While I have trouble with comic books (the style is usually too line-y, if that makes sense) I do have a soft spot for superhero stories. Luckily for me, there are plenty of novels that cover that territory. The Rest of Us Just Live Here…isn’t like that.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a very normal coming-of-age story. The protagonist, Mikey, is in his senior year. He and his friends talk about the usual stuff: college plans, their various mental illnesses, dating, and troublesome parents. Oh, yeah, and the “indie kids,” the ones who have to save the world every so often.
Each chapter opens with an explanation of what the indie kids are doing so you can follow their Chosen One storyline, but they’re not really the point. Mikey and his OCD and anxiety and social circle are where the real focus is.
Now, it might be because I stayed up until “you should know better” o’clock reading it, but this book really got me in the stomach. Mikey’s life is messy in a way that I found super relatable. Mind you, I didn’t discover my mental illnesses until college, but his panic at the coming change and his insecurity in his friend group was a perfect reflection of how I felt at the time.
Since I’m also a sucker for cats, Jared was hands-down my favorite character, and as his story unfolded I was constantly reaching for “just one more page.” Then I had to sit up for a few more hours, catching my breath. After all, I’ve never actually wanted to relive high school.
I don’t think I’ve read any other Patrick Ness books, but I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out.

What’s your favorite superhero book? Have you read this one? What did you think? Let me know!

P.S. Still editing. I know.