The Problem with Forever book review

The Problem with Forever
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
480 pages
4.5 out of 5 stars
Get it here: Amazon

Description: Growing up, Mallory Dodge learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime. Now, after years of homeschooling, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at a public high school. But she never imagined she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet soon it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.

***This will be a shorter review as its spoiler free!***

This book was really good. I was instantly connected to our main character Mallory *Mouse* I found her to be relate-able as someone who has been through a lot of what she has. I had several times i had to put the book down, all because it felt so real. Jennifer wrote the pain so well. 

Rider was almost an instant book boyfriend for me. His connection with Mallory is strong, and apparent from the start. He was there for her through so much and now hes here for her when she just needs a guy. 

Their relationship sparks quickly and its fast and beautiful, but like all good romance books they have their problems. Ex girlfriends, parental units, and friends. All of which make for this book to be amazing. 

I loved the dynamic of  Mallory and Rider. I loved seeing them both grow as characters in this book. And all the side characters played important rolls in the book. I wish there were more books about those characters. 

Check out our youtube review for more details on this book and what we thought of it. 

Beautiful book with beautiful pain.

Thirteen Reasons Why book review

Thirteen Reasons Why
By Jay Asher
288 pages
4.5 out of 5 stars
Get it here: Amazon

Description: You can’t stop the future. 
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. 
                
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

*Spoilers ahead*

Everyone needs to read this book. I'm serious I think every person out there needs to take this book and hide away and read it until they're done. I finished this book in a mater of hours and it still impacts me to this day. 

This book is highly controversial and a lot of people hate it. I for one loved it. As someone who has struggled with suicidal thoughts and depression as well as bullying I get where the character was coming from. 

Hannah made a series of tapes for 13 people explain why and how each of them played a role in her decision to kill her self. We read about Clay who in the end was someone she truly cared about and felt cared about her. She sent him the tapes so he wouldn't feel like he played a role in all of it. 

Hannah gives him a map and a list of places to go if he chooses too, each place means something different to her. 

I read a lot of comments about this book that says "It glorifies suicide." I didn't feel that in fact I felt like it gave a good incite into the brain of a suicidal person. Another comment said "Suicide is because you have something wrong in your brain. Not because you have 13 reasons." This comment kinda annoyed me because its not something wrong always,  a lot of times like in Hannah's case life sucks

“ If you hear a song that makes you cry and you don't want to cry anymore, you don't listen to that song anymore.
But you can't get away from yourself. You can't decide not to see yourself anymore. You can't decide to turn off the noise in your head.” 
― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

You can't turn off the words of others repeating in your head.

“I sat. And I thought. And the more I thought, connecting the events in my life, the more my heart collapsed.” 
― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

She was bullied and didn't see any other way out. So she took the only way she knew. If people had paid more attention to her maybe she wouldn't have done it. 

“No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same.”

― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why   

Everything you say and do affects the people around you. I feel like every teenager needs to read this. Most don't see how their words and actions hurt others. They say something out loud and it gets back to that person it affects them their whole lives. You call a girl fat she will be sitting here blogging as an adult and still think  she is all because you said it out loud once. 

You mess with peoples minds and emotions it doesn't affect you but it affects them. 

Clay hurt so bad for Hannah he had a crush on her, and he felt like if he had just asked her out maybe she would still be here.  I can't say if it would have changed anything, but it may have. Maybe she would have felt the love she desperately needed.

Through all of Hannah's tapes I wished I could have hugged her and told her it would be okay. *Yes I know she's fictional*

 “A lot of you cared, just not enough.” 

― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

The words in this book hit hard and its what makes this book so special.  I know a lot of the comments don't like this book and that is their choice. But I feel as someone who has been through what Hannah went through I will never forget this book and how much it hit close to home. This book deals with the tough stuff people would rather pretend never happens. I wish I could put a copy of this book in every teens hands. It may change them and the way they think.