Gabrielle Zevin: Elsewhere

Third-person omniscient narrator, but yet it almost reads as third-person limited. The story surrounds Liz, who at 15 was killed in a hit-and-run accident.
Elsewhere is where all who pass live out their days backwards until they are reborn back on earth, in a never-ending cycle of life and living lives. It is frustrating the fight Liz puts up as she tries to make sense of what has happened to her, and what is to come in her life, but as I type this I realize how Zevin has articulated the teen angst in a manner that is realistic for Liz's situation. I am glad that I read it, and it is a most excellent way of viewing what happens after our time here, on this Earth, is over.

Patrick Jones: Cheated

This perspective takes depressing to the extreme. Mick feels sorry for himself and the situations he finds himself in, which are a result of his insecurities, upbringing, and overall male teenager-ness. The reader can't feel sorry for him because of the constant whining. The choices that result in a horrific crime are then abruptly not concluded with any satisfaction. I even read the whole thing hoping for a better message. While Mick owns up to his role in the murder, it isn't because of his true nature, but rather his guilt and the pressure put upon him by the adults surrounding him. Pretty disappointing.