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ladygetslit's review
4.0
Check out my full review on my blog, The Story Salve.
3 is a story about 16-year-old Cuban-American, Taylor, as she falls in love for the first time—with two different people, in two different ways. It’s an incredibly engrossing storyline that caused me to examine some of my preconceptions of polyamory.
some things I really liked about this
* semi-awkward but ultimately positive portrayal of step-family situations & single moms
* we learn about polyamory through the eyes of a character who’s experiencing this kind of relationship for the first time; as Taylor’s assumptions are debunked, we have the opportunity to address our own misconceptions
* Josey & Theo are quirky outcasts that I want to adopt forever (especially Josey)
* for as dramatic as the polyam relationship is, it really isn’t: Josey isn’t the antagonist because Taylor learns to appreciate her
* Hannah’s amazing dialogue (hashtag: goals)
* honest talk about the future, in that all three of them have to realize they can’t predict or control everything
* realistic abortion side plot that doesn’t overdramatize or downplay the seriousness of the situation
a few caveats
* I really wanted Taylor to talk more about the difference between sexual attraction & romantic attraction in her developing feelings for Josey. I understand why the labels were left out - Taylor’s identity is left up to interpretation so that readers can pick and choose what labels they assign her. I get it, but I wanted to be able to definitively label this a bi book (at least, biromantic) rather than relying on my (obviously biased) interpretation of Taylor as bi.
* as other reviewers have noted, this is a self-published e-book & there are quite a few typos (for me, the story was too good to get hung up on a few details)
overall recommendation:
Despite the few missing details, I still found this an enjoyable read. Even more importantly, this is the first YA that has really made me rethink my assumptions about how relationships (and love) work. If you go into this with an open mind, you will absolutely gain something from reading 3.
3 is a story about 16-year-old Cuban-American, Taylor, as she falls in love for the first time—with two different people, in two different ways. It’s an incredibly engrossing storyline that caused me to examine some of my preconceptions of polyamory.
some things I really liked about this
* semi-awkward but ultimately positive portrayal of step-family situations & single moms
* we learn about polyamory through the eyes of a character who’s experiencing this kind of relationship for the first time; as Taylor’s assumptions are debunked, we have the opportunity to address our own misconceptions
* Josey & Theo are quirky outcasts that I want to adopt forever (especially Josey)
* for as dramatic as the polyam relationship is, it really isn’t: Josey isn’t the antagonist because Taylor learns to appreciate her
* Hannah’s amazing dialogue (hashtag: goals)
* honest talk about the future, in that all three of them have to realize they can’t predict or control everything
* realistic abortion side plot that doesn’t overdramatize or downplay the seriousness of the situation
a few caveats
* I really wanted Taylor to talk more about the difference between sexual attraction & romantic attraction in her developing feelings for Josey. I understand why the labels were left out - Taylor’s identity is left up to interpretation so that readers can pick and choose what labels they assign her. I get it, but I wanted to be able to definitively label this a bi book (at least, biromantic) rather than relying on my (obviously biased) interpretation of Taylor as bi.
* as other reviewers have noted, this is a self-published e-book & there are quite a few typos (for me, the story was too good to get hung up on a few details)
overall recommendation:
Despite the few missing details, I still found this an enjoyable read. Even more importantly, this is the first YA that has really made me rethink my assumptions about how relationships (and love) work. If you go into this with an open mind, you will absolutely gain something from reading 3.
a_bookish_adventure's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
fiercefully's review
I respect that this was self-published for various reasons, but the typos seemed to get worse as the book went on, with a lot of "s/he says" for things the narrator was saying. I overall really liked it, though; it was an interesting and empathetic story. Just wish Josey & Taylor ever kissed :(
andymariebrokaw's review
5.0
I absolutely love this book. It serves as a nice introduction to how polyamory can work for some people, even though it may take getting used to, without getting bogged down in the sexual aspects of the situation as many other books do. Yes, the book needed at least one more round of line editing, but I think it has a 5 star message that makes up for the errors.
theshrinkette's review
4.0
This was my first time reading any of Hannah's work, and it was such a delight. Her characters are wonderfully governed by all of the hormones and feelings of teenagers. Taylor was great, but Josey had my head and heart from the beginning. I loved that the poly relationship depicted felt real and went through the motions, without ending in a neatly tied up HEA.
TW: Abortion
TW: Abortion
volatilesublime's review
3.0
As much as I enjoyed the book, I would have given it 5 stars if it hadn't had so many grammatical errors. I feel like a jerk for saying that, but it really threw me out of the story when I found them.
sofiasoter's review
5.0
how wonderful and refreshing to read a sweet and complex story that handles polyamory with care and respect! <3
jesslovestype's review
3.0
I'm still sort of reeling that it took reading this book for me to remember how it used to take two people and a gallon of water to get a swim cap on my head.
Anyway, the message/premise was interesting, even if the characters were a bit one-dimensional and I felt not a lot of emotional attachment to any of them.
Anyway, the message/premise was interesting, even if the characters were a bit one-dimensional and I felt not a lot of emotional attachment to any of them.