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chronicallybookish's Reviews (1.53k)
2.5-3 stars
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I just didn’t vibe with this. I kept bouncing between really liking it and just getting weird vibes from it. I’m not really sure. I think it was just a bit too “new adult” for me. I just couldn’t relate I guess.
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I just didn’t vibe with this. I kept bouncing between really liking it and just getting weird vibes from it. I’m not really sure. I think it was just a bit too “new adult” for me. I just couldn’t relate I guess.
4 stars
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Over all, this book was really good—it definitely encapsulated friendship breakups... and how much they hurt. I think any girl who’s gone through the loss of a best friend—through an explosive fight OR a slow fading will relate to this book. And while Cleo wasn’t my favorite, she wasn’t a bad protagonist and I 1000% ADORED Dom, Sydney, and Willa.
The only “complaints” I have about this book (if you can even call them that) are super minor and really just seemed... weird to me.
The first, was Layla’s stutter—now hold up, I don’t think I’m going where you think I am with that. I love diversity and disability rep just as much as—if not more than, being someone who is chronically ill myself—anyone else. The fact that Layla had a stutter was one of the things I really enjoyed about the book.
The thing that seemed weird to me, was Cleo’s reaction to it. She was so aware of it all the time, it felt like. Like she was always thinking about it and noticing it. My brother’s best friend has a stutter. I’ve known this kid as long as I can remember, and I honestly don’t notice his stutter anymore what so ever. I forget he has it. In fact, when one of my friends met him and went, “you didn’t tell me your brother’s friend had a stutter.” And I honestly stared at her for a second. Because it’s just who he is and I legitimately forget, even when I’m talking to him, that that’s “not normal”. I just don’t notice.
And I don’t know, maybe it’s because my brother’s friend is a boy, so *he’s* not pointing it out and self conscious about it or anything, and he just doesn’t acknowledge it so I don’t. Or maybe I’m weird. I’m not sure.
The fact that Cleo was always so consciously aware of Layla’s stutter just didn’t really feel realistic to me.
The second thing is a minor plot point and **A SPOILER** so if please skip to avoid spoilers. Everything within ⚠️ emojis is a spoiler. Skip past them to get to the rest of my review.
⚠️⚠️When Layla sold out Cleo’s dad to Sloan, knowing she’d tell everyone, and showed no remorse.
Now, we know that Layla and Cleo’s family were close. And when Cleo tutors Layla, she said it would be nice to see Cleo’s dad again. Which means that she likes him and doesn’t seem to hold what happened with Cleo against him. Which makes sense.
So WHY would she tell *his* secret to the whole world? Like, yes, I get she wants to hurt Cleo. But like it is mentioned in the book, that secret not only affects Cleo. It could seriously damage his reputation and could cause some really bad things to happen to him, like, professionally. It also affects Cleo’s mom as well. Because airing out that her dad had some sort of affair does get back to the WHOLE family. And like I said earlier, Cleo and Layla’s families were close. Their moms were close. I just really can’t see Layla purposefully hurting Cleo’s mom—her own mom’s best friend—AND endangering Cleo’s dad’s career and reputation just for petty revenge on Cleo when her parents had nothing to do with the fight in the first place. So that whole part of the storyline just didn’t feel genuine to me and it didn’t quite sit right with me either.⚠️⚠️
**END OF SPOILERS**
In the end, I think it was a really good read and I highly recommend!
~
Over all, this book was really good—it definitely encapsulated friendship breakups... and how much they hurt. I think any girl who’s gone through the loss of a best friend—through an explosive fight OR a slow fading will relate to this book. And while Cleo wasn’t my favorite, she wasn’t a bad protagonist and I 1000% ADORED Dom, Sydney, and Willa.
The only “complaints” I have about this book (if you can even call them that) are super minor and really just seemed... weird to me.
The first, was Layla’s stutter—now hold up, I don’t think I’m going where you think I am with that. I love diversity and disability rep just as much as—if not more than, being someone who is chronically ill myself—anyone else. The fact that Layla had a stutter was one of the things I really enjoyed about the book.
The thing that seemed weird to me, was Cleo’s reaction to it. She was so aware of it all the time, it felt like. Like she was always thinking about it and noticing it. My brother’s best friend has a stutter. I’ve known this kid as long as I can remember, and I honestly don’t notice his stutter anymore what so ever. I forget he has it. In fact, when one of my friends met him and went, “you didn’t tell me your brother’s friend had a stutter.” And I honestly stared at her for a second. Because it’s just who he is and I legitimately forget, even when I’m talking to him, that that’s “not normal”. I just don’t notice.
And I don’t know, maybe it’s because my brother’s friend is a boy, so *he’s* not pointing it out and self conscious about it or anything, and he just doesn’t acknowledge it so I don’t. Or maybe I’m weird. I’m not sure.
The fact that Cleo was always so consciously aware of Layla’s stutter just didn’t really feel realistic to me.
The second thing is a minor plot point and **A SPOILER** so if please skip to avoid spoilers. Everything within ⚠️ emojis is a spoiler. Skip past them to get to the rest of my review.
⚠️⚠️When Layla sold out Cleo’s dad to Sloan, knowing she’d tell everyone, and showed no remorse.
Now, we know that Layla and Cleo’s family were close. And when Cleo tutors Layla, she said it would be nice to see Cleo’s dad again. Which means that she likes him and doesn’t seem to hold what happened with Cleo against him. Which makes sense.
So WHY would she tell *his* secret to the whole world? Like, yes, I get she wants to hurt Cleo. But like it is mentioned in the book, that secret not only affects Cleo. It could seriously damage his reputation and could cause some really bad things to happen to him, like, professionally. It also affects Cleo’s mom as well. Because airing out that her dad had some sort of affair does get back to the WHOLE family. And like I said earlier, Cleo and Layla’s families were close. Their moms were close. I just really can’t see Layla purposefully hurting Cleo’s mom—her own mom’s best friend—AND endangering Cleo’s dad’s career and reputation just for petty revenge on Cleo when her parents had nothing to do with the fight in the first place. So that whole part of the storyline just didn’t feel genuine to me and it didn’t quite sit right with me either.⚠️⚠️
**END OF SPOILERS**
In the end, I think it was a really good read and I highly recommend!
