Quick Thoughts and Rating: 2 stars! Sadly, I knew very early on (like, by page six or so) that this title just wasn't going to work for me. Yet, much to my amazement–and utter frustration–I just couldn't walk away from it. It had some positive aspects that I really wanted to have outshone all the negative, however that was never really the case for me.

♥ Review: Generally, I'm not in the business of being an asshole just because I can be–at least not where book reviews count–so I won't linger on all the elements that didn't exactly work for me. Characters can always make or break a book for me, and Reggie and I didn't vibe at all. To be honest, if I met her in real life, she'd be the type of person that I would avoid at all cost, so you can see why being in her head didn't prove to be a positive experience. She was pretentious and her attitude was piss-poor, not the particular brand of snark I usually endear myself to when it comes to heroines. She was a brat, for the lack of a better word, and while I understand fully that depression puts you in a frame of mind that is sometimes hard for others to be sympathetic to, I also know that I tried hard to be on this journey with her, but she made it damn difficult to appreciate the small amount of growth she underwent in this novel. Secondly, I didn't love the triangle aspect of the love connection working between Reggie, Snake, and Snake's soon-to-be baby momma, Carla. I felt like he was playing them both to a certain degree, and it infuriated me to no end that Reggie didn't expect more for herself and that I loved everything else about Snake except for the way he handled this whole situation. Lastly, my biggest disappointment for this book is the way these two kids and their story seemed to fall into stereotypical patterns. I felt like the premise had an opportunity to really wow and affect a lot of readers, but fell short on the execution. I wanted to love this book, but in the end, it just left me wanting–wanting more for the characters and wanting better for the story itself.

On a positive note, I loved how Taylor depicted that depression isn't selective about who it chooses to affect; it can attach itself to all types of people from all different walks of life. I also appreciated the introduction of therapy/counseling and how it can be a great assistance if you're willing and ready to accept the help you need. Furthermore, I also liked the portrayal of this illness and the reality that depression isn't something that you can fix overnight, that it's a process, sometimes a very lengthy one, but that the process can work should you want to explore your options. Lastly, I also liked the evolution of Carla and Reggie's relationship if I'm being honest.

♥ Teaser Quote:
"Nothing on the tightrope can be explained, much less wholly defined. But every indefinable thing has a beginning, and the beginning of understanding depression is simply this:
You're never as alone as you think you are."
–quote taken from the eARC of Definitions of Indefinable Things at 99%

♥ Rec It? Probably not. Do I think some readers will connect with Reggie and like/love this book? Sure, there's a book out there for everyone, but this just wasn't my cup of tea.

♥ A very special thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.

I only have my own experience with mental illness to go on and so cannot speak to how other people will interpret this novel's handling of that subject matter, but for my part Definitions of Indefinable Things was an interesting read that had some pitfalls, but overall managed to succeed in being a book that I would a) recommend and b) likely pick up again in the future.

I started out liking Reggie and Snake, our two main characters. Sure they weren't the nicest of people for one reason or another, but I felt like I understood their characters. However, despite this initial interest, I felt myself getting annoyed by what seemed to be a lack of progress during some parts of the novel. Lags in pacing, if you will, and that annoyed me because it seemed like they were "doing well", in a manner of speaking. They've both got a lot of challenges, not least of which is their mental illness and Snake's impending fatherhood, which might explain why it took a lot of time to get anywhere.

The writing overall, with the brief exceptions I mentioned above that cropped up, was actually quite good. This is my first Whitney Taylor novel, her debut I believe, and I would't be adverse to picking up another of her books in the future. She has a knack for being funny at the right moments 9 times out of 10 while also being able to write the hard stuff, i.e. Reggie's depression. As the book only gives us one perspective, that was the important facet for me to see done well.

Having seen what Whitney Taylor can do with this subject, I'm curious to see what kind of book she'll write next. Will we see more on a similar subject and writing the continues to get better, or perhaps a risk that showcases another part of her talent? Time will tell, but in the meantime, I would offer up Definitions of Indefinable Things as evidence of a good book by a talented author.

I enjoyed the premisious of the story however I had to put this one on my Did Not Finish list as the paceing was little too slow for my liking so I didn't get very far. I think it is an enjoyable story for some and definitely was intriguing but overall just wasn't able to get into it.

2.5 stars

Reggie Mason is a teen with depression and a dark sense of humour.
She meets Snake, a guy who makes films, takes medication and also has a seven-month pregnant ex-girlfriend.
As Reggie grows closer to Snake he makes her question everything.

Depression is becoming a more widely written about theme nowadays and I thought that Definitions of Indefinable Things handled the topic well.
I liked Reggie and felt sorry for her - she had been hurt in the past and was shut off as a result.
I didn't have any strong feelings about Snake but I didn't mind the romance.
The plot was okay but I wasn't gripped and I lost interest a few times.

Overall this was a somewhat enjoyable read.

"You're never as alone as you think you are"

* *
2 / 5

Reggie Mason is depressed. She meets the equally, if not more so, depressed, nihilistic, terrible indie film-maker Snake. Snake's sort-of and entirely one-night-stand girlfriend Carla is seven months pregnant with his child. What intrigued me about Definitions of Indefinable Things is this entirely bizarre triad relationship and the scenes that involved this odd dynamic were definitely my favourites. Unfortunately, I found the book to be unbearably pretentious and Reggie and Snake to alternate between quite realistic and unbearably insufferable. Carla was definitely my favourite.

"You want to know a secret? Something's killing me too. It's called depression. And it's not a symptom of anything but me"

I sympathise a lot of Reggie's depression. She hates therapy thinking it does nothing for and her mother thinks she's depressed because she doesn't pray enough and God is punishing her. That sucks. Taylor also nailed that sort of blank empty feeling where you don't want to do anything but lie there and listen to music pounding in your ears. Reggie meets Snake and finds him intriguing - then he ends up getting a job at the same ice-cream van as her, and they go on a terrifically cringey "anti-date" which involves sitting on a trash heap whilst telling each other they hate the other.

Unsurprisingly, Reggie's mum (who she unironically addresses as Karen all the time to piss her off) doesn't like Snake. It might be the weird film he's directing called The Sheer Uselessness of Our Condition, it might be the lesbian mums he has, or it might be the fact that he impregnated "Little Carla", as Karen affectionately calls her, on a one-night stand. Obviously, the parental disapproval encourages Reggie to spend more time with Snake.

"How does anyone know they're depressed? You feel equally alive and dead and have no idea how that's even possible. And everything around you doesn't seem so full anymore. And you can't tell if the world is empty or you are. That's how I knew. I realised it wasn't the world that was empty"

Reggie spends a lot of time thinking about how she feels about Snake. He insists he doesn't really like Carla that much, but will call her "babe" and gush over the baby in front of Reggie. He'll kiss her and invite her to his house, then go to a birthing class with Carla. And then Carla seems to decide that Reggie is her new best friend, despite them sorting of sharing the same guy. This is all both hilarious and interesting, because it is a really good dynamic that Taylor has created here. I've never read anything like it.

The main disappointment about this book for me is that nobody, nobody, not even depressed teenagers, have conversations like Reggie and Snake. It's sort of got that The Perks of Being A Wallflower feel but a thousand times more cringeworthy and pretentious. Snake says things like:

"I am but a pebble in the sand. I am sitting on a pile of garbage eating pizza that tastes like paper with a girl who hates me almost as much as I hate myself and I am but a pebble in the sand"

And Reggie's inner monologue runs along the lines of: "there would always be something standing in the way of me becoming one of those stupid and ordinary people." And theres this:

"My world view is that we are all spiralling towards a vast and gaping obscurity we can't escape, and if we're lucky, we're doing so alone. Also, I despite you. And by you, I mean the general human population"

I'm fairly sure this is supposed to be tongue in cheek, but it's just irritating after a while.

I was going to give this book 3 stars because it does have a lot of good points, but then I remembered how I had to struggle through the beginning. It also took me a relatively long time to read this book, considering how short it is. I did like the ending - it definitely ends on a positive note. Reggie and Snake turn their backs on some of their "life is pointless" rhetoric and the three main characters settle into a comfortable dynamic. I was very pleased to find that Carla does end up happy. The best thing about this book was how absolutely spot on the depiction of depression is - this could be really helpful to some people.

This was the first book I read about depression. Like, everybody, I love books where I’m able to connect with the characters. But somehow, when it’s something like this it still makes me uncomfortable.

This type of books make me think a bit too much, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing if I am in a good moment. But if I’m not it’s not very easy to read about. Depression is a theme that I feel that it is very easily misunderstood. And very easily dismissed. I don’t want to overly share my life in this post but I’ve been there, and whenever I’m not, I always come back to that. So, I felt that I really understood the characters and that the representations were very accurate.

Clinical Depression is not easy to deal with and this book shows it incredibly well. Reggie has depression and she hides behind a mask. She is trying to protect herself from all the pain and frustration that she feels living her life. She talks about all the elements of it, like drugs, therapy, symptoms, side effects and the impact it has in her life. A thing I really liked is that the symptoms and the reasons are different from Reggie to Snake. Which made it more realistic! Because it will never be the same to everybody.

The book not only talks about depression, but it also touched subjects like religion, LGBT, family love, friendship, love, and teen-pregnancy … And they all wrap very well in each other.

I really liked the characters in this book. Reggie, Snake and even Carla (Snake’s ex-girlfriend), that at first, I wasn’t so sure about since we see it from Reggie’s perspective. But my favorite characters have to be Snake’s moms. I loved every part they entered! They just made the book lighter…

I felt it was a bit heavy but that’s the point of the book. I loved the writing and especially the humor and sarcasm, which for me are always welcome. It was incredibly fast to read and very enjoyable. There’s a lot of amazing quotes that show the reality of depression, but it also has encouragements in it that I loved.

I laugh a lot during this book but it also made me cry loads. It was overall a unique amazing story, showing life through the eyes of a depressed person and I would most definitely recommend it!

Rating: 4.25/5 Penguins

Quick Reasons: life changer; this tackles some important, heavy subjects...and does so with sensitivity and tact; don't expect a miracle cure, penguins; this paints mental health in a realistic, complex, true-to-life way; these characters are just...GAH

Huge thanks to Whitney Taylor, HMH Books for Young Readers, and Netgalley for providing me with early access to a free digital galley of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.


---"That wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me today."

"And the worst would be?"

"Waking up."

He looked mildly surprised for a moment, like he didn't know what kind of response I was expecting from him. And then, as if on cue, he erupted with laughter. "I'm starting to think you waking up was the worst thing that happened to me today."---


I'm going to be honest, penguins. This book is messy. The characters are struggling with some very heavy burdens...and Whitney Taylor doesn't once mince her words, or sugar-coat the emotions. From page one, you will be taken on a whirlwind ride of snark, angst, and depression. There is no miracle cure waiting at the end--even at the end, these characters are hurting, and they know it. They acknowledge their invisible struggles in every word, in every action, in every single moment--and you'll be forced to step outside yourself and live their pain with every flip of the page. This book does not offer an easy solution, a cure, or an answer--because honestly, in reality, there isn't always one.

This is, instead, a small glimpse into the ways depression wreaks havoc on an individual--and their loved ones. Whitney Taylor took a very heavy subject and approached it with sensitivity and tact. The characters are realistic and beautiful and flawed and struggling--and I so, so appreciated that in this read. While this was a difficult journey for me, as it forced me to step outside myself and back into a darker state of mind... I also appreciated the way Whitney Taylor approached this journey. I also ADORED how much snark and angst followed these characters throughout the read--their interactions with and reactions to each other/the world were undeniably some of my favorite moments.


---"When you stopped talking to me, I was in the worst place I'd ever been in. I couldn't eat or get out of bed or do anything, really. It was horrible. I thought I wouldn't survive it. But seeing you at the hospital changed something. I realized it wasn't your job to make me better. Only I could do that. And I can. I can survive without you. I can survive without needing you to fix me. And maybe I'll never be completely okay, but I know I'll never be completely broken, either. And that's life, I guess. Survival. That's the tightrope."---


While there is a bit of a love triangle and there are some pretty lofty mistakes made...this book is unarguably REAL. The morals imparted? The messages explored and spelled out? Only helped to cement this in my mind as one of the best, most emotionally-challenging reads of the year so far. This is the sort of book that makes readers think, and leaves them changed--I know, for sure, that it's changed me.

I just... this book is important, penguins. Whitney Taylor handled this journey with tact and sensitivity. The characters are snarky, adorable...and battling some dark demons. There is no miracle cure waiting at the end--and I adored that about this, because it's so realistic and true-to-life. I'd recommend this to lovers of contemporaries with heavy subjects, honest implications, and journeys bound to change you. If you had to define indefinable things, what would be on YOUR list?

Some people may be put off by this book because it's not one of the many fairytale rewrites so common and instead is a very realistic look at depression. However for those who take the time, they will find that Taylor has done a very good job of interjecting just the right amount of humor into the book and touches the reader with her honesty and openness in discussing depression.

Two of the three main characters in this book have depression. (See plot summary above.) This is a great plot point because we get to see how different and similar depression can be in different people. The author doesn't gloss over the mental illness; she gives us fully rounded characters showing us how the mental illness affects their actions and relationships with others.

One of the MC's, Reggie, finds herself in a seemingly impossible situation. We see her struggle with assignments her counselor gives her such as, "What does loneliness mean to you?" and "What does crazy mean to you?" However, it is the words that Reggie struggles with on her own throughout the book that result in some very meaningful passages. It is beautiful to see her struggle with words such as friends and love. Reggie seems to believe her definitions of these very difficult words will help her decide the right thing to do in her very difficult situation.

My favorite thing about this book, and what moved it from 3 stars to four stars, is the excellent dialogue. I can't remember the last book where I have enjoyed dialogue so much. Reggie exudes snarkiness and sarcasm to protect herself from making any real attachments. Snake lives off self-deprecating humor. Although he seems to have everything, he is not happy with himself and likes being put down. Add hormones and teenage angst and the dialog is surprisingly witty. But can two people with depression make a go of it? (And don't forget to add Snakes newborn baby, and the baby's mother to the mix!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for a copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very honest portrayal of depression. Overall I really felt the author captured what it means to be a teenager with clinical depression. And yet it isn't all doom and,gloom. It was funny and snarky and heartwarming at the same time. For me the ending was a little too neatly and quickly tied in a bow, but it is YA fiction, so I can't really complain too much. Definitely worth the time.

I have given this book 3 stars as I think the author did a good job describing Reggie's depression and its impact on her life, I didn't not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped.

Reggie's relationship with Snake was not interesting and Snake felt like a weak, 1 dimensional character. I much preferred Reggie's interactions with Carla, Snake's pregnant ex-partner.

I think there is potential in Whitney Taylor's writing, with a better plot and more interesting characters.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this as I have heard lots of mixed reviews, and suffering from depression myself, I was apprehensive about how it would be dealt with. I wasn’t disappointed.

Yes Reggie was obnoxious, mean and sarcastic, but they were her coping mechanisms. She wasn’t using her illness as an excuse at all, it was just how she dealt with things. And both Snake and Carla figured that out.

Snake was great. Just goofy enough, just cute enough to be tolerable!!!

I was happy with how the problem of depression and treatment of it were handled, as it is definitely not a one size fits all condition. It is important to understand that there isn’t always a reason for a person to be depressed, sometimes they just are. I’ve also heard criticism about how Snake and Reggie talk about their depression to each other. I personally don’t see a problem with this. One of the main issues the characters had was loneliness, and being able to talk to someone is again a way of dealing.

Despite the heavy topic, I did find myself chuckling at times, as the acerbic wit and sarcasm portrayed was really accurate and really rather funny.

Well done Whitney Taylor!

Recommended to anyone who fancies something a bit unusual and quirky.

2.5 out of 5 stars

I'm not going to lie, based on the cover alone I thought I was going to love this book. Unfortunately this book is full of cliches and not in the fun way. It is a shame too because I think the author has a nice writing style, but there are only so many times you can stumble upon your classic YA trope before the story begins to feel obsolete. In saying that, there are some great moments scattered through this story and i do think there is an audience out there for it, it just isn't me. Would suggest checking out other reviews or picking it up yourself to see if it is your jam.

I kind of really liked this book. And I don't usually like contemporary romance novels. The book also dealt with quite a few issues. It started off strong and I really liked both characters, Reggie and Snake. Then it kinda got repetitive and boring shortly after, but luckily that didn't last long. It takes a while before the reason why Reggie is Reggie is revealed to us. Until that point, the reader is left wondering if it will be mentioned soon or if that's what the book is leading up to.

Overall I really liked the style of writing. It felt so real. I resonated a lot with the characters. Admittedly, I had a love-hate relationship with the two main characters and there were a few characters I outright did not like (ie Karen). Throughout the book, you really get to see why all the characters behave the way they do. There is a lot of great character development. I wish we got to see a little more of Polka. He was one of my favourite characters.

The one thing that made this book go from a 3/3.5 to a 4 was the emotion. It gave me ALL the feels. Like, I was ugly crying towards the end. Fair warning, don't read this book without some tissues nearby!

Unable to read due to inability to read on my kindle.

Not gonna lie to you guys… when I first started this book, I wasn’t feeling it at all. It felt like it was romanticizing depression and that it would be one of those where “love cures all” and shit, and I was scared out of my wits, because I did not want to read THAT story. I’m pleased to inform you that in the end I didn’t feel like the book really did either of those things. Yes, there is a romance between two clinically depressed teens, and yes, they get “better” during the book, but not truly because of their relationship.

I can’t really talk about representation, because though I have been depressed during my life, I was never clinically depressed, but one of my favorite things about this book was how it shows many facets and forms of depression. There isn’t ONE cause, or ONE reason, or ONE way. Reggie and Snake are both depressed, both take their meds, but their underlying reasons, outtake and the way they experience their depression is completely different from one another.

The characters are definitely unique. The book is told through Reggie’s POV, and I found it hilarious, while super dark at the same time. Reggie comes across as not caring for anyone, and using a “hate” language almost. At first I thought it was a bit too heavy, the way she hated on the world and her mom and everything really, but then I started to get her, the longer she talked, the better it became. This book has a very dark and twisted way of humour though, and I’m guessing not everyone will like it or get it, but I thought it fit with Reggie’s view of things, and with the progress of the book, I also felt her voice change slightly.

I really liked Snake. Fair warning, there is a bit of instalove on his part, and not all his actions are well thought out, and some are not correct in the slightest, but to be fair, he did act his age, I believed I was reading the actions of a confused and scared 17 years old. I liked how he challenged Reggie, while understanding her completely. That’s what I thought was great about this book, honestly, the understanding. Yes, both these teens are trying to get better, but they both understand each other, and there’s no recrimination or anything of the sort. There’s acceptance and understanding, from both sides.

I also need to mention Carla, Snake’s baby momma. She has such an important role in this book, and I have to say that she’s probably my favorite character. She’s in such a tough situation, and yet she tries her best, and manages to help Reggie and Snake in the process.

There’s also a huge family element in this book, and a pretty important one at that.

So, overall I really loved this book, and the reason I can’t rate it higher is because I felt the beginning was a bit iffy. I thought this was a wonderfully written book, about a subject that so many people deal with on a daily basis, but there’s still such a huge stigma around it.

I WOULD RECOMMEND IT FOR SURE, BUT BEWARE OF THE TOPIC. MAKE SURE TO READ A FEW TAKES ON THIS BOOK, IF YOU THINK THAT THIS MIGHT NOT BE FOR YOU.

I think 3 stars might be too high, but I really don't know how I feel about this book.

There were a lot of things I didn't care for. I pretty much loathed Reggie. I did not like being in her head at all. I hated the underlined words, followed by a (see: {enter fake snark here}) that constantly happened. The take on depression was intriguing and entirely different than any other portrayal I've read. I don't know if that's good or bad.

There were some sweet moments and some great pieces of banter. I was amused the dynamic of Carla and Reggie. I really liked Snake and I'm pretty sure he was the only reason I kept reading.

I was taking to a friend about this and she said the word pretentious and that's a perfect description. Everything about this book comes across as pretentious and that made me struggle with it. However, there was something compelling me to finish, but I have no idea what that was. And even the ending left me feeling like it wasn't quite enough.

Overall, I might have more concrete feelings if I did a reread, but I don't have any sort of ambition or want to do that. I know this review is weird, but so is the aftermath of finishing.

**Huge thanks to HMH for providing the book free of charge**

whitney taylor's debut, definitions of indefinable things, is a deep dive into what it means to struggle with depression. not only that, but it also attempts to show us that depression isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, it strikes different people in different ways, even if sometimes the symptoms are similar.

reggie mason is a depression expert seeing as how she has it, and when she meets fellow depressive pill popper, snake (real name: matthew) who uses their diagnoses as a pick-up line she's not having it. she's already tried the relationship thing once and ended up more depressed than ever so she's not looking for someone else to care about. except snake (you guys, i hate this name) is kind of hard to ignore.

and he's trying so hard. he takes reggie on an anti-date (see: a good date disguised as a terrible one) and he does all the right things and just when reggie thinks maybe he's worth taking a chance on she realizes that he's her former co-worker's baby daddy and possible current boyfriend (see: not boyfriend material). how whitney navigates her feelings for snake (ugh) and carla and their situation, as well as her relationship with her family (especially her mom) and her depression is the bulk of the novel.

and because feelings are messy and depression is messy and relationships are messy and the main characters are young adults things get messy and hard and handled poorly. and for a while, i was worried that this was going to be a depressing story about depression like all the bright places. but thankfully the messaging here is not as bleak. yes, depression is difficult and all-consuming, but there is hope. knowing your triggers. knowing yourself. talking things through. owning your feelings. all those things help. in the end, there are no easy answers (see: life is messy), but it is possible to hope that things get better. and that's a perfectly good place to reach.

Definitions of Indefinable Things was such a beautiful novel. It's sarcastic, funny, deep and emotional. I loved it from beginning to end.

Reggie is depressed, she is moody, sassy, and will tell you exactly why she doesn't like you. The last thing Reggie expected, was to meet a boy at the pharmacy. Snake has to start a part time job, and when he runs into his new co-worker Reggie, he can't stop himself about asking her out. The only problem is that Snake is having a baby with Reggie's old co-worker Carla. Even though Reggie and Snake are getting better in dealing with their depression together, Reggie knows that they can't end up together, not with a baby on the way.

Honestly, I was completely surprised about how much I liked this book. I'm usually not a huge fan of this type of contemporary books, but I read an excerpt and the writing instantly had me hooked.

Reggie was a fantastic main character, it was great to read in her point of view and see exactly how she deals with her situation. While putting up a tough girl front on the outside, we also get to see the sad and lonely girl on the inside. There were so many moment where Reggie's story really hit me in the feels. I could definitely sympathize with her, and understand why she was acting the way she was. Her character development throughout the book was absolutely great.

The other characters in the story were all very unique and I enjoyed most of them. Snake wasn't my favourite character ever, but I really enjoyed reading about him and Reggie together, just to see how much they helped each other and how happy it made them. I really did love Carla's story, I haven't read a book about teen pregnancy, but I was so happy with the way her character development went, her story really impressed me. The one character I wish we got to see more of was Polka, he was hilarious and probably my favourite character in this book, I would have loved to read more about him.

The plot of the story was fairly good. While there wasn't too much action in the beginning of the book, the book had a fantastic climax, and I could not put the book down once I got about half way in. The author did such an amazing job making the story interesting, and keeping the reader entertained.

There wasn't a lot of world building, especially since we mostly see the main characters at school, work or at their houses. The descriptions were a bit bland, and I definitely couldn't picture myself in the story.

Overall, it was still a wonderful story, and I definitely recommend it to any contemporary lover. This book will definitely hit you in the feels and you'll probably stay up all night reading it.

This heartbreaking, humorous novel is about three teens whose lives intersect in ways they never expected.

Reggie Mason is all too familiar with “the Three Stages of Depression.” She believes she’s unlocked the secret to keeping herself safe: Nobody can hurt you if you never let them in.

Reggie encounters an unexpected challenge to her misanthropy: a Twizzler-chomping, indie film-making narcissist named Snake. Snake’s presence, while reassuring, is not exactly stable—especially since his ex-girlfriend is seven months pregnant. As Reggie falls for Snake, she must decide whether it’s time to rewrite the rules that have defined her.

It took me a while to gather up my thoughts about this one well enough to write a review. The first half of the book was quite promising, but – if I’m being honest – things went south afterwards.

I immediately liked sarcastic, witty Reggie whose experiences and struggles hit a bit too close to home. Her depression and her attitude towards life are things I’m all too familiar with. Snake, however, I couldn’t connect to. Maybe his lines were a bit too made-up and pretentious; maybe it’s because we only get Reggie’s POV. Anyhow, I was totally indifferent towards him.

While I found Taylor’s depiction of depression quite accurate and not romanticized or sugar-coated, I did not enjoy the overall plot. It’s too common, a storyline that’s been told by millions of authors millions of times. Apart from its accuracy concerning mental illness nothing sets it apart.

I had two main issues with this book: First, I just could not care about Reggie and Snake’s relationship. Not one bit. I liked her better in her solo scenes, I never cared for him and their romance was just one trope and cliché after the other. Overused and overdone and never, never interesting. I wanted to root for them, I really did. But, at the end of the day, I cared more about Reggie’s dynamic and relationship with Carla.

My second issue is the book’s ending. While Taylor did a phenomenal – in my opinion – job at portraying mental illness in the course of her book, the ending was too unrealistic, a desperate attempt to make this cuter and fluffier than it needed to be.

**A digital ARC was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.**

Guys. GUYS. THIS BOOK. Ohmygod. Read it. Don't even read this review. Just go read this book. Please. Shoo. Go. You'll thank me later.

NO NO NO WAIT, just kidding. Please read this review? You'll hurt my feelings if you don't and I'm very fragile right now after finishing this book. So please read this review, then go read this book, okay? Okay. Great. Because, seriously guys, this book was all kinds of amazing. And I really didn't expect it to be at all.

Definitions of Indefinable Things is about Reggie, who is in the midst of a serious depression. Capital-D, Zoloft-prescribed depression. She keeps people at a distance and doesn't get close to anyone because that way they can't hurt her either. But then Snake appears in her life. Twizzler-chewing, full-of-himself, aspiring-filmmaker Snake. Who has a pregnant (ex-)girlfriend. And whether she wants to or not, her life gets completely turned upside down.

I'm all too familiar with depression. And reading about it can be a difficult thing. BUT why it's difficult can go two ways.

1. It is not represented well and thus makes me want to toss the book out of the stratosphere and sulk in my room for the rest of the year.
2. The book gets it SO right it gets too real and it hurts my feels and I need to go build a blanket fort and curl up in it for a few weeks to recover.

This book is one of those rare ones that falls under neither option. Well... Kind of option two? But also not? Because I feel like I have to start off with this first because mental health in books is SO important and it needs to be done right. And in this book it is. It absolutely is and I weep with joy because of it. It did get very real sometimes and punched me in the feels because of how real it got. BUT that was very nicely balanced out by lighter moments and humor and it softened the blow a bit for me which I liked a whole lot. It made the book less heavy emotionally. Oh and no, romance didn't cure anything. Just in case you were wondering. So again, points to this book for that. But seriously, A++++ on Mental Health representation. All the brownie points for this precious book.

I really had very low expectations going into it. It sounded like it would end up being a super-dramatic love triangle with teen pregnancy and yeah... I was very scared it would end up that way. I'm very iffy about teen pregnancy in books and I loathe love triangles with the passion of a thousand suns. Especially if they're overly dramatic and done so very wrong (which they often are). But this book wasn't like that! It never got too dramatic? Like, there is some drama of course but it felt needed and realistic and that makes all the difference to me.

What drew me into the book though, was the voice. The writing. Reggie's voice hooked me right from the start and I loved her. This book is SO funny. The banter and Reggie's narration made me laugh out loud so much and I didn't expect that from a book dealing with depression. Though, to someone else it might not be funny at all because humor is subjective and all that. Reggie's humor and her voice were just really my thing and I laughed a lot. And I love funny books. I love fantastic banter. And this book had lots of it. It's 2000% quotable and of course I will share a few of my favorites at the end of the review. Please be patient.

But next to that this book did this wonderful thing where it made me laugh SO hard one chapter and then punches me in the gut with feels, stabs me in the heart and makes me tear up the next. Delicious. I love it. Who needs a heart anyway?

Though, of course, a book is nothing without great characters. Luckily this book had lots of them. Like Snake's moms were the best. And Reggie's parents were great too, even though her mom took a while for me to warm up to. AND all the points for this book for giving awesome parents in YA, which I recently shouted about in a post. Also a quick shout-out to Polka. He's adorable and I want a spin-off about him. Make it happen?

NOW the most important characters. Starting with Carla. She's a pretty rich girl and used to be super-popular before she got pregnant and going into this novel I expected to hate her because I thought she'd be one of those stereotype characters and I hate those. She was NOT what I thought she would be and I loved her for it. She's not some cliche stereotype at all. She's actually quite lovely and I loved her more and more as the book went on. There's more than meets the eye with her and I seriously shipped her and Reggie so hard as friends. They're perfect for each other, really.

Next up is my darling Twizzler-chewing Snake. He's not just a random rich bad boy that knocked up the head cheerleader. NOT AT ALL. He's sweet and sassy and a bit full of himself but he's also supersweet and struggles with depression and I felt the strong need to cuddle him and protect him from harm. He's an aspiring indie-filmmaker, has crappy tattoos, two awesome moms and again, so much sass. I loved him so much.

And of course, lastly, our main character Reggie. I love her. Simple as that. She was super-relatable to me and her voice was perfect. I love her snark and sarcasm and her no-nonsense attitude. I loved how she viewed the world because I could relate to it. Because I've been there and I understood what she felt. But she's also super-funny and she grew SO much throughout the book and I'm so incredibly proud of her. And I need to repeat that I'm SUPER happy that romance didn't cure her depression. Or Snake's. And their romance was handled perfectly and it never felt like an icky, messy love triangle of doom. It was sweet and realistic and I shipped them so very very much it's not even funny.

So in the end, Definitions of Indefinable Things is definitely a must-read for 2017 and will most likely have a spot in my top ten at the end of the year. Unless this becomes a ridiculously good reading year and I read ten books that are so much better than this one. Which would be lovely, of course. But still. Put this on your calendars, people. And please read it at your earliest convenience.