I really wanted to enjoy this book, but in the end most of it fell flat for me. I found the premise engaging, and the resolution offered a fairly sufficient solution to the "issue" the book establishes. However, the execution was weak. There was a lot of "telling" instead of "showing" (character development is displayed as, "I've changed," rather than demonstrating how someone has actually grown). I found many of the characters unrealistic--particularly Merrill. I don't know many teenage guys who like to talk about feelings as much as he does... I also didn't care for Eldon as a narrator. Yes, he is meant to be a jerk. However, rather than growing throughout the text and recognizing some of his self-centered attitude, he continues to be pretty crappy. And I never once believed in the emotional connection, grief, or guilt he felt toward his sister.
I found the conclusion to the sister's story to be the most satisfying part of the resolution, although it was hard to feel any emotional connection to what was supposed to be an "all the feels" type of scene, because the rest of the book hadn't set me up to care about her. Similarly, I was unconcerned with where Eldon and his friends would end up because I simply wasn't emotionally invested in them.
This book could have been amazing. Unfortunately, the movement and emotions of the characters felt inauthentic, and the book never came to life for me. I still like the premise and aspects of the message, but I did not enjoy reading the story.
I found the conclusion to the sister's story to be the most satisfying part of the resolution, although it was hard to feel any emotional connection to what was supposed to be an "all the feels" type of scene, because the rest of the book hadn't set me up to care about her. Similarly, I was unconcerned with where Eldon and his friends would end up because I simply wasn't emotionally invested in them.
This book could have been amazing. Unfortunately, the movement and emotions of the characters felt inauthentic, and the book never came to life for me. I still like the premise and aspects of the message, but I did not enjoy reading the story.