Comments (17)

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Feb 11, 2023thatdamncatlady rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Usually I am a huge fan of anything by Nielsen but this was one of her more lacklustre ones. While the characters were entertaining (some were downright hilarious) the ending felt abrupt and so much of it was fairly predictable. I enjoyed…
Feb 10, 2023InnisfilTeenReads rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Optimists Die first by Susin Nielsen was somewhat overrated. The story follows Petula, a sixteen year old girl whose life has been plagued with anxiety and unhealthy coping mechanisms since tragedy struck her family. Burdened with grief…
Feb 12, 2022
I was surprised by how much I found myself enjoying “Optimists Die First” by Susin Nielsen. Reading the description of the book, I thought that it would not be anything special, it’d be just like anything I have read before, and I was…
Jan 30, 2019anne1212li rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
QUESTION: Do you think Petula should stay an optimist? Should she stay a pessimist instead?
Jan 16, 2019samcmar rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I adore books by Susin Nielsen, and I've read nearly every single book she's put out to date. Petula is a fantastic heroine and her quirks are just so fascinating to read about. I loved the romance in this story (which is rare for me), I…
Oct 15, 2018WCCLS_BryceK rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Irreverent but sincere. Would recommend for a quick light-hearted read that's trauma-related, in case that's something you needed right now.
May 16, 2018SurreyLibraries_Teens rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Optimists Die First is a romance book about Petula De Wilde. Petula came across a tragedy that caused her to become pessimistic and overly cautious, leading to her participation in a youth art therapy class, YART for short. In YART, there…
CarleeMcDot
Mar 26, 2018CarleeMcDot rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Whenever someone suggest a book I put it on my "For Later" shelf at the library (as long as it is one they have). If they've been on that shelf for a while I forget where I got the recommendation for... which is the case for this book. The…
Dec 29, 2017TEENREVIEWCREW rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Don’t worry. The actual book is not as depressing as the title might have you believe. But it does do a good job of explaining the title. It is an explanation of how while optimists do generally live happier lives, a little caution can…
Oct 19, 2017JCLChrisK rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
An engaging and moving study of a character--plus her entire supporting cast--dealing with grief and guilt of various types. 3.5 stars.
Sep 15, 2017samdog123 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Two years after Petula's younger sister dies in a tragic accident, she and her family have not been able to overcome their overwhelming grief. When Petula meets Jacob at an art therapy class, she begins to see the world in a different way…
Aug 10, 2017donutwombat rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book begins with the usual, and normally I would have put down a typical teenage love story, but what really hooked me was the interesting characters and unordinary plot as the story unraveled. The author manages to make one pessimist…
Aug 06, 2017Yohoona rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I honestly didn't think much of this book in the beginning. However, as the plot unrolls, and more facts and characters came into play, I was hooked. This book is quite interesting because it will provide a new point of view for a lot of…
Jul 29, 2017aam04 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Susan Nielsen is an incredible author. I fell in love with her story, 'We are all Made of Molecules' because of it's unique perspectives and ideas. After reading this, I decided to read 'Optimists Die First'. This book follows a 16 year…
Jun 27, 2017ishacappisha rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Optimists Die First by Susin Neilsen, was an outstanding book. I love how she always in-cooperates her characters from other books into the one you are reading. Her stories are full of sometimes relatable (or sometimes just understandable…
May 18, 2017liljables rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I was such a big fan of Nielsen's We Are All Made of Molecules that I had BIG expectations for her most recent novel. Optimists Die First lived up to its predecessors (and then some!). Nielsen has deftly depicted grief in some of its many…
Feb 07, 2017kantoniw rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Susin Nielsen does not disappoint! Loved it!