I will say this about Me Since You, it is a brutally honest portrayal of a family trying to survive after a horrific event shakes their very foundation to the core and nearly tears them apart thanks to another even more devastating event. I will say that I admire Laura Wiess for taking a chance in writing such a tear jerker that will rip out your heart in so many different ways. Just remember to keep breathing when the tears start flowing.
I wasn't exactly a fan of the main character Rowan Areno and had to bite my tongue at her immaturity and righteous indignation when she was caught doing something stupid time and time again. I found her to be a bit selfish at times, even before the even took place but I have to remember that this book wasn't exactly written for my age group. I guess it's just me, but having lived through several awful events in my lifetime, I've never once found myself needing to abuse alcohol or cigarettes in order to move on and feel good about myself.
The one character that everyone will be talking about, is Eli. Eli experienced a personal loss all his own, but found a way to honor the loss. Even though he is a major part of this stories event, he doesn't revert back to dangerous actions or self abuse. I did not care for the so called best friend under normal circumstances, let alone the aftermath of the event. I think she totally went about things the wrong way, and probably did more damage to Rowan's psyche and healing than anything else.
I do like the idea of behind the Ripple Effect, and how one awful event can trigger other events and people's lives start to spiral out of control until it leaves a path of destruction in its wake. I think that families should sit down and read this book together and discuss it and not be afraid to discuss suicide and depression.
Depression IS NO LAUGHING matter folks. I have been living with it for more than 30 years now and have had doctor's experiment with medication on me until they finally agreed to stop. It's devastating to families, to your friends, and your significant others. It leaves you believing that you are worthless, that the world no longer needs your presence in it, and people like me, end up galvanized into thinking that food and overeating is the solution of all my problems.
I also agree with the author in that social media isn't fair to families, survivors, or those who are involved in any horrific event. Families need time to grieve. Those involved need time to reflect and not be second guessed by amateur hour reporters who second guess everything they do.
I long for the days when everyone's personal information and history wasn't put out on the internet for anyone with enough money to buy access to it. I long for the day when the Main Street Morons didn't dig deep into your lives and toss it out on TV, or the internet like it was a joking matter.
**I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for
an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of
my review.**
Author - Laura Wiess
Title - Me Since You
Publisher - MTV Books
Released - February 18, 2014
Genre - Contemporary Young Adult
Received via Edelweiss/Publisher
On one hand, the book sounds very appealing. Depression is a very hot and controversial topic, and I love reading about the topic. However, Rowan sounds like a huge turn-off, and I am in no mood to read about a bratty character.
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