The Absolute Value of -1

-SPOILERS-

This book was weeeeeird. I don't understand what the point of it was? It has three perspectives but when it gets to the third it kind of just goes “screw those first two perspectives, this 3rd dude is the REAL main character!” and the first two characters basically are cut out of the story. I'm also not sure what the overall message I'm supposed to take from this is. It was vaguely anti-smoking/drinking, vaguely Catcher in the Rye wannabe, and WEIRDEST OF ALL it had incest. Like, completely out of nowhere, in the last few chapters. I did not sign up for that.

I really disliked the Lily and Noah characters so I was relieved when the last half was about Simon who I found way more relate-able and likable. Lily and Noah were typical burnouts which, I don't like those kinds of people to begin with, but on top of that they were mean? Lily was the type of female character that hates other girls for existing. The writing for her was also the cringey type of writing where you can tell a male wrote it (nobody thinks about their own boobs that much). Noah was an irredeemable pervert and I feel like his abuse plotline went nowhere.

I enjoyed Simon's perspective the most of the three because he reminded me of myself, quiet and awkward in public but a completely different person around his family. I really enjoyed seeing a male character showing so much affection to his family members...UNTIL THEY HAD TO GO AND MAKE IT CREEPY WTF. I kept thinking “well okay, that's kind of weird but it's just family love” but at the end Simon is kissing his sister passionately and their dad just died!? Honestly, what was the author thinking? What is this supposed to teach the teens it's aimed to?

I was just kind of in disbelief the whole day lol. What a weird book.