I really didn't think that I'd be giving John Green a 5 star review in 2025. But. I found this collection of essays - with the exception of the sports-related ones - incredibly relatable. 

Green is anxious and quite nihilistic, which isn't always the easiest point of view to read from, but it is one that is very familiar to me. It brings me a lot of peace and hope to read about the often mundane things that make Green feel grounded and hopeful. I feel like some of the pieces in this collection really helped me to believe that maybe I can become a more hopeful person, or at least a nihilistic person who can be grounded and reminded that humanity isn't always awful.

My favourite, as I did expect it to be (as a person who is Scottish), was the Auld Lang Syne essay. I first heard it on the vlogbrothers channel when Green read this essay, and it has been one of the few youtube videos that I have rewatched numerous times over the years.