Stuffed Animal Saturday: Optimists Die First

Stuffed Animal Saturday is a meme that we post here at We Live and Breathe Books to showcase the book we're currently reading with one of our favorite stuffed animals and discuss our stuffed animal's opinion (well, it's really our opinion, but that's besides the point). We hope you enjoy our quirky feature as much as we enjoy writing it!

This Saturday, Swanky Bubbles and I are reading Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen.

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Sixteen-year-old Petula de Wilde is anything but wild. A former crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula shut herself off from the world after a family tragedy. She sees danger in all the ordinary things, like crossing the street, a bug bite, or a germy handshake. She knows: life is out to get you.

The worst part of her week is her comically lame mandatory art therapy class with a small group of fellow misfits. Then a new boy, Jacob, appears at school and in her therapy group. He seems so normal and confident, though he has a prosthetic arm; and soon he teams up with Petula on a hilarious project, gradually inspiring her to let go of some of her fears. But as the two grow closer, a hidden truth behind why he’s in the group could derail them, unless Petula takes a huge risk. 

So far:

I will not lie. I had no idea what this book was about before I started it. Kiersten brought it home, and the cover was compelling enough, so I thought I would give it a try. I am about half way through, and I must say, this book is wonderful.

Part of the blurb on the back cover, pretty much summed it up for me

One pessimist. One optimist. One love story. Award-winning author Susin Nielsen's irresistible novel is both heartrending and laugh-out-loud funny. 

There are these parts, where tears creep into my eyes, and then there are these other parts, where I just have to laugh. At this point, I am so invested in Petula's life. I want her family to heal. I want her to heal. I am just rooting for all to be well in her world again.

Swanky Bubbles is also really enjoying this book. He especially loved the part where Petula and Jacob make a short of Wuthering Heights starring cats.

Keep an eye out for my review in February.

Are you and your 
stuffed animal reading anything interesting? 

Let us know in your own 
Stuffed Animal Saturday!