I feel like The F-it List is likely going to get some unfair comparisons to The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Yes both books deal with cancer, love, and loss, but they couldn't be more far a part in a lot of their core values. Cancer is always a heavy handed topic and there are so many books out there that use it as a means to get a rise in emotion instead of showing HOW people actually fight it. The story is never about fulfilling the list. It's about what that list is to the two girls as individuals and to them as best friends. The ship sinks further when you realise that the author loves to talk about himself. Huge long screeds about his family, his life, his wife, the decisions that he faced. I wouldn't have minded if he was someone interesting and/or had done something noteworthy. But he isn't and he hasn't. We're down to three stars. Good content, but poor writing and he talks about himself too much. This year, dare to say F*** It... I did it. I relaxed, let go, told the truth, did what made me happy and accepted everyone... I don't feel like a martyr and I had real fun.' - Suzy Greaves, Red Magazine It's a philosophy I can get behind; a philosophy that I would *love* to see spread and adapted and adopted all over the world. So this book gets an A+ from me on the philosophy angle, hands down.

It's a spiritual way that doesn't require chanting, meditating, wearing sandals or eating pulses. And it's the very power of this modern-day profanity that makes it perfect for shaking us Westerners out of the stress and anxiety that dominate our meaning-full lives. Apart from the first chapter and the whole "I'm so brilliant go do a F**k It retreat or an online course" at the end of the book, I absolutely devoured this. It really puts things into perspective and I think the whole idea of F**k It is a great one to try and apply to life as much as possible. It's another one of those books I think most everyone should read. I feel like I've already learned to relax more and I've already learnt to let things go easier, just a day after finishing. It's funny as it seems such a logical theory, and I do think to a certain point before reading the book I was already quite F**k It minded, but now I can be it in a more mindful way. Basically, if you haven't read this it's about not making such a huge point about things and just thinking, as the title puts it, F**k It. The author applies this method to almost every aspect in life and he does it well. I've laughed out loud reading this book in public. It's snappy, it's quirky, it's witty and it is at times hilarious. I did, as the author recommended, skip the parenting part, as I am not one, but I can imagine the method also working well there. So people, read this book, and just F**k It all and be happy. F**k money, f**k politics, f**k the weather, f**k your boring job, f**k stress and f**k what other people think of you. F**k most things and enjoy life. Pretty good message I would say. All to a certain extent of course.

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For Sarah, saying no is easy. For the rest of us, it's stress-inducing, blood pressure-raising, teeth-grinding hard. But it doesn't have to be. F**k No! is filled with tips, techniques, and practical strategies that will arm you with not only permission to decline, but plenty of ammunition for doing so. I really like the philosophy behind this book - the idea contained herein is that we need to stop stressing so much over everything ("Am I good enough? Holy enough? Peaceful enough? Loving enough? A good enough spouse, child, parent, employee, person, citizen?") and just say "f--- it" to things that we can't control (and even quite a few things that we can) and learn to relax a little. It's the Total Perspective Vortex of books - you're not important, and you never will be important (not on a universal scale, at any rate), so you might as well live the best life you can and not stress over the details. And while all that philosophy CAN be explained in just those few sentences (or even just in the title!), there's a lot more here to delve into, in terms of HOW to actually live that philosophy and be happy. I absolutely loved this book. It was very well written and thought out. I can relate to this book because of all the "teen topics," like bullying, sex, and going through rough things at home. I was very moved by this book because it's almost like you're in the book experiencing what the characters are. I've also experienced a loved one who's had cancer, so it's a very close topic. The book just comes across as sincerely tone-deaf; sure, the above strategies work in certain scenarios. But there are never provisions made for 'sometimes these scenarios are incorrect'. Sometimes the thing you are scared of is a legitimate fear, so telling yourself 'nothing is going to happen' is just plainly false. Sometimes illnesses require medical treatment. That's a proven fact. And some illnesses don't get better at all. And anybody who thinks 'just go on benefits' is a solution to not having money has clearly never dealt with the DWP, and has been avoiding all the stories about claimants who have been left to die due to unapproved claims.

This took me a longer time to read because I read this with a friend and agreed upon reading a certain amount each day. Having said that, I feel like readers should be warned that the writing here could use the touch of a good editor. The book is written in a very stream-of-consciousness style, almost a mad dash of "hey-I-just-figured-out-this-whole-secret-to-happiness" writing that leaps all over the place. The chapters provide some loose organization, but overall the writing just isn't very tight - even though it is deep, clever, and amusing at times. I almost can't help but feel that this writing style was a conscious decision - even the foreword lampshades the fact that a true "f--- it" philosophy follower can best express their dedication to the philosophy by churning out a slap-dash foreword! (Quite amusing actually.) So I almost feel churlish pointing it out at all, except that I'm concerned that some readers may be put off slightly by the looseness of the writing, no matter how much I might agree with the fundamental philosophy contained herein. I suspect, though, that this will be a personal preference that depends on the reader.Unfortunately, what starts out as tongue-in-cheek good fun takes a turn for the serious when Mr.Parkin starts exploring the idea of chi and forms. As soon as he moves on to this idea of movement and releasing chi, the book loses some of its charms. It is such a juxtaposition that it undoes any of the learnings from the previous first-half of the novel. I personally enjoyed the irreverence and humor of the first half of the book and felt a bit like Mr. Parkin began to take himself too seriously. He has some great ideas and provides plenty of food for thought, and I personally wish he would have left the forms and chi discussion alone. Not only did I deeply despise the main character, Alex ( and actually every character after that ), but just the whole plot and way the book was written was very messy. You would think it's an adventurous and friendship filled read, but in reality, it's about a selfish brat who barely cares about her dying friend. Like a magical modern mantra, saying F**k It can transform your life. It’s the perfect Western expression of the Eastern spiritual ideas of letting go, giving up and finding real freedom by realising that things don’t matter so much (if at all). Let me just say, if it wasn't for reading wth a friend, I don't think I could have finished this book in the next 3 months. Sure it was an ok read, but definitely not something you look forward to after along painful day of school or work.