“I’m wondering if I should spend the rest of my morning leaving rabid comments on YouTube videos, or maybe if I should do something with my life.”

“I broke down every morning when the alarm beeped because life, lived this way, seemed like a badly written tragedy, boring and sterile, devoid of fun, and even worse, devoid of content, and so, on my way to work, I felt like grabbing strangers by the shoulders and asking them why they weren’t feeling like me. What was their secret, how did they manage to maintain their composure, why didn’t they cry every time their alarms beeped?”

“She loved the line ‘The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.’ She said it made her think about our coworkers.”

“The internet is exhausting, especially if you’re a woman.”

“In real life, boredom exists, as does uneasiness and situations that lead to nothing, no character growth or plot advancement of any sort.”

“Maybe some people’s problem…is that we think life is going to offer us something extraordinary when we least expect it.”

“It’s so easy for some people to connect, join in, participate. They feel so comfortable with the reiteration of ideas and superficial communication. I feel like a confused alien who’s just landed on Earth.”

“In the end, all we need in life is someone who loves us, a bed with nice big pillows, a few cans of cold beer, and tomatoes that still taste like something.”

I liked the book, but something was missing for me. It’s character-driven, not plot-driven (maybe that’s what felt off?). The entire book could have been at least 100 pages shorter. None of the characters really stood out to me, all of Cherry’s sisters were basically the same character, and Russ and Tom were kinda indistinguishable imo.

5 stars for Stevie the dog, though 🐶