Customer Reviews

Nothing Like You

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the first chapter, I was hooked. The characters are original, but easy to relate to. The story brings up dynamics that are universal and feel familiar, but it's written so perceptively- with compassion and wry humor- that it is suspenseful and revelatory. I feel like I know the characters, and watch them learn to know themselves better as the plot progresses. The dialogue is especially great; these sound like real people: young and smart and vulnerable. It made me cry at points, but this is not a sad book. It is fun fun fun to read. Also, there's a dog. My only complaint is that the descriptions of food (which are very grounding) kept me hungry and snacking the whole time I was reading. I would recommend this to young adult readers, and to adults who are able to see beyond stereotypes of teenagers and understand how wrenching adolescent relationships can be.

I'm not a literary critic, but this book kept me not only wanting to keep turning the pages, but it read with ease. The characters were great and the story so believable. When I finished the book I called the author and asked her to write the sequel.

Lauren's father,

Kenny

*Contains spoilers*

I loved Holly and my heart broke for her over and over again. Even though she was sneaking around with a guy who has a girlfriend, she wasn't unlikable. She was a good friend to Nils, putting up his girlfriends of week. She was a good daughter to her father Jeff who was still grieving the loss of his wife. She wasn't sneaking around with her best friend's boyfriend. And once she did become friends with Paul's girlfriend, she did try to break it off with him. Maybe a little too late, but still she wanted to do the right thing.

There was a time when I feared the book may go down the cliched "promiscuous girl's gotta learn a lesson" route. When Holly kept getting nauseous when thinking about telling Saskia or Saskia finding out or anyone finding out (for that matter) about her and Paul, I was afraid that the nausea was really caused by a pregnancy. And then when the random mention of the Agnes of God movie, my heart sank, yep, she's going to end up pregnant. But she wasn't, and everyone did find out about her and Paul. And then my heart broke again.

I liked the short quick chapters, but this book went by too fast for me. I was left wanting just a little bit more. Lauren Strasnick's next book is Her and Me and You. It is not a follow-up to Nothing Like You, but I do hope there is one in the future.

First off, I love this cover - it's so beautiful! I could stare at it for ages. However, the actual book is only okay, in my opinion. I like the main idea, but some storylines just didn't work for me.

The writing is, well, okay. At times it's good and insightful, but at others it's too choppy, in my opinion. Lots of chapters started with sentences like "School." "Lunchtime." or "Mid-November." - maybe it's not that big of a deal, but to me that made it seem too much like the scene in theather or of a movie and not enough like a novel. Some parts I liked, but others I thought should have been more fleshed-out, like Holly's feelings, and it just went back and forth between liking the writing and disliking it.

The entire book was like that for me - some storylines I really enjoyed reading about while others I just couldn't get into. I'll start with the positive. One thing I loved is the friendship between Holly and Nils. I loved reading about their shared history, and their bickering and the way they treat each other is so cute. I wanted to shake them to make them see they're perfect for one another.

The characters are great and fully-developed. Holly is easy to relate to (with one exception - I'll get to that later), and I felt her grief. Nils is a great and dynamic character. Saskia is interesting, too, and she has her own problems. Holly's dad's situation is heartbreaking but realistic. All characters are multi-dimensional and complex... except for Paul.

Holly and Paul's relationship is one of the storylines I couldn't get into. I know I'm supposed to feel Holly's conflict of wanting to be with him but knowing it's wrong, but honestly, I just thought Paul was an ass - I couldn't get why Holly put up with him. I grew more and more frustrated with him as a character and Holly's not standing up to him as the book progressed.

I'm split on what to make of Holly's friendship with Saskia. The way it develops doesn't seem realistic to me - Saskia's supposed to be popular and Holly has exactly one friend, but Saskia just comes up to her and suddenly wants them to be friends. Later on, though, I loved the scenes they had together, and thought their friendship was sweet.

I loved reading about Holly's family situation and her dad. The way he interacts with Holly is both sweet and heartbreaking, and that aspect really let me feel both of their grief for Holly's mother. I also loved how Holly found out more about her mother thorugh her drama teacher and that whole storyline.

I didn't get the ending - it almost seemed non-existent to me. I thought it was just the end of a chapter and turned the page, but then saw the book was over. I re-read the ending, but still - nothing really happens. I can't explain it - of course I don't want a solution to all of Holly's problems, but it just felt like something was missing at the end.

I had some problems with a few of the storylines, but overall Nothing Like You is still a sweet and worthwhile read. I don't know whether or not to recommed this book - there are some things I really liked and others I couldn't get into at all. Maybe that's just me, though - I think a lot of my dislike for some of the storylines came from me not being able to sympathize with Paul or his relationship with Holly, so that might be different for you.

When I read this book I CRIED! I think it was because i was also leaving for college in a couple days myself when I read it, so the ending absolutely killed me. My nose was dripping and my eyes were a red puffy mess. for real!

But anyway! One thing i loved about this book was Holly's best friend Nils! i totally want and NEED a friend like him! He is the epitome of what a best friend should be! I know Holly made her own mess but i couldn't help wanting things to work out for her. And Nils was there for her through (most) of it. Very supportive for a guy!( nothing against guys...but you know how they can be!)

Then there is Paul, I personally thought he was a big jerk. Girls are always going to want a Paul, the athletic/badboy/sarcastic type....but we all just really need a Nils!

Not only does this book focus on romantic relationships but also friendships. There was this one scene that killed me between Holly & Nils because leaving friends is really hard, especially when you think its on bad terms and your friendship is being questioned. (been there, done that!)

i guess what i am saying is that the story is just too relatable for its own good!

Holly had a great relationship with Nils, sure she's hurting throughout most of the book, but she's got a solid friend in Nils. I enjoyed exploring all the different sides to relationships that Holly goes through, from the one with Paul, the one with Saskia, and even her relationships with her dad Jeff and the local psychic medium Frank. Holly is a messed up girl, but that's life and for a contemporary YA novel, this book reads like real life.

rhiannonpaille.blogspot.com

What an amazing and emotional read!! It's one of those books that I just couldn't stop reading and kept looking forward to what would happen next! It didn't end the way I thought it would (or wanted ;), but still a great, fast paced and well written read. Definitely a change from the usual YA books, but in a good way! I don't want to give any spoilers away, so I'm keeping my review short and simple. :)

Originally posted at: [...]

Holly isn't exactly the most popular girl in school, but when she starts hooking up with uber-hot Paul Bennett, she thinks her life has turned around. Yeah, that's just the beginning of her troubles.

This book opens with Holly Hirsh and Paul Bennett hooking up in his car at the beach. It quickly gets into a hush-hush type relationship with the two as Paul is already dating a popular, gorgeous, and surprisingly nice girl, Saskia. To make matters worse, Holly is dealing, not-so-well, with the death of her Mother. It doesn't take long for Holly's best friend, Nils (the stereotypical hot boy next door) to start noticing a change in his friend.

This book is filled with very messy friendships that will leave you asking questions and searching for answers that sometimes aren't immediately known. I loved how Strasnick develops Holly as a character, and regardless of her not-so-honorable tryst with Paul, you feel sorry for her and the sticky situation her actions have thrown her into. Nils' character seemed flighty through most of the book and left me heartbroken for him in the end (once you read it, you'll understand). The only thing I wish about this book is that it was a series.

This book was easy to get into, hard to put down, and ultimately a tear jerking story that left me wanting so much more.

Nothing Like You is a fabulous debut that is a sweet, quick read. Nothing Like You was very well written! I really enjoyed the plot.

Holly was a great main character with something everyone can relate to - She's lost a parent, liked someone she shouldn't have, etc. All these things that have happened to her made her very real. Her being a great character didn't stop my urge to want to hit her over the head and knock some sense into her when she wouldn't stop seeing Paul. Paul drove me insane, which was the point. He was a slimy git! Nils was fantastic character. He was hilarious and sweet.

I wasn't quite satisfied with the end. I mean I know it wasn't going to be a happy happy, skip off into the sunset ending, but the ending to me just wasn't right. I was absolutely loving the book until the ending.

Nothing Like You was a fabulous debut with a pretty cover, and I cannot wait to see what Lauren Strasnick comes up with next.

During her Junior year of high school, Holly lost her mom to cancer. In her Senior year, Holly loses her virginity to Paul.

She assumes it's just a one-time thing, because Paul is pretty much out of her league and has a long-time girlfriend, Saskia. But after that day, Paul keeps trying to talk to Holly and pursue her further. Pretty soon, they are regularly sleeping together and Holly feels awful about it, knowing that Saskia is Paul's real girlfriend. But it's really nice to have someone show their feelings for her, even if it is only in secret. Since her mom died, she hasn't been able to feel much until now.

While this is going on, Holly's best (and only) guy friend, Nils, has yet another new girlfriend. Holly thinks he has intimacy issues, but should she really be judging him when she is doing what she's doing?

Everything changes for Holly when she's partnered with Saskia in class one day. She realizes that Saskia isn't the rude girl that she has always believed her to be. Soon, the two of them become great friends, and Holly is in a tough spot and knows that she has to completely end things with Paul, but how? Things get even worse when Nils and Holly start having feelings for each other..

At first I wasn't sure this book would really go anywhere, but after the first couple of chapters I realized what a pickle Holly had gotten herself into. And when she started talking to Saskia, I was basically holding my breath every page! Holly and Nil's relationship was pretty great, too. He was always there for her, trying to cheer her up and make her smile. I was rooting for them to end up together during most of the book. Paul was just a total sleazebag. I kept wanting Holly to just smack him in the face or something.

If you're looking for a great contemporary story to read, then this is definitely it. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book to find out what happened, and I'm sure you'll feel the same way, too.

Reviewed by: Breanna F.