Everything Matters!

This was definitely not a book I would have read on my own.  It is one I probably would have read some of it, then skipped to the end to see what happens.  I did do that, then went back and read it all the way through.  The plot kept me going, though in some spots it was difficult, due to the dark nature of the story.  However, even though the story was dark and sad, I have to say the writing was good.  I liked the way the writer describes what is going on, and developed the characters.  I really felt like I knew who they were and what was going on in their heads.  I like time travel stories, and was glad that Junior had a second chance at life, BUT, I don't know why he didn't try to help his father, the second time through.  I sort of understand that he thinks things will go badly again if he tells anyone about "the voices", but I don't know, I think I would still do something.  The last part of the book really moved fast, and that worked only because we already knew the characters well enough.  The irony in the first part was overwhelming sometimes, the dad gets better, then dies in a car crash.  Maybe Junior didn't do anything the second time around because he felt fate would intervene again.  Amy decides to leave with Junior, then dies while in line to sign up to go.  I will say Junior's second life was happier than the first one, in my opinion, even with his father's illness and death.  He was with Amy, for longer this time,had a child, even with his ambiguous feelings about that, and generally enjoyed his last days.  He made a difference in the world, even though he didn't save the world's population this time, like he did the first time around.  He helped others, his daughter helped others, and he felt good about himself.  He wasn't a drug addict or alcoholic this time, which made me happy, and he tried to live a good life.  He seemed to know himself better this time around.