We All Looked Up, a book review

I think I saw an advertisement for this book like three years ago, and I never forgot how intrigued I was by the concept. It's been a title that I search constantly in the online library catalogue, hoping it would be on the shelves one of the times I visited. Then, I happened to visit my college roommate's actual house this year, and I saw the book lying on her dresser, so I finally got the chance to read Tommy Wallach's writing (special s/o to sara anderson for making this book review possible)

We All Looked Up, by Tommy Wallach

(pictured above)

My Rating: 5/10

Favorite Quote: "The best books, they don't talk about things you never thought about before. They talk about thing you'd always thought about, but you didn't think anyone else had thought about. You read them, and suddenly you're a little bit less alone in the world."

Synopsis: This novel follows four teens from a local high school: Peter, the star athlete + local dream boy, Anita, Princeton-bound teacher's pet + perfect girl, Eliza, aspiring photographer known for her long list of past flings, + Andy, bad boy who doesn't care about his future. When the president of the United States announces that there is an asteroid headed directly at Earth, all of their lives are turned upside down, and unlikely friendships arise. With less than two months to live, how are they going to choose to spend their days, and who do they want by their side?

Review: Honestly, I was thoroughly disappointed in this book. The concept is incredible and extremely thought-provoking. Even in reading the back of the book, I found myself contemplating what I would do if I found out my days were numbered. At first, I liked the book, but I quickly found the plot to get long and boring. There seemed to be way too many plots that were completely irrelevant in my opinion. On the bright side, the ending did seem to re-capture my attention, and I thought there were quite a few scenes that were very moving. Overall, I do feel more inspired to live each of my days to the fullest, so if you're looking for a read to make you feel luck to be alive, be sure to pick this book up.

Final Thoughts: Again, I would like to reiterate that this book does provide a positive outlook on life, and it's slightly inspiring. Maybe you're in the need for something to make you feel thankful for your life, in which case this would be a perfect fit. For those of you who may want to start out on a better foot with this author, I've heard that Tommy Wallach's second book, Thanks for the Trouble, is much better, so maybe I'll pick that up and let you know my thoughts before I stop reading his work for good.

i hope you enjoyed this book review. as always, please let me know if you have books you want reviewed! you may even get a shout-out on a madison classic. c'mon, you know you want to send me a recommendation......

happy reading!!

xoxo madison