brittishliterature's Reviews (222)

I might have liked this more as a middle or high schooler. A book about first love and all the naivety that accompanies it. Much of the romance aspect felt a bit cheesy and unrealistic because of the time frame, but I enjoyed Natasha and Daniel as individuals and the way their meeting revealed different aspects of their personalities. I also appreciated the realistic inclusion of struggles of racism, immigration, and family, which helped balanced out the cheesy romance.

As a book it was pretty okay, the writing felt just a little flat for me so I’d probably enjoy the movie more (and I will be watching it, of course ❤️). 

Brilliant writing & one of the most heartwarming, heartbreaking, heart-stopping stories I’ve read in a while.

I loved this book so much & I love Eleanor even more! This book was not at all what I thought it was going to be & it was a slow start for a while, but to me that was all part of experiencing Eleanor’s life as she does & learning who she is. 

Nearly every page was filled with something I could relate to & that speaks to what we all come up against as human beings. It was also very down to earth & realistic, accurately portraying the mundane, enjoyable, slow, terrible ways that life happens. Also props for the great representation of mental health realities. I also loved that Eleanor remained the focus, rather than it turning into some cheesy Hallmark film.

Very well done - and what an ending. It left me with chills & added a whole new dimension to what I'd been reading. I love when books end that way: leaving me with the desire to reread it all over again immediately because of all the tiny details that now hold such new depth and meaning. It reminds me of how I felt upon finishing Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

I loved reading this, and I will definitely revisit again.