Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I know i am late to the party but this book annoyed me so much that i just couldn't not leave a review. I literally threw my kindle away in disgust after finishing this. I can't even describe my feelings - disgust, anger, frustration - all rolled into one. I really fail to understand why so many people loved this and are hailing it as some kind of eternal love story. This is as far away from a love story as you can get. There was nothing sweet or romantic about Chris and Emily to me. Their relationship was slightly creepy and very, very forced. Why the hell were the parents shoving a relationship down their throats? And why were the parents so weird anyway....the dad refusing to testify for his own son, the other mom hell bent on destroying Chris' life even though she knew the truth (and this was the woman who loved him like a son and was cheering all the way for them to marry each other)?? But the parents are the least of my complaints with this book. My biggest complaint is the way such a serious topic has been trivialized. See, here is the thing. People who are not mental health experts are absolutely not equipped to deal with serious issues like severe depression and suicidal tendencies. No matter how much we love someone, we cannot talk or "cheer" them out of depression. I can cheer someone and help them if they are having a bad day at work or some tangible crisis. But if they are seriously depressed and start creating project plans for suicide, i would never ever assume that i know whats best for them (even though i have a slight background in mental health research). That's what the mental health experts are there for. That's why we invest so much in mental health research. If treating depression was as simple as taking the person out on a few dates and asking them "what happened", most depressed people would never need any help cos their families would be able to do it. And most depressed people would also likely commit suicide if that is the total extent of help they receive. I know many people said "chris was a teenager who didn't know better". I beg to differ. First of all "Chris" might have been a teenager but Jodi isn't. She should have known better than to glorify suicide as some kind of pinnacle of romantic dreams. Secondly, the entire book is built on the premise of their "incredibly mature" relationship. He did mention going to a psychiatrist but just couldn't be arsed to do anything about it. For all their "incredible maturity" and "mental connect", he didn't even have the sense or sensitivity to wait till she was ready for sex. Even though she made it clear plenty of times that she is not comfortable, he literally forced her into it. He comes across as hardly better than an idiotic, kinda abusive jerk of a boyfriend. He "knew" she was beyond repair how?? Because he tried to take her out on dates and "make passionate love" to her, and it didn't work!! Well, big surprise, seeing how she hated sex with him anyway even when she was not depressed. He was the one who constantly wanted it. Way to put someone's needs above yours. As for her, she could go to an abortion clinic multiple times even stealing money from her parents but couldn't or wouldn't seek help from a psychiatrist? Fine, she was depressed and unwilling, I can understand that. But why keep calling it "love"? If she really loved him , wouldn't she atleast try? Rather than leaving him to mop up the mess and possibly get accused of her murder? Rather than leaving him to deal with the pain and sorrow and guilt and accusations? Rather than trying to coax him to commit suicide too? Atleast she could have left him out of it. Hell, she couldn't even be bothered to leave a note absolving him of blame. And this is "true love"? This book had such a strong premise. The author could have done so much with it. Instead, she treats suicide like some glorious romantic adventure. its not. Unlike chronic illnesses, depression is treatable and many times curable. Helping Emily die was in no way an act of love. If he had truly loved her, he would have done what she needed rather than what she said she wanted. Indeed, there was nothing strange about Emily's behaviour considering she was depressed. It is pretty typical for depressed people (esp due to sexual abuse) to refuse help, to refuse to share details, to feel ashamed and guilty, to push their loved ones away etc. If everybody whose loved ones are depressed just assumed that they are beyond help based on such behaviour, there would be nobody who survives depression. Emily would most likely have been ok if chris had gotten her proper help rather than assuming that she was beyond help. He was in no way equipped to deal with her depression. He did not have the expertise, experience, maturity, qualifications, skills or sensitivity to help her. He had no way of knowing whether she was beyond repair or not. In fact, he didn't even know why she was depressed. Emily had a supportive family, she had resources, her parents were well to do, she had plenty to look forward to, she had her art....if she had received help, she would have probably been ok. In any case, we would never know because of Chris and his "true love". What irritates me most is when people try to defend the story saying "this is what true love is all about". No, it is not. If you have someone who is depressed and wants to commit suicide, and you truly love them, you need to get them help. Not assume that you know best, make some lame attempts to "cheer them up" and give up on them when your amateur attempts are (obviously) not working. And for god's sake, please DON'T shoot them when they say they want to commit suicide, because hey, that's what they want, right? This, in fact, is what true stupidity, idiotic presumptions and selfishness is all about. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok, rant over, i can now get on with my day. I think i almost wrote an essay there, that's how angry i was.