paulaks's Reviews (171)

Perfection. This book is EXACTLY why I love science fiction.

As a newbie to psychology this was very interesting but overwhelming. I had to reread paragraphs more than 2 times to get an understanding for the messages. But still, the lessons in this book and some quotes can be life changing if you open yourself to the philosophy. It is problematic at some parts since it is a very privileged view on life and tries to question the effects of trauma in people's life. Because of that I don't agree with every statment but the overall message is inspiring and can be life changing to a lot of people. 

What a beautiful book!! This is a slowburn, friends to lovers and character based story. We follow Alex (new book boyfriend, he is so sweet omg) and Poppy on their summers and friendship development. I loved reading it, but it's not for everyone: With its detailed descriptions it keeps the pace at medium and slow which can be frustrating at some points but because of that you build a strong connection with the characters. And wow, the characters are so well "made"! Alex isn't the usual love interest you find in new adult books and Poppy is on her way to accept being an adult and it's responsibilities. 
If you are into everything I just mentioned you will probably enjoy this story as much as I did! 

Now I get why everyone calls this THE summer book! I loved every second reading this book which I didn't expect. The book deals with some deep topics as usual (CoHo books) and gives some great lessons to the reader. Also the quotes and the title meaning? Perfection. 
I don't want to give away too much but I can tell you that this is my favourite Colleen Hoover book so far! Pro tips: Read it in the summer to make a better reading experience and right now (August, 2022) you can get the book on kindle unlimited for free. 

The short review and main lesson: Big book doesn't mean good book. Now let's break it down.
Characters: Ugh, the main character wanted to be so different that it hurt me as a reader. The background story and her flaws were based around the most basic trope "both of my parents died". Not that this isn't scaring and unrealistic, it's just over used and the easiest way to scar a character. The love interest was actually well down but also uncreative. A postive I want to mention is the diverse cast! She has done a great job at giving a little bit of their ethnicity away and leaving room of interpretation.
Cliché and Tropes: I don't know which category this will fit but I want to talk about the use of clichés. I'm not sure how to put it in words but the book wanted to be "not cliché" so bad but exactly that (a cliché / basic situation) happened over and over. As a reader this is so frustrating!!
The fantasy aspect: I was so amazed by the world building, honestly! It definitely helped to make it feel more cozy, tense, etc.. Where she went completely wrong in my opinion is unwrapping the actual fantasy. The MC is a normal person, so she spents 50%+ of the book discovering these mysterious beings. But why? It's literally so obvious? I don't get it, should it seem more realistic that she doesn't belive in e. g. magic? Which wouldn't make sense since she is a reader herself...
Last but not least, the end build-up: In the last (around) ten chapters it suddenly starts to be so chaotic for no reason!? I was so overwhelmed while being bored since it wasn't authentic anymore. Then, expecting closure it has an open ending-
Now you could think that my rating is too high for ranting that long about it, I honestly need to admit: I'm attached to the characters and the world and can't rate it lower :( Anyway, not gonna continue with the series. It takes to much energy.

Overall I did enjoy the book. First, the positives: The characters. Wow, the MCs really had some depth which I didn't expect at all! They had flaws, inner motivations and personality. Now if you liked them is a different topic but they definitely felt like humans. Also I want to mention that they had great communication skills at the end which is unusual for YA books. The negatives: The side characters. Turns out that every football player gets their own sequel so they will probably get some personality later but right now I am not interested at all to continue with the series because off their annoying personalities. I couldn't separate the names from their character because they all acted the same! Cheesy, clichè and "bad boy" like, except one. Also the story was a little bit overdramatic and unrealistic. Last point, I want to mention that I think the author should have kept Maggie's past a secret and reveal it in the book, not in the description FOR the book.
Final note: This books is a perfect example that you can make YA characters relatable and create an enjoyable story with them. Sadly, I can not make myself to give it 4 stars but 3.75 is pretty close and overall decent. If you are interested, go for it! (Look up TW tho)

What an amazing book!! For all the fantasy and Sci-Fi fans out there, this one is for you. Taking place in our future, the story pulls you in this world and makes you stay there and fall in love with the characters. Definitely worth reading!! (Only con I need to admit, it's a little bit too long at some points.)
Edit: I just finished the whole trilogy and it's a highlight in my reading year! If you're interested check out my longer review for the third book :) (spoiler free)

Oh man.. This book was a total let down for me. After reading "the deal" which I liked (loved the characters even more) I was excited to start this one. Honestly it was just bad. The misogyny was huge and the sexualization of and by everyone disgusted me. Well, if the plot and the characters were fine I would be nicer right now but they weren't. The attraction between Logan and Grace was only physical (emotional at the end you could argue) and I disliked the whole character palette except Hannah and Garett moments <3 The plot and background stories were "fine" but not deep. All of this makes me sad because I know the potential was there but the execution horrible. 2 stars for trying and I'm a really nice rater right now.

A highlight for my reading year!! The story was interesting but challenging and so well executed. I think she did an amazing job at creating characters that are reletable and have flaws. 5/5 stars!!

A summer book at it's best!! But if you ask me seriously what it's about, I cannot give you a good answer.. Well, it's like a river, the story just flows and it's nice to sit there and read about it :)