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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
Oh man. I desperately wanted to love this book. I’m a fangirl for several franchises, I’ve written fanfics (hey it’s good writing practice!), and I lovelovelove non-traditional story formats like this one. Gena/Finn is told in emails, texts, IMs, and similar formats. It sounds like it would be right up my alley.
So, so wrong.
Where to begin? Well, I always like to start with something nice, so I can say the title is a cute nod to fanfiction. When writers are posting their stories, they use a / to designate particular pairings. Subtle and sweet and an excellent choice.
Now for the not-so-good. First off, the characters were confusing. It makes sense why they might be—each main character had a real life name and online pseudonym or three.
Full review at A Writer Reads.
So, so wrong.
Where to begin? Well, I always like to start with something nice, so I can say the title is a cute nod to fanfiction. When writers are posting their stories, they use a / to designate particular pairings. Subtle and sweet and an excellent choice.
Now for the not-so-good. First off, the characters were confusing. It makes sense why they might be—each main character had a real life name and online pseudonym or three.
Full review at A Writer Reads.
WTF was that?
I am honestly confused.
Okay, I usually wait a little bit and maybe write up a review for my blog first, but I am about to get so spoiler-y, so this will just have to do, okay?
For starters, I had heard of this book in passing but was never exactly interested in reading it until I saw it land on the list of Best Books of 2016 (so far) on Book Riot. When I learned that the story was told completely through emails and blog posts and texts, I was ready for a quick read about a fast fangirl friendship that just might be turning into something more. And I was really enjoying it until...
It was interesting that Gena was a "child star" who left the scene for very serious reasons (like, paranoid schizophrenia, which doesn't get touched on nearly as much as it possibly should, because hi that's SERIOUS) and just so happened to know one of the main actors (Zack/Jake) of her favorite show because they had worked together in the past. They get back in touch and jokingly call each other big bro and lil sis, but I will admit I was getting weird vibes there. It was cool that she was going to be on the show...but still...
And then they had to throw THE FUCKING FIRE IN? They had to injure cast members and KILL a few of them, including her former co-star/friend of the show. This character DIED. It just HAPPENED. And it was like, woah, why did this shit get so serious? After that happens, Gena understandably is shaken up. She hasn't been taking her meds (which we know from documents and emails and stuff, but why actually talk about that DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE WAS TERRIFIED OF GOING OFF OF THEM????). She was in a fire-related accident (scary because she used to SEE FIRES THAT WEREN'T REALLY THERE). An important figure in both her real life and fan life has died. DIED. It's all a bunch of crazy crap. And then she starts writing this poetry that genuinely had me confused about the state of her relationship with Zack (was there some sort of inappropriate behavior going on in the past? she was only nine? I'm so confused?) and interchanging his name with his character name (which kind of makes sense because two versions of him died in her eyes) and mixed it in with one of her best friends who she might have had a sexual relationship with and occasionally toss in the name of her ex who really didn't need to be in it at all? I read a review on here where the woman said she didn't even try to read into the poetry, and that was smart because I was reading it too hard and getting way too confused.
The main thing is, this was supposed to be a book about Gena, Finn, and their relationship and what it would mean. It seems that Gena would consider herself bisexual and she knows how she feels about Finn. Finn is confused: she has a boyfriend who just might become her future husband, she is older and is figuring out what adulthood just might mean. We could've explored that. We could've looked into their relationship, whether it became romantic or just stayed intense (friendships, especially new ones, often do remind me of bright, burning romances and take on many different forms) or they maybe moved on eventually. I think that's what all of us readers wanted. Instead, Finn and her boyfriend Charlie became parent-like figures for Gena. I mean...WTF? I get that you care about each other, that you spent time together, that you do love each other and that it happened way too freakin' fast but I MEAN. That's where you went? You went to this route where Finn is almost motherly? I don't know, guys. They could've done more. A great opportunity to explore the complexities of love and friendship and falling for someone you didn't expect to fall for, and it just went off the rails.
I know that's all rambly, but whatever, I am just so frustrated.
I am keeping it at 2 stars because I did enjoy this book in the beginning. I liked the language and the humor. It just went somewhere it never really needed to go and I really didn't see the point of it all. I'm just confused instead. What a bummer.
I am honestly confused.
Okay, I usually wait a little bit and maybe write up a review for my blog first, but I am about to get so spoiler-y, so this will just have to do, okay?
For starters, I had heard of this book in passing but was never exactly interested in reading it until I saw it land on the list of Best Books of 2016 (so far) on Book Riot. When I learned that the story was told completely through emails and blog posts and texts, I was ready for a quick read about a fast fangirl friendship that just might be turning into something more. And I was really enjoying it until...
Spoiler
It was interesting that Gena was a "child star" who left the scene for very serious reasons (like, paranoid schizophrenia, which doesn't get touched on nearly as much as it possibly should, because hi that's SERIOUS) and just so happened to know one of the main actors (Zack/Jake) of her favorite show because they had worked together in the past. They get back in touch and jokingly call each other big bro and lil sis, but I will admit I was getting weird vibes there. It was cool that she was going to be on the show...but still...
And then they had to throw THE FUCKING FIRE IN? They had to injure cast members and KILL a few of them, including her former co-star/friend of the show. This character DIED. It just HAPPENED. And it was like, woah, why did this shit get so serious? After that happens, Gena understandably is shaken up. She hasn't been taking her meds (which we know from documents and emails and stuff, but why actually talk about that DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE WAS TERRIFIED OF GOING OFF OF THEM????). She was in a fire-related accident (scary because she used to SEE FIRES THAT WEREN'T REALLY THERE). An important figure in both her real life and fan life has died. DIED. It's all a bunch of crazy crap. And then she starts writing this poetry that genuinely had me confused about the state of her relationship with Zack (was there some sort of inappropriate behavior going on in the past? she was only nine? I'm so confused?) and interchanging his name with his character name (which kind of makes sense because two versions of him died in her eyes) and mixed it in with one of her best friends who she might have had a sexual relationship with and occasionally toss in the name of her ex who really didn't need to be in it at all? I read a review on here where the woman said she didn't even try to read into the poetry, and that was smart because I was reading it too hard and getting way too confused.
The main thing is, this was supposed to be a book about Gena, Finn, and their relationship and what it would mean. It seems that Gena would consider herself bisexual and she knows how she feels about Finn. Finn is confused: she has a boyfriend who just might become her future husband, she is older and is figuring out what adulthood just might mean. We could've explored that. We could've looked into their relationship, whether it became romantic or just stayed intense (friendships, especially new ones, often do remind me of bright, burning romances and take on many different forms) or they maybe moved on eventually. I think that's what all of us readers wanted. Instead, Finn and her boyfriend Charlie became parent-like figures for Gena. I mean...WTF? I get that you care about each other, that you spent time together, that you do love each other and that it happened way too freakin' fast but I MEAN. That's where you went? You went to this route where Finn is almost motherly? I don't know, guys. They could've done more. A great opportunity to explore the complexities of love and friendship and falling for someone you didn't expect to fall for, and it just went off the rails.
I know that's all rambly, but whatever, I am just so frustrated.
I am keeping it at 2 stars because I did enjoy this book in the beginning. I liked the language and the humor. It just went somewhere it never really needed to go and I really didn't see the point of it all. I'm just confused instead. What a bummer.
The description of this is so different than the actual book, that it feels like I was hoodwinked. But nevertheless, I couldn't really get into it. The second half of the story was overly dramatic and I just couldn't believe/care about it.
4.5/5 - this was so much better than I expected! I picked this book up because I wanted something really quick to read and since this book is told in emails, texts, letters, etc., it seemed like the perfect book to read. I was expecting just a cute little story, nothing special. But this book completely surprised me. This book was sort of light and fun at the beginning and then about half way through, everything changed. It was sad and heartbreaking and beautiful. I loved the characters, even the one that I originally did not like but who really changed by the end. My only little tiny problem was the ending because it left me wanting to know more about what would happen with the characters now. Overall, that was such a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read and an amazing story. :-)
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS BOOK SURELY IS NOT FOR EVERYONE* I thought this was a pleasant surprise. I expected to hate the format and find the plot boring, but I didn't. The book takes a turn about halfway in that makes it impossible to put down. Another thing that makes this book enjoyable is the way that it's open to interpretation. Normally I'm not into that, but these authors did a good job with it. Upon reading, I noticed that the focus fandom was similar to Supernatural, which I'm not a fan of but my best friend is. I really loved this read, but it's possible she loved it even more than I did. I liked the way this book handled Gena's disorder, and how it made Gena and Finn highly relatable. This little book with its strange format sure packs a memorable punch.
Gena/Finn is a really easy, quick read. I finished it in a few hours. The formatting may be a bit odd to people, but I thought it added to the charm.
The book was good but took a weird nosedive around the halfway point, which is disappointing. I really wanted to continue to enjoy it to the end, but the plot kind of did a 180.
I liked the premise and the layout, being a nerdy internet chick myself. I liked the live journal and Tumblr esque posts, the instant messages, the emails. The fandom described in the story reminded me of the Supernatural fandom, and it wasn't surprising to see the authors list Supernatural characters in their bios.
I liked the friendship between the two main characters until the midway point. The romance seemed to come from nowhere and the drama overwhelmed the original premise. I'm glad that LGBTQA+ and polyamorous relationships, as well as mental disorders and illnesses were included in the book, but they seemed forced and unnatural in terms of pacing and actually building a good relationship.
Overall, I feel like I read two different books, neither with a fulfilling ending. Sad. I want so bad to like it more and give it a higher rating, but it just didn't do it for me.
The book was good but took a weird nosedive around the halfway point, which is disappointing. I really wanted to continue to enjoy it to the end, but the plot kind of did a 180.
I liked the premise and the layout, being a nerdy internet chick myself. I liked the live journal and Tumblr esque posts, the instant messages, the emails. The fandom described in the story reminded me of the Supernatural fandom, and it wasn't surprising to see the authors list Supernatural characters in their bios.
I liked the friendship between the two main characters until the midway point. The romance seemed to come from nowhere and the drama overwhelmed the original premise. I'm glad that LGBTQA+ and polyamorous relationships, as well as mental disorders and illnesses were included in the book, but they seemed forced and unnatural in terms of pacing and actually building a good relationship.
Overall, I feel like I read two different books, neither with a fulfilling ending. Sad. I want so bad to like it more and give it a higher rating, but it just didn't do it for me.
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
I'm struggling to find words to express how much I loved it, and I am grateful for the multiple representations it gives.
I think it's a book I'll keep thinking about for a while.
I think it's a book I'll keep thinking about for a while.
2.5
A book about two girls loving a tv show, obsessing and finding each other YES. This is very relatable stuff and to me the show felt like it was about Sherlock and the website was very much tumblr. I feel as we don't know the show and generally how the story was told through blogs, messages and entries I felt a bit distant from the characters and general story than I would have if it was in first person.
We follow Gena who is an 18 year old soon to be college student, she is under a lot of pressure to do well and succeed. She has anxiety and deals with mental health issues- she feels like she can be open about this online and share this knowledge with people she hasn't met.
Finn is 22 and has kept this fandom stuff from her boyfriend, who she thinks is going to propose. She feels like she is hiding this part of her life from him and when she does tell him, he doesn't understand as much as she thought.
The story follows these two girls getting closer, sharing a love of something and expressing fandom culture and going to conventions, meeting irl and just having that.
They say I love you and grew closer, to me I didn't really see this bond as romantic? Like I platonically say I love you all the time and that's what it felt like. I felt distant from their bond and we didn't see much more than words and messages. If this was written otherwise I feel their bond would've been easier to see.
We get to the end where we find out Gena was a child actress with one of the actors of the show they love and she gets invited to do a special episode. While filming there is a fire on set. Gena gets injured and their favourite actor dies along with several others. Gena lost a friend she called a big brother and the fandom mourns their favourite character.
Gena moves in with Finn while she recovers, her parents are backpacking and travelling the world and she has no one else. She slowly recovers surrounded by her friend.
I hated how Finn basically 'settled' for an okay relationship and that hey getting married to him won't be so bad. Like it's not the worst thing in the world so lets go.
I like how it portrayed fandoms, online culture and how important friendships formed online are. But the ending and relaitonships between the characters fell flat for me with how it was told.
'This is the show we love, and tearing it apart like hyenas every time the writers do something we don't like it shitty' - Describes basically fandom life tbh
'I miss being around people who get it. The fucking depth of feeling that comes from a show like this. The attachment to the characters. And this is me, you know? I am a fan. It's not just something I do, it's something about the way I'm wired...I've always had a fandom. I've always had characters who live in my head and mess with my heart and tell me stories, and I love it.'
'Loving someone is a period, it's a semicolon.'
'If love is a semicolon then grief is a comma.'
A book about two girls loving a tv show, obsessing and finding each other YES. This is very relatable stuff and to me the show felt like it was about Sherlock and the website was very much tumblr. I feel as we don't know the show and generally how the story was told through blogs, messages and entries I felt a bit distant from the characters and general story than I would have if it was in first person.
We follow Gena who is an 18 year old soon to be college student, she is under a lot of pressure to do well and succeed. She has anxiety and deals with mental health issues- she feels like she can be open about this online and share this knowledge with people she hasn't met.
Finn is 22 and has kept this fandom stuff from her boyfriend, who she thinks is going to propose. She feels like she is hiding this part of her life from him and when she does tell him, he doesn't understand as much as she thought.
The story follows these two girls getting closer, sharing a love of something and expressing fandom culture and going to conventions, meeting irl and just having that.
They say I love you and grew closer, to me I didn't really see this bond as romantic? Like I platonically say I love you all the time and that's what it felt like. I felt distant from their bond and we didn't see much more than words and messages. If this was written otherwise I feel their bond would've been easier to see.
We get to the end where we find out Gena was a child actress with one of the actors of the show they love and she gets invited to do a special episode. While filming there is a fire on set. Gena gets injured and their favourite actor dies along with several others. Gena lost a friend she called a big brother and the fandom mourns their favourite character.
Gena moves in with Finn while she recovers, her parents are backpacking and travelling the world and she has no one else. She slowly recovers surrounded by her friend.
I hated how Finn basically 'settled' for an okay relationship and that hey getting married to him won't be so bad. Like it's not the worst thing in the world so lets go.
I like how it portrayed fandoms, online culture and how important friendships formed online are. But the ending and relaitonships between the characters fell flat for me with how it was told.
'This is the show we love, and tearing it apart like hyenas every time the writers do something we don't like it shitty' - Describes basically fandom life tbh
'I miss being around people who get it. The fucking depth of feeling that comes from a show like this. The attachment to the characters. And this is me, you know? I am a fan. It's not just something I do, it's something about the way I'm wired...I've always had a fandom. I've always had characters who live in my head and mess with my heart and tell me stories, and I love it.'
'Loving someone is a period, it's a semicolon.'
'If love is a semicolon then grief is a comma.'
I loved that this was all epistolary (that's how you spell it, right? haha) - epistolary novels are one of my favorite things. The ending went in a very different direction than I was expecting, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (and I think I actually quite liked the ending. I have mixed feelings)