Reviews tagging 'Death'

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

9 reviews

abby_can_read's review against another edition

emotional medium-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

📱
Review pending St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books boycott. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Violence, and Drug use

Minor: Gore, Suicide, and Abortion

mcreasman's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I’m so bummed by this book. It was pretty anticlimactic. I know this is Hayley’s first book, but it was so obvious while reading it. It was also read by Hayley and I just wish it was read by a pro because there was definitely a lack of emotion? Idk I know I couldn’t be a professional at this. I think a different narrator would’ve made it sound less cringey. I didn’t like the characters. The main girl, Coley, had just gone through a serious trauma and is also 17 so I’ll give her some slack, but the other characters were all just huge jerks. The main love interest, Sonya, is awful to Coley and yet Coley still idolizes her?? Also the main conflict at the end was incredibly problematic and was brushed over so quickly???? The whole story just really didn’t sit right with me…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Death, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion

jennabeck13's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

⭐️⭐️ (2/5)

Genre: Romance

About 305 pages

Sonya is your typical popular teenage girl. She can get any guy she wants, is a beautiful dancer, and gets invited to all the parties. Meanwhile, Coley just moved to town after losing her mother and is trying to make friends, which is how the two of them meet one day. From that day forward, their lives will change. They have an attraction neither has ever experienced before. But Sonya is afraid to come to terms with her sexuality, and Coley is terrified of being left behind again. If they never discuss their feelings for one another, can they ever come together in the way they hoped?

I’ve been a fan of Becca Tilley since she was on The Bachelor, and since she has been dating Hayley, that’s how I came to know Hayley and therefore this book. This was a cute novel, but not my favorite. I feel like it was targeted more at the young adult demographic, as the characters felt very immature at times. I was not a fan of Sonya, but I did like Coley and wish we got to see her stand up for herself more often. I also wish we got to read more about how her relationship with her dad grew, as I really enjoyed the little bit of that that we got in this book.

Favorite Quote: “We can’t control what people do— how they betray us or even why. How they leave our lives. So many people are running scared. And sometimes they run back to us and earn back our trust. But the ones who don’t come back— or who don’t work to earn back what they lost from us— we have to learn how to let them go.”

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Content Warnings

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexism, Death of parent, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Blood, Death, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

peggymay's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicide, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abortion

changomarango's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

it seriously amazing, it made me cry, and it’s such a nice book if you’re looking for some wholesome but real wlw love

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Suicide, Drug use, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Suicide attempt, Outing, Gaslighting, Cursing, Classism, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abortion, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

thisiswhy_wecanthavenicethings's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this book, however i had some problems. 

I really liked how coley’s pov was shown through first POV, but Sonya’s was shown through social media “messages”. This really helped show the duality of her character, how she acts with her friends, and then how she acts in private, and the stuff she can’t even admit to her closest friends. I personally felt the ending was a bit rushed, and that coley was very quick to forgive Sonya, however I also understand. I would’ve liked the romance to be a bit more dragged out, rather than just the heartbreak, but I still really enjoyed this book. I felt like a lot of things were brought up, but there wasn’t enough closure to the story. Like what about Alex, what’s going on with him? Or how is Sonya going to deal with everything in her family. I would’ve preferred this book to be a bit longer, and have gotten more closure on their storylines. Overall though I really enjoyed reading this book, and was happy when everything (kind of) worked out in the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Suicide, Alcohol, and Death

Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Drug use

Minor: Abortion and Misogyny

spec_tacles's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

It’s hard to give this a star rating, but although there are things that I think would make this book better, it hardly matters. What does matter to me is that this book has a lot of heart and deals with some queer themes and issues in a very resonant way. Not to mention, it was a super entertaining summer read, especially during Pride. 

My biggest criticism is that I wish there was more nuance at the end with (I’m going to be vague here) the topic of “running,” and that decision. I don’t think it’s always a simple yes/no, and it would’ve been nice to see an exploration of that. But like I said, it has a lot going for it. It’s just so cool to have this book by a favourite artist, and this expansion on the music video, that emotionally this is a 5. And it deserves that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Violence, Homophobia, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Death

Minor: Outing, Suicide attempt, Drug use, and Suicide

shesreadingagain_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Misogyny, Death, Suicide, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

sunflowerwork's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Suicide, Alcohol, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood and Drug use

Minor: Abortion