Wow wow wow!! It's been a hot minute since I felt anything while reading a book. This book is really good haha! Another book I read when I was younger, but didn't finish. When I tell you I screamed, I gasped, I clapped!!!!11! I loved engaing with the book on a "intellectual" level, the mystery behind Jacob and even Petula was really speculative and man, I wasn't expecting THAT. The rigid ideology of Petula cutting into the people around her and Jacob's empathetic attitude was a good enemy-to-lovers trope, so if you like that, you'll like this. Even though Petula is on the extreme end of germophobe (and phobia in general), it was easy to see where she was coming from when we learn more about her. I love that she is a crafter and an avid reader too!! I'm also a crafter and reader (obvi) and it made her feel more human..? It makes us more empathetic towards her and why she behaves the way she does. I also enjoy the fashion element of it all too!!! Many times, the outfits of the characters are pointed out. Petula wears ecclectic, colourful cat embellishment, which is a soft contrast to how she is on the outside: a character that follows by the book quite literally. Jacob wears sweaters that almost covers his whole body, as if he's hiding himself from the world. Hmm... The characters are really distinct from each other, and their dynamic is really enjoyable to read about. Now comes the subject of the book. Judgement and grief. I love the different situations in which the characters are grieving and the way they feel about it. The most common is guilt. It was a very remarkable read in that the characters are quite in depth as well as the reveal when it was unveiled. Not only complex but also thought-provoking. There's multiple opinions on a story, and we should respect every one even when it seems unjustified. I really enjoyed it!! The ending was also perfect. I was worried they were going to leave Jacob hanging, but actually they killed two birds with one stone in there! Well, three birds really. It tied up three loose ends, and it was a satisfying finish. Highly recommend if you have it in your library ~!

Book time!!!! It's been so long since I've read a book in full. Honestly I ran out of motivation to do any focusing since I had so much fun stuff going on physically. And of course my withering attention span because of Instagrammmm, I swear I need an alternative to scrolling. Anywho, I got an email about the complimentary Borrow-n-Deliver service for this year only, so I thought this would be a great time to get more books to read. My Life In A Fish Tank is not a new read for me. I read it when I was younger but I realise I didn't remember what it was even about so it's due for a reread. I realised that as I was reading, I was a bit critical of the character at first, which is understandable considering that she's younger than me, so handling a topic like mental health isn't easy at her age. I was also concerned that she was pushing her friends away. I love the potrayal of different types of coping shown, that's really nice. However, she really came around, and I came to like Zinnia as a character! As a marine biology lover, I accept her to the tribe of us. This book also got a chuckle or two out of me, which I was appreciative of. It didn't grasp my attention like other books have, but I did enjoy reading this book. Fast read too, finished it the day I got it on my doorstep. I also really like Lunch Club. Usually when I read these books or watch these films about dealing with loss or difficult feelings at a young age, the support group they are sucked into almost felt forced. I'm happy that this potrayal was very positive of support! Also, I'm stealing this Lunch Club idea when I go to poly hehe no stopping me ~ I'm also glad that Zinnia was potrayed with this underlying shame for her brother, in a very udnerstandable and relatable way. It is a very tasteful depiction of dealing with mental illness in a way that doesn't demonise it, very good!!!! I recommend this book, I luvv the animal facts also
P.S. The book cover is a scene in the book about the dream. While reading, see if you understand the significance of all the objects pointed out on the cover, have fun!