Review of "The Rest Of Us Just Live Here"

This review is part of the Common Book selection process.


Another book that I had the opportunity to review for Common Book is the Patrick Ness book, The Rest Of Us Just Live Here (2015). While I have heard of Patrick Ness, I had not read any of his books before this one, (but now I think that I will). Full disclaimer, while I will keep this review as relevant and informative as possible, just know that all of my thoughts will be biased towards my absolute love for this book.


The Rest of Us Just Live Here, chronicles the life of Mike Mitchell, as he navigates through his final month of high school. While the main narrative is told from Mike's perspective, there is a second narrative that addresses the school's "indie kids", and the happenings of their world, as it intersects with or diverges from that of the main story. The book includes fantastical elements and magic, but the story it tells is still very much grounded in reality. The story encapsulates the struggles and angst of young adulthood really well, while additionally addressing the difficulties of having anxiety, OCD, and feeling like you exist in a world that does not understand or want you.


What differentiates this story from your average coming of age story, is how the narrative is constructed, and the sensitivity in which anxiety disorders are portrayed within the narrative. It is not very often that a character in any popular media has OCD, and when they do, they are often portrayed in a negative of stigmatizing way, but this book does it differently. Mike's OCD is an important part of who he is, but he is not reduced to his mental illness, or viewed as broken because of it. The same can be said for the way that eating disorders are addressed. The very real consequences of eating disorders are brought up, but are done so in a non-judgmental way. The most important thing is that the book brings up this notion of "fixing" people, and why it cannot really be done in instances like this. Rather, the person suffering from a certain disorder can try methods of coping that make things more manageable for daily life. At the end of the story, Mike is given the option to be "healed" of all of his afflictions, and I am glad that he chooses not to. He knows enough about himself at that point to recognize that while being "cured" of his anxiety would make life easier, it would also change him into a fundamentally different person. While having an anxiety disorder is frustrating and challenging, he also decides that trying to cope the slow and hard way, is ultimately going to be more beneficial.


This book is extremely accessible, and well paced. it conveys important themes about growing up, and fitting in when it feels like that is hard to do. It discusses important topics like mental illness, and eating disorders, and does so in a way that is well informed and sensitive to the issues at hand. It is a book that embodies important themes about identity and belonging that pair well with the core values of the school. It is a book that incoming freshman and transfers will resonate with, but it is also one that everyone has the ability to connect with. I recommend it for Common Book 2016, because while the other titles introduced similar themes and ideas, this book integrated them most effectively. Overall Grade: A-.