BOOK 129: MORE THAN THIS: PATRICK
NESS
More Than This is a young adult novel
by Patrick Ness, published by
Candlewick Press
in 2013. It follows a teenage boy named Seth who, after drowning in the ocean,
wakes up alone on a desolate suburban English street in what he believes to be hell.
More Than This was reviewed
favorably by critics and readers. Martin Chilton of The Telegraph
describes the novel as "an impressively challenging and philosophical book
for young adults," capturing "ambiguity and bewilderment of being
young and the uncertainty of what will happen to any of us next in life." Tony
Bradman of The Guardian
concurred, writing: "Seth is a terrific exemplar of the eternal teenage
desire for there to be, in the words of the novel's title, "more than this”
“As of early March 2015 the book scores 4.04 out of 5 stars on the social
reading site Goodreads
John Green's
review of More Than This is printed on the front cover of the book. John
comments, "Just read it."
MY VERDICT: I started this book
full of hope, I do not usually read books as new as this, or aimed at young
adults, but I had seen so many great reviews that I felt compelled to read it. I
hated it… at first. It started so badly
that I was not looking forward to the rest. I can understand why it is clunky
at the start but it really could have been written better. And it does get better, it had me hooked
after the third or forth chapter and I was glad I persevered because it was
thoroughly entertaining. Admittedly a
little juvenile for me but like watching a good children’s TV program it had me
empathizing with the characters and dying to know how it would end.
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