What in the damn hell. RTC for the first time in forever and not just because I can’t get over the fact she went to a booty call in her scrubs after aWhat in the damn hell. RTC for the first time in forever and not just because I can’t get over the fact she went to a booty call in her scrubs after a 12 hour shift ...more
This is one of those books that does fantastic build-up. The push-n-pull dynamic between these two characters is steamy and fun. The gradual f3 Stars
This is one of those books that does fantastic build-up. The push-n-pull dynamic between these two characters is steamy and fun. The gradual friendship they form and sparks that start to fly— all super fun.
But it flubbed the follow-through for me. The heat died off, the third-act fight felt contrived, the resolution felt fake and the whole ending just didn’t work for me. ...more
Hazelwood differed from her usual Reylo format and it’s still good!! I enjoyed this more than Under One Roof (the first novella in the series) as it fHazelwood differed from her usual Reylo format and it’s still good!! I enjoyed this more than Under One Roof (the first novella in the series) as it felt like a fresher follow up to The Love Hypothesis
There’s also a lot more depth to the characters and story, even if it’s a novella. It doesn’t end up feeling rushed or short...more
It’s forced proximity and kind of enemies to lovers. There’s a bad ass lady Professor and a bad ass environmental engineer who caThis is so much fun!
It’s forced proximity and kind of enemies to lovers. There’s a bad ass lady Professor and a bad ass environmental engineer who can take apart and fix an entire microwave if she needs to. There’s snark and flirting and lots of tv binge watching.
I honestly only have two complaints, and I understand that they are a little silly. But the prologue is unnecessary and gives away the ending I’m almost never a fan of a time skip prologue, but especially not in such a short novella.
Which brings me to point two this is too short. There’s a ton of character development I would have liked to see play out more. There’s a lot of backstory never filled in (like Liam’s friend? Why was she there what is there story?) and honestly anything about either Liam or Mara’s family. I think if this had been fleshed out into a whole book I’d have really loved it, but as is it’s still a lot of fun.
(They basically are the same characters from The Love Hypothesis but with different physical descriptions. Right now the Reylo fanfic vibe is still working for me, but I am interested to see what else Hazelwood can do!)...more
Piper was a mess and her characterization is all over the place. (And spare me the rich girl tears please) Brendan is stoic about everything until sudPiper was a mess and her characterization is all over the place. (And spare me the rich girl tears please) Brendan is stoic about everything until suddenly he’s not.
They fell for each other SO fast and the sex scenes were bizarre?
This one takes a minute to get into because the character introductions feel like a lot and Poppy rambles. But once the story found its groo4.5 Stars
This one takes a minute to get into because the character introductions feel like a lot and Poppy rambles. But once the story found its groove it was excellent!
I’ve never been able to put into words everything I love about traveling— but Emily Henry did.
Poppy’s relationship with her family and their loud personalities was my favorite part. Again, Emily Henry put my feelings into words.
The way Alex and Poppy grew together was beautiful and almost painful. And this is coming from someone who generally HATES friend-to-lover stories
Overall I wasn’t expecting to have tears in my eyes finishing this book, but here I am. ...more
The MC makes the most impulsive decisions and has a narrative voice closer to 16 than the 26 she’s supposed to be.
There’s a lot of fun momen2.5 Stars
The MC makes the most impulsive decisions and has a narrative voice closer to 16 than the 26 she’s supposed to be.
There’s a lot of fun moments here, but a lot to roll your eyes at too. (There’s a “villain” so cartoony and random in his douchebaggery, the male MC doesn’t really have a personality besides being “cute”, and there’s a whole job plot line that doesn’t really go anywhere)
But points for diverse cast, fun adventures, and witty banter. Just don’t go in it expecting anything serious. ...more
I just inhaled this graphic novel and it was so beautifully atmospheric an immersive? The art is gorgeous and scaled to match the slow-building4 Stars
I just inhaled this graphic novel and it was so beautifully atmospheric an immersive? The art is gorgeous and scaled to match the slow-building story.
The story focuses on Rose, as she returns to the beach cottage her family visits every summer. This year things are different... but only in the way that they feel different. This excellently tracked that transitional period between childhood and being a teenager.
Including experimenting with adult things you don’t understand. Rose hears repeats sex terms and watches slasher movies, but all of these attempts are tinged with the fact that she’s still more of a kid than she thinks. There’s a lot of nuance she doesn’t understand, and that shows. I understand how this can come across as problematic, but I don’t think the terms or behavior she exhibits are confined. Instead they are called out.
My only problem is I wish there had been a little more focus on Rose growing up or realizing she misunderstood some things. As it stands now, the ending was poignant, but a little rushed. ...more
I’ve been trying to read this for actual weeks now so I’m giving up. The first few chapters almost immediately resolve the cliffhanger from DNF @ 25%
I’ve been trying to read this for actual weeks now so I’m giving up. The first few chapters almost immediately resolve the cliffhanger from the last book so the rest seems to be setting up pointless drama?
I want to continue liking Peter Kavinsky, so I’m just going to pretend this all ends like it did in the movie.
This was a sort of Buddy-Read with Solo (who I will tag when off mobile) but really it was him diligently reading the whole series and me spacing out. (BUT THE FIRST BOOK WAS ACTUALLY GOOD WHAT HAPPENED??) ...more
”I didn’t lose my faith or anything, I just never had it in the first place. I never believed in any kind of God.”
I want to start this rev3 Stars
”I didn’t lose my faith or anything, I just never had it in the first place. I never believed in any kind of God.”
I want to start this review with a bit of a disclaimer. Though I wasn’t sent to Catholic school, I was raised in a very religious environment. I was homeschooled, meaning most of my education and activities growing up revolved around church. I have experienced first hand growing up queer and non-religious in a church environment. Because of this, this book felt very personal for me, and I’m incapable of remaining fully impartial. There’s a lot others loved about this book that didn’t work for me, but I’m not saying I believe it’s a bad book.
This story starts with Michael, a self-proclaimed atheist whose parents have just enrolled him in Catholic school. Along the way he befriends Lucy, a Catholic feminist, Jewish Avi, and Wiccan Eden. This is the first YA book I’ve encountered that directly grapples with religion. I loved that Michael’s friend-group was diverse and supported each other despite their disagreements. This is also the first book I’ve read that actually uses the word atheist.
I loved that this book wasn’t afraid to showcase the dark-side of institutionalized religion. Michael’s school is filled with sex-shaming propaganda, subtle homophobia and antiquated gender roles. This never seemed over-the-top and instead was handled with sensitivity and at times felt hyper-realistic. But this is not a conversion book. In the same way Michael isn’t pressured to ‘find God’ the book does not try to insist that religion is inherently bad. These harmful behaviors are challenged by many characters and it is strongly indicated that being religious is not what determines your morality—good OR bad.
So while this is a big, important discussion, the rest of the book operates under the pretense that “church” and “community” are synonyms. A church can be community but you do not need church to have a community. And while a church is a community for some, it can be very isolating for others.
“Why?” Eden asks. “It hurts people you care about. It hurts you. Why can’t you leave?”
“Because it’s my home!” Lucy bursts out. “And it’s a mess. I know it’s a mess. But it’s my home, and I’m going to stay, I have to stay, and make it better.”
If an organization and its people are consistently belittling and marginalizing you and your friends you are not obligated to stay.
“What happened to Ms. Simon isn’t my fault.” “If you put money in the collection plate, you’re supporting them. You’re literally financially supporting what they do.”
This conversation occurs after Avi (who is gay) learns a teacher was fired simply for her same-sex marriage. Avi is understandably upset that his friend, Lucy, continues to support an institution that is blatantly homophobic. This argument sort of fizzles out and the overall theme is that everyone needs to be tolerant of each other. Tolerance shouldn’t include being complacent in your friends marginalization.
“There will always be people you have to listen to,” Dad says. “There will always be rules you think are wrong or unfair, and you know what? Too bad. You’ll have to learn to make better choices.”
I’ve had a really hard time articulating why this book didn’t work for me, and I think I just personally disagree with part of the ending. I don’t agree that being tolerant of different religions means accepting the injustices of organized religion. The narrative states many times that being religious doesn’t mean someone has to be homophobic or sexist, and holds out hope that the younger generations will change these churches and practices that are. I don’t agree that being part of a community means sometimes accepting practices that are harmful.
In Conclusion:
Maybe it’s me. Maybe my experiences have impacted what I took away from this book. I have several friends who really seemed to enjoy it and have vastly different perceptions than me. *insert shrugging GIF here*
————— Buddy-read with Ad Rocks Socks (Who is being super kind for putting up with me taking 80 years)...more
”I mean, here’s the thing I don’t get. How do people come to expect that their crushes will be reciprocated? Like, how does that get to be
3 Stars
”I mean, here’s the thing I don’t get. How do people come to expect that their crushes will be reciprocated? Like, how does that get to be your default assumption?”
I’ve officially three-starred every Becky Albertalli book and no one is more disappointed than me. Because here’s the thing— Albertalli really and truly understands being a teenager. She gets the dark/silly humor. She gets texting conversations. She gets the awkwardness and she gets the uncertainty and anxiety that can come with trying to decide who you are and what you want.
Molly is an exceptionally relatable narrator to me, and shows Albertalli also understands what being a plus-sized teenager can be like. While Molly’s friends and twin sister have flourishing love lives, she only seems to crush from afar. The way Molly relates her perception of self (and the notable ways she doesn’t) to her continued single-status open some really important discussions about society’s expectations and how it can warp our own. Molly is comfortable in her own skin, but she also never assumes her crushes could like her back.
There’s one point after Molly’s sister (Cassie) starts dating her girlfriend (yes there’s also awesome lesbian and Pan rep!) when Cassie’s dating advice is just “tell them you like them” and Molly is flabbergasted. She doesn’t comprehend how that could not be embarrassing. This hit me hard and spoke so honestly about so much of my high-school experience I wish I could rate this higher.
But unfortunately, Molly continues to define herself through her relationship status. At first it just seems part of her character arc— her determination to finally be kissed, finally be in a relationship and finally feel wanted are the driving force of the whole book. I hoped she’d realize how her identity was tied solely to what others (especially boys) think of her. I was thinking this single-minded intensity was purposeful... and... kinda? But instead of developing her own sense of identity Molly gets that big-first kiss and suddenly feels validated.
So in a way, all the agency Molly acquires in the end feels bittersweet. Because it almost feels like confirming her earlier assumptions— that getting a boyfriend did validate her. Because until a man considered her attractive, what right did she have being confident???
Overall: All the stars for the honest, realistic portrayal of adolescence and the representation this offers.
No stars for the harmful defining-myself-through-men mentality....more
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