LitPick Review
More Than This, by Patrick Ness begins with a very vivid description of Seth's suicide death by drowning. When he wakes up, he has no injuries and seems to be in a new world. Where is he? In Hell, an afterlife of some sort? Everything around him is covered in dust and nobody else is around. The beginning of the book is strictly inner monologue with plenty of flashbacks to his old life where Ness addresses a lot if issues, including, but not limited to; teen suicide, homosexual acceptance, forgiveness, guilt, love and the nature of reality itself. Two secondary characters, Regine and Tomascz, are good characters, although noticeably less developed than Seth.
Opinion:
The book is really very grim, yet has plenty of depth and complexity; both Seth's recollections and the place he's in now are pretty bleak. There are flashes of dark humor now and then, but that's about it. All considered, I thought the story was very enjoyable and thought-provoking, and well worth a read. The writing quality is really top-notch and there is never a dull scene. It makes you want to keep reading and reading and reading. I would recommend this to anyone, especially those who like sci-fi, post apocalyptic books. and ponder what might come after.
