“The title of the book gives away the tragedy that happens in the first chapter, a tragedy that, in most other books, would usually be left until at least some of the characters and back story were known. Then the story moves back in time before the tragic event and then after it with each chapter alternating between four or so main characters from Daniel's (Skippy) school and a girl from another school.
This was such an emotional read for me. If I hadn't just read The Fault in Our Stars I would say that I hadn't read a moving book in a long time. That said, Skippy Dies took it to another level for me. At times I felt like laughing, other times I was angry at the characters, then excited, concerned; at one point (I don't know if this is because I was reading it at two in the morning) I was even wiping tears from my eyes. There's some hype for you. On the other hand, I can see why maybe some people wouldn't have enjoyed as much as I did. At the beginning I wasn't too impressed with the characters, the 'clever' writing, and the changing point of views. However, as I read on I was won over on all counts. I would have thought that knowing Skippy dies makes for less of a tragedy, but I was wrong about that. As I read on I became more attached to his character and asking, like many of the characters, why did he bloody well have to die.
All up I read this in a month but I read each book (my edition was split into three) in a day or two. It was seriously fast-paced reading and engrossing. It will definitely be another favourite for 2012. Highly recommended.”
Justin M wrote this review Tuesday, January 31, 2012.
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