More like 2.5.

I don't know if I can say this is a bad book. It just wasn't the one for me, and it wasn't what I thought it would be - the premise was interesting and got me excited but there was so much else going on that the part I was interested in just faded to the background. This is not the light, cute, fluffy romance I was promised!!

Samira Ahmed is the queen of disappointing me. She’s made an Olympic sport out of it, and not only does she keep winning gold, she keeps beating her own records as well.

Maybe my disappointment comes from the fact that I was so hyped for his book. A historical mystery, unearthed years later? 19th-century France? A critique of Orientalism? Muslim rep in YA?? On paper, it sounds perfect for me, but an awesome premise does not a good book make. The book itself isn’t even terrible - I don’t have it in me to give it 1 star, because it’s ultimately competent and tells A Story, even if it’s not the one I wanted - but I can’t help but feel betrayed and frustrated.

1.5 but still. It started out with so much potential but the last third of this book is an absolute shitshow! Hillary stans annoy me to my core.

1.5. I thought we were gonna paint and fall in love, why the fuck are we on a roadtrip

Closer to a 2.5? But I’m rounding up bc everyone’s acting like this is the worst book ever written, which is unfair imo! Anyway, I actually feel pretty conflicted bc i did enjoy the second half of the book but oh my god it took a while to get not-frustrating, and Noah as a protagonist never really grew on me? Like he was still acting pretty childish by the end? Devin saved the book tho

I didn't actually finish this but i'm tired of it and 85% is good enough for me to make it count in my goodreads challenge. Anyway im pretty disappointed :(

3.5! First half made me feel like I was growing out of YA but second came in clutch, i was literally gasping and shit i was so invested out of nowhere. Tbh a lot of what was dragging the story down for me was

Spoiler

the pretty forgettable and interchangeable cast of side characters who all fucking died in the finale anyway lol.

Also whoever pitched this to me spoiled the twist???? Which wasn't like NOT obvious but this whole time i was like "wait is she not...?" and then at the end it was less "whoa whaaaat" and more "ohhh there we go"

i'm just slightly underwhelmed ok!! like nothing happened the whole book and then the ending was so random.... i just like MAN i expected more and idk what that more was but it just WAS more. the characters continue to be delightful and lovely and wonderful and the interactions between them gave me such joy but still what was this plot!!!!