I argued with myself, whether I should rate this book a 4 or a 5. I kept going back and forth, hovering the 5th, and going one star back. In the end, it felt more of a 4 for me than a 5. It's a great book. Definitely one of my 2013 highlights read. I watched the movie after reading the book. The movie is a good adaptation - it also make me realise why books are more precious. Why read before watching. It's the process of rooting for the characters. I rooted for both Emma and Dexter. In movies, it only took us two hours max to complete watching something, but in books, we had to spend more time and read the whole thing (We root for them, we get attached to them) - also finding little bits that weren't included in the movies. PRECIOUSSS.Emma and Dexter are just meant to be. Maybe they realise that, maybe they don't. But on every missed opportunities - for Dex and Em, Em and Dex - I find myself having heartaches, very bad ones.I guess why it turned out to be a 4 than a 5, mostly it had to do with what happened towards the end. I'd say David Nicholls took a turn to 'real'. Just too real. Like reality, too cruel at times. I yelled "It's a book for God's sake. WHY WON'T YOU LET THEM BE HAPPY?"All in all, I think this book really speak to me in certain ways. Like sometimes we don't realise what's really happening to us, because we are the ones living it.