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First off, I would like to thank the publisher and author for providing me this ARC to review. Please note that the version I read was an advanced copy, and certain events/language may be changed in the published edition.
Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at 40%, as it just wasn’t what I expected and way too many things were putting me off.
I was quite intrigued by the historical setting and the hint of darkness and a witch, but that didn’t quite seem to be the main purpose of the tale. The main focus, at least for the first 40%, was on the messed up family relations, and the low self esteem of our main character, Lydia.
The first main issue I had with this was Lydia. She is our witch in the story, but in 40% of the book, this is only vaguely mentioned 3 times, of how she feels a need to release her anger and that just so happens to be magical. The first time was not fully explained, as she releases her anger on a boy and then the boy is seriously injured. The details are brushed over, and we don’t hear much of what happens next or anything. The other two instances are just her anger rising, before she forces herself to calm down because she doesn’t want a repeat of what happened with the boy when she was young. Besides her being good with herbs, this is the only witchy stuff that happens, and nothing about it is actually explained (though I feel this will happen later in the book).
Additionally, the book is also sold as one about a spooky manor, and hidden secrets, and while this did come up within the story, it also felt like a background story in the portion of the novel I read. We have your standard slamming doors, neighbors telling you there’s something off about the house, some ghost sightings, and that’s it. This lack of happening, lack of build-up, kept me from being at all frightened or intrigued by the mystery behind Willow Hall, and didn’t want me to keep reading.
Now, the above two reasons are things that disappointed, but would not have necessarily stopped me from continuing just on their own. Lots of books have boring build-ups, and I’ve gotten through some before to find fantastic endings. However, the reasons below are what pushed me to actually stop.
First, I want to warn other readers by stating there is an animal death early on in this book, and I fear there might be another later. This first death was described in such a way that made me imagine quite a gruesome scene, and I only wish these strong, frightening descriptions were used in moments that would have been better for it.
Secondly, the scandal behind the Montrose family moving is not the sort of scandal I like reading about at all, especially not when the perpetrator of it finds nothing wrong with what was done. While the others, especially the narrator, denounce what was done, it still seems to play a large role in the book, and I didn’t feel like sticking around to see what the inevitable aftermath will be.
Thirdly, the focus of the book is sometimes this awkward sister rivalry between Catherine and Lydia for men. Catherine is the standard gorgeous older sister that has no regard for her sister’s feelings, and enjoys flaunting her beauty to get what she wants. She manipulates Lydia, she takes from Lydia, and Lydia only ever hides away from the confrontation, sometimes being nice to Catherine for no reason. Additionally, Lydia is always comparing herself to her sister, and constantly comments on how plain she is, how no one will ever love her, etc. While I’m not saying narrators with low self esteem are bad, this just isn’t what I expected from this story. I didn’t want to read about two sisters competing for the affections of certain men, or of the narrator constantly being put down and used by her sister.
Additionally, I just didn’t like where the story was going. Spoilers
What I read, in terms of writing and development and such, wasn’t necessarily bad, but there was nothing in the story to keep me reading, to make me want to stick around.
Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at 40%, as it just wasn’t what I expected and way too many things were putting me off.
I was quite intrigued by the historical setting and the hint of darkness and a witch, but that didn’t quite seem to be the main purpose of the tale. The main focus, at least for the first 40%, was on the messed up family relations, and the low self esteem of our main character, Lydia.
The first main issue I had with this was Lydia. She is our witch in the story, but in 40% of the book, this is only vaguely mentioned 3 times, of how she feels a need to release her anger and that just so happens to be magical. The first time was not fully explained, as she releases her anger on a boy and then the boy is seriously injured. The details are brushed over, and we don’t hear much of what happens next or anything. The other two instances are just her anger rising, before she forces herself to calm down because she doesn’t want a repeat of what happened with the boy when she was young. Besides her being good with herbs, this is the only witchy stuff that happens, and nothing about it is actually explained (though I feel this will happen later in the book).
Additionally, the book is also sold as one about a spooky manor, and hidden secrets, and while this did come up within the story, it also felt like a background story in the portion of the novel I read. We have your standard slamming doors, neighbors telling you there’s something off about the house, some ghost sightings, and that’s it. This lack of happening, lack of build-up, kept me from being at all frightened or intrigued by the mystery behind Willow Hall, and didn’t want me to keep reading.
Now, the above two reasons are things that disappointed, but would not have necessarily stopped me from continuing just on their own. Lots of books have boring build-ups, and I’ve gotten through some before to find fantastic endings. However, the reasons below are what pushed me to actually stop.
First, I want to warn other readers by stating there is an animal death early on in this book, and I fear there might be another later. This first death was described in such a way that made me imagine quite a gruesome scene, and I only wish these strong, frightening descriptions were used in moments that would have been better for it.
Secondly, the scandal behind the Montrose family moving is not the sort of scandal I like reading about at all, especially not when the perpetrator of it finds nothing wrong with what was done. While the others, especially the narrator, denounce what was done, it still seems to play a large role in the book, and I didn’t feel like sticking around to see what the inevitable aftermath will be.
Thirdly, the focus of the book is sometimes this awkward sister rivalry between Catherine and Lydia for men. Catherine is the standard gorgeous older sister that has no regard for her sister’s feelings, and enjoys flaunting her beauty to get what she wants. She manipulates Lydia, she takes from Lydia, and Lydia only ever hides away from the confrontation, sometimes being nice to Catherine for no reason. Additionally, Lydia is always comparing herself to her sister, and constantly comments on how plain she is, how no one will ever love her, etc. While I’m not saying narrators with low self esteem are bad, this just isn’t what I expected from this story. I didn’t want to read about two sisters competing for the affections of certain men, or of the narrator constantly being put down and used by her sister.
Additionally, I just didn’t like where the story was going. Spoilers
Spoiler
(Emmeline has just died, Lydia just tried to kill herself, and now Mr. Barrett/John is finally kind of admitting that he likes Lydia more than her sister. I just feel like this, on top of the incest + pregnant sister + dead kitten just pushes me away from this book too much).What I read, in terms of writing and development and such, wasn’t necessarily bad, but there was nothing in the story to keep me reading, to make me want to stick around.
“The truth is that I couldn't not be in love with the world if I tried.”
Taking place in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy, this book follows seven characters that are about to enter an even more personal tragedy in this already tumultuous atmosphere. With a focus on emotion, Sarah Combs explores the individual behind mass tragedy, and the layers of feeling created by a single moment.
I’ve had an advanced copy of this novel waiting for me on my kindle for a while now, and I have to admit I really regret having put it off that long. The Light Fantastic was both everything I expected from a novel in this setting, but also everything I didn’t expect. It is emotional and dramatic, dark and harrowing, but at the same time it carried the light of human experience as well, the hope and optimism that most of us carry, and a love of life alongside the fear of death.
It constructs this whirlwind of emotion and experience through seven characters, all different in their background, personality, and way of thinking, and these differences come through clearly in each perspective. No two seem to run together, as all speakers focus on different external and internal parts of the tale to tell, but at the same time they create a unified front of human experience, create a whole for the reader to see the story in. Additionally, the characters are not truly divided, as there are always connections between them. It removes any strict distinctions attached to the character by their backgrounds or actions, and rather than there being some who are good and some who are bad, it is more of a web of action and inaction and what led to events transpiring. Additionally, even though the seven characters are spread all over the country, they are still strongly connected. There are whispers of past acquaintances as well as common themes and lines that play into each of the seven narratives. It adds further to that “web,” and shows how truly connected everything is.
My favorite part of this book had to be the writing. It’s written as a stream of consciousness rather than ordered into structured and planned sentences. While this has its downsides and makes it an informal sort of writing, it pairs really well with the events in The Light Fantastic. Since the focus of this novel is emotional, rather than the events actually taking place, this style fits perfectly and helps the reader feel what is going on, rather than just see it.
My only issue with the book is the ending itself. While what happened and the way it happened all worked well with the story, and the reveals of the “who” behind certain events also worked, the way it was presented somehow didn’t fully impact me. The entire book is an entire pathway up, of increasing intensity, but the ending didn’t seem to be a final explosion of this build up. I won’t say that the ending fizzled, but rather that the final climax did not fully match the amount of build up it was given. It left me wanting more still from the story, some greater revelation or understanding, but regardless this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the overall novel too much.
In the end, I do still highly recommend this novel. It’s a quick yet intense read and tackles issues still relevant to today. Even though the novel is a few years old at this point, it feels as if it could have been written in today’s America, which is part of why this book affected me as much as it did.
Taking place in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy, this book follows seven characters that are about to enter an even more personal tragedy in this already tumultuous atmosphere. With a focus on emotion, Sarah Combs explores the individual behind mass tragedy, and the layers of feeling created by a single moment.
I’ve had an advanced copy of this novel waiting for me on my kindle for a while now, and I have to admit I really regret having put it off that long. The Light Fantastic was both everything I expected from a novel in this setting, but also everything I didn’t expect. It is emotional and dramatic, dark and harrowing, but at the same time it carried the light of human experience as well, the hope and optimism that most of us carry, and a love of life alongside the fear of death.
It constructs this whirlwind of emotion and experience through seven characters, all different in their background, personality, and way of thinking, and these differences come through clearly in each perspective. No two seem to run together, as all speakers focus on different external and internal parts of the tale to tell, but at the same time they create a unified front of human experience, create a whole for the reader to see the story in. Additionally, the characters are not truly divided, as there are always connections between them. It removes any strict distinctions attached to the character by their backgrounds or actions, and rather than there being some who are good and some who are bad, it is more of a web of action and inaction and what led to events transpiring. Additionally, even though the seven characters are spread all over the country, they are still strongly connected. There are whispers of past acquaintances as well as common themes and lines that play into each of the seven narratives. It adds further to that “web,” and shows how truly connected everything is.
My favorite part of this book had to be the writing. It’s written as a stream of consciousness rather than ordered into structured and planned sentences. While this has its downsides and makes it an informal sort of writing, it pairs really well with the events in The Light Fantastic. Since the focus of this novel is emotional, rather than the events actually taking place, this style fits perfectly and helps the reader feel what is going on, rather than just see it.
My only issue with the book is the ending itself. While what happened and the way it happened all worked well with the story, and the reveals of the “who” behind certain events also worked, the way it was presented somehow didn’t fully impact me. The entire book is an entire pathway up, of increasing intensity, but the ending didn’t seem to be a final explosion of this build up. I won’t say that the ending fizzled, but rather that the final climax did not fully match the amount of build up it was given. It left me wanting more still from the story, some greater revelation or understanding, but regardless this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the overall novel too much.
In the end, I do still highly recommend this novel. It’s a quick yet intense read and tackles issues still relevant to today. Even though the novel is a few years old at this point, it feels as if it could have been written in today’s America, which is part of why this book affected me as much as it did.
One party, one island, ten guests. When dark secrets start being revealed and a fun weekend turns deadly, who can Meg trust? As her “friends” start being killed one by one, it’s up to Meg to find out who's behind it, and save who she can.
After reading Get Even and Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil, I was extremely excited to see what she would do with a more typical thriller setting, and what sort of twists would keep me on my toes this time. Unfortunately, Ten didn’t quite deliver, as while the plot itself was filled with surprises and dark turns, too many other elements were brought in that I wasn’t a fan of.
My main frustration with Ten dealt with the characters and the romance. Now, I don’t mind a bit of romance in my thriller/murder mystery, as it can raise the stakes, but the way it was used in this book worked against the plot, rather than with it. It’s more of a distraction rather than a motivation for the main character, and the thoughts about her love interest, the triangle she was involved in, felt too forced and intrusive, rather than logically fitting in with the story and thoughts in Meg’s heads. It also made some moments unrealistic, especially the ending and the reaction to it. Additionally, the characters themselves also felt a lot shallower in this book compared to the Get Even duology. While yes, the duology had more time to develop these characters as well as used multiple POVs, Ten still could’ve done a much better job with characterization. Everyone feels extremely shallow, and no one seems especially likable, making the deaths all meaningless. Even the main character, Meg, felt weak and underdeveloped, most likely due to the focus on her love interest and a lack of true background. It removes a layer of fear and worry from the story, as the reader doesn’t necessarily care about what happens to everyone. Lastly, the characters were also all kinda dumb and oblivious. It took 3 deaths for everyone to think that maybe there was possibly a murderer, and even then people had doubts!
My smaller frustration comes from the reveal of the murderer and the fact that it felt kind of like a cop out. While I liked how the “why” worked to connect previously unrelated characters, the “who” felt like an easy way out. (Spoilers now!)
I’m not gonna say I hated Ten, and it definitely isn’t going to keep me away from McNeil’s other novels, but I am going to go into her other novels with less optimism than I did this one.
After reading Get Even and Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil, I was extremely excited to see what she would do with a more typical thriller setting, and what sort of twists would keep me on my toes this time. Unfortunately, Ten didn’t quite deliver, as while the plot itself was filled with surprises and dark turns, too many other elements were brought in that I wasn’t a fan of.
My main frustration with Ten dealt with the characters and the romance. Now, I don’t mind a bit of romance in my thriller/murder mystery, as it can raise the stakes, but the way it was used in this book worked against the plot, rather than with it. It’s more of a distraction rather than a motivation for the main character, and the thoughts about her love interest, the triangle she was involved in, felt too forced and intrusive, rather than logically fitting in with the story and thoughts in Meg’s heads. It also made some moments unrealistic, especially the ending and the reaction to it. Additionally, the characters themselves also felt a lot shallower in this book compared to the Get Even duology. While yes, the duology had more time to develop these characters as well as used multiple POVs, Ten still could’ve done a much better job with characterization. Everyone feels extremely shallow, and no one seems especially likable, making the deaths all meaningless. Even the main character, Meg, felt weak and underdeveloped, most likely due to the focus on her love interest and a lack of true background. It removes a layer of fear and worry from the story, as the reader doesn’t necessarily care about what happens to everyone. Lastly, the characters were also all kinda dumb and oblivious. It took 3 deaths for everyone to think that maybe there was possibly a murderer, and even then people had doubts!
My smaller frustration comes from the reveal of the murderer and the fact that it felt kind of like a cop out. While I liked how the “why” worked to connect previously unrelated characters, the “who” felt like an easy way out. (Spoilers now!)
Spoiler
Having the killer be someone we didn’t even know existed, a sibling to Claire, meant that any assumptions and theories the main characters or reader made would always be wrong, since no one actually knew this Tom guy existed. Like, here I am questioning every person of the group + Jessica and other mentioned friends looking for motives, but it was this secret sibling all along. Just rather annoying, if you ask me.I’m not gonna say I hated Ten, and it definitely isn’t going to keep me away from McNeil’s other novels, but I am going to go into her other novels with less optimism than I did this one.
The Darkest Star is Jennifer L. Armentrout’s YA return to the world of Luxen, taking place just a few years after the end of the original Lux series. It follows a new character, Evie, whose family is tied closely with the government and its secrets, but doesn’t know what political leaders have decided to hide behind closed doors about Luxen and the invasion. It’s a book with aliens, mystery, and romance, and follows the same addictive style of the original Lux series.
When I saw that more books were going to be released in the world of the Lux, I was overjoyed. Then I saw I had been sent an advanced copy of that same book, and that joy turned to pure excitement. It’s been a year or two since I last read Armentrout’s Lux series, but this book brought me right back into the world of awesome aliens and passionate romances, even if I didn’t remember everything that happened in the original series. I’m really intrigued by where this world and series seems to be going, and already cannot wait for the sequel to The Darkest Star!
The main thing I remembered from the Lux series was how addicting the romance was, and The Darkest Star is no exception there. The love interest, and thus romance, is introduced almost right away, in the very first chapters of the book no less, but it didn’t put me off of it at all. While it originally seemed to move quickly and irrationally, it slows down quickly while also later explaining why things transpired like they did at first. Additionally, the early introduction allows for the romance to become intertwined with the plot itself, and the two seem to be equally important and intriguing in this book!
The plot itself isn’t too complex, but I found that didn’t really negatively impact the book or my enjoyment of it. The book mainly revolves around things that happened before this book takes place. I guess you could call it a background book. Most conversations and actions are based around giving information to Evie and the reader, specifically about her own individual past as well as the truth behind Luxen and the invasion. The main issue here was that a lot of the secrets about the world and Luxen were things readers of the original Lux series will know already, making some big reveals pretty disappointing. The present plot itself mainly follows a murder mystery, though this almost seems to act as a background plot of sorts, mainly used as a way to push information to the main character, and thus to the reader. Even though I normally wouldn’t enjoy a book like this, as it would feel too repetitive or slow, Armentrout managed to make it extremely entertaining regardless, due to both the romance and the characters themselves. However, my last main “issue” with the plot, if you can call it that, would have to be how obvious the main twist is. From about 20%-30% in, I realized what was going on and the main secret of the book and characters, and was stuck waiting until 70%-80% for that twist to come to light to everyone else. In the end, that coupled with the regurgitation of old secrets from the Lux series made nothing in the book really shocking, though I did still enjoy it in its entirety.
Overall, The Darkest Star felt like a solid beginning to a new addition to the world of Luxen, though I do feel it relies heavily on its romance and past success to fully carry the simple plot of this particular book. However, I don’t think this will last, as now that both the reader and main character are caught up to speed the rest of the series should be packed full of twists and turns, as well as tons of action. I’m excited to see where this world continues to go, and cannot wait for the sequel!
When I saw that more books were going to be released in the world of the Lux, I was overjoyed. Then I saw I had been sent an advanced copy of that same book, and that joy turned to pure excitement. It’s been a year or two since I last read Armentrout’s Lux series, but this book brought me right back into the world of awesome aliens and passionate romances, even if I didn’t remember everything that happened in the original series. I’m really intrigued by where this world and series seems to be going, and already cannot wait for the sequel to The Darkest Star!
The main thing I remembered from the Lux series was how addicting the romance was, and The Darkest Star is no exception there. The love interest, and thus romance, is introduced almost right away, in the very first chapters of the book no less, but it didn’t put me off of it at all. While it originally seemed to move quickly and irrationally, it slows down quickly while also later explaining why things transpired like they did at first. Additionally, the early introduction allows for the romance to become intertwined with the plot itself, and the two seem to be equally important and intriguing in this book!
The plot itself isn’t too complex, but I found that didn’t really negatively impact the book or my enjoyment of it. The book mainly revolves around things that happened before this book takes place. I guess you could call it a background book. Most conversations and actions are based around giving information to Evie and the reader, specifically about her own individual past as well as the truth behind Luxen and the invasion. The main issue here was that a lot of the secrets about the world and Luxen were things readers of the original Lux series will know already, making some big reveals pretty disappointing. The present plot itself mainly follows a murder mystery, though this almost seems to act as a background plot of sorts, mainly used as a way to push information to the main character, and thus to the reader. Even though I normally wouldn’t enjoy a book like this, as it would feel too repetitive or slow, Armentrout managed to make it extremely entertaining regardless, due to both the romance and the characters themselves. However, my last main “issue” with the plot, if you can call it that, would have to be how obvious the main twist is. From about 20%-30% in, I realized what was going on and the main secret of the book and characters, and was stuck waiting until 70%-80% for that twist to come to light to everyone else. In the end, that coupled with the regurgitation of old secrets from the Lux series made nothing in the book really shocking, though I did still enjoy it in its entirety.
Overall, The Darkest Star felt like a solid beginning to a new addition to the world of Luxen, though I do feel it relies heavily on its romance and past success to fully carry the simple plot of this particular book. However, I don’t think this will last, as now that both the reader and main character are caught up to speed the rest of the series should be packed full of twists and turns, as well as tons of action. I’m excited to see where this world continues to go, and cannot wait for the sequel!
“Imagine going about your day knowing someone’s carrying you in their mind. That has to be the best part of being in love- the feeling of having a home in some else’s brain.”
Stars (Out of 10): 7/10 Stars
Favorite Character: I still can’t get over how much I love Simon and Bram!
Spoiler Free: I finished this about a week ago now, and the farther I get from it, the more conflicted I seem to be. There were many things I loved about this book, and what I felt it did well, from the friendship tensions to actual decent bi rep, but there were also a few things that I felt got sacrificed wrongly for the story to be a happy ending, or for the relationship within the book to work out.
To begin with, I really liked Leah, for the most part. Her way of narrating things was super funny, which I’ve come to expect from Albertalli at this point, and kept me hooked in the book. Her voice was also extremely strong, and she felt like a full and developed character. However, she was also a bit of an ass at points. She admits this though, knows she sometimes treats people unfairly or judges some situations too harshly, and so in that sense, it’s kind of okay. The only problem is that I feel like she doesn’t really grow herself, but the people around her do. There are some moments where she just crosses the line, and there’s never any consequence for that, and Leah never starts moving away from those moments.
Like Becky’s other books, the main plot is also the relationships within the book, whether it be the platonic ones or romantic ones. And this book was even more chock full of them than usual! We’ve got the familial relationship of Leah and her mom (and occasional Wells, the mom’s boyfriend.) We’ve also got a myriad of platonic friendships, a combination of multiple social circles (the band, the Nick/Simon/Leah trio, and the larger, broader friendship group). We also have two romantic interests, which I won’t mention by name just in case of spoilers (not sure how quickly these were revealed!) All of these come with their own issues to navigate, so the fact that this book doesn’t have much of a plot is definitely not a problem, as the relationship conflicts more than carry the book.
As distance grew between me and reading the book, I found that the things that annoyed me stuck with me more than the things I liked, and that’s quite unfortunate. I loved the read itself, but the problems stick out more now that it’s been a few days since I actually read it. I’ll discuss the specifics in the spoiler section, but unfortunately, I don’t think this book will stay in as high a regard with me over time, unlike [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|19547856|Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood, #1)|Becky Albertalli|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1402915678s/19547856.jpg|27679579] and [b:The Upside of Unrequited|30653853|The Upside of Unrequited|Becky Albertalli|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734s/30653853.jpg|45749039]. I’m still going to pick up anything Albertalli writes though!
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers:
First off, I can’t help but feel a little bad for Nick. He’s entirely demonized in this book, in my opinion. He bears the brunt of the failed relationship, and even his mourning of it, which should be something that creates empathy for him, is written in such a way that he comes off as ridiculous, aggressive, and annoying. Even Leah can barely bring herself to be there for him, so why should readers even give a shit about him anymore? I also dislike what Albertalli continued to do with Nick even after Leah and Abby got together/confessed feelings. His “act” at prom was horrible, especially the portion with Taylor. His outburst at dinner was also extremely hurtful. Then he went and got together with Taylor, a girl who is only painted as ridiculous and fake. It’s almost too obvious that Albertalli wants us to put all the blame on Nick just so we can accept how quickly Abby moves into a new relationship, and with one of her ex’s best friends no less.
This brings me to my next point. I don’t think Abby should’ve been the one Leah ended up with. Now, this isn’t the same as me thinking Abby shouldn’t have been bi. I’m all for that. I just think there were way too many obstacles for that relationship to have happened realistically, and that’s why the ending of this book feels so odd to me. The breaking down of the relationship of Abby and Nick also feels really weird. We only get to see two instances of their relationship, the beginning and the end, and therefore it all feels kind of sudden. This is also heavily due to the fact that there is central reason to the breakup. We get a few from Abby, specifically that she doesn’t want to do long-distance and that she hasn’t been feeling the same about Nick, but it all feels weird when placed with Nick/Taylor flirting with each other at parties. Abby goes out and even says she wishes there was something there so she would have a reason to break up with him, but how come it does really seem like there’s something there? It all feels really weird, and not explained enough to flow well. Not only do we have to accept that Abby doesn’t care for Nick anymore (in a relationship sense), but we also have to ignore the backlash that her quick moving on would have caused (as Albertalli chooses not to show this). Albertalli is known for her happy endings, so having the final relationship be the thing that most likely tears the friend group apart at the end of senior year didn’t really fit in with that. However, the fact that the solution to solving that conflict was just not showing it really bugs me. I also just would’ve loved to see some of her friends’ reactions, especially her mom’s.
Stars (Out of 10): 7/10 Stars
Favorite Character: I still can’t get over how much I love Simon and Bram!
Spoiler Free: I finished this about a week ago now, and the farther I get from it, the more conflicted I seem to be. There were many things I loved about this book, and what I felt it did well, from the friendship tensions to actual decent bi rep, but there were also a few things that I felt got sacrificed wrongly for the story to be a happy ending, or for the relationship within the book to work out.
To begin with, I really liked Leah, for the most part. Her way of narrating things was super funny, which I’ve come to expect from Albertalli at this point, and kept me hooked in the book. Her voice was also extremely strong, and she felt like a full and developed character. However, she was also a bit of an ass at points. She admits this though, knows she sometimes treats people unfairly or judges some situations too harshly, and so in that sense, it’s kind of okay. The only problem is that I feel like she doesn’t really grow herself, but the people around her do. There are some moments where she just crosses the line, and there’s never any consequence for that, and Leah never starts moving away from those moments.
Like Becky’s other books, the main plot is also the relationships within the book, whether it be the platonic ones or romantic ones. And this book was even more chock full of them than usual! We’ve got the familial relationship of Leah and her mom (and occasional Wells, the mom’s boyfriend.) We’ve also got a myriad of platonic friendships, a combination of multiple social circles (the band, the Nick/Simon/Leah trio, and the larger, broader friendship group). We also have two romantic interests, which I won’t mention by name just in case of spoilers (not sure how quickly these were revealed!) All of these come with their own issues to navigate, so the fact that this book doesn’t have much of a plot is definitely not a problem, as the relationship conflicts more than carry the book.
As distance grew between me and reading the book, I found that the things that annoyed me stuck with me more than the things I liked, and that’s quite unfortunate. I loved the read itself, but the problems stick out more now that it’s been a few days since I actually read it. I’ll discuss the specifics in the spoiler section, but unfortunately, I don’t think this book will stay in as high a regard with me over time, unlike [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|19547856|Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood, #1)|Becky Albertalli|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1402915678s/19547856.jpg|27679579] and [b:The Upside of Unrequited|30653853|The Upside of Unrequited|Becky Albertalli|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734s/30653853.jpg|45749039]. I’m still going to pick up anything Albertalli writes though!
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers:
Spoiler
Oh man, how do I even start? I want to preface this again saying I really enjoyed this book, regardless of the issues I have with it now, and love the diversity and rep Albertalli continues to have in her books! None of my issues were in those areas, but rather how characters and relationships were aligned to make this particular story possible.First off, I can’t help but feel a little bad for Nick. He’s entirely demonized in this book, in my opinion. He bears the brunt of the failed relationship, and even his mourning of it, which should be something that creates empathy for him, is written in such a way that he comes off as ridiculous, aggressive, and annoying. Even Leah can barely bring herself to be there for him, so why should readers even give a shit about him anymore? I also dislike what Albertalli continued to do with Nick even after Leah and Abby got together/confessed feelings. His “act” at prom was horrible, especially the portion with Taylor. His outburst at dinner was also extremely hurtful. Then he went and got together with Taylor, a girl who is only painted as ridiculous and fake. It’s almost too obvious that Albertalli wants us to put all the blame on Nick just so we can accept how quickly Abby moves into a new relationship, and with one of her ex’s best friends no less.
This brings me to my next point. I don’t think Abby should’ve been the one Leah ended up with. Now, this isn’t the same as me thinking Abby shouldn’t have been bi. I’m all for that. I just think there were way too many obstacles for that relationship to have happened realistically, and that’s why the ending of this book feels so odd to me. The breaking down of the relationship of Abby and Nick also feels really weird. We only get to see two instances of their relationship, the beginning and the end, and therefore it all feels kind of sudden. This is also heavily due to the fact that there is central reason to the breakup. We get a few from Abby, specifically that she doesn’t want to do long-distance and that she hasn’t been feeling the same about Nick, but it all feels weird when placed with Nick/Taylor flirting with each other at parties. Abby goes out and even says she wishes there was something there so she would have a reason to break up with him, but how come it does really seem like there’s something there? It all feels really weird, and not explained enough to flow well. Not only do we have to accept that Abby doesn’t care for Nick anymore (in a relationship sense), but we also have to ignore the backlash that her quick moving on would have caused (as Albertalli chooses not to show this). Albertalli is known for her happy endings, so having the final relationship be the thing that most likely tears the friend group apart at the end of senior year didn’t really fit in with that. However, the fact that the solution to solving that conflict was just not showing it really bugs me. I also just would’ve loved to see some of her friends’ reactions, especially her mom’s.