I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book, but I can see why others are. I’m glad I got through it, because I found it very slow paced and one I just won’t remember.

I appreciate a book that teaches against forming prejudices and finding understanding but I found it hard to read. It was cool seeing a male Christian protagonist because I feel like when any character is religious it's a female. Would recommend for someone looking for an easy read but not foe those who get easily annoyed at characters because it takes a lot for characters to annoy me and not going to lie they really drove me nuts.

I did not have time to download and read this book before it was archived, so I'm unable to leave a review.

I am attempting to go back and read some of these older books to bring up my ratio, but unfortunately I can't find a copy of this in my library system! I will not be reviewing it apologies :(

DNF at 25%. It's been over four years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

When I read the description for this book I thought it would be an good read but unfortunately I was wrong. The story just wasn't for me, I didn't really like the characters and the robbery didn't really play as much of a role in the book as I thought it would which was disappointing

An interesting read from the start, I had heard nothing of this book going into it and i'm quite glad I didn't. Overall it was a pretty okay book, although what fell flat for me is there was a lot of unanswered questions.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

I couldn’t get into this book. I tried multiple times and it just didn’t grab my attention. I skimmed through hoping something would grab me but nothing ever did.

I just couldn't do it. After getting a little bit into the story I realized that this was mainly about christianity, which was somehow unexpected, so I just couldn't get used to it. unfortunately I had to dnf this after a few chapters.

Read Oct 19

Jade and Ethan end up locked in a gym overnight after a gunpoint robbery. The conversations they had were interesting but it’s hard to forget that Ethan made Jade stay open late so he could work out. Had he not done that then neither would have been there for the robbery.

Ethan has a very strong faith and he’s even shown going to bible groups. He seemed to be trying to push his faith onto Jade at times and didn’t want to accept that she wasn’t Christian like himself. Whether Jade had faith or not was overridden by the worry she had for her sick father.

The book was OK but kind of flat in places and the overall plot could have been stronger. Generally forgettable.

There are many thing I would rather do than die... reading this book is not really one of them. I was rather disappointed with it.

I was really excited about what I thought would be more of a plot line in this book, the characters being held at gunpoint and locked in a gym together overnight. Unfortunately, after that it felt like not much happened and things went downhill for me pretty fast.

This book was good. Took me some time to get into the story. But atvend it was all worth it.
We have Ethan the main character who believes in his faith more then anything and then we have Jade who is wants to try things out. And this the story about how so different people get together.
Well written story and character!

I enjoyed reading and going through the relationship between the characters. This wasn't too deep despite what I expected and made my heart swell.

I received an advance ecopy of this book via NetGalley and Flux. My heartfelt thanks.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars, but I round up.


This is my second excursion into CHD's work and it took 2nd place.

Pros:
- It's a YA romance. 'Nuff said. I'm a sucker.
- Christianity included in a realistic, non-preachy way. Good, realistic middle ground utilized as character development rather than a sermon.
- Set in the South. There's no better setting (though my Georgia-born, Mississippi-livin' heart is biased).
- Jade's little sister Sydney actually acts like a 6th grader. Hallelujah.
- The action gets going right off the bat. That made it easier to keep reading.



Cons:
- too many things, too many side plot points, not enough information about those things and those plot points.
- 2 Grandmas + 2 POVs = Too many similar things to juggle. Grandmas are amazing. Ergo, I need to be able to keep them straight and I couldn't.
- I struggled to fully connect to Ethan and Jade. They were good characters. They erred on the side of stereotypical, which is fine, but I just couldn't connect. This book could have been far longer if the details about them had been fleshed out and explored with the depth they deserved.
- Brianne annoyed the mess out of me, and by extension and as a result, Ethan did too. Plus we're restricted to Ethan's and Jade's perspectives on her, which just made it worse. Poor girl. I guess. But also not really because she is toxic. Another mean-girl-cheerleader-pretty-girl-dating-the-quarterback stereotype that went off the rails.
- There's not enough time spent on the reason for the title of this book. It's one of the high points and I wish there had been more time devoted to it.


All in all, not bad.

I was originally intrigued by the cover and then I’ll be honest I didn’t read the blurb beyond the first sentence.

I liked the beginning but once Jade and Ethan were rescued it slowed way down for me. Unfortunately after a bit I had to stop reading. I couldn’t get past the lack of story line and connection with the characters. I had to admit defeat and DNF this book.

Things I'd Rather Do Than Die is a catchy title that refers to one of the topics of conversion between high school seniors Jade Fulton and Ethan Garrett, when they are locked in a workout studio after being held at gunpoint at the gym where she works. For eight hours they share confidences and begin to realize the stereotypical attitudes they had about each other were unfair. She isn't just an agnostic intellectual and he isn't just a bible-toting dumb jock, as they formerly believed. Once they are rescued, they return to their normal lives, but the bond they have formed is difficult to ignore, much to Ethan's girlfriend's annoyance. As they deal with personal struggles, including Jade's dad's terminal diagnosis and Ethan's dad's alcoholism, they begin leaning on each other for support. The theme of being true to oneself is explored as they both reevaluate their goals and relationships. As Jade says, "If there is a God, maybe what he really values is people keeping an open mind." Their thoughtful conversations and struggles with following their hearts make this a compelling read.