Two-faced Nitpicker

Even though I am rather committed to watching John and Hank Green's videos on youtube, (working through the 949 videos (as of now) slowly) and I find their vlogs very very fun (especially the ones with Maureen Johnson, no matter how minimal), somewhat a partial nerdfighter (I NEED MORE EXUBERANCE APPARENTLY. because I don't really advertise the fact that I watch their vlogs. *closet nerdfighter!*) I have to say I am quite delighted with this book.

The way this book is arranged is in before and after, both are numbered a certain number of days that lead to (or away from) a certain cataclysmic event or life changing, or at least important event that we, as the reader, are unaware of.
I'm not going to post a synopsis here, because you should really read the book without knowing what happens, so you would await what happens with great and desperate fervour, or at least just read the synopsis AND NO MORE FOR I FEAR ANYTHING ELSE WILL TAMPER THE EXPERIENCE AND I SPEAK OF THIS WITH THE INHERENT PERSPICACIOUSNESS THAT RESIDES WITHIN ME.

So here is the book in two parts.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

I didn't like the before section of the book. Not exactly hate it, but it wasn't too great, nor was it terrible. I didn't like how emotional it was, there seemed like hardly any wild fun even during the pranks- their actions seemed devoid of sobriety and the most I could get was that Miles isn't really in favour of these actions.
I get how that is supposed to help us connect how it's not what we should aim to do, how it's not fun, but in the process of this great explanation, the emotional mood rubs off onto me, the reader, and I feel quite terrible, frankly. Terrible, I might add, as in the way Miles feels.
When Miles considers the serous issues of life in his strange way of insight into the mysteries of life, or simple matters in his serious voice, we get this very contemplative mood where one has the urge to think about life, or at least inspired to think about what we really are, our life, which is a feeling I am not very used to. Which would explain why I am not so in favour of reading these sections.
I am not vapid (I wouldn't know). I am just not a big fan of philosophy. Though if I were to contemplate the mysteries of life, I would rather do so with vigour and passion, and though it may cause some bias towards my viewpoint, I like passion when thinking about life.
Miles is bordering on depression with the mood he always as, oh such angst!, and then I feel quite depressive and all this negativity, well it requires actual THINKING to work through this. This of course requires a different way of looking at the characters and lots of mental work and goodness knows I've done enough of that in Lit class.

The more I think about this, the more sad and strangely mature I feel, and in a bid to save my innocence (or lack thereof as some people claim), Let's talk about the good parts.

WHAT I LIKED

I liked the after. Mostly because there was actually a purpose for the characters. No meandering around the aura of blackness and impending doom(It seemed like it), but a direction could be felt.
I. Like. ( Caveman terms for the intellectual-intolerant me )
The process of getting over a certain misfortune (I'm sure that was spoiled in many other reviews) and finding closure, was the best part of the novel. It provoked thought in me, no thinking required that is not, well, prompted by the book. I actually enjoyed reading about what they did after this event of Great Importance (Let's call it EGI).
You will be interested to know what they will do, or how the EGI will influence their actions as of now. It was wonderful, basically, the After section.

SO.
After this rather long and rather petulant ( sad girl is sad :o( ) review, I would recommend this book to people who would rather a thought provoking book that makes you think, something different from the usual mass market books which cater to the intellectually challenged or intolerant like yours truly, READ IT.
You would most probably be one of the people raving about it, though sadly I am not, but then again, The Fault in our Stars is next on my to read so it just proves I am strange and I ramble and I don't know what I'm writing gahhhh you should probably a read sampler first, because consulting me is not exactly the best decision to make.