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desiree930
3.5 stars, rounded up to four solely because of Dexter. He's a great character, and a great love interest.
What I liked:
1. Dexter
He was sweet, fun, optimistic, caring...and a musician. Nothing not to like about him.
2. Side characters
There are a lot of characters in this book, and I felt like Sarah Dessen managed to develop them pretty well, although I felt like Jess and Lucas could've been utilized a bit more.
3. Music
I love stories about music and musicians. They make me happy.
4. Romance
When she allowed herself to actually be happy and enjoy it, I felt like the interactions between Remy and Dexter were really cute.
What I didn't like:
1. I felt like Remy was very irrational at times and her justification for dumping Dexter did quite make sense to me. It felt a little forced.
2. I wish they'd explored a little more of Remy the party girl. Not that I actually wanted her out there making terrible decisions, but after the one night when she hits that creeper in the bar we don't see any more about it.
All in all, I thought this book was very sweet and mostly fluffy. I found myself grinning every time Dexter was in a scene, and I want to hear his rendition of 'This Lullaby'.
What I liked:
1. Dexter
He was sweet, fun, optimistic, caring...and a musician. Nothing not to like about him.
2. Side characters
There are a lot of characters in this book, and I felt like Sarah Dessen managed to develop them pretty well, although I felt like Jess and Lucas could've been utilized a bit more.
3. Music
I love stories about music and musicians. They make me happy.
4. Romance
When she allowed herself to actually be happy and enjoy it, I felt like the interactions between Remy and Dexter were really cute.
What I didn't like:
1. I felt like Remy was very irrational at times and her justification for
2. I wish they'd explored a little more of Remy the party girl. Not that I actually wanted her out there making terrible decisions, but after the one night when
All in all, I thought this book was very sweet and mostly fluffy. I found myself grinning every time Dexter was in a scene, and I want to hear his rendition of 'This Lullaby'.
3.5 stars.
This book is messy. Intentionally messy. Unapologetically messy. It's not idealistic, sweet and fluffy, or politically correct. It feels very real, very authentic (for the most part), and there were certain aspects that really spoke to me personally.
Skylar is a college-bound artist who has spent her entire life in a little tiny town in the middle of California. But really, it could've been a tiny nowhere town pretty much anywhere. I know it reminded me of the little tiny town I grew up in in Alaska. It's more about the people, the relationships, than it is about geography. Skylar has wanted to escape her town for as long as she can remember. This is also something I could identify with.
Josh is a wounded veteran coming back from the war. He lost a leg in combat, and that is just the physical manifestation of his loss. He is very obviously suffering from severe PTSD, blaming himself for things that happened in Afghanistan that weren't his fault at all. Someone very close to me also suffered from PTSD because of things that happened during his service in the military, and a lot of this (more than I would want to admit) rang true for me.
Josh and Skylar have known each other for years (it's the kind of town where everyone knows everyone else) and begin working together at a local motel.
Things I liked:
1. Flawed, interesting characters.
Even Skylar, who is touted by other people as a kind of goody-two-shoes, has depth. While it's true that she is, for the most part, on the straight and narrow, she is not a sheltered person. Her friends drink and party and her best friend has a young child, but she doesn't ridicule them or act superior to them (for the most part). She is pretty candid actually about how her upbringing wasn't exactly idyllic, and a good chunk of the story deals with her trying to help her alcoholic mother come out of her depression.
Josh is also far from perfect. Even discounting any issues he has relating to his PTSD and injury, he can be an asshole. He says things that are bigoted and ignorant. I actually almost DNF'd this book because of some of the things he says early on in the story. But I didn't, mostly because the things he was saying weren't treated as being acceptable by the other characters. He is called out for the offensive things he says, and it seems like he actually gets it by the end.
The other side characters were well-developed and felt so real to me, not like stereotypes at all. I've known real people who remind me of every single character in this story, and that is hardly ever the case.
2. The exploration of PTSD.
I felt like this was handled very deftly and sensitively. The experiences portrayed in this book felt authentic and I've actually experienced some of them first-hand, so it definitely hit home for me. I liked Josh's journal entries as well. You can see throughout the book that he wants to fight. He doesn't want to give up a wallow in his self-pity. I do wish we could've had more of a glimpse into his family life, to see how his condition was affecting the rest of his family. We do get a scene between Skylar and his brother talking about nightmares, but I would've liked to see it expanded on a little more.
3. The pacing. This book was very readable. I got through it in about 3.5 hours, and it's 380 pages long. I felt like it flowed really well and I never felt bored or like it was repetitive.
Things I didn't like:
1. The true-love-will-cure-all-that-ails-you trope. I felt like this book stayed away from the typical tropes, but this is one is doesn't side-step. I don't think it's as bad as other books. We see glimpses of Josh going to therapy, going to group meetings, etc. But when his nightmares are tied to the status of his relationship with Skylar, that's just not realistic.
2. The you're-not-like-other-girls trope. He literally tells her that she's unlike anyone he's ever known...apparently because she was a virgin and an all-around 'good girl'. One of the few moments in this book I rolled my eyes and audibly groaned.
3. The resolution of the subplot with her mother.
This just felt incredibly rushed to me. We are shown through the entire book that her mother is an absolute mess. She loses her job and proceeds to spiral into a severe depression. She starts to hang out with this POS creep who gets her to start drinking again and not take care of herself. She refuses to look for a job and is totally neglectful of her daughter, who she relies on to pay all the bills and take care of pretty much everything while she spends her time drinking, smoking, and screwing the aforementioned POS creep. Then, in the course of a couple of pages, her mother cleans herself up, stops (or at least limits) her drinking, and decides to move away with the creepy POS who maybe isn't such a POS after all? It just didn't feel authentic to me, which is one of the only things in this book that I can say that about.
For the most part, I liked this book. I wouldn't say it was a fun reading experience, because it's a heavy, intense book. But I do think it handles the struggles of PTSD well, and I found the romance believable, for the most part. That, along with the wonderfully flawed characters, makes this one worth a read.
This book is messy. Intentionally messy. Unapologetically messy. It's not idealistic, sweet and fluffy, or politically correct. It feels very real, very authentic (for the most part), and there were certain aspects that really spoke to me personally.
Skylar is a college-bound artist who has spent her entire life in a little tiny town in the middle of California. But really, it could've been a tiny nowhere town pretty much anywhere. I know it reminded me of the little tiny town I grew up in in Alaska. It's more about the people, the relationships, than it is about geography. Skylar has wanted to escape her town for as long as she can remember. This is also something I could identify with.
Josh is a wounded veteran coming back from the war. He lost a leg in combat, and that is just the physical manifestation of his loss. He is very obviously suffering from severe PTSD, blaming himself for things that happened in Afghanistan that weren't his fault at all. Someone very close to me also suffered from PTSD because of things that happened during his service in the military, and a lot of this (more than I would want to admit) rang true for me.
Josh and Skylar have known each other for years (it's the kind of town where everyone knows everyone else) and begin working together at a local motel.
Things I liked:
1. Flawed, interesting characters.
Even Skylar, who is touted by other people as a kind of goody-two-shoes, has depth. While it's true that she is, for the most part, on the straight and narrow, she is not a sheltered person. Her friends drink and party and her best friend has a young child, but she doesn't ridicule them or act superior to them (for the most part). She is pretty candid actually about how her upbringing wasn't exactly idyllic, and a good chunk of the story deals with her trying to help her alcoholic mother come out of her depression.
Josh is also far from perfect. Even discounting any issues he has relating to his PTSD and injury, he can be an asshole. He says things that are bigoted and ignorant. I actually almost DNF'd this book because of some of the things he says early on in the story. But I didn't, mostly because the things he was saying weren't treated as being acceptable by the other characters. He is called out for the offensive things he says, and it seems like he actually gets it by the end.
The other side characters were well-developed and felt so real to me, not like stereotypes at all. I've known real people who remind me of every single character in this story, and that is hardly ever the case.
2. The exploration of PTSD.
I felt like this was handled very deftly and sensitively. The experiences portrayed in this book felt authentic and I've actually experienced some of them first-hand, so it definitely hit home for me. I liked Josh's journal entries as well. You can see throughout the book that he wants to fight. He doesn't want to give up a wallow in his self-pity. I do wish we could've had more of a glimpse into his family life, to see how his condition was affecting the rest of his family. We do get a scene between Skylar and his brother talking about nightmares, but I would've liked to see it expanded on a little more.
3. The pacing. This book was very readable. I got through it in about 3.5 hours, and it's 380 pages long. I felt like it flowed really well and I never felt bored or like it was repetitive.
Things I didn't like:
1. The true-love-will-cure-all-that-ails-you trope. I felt like this book stayed away from the typical tropes, but this is one is doesn't side-step. I don't think it's as bad as other books. We see glimpses of Josh going to therapy, going to group meetings, etc. But when his nightmares are tied to the status of his relationship with Skylar, that's just not realistic.
2. The you're-not-like-other-girls trope. He literally tells her that she's unlike anyone he's ever known...apparently because she was a virgin and an all-around 'good girl'. One of the few moments in this book I rolled my eyes and audibly groaned.
3. The resolution of the subplot with her mother.
For the most part, I liked this book. I wouldn't say it was a fun reading experience, because it's a heavy, intense book. But I do think it handles the struggles of PTSD well, and I found the romance believable, for the most part. That, along with the wonderfully flawed characters, makes this one worth a read.
I primarily listened to the audiobook for this story. I wasn't quite sure what to expect picking this book up. I love WWII historical fiction, but I'd never read a story where the main character was a close family friend of Adolf Hitler. It seemed like a story that could either be really good or really bad. Fortunately, this fell into the former category for me, as I ended up really enjoying this story.
What I liked:
1. The concept and the setting. Again, I love stories that take place around the time of WWII. This book is actually set in the early thirties, just as Hitler was coming into power. Our main character is Gretchen. Gretchen's father was killed several years before protecting Hitler from an attack. This has made him a martyr and Gretchen's family close personal friends of Adolf Hitler. I haven't read many historical fictions from this perspective, and thought it was interesting.
2. The characters. I liked Gretchen, although I did think it took her a long time to come to terms with the fact that this person she's idolized her whole life is a legit monster. I get that when you are taught something from a young age it sticks with you and in this case it was very much a brainwashing type of situation, but she keeps going back to him far longer than she should.
I wish Daniel had been a bit more fleshed out. The story is told in third person, but solely from Gretchen's perspective, with the exception of one small passage. I wish we could've had both of their perspectives as they go around doing all of these things and getting to know each other.
3. The audiobook. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with this book. She uses a German accent, which sounded pretty good to my admittedly untrained ear. Also, her characters (especially all her female characters) had distinct voices. I hate when I listen to an audiobook with a lot of dialogue and you can't tell who is speaking because the voices all sound the same.
What I didn't like:
1. There were times that dragged a bit for me, where the pacing seemed a little off. There isn't really much of a plot in this book. Gretchen and Daniel are trying to figure out exactly what happened to her father the day he was killed, and trying to stay safe as Gretchen begins to see the flaws in Hitler's views...within that there were some events that seemed to get a bit repetitive.
2. Reinhard and his ability to show up everywhere Gretchen was. Especially the last couple scenes they have together. It just didn't feel plausible, which is kind of important in a story like this, if you ask me.
I will definitely be picking up the sequel to PONAF soon. I need to know what happens next!
What I liked:
1. The concept and the setting. Again, I love stories that take place around the time of WWII. This book is actually set in the early thirties, just as Hitler was coming into power. Our main character is Gretchen. Gretchen's father was killed several years before protecting Hitler from an attack. This has made him a martyr and Gretchen's family close personal friends of Adolf Hitler. I haven't read many historical fictions from this perspective, and thought it was interesting.
2. The characters. I liked Gretchen, although I did think it took her a long time to come to terms with the fact that this person she's idolized her whole life is a legit monster. I get that when you are taught something from a young age it sticks with you and in this case it was very much a brainwashing type of situation, but she keeps going back to him far longer than she should.
I wish Daniel had been a bit more fleshed out. The story is told in third person, but solely from Gretchen's perspective, with the exception of one small passage. I wish we could've had both of their perspectives as they go around doing all of these things and getting to know each other.
3. The audiobook. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with this book. She uses a German accent, which sounded pretty good to my admittedly untrained ear. Also, her characters (especially all her female characters) had distinct voices. I hate when I listen to an audiobook with a lot of dialogue and you can't tell who is speaking because the voices all sound the same.
What I didn't like:
1. There were times that dragged a bit for me, where the pacing seemed a little off. There isn't really much of a plot in this book. Gretchen and Daniel are trying to figure out exactly what happened to her father the day he was killed, and trying to stay safe as Gretchen begins to see the flaws in Hitler's views...within that there were some events that seemed to get a bit repetitive.
2. Reinhard and his ability to show up everywhere Gretchen was. Especially the last couple scenes they have together. It just didn't feel plausible, which is kind of important in a story like this, if you ask me.
I will definitely be picking up the sequel to PONAF soon. I need to know what happens next!
This graphic novel was great! I really enjoyed the story quite a bit.
I liked the tongue-in-cheek nature of this novel, and how it turns fantasy and fairy tale tropes on their heads. The world seems to be very much medieval Europe in setting with kings, peasants, knights, etc. But then we also have television, technology, computers, message boards...all things that bring it into a more modern time period. The result is a quirky, somewhat silly setting.
I liked Nimona and Blackheart's relationship. He is completely exasperated by her, yet truly feels a deep affection for her as the story goes on.
I wish the relationship between Ambrosius and Ballister had been a little more fleshed out or had a little more satisfying payoff, but still enjoyed the hints at their backstory and relationship.
Overall, I really liked this and want to pick up something else by this author soon.
I liked the tongue-in-cheek nature of this novel, and how it turns fantasy and fairy tale tropes on their heads. The world seems to be very much medieval Europe in setting with kings, peasants, knights, etc. But then we also have television, technology, computers, message boards...all things that bring it into a more modern time period. The result is a quirky, somewhat silly setting.
I liked Nimona and Blackheart's relationship. He is completely exasperated by her, yet truly feels a deep affection for her as the story goes on.
I wish the relationship between Ambrosius and Ballister had been a little more fleshed out or had a little more satisfying payoff, but still enjoyed the hints at their backstory and relationship.
Overall, I really liked this and want to pick up something else by this author soon.
1.5 stars
What I liked:
1. It was a quick read.
What I didn't like:
1. The unbelievable nature of the premise. First of all, Bailey's father moves to a small town across the country after her parents divorce. At some point, she starts talking to a random guy on a movie forum and...surprise! He just happens to live in the same town as her father! What are the odds?! Answer? Very, very minuscule. I could almost understand if we're talking a big city like LA, New York, Chicago, etc. But this is supposed to be a little surfing town in California. It's just not plausible, and for me, the suspension of disbelief was a little much in this case.
2. The unbelievable nature of the premise, Pt. 2. So Bailey chooses to live with her father after her mother's new marriage implodes. She doesn't tell the boy she's been talking to (who calls himself Alex, although she knows that's not his real name) that she is moving to the same town as him, even though they have talked about meeting on many occasions. Immediately after the move, she starts working at this weird museum where she starts working with this random guy Porter...any guesses who the guy is? Well, you don't have to guess. The synopsis literally tells you that Porter *is* Alex. I'm sorry, but that is too many coincidences for me.
3. The fact that the entire plot (if you can call it that) is in the synopsis. Like I said, the synopsis lays out the entire story for us. We know going into this book that it is similar to You've Got Mail and Shop Around the Corner and that Bailey and Porter are actually Mink and Alex. And that is literally it. There are no surprises along the way. None. At all.
4. The 'romance'. So, later in their relationship, I will admit there were some cute, sweet moments. HOWEVER, the beginning of the relationship is so problematic I don't feel like a few sweet moments later on make up for it. When they first meet, he is leading her orientation at her job. In a very real sense, he is in a position of authority over her, especially considering the fact that he is a security guard. However, this doesn't seem to phase him in the slightest when the first thing he says to her is, "Guess I lucked out and got the good-looking group."
Then there is his comments about her appearance:
"Come on. Don't get shy on me now, glamour girl."
When she questions how he got his job:
"Eighteen opens all sorts of doors. You can vote, legally engage in any and all imaginative sexual activities with the consenting person of your choice."
When he makes up a quiz for her:
Note - every single question he asks her is highly inappropriate for the workplace, so this is just one example.
"Did you leave D.C. because:
A) you couldn't find any hotties to hang out with; or
B) your east coast boyfriend is an ankle buster and you'd heard about legendary West Coast D, so you had to find out yourself if the rumors were true?"
When she decides she doesn't want to answer his questions and asks him what business it is of his:
"Seeing how this is your first day on the job, and may very well be your last, considering the turnover rate for your position? And considering how I have seniority over you? I'd say yeah, it's pretty much my business."
Yeah, you read that right. He fucking threatens her employment for not answering questions about her sexual endeavors. Seriously. I do NOT understand how people could find this cute.
But that's not the end...
When she calls him at work about a thief:
"Speak up, I can't hear you. Or are you trying to come on to me? Is this your sexy voice? I like it."
It's just wrong. Maybe if the set up for their relationship was different. If she'd met him at school or a party and he acted like that...I mean, it still would've been jerky...but at least it wouldn't be fucking sexual harassment in the workplace! I swear I am not a prude. But this relationship is based off of such inappropriate behavior I just don't get the appeal...
5. Telling, not showing. This happens a lot in this book. There are several instances where Bailey will just relate interactions without any dialogue, almost like she's telling a story to someone after the fact with no detail. I just didn't like it.
However, something else that falls under the 'tell, not show' umbrella was all this 'Artful Dodger' talk. She refers to herself (or is referred to as) 'Artful Dodger' 22 times in this book. Twenty-two. This is supposedly because instead of confronting situations head-on, she runs away. She supposedly can't handle confrontation and has serious anxiety to the point that she's had multiple therapists in the past. However, through the course of this book, she continually confronts people. Porter and Davy are two that come to mind. At nearly every turn, her fight or flight switch is pointing directly at flight. Almost every time she calls herself the Artful Dodger, she is actually NOT DODGING her situation.
6. Awkward writing. For the most part, the writing was okay (not great...very mediocre). But some of the phrases the author put into her main character's mouth were so awkward.
On her body's reaction to Porter's dreamyness🤢:
"I'm wearing a cardigan, and that covers up the majority of the headlight problem that is now happening in my breast locale."
Could that sentence sound any more awkward? I don't think it could.
On trying to ditch a guy she's hanging with who turns out to be gay:
"Does that make me an even bigger jerk if I walk away from this never wanting to see him again because he prefers another man's ham sandwich instead of my lady bits?"
First of all, yes. Yes it does make you a bigger jerk. Secondly, no one thinks things like this. Especially not a 17-year old girl.
"That must be some fine chronic you got your hands on this morning."
🙄
Umm...1996 called, and it wants it slang back.
"For the love of guns..."
This is, I suppose, the author's version of 'for the love of God'...but it doesn't work for me. At all. Especially considering the context of the conversation they are having at the time, which I won't detail because it may be slightly spoilery...
"Holy mother of sheep..."
🙄🙄🙄🙄
"He also had a hella bunch of heroin."
Again, what is with the incredibly dated slang?
There is just so much cringeworthy writing throughout this book. I could hardly stop rolling my eyes.
Other quick thoughts:
1. Bailey is a shitty friend. She completely ditches Grace and to the point that she silences her phone when Grace is trying to contact her (after Bailey didn't answer her text) because she 'doesn't want to be rude' to Porter and his family. Then when Grace calls her out on it, Bailey at first acts very dismissive and unapologetic toward Grace's perfectly legitimate feelings by saying, "She's not a happy camper." She then tells her, "I totally forgot to call you back." Which is untrue. Bailey didn't forget. She made a conscious decision to silence her cell phone and 'put Grave out of my mind'.
2. The reveal we get about Bailey's past is flimsy and underdeveloped. The resolution we get to it has a definite air of 'love healed all my hurts'.
3. The estrangement between Bailey's mother and her is flimsy and underdeveloped. And we get zero resolution.
4. Bailey acts like she's a terrible judge of humanity because she didn't realize a guy she was hanging out with was gay...um...it's not like there's a blinking sign above a gay person's head...
5. There is a subplot in the book that creates this obstacle of Porter and Bailey being open about their relationship, but it's super flimsy (are you sensing a pattern?). If she'd just put her big-girl panties on and talked to her dad, I don't think it would've been an issue. Total plot contrivance.
6. There is some serious demonization of drug addiction in this book.
7. The author feels completely uncomfortable writing about sex and sexual situations. Bailey refers to masturbation as 'doing unspeakable things to myself.'
Later:
'When Porter offers to do the thing for me that I normally do for myself'
Why is it so difficult to say 'masturbate'? Or even 'touching' or something like that. If the author can't write about sex in a way that doesn't sound awkward, maybe she shouldn't write about it at all.
8. They are both movie lovers but have maybe 2 short conversations about movies. I would've like more movie references.
All in all, if you couldn't tell, I disliked this book immensely. Actually, I started disliking it more as I wrote this review and revisited all the things I really hated about it. It's too bad, because I felt like it had potential.
What I liked:
1. It was a quick read.
What I didn't like:
1. The unbelievable nature of the premise. First of all, Bailey's father moves to a small town across the country after her parents divorce. At some point, she starts talking to a random guy on a movie forum and...surprise! He just happens to live in the same town as her father! What are the odds?! Answer? Very, very minuscule. I could almost understand if we're talking a big city like LA, New York, Chicago, etc. But this is supposed to be a little surfing town in California. It's just not plausible, and for me, the suspension of disbelief was a little much in this case.
2. The unbelievable nature of the premise, Pt. 2. So Bailey chooses to live with her father after her mother's new marriage implodes. She doesn't tell the boy she's been talking to (who calls himself Alex, although she knows that's not his real name) that she is moving to the same town as him, even though they have talked about meeting on many occasions. Immediately after the move, she starts working at this weird museum where she starts working with this random guy Porter...any guesses who the guy is? Well, you don't have to guess. The synopsis literally tells you that Porter *is* Alex. I'm sorry, but that is too many coincidences for me.
3. The fact that the entire plot (if you can call it that) is in the synopsis. Like I said, the synopsis lays out the entire story for us. We know going into this book that it is similar to You've Got Mail and Shop Around the Corner and that Bailey and Porter are actually Mink and Alex. And that is literally it. There are no surprises along the way. None. At all.
4. The 'romance'. So, later in their relationship, I will admit there were some cute, sweet moments. HOWEVER, the beginning of the relationship is so problematic I don't feel like a few sweet moments later on make up for it. When they first meet, he is leading her orientation at her job. In a very real sense, he is in a position of authority over her, especially considering the fact that he is a security guard. However, this doesn't seem to phase him in the slightest when the first thing he says to her is, "Guess I lucked out and got the good-looking group."
Then there is his comments about her appearance:
"Come on. Don't get shy on me now, glamour girl."
When she questions how he got his job:
"Eighteen opens all sorts of doors. You can vote, legally engage in any and all imaginative sexual activities with the consenting person of your choice."
When he makes up a quiz for her:
Note - every single question he asks her is highly inappropriate for the workplace, so this is just one example.
"Did you leave D.C. because:
A) you couldn't find any hotties to hang out with; or
B) your east coast boyfriend is an ankle buster and you'd heard about legendary West Coast D, so you had to find out yourself if the rumors were true?"
When she decides she doesn't want to answer his questions and asks him what business it is of his:
"Seeing how this is your first day on the job, and may very well be your last, considering the turnover rate for your position? And considering how I have seniority over you? I'd say yeah, it's pretty much my business."
Yeah, you read that right. He fucking threatens her employment for not answering questions about her sexual endeavors. Seriously. I do NOT understand how people could find this cute.
But that's not the end...
When she calls him at work about a thief:
"Speak up, I can't hear you. Or are you trying to come on to me? Is this your sexy voice? I like it."
It's just wrong. Maybe if the set up for their relationship was different. If she'd met him at school or a party and he acted like that...I mean, it still would've been jerky...but at least it wouldn't be fucking sexual harassment in the workplace! I swear I am not a prude. But this relationship is based off of such inappropriate behavior I just don't get the appeal...
5. Telling, not showing. This happens a lot in this book. There are several instances where Bailey will just relate interactions without any dialogue, almost like she's telling a story to someone after the fact with no detail. I just didn't like it.
However, something else that falls under the 'tell, not show' umbrella was all this 'Artful Dodger' talk. She refers to herself (or is referred to as) 'Artful Dodger' 22 times in this book. Twenty-two. This is supposedly because instead of confronting situations head-on, she runs away. She supposedly can't handle confrontation and has serious anxiety to the point that she's had multiple therapists in the past. However, through the course of this book, she continually confronts people. Porter and Davy are two that come to mind. At nearly every turn, her fight or flight switch is pointing directly at flight. Almost every time she calls herself the Artful Dodger, she is actually NOT DODGING her situation.
6. Awkward writing. For the most part, the writing was okay (not great...very mediocre). But some of the phrases the author put into her main character's mouth were so awkward.
On her body's reaction to Porter's dreamyness🤢:
"I'm wearing a cardigan, and that covers up the majority of the headlight problem that is now happening in my breast locale."
Could that sentence sound any more awkward? I don't think it could.
On trying to ditch a guy she's hanging with who turns out to be gay:
"Does that make me an even bigger jerk if I walk away from this never wanting to see him again because he prefers another man's ham sandwich instead of my lady bits?"
First of all, yes. Yes it does make you a bigger jerk. Secondly, no one thinks things like this. Especially not a 17-year old girl.
"That must be some fine chronic you got your hands on this morning."
🙄
Umm...1996 called, and it wants it slang back.
"For the love of guns..."
This is, I suppose, the author's version of 'for the love of God'...but it doesn't work for me. At all. Especially considering the context of the conversation they are having at the time, which I won't detail because it may be slightly spoilery...
"Holy mother of sheep..."
🙄🙄🙄🙄
"He also had a hella bunch of heroin."
Again, what is with the incredibly dated slang?
There is just so much cringeworthy writing throughout this book. I could hardly stop rolling my eyes.
Other quick thoughts:
1. Bailey is a shitty friend. She completely ditches Grace and to the point that she silences her phone when Grace is trying to contact her (after Bailey didn't answer her text) because she 'doesn't want to be rude' to Porter and his family. Then when Grace calls her out on it, Bailey at first acts very dismissive and unapologetic toward Grace's perfectly legitimate feelings by saying, "She's not a happy camper." She then tells her, "I totally forgot to call you back." Which is untrue. Bailey didn't forget. She made a conscious decision to silence her cell phone and 'put Grave out of my mind'.
2. The reveal we get about Bailey's past is flimsy and underdeveloped. The resolution we get to it has a definite air of 'love healed all my hurts'.
3. The estrangement between Bailey's mother and her is flimsy and underdeveloped. And we get zero resolution.
4. Bailey acts like she's a terrible judge of humanity because she didn't realize a guy she was hanging out with was gay...um...it's not like there's a blinking sign above a gay person's head...
5. There is a subplot in the book that creates this obstacle of Porter and Bailey being open about their relationship, but it's super flimsy (are you sensing a pattern?). If she'd just put her big-girl panties on and talked to her dad, I don't think it would've been an issue. Total plot contrivance.
6. There is some serious demonization of drug addiction in this book.
7. The author feels completely uncomfortable writing about sex and sexual situations. Bailey refers to masturbation as 'doing unspeakable things to myself.'
Later:
'When Porter offers to do the thing for me that I normally do for myself'
Why is it so difficult to say 'masturbate'? Or even 'touching' or something like that. If the author can't write about sex in a way that doesn't sound awkward, maybe she shouldn't write about it at all.
8. They are both movie lovers but have maybe 2 short conversations about movies. I would've like more movie references.
All in all, if you couldn't tell, I disliked this book immensely. Actually, I started disliking it more as I wrote this review and revisited all the things I really hated about it. It's too bad, because I felt like it had potential.
3.5 stars
It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to rate this book. I wavered between a 3 and a 4 star rating for quite awhile. On one hand, I felt like the beginning and the end were incredibly strong. On the other, I felt myself getting a little bored in the middle section. It was repetitive and felt like filler to me. In the end, I felt like a three star rating was more indicative of my overall enjoyment, even though the end almost made me bump it up, until the 'final battle'.
Things I liked:
1. The concept. I am not super knowledgeable about Russian folklore, but I love fairy tales and this definitely had that fairy tale quality that I crave. I thought the author was able to immediately strike that tone from the very beginning of the novel.
2. The setting. Like I said, I'm not well-versed in Russian folklore, but I did like that this story was set there and that there were references to tales like Baba Yaga, and characters such as rusalka and vodianoy.
3. Vasya. I thought Vasya was a great character. She is brave and courageous, and willing to sacrifice herself to keep her family safe. With that, she can also be impetuous and jump into situations without thinking through the consequences. I really liked the way she stood up to the people around her, regardless of their reactions to her.
4. The last 'part' of the book. This is where the bulk of the action is, and it's also where we finally get some clarity into the reality of the situation. The only thing I can say is that I wish we had more time in that part of the book. Although that being said, I did have issues with this part as well.
5. The writing style. Especially considering this is a debut novel, I felt like the writing was solid. It is descriptive without being overly flowery.
Things I didn't like:
1. The middle section of the book. I felt like it really dragged for me. It just felt like filler. It could've been shorter. A ton of time passes, but nothing really happens.
Vasya sees something no one else does, looks crazy for addressing it, and gets beaten by her father (even though most times her actions save people's lives)...and repeat.
2. The synopsis is very misleading. In the synopsis, it states that Anna (the stepmother) is a taskmaster and bans all of the children from honoring the household spirits and that is why all hell begins to break loose. But that is not the case. It is something else entirely that throws this craziness into motion.
3. Some of the side characters were not as well-developed as they could've been. Anna is one example. I would've liked to see more interaction between Vasya and Anna when Vasya was younger that would show where Anna's animosity stems from. Granted, we can assume that it's because she sees Vasya as being a witch, but I would've liked a couple of scenes that show it. But we don't get anything really. We go from Anna coming home with Vasya's father to a year later and then seven years later in the course of a chapter or two.
4. The 'final battle'. I don't want to get too into it because of spoilers, but Vasya goes to confront the big bad for a specific reason. Once she gets there, however, she completely abandons that and goes off to do something else that, in the big picture, shouldn't be the focus. Then the thing she was supposed to be preventing in the first place comes to fruition, which causes other awful things to happen. This goes back to Vasya's impulsive nature, which can be exciting and endearing, but also frustrating. Also, there is a 'dues ex machina' moment that I really didn't like.
Last thoughts:
Apparently this is the first in a series. This felt like it could have (and maybe should have) been a stand alone. The end wraps up pretty well and I'm not sure more books are necessary. Also, from the synopsis (if it's even accurate; refer back to 'things I didn't like #2) it sounds like it gets incredibly convoluted, while also managing to be repetitive of the first book. Oh look! Vasya is in danger of being married off or sent to a convent! But then she decides to seek adventure instead! Again! But this time she's going to save the whole country and not just her little town and also she's going to dress up like a boy to do it!! so...we'll see.
It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to rate this book. I wavered between a 3 and a 4 star rating for quite awhile. On one hand, I felt like the beginning and the end were incredibly strong. On the other, I felt myself getting a little bored in the middle section. It was repetitive and felt like filler to me. In the end, I felt like a three star rating was more indicative of my overall enjoyment, even though the end almost made me bump it up, until the 'final battle'.
Things I liked:
1. The concept. I am not super knowledgeable about Russian folklore, but I love fairy tales and this definitely had that fairy tale quality that I crave. I thought the author was able to immediately strike that tone from the very beginning of the novel.
2. The setting. Like I said, I'm not well-versed in Russian folklore, but I did like that this story was set there and that there were references to tales like Baba Yaga, and characters such as rusalka and vodianoy.
3. Vasya. I thought Vasya was a great character. She is brave and courageous, and willing to sacrifice herself to keep her family safe. With that, she can also be impetuous and jump into situations without thinking through the consequences. I really liked the way she stood up to the people around her, regardless of their reactions to her.
4. The last 'part' of the book. This is where the bulk of the action is, and it's also where we finally get some clarity into the reality of the situation. The only thing I can say is that I wish we had more time in that part of the book. Although that being said, I did have issues with this part as well.
5. The writing style. Especially considering this is a debut novel, I felt like the writing was solid. It is descriptive without being overly flowery.
Things I didn't like:
1. The middle section of the book. I felt like it really dragged for me. It just felt like filler. It could've been shorter. A ton of time passes, but nothing really happens.
Vasya sees something no one else does, looks crazy for addressing it, and gets beaten by her father (even though most times her actions save people's lives)...and repeat.
2. The synopsis is very misleading. In the synopsis, it states that Anna (the stepmother) is a taskmaster and bans all of the children from honoring the household spirits and that is why all hell begins to break loose. But that is not the case. It is something else entirely that throws this craziness into motion.
3. Some of the side characters were not as well-developed as they could've been. Anna is one example. I would've liked to see more interaction between Vasya and Anna when Vasya was younger that would show where Anna's animosity stems from. Granted, we can assume that it's because she sees Vasya as being a witch, but I would've liked a couple of scenes that show it. But we don't get anything really. We go from Anna coming home with Vasya's father to a year later and then seven years later in the course of a chapter or two.
4. The 'final battle'. I don't want to get too into it because of spoilers, but Vasya goes to confront the big bad for a specific reason. Once she gets there, however, she completely abandons that and goes off to do something else that, in the big picture, shouldn't be the focus. Then the thing she was supposed to be preventing in the first place comes to fruition, which causes other awful things to happen. This goes back to Vasya's impulsive nature, which can be exciting and endearing, but also frustrating. Also, there is a 'dues ex machina' moment that I really didn't like.
Last thoughts:
Apparently this is the first in a series. This felt like it could have (and maybe should have) been a stand alone. The end wraps up pretty well and I'm not sure more books are necessary. Also, from the synopsis (if it's even accurate; refer back to 'things I didn't like #2) it sounds like it gets incredibly convoluted, while also managing to be repetitive of the first book.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this finale. I gave the previous books 3 stars each, but if I'm being truly honest, I think they are closer to 2.5 stars for me. I just found Lara Jean to be insufferably immature in the first two installments. In this book, she stills has some immature tendencies, but I also see her growth as a character.
There were some plot points that were relatively predictable, in my opinion, but not so much that it made me dislike the book.
I would've liked a little more Peter in this book. Lara Jean thinks about him and talks about him a lot, but he actually doesn't get much time in scenes to grow as a character. I also wish that we'd gotten a little more closure in the subplot involving Peter's father. I understand that in life things aren't always tied up with a pretty little bow, but it almost felt as though this storyline was just forgotten or completely dropped which makes me wonder why it was even there to begin with...just to give Peter some kind of emotional arc? I don't know, but maybe that plays into my wish that Peter had had more to do.
At the end of the day, I felt like this was a very solid ending to a series that I wasn't the biggest fan of. The callbacks to previous books actually made me appreciate them more, and have a fonder outlook on the series as a whole.
This is, without a doubt, my favorite of Han's books so far.
There were some plot points that were relatively predictable, in my opinion, but not so much that it made me dislike the book.
I would've liked a little more Peter in this book. Lara Jean thinks about him and talks about him a lot, but he actually doesn't get much time in scenes to grow as a character. I also wish that we'd gotten a little more closure in the subplot involving Peter's father. I understand that in life things aren't always tied up with a pretty little bow, but it almost felt as though this storyline was just forgotten or completely dropped which makes me wonder why it was even there to begin with...just to give Peter some kind of emotional arc? I don't know, but maybe that plays into my wish that Peter had had more to do.
At the end of the day, I felt like this was a very solid ending to a series that I wasn't the biggest fan of. The callbacks to previous books actually made me appreciate them more, and have a fonder outlook on the series as a whole.
This is, without a doubt, my favorite of Han's books so far.
