I guess I keep reading these awful AHB books bc I want to see how I’ll be disappointed differently in each book. This one was slightly better than the last? I guess? But similar issues were still there. Iris was absolutely insufferable and it felt like the friendships (on both sides) were WAY less important to the story which is so sad and annoying bc it’s the only decent aspect. Stevie’s friends didn’t even seem to actually care about her to even think of her as a human being! Which also leads me to Stevie’s characteristics…. I swear to god no one with anxiety would communicate their anxiety in the way that she did. It’s so clinical and clearly written in a way that’s for the readers, which took me out of the story. None of the issues brought up in this story were resolved either! Iris’s family, which is apparently HOUNDING her just goes away for the entire thing (so… her problems should be avoidable?!), iris is making a HUGE compromise at the end and sheds a *bittersweet* tear? How about some communication about how distant would work considering her friends are apparently the most important thing to her?, iris has no personality shared AT ALL besides a secretly sad ~bisexual disaster~, and Stevie’s ex is?? Who knows? We’re just gonna forget that part? And as the final (constantly present) criticism is that the ONLY poc “main” characters are conveniently either super shitty or not at all integral to the story. So major yikes that this suuUuuUuuUuUper (tumblr white woman) feminist friend group seemingly… never hangs out with ANY person of cover?? Still not gonna learn from previous criticisms?? Hmm.

Idk. If you want mediocre writing, plots with craters for holes, and lack-luster character development, then by all means. Eat it up! I won’t yuck anyone’s yums if you genuinely want mediocre and easy books but there are better to choose from.