Mock Printz 2026 discussion
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The Rest of Us Just Live Here
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The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
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Jenna
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rated it 3 stars
Nov 01, 2015 07:06AM
Our November read is The Rest of Us Just Live Here! Is this the book that will finally get beloved author Patrick Ness a Printz Award?
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I was very underwhelmed with this Ness book. I loved the Chaos Walking trilogy and A monster calls, was not wild about More than this, though. I saw many people give The Rest of Us 4 or 5 stars, but honestly, they must have read a completely different book than I did. I'm sorry to say but it was just boring. What if you're not 'the chosen one'...interesting premise, but then what? Nothing much happens here.
Okay, so if you have a more or less plotless book, it's up to' the characters' to make it interesting to read. But the characters are, you know, dull, undeveloped. Boring.
I honestly can't see this as a Printz contender. If anything, Ness should have gotten that with Chaos Walking (Knife or Monsters of Men). Too bad he was still very much 'under the radar' in the States back then.
I gave this book a 4.5 after my initial read. This book is promoted as the story about the not-so-chosen ones but there is so much more going on that I think a lot of YA overlook. This book is under 350 pages and there are about nine characters but they are all different and well developed. Our main character, Mikey, suffers from OCD and his condition worsens as issues such as his parents, his siblings, his love interest, and his friendships arise. I recently read a different book that was all about OCD but I felt that Ness’ writing captured the essence of the disorder even though it was one of many themes in this book. Jacob is gay but the book doesn’t make a big deal out of it. It makes a big deal out of Jacob’s big heart and that he’s a wonderful friend.
It’s a good story for teens who feel like the least liked among their group of friends, which I think all of us have experienced even as adults. It’s not one of those stories where the teen suddenly has a life epiphany; it’s a story about a boy who has issues and asks an adult for help-which is realistic. I like to think Ness did this on purpose seeing as many sci-fi books feature sixteen year olds who know everything and figure it all out by themselves.
If there were 10 nominees, I think this would have a solid chance because of the voice. I don't think it will make it to the top four.
I'm with Ringo. This book was not special like the Chaos Walking series. If the books in that series didn't get the Printz nod, I don't think this one has a prayer. That said, I do think if I can talk teens into reading it they will like it. Of the 30 plus books I've read so far as potential Printz candidates I'd place this one in the bottom third, unfortunately, because I really wanted to love it.
For me a lot of the underwhelming feelings was because the main characters were a little to distant from the chosen groups fighting evil. As a deep Buffy fan, i expected more of a sidekick as primary character story, not a group of teens completely separated from the supernatural activity. I love Ness, but I think the premise was stronger than the execution. I still gave it four stars, since i finished it and liked it enough.
Did anyone else notice that the cover glows in the dark? That really freaked me out, lol!
Tina wrote: "Did anyone else notice that the cover glows in the dark? That really freaked me out, lol!" I must see this immediately
I just finished this book, and while I think it's not Ness's best, I think I liked it. I enjoyed the characters, and thought they were well developed in their ordinariness as a group, but they each had something unique about them. I loved the parallel story of the indie kids being told through the elaborate chapter titles before Ness brings it into the narrative itself. The plot of the book may not be the most exciting, but it has a definite arc to it. The theme of finding extraordinary in the ordinary is well done.
I don't think it will garner any medals, but it definitely has literary merit.
It was just ok but I didn't love it. I don't really get into books that have supernatural elements in them. I just seem to glaze over those parts. I do like the part about unrequited love though.
I'm with all of the above: liked it, didn't love it. It was rather sweet - with anxious Mikey wondering if his friends really liked him! (OCD nicely done.) This could easily be a novel for sixth graders. Not your usual intense Ness read.
