Reviews

The sensitive issues like trauma and mental illness were handled fairly sensitively. However, I think I had higher expectations for this book and it didn’t quite meet them. The relationship fell flat for me and it didn’t feel developed. I think I wanted a little more between the main characters, not tragedy wise or dates or whatever, but maybe more connecting. Not sure. I did enjoy it and I thought it was very very funny.

mel_anne's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

angeldaydream's review

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3.0

This is a tough one. Part of Your World and Yours Truly are two of my favourite books. But this one is so different, I technically shouldn’t compare - but if I’m honest, it felt like a different author.
It lacked the charm and witty banter; lots of telling rather than showing. A lot happened but we weren’t shown so it felt quite immature: ‘and this happened and then this and then this.’ The relationship lacked depth because if it.
Also, the head lice scene, the vomit/being sick scenes in books give me the ick. I know it’s supposed to show characters caring for each other but I don’t want to read about a characters stomach bug in depth, nor do I want to read about a character combing through hair for lice. I also don’t like reading about vomit and then having the love interest clean up after, change sheets and ‘air out’ the vomit scent of the room - it gives me such an ick, and takes me out of the story. I also don’t like when young children’s bathroom habits are discussed as well (please don’t make me read the word ‘potty’ multiple times) - it just felt very juvenile, almost like a first draft where the paragraphs hadn’t been fully fleshed out at times and were waiting for the connecting words/sentences to be added in to make a well rounded story, rather than simple sentences that explain in the most basic form what is going to happen in this particular part.
It tackled a lot of hard hitting topics and I did cry a few times, but it was undercut with the generic ‘therapy speak’ - Neil felt very odd; I knew who he was from Part of Your World but it was like he was written by a different author? Amber was very different to who we met there, too. It reminded me a bit of old Jacqueline Wilson books, like Lola Rose or The Illustrated Mum. Only not as good? Or as well handled? It’s very difficult to describe because parts towards the end tugged so hard on my heartstrings and I did feel tears coming and my heart aching, and I was so proud of Emma for working on herself, but it just felt so juvenile at times that it was hard to really connect with the story or the characters. It felt like it was trying to follow the footsteps of Emily Henry’s Funny Story but it just missed the mark. I’m not sure I would reread, unfortunately.

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