Rating (Out of 5): ~4
Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Hyperion (Disney Book Group)
Release Date: October 2018
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Joel Higgins has 901 unsent text messages saved on his phone.
Ever since the thing that happened, there are certain people he hasn't been able to talk to in person. Sure, he shows up at school, does his mandatory volunteer hours at the soup kitchen, and spends pretty much every moment thinking about Eli, the most amazing girl in the world. But that doesn't mean he's keeping it together, or even that he has any friends.
So instead of hanging out with people in real life, he drafts text messages. But he never presses send.
As dismal as sophomore year was for Joel, he doesn't see how junior year will be any better. For starters, Eli doesn't know how he feels about her, his best friend Andy's gone, and he basically bombed the SATs. But as Joel spends more time at the soup kitchen with Eli and Benj, the new kid whose mouth seems to be unconnected to his brain, he forms bonds with the people they serve there-including a veteran they call Rooster-and begins to understand that the world is bigger than his own pain.
Ever since the thing that happened, there are certain people he hasn't been able to talk to in person. Sure, he shows up at school, does his mandatory volunteer hours at the soup kitchen, and spends pretty much every moment thinking about Eli, the most amazing girl in the world. But that doesn't mean he's keeping it together, or even that he has any friends.
So instead of hanging out with people in real life, he drafts text messages. But he never presses send.
As dismal as sophomore year was for Joel, he doesn't see how junior year will be any better. For starters, Eli doesn't know how he feels about her, his best friend Andy's gone, and he basically bombed the SATs. But as Joel spends more time at the soup kitchen with Eli and Benj, the new kid whose mouth seems to be unconnected to his brain, he forms bonds with the people they serve there-including a veteran they call Rooster-and begins to understand that the world is bigger than his own pain.
The Cover:
This cover is very fitting. It's a little simple, and not super eye-catching, but I like the usage of words and how it's blurring the background. It signifies how Joel is feeling really well, along with the hint of his unsent texts.
Review:
After losing someone, Joel doesn't really talk to people. He doesn't
have many friends, he's mostly just going to school and volunteering
at the soup kitchen. Wanting to talk to Eli, the girl from the soup
kitchen, and yet never saying anything. Instead, he has drafts of
texts he wanted to send, wanted to say, but hasn't.
Joel is a good guy, he just doesn't know what to do with himself. He
feels alone now, and thus starts his collection of odd people. Eli,
who's already there for him. The new guy at the soup kitchen, and the
patrons of the kitchen. With the help of his new friend Benji, he
starts to finally accept what happened, accept himself, and let
himself open up.
There is a twist near the end of the book, and for a bit it felt like
it was going in a tragedy direction. I'm happy to say that, while
there are serious matters and a serious event, things mostly work
out. Joel grows a lot, in good ways. His voice was nice to listen to,
as well. He's thoughtful, alone and upset and processing everything still. His texts were fun to follow. And the romance, though not the main focus, was also really
sweet.
This book feels like a bit of an underdog, and it kind of stands out
for it, to me. It was a good book, and I'm glad I picked it up.
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