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alexblackreads
This was almost hilarious to the point of enjoyment, but I don't think that's what Lansky was going for here. If you've ever seen those memes about Guy in Your MFA, I feel like you've got a pretty good idea of what it was like to read this book. I've never heard anyone complain quite so much about being an upper middle class white guy. (He was gay, but don't worry, male nipples can also be described in strange ways- "his mauve nipples were buoyant on the sea of his suntanned chest")
What really irritated me in this book was his tone and how little it seemed like he'd changed from the immature 17 year old he was when he started the book. It was full of these shallow, patronizing reflections that I think we were meant to take as deep soul searching. They felt more fake than anything else to me, and more in the category of narcissistic and manipulative like he'd described himself as a teen.
This was sort of encouraged by the way he would always talk about how much he stood out. He was always the most or the worst at everything he did, no matter where he was or who he was with. No one at rehab had been through what he had, no one's spirals were as bad as his, he alone knew suffering. It was eye roll inducing, and it wasn't just his thoughts from the time. It popped up in his current narration as well. It seemed like the only real difference is that now he's sober. Which I mean, good for him, but it doesn't inherently make this book worthwhile.
The most disappointing thing was there were moments when I really got into this, moments where he actually seemed marginally self aware. It was usually when he wasn't trying to throw in any kind of reflection and was just relating his thoughts at the time, but it sometimes seemed like he had interesting things to say. But unfortunately, those were few and far between. Most of the time was spent discussing how bitter he was as a teen that his father didn't want to pay for his private university after prep school and three stints in rehab, and now adult him recognizing that maybe his father is right. It didn't feel like deep introspection to me so much as admitting some basic facts. That's about as shallow as reflection can go.
I read this all in about one sitting because a lot of it was so bad it was entertaining, but it's not one I'd recommend. Bravo to Lansky for getting and staying clean, but I'd suggest passing on reading a book about a teenager who cuts his Adderall with a gold razor to be edgy.
What really irritated me in this book was his tone and how little it seemed like he'd changed from the immature 17 year old he was when he started the book. It was full of these shallow, patronizing reflections that I think we were meant to take as deep soul searching. They felt more fake than anything else to me, and more in the category of narcissistic and manipulative like he'd described himself as a teen.
This was sort of encouraged by the way he would always talk about how much he stood out. He was always the most or the worst at everything he did, no matter where he was or who he was with. No one at rehab had been through what he had, no one's spirals were as bad as his, he alone knew suffering. It was eye roll inducing, and it wasn't just his thoughts from the time. It popped up in his current narration as well. It seemed like the only real difference is that now he's sober. Which I mean, good for him, but it doesn't inherently make this book worthwhile.
The most disappointing thing was there were moments when I really got into this, moments where he actually seemed marginally self aware. It was usually when he wasn't trying to throw in any kind of reflection and was just relating his thoughts at the time, but it sometimes seemed like he had interesting things to say. But unfortunately, those were few and far between. Most of the time was spent discussing how bitter he was as a teen that his father didn't want to pay for his private university after prep school and three stints in rehab, and now adult him recognizing that maybe his father is right. It didn't feel like deep introspection to me so much as admitting some basic facts. That's about as shallow as reflection can go.
I read this all in about one sitting because a lot of it was so bad it was entertaining, but it's not one I'd recommend. Bravo to Lansky for getting and staying clean, but I'd suggest passing on reading a book about a teenager who cuts his Adderall with a gold razor to be edgy.
I had some mixed feelings about this book. There were a number of elements I enjoyed, but overall, I don't think it was executed very well.
First the story seemed to be split in two. There was the first half of the book, a cute romance between Maya and the two guys she was choosing between who represented her American assimilation and more traditional upbringing. The symbolism was a bit heavy handed, but overall that part was fine. Super cute, almost fake feeling, but it was fine. It didn't do a whole lot for me, but if you're someone who enjoys cutesy romances, that part of the book probably goes over better.
Then there was the second half of the book, after a terrorist attack occurs and Maya experiences backlash for being a Muslim. I was more interested in this section because I prefer more issue driven contemporaries, but it fell kind of flat for me.
Even when hate crimes were happening against Maya and her family, even when her parents were threatening to disown her, even when her life was crumbling to pieces, she was kind of still more concerned with her romance (which by the epilogue, didn't even matter anymore). She spent more time crying over boys than she did her parents literally disowning her. There were some very serious things that happened and it seemed like she took them too flippantly. When her parents kicked her (a 17 year old with a part time job) out of the house, her best friend said she could stay with her and they were like "ooh yes it'll be an extended sleepover! fun!" Like I get looking on the bright side, but this was literally the same day she was disowned. I felt like there was a need for more gravitas.
It seemed like most of the side characters had a single facet to their personalities. They weren't really full people. The racist guy was just the racist. Period. I don't need him to have justifications for being racist, but there was literally nothing else in his personality. He had no other role in the story other than to be the racist guy. And he wasn't the only one. The main characters had a little nuance, but none of the side characters. Add to that how much the side characters would escalate everything in the story almost seemingly without reason.
The way the terrorist was treated made me feel kind of uncomfortable. At first I thought Ahmed was mirroring the way the media treats white American terrorists. They're lone wolves, they had hard upbringings, neighbors come out to say how nice they seemed. It seemed like she was making an intentional point. But then in the narration she went into the terrorist's backstory, about how he was a poor abused kid. It no longer felt like she was making a point with it. It felt almost as though she was trying to give him some sort of backstory that made us understand him, which is exactly what the media does with white terrorists as well. I'm sorry his father was abusive, but he murdered over a hundred people. Having an abusive father doesn't explain that away.
Then there were other small things. The dialogue felt awkward and forced. There were so many pop culture references, like almost an absurd number. It honestly worked better than it usually does because it was contrasting the two cultures, but there were still too many. The relationship between her and Kareem made me super uncomfortable. Like he's a 21 year old, on a date with a 17 year old, ordering alcohol and then making out with her. It felt yikes. That's a rather substantial age difference, and he was much more experienced with dating than Maya was.
But it was still a decent book. There were a number of good elements, and I liked that it focused on what it felt like to choose between cultures, and what it was like for Maya, who was a mostly secular Muslim, to grow up in a small town being The Muslim. And it held my attention pretty easily. I was down for the ride, even if at the end of the day, I didn't think it was the greatest overall book. I think this is one I'd recommend to younger YA readers, probably 14-15. I wouldn't say adults shouldn't read this, but I do think it probably reads better to a younger audience. I am glad I picked this up, though.
First the story seemed to be split in two. There was the first half of the book, a cute romance between Maya and the two guys she was choosing between who represented her American assimilation and more traditional upbringing. The symbolism was a bit heavy handed, but overall that part was fine. Super cute, almost fake feeling, but it was fine. It didn't do a whole lot for me, but if you're someone who enjoys cutesy romances, that part of the book probably goes over better.
Then there was the second half of the book, after a terrorist attack occurs and Maya experiences backlash for being a Muslim. I was more interested in this section because I prefer more issue driven contemporaries, but it fell kind of flat for me.
Even when hate crimes were happening against Maya and her family, even when her parents were threatening to disown her, even when her life was crumbling to pieces, she was kind of still more concerned with her romance (which by the epilogue, didn't even matter anymore). She spent more time crying over boys than she did her parents literally disowning her. There were some very serious things that happened and it seemed like she took them too flippantly. When her parents kicked her (a 17 year old with a part time job) out of the house, her best friend said she could stay with her and they were like "ooh yes it'll be an extended sleepover! fun!" Like I get looking on the bright side, but this was literally the same day she was disowned. I felt like there was a need for more gravitas.
It seemed like most of the side characters had a single facet to their personalities. They weren't really full people. The racist guy was just the racist. Period. I don't need him to have justifications for being racist, but there was literally nothing else in his personality. He had no other role in the story other than to be the racist guy. And he wasn't the only one. The main characters had a little nuance, but none of the side characters. Add to that how much the side characters would escalate everything in the story almost seemingly without reason.
The way the terrorist was treated made me feel kind of uncomfortable. At first I thought Ahmed was mirroring the way the media treats white American terrorists. They're lone wolves, they had hard upbringings, neighbors come out to say how nice they seemed. It seemed like she was making an intentional point. But then in the narration she went into the terrorist's backstory, about how he was a poor abused kid. It no longer felt like she was making a point with it. It felt almost as though she was trying to give him some sort of backstory that made us understand him, which is exactly what the media does with white terrorists as well. I'm sorry his father was abusive, but he murdered over a hundred people. Having an abusive father doesn't explain that away.
Then there were other small things. The dialogue felt awkward and forced. There were so many pop culture references, like almost an absurd number. It honestly worked better than it usually does because it was contrasting the two cultures, but there were still too many. The relationship between her and Kareem made me super uncomfortable. Like he's a 21 year old, on a date with a 17 year old, ordering alcohol and then making out with her. It felt yikes. That's a rather substantial age difference, and he was much more experienced with dating than Maya was.
But it was still a decent book. There were a number of good elements, and I liked that it focused on what it felt like to choose between cultures, and what it was like for Maya, who was a mostly secular Muslim, to grow up in a small town being The Muslim. And it held my attention pretty easily. I was down for the ride, even if at the end of the day, I didn't think it was the greatest overall book. I think this is one I'd recommend to younger YA readers, probably 14-15. I wouldn't say adults shouldn't read this, but I do think it probably reads better to a younger audience. I am glad I picked this up, though.
I adore this book so much. It was one of my favorites as a kid and I return to it every few years to give it a reread. It never fails to make me cry. It's not that it's even that sad of a story, but it's so easy to relate to an 11 year old kid who has one favorite thing in the world that gets taken from her. All she wants is to dance, but her dance lessons are replaced by an overbearing Chinese grandmother she's never met who prefers her younger brother.
The resentment Robin feels toward her grandmother and brother always felt so real. Sure, she's acting like a bit of a brat, but she's a kid who's going through a rough time. It'd be unrealistic if she wasn't reacting badly to some of the changes, like having to sleep on a mattress on the floor in her 5 year old brother's room while her grandmother takes over her bedroom. And Robin actively tries to be understanding, for all that she's a kid who can't necessarily see the big picture.
And her love of ballet is so palpable. I cried about four different times reading this as an adult. It does resolve a bit easily, but it's a middle grade book and probably on the younger spectrum even then. I was never bothered by quick turnabout. It actually felt heartwarming, that these characters could understand each other.
I highly recommend this book if you're interested in sweet contemporary MG. This book isn't anything new or different, but it's so incredibly well done. I never read anything else by Laurence Yep as a kid, but as an adult I will probably check out more of his work. Definitely one I'll continue rereading on a regular basis, whenever I want a good cry.
The resentment Robin feels toward her grandmother and brother always felt so real. Sure, she's acting like a bit of a brat, but she's a kid who's going through a rough time. It'd be unrealistic if she wasn't reacting badly to some of the changes, like having to sleep on a mattress on the floor in her 5 year old brother's room while her grandmother takes over her bedroom. And Robin actively tries to be understanding, for all that she's a kid who can't necessarily see the big picture.
And her love of ballet is so palpable. I cried about four different times reading this as an adult. It does resolve a bit easily, but it's a middle grade book and probably on the younger spectrum even then. I was never bothered by quick turnabout. It actually felt heartwarming, that these characters could understand each other.
I highly recommend this book if you're interested in sweet contemporary MG. This book isn't anything new or different, but it's so incredibly well done. I never read anything else by Laurence Yep as a kid, but as an adult I will probably check out more of his work. Definitely one I'll continue rereading on a regular basis, whenever I want a good cry.
Krakauer is a favorite of mine and this book absolutely delivers. This is a fascinating look at the history of the Mormon church and how it has led to the fundamentalist we see today within the religion, in particular the Lafferty brothers who murdered their sister in law and niece.
I do want to say upfront that Krakauer takes a very negative view on Mormonism. Which is not to claim anything he says is untrue (he's a fantastic nonfiction author and I have a great deal of trust in him after reading four of his books), but he is a nonbeliever and this book is intentionally about the fringe members of the religion. Technically, the fundamentalists aren't actually part of the official LDS religion and in most cases have been excommunicated from the church (rather, they are FLDS). Essentially, just a long way of saying don't expect to get a full understanding of Mormonism from this book. It's not what Krakauer was trying to do.
Beyond that, the history itself was fascinating. I hadn't read the synopsis and was reading this for a true crime book club, so I wasn't expecting that going in. I felt like I gained such a fantastic history of what amounts to modern day religion and cults in America.
Krakauer has such a wonderful writing style and way of crafting stories to make them interesting. I have no real interest in LDS, or religion in general, so this isn't a book I'd have ever read if it wasn't by Krakauer. It's one of the things I love most about getting turned onto specific nonfiction writers; they make you broaden your horizons. He made me care about the history of a religion I have little interest in.
Two things that bothered me were his seeming belief that polygamy is inherently bad and the constant comparison to Islamic terrorists. Both were minor aspects so it's not that I was rating this book lower, but I have no issues with what consenting adults do in marriages. The problem with polygamy within the fundamentalists showcased in this book was that 1. they often included young girls 2. women of all ages weren't consenting, and were brainwashed/blackmailed/forced/etc into compliance. As for the Islam comparisons, it bothers me that the status quo for religious fundamentalists is always Islam when there are so many examples closer to home. It's the same reason I'm bothered by people saying things like "Talibama." Even when it's Christians, somehow it becomes the fault of Muslims who have literally nothing to do with it. It wasn't that bad in this book, but it did seem mostly unnecessary.
This is a book I'd highly recommend if you're interested in how fundamentalists are created through religions. It's specifically about Mormonism, but I think the general points hold true no matter the religion. It's a fascinating deep dive that I highly recommend, as I do all of Krakauer's work.
I do want to say upfront that Krakauer takes a very negative view on Mormonism. Which is not to claim anything he says is untrue (he's a fantastic nonfiction author and I have a great deal of trust in him after reading four of his books), but he is a nonbeliever and this book is intentionally about the fringe members of the religion. Technically, the fundamentalists aren't actually part of the official LDS religion and in most cases have been excommunicated from the church (rather, they are FLDS). Essentially, just a long way of saying don't expect to get a full understanding of Mormonism from this book. It's not what Krakauer was trying to do.
Beyond that, the history itself was fascinating. I hadn't read the synopsis and was reading this for a true crime book club, so I wasn't expecting that going in. I felt like I gained such a fantastic history of what amounts to modern day religion and cults in America.
Krakauer has such a wonderful writing style and way of crafting stories to make them interesting. I have no real interest in LDS, or religion in general, so this isn't a book I'd have ever read if it wasn't by Krakauer. It's one of the things I love most about getting turned onto specific nonfiction writers; they make you broaden your horizons. He made me care about the history of a religion I have little interest in.
Two things that bothered me were his seeming belief that polygamy is inherently bad and the constant comparison to Islamic terrorists. Both were minor aspects so it's not that I was rating this book lower, but I have no issues with what consenting adults do in marriages. The problem with polygamy within the fundamentalists showcased in this book was that 1. they often included young girls 2. women of all ages weren't consenting, and were brainwashed/blackmailed/forced/etc into compliance. As for the Islam comparisons, it bothers me that the status quo for religious fundamentalists is always Islam when there are so many examples closer to home. It's the same reason I'm bothered by people saying things like "Talibama." Even when it's Christians, somehow it becomes the fault of Muslims who have literally nothing to do with it. It wasn't that bad in this book, but it did seem mostly unnecessary.
This is a book I'd highly recommend if you're interested in how fundamentalists are created through religions. It's specifically about Mormonism, but I think the general points hold true no matter the religion. It's a fascinating deep dive that I highly recommend, as I do all of Krakauer's work.
I wanted to love this book, I really did. Everyone seems to adore Kristin Hannah so much and I was down for the premise. An abusive father in Alaska in the 1970s? Yes please. But I didn't enjoy this much. It was barely a 3 star for me, and even then I gave solid thought to giving it two. However, I did enjoy the story and I was entertained by it. I read it in a day and was down for it the entire time, so while it was riddled with issues, overall it was fine.
Small points to get out of the way first- the dialogue felt so stiff and awkward to me. It was full of exposition. None of it ever sounded the way people actually talk. The historical fiction aspect seemed not well done. I've read wonderful ones that surround you in the atmosphere of the time, but this felt like it was just referencing major news events to remind you it was set in the 70s. And it was also super predictable and generic. I'm okay with predictable, but literally every "plot twist" toward the end was just the most generic route this story could take, and it was annoying.
This felt very obvious in the same way Beartown did for me, like the author was spoon feeding me information and talking down to me. When there's an A+B=C equation in a book, I don't need or want the whole equation. I want A+B and then the opportunity to extrapolate C for myself. I want to be given the space to think. I felt as though I didn't have to think at all in this book because Hannah was spelling out the information for me.
It also felt simultaneously too fast and too slow. The events happened at a very slow pace, which I'm fine with. I love slow books. But when it came to character growth and change, it felt like there would be nothing for a long time, and then it'd happen all at once.
Both those points made this book feel much too simplistic and almost black and white, which is again, similar to issues I had with Beartown. For all the characters had horrific things happen to them, it felt too easy within the story development. So I guess what I'm saying is that if you like Beartown, you'd probably love this.
My last point is the unhealthy relationship. Not between Leni's parents (she had a physically abusive father), but rather between Leni and her boyfriend. For the longest time, I thought it was intentional. I thought Hannah was drawing parallels between Leni's parents' unhealthy relationship and her own unhealthy relationship, although they were very different. I thought that was a great element of the story. Until I realized that wasn't Hannah's intention at all. It was written as though it was healthy, even though Leni would frequently talk about how much she needed him or she'd die if she didn't see him. I really dislike when unhealthy relationships aren't treated as such.
Overall, definitely not for me, although I am disappointed I didn't fall in love with this the way everyone else seemed to. I will still be trying some of Hannah's other books and hopefully enjoy them more.
Small points to get out of the way first- the dialogue felt so stiff and awkward to me. It was full of exposition. None of it ever sounded the way people actually talk. The historical fiction aspect seemed not well done. I've read wonderful ones that surround you in the atmosphere of the time, but this felt like it was just referencing major news events to remind you it was set in the 70s. And it was also super predictable and generic. I'm okay with predictable, but literally every "plot twist" toward the end was just the most generic route this story could take, and it was annoying.
This felt very obvious in the same way Beartown did for me, like the author was spoon feeding me information and talking down to me. When there's an A+B=C equation in a book, I don't need or want the whole equation. I want A+B and then the opportunity to extrapolate C for myself. I want to be given the space to think. I felt as though I didn't have to think at all in this book because Hannah was spelling out the information for me.
It also felt simultaneously too fast and too slow. The events happened at a very slow pace, which I'm fine with. I love slow books. But when it came to character growth and change, it felt like there would be nothing for a long time, and then it'd happen all at once.
Both those points made this book feel much too simplistic and almost black and white, which is again, similar to issues I had with Beartown. For all the characters had horrific things happen to them, it felt too easy within the story development. So I guess what I'm saying is that if you like Beartown, you'd probably love this.
My last point is the unhealthy relationship. Not between Leni's parents (she had a physically abusive father), but rather between Leni and her boyfriend. For the longest time, I thought it was intentional. I thought Hannah was drawing parallels between Leni's parents' unhealthy relationship and her own unhealthy relationship, although they were very different. I thought that was a great element of the story. Until I realized that wasn't Hannah's intention at all. It was written as though it was healthy, even though Leni would frequently talk about how much she needed him or she'd die if she didn't see him. I really dislike when unhealthy relationships aren't treated as such.
Overall, definitely not for me, although I am disappointed I didn't fall in love with this the way everyone else seemed to. I will still be trying some of Hannah's other books and hopefully enjoy them more.
Reread August 2023
Still wonderful. Still love it. Doing a reread just reminds me how much this whole series has my heart.
***
Original Review
This is potentially my favorite series of all time, culminating in Long May She Reign which might be my favorite book of all time. I think it's absolutely wonderful and terribly underrated. It doesn't sound like my kind of book necessarily because I do tend to prefer more down to earth realistic situations, but White makes this a down to earth. All the characters feel like real people. No one is particularly evil, just sometimes teenagers can be jerks. None of it ever hits too hard on melodrama. She manages to take this almost absurd sounding situation and make it real and relatable.
Another thing that I don't always appreciate is humor. I'm terrible at humor in books. It goes over my head and just feels flat or awkward. But this book is hilarious. Meg's dry sense of humor (and to be honest her whole family's) is fantastic. This is probably one of the only books to actively make me laugh out loud.
And beyond her humor, Meg is a fantastic main character. She's interesting and intelligent and bratty and wonderful. She might be my favorite character of all time. Beyond the story, Meg is what makes this book. If there was a book about her going to the grocery store, I'd read it. And it would probably be hilarious. She's such an insightful person and reading this as a teen, she definitely made me think a lot. Meg holds nuanced political views, having grown up in politics, and it's a major focus of the book. The political atmosphere isn't just the backdrop, it's a part of the story and Meg herself. Even as an adult, while I don't struggle to keep up with her, it's a book that keeps you on your toes. It's always denser than I expect it to be. Not in a bad way, but it's not a book you can just sit back and enjoy. Meg is smart. Her family and friends are smart. And you have to put in some effort to keep up with them. Which I adore.
The family relationships are also something I thoroughly appreciate in these books. It feels like a real family. Meg and her brothers have the funniest relationship, constantly bickering and name calling, but in a lighthearted way. They poke fun, but always get called out when they cross the line. Meg has issues with both of her parents, particularly her mother as the president, but it's a loving family at the end of the day. They deal with their issues and I love it.
The last time I read this I gave it 4 stars, and I think I did that because of how short this book. It's not even necessarily the length, but it does feel like it happens too quickly. There's a lot that isn't explored, from the campaign to the press to Meg's outside life. It felt a bit lacking in that regard. Part of that is definitely because I can't help comparing it to Long May She Reign, which at 700+ pages, has a lot more time to explore the rest of the world. This first book feels like it's scraping the surface of what it could be. But that doesn't take away from how much I love it for what it is.
Some small things I appreciate that deserve a mention: That the female president is unapologetically feminine. She hates blazers, preferring dresses. She's a little vain about her appearance. She likes fashion. And she's a good president because literally none of that matters to her job. That Meg's family isn't touchy feely or very open with their emotions, but it's clear they love each other. That this book manages to be so politically focused without ever coming across as preachy or condescending.
It's just wonderful. Beyond wonderful, if I'm being honest. I honestly can't recommend this book enough, and I could probably gush forever about everything this book does well. My favorite author, my favorite series, please go read it because it deserves so much more attention than it gets.
Still wonderful. Still love it. Doing a reread just reminds me how much this whole series has my heart.
***
Original Review
This is potentially my favorite series of all time, culminating in Long May She Reign which might be my favorite book of all time. I think it's absolutely wonderful and terribly underrated. It doesn't sound like my kind of book necessarily because I do tend to prefer more down to earth realistic situations, but White makes this a down to earth. All the characters feel like real people. No one is particularly evil, just sometimes teenagers can be jerks. None of it ever hits too hard on melodrama. She manages to take this almost absurd sounding situation and make it real and relatable.
Another thing that I don't always appreciate is humor. I'm terrible at humor in books. It goes over my head and just feels flat or awkward. But this book is hilarious. Meg's dry sense of humor (and to be honest her whole family's) is fantastic. This is probably one of the only books to actively make me laugh out loud.
And beyond her humor, Meg is a fantastic main character. She's interesting and intelligent and bratty and wonderful. She might be my favorite character of all time. Beyond the story, Meg is what makes this book. If there was a book about her going to the grocery store, I'd read it. And it would probably be hilarious. She's such an insightful person and reading this as a teen, she definitely made me think a lot. Meg holds nuanced political views, having grown up in politics, and it's a major focus of the book. The political atmosphere isn't just the backdrop, it's a part of the story and Meg herself. Even as an adult, while I don't struggle to keep up with her, it's a book that keeps you on your toes. It's always denser than I expect it to be. Not in a bad way, but it's not a book you can just sit back and enjoy. Meg is smart. Her family and friends are smart. And you have to put in some effort to keep up with them. Which I adore.
The family relationships are also something I thoroughly appreciate in these books. It feels like a real family. Meg and her brothers have the funniest relationship, constantly bickering and name calling, but in a lighthearted way. They poke fun, but always get called out when they cross the line. Meg has issues with both of her parents, particularly her mother as the president, but it's a loving family at the end of the day. They deal with their issues and I love it.
The last time I read this I gave it 4 stars, and I think I did that because of how short this book. It's not even necessarily the length, but it does feel like it happens too quickly. There's a lot that isn't explored, from the campaign to the press to Meg's outside life. It felt a bit lacking in that regard. Part of that is definitely because I can't help comparing it to Long May She Reign, which at 700+ pages, has a lot more time to explore the rest of the world. This first book feels like it's scraping the surface of what it could be. But that doesn't take away from how much I love it for what it is.
Some small things I appreciate that deserve a mention: That the female president is unapologetically feminine. She hates blazers, preferring dresses. She's a little vain about her appearance. She likes fashion. And she's a good president because literally none of that matters to her job. That Meg's family isn't touchy feely or very open with their emotions, but it's clear they love each other. That this book manages to be so politically focused without ever coming across as preachy or condescending.
It's just wonderful. Beyond wonderful, if I'm being honest. I honestly can't recommend this book enough, and I could probably gush forever about everything this book does well. My favorite author, my favorite series, please go read it because it deserves so much more attention than it gets.
I like this book even better than book one in the series. The main issue I had with book one was the lack of exploration of much of the world (the press, the campaign, Meg's life in general). Despite the fact that this book is more than 60 pages shorter, I don't have that issue here. The scope is much smaller. Instead of covering over a year, it only spans a few weeks around the assassination attempt of the president (Meg's mother). Everything that I wanted explored in The President's Daughter is in this book. Meg deals with the secret service on a personal level, she deals with the media- both in giving interviews and consuming the media herself, she deals with relationships changing in her family. I didn't finish this book wish it was more the way I did The President's Daughter.
Most of my thoughts of positives are the same from the first book. The focus on family, both parents and siblings, is wonderful. I love the way they bicker with each other and it's how they show love. I love the way Meg is there for her siblings, even when they have fights. I love that she struggles in relationships with her parents because her mother's job impacts them all in a very direct way.
New things in this book include her romantic relationship with Josh and it's one of the healthiest relationships I've seen in YA. Josh is her boyfriend, but for most of the book she talks of her friendship with him. Not because she's denying the romance, but because the friendship is a part of the romance and more important to her overall. She talks to her father and he says he feels the same way toward her mother (in regards to the friendship). It's so lovely and wholesome.
Another thing is Meg's flaws. She has a tendency to be standoffish, very in her head, and assume the worst from people, especially in stressful situations. She struggles with taking any kind of criticism. Her best friend actually calls her out on this and Meg works to change. Instead of continuing to treat Josh poorly, the next time she notices she's being a jerk to him, she literally stops herself and asks him to explain. It's not a huge change in her character, it's just a little self awareness and it's wonderful.
I think the only negative for me in this book is that the storytelling is the tiniest bit generic at points. For example, she's sitting in class taking a test she wasn't prepared for and wishing for something anything to get her out of it, and that's when she gets pulled out of class to receive bad news. There's nothing wrong with that, but when I read it, it was just kind of 'of course that's how it happened.' It didn't happen much, but there were a couple of times when the storytelling just felt a little too obvious.
I also prefer this book because at this point in the series, we're getting into more serious topics. Meg's mother gets shot. This isn't just Meg adjusting to life as the daughter of the president, the consequences are so much higher. There were a few points I got a heart jolt from the foreshadowing, just knowing where this series is going. I didn't cry, but I did tear up at a few points (especially when she was talking to her English teacher and kind of imagining how her life could be different and normal).
One thing I particularly love about this series is that there's almost no arc in any of these books. Plenty of important events happen and it's always interesting, but it's written more as 'day in the life.' It just happens to be a day in the life of a person who happens to live an exciting life. I love it so much because I think that makes the series feel so much more real.
I also think White does an amazing job of capturing life in the political world. It feels so complete. Meg is only politically adjacent and she could easily have avoided most things political, but instead White embraces it and makes it part of the story. I love these books for that. It wouldn't make sense for Meg, a smart young woman surrounded by politics, to ignore it. And it also would have been so easy for the book to feel like cheap propaganda, but it doesn't. It's not about political views so much as it is the way everything they do carries some kind of political weight. (The way Meg dresses, how her mother leaves the hospital, Meg's friends, Meg's school, etc) The politics is just a natural part of Meg's world and a natural part of the story, and it's so wonderfully done. I don't know of any other YA books (or honestly any adult fiction) that capture politics or the political world so well.
Once again, highly highly recommend. Please go read these books because they're so wonderful and worthwhile.
Most of my thoughts of positives are the same from the first book. The focus on family, both parents and siblings, is wonderful. I love the way they bicker with each other and it's how they show love. I love the way Meg is there for her siblings, even when they have fights. I love that she struggles in relationships with her parents because her mother's job impacts them all in a very direct way.
New things in this book include her romantic relationship with Josh and it's one of the healthiest relationships I've seen in YA. Josh is her boyfriend, but for most of the book she talks of her friendship with him. Not because she's denying the romance, but because the friendship is a part of the romance and more important to her overall. She talks to her father and he says he feels the same way toward her mother (in regards to the friendship). It's so lovely and wholesome.
Another thing is Meg's flaws. She has a tendency to be standoffish, very in her head, and assume the worst from people, especially in stressful situations. She struggles with taking any kind of criticism. Her best friend actually calls her out on this and Meg works to change. Instead of continuing to treat Josh poorly, the next time she notices she's being a jerk to him, she literally stops herself and asks him to explain. It's not a huge change in her character, it's just a little self awareness and it's wonderful.
I think the only negative for me in this book is that the storytelling is the tiniest bit generic at points. For example, she's sitting in class taking a test she wasn't prepared for and wishing for something anything to get her out of it, and that's when she gets pulled out of class to receive bad news. There's nothing wrong with that, but when I read it, it was just kind of 'of course that's how it happened.' It didn't happen much, but there were a couple of times when the storytelling just felt a little too obvious.
I also prefer this book because at this point in the series, we're getting into more serious topics. Meg's mother gets shot. This isn't just Meg adjusting to life as the daughter of the president, the consequences are so much higher. There were a few points I got a heart jolt from the foreshadowing, just knowing where this series is going. I didn't cry, but I did tear up at a few points (especially when she was talking to her English teacher and kind of imagining how her life could be different and normal).
One thing I particularly love about this series is that there's almost no arc in any of these books. Plenty of important events happen and it's always interesting, but it's written more as 'day in the life.' It just happens to be a day in the life of a person who happens to live an exciting life. I love it so much because I think that makes the series feel so much more real.
I also think White does an amazing job of capturing life in the political world. It feels so complete. Meg is only politically adjacent and she could easily have avoided most things political, but instead White embraces it and makes it part of the story. I love these books for that. It wouldn't make sense for Meg, a smart young woman surrounded by politics, to ignore it. And it also would have been so easy for the book to feel like cheap propaganda, but it doesn't. It's not about political views so much as it is the way everything they do carries some kind of political weight. (The way Meg dresses, how her mother leaves the hospital, Meg's friends, Meg's school, etc) The politics is just a natural part of Meg's world and a natural part of the story, and it's so wonderfully done. I don't know of any other YA books (or honestly any adult fiction) that capture politics or the political world so well.
Once again, highly highly recommend. Please go read these books because they're so wonderful and worthwhile.
I have so many feelings about this book that I'm not sure I can get them all out coherently (and it doesn't help that I've been reading all night and it's nearly 5 am). I was savoring the first two books in this series, taking my time, not reading more than a couple chapters a day. But this book I absolutely could not put down. It was amazing and so incredibly heartbreaking. I'm pretty sure I started crying around page 90 and didn't stop until well after the book ended. (Just kidding, I didn't stop. I'm definitely still tearing up a bit now.)
It's not so much that it's a profoundly sad situation, although it is. I read a lot of sad books and not all of them hit me this hard. It's more the way it's written. White doesn't just say she went thirteen days without food, a doctor asks her when the last time she ate was and she says breakfast, before school. The day she was kidnapped. And the security around her swears. It feels so small and so down to earth that these big dramatic things hit you almost like they're real and happening to someone you know. I had similar feelings about the second book, but that one didn't do more than make me tear up. This might win the award for hardest I've ever cried at a book. (It's at least up there with A Mango Shaped Space.)
The only thing I don't like about this book is the time Meg spends with the terrorist. I honestly found that section a little boring. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the way it was written or if it's just that I can't connect to scenes like that. But thankfully it was pretty short. I briefly considered knocking it down a star for that and probably would have if it was half the book, but it was only about 50 pages and the entire rest of the book was so intense that it didn't matter.
And when I say it was intense, I'm not exaggerating. I cry on a semi regular basis when it comes to books and will succumb to cheap manipulation by authors, but rarely do I ever get a physical ache in my chest like I did here. It was a lot.
I love love love that this book deals a lot with what happens after the trauma. Like yes the kidnapping is covered, but the point of the book feels more like it's Meg's recovery, Meg dealing with the traumatic events. She has injuries that may not ever fully heal, anxiety, PTSD, extreme exhaustion, and it's all dealt with so well. I'm a sucker for books that are essentially character studies, and this whole series definitely qualifies.
Beyond that, most of my notes are the same from the first two books. The family dynamic is wonderful, although much darker here and in less of the book, as Meg isn't around her family for a while. Meg is still hilarious, although again, this book is a lot darker. And it's still highly intelligent. in a way that forces you to think to keep up. Everything good about the first two books is here and a lot more too.
As always, highly highly recommend.
It's not so much that it's a profoundly sad situation, although it is. I read a lot of sad books and not all of them hit me this hard. It's more the way it's written. White doesn't just say she went thirteen days without food, a doctor asks her when the last time she ate was and she says breakfast, before school. The day she was kidnapped. And the security around her swears. It feels so small and so down to earth that these big dramatic things hit you almost like they're real and happening to someone you know. I had similar feelings about the second book, but that one didn't do more than make me tear up. This might win the award for hardest I've ever cried at a book. (It's at least up there with A Mango Shaped Space.)
The only thing I don't like about this book is the time Meg spends with the terrorist. I honestly found that section a little boring. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the way it was written or if it's just that I can't connect to scenes like that. But thankfully it was pretty short. I briefly considered knocking it down a star for that and probably would have if it was half the book, but it was only about 50 pages and the entire rest of the book was so intense that it didn't matter.
And when I say it was intense, I'm not exaggerating. I cry on a semi regular basis when it comes to books and will succumb to cheap manipulation by authors, but rarely do I ever get a physical ache in my chest like I did here. It was a lot.
I love love love that this book deals a lot with what happens after the trauma. Like yes the kidnapping is covered, but the point of the book feels more like it's Meg's recovery, Meg dealing with the traumatic events. She has injuries that may not ever fully heal, anxiety, PTSD, extreme exhaustion, and it's all dealt with so well. I'm a sucker for books that are essentially character studies, and this whole series definitely qualifies.
Beyond that, most of my notes are the same from the first two books. The family dynamic is wonderful, although much darker here and in less of the book, as Meg isn't around her family for a while. Meg is still hilarious, although again, this book is a lot darker. And it's still highly intelligent. in a way that forces you to think to keep up. Everything good about the first two books is here and a lot more too.
As always, highly highly recommend.
Sarah Dessen is one of my favorites when it comes to YA romance. I adored her as a teen, but I haven't been enjoying her new releases as much (although I've recently reread some of my old favorites and those hold up). This one was much better for me than her last book, but I still had some issues.
I understand what she was trying to do with the discussion on class. Emma Saylor comes from an upper middle class, potentially just upper class, family. Her mother's extended family, who she's staying with, are blue collar. The lake is split between North Lake, the working class side, and Lake North, where the rich people stay. I appreciated the attempt, but everything about it seemed so black and white. Every rich person, excepting the main character, was a jerk when it benefited Emma Saylor's realization about class. Every single rich person. It didn't matter that until the plot required it, they had been incredibly kind, caring, considerate individuals. They would just randomly turn into a jerk. You can make a point about class without making all the rich people act like jerks, or alternatively actually make them jerks instead of have them act out of character.
I also had some difficulty getting into the romance. I thought the love interest was her cousin at the beginning of the book so making the switch from that to they're gonna get together was a little rough. And also some aspects of their getting together made me cringe. Emma Saylor got invited on a date to lake prom by a rich boy and needed to go buy a dress. Roo (the love interest who was not the boy who invited her) went along to help her pick it out. At the shop, the sales person assumed he was the boyfriend and neither of them corrected her. I understand that trope. It can be cute, both people fantasizing that it could actually be true when neither is ready for the relationship yet. But it's not cute when she's literally preparing for a date with another guy. It was very uncomfortable to read and did not make me root for them as a couple.
There were way too many characters in the book. It was intentional, her extended family was meant to be huge and messy and she had difficulty keeping track of them as well, but I couldn't follow who a bunch of the people were. Like I said above, I thought Roo was one of her cousins for the first 80 pages or something like that. Just because it was intentional, didn't mean it worked. Even by the end of the book I couldn't keep track of all the characters and their relationships to each other. There were just a number of characters who had unnecessarily small roles, or sometimes two would be introduced when one would have worked. It was too much for me.
A small thing is Emma's sense of humor. Throughout the book, we're constantly told she's really funny but people don't get it. Usually people who are not the greatest people. All her close friends understand her humor perfectly and think she's hilarious. Only, I never found her funny. And it makes for a kind of unpleasant read when you're frequently told she's funny but don't agree.
But honestly, none of those things were really that big of deal. They're all kind of nitpicky. The reason this got 3 stars from me, despite me a fine YA contemporary, is the formula. Sarah Dessen has a formula she sticks to in her books. It's a good formula. I love a lot of her books that use this same formula. But the problem is, I've read so many of her books, that none of this felt new anymore. Pretty much every single element in this book I could point to in one of her previous books. It's really hard to appreciate a book for what it is when you're constantly thinking "The Truth About Forever did this better, Lock and Key did that better, Just Listen did this better." It's not just the formula of the plot, but specific characters and relationships and scenes and plot points have been in her other books, and I think I'm just tired of seeing the same things.
On it's own, sure I'd recommend it if you enjoy YA contemporary romance. It was fine and I think you'd probably enjoy it more than I did. I think I'm just tiring of Dessen as a writer in general. I've read everything she's written up to this point, but this may be the last time I pick up one of her new releases. They're just not for me anymore.
I understand what she was trying to do with the discussion on class. Emma Saylor comes from an upper middle class, potentially just upper class, family. Her mother's extended family, who she's staying with, are blue collar. The lake is split between North Lake, the working class side, and Lake North, where the rich people stay. I appreciated the attempt, but everything about it seemed so black and white. Every rich person, excepting the main character, was a jerk when it benefited Emma Saylor's realization about class. Every single rich person. It didn't matter that until the plot required it, they had been incredibly kind, caring, considerate individuals. They would just randomly turn into a jerk. You can make a point about class without making all the rich people act like jerks, or alternatively actually make them jerks instead of have them act out of character.
I also had some difficulty getting into the romance. I thought the love interest was her cousin at the beginning of the book so making the switch from that to they're gonna get together was a little rough. And also some aspects of their getting together made me cringe. Emma Saylor got invited on a date to lake prom by a rich boy and needed to go buy a dress. Roo (the love interest who was not the boy who invited her) went along to help her pick it out. At the shop, the sales person assumed he was the boyfriend and neither of them corrected her. I understand that trope. It can be cute, both people fantasizing that it could actually be true when neither is ready for the relationship yet. But it's not cute when she's literally preparing for a date with another guy. It was very uncomfortable to read and did not make me root for them as a couple.
There were way too many characters in the book. It was intentional, her extended family was meant to be huge and messy and she had difficulty keeping track of them as well, but I couldn't follow who a bunch of the people were. Like I said above, I thought Roo was one of her cousins for the first 80 pages or something like that. Just because it was intentional, didn't mean it worked. Even by the end of the book I couldn't keep track of all the characters and their relationships to each other. There were just a number of characters who had unnecessarily small roles, or sometimes two would be introduced when one would have worked. It was too much for me.
A small thing is Emma's sense of humor. Throughout the book, we're constantly told she's really funny but people don't get it. Usually people who are not the greatest people. All her close friends understand her humor perfectly and think she's hilarious. Only, I never found her funny. And it makes for a kind of unpleasant read when you're frequently told she's funny but don't agree.
But honestly, none of those things were really that big of deal. They're all kind of nitpicky. The reason this got 3 stars from me, despite me a fine YA contemporary, is the formula. Sarah Dessen has a formula she sticks to in her books. It's a good formula. I love a lot of her books that use this same formula. But the problem is, I've read so many of her books, that none of this felt new anymore. Pretty much every single element in this book I could point to in one of her previous books. It's really hard to appreciate a book for what it is when you're constantly thinking "The Truth About Forever did this better, Lock and Key did that better, Just Listen did this better." It's not just the formula of the plot, but specific characters and relationships and scenes and plot points have been in her other books, and I think I'm just tired of seeing the same things.
On it's own, sure I'd recommend it if you enjoy YA contemporary romance. It was fine and I think you'd probably enjoy it more than I did. I think I'm just tiring of Dessen as a writer in general. I've read everything she's written up to this point, but this may be the last time I pick up one of her new releases. They're just not for me anymore.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I kept thinking while reading it that I should be enjoying it more. But I just didn't.
This was essentially a character study of the main character after the fact. It's written as though compiled from notes by an investigator. Although it mostly reads like a typical narrative, there are some chapters that are labeled "evidence" and full of quotes from various sources (some real and some fictional) that relate to the story in some way. There are also "hypothesis" chapters where he is guessing what happened to the main character's wife who just disappeared.
It's told nonlinearly, mixing the past, present, and future together, but it honestly worked better for me than most nonlinear stories do. I still did miss the single narrative, I think. And there were points in this story where he would reference things from the future, like saying "John would wonder about this moment in two days after his wife vanished" that didn't work for me. I often feel that writing like that creates distance between me and the story. I can't get as connected with that kind of style.
It was also a little too convoluted for me. I like to be able to keep track of every single thing that's happening, and this is one of those stories where you can't and don't even need to. Each quote is referenced to a source, some with the date of the interview, and I tried so hard to keep all of that in order in my head, but it was just too much. It's one of those things that wasn't really necessary, but it definitely bothered me to not be able to.
I didn't find the main character as interesting as I should have. Like I said above, this book is essentially a character study of this man and his entire life. I love character study books, but I just wasn't that interested by John Wade. He was an intentionally unlikable character who stalked his wife and talked frequently of loving to manipulate people. But it didn't feel especially interesting. I can't exactly put my finger on why, but I wasn't as invested in him as I should have been. Still enough to get through this whole book in a day, though.
Finally, there was one thing that actually really bothered me about this book. The person who is compiling the book, who's not actually a character in the story and mostly removes himself from the narration, says that he doesn't think the main character killed his wife because he was crazy about her. Like this man who literally stalked his wife, who said he needed her, who got incredibly jealous and caught her cheating on him, wouldn't have killed her because he was crazy about her? He seems like a prime candidate for murdering her. Which is not to say I think he did, but that one line really bothered me. Men who kill their wives often exhibit those behaviors, and I didn't like the implication that the reason he wouldn't was because he was crazy about her. But that was just one line so it didn't ruin the book or anything. Just made me very uncomfortable at the moment he said it.
Overall, I thought this book was pretty decent. It held my attention and I got through it quickly because I enjoyed reading it. There was always just something that kept me from entirely enjoying it, and I can't quite figure out what. Probably just a combination of all my issues but nothing singularly bad. It's definitely one I'd recommend if it sounds interesting to you. I thought the style was really unique and well done, just maybe not for me overall.
Additional warning, this is not a book where you're going to get closure or figure out for a fact what happened. That's not spoiler, it's stated pretty early on. So if you're someone who needs to find out what happened, this probably isn't for you.
This was essentially a character study of the main character after the fact. It's written as though compiled from notes by an investigator. Although it mostly reads like a typical narrative, there are some chapters that are labeled "evidence" and full of quotes from various sources (some real and some fictional) that relate to the story in some way. There are also "hypothesis" chapters where he is guessing what happened to the main character's wife who just disappeared.
It's told nonlinearly, mixing the past, present, and future together, but it honestly worked better for me than most nonlinear stories do. I still did miss the single narrative, I think. And there were points in this story where he would reference things from the future, like saying "John would wonder about this moment in two days after his wife vanished" that didn't work for me. I often feel that writing like that creates distance between me and the story. I can't get as connected with that kind of style.
It was also a little too convoluted for me. I like to be able to keep track of every single thing that's happening, and this is one of those stories where you can't and don't even need to. Each quote is referenced to a source, some with the date of the interview, and I tried so hard to keep all of that in order in my head, but it was just too much. It's one of those things that wasn't really necessary, but it definitely bothered me to not be able to.
I didn't find the main character as interesting as I should have. Like I said above, this book is essentially a character study of this man and his entire life. I love character study books, but I just wasn't that interested by John Wade. He was an intentionally unlikable character who stalked his wife and talked frequently of loving to manipulate people. But it didn't feel especially interesting. I can't exactly put my finger on why, but I wasn't as invested in him as I should have been. Still enough to get through this whole book in a day, though.
Finally, there was one thing that actually really bothered me about this book. The person who is compiling the book, who's not actually a character in the story and mostly removes himself from the narration, says that he doesn't think the main character killed his wife because he was crazy about her. Like this man who literally stalked his wife, who said he needed her, who got incredibly jealous and caught her cheating on him, wouldn't have killed her because he was crazy about her? He seems like a prime candidate for murdering her. Which is not to say I think he did, but that one line really bothered me. Men who kill their wives often exhibit those behaviors, and I didn't like the implication that the reason he wouldn't was because he was crazy about her. But that was just one line so it didn't ruin the book or anything. Just made me very uncomfortable at the moment he said it.
Overall, I thought this book was pretty decent. It held my attention and I got through it quickly because I enjoyed reading it. There was always just something that kept me from entirely enjoying it, and I can't quite figure out what. Probably just a combination of all my issues but nothing singularly bad. It's definitely one I'd recommend if it sounds interesting to you. I thought the style was really unique and well done, just maybe not for me overall.
Additional warning, this is not a book where you're going to get closure or figure out for a fact what happened. That's not spoiler, it's stated pretty early on. So if you're someone who needs to find out what happened, this probably isn't for you.