Absolutely breathtaking

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Well. Where do I start? This book is absolutely fan-bloody-tastic. It's definitely one of my favourite YA books ever!

Having been slightly underwhelmed by Sutherland's novel, 'Our Chemical Hearts', I was pleasantly shocked by the sheer cleverness of this novel. Here are a few reasons why.

1) I loved the characters. Esther Solar, our protagonist, is fiercely unique. She dresses up as a different person every day. She's witty, warm, and resilient. What's not to like? Her love interest, Jonah Smallwood, is just as funny and well-rounded as she is. I dare you to read this book and not fall in love with him too! The rest of the Solars are even stranger than Esther, but each family member has a redeeming quality that makes them interesting to read.

2) The plot. I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say that it was ORIGINAL. So nice to read a YA book that hasn't been done to the death a million times. It was definitely not predictable, and I really loved the way that multiple stories were expertly woven together to create an intensely thought-provoking mystery.

3)The symbolism in this book was UNREAL. Even Esther's surname 'Solar' is a play on words. There are many other deliberate little symbols that Sutherland has scattered throughout the book, and I notice something new every time I reread it. It's rare to find a YA book with such prevalent and well thought-out themes and motifs, and I really appreciate it. There are so many ways in which the message of this book can be interpreted and that's what makes it so awesome.

4) The writing style. It was by turns hilarious, relatable, chilling and sad. Many times, I found myself re-reading something because the choice of words was just so perfect. Not pretentious, unnecessarily erudite, but just perfect.

So, if you're still reading this review and haven't read the book yet, then GO!!! READ IT NOW!!!