I even got 25% through the first one but my mind kept wandering. Then I found a good one (The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center) and now that's done so I'm back to the drawing board. I just downloaded two more and will hope for the best. Maybe I will see if this book is available? I don't know -- it sounds like it could be emotionally rough. And I also just finished a book with cancer as a theme... Hmmm.... Maybe I will wait a while on this one.
Audiobooks are SO HARD to get into. I have to give them a lot longer than a book I'm reading with my own eyes to grab me. But I'm starting to learn that there are narrators I like and so I try to go with them. But celebrity narrators are a no go for me. I've learned that, too!
DeleteThe serious convo about the merits of "asshat" as a hat mention :D!!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting and unusual premise for a YA book...
There are so many books about teens with cancer. I blame John Green.
DeleteI did have to google asshat. I have come across the world a few times in books and would roughly understand its intention but could have not translated. Now I do. Never not learning reading blogs.
ReplyDeleteGlad you gotten over your book slump so quickly.
LOLOLOL. I didn't even consider explaining asshat for my readers who don't have English as their first language. I'll try to do better about slang.
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