Edit 8/5/19: Rating and review removed due to personal reasons

pay no attention to the woman on public transportation bawling. damn. I'm wrecked and I want more. ( )

This story really got me in the feels. Reader be warned... if you aren’t looking for a story that will leave you sobbing like a baby, keep looking past this book. The story is beautiful, funny, fast paced, and heart breaking. Grab a box of tissues, something to drink, and a snack, because once you start this book you won’t want to put it down! ( )

4 stars and a half.

I just finished the book and I need to get this out. Right now.
When I started this book, I read many reviews stating the book didn't turn out how they expected, which puzzled me a lot but I can totally relate to the feeling.

This book wrecked me and I would label it as one of my favourites because the last 25% or so wrecked me completely even though there are a few things I didn't quite like about the book.

Downsides
- I thought that the characters were a bit too flawless for my tastes, especially Kate. Apart from her tardiness, it really is hard to spot flaws in her character and because of that it was sometimes hard to be completely in the story as she seems just too perfect.
- I figured out Kate's and Keller's secrets so quickly and easily I was a bit disappointed. The hits are massive and even though we lack some details, some more build up would have been nice.
- What happened to Kate seemed just too much. I know that tragedies can pile up but in this case it seemed to be just added for the sake of adding more and more trauma to her story, as if she has really the worst luck in the universe. Between her mother's suicide and non-existent care (and let's not forget the beating), her father out of the picture, her special sister dying, her cancer coming once and back again... Well you get what I mean. We are probably only lacking war and then we have the worst cocktail possible.

Why, despite the above points, I love this book so much
- As much as she seems too flawless for my tastes, Kate is awesome. Hell, she's epic. She is the person everyone probably wants to be and seeing the world through her eyes was probably one of the biggest strengths of the book. It made me reconsider some things in my life and for that I am grateful. I loved her caring and thoughtful side as well as her humour and the fact that she's always late. I feel I need to write down so many quotes from her character. And I keep on wanting to call everybody "Dude" now.
- Alongside with her character, it is the impact Kate has on others' people lives that truly got me. It is impressive and breathtaking during the book, particularly when Gus reads the letters, needless to say I was crying my eyes out at that point and had been for a few "chapters" already.
- The other characters are also what makes this book such a success in my eyes, individually speaking and in their relationship to Kate. Out of them all, it was Gus and Clayton that I loved the most (Keller comes right after), and I'm really happy to know the second book is about Gus, especially with the way it ends. Knowing there's a third with Franco is the cherry on the top because we don't know him a lot but I bet he's a hellavu character as well.
- The sarcastic sense of humour was a definite bonus side that I thoroughly enjoyed, in addition to the slow burn.
- And let's not forget the kind of dual point of view! I say kind of because I think Kate's is the one we get to see most but it was also really great to have Keller's perspective. I'm a sucker for multiple points of view books so that was just awesome in my eyes.


In the end, I am torn. I don't know if I would recommend this book. I think I would, and definitely encourages anyone who started it and isn't sure to continue to keep on reading because the last 25% (approximately) of the book is what makes it so spectacular, and even if you end up crying, you'll be smiling once you reach the last page. That's Bright Side for you.



“You do epic like no one else.” ( )

3.5 Star on Audiobook, 4 for the story ( )