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vel629vet 's review for:
Isla and the Happily Ever After
by Stephanie Perkins
Not my favorite of the 3 part set from Perkins, but it had all the usual charm and lightheartedness and thrill of being young and in love without being cliche.
I do feel like Isla is the closest personality to myself between her, Anna, and Lola. Her insecurities, her obsessiveness. And I did like Josh's character, although for some reason I felt less connected to him than Cricket and St. Clair.
There were a couple of issues I had with this book, and I worry that I'm gonna come across sounding like the bitter 24 year old but you know what, this is my review.
SPOILERS BELOW so stop scrolling if u don't wanna hear it.
I really only had 2 major issues.
First, the love scene in Spain in the hotel. It was written beautiful, led up to well, and had the perfect amount of intensity and lack of specificity so it wasn't too graphic. What I DIDN'T like was the romanticism of their first time together. Namely the fact that Isla and Josh 'peaked' together if you will. It makes it seem like that's a perfectly normal thing to happen when you're having sex (which it is 100% NOT) AND not to mention the fact that it is Isla's FIRST TIME. But nope, for her there was no pain and she was able to get to her happy place. Unrealistic. I definitely wish I had gotten a more accurate description when I was younger so I wish this scene had been a little less fantasy-like.
The other part of the book that bothered me was the proposal. It was beautiful and I loved getting to see how St. Clair's and Anna's story ended. But 19? I totally believe that they are meant for each other but what I don't like is the encouragement for 19-year-olds to get engaged because they believe it's 'the one.' I can't tell you how many friends of mine were in long term high school/college relationships and ended up separating not for lack of commitment, but for changing and developing and just plain growing up and away from each other. And it was ok to break up! But what if they'd gotten engaged at 19 and married fast and then realized they still had so much maturing to do? I don't know - I worry about the girls reading it and expecting their boyfriends to propose as sophomores in college. I can tell you that's what I would have thought reading this book at 18 because I would have totally bought into it.
Everything else in the book was lovely.
I do feel like Isla is the closest personality to myself between her, Anna, and Lola. Her insecurities, her obsessiveness. And I did like Josh's character, although for some reason I felt less connected to him than Cricket and St. Clair.
There were a couple of issues I had with this book, and I worry that I'm gonna come across sounding like the bitter 24 year old but you know what, this is my review.
SPOILERS BELOW so stop scrolling if u don't wanna hear it.
I really only had 2 major issues.
First, the love scene in Spain in the hotel. It was written beautiful, led up to well, and had the perfect amount of intensity and lack of specificity so it wasn't too graphic. What I DIDN'T like was the romanticism of their first time together. Namely the fact that Isla and Josh 'peaked' together if you will. It makes it seem like that's a perfectly normal thing to happen when you're having sex (which it is 100% NOT) AND not to mention the fact that it is Isla's FIRST TIME. But nope, for her there was no pain and she was able to get to her happy place. Unrealistic. I definitely wish I had gotten a more accurate description when I was younger so I wish this scene had been a little less fantasy-like.
The other part of the book that bothered me was the proposal. It was beautiful and I loved getting to see how St. Clair's and Anna's story ended. But 19? I totally believe that they are meant for each other but what I don't like is the encouragement for 19-year-olds to get engaged because they believe it's 'the one.' I can't tell you how many friends of mine were in long term high school/college relationships and ended up separating not for lack of commitment, but for changing and developing and just plain growing up and away from each other. And it was ok to break up! But what if they'd gotten engaged at 19 and married fast and then realized they still had so much maturing to do? I don't know - I worry about the girls reading it and expecting their boyfriends to propose as sophomores in college. I can tell you that's what I would have thought reading this book at 18 because I would have totally bought into it.
Everything else in the book was lovely.