vyhurz

Wow, this book blew me away, and I did not expect that at all. Our main character, 16-year-old Aza, lives with OCD and anxiety. I personally don't have OCD, but I do have depression and anxiety. Much of what Aza describes in this book - wanting to get outside of herself, away from her body, away from her thoughts - was extremely relatable for me, and I was on the verge of tears at many different points. It's been a long time since a book made me cry. I can't tell you how much I loved this book. I recommend this to everyone, but especially those who live with mental illness and those who want to understand what it's like to live with mental illness.

(I'm currently doing this from my phone as I just moved and don't have internet. I apologize for brevity and errors!)

I hated this book from the beginning. I only finished it to see how it differed from the movie. It is full to the brim with misogyny and hatred for the mentally ill. I even took screenshots (I read the ebook) while reading to share on Twitter and in my video review, whenever I can make that.

I won't spoil anything, but Paul, our main character, uses the rape word twice to describe something unpleasant. He refers to most women in the book as bitches. He goes on tangents describing how simple minded his female fan base must be. It was highly insulting and aggravating to read. Hating Annie, calling her a bitch, makes sense. But Paul feels the same towards all women.

Then there's the talk about the mentally ill. In this book, they don't need help. They're just scary. King boils it down to this handy statement: “Depressives kill themselves. Psychotics, rocked in the poison cradles of their own egos, want to do everyone handy a favor and take them along.” That's useful.

I hate this book. Do not recommend. Even if I could get past these things, the actual story is boring, gruesome, and gratuitous. This should have been a short story or novella.