Margaret

Something for this didn't fully click with me. I understand the broader attempt at being uplifting and motivational, and the general feel-good aspect to it.

I balk at the premise that depression is a direct result from the choices you make in life, and that it's simply an attitude adjustment to fix, or that in the process of making better choices, it would be resolved. Or that the final notion of “life is wonderful, appreciate what you have, isn’t life beautiful and messy and amazing” will single-handedly solve it in any way. (Sidebar: Should we romanticize life more? Yes.)

It is also not the culmination of regretful choices.

It is a nice nod to the fact that grass is typically never greener on the other side, but i recognize that i am more than likely not the target demographic for this book, who would gain an appreciation from it, and would find this helpful/properly uplifting.

29 books with the same character in the same series is prob a few too many

These kinds of books aren't known for their character development (which is fine with me, i don't necessarily read them for the character development) somehow this book has even less

A bit disappointed the author used the “failed to check for trackers” trope (one of my least favorite, alongside the miscommunication one), but happy it was addressed before getting to the car chase/finding the McGuffin part (i prob read way too many of these kinds of books).

So hard to be trope-savvy when it’s magical

9/10 for prose, feels like a Kodak in book form, with that said:

I fear i need a man to explain to me the male perspective that's here, because what do you mean.

I have many a non sequitur thought, but boils down to feeling so aimless (to a frustrating degree) that i fear i don't understand the point:

- as mentioned, Kodak film if it was a book - there's the constant reiteration that you never truly know another person - I don't really care about the girls, and don't understand why they're worth obsessing over (or is it just being tragic figures that were/are unattainable). to that, why is this whole group of boys so obsessed with people so unknown to them - i don't care for the narration choice of these (now middle-aged) men thinking about them decades later (why does it seems like these men haven't developed/moved past it? it's not about them). it doesn't read as "hauntingly beautiful" or whatever. ambiguity/not knowing doesn't make it better/more deep?? the girls died and now it's about these random men's feelings & projections, great

Like sure there's nuances and other symbolism I've left untouched (namely, the tragedy of the sisters, and the "baggage", so to speak, of those remaining), but my reaction continues to be ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

tldr: i think I'm too much of a substance reader vs a vibe reader