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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
Sweet, honest, raw, messy. I'll admit I went in expecting it to cleave closely to the universal fandom experience throughout the book, so I was surprised by some of the sharp departures made from that narrative. The actual show they were fans of didn't really feel very fleshed out, either, and the book didn't so much as touch on a lot of the problematic aspects of fandom that I think warrant a deeper and respectful exploration. But as a character study in mental illness, the wildly blurred lines of friendship and love and internet and real, and the way shared obsessions can play into that, it's excellent.
Basically finished this book in one sitting! It's incredible. If you've ever been a part of a fandom and/or have internet friends, you will absolutely love it. So sweet and sad and I already want to read it again.
What the fuck???????? I am not going to rate this??.?..?. I didnt expect this? I didnt sign up for this xD like, i just wanted a light, fun read for the fucking day xD so yeah, it was really good, thats undeniable, but it wasnt what i wanted xD so there you have it
Fucking fuck
Fucking fuck
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This would be five stars if it wasn't for the last 20% of the book.
I picked this up because I wanted to read something about long-distance communication. I also had this recommended after reading Fangirl. And I was immediately hooked, too. I'm not one for epistolary stories, but it made sense. It reminded me of the friendships I've made via fandom. I was able to relate with both of the characters for completely different reasons and I loved that.
And then you get to That Part of the book and I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to keep enjoying it. Had I not been so far into the book, I would have stopped reading it.
Honestly, the incident itself took me off guard, which was delightful, because I love being able to read something and have the story surprise me. But then I had too many questions circulating the event. The utter disregard to how hospitals and mental health work together and on their own was baffling. I can't imagine what happened in the book to actually happen in real life.
Some people complained about Gena's poetry towards the end. I actually loved it, but then again, I grew up writing a lot of poetry similar to hers, so it made a lot of sense to me. What didn't make sense, however, was what the hell happened to Gena and Finn's relationship after That Part of the book. I feel like there was a scene or twenty missing in between all of that and the final scene. Are things better? Are they not? Are they magically in some awkward and possibly unhealthy poly thing with Charlie? I don't know. The book is never explicit about it and while I appreciate some things being left to my imagination, the fact none of this is addressed just pissed me off.
And that's the other thing. Apparently, this book is tagged as a LGBTQ+ book. I didn't realize that until after I read it and I would never call it that. Yeah, there are moments when Gena and Finn say they love each other, but it felt no different from the strong platonic love I have for some of my close fandom friends. It never felt like there was any romance or even sexual attraction. They were just really good friends. Friends can say "I love you." That's ok. I got zero vibes between them outside of that. Maybe if there was more shown than just text messages and journal posts, it would have been evident, but in its current state, the book isn't a LGBTQ+ story imo.
I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was a quick read and I was attached immediately, only to be super turned off by the third part of the story. I feel like this did a better job at diving into fandom than Fangirl did by a long stretch and if it wasn't for the last part of the book, this would have a much higher rating.
I picked this up because I wanted to read something about long-distance communication. I also had this recommended after reading Fangirl. And I was immediately hooked, too. I'm not one for epistolary stories, but it made sense. It reminded me of the friendships I've made via fandom. I was able to relate with both of the characters for completely different reasons and I loved that.
And then you get to That Part of the book and I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to keep enjoying it. Had I not been so far into the book, I would have stopped reading it.
Honestly, the incident itself took me off guard, which was delightful, because I love being able to read something and have the story surprise me. But then I had too many questions circulating the event. The utter disregard to how hospitals and mental health work together and on their own was baffling. I can't imagine what happened in the book to actually happen in real life.
Some people complained about Gena's poetry towards the end. I actually loved it, but then again, I grew up writing a lot of poetry similar to hers, so it made a lot of sense to me. What didn't make sense, however, was what the hell happened to Gena and Finn's relationship after That Part of the book. I feel like there was a scene or twenty missing in between all of that and the final scene.
And that's the other thing. Apparently, this book is tagged as a LGBTQ+ book. I didn't realize that until after I read it and I would never call it that. Yeah, there are moments when Gena and Finn say they love each other, but it felt no different from the strong platonic love I have for some of my close fandom friends. It never felt like there was any romance or even sexual attraction. They were just really good friends. Friends can say "I love you." That's ok. I got zero vibes between them outside of that. Maybe if there was more shown than just text messages and journal posts, it would have been evident, but in its current state, the book isn't a LGBTQ+ story imo.
I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was a quick read and I was attached immediately, only to be super turned off by the third part of the story. I feel like this did a better job at diving into fandom than Fangirl did by a long stretch and if it wasn't for the last part of the book, this would have a much higher rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma
A lot of hospital/medical stuff in the last 20% of the book along with caregiving
6/36 towards my Reading Goal. This was one from home that I hadn’t gotten to yet. It was a good story but often hard to follow between the shifting names and formatting.
I received and ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Here are some thoughts:
So, I don’t normally go for YA books, but I’m doing a reading challenge this year, and in order to check off one of the boxes, I need to read a YA book. This one looked pretty interesting, so I thought I’d give it a go. It’s not what I consider a typical YA, in that it’s told entirely through chats, texts, online posts, etc. and I like the novelty of that. I may be getting a bit older, but as a millennial, my life is absorbed in chat and text, and I spend more of my life than I care to reveal on Tumblr.
Gena and Finn meet online and bond over their mutual love of some terrible TV show. Finn is not long out of college and looking for a career and settling down with her boyfriend. Gena is a somewhat troubled teenager just beginning college. Fandom is a powerful thing, and it unites these two strangers and provides the base for a friendship that grows stronger over time, leaving Finn questioning her feelings for her boyfriend. Are they best friends? Are they more? The pair must figure these things out as they also navigate the world of fanfiction, recap posts, and cons.
It takes a bit of getting used to, but the unconventional way of storytelling lured me in and kept the plot moving quickly and nicely. I can’t say I loved the actual story (a little too much teen and early twentish drama), but I can appreciate some of the characteristics of our main duo. Both are going through pivotal times in their lives and their friendship (and the love of a television show) gives them something to hold onto in their quickly changing lives. As a lifelong sci-fi fan and longtime Tumblr user, I can empathize with how easy it is to devote oneself to fandom.
Anyone who has ever loved a TV show will see a little of themselves in these characters, and even if, like me, you’re getting old and hardened, you can probably remember a time in your life where you questioned your attraction to a friend and felt your life spiraling out of control as you are hurled toward adulthood full throttle. It’s easy to get through this one in a few sittings, and the brief glances of these characters’ lives give more insight into who they are than a 300 page description could provide.
So, I don’t normally go for YA books, but I’m doing a reading challenge this year, and in order to check off one of the boxes, I need to read a YA book. This one looked pretty interesting, so I thought I’d give it a go. It’s not what I consider a typical YA, in that it’s told entirely through chats, texts, online posts, etc. and I like the novelty of that. I may be getting a bit older, but as a millennial, my life is absorbed in chat and text, and I spend more of my life than I care to reveal on Tumblr.
Gena and Finn meet online and bond over their mutual love of some terrible TV show. Finn is not long out of college and looking for a career and settling down with her boyfriend. Gena is a somewhat troubled teenager just beginning college. Fandom is a powerful thing, and it unites these two strangers and provides the base for a friendship that grows stronger over time, leaving Finn questioning her feelings for her boyfriend. Are they best friends? Are they more? The pair must figure these things out as they also navigate the world of fanfiction, recap posts, and cons.
It takes a bit of getting used to, but the unconventional way of storytelling lured me in and kept the plot moving quickly and nicely. I can’t say I loved the actual story (a little too much teen and early twentish drama), but I can appreciate some of the characteristics of our main duo. Both are going through pivotal times in their lives and their friendship (and the love of a television show) gives them something to hold onto in their quickly changing lives. As a lifelong sci-fi fan and longtime Tumblr user, I can empathize with how easy it is to devote oneself to fandom.
Anyone who has ever loved a TV show will see a little of themselves in these characters, and even if, like me, you’re getting old and hardened, you can probably remember a time in your life where you questioned your attraction to a friend and felt your life spiraling out of control as you are hurled toward adulthood full throttle. It’s easy to get through this one in a few sittings, and the brief glances of these characters’ lives give more insight into who they are than a 300 page description could provide.
3.5.The first half of this book was nothing special but there was real depth in the second half.
I read this book last year and I had to reread. I loved it as much as I did the first time.
The story is told through posts, fanfiction, emails, and messages. It is very easy to immerse in what is happening, the characters are very funny and their friendship is heartwarming. Gena/Finn is about fanfiction and fandom (and why is awesome), making online friendships and girl crushes. It also deals with mental illness, trauma, and recovering. It is a very sad book, but also incredibly hopeful, and what I definitely needed.
~Primera lectura~
Es este tipo de libros los que me hacen recuperar la fe en el género YA. No es solo una de las mejores lecturas de lo que va del año, va también para all time favorites.
*Formato de libro. Está escrito entre emails, comentarios, posts, mensajes de texto, llamadas, cartas. Es re divertido de leer, y se las arregla para ser real y narrar la historia. Parece una forma difícil, como demasiado repetitiva, que no te deja ver lo que pasa, o conectar con los personajes. Pero sí logra que sigas la imagen grande y los pedacitos pequeños.
*Genna y Finn. Dos protagonistas, ambas complejas, ambas igual de importantes, y bien diferentes. Simpaticé con ambas, me sentí identificada un poquito con ambas (especialmente con Finn) y las adoré y las odié y me emocioné y lloré por las dos. Son tan entendibles, tan reales, tan fácil de verlas reflejadas en mí (y de la gente que conozco). Me encanta encontrar este tipo de protagonistas, me llena el corazón. Chicas que son egoístas y valientes e inteligentes, que se equivocan y se asustan y se enojan y luchan. No son muñecas, son seres humanos.
*Amistad y romance. Una de las mejores cosas de este libro, agarra todo eso que odio de los libros YA, generalmente, y lo saca de una forma positiva. Es un libro de amistad. Pero obvio que no falta el romance tampoco. Y ambas cosas son profundas y reales, llenas de complicaciones y enojos y risas, y tiempo, porque las relaciones necesitan tiempo.
*El triángulo amoroso es el ÚNICO que no solo no me molestó, sino que me encantó. Más que nada porque se habla de la posibilidad de amar a más de una persona (poligamia) en una sociedad que nos dice que solo existe un verdadero amor. Eso siempre me pareció BULLSHIT. Aclaro, no estoy hablando de estar casado con más de una persona por cuestiones religiosas, o de infidelidad. Estoy hablando de una relación consensual de tener más de una pareja. Así que si, celebro este libro que habla de forma positiva y con respeto y crea sentimientos REALES de la situación. La confusión, el miedo, el enojo, la decepción, y todo ese amor.
*Mental illness. Se muestra como el tema complicado que es. Nadie salva nadie, nadie se cura de nada, nadie supera nada con ningún romance. El libro muestra lo que es vivir con mental illness, el desafío que es cada día, y que nunca se termina. Y como todo eso te deja un sabor agridulce al final, porque sí, no se supone que sea fácil de entender ni de aceptar.
*Bisexualidad. Lo marco como spoilers porque es uno de los plot-twist, I guess. Fue una de las sorpresas más hermosas, nunca hubiera imaginado que un libro YA se iba a largar con semejante cosa. Y ESTOY TAN FELIZ. Estuve sonriendo como una hora, hasta cuando se me caían las lágrimas con el final. DIOS. Es genial ver representación. Especialmente en relaciones súper hermosas.
*Visión positiva del fandom. Como sociedad nos encanta criticar a las fangirls, reírnos de su "obsesión", no tomarlas en serio. Y el libro habla de eso, de lo porquería que somos para respetar las decisiones que adolescentes (generalmente chicas) toman. También, me hizo acordar a mi época de fangirl, me trajo un montón de nostalgia.
*Con tantas cosas que se habla parece que el libro se sobrepasó. Pero no, no lo sentí para nada. Y es que en el mundo real todas estas cosas (amistades, mental illness, fandoms, no-hetereosexualidad) pasan todas juntas. Las autoras encontraron la forma perfecta para mostrar todo de forma real, criticar la sociedad y hacer un libro divertido y lindo. LO AMÉ.
The story is told through posts, fanfiction, emails, and messages. It is very easy to immerse in what is happening, the characters are very funny and their friendship is heartwarming. Gena/Finn is about fanfiction and fandom (and why is awesome), making online friendships and girl crushes. It also deals with mental illness, trauma, and recovering. It is a very sad book, but also incredibly hopeful, and what I definitely needed.
~Primera lectura~
Es este tipo de libros los que me hacen recuperar la fe en el género YA. No es solo una de las mejores lecturas de lo que va del año, va también para all time favorites.
*Formato de libro. Está escrito entre emails, comentarios, posts, mensajes de texto, llamadas, cartas. Es re divertido de leer, y se las arregla para ser real y narrar la historia. Parece una forma difícil, como demasiado repetitiva, que no te deja ver lo que pasa, o conectar con los personajes. Pero sí logra que sigas la imagen grande y los pedacitos pequeños.
*Genna y Finn. Dos protagonistas, ambas complejas, ambas igual de importantes, y bien diferentes. Simpaticé con ambas, me sentí identificada un poquito con ambas (especialmente con Finn) y las adoré y las odié y me emocioné y lloré por las dos. Son tan entendibles, tan reales, tan fácil de verlas reflejadas en mí (y de la gente que conozco). Me encanta encontrar este tipo de protagonistas, me llena el corazón. Chicas que son egoístas y valientes e inteligentes, que se equivocan y se asustan y se enojan y luchan. No son muñecas, son seres humanos.
*Amistad y romance. Una de las mejores cosas de este libro, agarra todo eso que odio de los libros YA, generalmente, y lo saca de una forma positiva. Es un libro de amistad. Pero obvio que no falta el romance tampoco. Y ambas cosas son profundas y reales, llenas de complicaciones y enojos y risas, y tiempo, porque las relaciones necesitan tiempo.
*
*Mental illness. Se muestra como el tema complicado que es. Nadie salva nadie, nadie se cura de nada, nadie supera nada con ningún romance. El libro muestra lo que es vivir con mental illness, el desafío que es cada día, y que nunca se termina. Y como todo eso te deja un sabor agridulce al final, porque sí, no se supone que sea fácil de entender ni de aceptar.
*
*Visión positiva del fandom. Como sociedad nos encanta criticar a las fangirls, reírnos de su "obsesión", no tomarlas en serio. Y el libro habla de eso, de lo porquería que somos para respetar las decisiones que adolescentes (generalmente chicas) toman. También, me hizo acordar a mi época de fangirl, me trajo un montón de nostalgia.
*Con tantas cosas que se habla parece que el libro se sobrepasó. Pero no, no lo sentí para nada. Y es que en el mundo real todas estas cosas (amistades, mental illness, fandoms, no-hetereosexualidad) pasan todas juntas. Las autoras encontraron la forma perfecta para mostrar todo de forma real, criticar la sociedad y hacer un libro divertido y lindo. LO AMÉ.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Death
A character dies in a fire, and another is injured.
Wow. Just wow. So much more than I expected. Love and fandom and loss and everything else. I liked the online format--I was still able to connect with the characters, they still felt real. Definitely recommend for anyone who's been part of a fandom--and knows it's so much more.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars