(3.5/5)

First off, I applaud Stone for writing something difficult and real and I am so glad that the contemporary genre is exploring more diverse topics.

That being said, I wasn't really sure what to expect out of this book...and I feel like it fell short in regards to some of the things it tried to tackle.

I really like Sam as a narrator, and I feel as though her voice was very real and consistent throughout the novel. I also think this take on OCD is believable and sheds light on spectrum of OCD and combats the stigma associated with having OCD.

However, I feel like the issues Sam had with her friends as well as with AJ were resolved and tied up with a pretty bow. It just wasn't realistic to me. And really, sneaking into some basement room and skipping class with no ramifications? Was the administration of this school blind?

The only reason I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars is because it is not what I expected, although I did really like it.

I thought this was going to be a comedic memoir or Aziz's comedic take on "Modern Romance" HOWEVER it was an incredibly well-crafted, eye-opening, insightful psychological study about real life modern romance! (Complete with a SERIOUS bibliography!)

As a college student, this book was helpful to me in explaining why today's dating world is how it is. I found myself going "Oh! Obviously!" And "okay, I've done that too..." And "ughhhhhhh"

So, Thank You Aziz!!!

Definitely read this if this topic even seems mildly interesting to you!

I had to read "Barbados" and use methods of criticism to write a final paper for a college course. So naturally, I read the entire novel. Marshall uses beautiful language in her work.