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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
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
A modern form of the epistolary novel, told through texts, emails, DMs, journal entries, and browser history.
I thought this was...I don't even know. I wanted to like it, because at first, I was like, "Hey, this was what was missing from Rowell's Fangirl" which is to say, the relationships you form in fandom. I loved Fangirl, but I did think it was weird that Cath wasn't escaping the hardships of college into chats with her online BFFs--she was an insanely popular fic writer, she should have had SO MANY INTERNET FRIENDS. So I liked the beginning, the parts where Gena and Finn were forming their connections, starting with the show and admiration for each other's fanworks, and then fanning out into real life.
I liked that, because I remember that, I've been there. I appreciated how Gena and Finn became BEST FRIENDS, that they thought of each other and related to each other through their love of the show, "I feel like--you know, like Jake felt in episode 204" that sort of thing, that felt real. I likedwhen they developed crushes on each other, and the way it was sort of romantic, but not really sexual. Or at least that they were hesitant, taking things slow, not really sure of how that was going to play out. I wish that had been what the book was about. That was the book I wanted and expected, and nothing about the tone of the book warned me in anyway that no, that wasn't this book.
I didn't like...everything after the Big Thing. Like, this wasn't the story I thought I was going to get, I was shocked that this was not just a book about their relationship, with distance, RL, and a boyfriend getting in the way. I didn't likethat Gena had an actual connection to the show, that she knew the star, that she was in an episode that was filming when the tragedy occurred. I knew, immediately, when the thing happened that Gena'd seen the smoke and could have stopped anyone from being hurt/killed if she hadn't convinced herself it was a hallucination, and I do think that her history of mental illness was dealt with well. I'm not sure her mental state post-tragedy was done as well. And I was super frustrated that Finn put her real life, mostly her job (you know, her ability to survive) in jeopardy twice because of Gena. It's one thing to take care of your friends, but there are ways to do it that--like, they just both fell apart, multiple times. Somebody needed to keep it together. I guess that somebody was Charlie...
And I was still so confused by the end. What was going on with Steve? Was this a happy threesome ending? Like. Gah. I also kind of wish I didn't know this was about Supernatural fandom, because I think this barely-disguising-of-fandoms is kind of lame. I get the why, but it's still really obvious, and the changes are a little eye-roll-y.
Anyway, I don't know. I liked reading this, it was a SUPER FAST read due to the format, but. It just wasn't that good. There were definitely good parts, but it was just so flawed.
I thought this was...I don't even know. I wanted to like it, because at first, I was like, "Hey, this was what was missing from Rowell's Fangirl" which is to say, the relationships you form in fandom. I loved Fangirl, but I did think it was weird that Cath wasn't escaping the hardships of college into chats with her online BFFs--she was an insanely popular fic writer, she should have had SO MANY INTERNET FRIENDS. So I liked the beginning, the parts where Gena and Finn were forming their connections, starting with the show and admiration for each other's fanworks, and then fanning out into real life.
I liked that, because I remember that, I've been there. I appreciated how Gena and Finn became BEST FRIENDS, that they thought of each other and related to each other through their love of the show, "I feel like--you know, like Jake felt in episode 204" that sort of thing, that felt real. I liked
I didn't like...everything after the Big Thing. Like, this wasn't the story I thought I was going to get, I was shocked that this was not just a book about their relationship, with distance, RL, and a boyfriend getting in the way. I didn't like
And I was still so confused by the end. What was going on with Steve? Was this a happy threesome ending? Like. Gah. I also kind of wish I didn't know this was about Supernatural fandom, because I think this barely-disguising-of-fandoms is kind of lame. I get the why, but it's still really obvious, and the changes are a little eye-roll-y.
Anyway, I don't know. I liked reading this, it was a SUPER FAST read due to the format, but. It just wasn't that good. There were definitely good parts, but it was just so flawed.
Cries forever. This book didn't actually bring me to tears but it was emotional as f. A fast read, told all in emails and chats and letters and such, it kept me on the edge of my seat and covered a lot of ground. Like woah.
OMG...the feels! So many!!!...there is soooo much love and so much sadness and acceptance!
Ahhhh!
Ahhhh!
Edited: 19/06/2016
Having thought about this, I have come to the conclusion that this story was blatant queer-baiting.
There was never any intent for the f/f relationship to actually happen in this book, and upon reflection, I see that clearly.
As a lesbian, I will not be recommending this book to anyone who is lesbian, bisexual female, or a woman who loves other women.
I am sorely disappointed in the content, the queer-baiting just to get people to purchase this book, and because I fell for it, hoping, once again, that there would be a lovely f/f relationship novel for me to lose myself in for a while.
That is all.
As someone who has been involved in fandom for more than half of her life, I was instantly intrigued by the premise of this story.
The entire book is an exchange of emails, texts, blog journal entries, post-it notes, and a few poems here and there.
The story centres around two characters, Gena and Finn, both are girls who are an active part of a fandom for a TV show Up Below.
They 'meet' via a blog post that Gena writes and develop a fast friendship. They tell each other things that they wouldn't dare to tell other people in their personal lives (or internet lives, either), and this bonds them closer than either of them had ever experienced with another human being before.
They meet up in person pretty quickly into this short story, and their feelings of friendship turn into something perhaps not so friendship like.
Opinionated spoiler ahead (also extremely spoilery for the actual plot of the book):If you, like me, were interested in a potential adorable f/f relationship that spurned from fandom, you will be sorely wrong. I did have my hopes up for a cute, lovely, fluffy f/f romantic relationship between Gena and Finn, but that didn't happen at all.
While I appreciate the fact that it can truly feel like you're falling for someone online from just how much time you spend out of your day talking to them (believe me, I know this extremely well, I feel like there were parts of this story that could have just given it an actual go. And other parts of me that were more interested in Gena and Finn's friendship.
But the part of me that wants actual f/f romantic representation wins out over friendship (because there just is not enough f/f ya romances at all. but that's a whine for another day).
What threw me for a loop, however, and made me burst into tears, was the death of character, and one of the main actors on the TV show, Zack. I felt like we were just getting to know him when he was ripped away from us.
I do understand that it was a plot device for Gena's mental illness, but it hurt in ways that I haven't hurt since I found out Cory Monteith (who played Finn on Glee - a fandom I was very much a part of) passed away. Having been a fan of Glee, and experiencing his passing, even just as a fan, made Zack's passing in this boom so much more intense for me.
I was extremely surprised and burst into tears on the spot reading this, and felt the waves of sadness I had once felt before.
I do, however, feel like there was a lot of unresolved issues, not only with Gena and Finn's friendship, but with Gena's mental health, too.
Having said that, I am glad they found each other. Fandom is, and can be, a powerful thing. Fans like Gena and Finn do exist and it was really interesting to read about it. I loved the aesthetic of this book, and would recommend it to anyone who has ever been intensely involved in fandom before (but heeding the warnings before they go into it).
1 star
Having thought about this, I have come to the conclusion that this story was blatant queer-baiting.
There was never any intent for the f/f relationship to actually happen in this book, and upon reflection, I see that clearly.
As a lesbian, I will not be recommending this book to anyone who is lesbian, bisexual female, or a woman who loves other women.
I am sorely disappointed in the content, the queer-baiting just to get people to purchase this book, and because I fell for it, hoping, once again, that there would be a lovely f/f relationship novel for me to lose myself in for a while.
That is all.
As someone who has been involved in fandom for more than half of her life, I was instantly intrigued by the premise of this story.
The entire book is an exchange of emails, texts, blog journal entries, post-it notes, and a few poems here and there.
The story centres around two characters, Gena and Finn, both are girls who are an active part of a fandom for a TV show Up Below.
They 'meet' via a blog post that Gena writes and develop a fast friendship. They tell each other things that they wouldn't dare to tell other people in their personal lives (or internet lives, either), and this bonds them closer than either of them had ever experienced with another human being before.
They meet up in person pretty quickly into this short story, and their feelings of friendship turn into something perhaps not so friendship like.
Opinionated spoiler ahead (also extremely spoilery for the actual plot of the book):
While I appreciate the fact that it can truly feel like you're falling for someone online from just how much time you spend out of your day talking to them (believe me, I know this extremely well, I feel like there were parts of this story that could have just given it an actual go. And other parts of me that were more interested in Gena and Finn's friendship.
But the part of me that wants actual f/f romantic representation wins out over friendship (because there just is not enough f/f ya romances at all. but that's a whine for another day).
What threw me for a loop, however, and made me burst into tears, was the death of character, and one of the main actors on the TV show, Zack. I felt like we were just getting to know him when he was ripped away from us.
I do understand that it was a plot device for Gena's mental illness, but it hurt in ways that I haven't hurt since I found out Cory Monteith (who played Finn on Glee - a fandom I was very much a part of) passed away. Having been a fan of Glee, and experiencing his passing, even just as a fan, made Zack's passing in this boom so much more intense for me.
I was extremely surprised and burst into tears on the spot reading this, and felt the waves of sadness I had once felt before.
I do, however, feel like there was a lot of unresolved issues, not only with Gena and Finn's friendship, but with Gena's mental health, too.
Having said that, I am glad they found each other. Fandom is, and can be, a powerful thing. Fans like Gena and Finn do exist and it was really interesting to read about it. I loved the aesthetic of this book, and would recommend it to anyone who has ever been intensely involved in fandom before (but heeding the warnings before they go into it).
1 star
Train wreck y'all! One of those books that you can't stop reading...but not because it's fantastic but because you can't believe some of the things that are happening! Review to come!