This is the second time I've read The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I think I loved it more than I did the first time. Ness does a fantastic job writing these well rounded, dynamic characters. They're all so flawed and deeply human that they're easy to love. Meredith is one of my favorite characters. She's got all the trappings of an overachieving Mary Sue protagonist, but she circumvents that pidgeon hole by being a regular kid under all of the genius. Mike, Mel, and Meredith's relationship is one of the best written sibling dynamics I've ever read, and I love how much they love and look out for each other. I also really enjoy how involved their parents are in the storytelling, even if they're not actively involved in the children's lives in the capacity that would best suit them. Their mother is flawed and bad at keeping her political aspirations from harming her children and their well being, but the reader sees her grow as a person throughout the novel as Mike gets a closer look at why their mom is the way she is. Their father's alcoholism is also very well written. They're all done expecting anything from him, but despite that they still love him in their own ways.
The way this group of friends cares for each other and know each other makes this novel really special.