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shiqingxuan34's review against another edition
3.0
okay so this book made me wanna go back to high school and do things better and also made me guilty for not trying hard enough to talk n hang out w my friends
mcayers316's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Ariel is in his senior year of high school, and thinks he has it all figured out. He's set to be the valedictorian, with his perfect grades (6 AP classes), and plays first chair violin. His interview with Harvard is all set, and he's ready to take on the school year. Things start to deteriorate as the school year begins, and Ariel's workload is threatening to overwhelm him. He's not sleeping, barely eating, and missing events left and right in order to tackle his ever-growing assignment list. He fails his first AP Calculus test, and he has no choice but to get a tutor. He asks Amir (a family friend) to help him study, and begins to realize that he might want to be more than “just friends” with Amir. But just when Ariel thinks he’s got it all under control, things start to crack all around him.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, although it did bring back some stress memories from my own high school experience. The academic pressure and self-imposed stress brought back vivid memories, and my own experience was in many ways very similar to Ariel’s. I think this book will resonate very strongly with many of the teens I work with in my current job. I see every day how stressed they are, how many extra things they are piling on in their already busy schedules, struggling to compete for those coveted college spots.
The characters felt authentic to me, and I enjoyed the relationships in the book. I thought the friendships in particular were well-crafted, and captured the dizzying array of emotions from high school. The one main issue I had with the book, was that the ending tied up too neatly, and didn’t feel as authentic to me. Without spoiling anything, I thought that Ariel should have come to the realization about his mental health and stress on his own, without that realization coming through the filter of another person. The story ended on a positive note, but the ending felt a little rushed and unrealistic to Ariel’s character. Ariel’s drive and competitiveness throughout the book made me think that his choices at the end of the book would have been forced on him, not something he would decide easily on his own.
Overall it was still a great book, and one I will be handing to as many teens as I can, as I think it has a valuable message.
I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, although it did bring back some stress memories from my own high school experience. The academic pressure and self-imposed stress brought back vivid memories, and my own experience was in many ways very similar to Ariel’s. I think this book will resonate very strongly with many of the teens I work with in my current job. I see every day how stressed they are, how many extra things they are piling on in their already busy schedules, struggling to compete for those coveted college spots.
The characters felt authentic to me, and I enjoyed the relationships in the book. I thought the friendships in particular were well-crafted, and captured the dizzying array of emotions from high school. The one main issue I had with the book, was that the ending tied up too neatly, and didn’t feel as authentic to me. Without spoiling anything, I thought that Ariel should have come to the realization about his mental health and stress on his own, without that realization coming through the filter of another person. The story ended on a positive note, but the ending felt a little rushed and unrealistic to Ariel’s character. Ariel’s drive and competitiveness throughout the book made me think that his choices at the end of the book would have been forced on him, not something he would decide easily on his own.
Overall it was still a great book, and one I will be handing to as many teens as I can, as I think it has a valuable message.
I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I am the literal personification of the heart eyes emoji after finishing this book!
itslucyamber's review against another edition
4.5
This book was more relatable than it had any right to be.
(the clue is in the name)
(the clue is in the name)
miracle_paige's review against another edition
3.0
So while my dad was getting surgery on his broken leg, I finished this book. Overall, I rated it 3 stars the characters, specifically the main character, Ariel, was very relatable in his struggle with perfectionism, however, I definitely would not read this book again. The writing style seemed a little choppy and was hard for me to get through due to lack of interest. The plot was just enough for me to finish it with at least mild entertainment and enjoyment and that elevated it to a 3 star rating. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this, but it is a quick read.
gisselleestefani06's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
theofficialzhang's review against another edition
5.0
The academic stress and pressure is so relatable
smtvash's review against another edition
2.0
Minor Arcana: The 8 of Cups
Anxiety Fiction
Extremely Young Adult
Self Sabotage
Anxiety Fiction
Extremely Young Adult
Self Sabotage
shrey_z's review against another edition
reflective
medium-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
3.0
This book seemed to blame the main character a lot, and at the end seemed to patronise Ariel's feelings. It seemed like the other characters weren't really listening to him. I did like the characters and their relationships though, very realistic.