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annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books I never would have bought myself, but I won this book in a huge giveaway and Sunday Evening I decided to pick it up. And I do not regret that, because I really enjoyed the book and was pleasantly surprised.
The story is written in a nice mixture of street language and beautiful sentences. The voice of the book really fits the main character and that's really important to me. I also liked the way of storytelling, where we read Taliah's story from her point of view and her mother's story from her mother's point of view. The one downside is that I'm pretty sure that Taliah doesn't have the exact same knowledge as we have, since her father tells her her mother's story and doesn't know all details. But it does help to get a better image of her mother and her side of the story.
What I also really loved about this story, was the focus on emotions. There wasn't much action, there weren't huge fights or conflicts, it was all very emotional driven, character driven. The story really was about love, about connecting, about relationships from all kinds. I really enjoyed that. I have to admit that for me the small love-story between Taliah and Toby wasn't really needed, but it didn't really bother me either, so fine.
I really enjoyed this book and story and I really liked the characters and the way the story was written so all sides of the story was understandable. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes contemporary reads centered around building and breaking relationships.
The story is written in a nice mixture of street language and beautiful sentences. The voice of the book really fits the main character and that's really important to me. I also liked the way of storytelling, where we read Taliah's story from her point of view and her mother's story from her mother's point of view. The one downside is that I'm pretty sure that Taliah doesn't have the exact same knowledge as we have, since her father tells her her mother's story and doesn't know all details. But it does help to get a better image of her mother and her side of the story.
What I also really loved about this story, was the focus on emotions. There wasn't much action, there weren't huge fights or conflicts, it was all very emotional driven, character driven. The story really was about love, about connecting, about relationships from all kinds. I really enjoyed that. I have to admit that for me the small love-story between Taliah and Toby wasn't really needed, but it didn't really bother me either, so fine.
I really enjoyed this book and story and I really liked the characters and the way the story was written so all sides of the story was understandable. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes contemporary reads centered around building and breaking relationships.
sometimes_ready's review against another edition
2.0
4.0 for the teens and tweens I think
3.5 for the entire story until the last chapter
The MC is 16 and the character is written like a 16 yo. At times that makes her annoying or immature- because she is 16. The plot is sweet and approaches the downfall of a relationship in a compelling way. I adored this aspect.
But.
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!
I'd highly recommend this book for YA/Young readers- planned to. Except, it felt like it was only 2/3s of a book. It just... ended with smidge of closure between daughter and long lost father. So, so many pieces of this book were left with no hint of a conclusion.
3.5 for the entire story until the last chapter
The MC is 16 and the character is written like a 16 yo. At times that makes her annoying or immature- because she is 16. The plot is sweet and approaches the downfall of a relationship in a compelling way. I adored this aspect.
But.
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!
I'd highly recommend this book for YA/Young readers- planned to. Except, it felt like it was only 2/3s of a book. It just... ended with smidge of closure between daughter and long lost father. So, so many pieces of this book were left with no hint of a conclusion.
jtlars7's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As an adult reader, I found this story engaging enough to keep reading, but definitely felt like it was aimed for current teens/older tweens. I wanted to yell at the 16-year-old main character to NOT get in the car with a stranger, even if he claims to be your long-lost father, and definitely don’t do it without telling your mother. Julian’s character seemed whiny and I thought he was relying too much on his daughter for emotional support. It also seemed odd that whenever he told Taliah about the past, what we were getting was from Lena’s perspective. S. wanted to read it because she loved Other Words for Home, but couldn’t get into it, and I think it’s just as well. She’s a little young for this.
mollywetta's review against another edition
3.0
Cute concept. It would have been better written in present tense with the flashbacks in past. Felt a bit like an under-revised debut or a rushed sophomore novel. Will probably work for lots of fans of YA contemporary. Enjoyable, but lacking a real profound impact.
samabenamer's review against another edition
4.0
though the plot was rlly cliche, the story transcended so many universal ideas within each character's internal struggles. I really connected w them emotionally. like ive never been so emotional at a book. and this book of all books?? its prob bc im on my period but whatever. i could really sense the heaviness and the melancholy in them especially in the scenes that relayed lena n julian's relationship.
papertraildiary's review against another edition
2.0
Updated review, also posted on papertraildiary.com:
I remember liking My Heart and other Black Holes when it came out, so I was interested in checking out Jasmine Warga's next book about a girl who finds out her father is a famous rock star. One day Taliah's father shows up on her doorstep to say hey and oh yeah your grandpa's dying, so you should come meet him before he passes away. She goes and has a father-daughter bonding experience. I liked the concept, but it fell flat for me and I don't think I can really explain why.. I think I expected more from it and didn't get enough or something. I'm also pretty over reading books about people who write music, because it's always so painful to read, haha. I can see people liking the book, but it didn't end up being one for me.
I remember liking My Heart and other Black Holes when it came out, so I was interested in checking out Jasmine Warga's next book about a girl who finds out her father is a famous rock star. One day Taliah's father shows up on her doorstep to say hey and oh yeah your grandpa's dying, so you should come meet him before he passes away. She goes and has a father-daughter bonding experience. I liked the concept, but it fell flat for me and I don't think I can really explain why.. I think I expected more from it and didn't get enough or something. I'm also pretty over reading books about people who write music, because it's always so painful to read, haha. I can see people liking the book, but it didn't end up being one for me.
a_ab's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.5
2.5*s. This book felt underbaked. It had some great ingredients (and some questionable ones), but it never really came together for me as a coherent story.
Part of it was the drama — overly dramatic artists (and not just artists) behaving in stereotypical dramatic ways for the sake of dramatic gestures or passive aggressive performative suffering. Apart from finding such behavior disgusting on the personal level, I just could not understand any of the choices they were making — repeatedly. That included the main heroine, but at least she had the excuse of being 16 and having those dramatic clowns as DNA contributors.
But another part of it was the writing. It felt like very carefully listed beats that the author was checking off in a methodical recipe-following way. None of it seemed natural or connected.
At the same time, the book wasn't bad either, I finished it and don't regret spending the time to read it. But it left me underwhelmed.
Part of it was the drama — overly dramatic artists (and not just artists) behaving in stereotypical dramatic ways for the sake of dramatic gestures or passive aggressive performative suffering. Apart from finding such behavior disgusting on the personal level, I just could not understand any of the choices they were making — repeatedly. That included the main heroine, but at least she had the excuse of being 16 and having those dramatic clowns as DNA contributors.
But another part of it was the writing. It felt like very carefully listed beats that the author was checking off in a methodical recipe-following way. None of it seemed natural or connected.
At the same time, the book wasn't bad either, I finished it and don't regret spending the time to read it. But it left me underwhelmed.
alrightieaphroditie's review against another edition
4.0
four stars ∗ i definitely was not expecting to love this book as much as i did, and this book has genuinely surprised me. i fell in love with every single thing about this novel; the plot, the characters, the setting, the dynamics, the banter, the writing...everything. after reading some of the reviews, i figured i’d probably enjoy the book but i wouldn’t “really” love it. boy was i wrong. i just had one of the worst reading slumps, and this is the first book that i could not put down. i read it while eating, while getting ready, at work, at stoplights on the way home. this is the first book in almost two months that has just completely captured my attention.
warga’s writing style is very simplistic but it definitely gets the point (and the feels) across, which is something i very much appreciate. there are times when i want to read a lyrical, complex novel, but for the most part i tend to gravitate towards the simpler side of writing. her character’s were very well written and there was a lot of character development throughout the story that ultimately led to my love and affection for these characters.
even though my long lost father is not a famous rockstar, i found myself relating to tal in many different ways. she struggled to believe that there were different versions of herself, which i relate to on an unbelievable level. all around me i feel like my friends and family are ever changing, but i’m still the same stoic and stagnant person i’ve always been. these different versions of ourselves make up who we truly are, and if we can’t see our different selfs, then we feel like we’re missing something.
all in all, i truly fell in love with this book and i definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone! even if it doesn’t impact you as much as it did to me, it’s still a cute and fun read for the summertime! ☼
warga’s writing style is very simplistic but it definitely gets the point (and the feels) across, which is something i very much appreciate. there are times when i want to read a lyrical, complex novel, but for the most part i tend to gravitate towards the simpler side of writing. her character’s were very well written and there was a lot of character development throughout the story that ultimately led to my love and affection for these characters.
even though my long lost father is not a famous rockstar, i found myself relating to tal in many different ways. she struggled to believe that there were different versions of herself, which i relate to on an unbelievable level. all around me i feel like my friends and family are ever changing, but i’m still the same stoic and stagnant person i’ve always been. these different versions of ourselves make up who we truly are, and if we can’t see our different selfs, then we feel like we’re missing something.
all in all, i truly fell in love with this book and i definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone! even if it doesn’t impact you as much as it did to me, it’s still a cute and fun read for the summertime! ☼
caffeineaddict980's review against another edition
3.0
'But I believe strongly that we all have multiple versions of ourselves. And the true test of love is learning to accept all of those versions, even when it's messy.'
When her Mother is out of the country, Taliah is shocked to see her father on her doorstep.
Going on a roadtrip with her father and her best friend, she unveils secrets that shock her family foundation.
This novel was based around family, love and acceptance.
It was a good and quick read!
When her Mother is out of the country, Taliah is shocked to see her father on her doorstep.
Going on a roadtrip with her father and her best friend, she unveils secrets that shock her family foundation.
This novel was based around family, love and acceptance.
It was a good and quick read!
jasmine_elizabeth's review against another edition
5.0
2020 reread - I loved it just as much as i did the first time. I love the relationship she develops with her father and whilst the argument at the end resolves quite quickly it was well done.
I really loved this book, and I don't usually love this genre.
I really loved this book, and I don't usually love this genre.