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bookmarklit's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Maybe I had a chip on my shoulder the whole time I read this and never gave it a fair shot, but I just really did not like this. The main character annoyed me so much from the very first page, the writing felt nothing like Gibaldi's first book that I loved, the romance was meh, and so much felt forced and cheesy. I have a lot of thoughts on this actually. More later.
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There are a lot of things I didn’t like about this book, but I don’t think I can necessarily say that it’s a bad book. I don’t know if I read this with a chip on my shoulder or something – like I didn’t give it a fair shot. I was annoyed within the first chapter and that feeling was unshakeable throughout the book. I really am putting this one firmly in the middle of the road (technically, since 2.5 is half of 5). I’m tired of being nice and rounding up my ratings because I feel like I should have liked a book. Some highlights of things I enjoyed and didn’t…
--- Things I enjoyed:
Adoption
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where adoption was the main storyline. I used to be fascinated by this process and thought it would be fun to get inside someone’s head in this situation. Overall, a cool concept that did make me want to keep reading. More on that later…
Photography
Her main hobby and potential future college major/career was photography. I’ve always enjoyed it but have never been good at it, so that was pretty fun to read about for me. I liked what it added to the story for sure.
--- Meh things:
Some relatable friend / college feels
This book did make feel nostalgic for college a little bit. The parties and drinking and shenanigans on each floor of the dorm. So classic. I also think the friend feels about Treena were simultaneously realistic and annoying. She was extremely jealous about everything, but there was at least a reason for her to be that way. I could put myself in her shoes (as well as Treena’s) but just wish she spoke up. This is your BEST FRIEND that you love sooo much apparently; you can’t tell her how you feel at that point? For something that feels huge to you? Ugh.
Romance
The romance was fine. It didn’t make me swoon and I wouldn’t add them to my “ship so hard” Goodreads shelf. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I almost didn’t care about it. Essentially no feels. However, I did appreciate somewhat how it ended up.
--- Things I didn't enjoy:
Writing style and dialogue
After reading Gibaldi’s debut, I was extremely excited for this one to see how they compared. I enjoyed her first book but it didn’t blow me away like I had hoped. This book honestly felt like it was written by a completely different author. The writing was weird. It felt awkward and forced – like it was trying way too hard. Every single chapter or chapter break ended with a cheesy metaphor. She was never just walking on a path, she was walking ~ to her future ~ or something like that. I get the idea of adding some extra meaning here and there, but it didn’t work. This was one of the biggest things that made me grumble with each page.
Maude, the main character
Ugh, Maude. Within the first page or two, she was already comparing herself to Celine: her hair, her photography skills, etc. Again, somewhat realistic. Everyone is jealous and self-conscious right? But Celine gave her no reason to feel inferior like that. They’re friends and have shared interests. I think the first chapter of self-doubt is supposed to show how much Maude grows by the end of the book. She “finds herself” and figures out who she wants to be, instead of comparing herself to others. It just felt really overdone and heavy-handed instead of like natural character development.
Like I mentioned before, some of the friend feels of jealousy were normal and expected. I hate when I dislike characters like this because it makes me feel mean. I was never a perfect teenager but I always had fun / did things my parents wouldn’t like if they found out. Maude was essentially a wet blanket. I know she’s used to Treena-with-strict-Indian-parents and instead she got college-Treena, but I don’t know. She went on and on about the Treena she knew, her BEST FRIEND EVER and NO ONE WILL EVER compare to her SO DON’T EVEN TRY IT, CELINE!!!!! She was incredibly possessive over her right off the bat and I knew I wasn’t going to like where things were headed.
Something stupid that bothered me? They told her about a building shaped like a penis and she didn’t think it was funny. I mean, come on. That’s classic. Loosen up!
Some of the other adoption stuff
It felt cheesy at times – every time she walked A N Y W H E R E on campus, she made comments about how her mom walked through the same area. I really, truly get it. It’s actually a huge deal and I think anyone would have those thoughts constantly. But it seems like the kind of thing that we wouldn’t see repeated every other page – just because this is a novel, not an actual stream of consciousness in someone’s head. Does that make any sense? I also thought it was unrealistic that she expected so much from her mother, especially based on what she already knew. She got pregnant at 18 and gave the baby up for adoption; she could be like ANYTHING! She could be mean, nice, smart, dumb, party-crazy, or a book nerd. I feel like in that situation you might get your hopes up about what the parent is like – of course! – but wouldn’t there be some level of realism? I don’t know. I think I’m being too harsh, but it’s just the impression I got and it frustrated me. I would think “cautious optimism” is the way to go in this situation.
Overall feelings
When you roll your eyes and get annoyed with every page, you know it wasn’t really worth reading. I’m sorry. I don’t know if I’ll bother with Gibaldi’s future books. The first didn’t wow me too much and this one didn’t even come close. Overall, I generally liked the feels about adoption. That stuff kept me going while the college/friend stuff made me want to quit.
---------------
There are a lot of things I didn’t like about this book, but I don’t think I can necessarily say that it’s a bad book. I don’t know if I read this with a chip on my shoulder or something – like I didn’t give it a fair shot. I was annoyed within the first chapter and that feeling was unshakeable throughout the book. I really am putting this one firmly in the middle of the road (technically, since 2.5 is half of 5). I’m tired of being nice and rounding up my ratings because I feel like I should have liked a book. Some highlights of things I enjoyed and didn’t…
--- Things I enjoyed:
Adoption
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where adoption was the main storyline. I used to be fascinated by this process and thought it would be fun to get inside someone’s head in this situation. Overall, a cool concept that did make me want to keep reading. More on that later…
Photography
Her main hobby and potential future college major/career was photography. I’ve always enjoyed it but have never been good at it, so that was pretty fun to read about for me. I liked what it added to the story for sure.
--- Meh things:
Some relatable friend / college feels
This book did make feel nostalgic for college a little bit. The parties and drinking and shenanigans on each floor of the dorm. So classic. I also think the friend feels about Treena were simultaneously realistic and annoying. She was extremely jealous about everything, but there was at least a reason for her to be that way. I could put myself in her shoes (as well as Treena’s) but just wish she spoke up. This is your BEST FRIEND that you love sooo much apparently; you can’t tell her how you feel at that point? For something that feels huge to you? Ugh.
Romance
The romance was fine. It didn’t make me swoon and I wouldn’t add them to my “ship so hard” Goodreads shelf. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I almost didn’t care about it. Essentially no feels. However, I did appreciate somewhat how it ended up.
Spoiler
Things were realistically left open-ended. She would be headed home and they’d keep in contact, but she had a smart attitude (for the first time in the whole book) about what their relationship could be. There were major hints she’d end up there for college, but nothing set in stone. This is not really an ending for the hardcore romantics out there because it wasn’t EXACTLY a HEA.--- Things I didn't enjoy:
Writing style and dialogue
After reading Gibaldi’s debut, I was extremely excited for this one to see how they compared. I enjoyed her first book but it didn’t blow me away like I had hoped. This book honestly felt like it was written by a completely different author. The writing was weird. It felt awkward and forced – like it was trying way too hard. Every single chapter or chapter break ended with a cheesy metaphor. She was never just walking on a path, she was walking ~ to her future ~ or something like that. I get the idea of adding some extra meaning here and there, but it didn’t work. This was one of the biggest things that made me grumble with each page.
Maude, the main character
Ugh, Maude. Within the first page or two, she was already comparing herself to Celine: her hair, her photography skills, etc. Again, somewhat realistic. Everyone is jealous and self-conscious right? But Celine gave her no reason to feel inferior like that. They’re friends and have shared interests. I think the first chapter of self-doubt is supposed to show how much Maude grows by the end of the book. She “finds herself” and figures out who she wants to be, instead of comparing herself to others. It just felt really overdone and heavy-handed instead of like natural character development.
Like I mentioned before, some of the friend feels of jealousy were normal and expected. I hate when I dislike characters like this because it makes me feel mean. I was never a perfect teenager but I always had fun / did things my parents wouldn’t like if they found out. Maude was essentially a wet blanket. I know she’s used to Treena-with-strict-Indian-parents and instead she got college-Treena, but I don’t know. She went on and on about the Treena she knew, her BEST FRIEND EVER and NO ONE WILL EVER compare to her SO DON’T EVEN TRY IT, CELINE!!!!! She was incredibly possessive over her right off the bat and I knew I wasn’t going to like where things were headed.
Something stupid that bothered me? They told her about a building shaped like a penis and she didn’t think it was funny. I mean, come on. That’s classic. Loosen up!
Some of the other adoption stuff
It felt cheesy at times – every time she walked A N Y W H E R E on campus, she made comments about how her mom walked through the same area. I really, truly get it. It’s actually a huge deal and I think anyone would have those thoughts constantly. But it seems like the kind of thing that we wouldn’t see repeated every other page – just because this is a novel, not an actual stream of consciousness in someone’s head. Does that make any sense? I also thought it was unrealistic that she expected so much from her mother, especially based on what she already knew. She got pregnant at 18 and gave the baby up for adoption; she could be like ANYTHING! She could be mean, nice, smart, dumb, party-crazy, or a book nerd. I feel like in that situation you might get your hopes up about what the parent is like – of course! – but wouldn’t there be some level of realism? I don’t know. I think I’m being too harsh, but it’s just the impression I got and it frustrated me. I would think “cautious optimism” is the way to go in this situation.
Overall feelings
When you roll your eyes and get annoyed with every page, you know it wasn’t really worth reading. I’m sorry. I don’t know if I’ll bother with Gibaldi’s future books. The first didn’t wow me too much and this one didn’t even come close. Overall, I generally liked the feels about adoption. That stuff kept me going while the college/friend stuff made me want to quit.
bethanymiller415's review against another edition
3.0
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic
Grades: 9-12
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommendation: Optional Purchase
When her art teacher assigns a project on family, teen photographer Maude visits her best friend Treena at college and goes in search of information about her birth mother who died during childbirth. Maude discovers new information about her mother and finds that her best friend has changed in the few months that she has been away at college. These revelations lead her to question who she really is and how she will change when she goes off to college.
This novel focuses on the transition from high school to college, a pivotal moment in the lives of many teens and a time when dramatic changes can take place in a short amount of time. Treena has taken the opportunity to reinvent herself from a girl who follows all the rules to a girl who will do anything to impress a hot boy. Maude is shocked by the changes in her friend and disgusted by the way she will do anything to impress a guy who is clearly a jerk. She is also hurt by her friend’s lack of interest in helping her in her quest to learn more about her mother. Luckily, Bennett, the cute boy who lives down the hall from Treena, is there to help her out.
The conflicts explored in Autofocus are realistic and relevant. Teens who have had friends go off to college or who have made that transition themselves will find a lot to relate to. Maude’s attempt to find more information about her mother yields realistic results. There are no huge surprises or overly dramatic twists. This is a serviceable novel about the changes and challenges of becoming a young adult. For a more compelling take on this topic, try Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.
Grades: 9-12
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommendation: Optional Purchase
When her art teacher assigns a project on family, teen photographer Maude visits her best friend Treena at college and goes in search of information about her birth mother who died during childbirth. Maude discovers new information about her mother and finds that her best friend has changed in the few months that she has been away at college. These revelations lead her to question who she really is and how she will change when she goes off to college.
This novel focuses on the transition from high school to college, a pivotal moment in the lives of many teens and a time when dramatic changes can take place in a short amount of time. Treena has taken the opportunity to reinvent herself from a girl who follows all the rules to a girl who will do anything to impress a hot boy. Maude is shocked by the changes in her friend and disgusted by the way she will do anything to impress a guy who is clearly a jerk. She is also hurt by her friend’s lack of interest in helping her in her quest to learn more about her mother. Luckily, Bennett, the cute boy who lives down the hall from Treena, is there to help her out.
The conflicts explored in Autofocus are realistic and relevant. Teens who have had friends go off to college or who have made that transition themselves will find a lot to relate to. Maude’s attempt to find more information about her mother yields realistic results. There are no huge surprises or overly dramatic twists. This is a serviceable novel about the changes and challenges of becoming a young adult. For a more compelling take on this topic, try Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
5.0
Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi was an endearing, excellent read about finding yourself and not letting your past define your future. Read my full review here Link goes live 8/4/2017
ecamaselli's review against another edition
3.0
I think Imma give this book 3 stars. I did like it, but there was a lack of...something. Though I’m not really sure what.
Also, not gonna lie, that phrase “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” was in here and that costed this book about a half a star lol. Sorry, Shay.
Bennett was by far my favorite character...in fact, maybe he was a little too perfect at times. Also, there are too many letters in that name (sorry to anyone whose name is Bennett out there. This isn’t a dig at you, it’s a dig at your parents for giving you that name.)
I wish we knew whether or not Maude actually wound up going to FSU or not. I know that’s not what the story’s about but it kind of is so LET ME HAVE THIS.
All-in-all, it was a good book. It just wasn’t, like, my new FAVORITE or anything.
Plot: 5/10
Friendships: 6/10
Romance: 6/10
Family Relations: 6/10
Writing: 4/10 (because of that one breath she didn’t know she was holding)
Total: 3/5 stars.
Also, not gonna lie, that phrase “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” was in here and that costed this book about a half a star lol. Sorry, Shay.
Bennett was by far my favorite character...in fact, maybe he was a little too perfect at times. Also, there are too many letters in that name (sorry to anyone whose name is Bennett out there. This isn’t a dig at you, it’s a dig at your parents for giving you that name.)
I wish we knew whether or not Maude actually wound up going to FSU or not. I know that’s not what the story’s about but it kind of is so LET ME HAVE THIS.
All-in-all, it was a good book. It just wasn’t, like, my new FAVORITE or anything.
Plot: 5/10
Friendships: 6/10
Romance: 6/10
Family Relations: 6/10
Writing: 4/10 (because of that one breath she didn’t know she was holding)
Total: 3/5 stars.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Such a great book, a story about family, and finding out who you are, who you want to be! So great!
guardianofthebookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Rating is closer to 3.5 stars. I really liked a lot of aspects of this one, but I didn't love it.
whisperingchapters's review against another edition
3.0
This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.
Autofocus focuses (see what I did there?) on Maude, a girl who was adopted. She wants to know more about her mom so she takes to opportunity to go to the college her best friend studies at because her mom used to study there. Hoping to learn about her mom's school days from the professors, Maude makes the trip and plans to stay with her best friend. Thinks get a bit out of hand so Maude gets the help of a boy to help her out with her discovery.
I had a bit of a problem with Maude. Let's just say people would walk all over her or say stuff and she would never express how she felt about it. It got irritating because it happened a lot, especially when it came to her best friend. I did not like her best friend at all. She was supposed to help Maude with her search and all she did was live the college life by partying and making out with her "boyfriend".
Back to Maude: Slowly, Maude started to grow throughout the story and ultimately become someone better. Maude went through self-discovery for sure, while searching for her mom and making comparative notes. Maude's hobby, photography, was something very important that I definitely enjoyed of the story.
The story felt so real when it came to the adoption aspects. Her parents were very skeptical, but they let her go on the trip because they knew she really wanted answers. There was a romance added to the story that took me a while to believe, but towards the end it started to grow more believable. I wish there had more to Maude and Bennett as a couple.
Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read and I loved the take on adoption this book showed.
I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.
Autofocus focuses (see what I did there?) on Maude, a girl who was adopted. She wants to know more about her mom so she takes to opportunity to go to the college her best friend studies at because her mom used to study there. Hoping to learn about her mom's school days from the professors, Maude makes the trip and plans to stay with her best friend. Thinks get a bit out of hand so Maude gets the help of a boy to help her out with her discovery.
I had a bit of a problem with Maude. Let's just say people would walk all over her or say stuff and she would never express how she felt about it. It got irritating because it happened a lot, especially when it came to her best friend. I did not like her best friend at all. She was supposed to help Maude with her search and all she did was live the college life by partying and making out with her "boyfriend".
Back to Maude: Slowly, Maude started to grow throughout the story and ultimately become someone better. Maude went through self-discovery for sure, while searching for her mom and making comparative notes. Maude's hobby, photography, was something very important that I definitely enjoyed of the story.
The story felt so real when it came to the adoption aspects. Her parents were very skeptical, but they let her go on the trip because they knew she really wanted answers. There was a romance added to the story that took me a while to believe, but towards the end it started to grow more believable. I wish there had more to Maude and Bennett as a couple.
Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read and I loved the take on adoption this book showed.
I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.