odettebrethouwer's Reviews (1.95k)

I get the importance of this book about a fat girl. But I did not love this book.

First of all, everybody is talking about Will participating in the beauty pageant, even the blurb of the book, but the idea begins to form in her head only halfway the book! So, in my opinion, this is a huge spoiler. But because it is in the blurb, I did not put it in a spoilertag here. But really, if the book is about the pageant, make her enter sooner in the book, or don't put it in the blurb but this made me inpatient.

Also, I don't really like Will, by character.

Spoiler

I think she was wrong to tell Ellen not to participate. I think she is leading both boys on. If you really really really like someone, like the writer wants us to believe Will likes Bo, it is impossible for your head to win from your heart.

And I don't like the ending. I get it with the meaning of this book and all,

Spoiler

that it shouldn't matter and stuff,

but I just can't handle this XD

I did enjoy buddyreading this book with Lisa in the last days of the year! but i did not really enjoyed the book. I liked how it was written about body issues and stuff, hence no 2* because that feels to less for this book, but I cannot give it any more than 3.

PS For the Dutchies: I usually am very pro-translations, but you better read the English one in stead of the Dutch edition. Not the best translation :(

I received an ARC from the Dutch translation of this book, (thanks Karakter Uitgevers!) hence the Dutch review. For English, see below.

Wat is dit een prachtboek. Een van de bijzonderste boeken die ik dit jaar heb gelezen.

Jared heeft een hersentumor. Ik vind dat deze tumor heel bijzonder omschreven is. Het is heel uniek, zo heb ik nog nooit gelezen over kanker. Deze manier van vertellen erover zorgt ervoor dat ik me beter voor kan stellen wat voor effect dat een hersentumor op je zijn kan hebben en dat vind ik heel erg knap gedaan.

Ook vind het ik het mooi hoe het euthanasievraagstuk in het boek is verwerkt zonder dat het zwaar wordt, ook al is het een heftig onderwerp. Dat is sowieso iets wat ik erg knap vind aan het boek, de schrijfstijl. Natuurlijk is het onderwerp zwaar want Jared heeft kanker en je leest vanuit hem en zijn dochter, en toch leest het boek erg vlot weg. De schrijfstijl en de goede vertaling spelen daar een grote en belangrijke rol in.

Ook vind het ook heel mooi en knap hoe de realiteit van reality-tv in beeld wordt gebracht. Je krijgt heel mooi mee welke invloed dat heeft op de mensen die gefilmd worden, en wat je met montage allemaal kan doen.

Op twee hele verschillende gebieden geeft dit boek je een kijkje achter de schermen zoals ik nooit dacht een kijkje te kunnen krijgen. Het laat je anders tegen deze zaken aankijken en daardoor is dit een boek waar ik nog vaak aan terug zal denken.

English

What a beautiful book! it is one of the most unique books I've read this year.

Jared has a brain tumor. This tumor is described in a beautiful and unique way, I've never read like this about cancer. This writing makes me more capable of understanding what it does to a person when he of she has a brain tumor. That is very well done.

The euthanasia issue is written very respectfully in this book. You do get involved in the points of view, but it not written in a overly serious or heavily manner, just like how you would talk about that in the family if someone is in such a situation. Very well done as well.

There is the part of the reality tv in this book as well. I think it is very nicely done how you get a peek at how this stuff works in real life, that it is not so reality, that a lot of cutting and editing is involved.

Two completely different topics, cancer and reality tv, but this book has shown me another way to look at both of these subjects, which is really special and unique. I will recall this book very often because it really has changed my view on the world a bit, so the 5* are easily deserved!

Oh, I love this book. It is a really cute concept, (this is not a spoiler it is on the back of the book and the essence of the story) to relieve a bad monday again. I can imagine her confusion the first day, her frustration another.. It is really well written. You really get inside her head, and I can see myself travelling the same train of thought. Also, for the Dutchies: the translation is done really well! And I love the Dutch cover :)

There is something else special for me to this book, but I cannot talk about it without spoiling, so yay for the Goodreads spoiler tag!

Spoiler

Usually, I really really hate the best friend - love interest (or his interest in her or visa versa), but somehow in this book I really like Owen and I ship them really hard! this is the first time I've EVER shipped the best friend. At the first chapter, I suspected his love for her when he did not wanted to talk about her boyfriend and I thought if I'm right it will be -1* for this book, but as you can see that is not the case and that really stresses the point how good and fun this book is!

I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it! I only do advise reading it on holiday or in a weekend. I read it during a workday and it is that I had work to do that really needed to be done today (freelance work can be like that..), but if I was still at school or had another kind of job or workday, I would probably have called in sick to be able to finish this XD

This book is REALLY good!

I have several point I want to discuss. First of all, the main character. In the beginning of the book, she reminded me a bit of Spencer from the Pretty little Liars tv show and I connected with her really well. I felt everything she felt in this book, from doubts and thought to her crush. I don't often crush on fictional boys (I have the best one in real life ), but this one stole a piece of my heart.

Most contemporary novels evolve around this crush. He plays a big role in this book, but I feel like this book evolves more about Andies whole person, including her relationship with her father, how she is still coping with losing her mom, her friends, her future plans with life.. And therefore I think this book reflects a person much better than the crush-focussed books.

I like how this book lets you feel how hard relationships with parents can be. It lets you see that you need friends with whom you can talk about small stuff when big stuff is happening, but how it is also important to be able to talk about big stuff - while they are happening or randomly. it lets you see how having a crush is different from loving someone. It lets you see what friends can mean to you - and what it means to grow up.

I've read contemporarys before that I've rated 5*. I've read contemporaries before that handle more than just a boy, like [b:Love & Gelato|25756328|Love & Gelato|Jenna Evans Welch|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1452081385s/25756328.jpg|45600264]. But I have not read a contemporary that so completely shows a life.

This is the first Morgan Matson i've read, but more will definitely follow!

I read this book as a manuscript for the Dutch publisher BlossomBooks, so judge whether or not they should take a look at this for a translation. I have no idea how much the manuscript has changed between the edition i read and the edition that went to print, but I hated the manuscript.

I had a very strong association with Red Queen, so I did not thought the powers were very original and unique in YA.

I saw the love interest coming wayyy to soon and it took SO LONG to develop and ugh.

IO didn;t always understood how things worked, or I could not get my head around the thoughts or action the main character did, which made me not understand her so i could not relate to her.

The whole story was told by people telling her things, which I hated. And when things do happen, they happen very quickly and I was left with a 'wait what huh' feeling, but not in a good way. oh and the conversations are described in an extensive way, but when you get some scenery like a building, it is described very simple and plain.

It is all so predictable.

And the ending was such an anticlimax, so disappointing.

So, yeah, that was my experience with this book. But as I said, I read a manuscript and not a published book so maybe a lot has changed, but I do not feel the need to discover if it has approved :)