More Than This

More Than This by Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness
Star Rating
★★★
Reviewer's Rating
Oct 28, 2022

More Than This features Seth, a teenager who crushed his skull while he was drowning.
However, he soon wakes in an isolated copy of Earth and believes it to be “Hell”. Seth
desperately tries to remember his memories of his life- of his little brother, his group of friends,
his secret relationship, and of his parents before the tragedy and to understand where he is- the
afterlife or a hidden part of life? Unfortunately, a being known to be the Driver or even Death
itself is constantly on the hunt for Seth and his friends he found earlier on, preventing him from
exploring deeper into the Prison, where the group believe the other humans are located. Seth then
breaks into the Prison by himself and reveals a startling discovery that the lives they lived were
all a part of an optional simulation that they could choose to take part in. While they are on the
run for their lives, Seth discovers secrets about his newfound friends that he didn’t know earlier,
while discovering his own in the process. After, Seth tries to return back to his old life with his
friends and family but will try to remember the friends that he made in the “afterlife”.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a bit dull and tedious at some points however and the
descriptions were a bit too long for my taste. I was very drawn to the suspense the book invoked-
from the interactions with the Driver to the variety of memories that were revealed later on in the
story. However, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed from many scenes in the book. There
were about two chapters worth of something that can even be called action. Not to mention the
confusing fight scenes. I still managed to enjoy this book even if I did force myself to complete
it. This book will leave you wondering whether or not the moment you’re living is real or just a
simulation. Is there an afterlife or are we already living in it? This book asks many questions
leaving you to decide your answer. It was a great book, but I couldn’t help but expect more than
this. Haha, get it?

 

Written by
Iqra N.

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