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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
Read as part of the PopSugar Reading Challenge 2020, to fill 34) A book you meant to read in 2019.
Solid 4.5, close enough to a 5 that I felt comfortable rounding up rather than down. I really enjoyed this book. As someone with a lot of experience within fandom spaces, and especially with friendships that form as a result of those experiences, this was super relatable without being overly cliche.
I liked that both main characters had clear, distinct voices, and that it felt believable in the epistolary format. Too often, epistolary novels involve a lot of blatant recapping of events in letter form, and I found a refreshing lack of that in this. It broke my heart a little and I found myself wanting more from the relationships in the text, but overall, this is a very well-written encapsulation of what the pacing of fandom friendships can be like.
Solid 4.5, close enough to a 5 that I felt comfortable rounding up rather than down. I really enjoyed this book. As someone with a lot of experience within fandom spaces, and especially with friendships that form as a result of those experiences, this was super relatable without being overly cliche.
I liked that both main characters had clear, distinct voices, and that it felt believable in the epistolary format. Too often, epistolary novels involve a lot of blatant recapping of events in letter form, and I found a refreshing lack of that in this. It broke my heart a little and I found myself wanting more from the relationships in the text, but overall, this is a very well-written encapsulation of what the pacing of fandom friendships can be like.
There are lots of people who are really connecting to this story and enjoying it and relating to it and ... I'm not one of them. The style of telling a story through emails, chats, etc., isn't my favorite, and I'm not hardcore into any fandom like the characters are. That being said, I think this book will resonate with more than a few readers, and for that I'm grateful.
I received a free ebook copy of this from NetGalley for the purpose of review.
Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling this one. By about a third of the way through I was asking, "do I want to bother finishing this?" And took that as a very bad sign and decided to put it down.
Mostly it was the portrayal of fandom. It wasn't inaccurate, exactly... but no offence, the first third had a lot of the type of fangirling that gets old after a while. Or maybe it was just a bit too much capslock for my tastes.
Either way: I didn't hate it, but I wasn't liking it enough to bother to go on. To each their own; it isn't to mine.
Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling this one. By about a third of the way through I was asking, "do I want to bother finishing this?" And took that as a very bad sign and decided to put it down.
Mostly it was the portrayal of fandom. It wasn't inaccurate, exactly... but no offence, the first third had a lot of the type of fangirling that gets old after a while. Or maybe it was just a bit too much capslock for my tastes.
Either way: I didn't hate it, but I wasn't liking it enough to bother to go on. To each their own; it isn't to mine.
Gena/Finn, why are you doing this to me?
You were awesome to read for about 150 pages and then you became weird.
Alright, what did I like about this book?
- the whole fandom aspect of it. I myself, am a huge fangirl - I have many shows and movies I get ridiculously enthusiastic about. And yes, it is important to me - I love all these things. Creativity SHOULD incite a reaction and I know that most people can remain calm during a trailer for the new Star Trek movie, but I CAN´T. I loved reading about people I could absolutely relate to on a very personal level.
- The relationship (in the beginning) between Gena/Finn: I really wanted them to end up together because it felt like romantic love for most of the book.
- The writing style was surprisingly good. Every other book I´ve attempted to read that only consists of texts, e-mails, notes etc. was horrible to get through. But in this case it felt quite realistic and compelled me to continue reading.
- The edition I had has the pinkest pink that has ever been pink underneath it´s cover. It´s awesome!
And now to the bad things:
- basically the last 100 pages. The whole dramatic turn of the story felt forced to me and the end was rushed and didn´t give me any resolution for the story.
- So... Gena/Finn DON´T end up together. Finn is still together with her boyfriend and wants to marry him. And Gena is (probably) together with Steven or at least on the way there. I felt a bit cheated because Gena and Finn seemed to be building a romantic realtionship. I don´t know - if they only ever become best friends... why not write it like that? You can convey an unbelievably strong sense of love that two people have for each other and NOT write it like a romance.
- The poems are not my cup of tea. I´m one of those people who just don´t get poetry.
I guess... this is it. I kind of love this book for the first 150 pages, but I hate it for the rest.
You were awesome to read for about 150 pages and then you became weird.
Alright, what did I like about this book?
- the whole fandom aspect of it. I myself, am a huge fangirl - I have many shows and movies I get ridiculously enthusiastic about. And yes, it is important to me - I love all these things. Creativity SHOULD incite a reaction and I know that most people can remain calm during a trailer for the new Star Trek movie, but I CAN´T. I loved reading about people I could absolutely relate to on a very personal level.
- The relationship (in the beginning) between Gena/Finn: I really wanted them to end up together because it felt like romantic love for most of the book.
- The writing style was surprisingly good. Every other book I´ve attempted to read that only consists of texts, e-mails, notes etc. was horrible to get through. But in this case it felt quite realistic and compelled me to continue reading.
- The edition I had has the pinkest pink that has ever been pink underneath it´s cover. It´s awesome!
And now to the bad things:
- basically the last 100 pages. The whole dramatic turn of the story felt forced to me and the end was rushed and didn´t give me any resolution for the story.
- So... Gena/Finn DON´T end up together. Finn is still together with her boyfriend and wants to marry him. And Gena is (probably) together with Steven or at least on the way there. I felt a bit cheated because Gena and Finn seemed to be building a romantic realtionship. I don´t know - if they only ever become best friends... why not write it like that? You can convey an unbelievably strong sense of love that two people have for each other and NOT write it like a romance.
- The poems are not my cup of tea. I´m one of those people who just don´t get poetry.
I guess... this is it. I kind of love this book for the first 150 pages, but I hate it for the rest.
Ugh. This book made me so ANGRY. And even angrier for the fact that it COULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD, but instead of going for something that felt plausible, it went off the damn rails, falling in a hole of forced tragedy and melodrama.
Let me start by just stating something about ME as a person and a reader -- I like books that deal with real life things, even if those real life things are controversial. It is in tackling those controversial topics that authors can expose truth and make us think. I'm okay with LGBT characters and stories. I'm okay with characters who suffer from mental illness. The more we write/talk about these things, the more we grow and learn to accept things that are new or scary to us. The key is doing them right.
And I'm sorry, but there was so much not done right here. Prepare yourself for a spoilery rant of potentially epic proportions:
And now, also WHY THE FUCK DID THEY KILL ZACK?! That wrench in the story was just....seriously?! Is that a serious thing they just did? Was it really necessary? Honestly? Because not only did it feel super melodramatic and forced and stupid, but everything that came after it really just tried my damn patience. And made things even more unrealistic. So Charlie, who is already threatened by the thought that his girlfriend might leave him for this other chick, just welcomes her in to their home and agrees to going dead broke to take care of her? Come on.....
And can we discuss Gena's mental illness for a minute? Again, important piece of the story, important thing to address since so many people suffer from different forms of mental illness. But the truth of her illness and addressing it directly was completely avoided. She just stopped taking her meds....no explanation of why aside from some reminders from the campus nurse that she needed to contact them? I just feel like that could also have been addressed in a more complete, meaningful way.
Okay....I think that's the end of the spoilery part of my rant. I just....I am so ANGRY. And what makes me the most angry about all of this is that it had the potential to be a truly AMAZING book. The style it was told in is one I love -- the mixture of e-mails, instant messages, blog posts, and letters provides a lot of freedom and the feeling like you have special access into the lives of the characters. I loved the exploration of being a part of a fandom, and the relationships that are formed from that. Ultimately, I really liked Finn's relationship with Charlie, and where they ended up relationship-wise at the end felt realistic to me. I felt the love there.
I've steered clear of Hannah Moskowitz up to this point because of the impression the descriptions of her others books gave me. This book and the things that really made me angry about it just served to confirm that impression unfortunately, and I doubt I'll be exploring more. I think there are people who would love this, and maybe a younger me would have been fine with some of the more implausible pieces of the storyline. But I just couldn't....
Let me start by just stating something about ME as a person and a reader -- I like books that deal with real life things, even if those real life things are controversial. It is in tackling those controversial topics that authors can expose truth and make us think. I'm okay with LGBT characters and stories. I'm okay with characters who suffer from mental illness. The more we write/talk about these things, the more we grow and learn to accept things that are new or scary to us. The key is doing them right.
And I'm sorry, but there was so much not done right here. Prepare yourself for a spoilery rant of potentially epic proportions:
Spoiler
What in the hell was up with Gena and Finn's relationship turning suddenly romantic?! That seemed to come completely out of left field. Could they NOT just be super close friends who had bonded over their fandom? Just the very fact of Gena becoming super close to Finn so suddenly as friends could have posed sufficient threat in Charlie's eyes, ESPECIALLY since Finn hid her involvement in the Up Below fandom from him for YEARS (also implausible), and then suddenly it and this new person take over her life. There didn't need to be the threat of an also possible romantic relationship between the two girls thrown into the mix. Again, I am FINE with LGBTQ characters and themes, but this just DIDN'T FIT. It's not even that I'm upset that they didn't end up together...it's just that I didn't feel that story thread needed to be in there at all.And now, also WHY THE FUCK DID THEY KILL ZACK?! That wrench in the story was just....seriously?! Is that a serious thing they just did? Was it really necessary? Honestly? Because not only did it feel super melodramatic and forced and stupid, but everything that came after it really just tried my damn patience. And made things even more unrealistic. So Charlie, who is already threatened by the thought that his girlfriend might leave him for this other chick, just welcomes her in to their home and agrees to going dead broke to take care of her? Come on.....
And can we discuss Gena's mental illness for a minute? Again, important piece of the story, important thing to address since so many people suffer from different forms of mental illness. But the truth of her illness and addressing it directly was completely avoided. She just stopped taking her meds....no explanation of why aside from some reminders from the campus nurse that she needed to contact them? I just feel like that could also have been addressed in a more complete, meaningful way.
Okay....I think that's the end of the spoilery part of my rant. I just....I am so ANGRY. And what makes me the most angry about all of this is that it had the potential to be a truly AMAZING book. The style it was told in is one I love -- the mixture of e-mails, instant messages, blog posts, and letters provides a lot of freedom and the feeling like you have special access into the lives of the characters. I loved the exploration of being a part of a fandom, and the relationships that are formed from that. Ultimately, I really liked Finn's relationship with Charlie, and where they ended up relationship-wise at the end felt realistic to me. I felt the love there.
I've steered clear of Hannah Moskowitz up to this point because of the impression the descriptions of her others books gave me. This book and the things that really made me angry about it just served to confirm that impression unfortunately, and I doubt I'll be exploring more. I think there are people who would love this, and maybe a younger me would have been fine with some of the more implausible pieces of the storyline. But I just couldn't....
I started this novel with low expectations. I just started summer camp and wanted a light read to help me fall asleep at night.
Then, something happened in my life.
I stopped reading entirely. I'm still not fully okay right now. My emotions have been shut off.
I picked back up this book the other night, and a switch was flipped.
This novel has such a unique couple of perspectives on a fictional situation that I completely believe in. This story unfolded in a way that made me feel safe to hurt right now. This book is the permission I needed to think about my situation and to have feelings about it.
Humans have emotions, but people are the ones who decide to feel them.
"i know better now.
stanzas are for quitters
punctuation is for the brave.
If love is a semicolon then grief is a comma:
it won't ever stand alone,
but it will give you one breath,
in."
Then, something happened in my life.
I stopped reading entirely. I'm still not fully okay right now. My emotions have been shut off.
I picked back up this book the other night, and a switch was flipped.
This novel has such a unique couple of perspectives on a fictional situation that I completely believe in. This story unfolded in a way that made me feel safe to hurt right now. This book is the permission I needed to think about my situation and to have feelings about it.
Humans have emotions, but people are the ones who decide to feel them.
"i know better now.
stanzas are for quitters
punctuation is for the brave.
If love is a semicolon then grief is a comma:
it won't ever stand alone,
but it will give you one breath,
in."
Definitely spent 50% of this book holding back tears.
Also, I wish there had been more resolution.
Also, I wish there had been more resolution.
Also posted on Rally the Readers.
* A copy was provided by the publisher for review.
I don’t remember the last time I read a book in a day, and a contemporary to boot. The narrative format of Gena/Finn is quite unique; the story is told through blog posts (with comments!), fanfics, texts, emails, chats, and even good old-fashioned handwritten journal entries. I’d never read a novel structured like this; I’ve read an epistolary novel or two, but Gena/Finn includes just about every form of digital communication. As a blogger, my interest was definitely piqued when I opened the book to a blog post, and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.
The novel’s format is a winner, and perhaps because the blog posts and email/text exchanges aren’t all that long, the book is a very compulsive read. I confess that I’m usually a little skeptical of books that go out on a limb with the narrative structure because I’m afraid they’re going to end up being a gimmick that overshadows everything else. There is no such issue with Gena/Finn, and I’m really impressed with the creativity that went into telling this story in a rather unconventional fashion.
Gena is a boarding school student who’s about to graduate and attend a prestigious university. Finn is a college graduate who followed her boyfriend to California and is working jobs that help pay the bills but which don’t utilize her degree in art history. What Gena and Finn share is a hardcore love for a TV series called Up Below. Both post online about it, and that’s where they meet. They click immediately, united by their passion for their fandom. I completely understood the instant connection; it’s the same thrill I feel every time another book blogger says, “Hey! I LOVED that book, too!” There’s something very comforting in knowing that there’s another person out there in the world who loves the same thing, whether it’s a book, a TV series, a movie, etc., on the same level that you do, especially when your family and friends greet you with quizzical looks whenever you fangirl over Book X or Movie Y. Yet again.
Gena/Finn features lots of hilarious snark, which I very much enjoyed. The book takes on a heavier tone later on, but the shift doesn’t feel abrupt, and the turn of the plot underlines just how strong Gena and Finn’s friendship has become. This is a cleverly written novel that grabbed my attention straightaway and didn’t let go. It was also a very relatable book; truly the greatest thing about blogging has been the friendships that have formed over the past few years. There’s quite a bit of resonance to be found within the pages of this book for anyone who’s part of an online community, as well as a poignant story told in a very unique way.
* A copy was provided by the publisher for review.
I don’t remember the last time I read a book in a day, and a contemporary to boot. The narrative format of Gena/Finn is quite unique; the story is told through blog posts (with comments!), fanfics, texts, emails, chats, and even good old-fashioned handwritten journal entries. I’d never read a novel structured like this; I’ve read an epistolary novel or two, but Gena/Finn includes just about every form of digital communication. As a blogger, my interest was definitely piqued when I opened the book to a blog post, and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.
The novel’s format is a winner, and perhaps because the blog posts and email/text exchanges aren’t all that long, the book is a very compulsive read. I confess that I’m usually a little skeptical of books that go out on a limb with the narrative structure because I’m afraid they’re going to end up being a gimmick that overshadows everything else. There is no such issue with Gena/Finn, and I’m really impressed with the creativity that went into telling this story in a rather unconventional fashion.
Gena is a boarding school student who’s about to graduate and attend a prestigious university. Finn is a college graduate who followed her boyfriend to California and is working jobs that help pay the bills but which don’t utilize her degree in art history. What Gena and Finn share is a hardcore love for a TV series called Up Below. Both post online about it, and that’s where they meet. They click immediately, united by their passion for their fandom. I completely understood the instant connection; it’s the same thrill I feel every time another book blogger says, “Hey! I LOVED that book, too!” There’s something very comforting in knowing that there’s another person out there in the world who loves the same thing, whether it’s a book, a TV series, a movie, etc., on the same level that you do, especially when your family and friends greet you with quizzical looks whenever you fangirl over Book X or Movie Y. Yet again.
Gena/Finn features lots of hilarious snark, which I very much enjoyed. The book takes on a heavier tone later on, but the shift doesn’t feel abrupt, and the turn of the plot underlines just how strong Gena and Finn’s friendship has become. This is a cleverly written novel that grabbed my attention straightaway and didn’t let go. It was also a very relatable book; truly the greatest thing about blogging has been the friendships that have formed over the past few years. There’s quite a bit of resonance to be found within the pages of this book for anyone who’s part of an online community, as well as a poignant story told in a very unique way.
My thoughts right after reading:
Wow. This book is just... Well, I don't really know how to say it other than I have mixed feelings about this book.
I was excited to read Gena/Finn because (a) Fangirling, duh, and (b) it's written using emails, blog posts, and text messages. Which are my FAVORITE. So you can probably guess that I loved this book from the beginning... Right until around 70% of the book.
I mean, that climax was definitely something I did not expect. So much that I thought the book just added that for the sake of a climax. Sure, it was important for a while, but then I couldn't really connect with the kind of coose relationship Gena had with Zack. So I just skimmed a whole lot of the aftermath of.
And then there's that ending. I was reading the last part with Gena's new blog post (which got me thinking "Yay! She's finally feeling at least a bit better!") and then I flipped the next page and realized that was the end of the book.
Like, WHAT.
In the end, I finished the book feeling like it should have been longer, or could have cleared things up a bit more. I really did enjoy all the fangirling scenes though. I found it very relatable and funny. :)
Will be updating this review with further thoughts about Gena/Finn sometime soon.
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+ BLOG: YA book reviews & other bookish stuff
+ TWITTER: Been fangirling about books since I was born
+ INSTAGRAM: Book photography!
Wow. This book is just... Well, I don't really know how to say it other than I have mixed feelings about this book.
I was excited to read Gena/Finn because (a) Fangirling, duh, and (b) it's written using emails, blog posts, and text messages. Which are my FAVORITE. So you can probably guess that I loved this book from the beginning... Right until around 70% of the book.
I mean, that climax was definitely something I did not expect. So much that I thought the book just added that for the sake of a climax. Sure, it was important for a while, but then I couldn't really connect with the kind of coose relationship Gena had with Zack. So I just skimmed a whole lot of the aftermath of
Spoiler
that accidentAnd then there's that ending. I was reading the last part with Gena's new blog post (which got me thinking "Yay! She's finally feeling at least a bit better!") and then I flipped the next page and realized that was the end of the book.
Like, WHAT.
In the end, I finished the book feeling like it should have been longer, or could have cleared things up a bit more. I really did enjoy all the fangirling scenes though. I found it very relatable and funny. :)
Will be updating this review with further thoughts about Gena/Finn sometime soon.
---
+ BLOG: YA book reviews & other bookish stuff
+ TWITTER: Been fangirling about books since I was born
+ INSTAGRAM: Book photography!