Award-winning writer Patrick Ness's bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
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Summary
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness's bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
Description
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully asks what if you weren't the Chosen One? The one who's supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you were 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 might just be the God of mountain lions... An exceptional novel from the author praised by John Green as "an insanely beautiful writer".
Awards
Short-listed for Carnegie Medal 2016
Short-listed for "The Bookseller" YA Book Prize 2016
Critic Reviews
What if you weren’t the Chosen One? The one supposed to fight the Zombies or the soul eating ghosts? What if you have problems bigger than the end of the world, and just want to graduate and go to prom? This is a novel about ordinary kids, their hopes, dreams and relationships, while the indies kids run around saving humanity in the background. Ness is a writer who always surprises and this won’t disappoint. I greatly enjoyed the subversion of YA tropes – the chapter descriptions are a particular delight – but the warmth of the relationships stood out for me: siblings, friends and lovers. Smart, funny and original. Don’t miss it.
Fiona Noble
The Bookseller
This book is so excellent. So beautiful. So honest and so painful … Ultimately, The Rest of Us is a story of the hope, fear, anxiety and uncertainty that comes with the end of childhood and the trepidation that comes with stepping into the life of adulthood. It condenses the pressures that young people feel at this stage of their life – both from the outside and from the inside, and weaves this sense of melancholy into the very bones of the words it uses. It also portrays mental illness in a blunt, honest and painful way that helps to break up stigmas and stereotypes. OCD is not liking your books in alphabetical order – it’s a dangerous and debilitating disease. In this way, as well others, Ness has created a diversity in his characters that so many books still beg for, and certainly that the community is crying out for. -- Shinra Alpha Shinra Alpha
I thoroughly enjoyed The Rest of Us Just Live Here as it truly tapped into the minds of all these individual voices and showed us how it can feel to be lost amongst people. -- SisterSpooky SisterSpooky
This is Ness at his best. -- Marilyn Brocclehurst The Bookseller
A new Patrick Ness novel is always an event and this smart, funny book is a highlight of the year for me. -- Fiona Noble The Bookseller
This is a brave, refreshing multi-layered novel from an award-winning author. -- Carousel Carousel
If you're getting tired of the romantic tropes and general Chosen One vibes coming from YA books, then you'll love The Rest of Us Just Live Here. It provides a great tongue-in-cheek commentary to many popular series, but in a way that even fans like me can appreciate and enjoy. The cast is well-written and diverse. Not everything is tied up at the end, but in life it never is. I'd normally recommend a book 'for fans of', but I can't think of another book quite like this – I'm going to be throwing it at any and every person I come across who expresses a vague interest in reading. And all the others, too. I'm just going to recommend it to everyone, okay? It was an ambitious idea, but it was funny and angsty and heartwarming and I absolutely loved it. The Guardian Online
The characters of Mikey and his friends are so well drawn that we are fundamentally not that interested in the otherworldly goings-on of the Indie kids, but that, of course, is the point of the story […] This is a thoroughly satisfying read, and is highly recommended. -- Amanda Bell Inis
One of 2015’s best YA novels The Bookseller
Ness’s status as one of our finest authors for young adults is reinforced by this original and bold coming-of-age story in which he sets authentic teenage characters – and their self-absorbed emotions – against a backdrop of mysterious supernatural battles… This is a clever, witty and warm celebration of the battle to survive adolescence. The Daily Mail
In this smart, funny and entertaining novel, Ness successfully challenges the notion that real life is elsewhere. The Daily Telegraph
Exploring the transitional moment from school to university, this novel is full of hope, empathy and how it feels to be young. The Sunday Times
Unusual, smart, and a great read for teenagers looking for something different. Country life
“exceptionally clever” Irish Times, Children’s Books of the Year recommended by Sinead O’Hart
“Choosing a book for a teenager is tricky – too childish and you risk being patronising, while some “young adult” fiction may be a little too adult. But if there’s one author who strikes the perfect balance, it’s American Patrick Ness. His Doctor Who spin-off, Class, on BBC3 this autumn, was like Byker Grove with added aliens. Ness’s The Rest of US Just Live Here is also set in a high school. If that’s a hit, try A Monster Calls next – a film starring Sigourney Weaver, Felicity jones and Liam Neeson hits cinemas in the new year.” Radio Times
“This book was a really good mix of sad and funny and expertly explores the lives of more ordinary teenagers in a YA world – though it also shows that no life is ‘ordinary’. […] It’s a really good insight into a teenage life […] and is a must-read for any teen going through the fun(?) if growing up – they’ll see themselves reflected in the book, and learn that change is OK (really). Teen Titles, reader review
“Brilliantly written, entirely remarkable and utterly readable. It is both worldly and intimate. This is pure genius.” Fallen Star Stories
Written with warmth and intelligence, this coming-of-age story tackles issues around OCD, eating disorders, family strife and (maybe) the end of the world. Children's Books Ireland - Mind Yourself
About the Author
Patrick Ness is the award-winning and best-selling author of the Chaos Walking trilogy, A Monster Calls and More Than This. John Green has described him as "an insanely beautiful writer". He has won every major prize in children's fiction, including the Carnegie Medal twice. He's written the film of A Monster Calls and the first Chaos Walking film is slated for release in 2020. He lives in Los Angeles, USA.
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