5 Book Opinions
The first thing to note is: I’m not going to call these ‘reviews’, because I really don’t want anyone to assume I have the official qualifications or capabilities to be a true critic. I don’t even want to pass actual judgement on anyone’s books bar my own. Here are simply my gentle opinions on a random five books that I’ve read because a post on Pinterest said it might be a good idea for a blog post to connect with my readers. Please feel free to tell me if you disagree wholeheartedly with any of them.
The second thing is: Please keep in mind that I am so easy to please. I’ve only ever read two books that I actually couldn’t finish and that was more because I can’t stand romanticised infidelity (the writing itself was still pretty enjoyable). The amount of times I’ve read a book or watched a movie and gone ‘holy crap, that was incredible’, only to then read utterly horrible ratings and reviews about it, is insane. I’m trying to say, I love everything, so take this shit with a grain of salt. Mmkay?
Looking for Alaska - John Green
This had to be my first book ‘opinion’. It’s my absolute favourite. There was so much hype for this damn book when I was in school and I’m not disagreeing with a single ‘#omg’ of it. I have truly read this book at least five times and each round, I think I’ll be okay when the thing happens and I never am. I don’t know who hurt our dear Mr Green, but gosh darn, does he know how to portray the inner ouches.
It’s been made into a show if you wanted to check it out. I think it portrayed the characters superbly, but it’ll never quite reach that specific gut wrenching moment like the book can. As sad and ‘oh no, I wish it didn’t play out like that’ as this story is, it nails teenage emotions on the head.
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
I almost want to say this was the first ever book I borrowed from a library that wasn’t for an English assignment or anything. And I’m glad I did. This book is so fucking cute! Another one I’ve read more than once because it’s an easy read and I love a classic ‘pretend boyfriend’ trope. It doesn’t get too hung up on the aesthetic or the poetry of the scene, but still comes out with some beautiful lines. I love the flawed characters and the way nothing really goes to plan but it still works out somehow. It’s quick, too—only set over one night together.
This also has a movie adaptation and—while I really vibe with Kat Dennings as Norah—I don’t know if I was really picturing Michael Cera as a Nick. But it still ended up high on the adorbs scale.
It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover
(Find me a friggin’ white girl right now that isn’t reading this author’s amazing work. IEWU was my introductory book to her stories and, at the time, I was seeing all sorts of comments on the socials about how Colleen Hoover was overrated and too hyped. Let me just say: fuck those opinions. I’m deadset obsessed and gradually working my way through until I’ve read everything of hers.)
It Ends With Us truly changed my opinion on so many things and was done beautifully. I had hope where I didn’t want to have hope and sympathy for characters who may not have deserved it. I ended up reading it until 2am to finish it—which is a dangerous thing when you’re a mother of young children, by the way—and had to silently sob into my pillow to avoid waking hubby. The author’s note is also just as moving, if not more emotional than the book itself.
I’m pretty sure a movie adaptation is currently in the works, and my copy of the sequel, It Starts With Us arrives next week. I’m just praying to the Hoover Goddess that it’s worth it, because my current view is that it was prefect how she left it in book one. So, we shall see. (Side note: I bought this for my Mum as a Chrissie gift because I loved it so much.)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Kay. Let’s just get out all the books-turned-movie in one post, apparently. Another story that was overhyped for very good reason. This was the perfect story for me to read with what I was dealing with in life at the time. The teen years can simultaneously be some of the best and most isolating years of a person’s life and I think Charlie’s letters to the unknown recipient depict this feeling perfectly. This one made me cry (I’m starting to wonder if I’ve ever read a book without crying, though) and the casting in the movie was gold star quality, too.
(Side note: I forced hubby to watch the movie after I wrote this and he liked it too, if that counts for anything 🤷🏼♀️)
Handle with Care - Jodi Picoult
Dammit, I broke the book-turned-movie pattern. But I don’t think I’d want to watch a movie this sad. I don’t know why I thought that reading a tragic story about a young girl with severe osteogenesis imperfecta would be an enjoyable read for my seventeen year old self—but somehow it was. It was so moving and the ending actually made me throw the book across the room with tears. (Yup, I cried. Shocker.) I feel like all of Picoult’s books have that affect on me and I might even give my opinion of another one of hers in the next round of not-reviews.
Thanks for reading this far. If you have any suggestions or recommendations based on how I feel about these titles, then feel free to leave a comment or message somewhere that you think I might see it. But just know, if I don’t like it, you’ll only deepen my trust issues for believing people when they tell me ‘you’ll love this one’.
All my love and thanks for your support!
Kit Hindmarsh x
