Don't be fooled by the cute pastel ice cream cover. This book is a lot darker than it seems.

The beginning is really... assertive. When I picked up this book I was expecting it to be a lot lighter that it was but after the first ten pages I knew this book wasn't what I expected. The writing is really quick and smooth (sort of like a thriller novel) so I really liked the pace in comparison to other contemporary reads but some people may find it choppy.

I felt the romance in this book was really forced. Its like it was added in as an afterthought to appeal to the masses. In my opinion, it probably could've been without the whole romance subplot.

I also wished that we got more info into Sadie's heritage. Again, her ethnicity/religion just seemed like a convenient add on to appeal to readers when it really didn't add anything to the story.

I actually really liked the diversity of the other characters in her little group. The came from a variety of backgrounds and I fell in love with them and their little quirks. They were pretty well fleshed out for how quickly the book went on and I think they made the book more interesting.

I actually found the Mr. Upton subplot quite enjoyable. It was interesting but not overdone. Some may say that it was unrealistic but as long as its interesting, I don't care.

The whole heroin plot was engaging and interesting to read since it varied so much from the light feel the rest of the book had. It also really showed the true morals of the character and really gave an insight of how badly addiction affects not only the victim but everyone around them. This may have been my favourite part of the book because it was best written.

As for their seemingly unstoppable fame at the end, I was expecting it and it disappointed me. I hate when authors write a good book about people doing good things for no reason and then inevitably make them famous. Even if their deeds aren't widespread, it should still be heartwarming enough. Whatever personal connection I made to the characters was shattered because now I couldn't relate to having such a large influence. Not only that but when characters don't seize the opportunity to show themselves, it sort of make the book seem a lot more glamourized. I think that the author should've left it as a local thing because the whole fame scenario left a bad taste in my mouth.

Final Thoughts: Read the book if you want a fast paced engaging novel about... bad things turning good? Don't read if you're expecting a light, heartwarming, or cute story.

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A really cute book. Sort of sad and depressing but the wonderstruck inner thoughts of Jamie lighten it up.

At the beginning I wasn't really into this book. I understood that the main character (whose name we never find out) was a  con artist but the whole lying to the reader thing was sort of over the top. I don't know if the author was going for an unreliable narrator sort of thing but they gave it up like twenty pages into the book so I found it sort of unnecessary.

Everything in this book seemed extremely unlikely to happen. I don't mind  unrealistic things as long as they're entertaining. The beginning of this book wasn't. It was just me following a con artist doing impossible things. There was no thrill to it. When When Daniel's siblings come pick him up, all the things that happened seemed impossible to be allowed. In short, it was just like watching some unsafe alternate reality. The FBI not doing anything about anything really threw me off.

As for the characters themselves, you can clearly see which ones were well thought out and which ones were rushed through. Some characters I found interesting to read about and others I aimlessly followed. There was a lot of suspense in this book but not much substance for it. Nicholas was mad at his traumatized brother because he was a brat? That's stupid.

The romance seemed forced. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to be believe fake Daniel Tate fell in love so quickly when he's spent his entire life hiding his emotions. And how is it coincidentally a social pariah and not someone in the 'in' crowd so he can fit in? If the love story was actually interesting, I might've let it pass, but it was just a cookie cutter love story. It seemed like the author added it in as an afterthought instead of a device that actually helps the plot develop. (At some point it does but it seemed too convenient.)

Final Thoughts: An okay thriller if you just want to pass time. 

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I didn’t really like Anna. Actually, I despised her. (On a side note if Anna is supposed to be noticeably Columbian why is there a generic white girl on the cover.) She makes stupid decisions and uses her social anxiety as an excuse. Social anxiety is a real thing but it doesn’t force you to ditch your friends to join a more popular group. Judging my the author’s description, it should do the very opposite. Make you introverted and afraid of new social interactions. But Anna Soler keeps coming back to her anxiety being the sole reason for everything instead of her lapses in moral judgement. (On another side note, the author uses SAD for Social Anxiety Disorder but last time I checked that was used for Seasonal Affective Disorder.) She also seemed painful self centred as she just care about how everything affected her, not her friends. She seemed very elitist because she hated social media? Girl, you’re not special. I didn’t even understand her thinking at some points. I’m going to critique narcissism and social media by painting myself taking a selfie. It’s a win! Did no one see the irony here?

Again, I’m not sure the author knew how teens actually use social media. A Reddit thread and 4chan group for an entire school? That’s pathetic. Okay so we tend to get a little obsessed with social media but most teens grow out of it before junior year. When it came to social media, everyone in this book seemed immature. The whole “love is the word we use the most” thing was a blatant lie. Most teens probably use lol more than love to be honest. (I’ll give it to her for the heart emoji though. That was on point. Not sure about the other things however.)

As for characters in general (other than Anna Soler) they were really well developed. I loved the flaws in every character. They were interesting and quirky and lovable. I wish we got to see more of the effect of the hacks on them. Since the rack affected everyone differently, it would’ve been great to get a better sense of what the consequences were but the author didn’t go into to it as much as I would’ve hoped she did.

Final Thoughts: Read for the characters but don’t expect any enlightenment.

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Not going to lie, I was SUPER excited to read this book. I'm a huge fan of Urdu poetry and chicklit so this was my two favourite things combined.

When I first found out that this was about a Pakistani-American, I thought the portrayal would be more... conventional. The book begins with Shabnam doing jello shots at a party and then makes out with a boy in a hot tub. I don't believe in policing the way people believe in religion but there's nothing mildly Muslim or Pakistani about Shabnam other than the fact that her parents are Pakistani. She can't speak Urdu fluently, she says she doesn't really believe in God, and she had no idea what her family's background is. She might as well be a white girl obsessed with Urdu poetry because that's what she is. If she drank and had sex while still believing in God, I might've accepted that this book portrayed Muslim Americans but she didn't even do that. 

(Pssst... If you like my review, check out https://willreadanything.wordpress.com)

As for Shabnam as a character, she seemed shallow and selfish. She didn't care about other people's feelings and in general was very unlikable. Everything she did seemed to be for her own benefit and she viewed everyone through this whitewashed lens. She was tolerable at most. I couldn't relate to her on any level and she was like every other "summer fling" heroine but more obnoxious. 

As for Jamie, he was the most cookie cutter boy love interest I've ever seen. Boy had no personality and just showed how desperate Shabnam was. If that was the point, well done. I mean, he says he likes chicken tikka and you profess your love to him? Pathetic.

Strangely enough, the other characters were beautifully written. From Farrah to Chotay Dada to Shabnam's eccentric father to Dino. I loved every single one of them. Especially Farrah. I wish more insight into her life because she was an amazing character. The personalities of the supporting characters really shone through while Shabnam's personality embodied a wet blanket. Most of the time, I just felt bad for these characters because they deserved so much more. 

I wish there was more of the Urdu poetry element. Or that it was explored to a greater depth. The analysis and understanding that Shabnam had was really shallow. Urdu poetry is never just about love and I don't think the book explored that notion enough. 

Final Thoughts: Read for the characters or if you want a quick book about a summer fling. Don't expect loads of Urdu poetry though.