Nothing Like You is a wonderful novel about loss, friendship, and growing up. Holly has just lost her mother when you meet her and so she is dealing with the sadness and emotions that follow such a traumatic event. This novel also addresses many other elements such as a secretive relationship and the one that I found most compelling being Holly's fascination with Saskia, Paul's girlfriend. I found the latter very intriguing just because I've never come across a novel that explores the topic of the girlfriend or ex-girlfriend in a similar way. There is a certain mystique attached to Saskia that Holly is fascinated by and I liked this take on the world of girls. Holly cannot understand why Paul has chosen to be with her when he has Saskia who Holly deems perfect. The whole scenario was just very intriguing to me.Lauren Strasnick has a very direct and to the point style of writing that I greatly enjoyed. This made Nothing Like You a fast paced read that captivated my attention from the very beginning. It starts off right in the middle of things and the pacing from then on is consistent and direct. There are no filler chapters or certain scenes that were duller than others. Every scene and every moment was interesting.Even though this is a fairly short and to the point novel, the characters and scenarios were all still wonderfully developed and complex. I really loved Holly and sympathized with her throughout the novel's entirety. I liked how she was imperfect and didn't always make the best decisions. I appreciated her flaws and I liked her vulnerability as well. She was very human and it showed which is important.I also liked the dynamic and relationship between many of the characters, especially Nils and Holly as well as a few others. I found this novel to be highly realistic and I enjoyed the end as well. I'm a fan of endings that aren't perfect because much like real life, nothing is ever one hundred percent and there is no guarantee. Holly made decisions and the ending showcased those in an efficient manner.Overall: If you're a lover of contemporary YA like me, I highly recommend Nothing Like You. It is a wonderful story with great characters and realistic situations that are well represented and explored. Holly, still trying to cope up with her mother's death, was entangled on a messy secret relationship with the popular guy- Paul. I was hoping that Paul was like Dexter in Something Borrowed but wrong that I was. He was/is your typical douchebag. I want to slap-kick-uppercut him. Lol. Okay, Holly has her faults in this but she came into her senses and tries to break things off but this stupid guy threatens to reveal what they've done to Saskia. Holly knows she messed up and did take the responsibility but Paul is really a worthless guy. He took advantage of her and threatens her and took a major part in ruining her life. I am definitely devastated with Nils. I somehow want him to comfort her and tells her he is still her friend. The part where Nils and Holly was in The Shack and Nils found out everything was the most heartbreaking scene for me in the book. I can see it playing in head over and over again but what struck me the most is that no one even want or asked for her side of story. She's not a victim but still her side of story counts. One thing I really learned after reading this book is that EVERY side of the story matters, even the one who is at fault. But in this case, I don't have the hell to care about Paul's side. He can bury himself in the ground for all I care. Okay, I am a walking contradiction here. I really want a sequel to this novel where its Nils' turn to tell the story. So if you're reading this Lauren Strasnick, please please give us a sequel. It will be much appreciated. Thank you!!
What do You think about La Toute Première Fois (2009)?
I really like this book but just hated how she left the end open =\
—jcmoss
Pretty good. Not the best, but not terrible. :)
—rui9902
