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ciuli's review against another edition
2.0
2/5
TW: cheating, talk of abortion, rape, mentions of alcoholism
I'm giving this book two stars just because 1) it had potential 2) Jude is the real MVP and she's the only character that made sense in this book.
Confusing, that's the word I'd use to explain this book. The characters are confusing, the plot is messy (can that be considered a plot at all?). Penny is a half-korean girl with a troubled relationship with her mother. When she moves to college, through her roommate Jude she meets Sam, who is kind of Jude's uncle but he's really not. After an incident, the two start texting each other, jokingly calling the other their 'emergency contact' and start building a friendship through texts.
I think this book had lots of potential but it was just downright messy. I couldnt really emphasize with the characters, we get glimpse of their lives apart from each other, but these parts are just left there and don't influence the main story at all? What was the point of focusing on Sam's documentary, if it was just going to be dismissed in the end? Same thing for Penny's creative writing classes. I thought they were going to serve a purpose, either for the plot or the character development, but they were just useless.
Also, I don't really get Penny's relationship with her mother. I get that Penny is too much in her head and preoccupies herself more than she should, but the way her mother flips that in the end is just psychologically abusive? You can't expect me to suddenly feel pity for her mother because her daughter is distant from her, when three chapters earlier you told that said daughter once smashed her head on the ground when she was 6 and she had to go to her neighbors to ask for help instead of home. When said mother left her kid at home alone at night to go on dates. Sam's meeting with his mother at least made much more sense, at least it was in line with what had been said up till that point.
I really think that this book had potential, but it got totally lost in this whole mess.
TW: cheating, talk of abortion, rape, mentions of alcoholism
I'm giving this book two stars just because 1) it had potential 2) Jude is the real MVP and she's the only character that made sense in this book.
Confusing, that's the word I'd use to explain this book. The characters are confusing, the plot is messy (can that be considered a plot at all?). Penny is a half-korean girl with a troubled relationship with her mother. When she moves to college, through her roommate Jude she meets Sam, who is kind of Jude's uncle but he's really not. After an incident, the two start texting each other, jokingly calling the other their 'emergency contact' and start building a friendship through texts.
I think this book had lots of potential but it was just downright messy. I couldnt really emphasize with the characters, we get glimpse of their lives apart from each other, but these parts are just left there and don't influence the main story at all? What was the point of focusing on Sam's documentary, if it was just going to be dismissed in the end? Same thing for Penny's creative writing classes. I thought they were going to serve a purpose, either for the plot or the character development, but they were just useless.
Also, I don't really get Penny's relationship with her mother. I get that Penny is too much in her head and preoccupies herself more than she should, but the way her mother flips that in the end is just psychologically abusive? You can't expect me to suddenly feel pity for her mother because her daughter is distant from her, when three chapters earlier you told that said daughter once smashed her head on the ground when she was 6 and she had to go to her neighbors to ask for help instead of home. When said mother left her kid at home alone at night to go on dates. Sam's meeting with his mother at least made much more sense, at least it was in line with what had been said up till that point.
I really think that this book had potential, but it got totally lost in this whole mess.
tetedump's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
dania_m's review against another edition
4.0
it was slow at first but about the 170 pages mark it got really interesting and i started to love it. i like both of the characters and it is the type of book that reassures you that you are a normal person :).
amandanomaly's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The format, the characters and the dialogue were interesting and unique. My only complaint was with the ending. It all seemed to get tied up in half a page of text, which made the ending feel abrupt, like the ending of a Hallmark movie. I wanted to relish and savor the ending a bit more, but it was still a great read.
akrafi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. Each character was relatable and lovable. They went through real world problems and felt raw emotions. Never once did i predict what would happen or what would be said during this book which made me love it even more. I related to Penny who is an incredible character. I absolutely love Sam too cus he's not just a male character or love interest. Each of these characters has depth and it had my interest on every word. I'll never stop recommending this book. So much love to the author.
blurrypetals's review against another edition
5.0
This book made my heart feel like it was made out of sunlight.
Not long ago, I finished reading Rule by Jay Crownover, which was like...a fine book. It was okay, the couple was cute, it had its own charm to it, but there wasn't anything about it that made it feel special or different from the other thirty books I've read this year so far that feature a totally non-magical girl and a cosmically ordinary boy having feelings for one another, meaning contemporaries. Because of that book, I expelled a soft, wistful sigh and thought to myself, "Man, it would be really great to find a book that makes me feel like Colleen Hoover makes me feel." but that thought was kind of impossible to actualize, since I've read everything Colleen has written except Never Never and pretty much every book that's been suggested to me based on my love for Colleen Hoover is either an actual soap opera, erotica, or both. That isn't to say those books have no value (in fact I literally read an erotica like three days ago) I just wanted something that had that something special to it.
I quit searching for that sweet spot of a book and then, two days later, Audible had a huge sale and I picked this beautiful little book up for a neat $8.34. It's taken me a hot minute to get to it, but god I am so glad I decided to read it, especially right now. I've read 77 books in 2018 so far and, excluding One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, I've felt like I've been in a bit of a slump ever since finishing Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi...but this book saved the day for me, so now I'm going to actually talk about it.
Everything about this book was magical to me, from the way Penny thought (especially how she laid out possible options and plans of attack when dealing with unsavory situations) to the way Sam behaved to all their adorable conversations to the way their relationship started and then grew...it was all so great.
This was just one of those books that made me feel so lucky to be able to experience it. The lenses through which we experience the story, as a writer for Penny and as a documentary filmmaker for Sam, added so much unique flavor and energized zeal to the narrative, especially since those two forms of art I myself adore, filmmaking (not of the documentary style, though) and writing. It was fascinating to see how they both worked on their big projects, too. Like how Penny needed to puzzle her way through writing the story of a mother who neglects her real life infant by being so focused on a video game wherein she is raising a virtual child...I loved seeing how writing that story informed the way she acted with Sam and her own mother; it was absolutely fascinating. I also adored watching how Sam worked with the skateboard boys for his documentary and his journey to realizing he doesn't need school to tell stories or do what he wants to do. I think the conversation of "art vs. artist" was really interesting and well done here and, as an artist myself, it made the book stand out for me in a way the same story told without those elements wouldn't have done.
This made me relate on such a deep level with the characters and I reveled in every moment I got to spend watching Sam and Penny fall in love. There's a scene earlier in the book where Penny's friend and Sam's ex-niece, Jude, shows Penny a video of Sam and his ex-girlfriend and says something to the effect of, "God they were goals." and, honestly that's how I feel about Sam and Penny: they're goals. They fit so perfectly together that it actually, physically aches that I won't get to read more about them and their future.
That's when I know I've read a great book, when my only issue is that there wasn't more of it to enjoy, regardless of how long the book actually was, especially if I was grinning like a damn idiot most of the time reading it, which I was.
This book gave me a huge boost of positive energy and it matched the gorgeous weather of spring coming into full swing outside; thus, the sunlight-heart I referred to at the top of the review. I loved this and it is absolutely a new all time favorite, no hesitation on that, final answer, lock it in.
Not long ago, I finished reading Rule by Jay Crownover, which was like...a fine book. It was okay, the couple was cute, it had its own charm to it, but there wasn't anything about it that made it feel special or different from the other thirty books I've read this year so far that feature a totally non-magical girl and a cosmically ordinary boy having feelings for one another, meaning contemporaries. Because of that book, I expelled a soft, wistful sigh and thought to myself, "Man, it would be really great to find a book that makes me feel like Colleen Hoover makes me feel." but that thought was kind of impossible to actualize, since I've read everything Colleen has written except Never Never and pretty much every book that's been suggested to me based on my love for Colleen Hoover is either an actual soap opera, erotica, or both. That isn't to say those books have no value (in fact I literally read an erotica like three days ago) I just wanted something that had that something special to it.
I quit searching for that sweet spot of a book and then, two days later, Audible had a huge sale and I picked this beautiful little book up for a neat $8.34. It's taken me a hot minute to get to it, but god I am so glad I decided to read it, especially right now. I've read 77 books in 2018 so far and, excluding One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, I've felt like I've been in a bit of a slump ever since finishing Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi...but this book saved the day for me, so now I'm going to actually talk about it.
Everything about this book was magical to me, from the way Penny thought (especially how she laid out possible options and plans of attack when dealing with unsavory situations) to the way Sam behaved to all their adorable conversations to the way their relationship started and then grew...it was all so great.
This was just one of those books that made me feel so lucky to be able to experience it. The lenses through which we experience the story, as a writer for Penny and as a documentary filmmaker for Sam, added so much unique flavor and energized zeal to the narrative, especially since those two forms of art I myself adore, filmmaking (not of the documentary style, though) and writing. It was fascinating to see how they both worked on their big projects, too. Like how Penny needed to puzzle her way through writing the story of a mother who neglects her real life infant by being so focused on a video game wherein she is raising a virtual child...I loved seeing how writing that story informed the way she acted with Sam and her own mother; it was absolutely fascinating. I also adored watching how Sam worked with the skateboard boys for his documentary and his journey to realizing he doesn't need school to tell stories or do what he wants to do. I think the conversation of "art vs. artist" was really interesting and well done here and, as an artist myself, it made the book stand out for me in a way the same story told without those elements wouldn't have done.
This made me relate on such a deep level with the characters and I reveled in every moment I got to spend watching Sam and Penny fall in love. There's a scene earlier in the book where Penny's friend and Sam's ex-niece, Jude, shows Penny a video of Sam and his ex-girlfriend and says something to the effect of, "God they were goals." and, honestly that's how I feel about Sam and Penny: they're goals. They fit so perfectly together that it actually, physically aches that I won't get to read more about them and their future.
That's when I know I've read a great book, when my only issue is that there wasn't more of it to enjoy, regardless of how long the book actually was, especially if I was grinning like a damn idiot most of the time reading it, which I was.
This book gave me a huge boost of positive energy and it matched the gorgeous weather of spring coming into full swing outside; thus, the sunlight-heart I referred to at the top of the review. I loved this and it is absolutely a new all time favorite, no hesitation on that, final answer, lock it in.
havensrose's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The end just feel finished to me but I enjoyed the rest of the book.
nora_meeker's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A bit hard to get into. I loved the characters and all their quirks and flaws. I also loved how the relationships formed and how natural it felt. The writing style was fun and interesting. I will say it was a bit boring at times but I also don’t think that realistic fiction is my cup of tea.
Overall a really cute read that had me giggling and kicking my feet at some parts.
Overall a really cute read that had me giggling and kicking my feet at some parts.