College Students! discussion

We are going to have one thread for each book as now Goodreads has made a spoiler tag that you can use to put before anything that is a spoiler. Use your discretion as to what would be a pretty big spoiler and label it. Please put up to what page the spoiler is for.

To create the tag simply do this:

< spoiler> Blah blah blah spoilery stuff < /spoiler>


*Take out the spaces in both of the spoiler tag.

It will look like this:


(view spoiler)[This is a spoiler. Spoilers should be labeled so you don't ruin books for others. (hide spoiler)]

Discuss away...

I requested this book from the library but I don't think I'll be able to get it in time.

I picked this up from the library yesterday. I'm excited to start reading.

I read this last year and liked it. I really loved the concept of the book, getting a snapshot into the lives of two people on the same day each year. I thought that was really interesting, especially since we got to experience everyday life (not just big events) with the characters.

Think about what you were doing a year ago today. How has your life changed? New school, new job, new relationships, new town, etc?

Spoilers for the entire book:

(view spoiler)[Dexter irked me. SO much. I couldn't connect with him at all and just found him to be irritating, spoiled and arrogant. Although, I will definitely love the movie version of Dexter because I have a huge crush on Jim Sturgess.

Emma was easier for me to relate to, mainly the chapters when she was still in her twenties. Recently graduated from college and thrown out into the 'real world' away from the comforts of school.

The ending. I did NOT see that coming and unfortunately that's life. You don't see the tragic things coming.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Favorite quotes:

"Independent adult life. She didn't feel like an adult. She was in no way prepared. It was as if a fire alarm had gone off in the middle of the night and she was standing on the street with her clothes bundled up i her arms. If she wasn't learning, what was she doing? How would she fill the days? She had no idea" (page 12).

"...you feel a little bit lost right now about what to do with your life, a bit rudderless and oarless and aimless but that's okay that's alright because we're all meant to be like that at twenty-four."

"What are you going to do with your life?" In one way or another it seemed that people had been asking her this forever; teachers, her parents, friends at three in the morning, but the question had never seemed this pressing and still she was no nearer an answer... "Live each day as if it's your last', that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance."

I read this book a couple months ago and loved it! I have yet to see the film and actually heard it wasn't very good. But I do love the book! I love the concept of every chapter being a new year in the characters life. I completely related to this book as well, so I was a little biased. :)

I'm totally in love with this book so far! It's definitely a page turner, the writing feels very real.

A light read, but very entertaining.I love the way Nicholls make us know the characters, I almost felt they were my friends. The friendship relationship was very realistic, with ups and downs. Loved it, I think it portrays our generation.

Just finished listening to the audiotape version of this book. I must be in the minority, but I really didn't like it - it was a combination of the irritating narration and even more irritating characters. There was not a single character I didn't detest, and as a result I didn't give a damn at all what happened to them...

Serenity - I'm totally with you. I didn't enjoy this book at all. I didn't find that I connected with the characters... (view spoiler)[ ... considering that I didn't care at all when Emma died. Not even the glimmer of a tear - and it's bad when I don't care about one of the two main characters. I found their lives to be kind of boring - we found out that Dexter was an alcoholic a few years in and then some 20 years later he was STILL dealing with the problem. I get it, it's important, but nothing happened, there wasn't enough progress. It was almost so "true to life" that was it hard to read. There needed to be more to it. I found myself just kind of depressed most of the time and didn't find their relationship together rewarding at all. Probably the final nail in the coffin was that after Emma dies - clearly, the most important event - we STILL had two years of watching Dexter wallow. Just end it already! (hide spoiler)]

Ok, that's enough ranting :-) I don't plan on seeing the movie... maybe I'll watch it if it ends up on instant play on Netflix...

I agree with every single thing you said Ashley, you and I are definitely on the same wavelength lol. By the end, I was just trying to get through the entire audiotape for my money's worth, but I was bored with the story (view spoiler)[ I completely missed it when Emma died! And I was too indifferent to even bother rewinding... I also agree about the "true to life" point and the post-death 2 year wallow. There was absolutely zero character development, and the entire book just felt so static. (hide spoiler)]

I'm still on section one but I think Dex is a cad. He's way too into himself.