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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
So I enjoyed the book as evidenced by the two days it took me to read it.
And I think I'm usually not a super fan of the epistolary form (ty advanced narrative styles Shasta) but it read really well and carried two incredibly thought out and dynamic characters I am a fan.
I also got a lot of fangirl Rainbow Rowell vibes but I guess for obvious reasons.
But yeah the ending kinda lost me and I feel that it in many ways reversed some of the themes so deeply developed prior. Regardless of that frustration, I read it in one sitting anyways and am overall pretty impressed at how it juggled and challenged friendship and love and how sometimes where is the line between those who knows hmmmm
For "spoiler inclusive" specifics:
it's dumb to expect a fairytale ending but I do feel that the two went from a powerful, rapidly escalating bond/relationship to a slow regression to socially acceptable friendship in the end. The final draws out the two's merciless dependence on eachother while they both treat eachother somewhat flippantly (and its mean I would be sad) until the very end wherein they are automatically assumed to have made up but in a very reserved kinda way. It also ends super abruptly. But maybe I'm just a super defined well rounded all the ends are tied so tight the fabric buckels typa gal
And I think I'm usually not a super fan of the epistolary form (ty advanced narrative styles Shasta) but it read really well and carried two incredibly thought out and dynamic characters I am a fan.
I also got a lot of fangirl Rainbow Rowell vibes but I guess for obvious reasons.
But yeah the ending kinda lost me and I feel that it in many ways reversed some of the themes so deeply developed prior. Regardless of that frustration, I read it in one sitting anyways and am overall pretty impressed at how it juggled and challenged friendship and love and how sometimes where is the line between those who knows hmmmm
For "spoiler inclusive" specifics:
it's dumb to expect a fairytale ending but I do feel that the two went from a powerful, rapidly escalating bond/relationship to a slow regression to socially acceptable friendship in the end. The final draws out the two's merciless dependence on eachother while they both treat eachother somewhat flippantly (and its mean I would be sad) until the very end wherein they are automatically assumed to have made up but in a very reserved kinda way. It also ends super abruptly. But maybe I'm just a super defined well rounded all the ends are tied so tight the fabric buckels typa gal
I fell very conflicted about this.. I loved it, the emails, texts, fanfics, a ton of friendship and even slught tones of sadness but the ending didn't satisfy me at all.. I still liked it though, it read nice an quickly!
[bc:Gena/Finn|19254725|Gena/Finn|Hannah Moskowitz|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1463450838s/19254725.jpg|27301031]
This was almost a four star book, but what was that ending?! Nothing was resolved and I honestly don't get why it ended where it did. Quite annoyed with that. Aside from that, I loved the LGBTQ+ elements in this and how fandom and fanfiction was handled. It definitely felt like a real fandom, at least how I experienced it. It isn't a normal book either. It's made up of e-mails, text messages, letters and journal entries and it's glorious. Such a quick read and I'm falling in love with this kind of format after loving [b:Illuminae|23395680|Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1443433956s/23395680.jpg|26653661] and now also this book (except the ending).
This was almost a four star book, but what was that ending?! Nothing was resolved and I honestly don't get why it ended where it did. Quite annoyed with that. Aside from that, I loved the LGBTQ+ elements in this and how fandom and fanfiction was handled. It definitely felt like a real fandom, at least how I experienced it. It isn't a normal book either. It's made up of e-mails, text messages, letters and journal entries and it's glorious. Such a quick read and I'm falling in love with this kind of format after loving [b:Illuminae|23395680|Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1443433956s/23395680.jpg|26653661] and now also this book (except the ending).
I came across Gena/Finn by accident. The online relationship and the original format attracted me.The potential was there, and yet I felt frustrated after reading it.
I admire authors who take risks and do things outside the box. The idea was strong: I wasn't bothered by the unconventional format, on the contrary, I found it interactive. There's something intimate about reading other people's (even fictionnal) text messages. However, even though it had the potential to be amazing the author neglected the depth of the characters.
By picking it up, I expected a beautiful female friendship starting from scratch and evolving step by step through the pages. If you go into it expecting the same thing, that's not what you'll get. Their friendship happened very - too - quickly and their relationship isn't clearly defined.
I couldn't relate to neither of them and I didn't particularly like them nor care about their problems.
Also the random posts about the TV Show were unecessary since we have no idea what it's about. Too bad since the foundation of their relationship was the show but the fandom part was realistic (obviously since the author has been part of one)
When I read a book, I'm all for the "show, don't tell". However, some important aspects are talked about without being showed. You can't drop a bomb about a character and then mention it a few times in the whole book like it's nothing.
At some point, I had no idea where the story was going because the plot was just too plain. There's something that has to be resolved at the end of a book and I just didn't get where the author wanted to go.
An other thing that bothered me was the lack of emotions. It's hard to convey emotions through this format and yet I felt like they were vainly forced on me.
Conclusion
Pros :
Quick read
Original format
The realistic fandom
Cons :
The friendship evolving too quickly
Lack of depth and emotions
Plot too weak
I admire authors who take risks and do things outside the box. The idea was strong: I wasn't bothered by the unconventional format, on the contrary, I found it interactive. There's something intimate about reading other people's (even fictionnal) text messages. However, even though it had the potential to be amazing the author neglected the depth of the characters.
By picking it up, I expected a beautiful female friendship starting from scratch and evolving step by step through the pages. If you go into it expecting the same thing, that's not what you'll get. Their friendship happened very - too - quickly and their relationship isn't clearly defined.
I couldn't relate to neither of them and I didn't particularly like them nor care about their problems.
Also the random posts about the TV Show were unecessary since we have no idea what it's about. Too bad since the foundation of their relationship was the show but the fandom part was realistic (obviously since the author has been part of one)
When I read a book, I'm all for the "show, don't tell". However, some important aspects are talked about without being showed. You can't drop a bomb about a character and then mention it a few times in the whole book like it's nothing.
At some point, I had no idea where the story was going because the plot was just too plain. There's something that has to be resolved at the end of a book and I just didn't get where the author wanted to go.
An other thing that bothered me was the lack of emotions. It's hard to convey emotions through this format and yet I felt like they were vainly forced on me.
Conclusion
Pros :
Quick read
Original format
The realistic fandom
Cons :
The friendship evolving too quickly
Lack of depth and emotions
Plot too weak
this prob would've been a four star book for me if gena/finn(/charlie) had been endgame tbh
I found Gena/Finn on the Kindle Store. I liked the cover and thought it could be interesting. It was really easy to get into the story line. I love books about people who are into fandoms so it was a big draw for me.
I adored the idea of the book and the first half was great. I especially love the inclusion of blog posts, email and fan art. I did not like the end as much. I just think there was something missing from the ending. Don’t my opinion of the ending stop you from reading it as I still thing it’s worth reading.
My full review is on my blog
https://abookishshelf.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/book-review-gina-finn-by-hannah-moskowitz-and-kat-hegleson/
I adored the idea of the book and the first half was great. I especially love the inclusion of blog posts, email and fan art. I did not like the end as much. I just think there was something missing from the ending. Don’t my opinion of the ending stop you from reading it as I still thing it’s worth reading.
My full review is on my blog
https://abookishshelf.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/book-review-gina-finn-by-hannah-moskowitz-and-kat-hegleson/
3.5/5 stars.
As I've said before, I'm a very character-focused reader, which was why I enjoyed this book so much, it was a 4-star read until I got to the ending. If you are someone who needs a fast-paced and developed plot, this probably isn't the one for you, but I loved how even though the unique formatting had me doubting it at first, the authors made me truly feel things about the characters. I have docked one star because of the lack of any real plot, and another half a star because I feel incomplete and that I would like to have a little more development before the book ends, but overall, I really enjoyed this novel.
As I've said before, I'm a very character-focused reader, which was why I enjoyed this book so much, it was a 4-star read until I got to the ending. If you are someone who needs a fast-paced and developed plot, this probably isn't the one for you, but I loved how even though the unique formatting had me doubting it at first, the authors made me truly feel things about the characters. I have docked one star because of the lack of any real plot, and another half a star because I feel incomplete and that I would like to have a little more development before the book ends, but overall, I really enjoyed this novel.
Kinda adorable and very lighthearted for the first bit. Takes a turn later on and gets a lot more intense, but still definitely YA. It ended differently than I wanted it to, but that's not surprising. Was a good romp written through texts, internet posts, and diary entries.
I found a level of depth in this book that I didn't expect. What more can I really ask for?