If the characters in the Rest of Us Just Live Here see something weird going on it's probably just the indie kids saving the world again. They all have weird names and dark back stories. You'd think with the indie kids saving the world just about every year the adults would remember that their town is somewhat abnormal, but nope. The teenagers are the only ones that see the truth yet again. But Mikey doesn't have time to worry about the indie kids. He's got his own world to save: his own. Graduation is coming up; he'd just like to get through the rest of the year without his anxiety flaring up. But his mother is running for office yet again, he's trying to figure out his crush, cats seem to worship his best friend, and he's not convinced the new guy isn't a new indie kid bringing trouble. 
 If you are a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will probably love this book. Why? There seem to be subtle Buffy references peppered everywhere. The Chosen One Mythology. The references to different "big bad," though never referred to as "big bad" in Ness' novel. Also, the whole thing reads like a better version of the episode "The Zeppo." And I am a huge Buffy fan, so, all in all, this was delightful. 
 Ness' tone in this was great. He dealt with some heavy stuff like Mikey's anxiety and OCD, but the narrative never feels preachy. It also maintains humor throughout. The chapter headings in this book are a work of art on their own. They manage to poke fun at the idea of the Chosen One, and many of the tropes in YA contemporary fantasy, without feeling malicious. 
 This book was just fun. I had fun reading it. And I read it while in a bit of a reading slump, so it was well appreciated. 
 Review on Tea and Tomes