Z’s Reviews > More Than This > Status Update

TLDR

+Engaging for all 400+ pages
+even side characters got heart breaking backstories and whispers of color even if we don’t hear from them much or again
+gay
+nods to knowing exactly what reader is thinking
+found family babyyyyy
+I liked the ending, stayed in tone
-small repetitions could have been trimmed but I wasn’t bored so it’s only a half -

4.5* round to 5 since I went back to re-read

The topics of hope and existentialism woven into a cool mystery drove this book home for me and as I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time, I went ahead and re-read it 5 years later. And since hope is throughout, having a hopeful ending was so much more in-tone with this novel than having a set in stone happy or bittersweet or even mortal one.

On the topic of the abrupt ending (abrupt not b/c it wasn’t built up to or earned but in the cut-off), the author definitely set us up for expecting to not have many questions answered. Since we only experience the simulated life in flashbacks or dreams of the characters (or neck node touching) I think it was safe to assume from the second Seth laid out his plan that we were not going to see the other side of it.

Covers difficult topics but not in any overtly-philosophical way, it is definitely rooted in realism in the differing ways Regine and Tomasz respond to learning their stories.

Book kept me engaged and despite 400+ pages I really don’t have any more information than the characters. I know just about everything they do and that’s it (actually, I might know even less than Seth does). How could I not feel affection for Regine and Tomasz?

They prepare to send MC back in for 60 seconds as a test run and he has no idea what will happen but actually wants to find out

Who will take care of the rest of the coffins now? And did the Driver only save him once he pled for his life (would play into this is a purgatory acceptance trial for him, but then again he is dead set on wanting to come back to R and T so thematically defeats the purpose)

MC was always searching for more and couldn’t see it. H offering friendship, his dad saying sorry, G tho unreachable now was clearly in love w him too

He plans to go back. Before, ppl went back and forth then when the world went to crap they stayed there permanently. He briefly thinks how these guardian angels he met may be preparing him to accept his death. Program in a program?

when he finds Regine she’s stuck in a loop of her death, he frees her and she is so thankful he chose to come. That was enough. Just when resigned to their fates T comes barreling in the van and crushes the Driver

H came over and confessed that Monica broke up w him and she found the photos cuz she was sleeping w G too. G didn’t want his friends to suffer and she liked him so much he gave her that

Driver knocks both boys out and takes Regine (why not all 3?)

Racing to the prison MC goes in and finds screen where he pauses her reconnection, the Driver is putting her back in minutes before her death, possibly to fix her death to be final not a wake up. Driver comes running to screen ignoring him so MC starts opening coffins so it has to fix them

His parents blamed him when it was the adult who left her children alone

Seth self-absorbed in his guilt when the protectors of his life failed

R’s protectors failed too. Her stepfather abused and pushed her down the stairs. That’s why she fights to protect Tomasz. As the Driver hid waiting for them goes for T she pushes in between them like the lady did for her. She goes down to the stun baton noooooo Regine :(