beckyyreadss's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
I wanted to read this book because I've been loving Alice Oseman - I wanted to read more about the other people that Alice has wrote about and this book isn’t connected to the Heartstopper universe at all. So, I was very excited to see what this was about.
This book has two points of view. The first is Angel and her life is about one thing: The Ark. They are a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm, being a part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friend Juliet, her dreams and her place in the world. The second point of view is Jimmy, and he owes everything to The Ark. He’s their frontman and playing in a band with his best mates is all he has ever dreamed of doing. However, dreams don’t always turn out the way you think, and when Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together, they find out how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.
I adored all these characters in this book, and I wanted to hug every single one of them (and also send every single one of them to therapy, like seriously). I wanted to hug Angel and Jimmy and Juliet and Bliss and everyone. This book has such a strong storyline and managed to break my heart. I was so worried, and I didn’t know what the hell was going to happen. This book can describe anyone who has ever created a second account on twitter or Instagram or Pinterest or made edits or whatever regarding a celebrity or a band. Fangirls get so much shit just for being a fangirl and this book can show the highlights of being a fangirl and the downside of being a fangirl and how pressuring it can be to the celebrity that they are fangirling over.
I feel like this book was slow starting due to the excitement of meeting the Ark and then once it’s the day of the concert and after all hell breaks loose. This book can be hard-hitting and there is mention/depictions of suicide, so please check the trigger warnings before reading this book.
I’m really excited to read more of Alice’s work including Loveless, even if that one kills me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Blood
Minor: Outing, Transphobia, and Adult/minor relationship
honeyfauna's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Vomit
ross_emm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I liked the plot/setup of this book, the characters are what threw me off a little. They feel very wattpad esque and gives me y/n fanfic vibes, but i still had a good time reading it. Definitely gave me some second hand embarrassment .. repeatedly
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Medical content and Blood
alequitos's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Angel Rahimi's life is all about The Ark, a teenage pop-rock band. Being a fan shapes her identity, friendships, dreams, and place in the world."
This book taught me a lot.
We often care so much about celebrities, TV shows, movie characters, and comics that they become part of who we are. But they don't define us.
Angel is so caught up in The Ark that she forgets about her own life. She doesn't think about her mom, her friends, or herself. Her love for the band can't fill the empty space in her heart. This hits her at a concert. It's a powerful moment that moved me.
My English isn't perfect, but I'll try my best to share how the band members impacted me. I felt a connection with Jimmy, who struggles with anxiety that often overpowers him, he always seems a bit off, he’s also obsessed in a way. Rowan's intense fanhood, his need for the band, I find Rowan fascinating as a character. Despite ending up as just friends with Bliss, from his viewpoint, their story is tragic. Like Lister, Rowan is also filled with pent-up anger specially towards his fans.
Lister isn't my favourite character, but he's special to me. He's a sad guy who needs some love. I think a lot about his deep love for Jimmy but his refusal to consider the possibility of being loved back, and about his willingness to sacrifice for them. He loves Jimmy secretly and would do anything for them. Lister hides his feelings in parties, drinking, and smoking, and seeks approval from Rowan and others. He's as obsessed as Angel and Rowan.
This book makes me think of bands like One Direction or BTS. It shows that any fandom can be harmful, like the explicit fanfiction that come up about actual living human beings
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts
kafkatattoo's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Death
Minor: Alcoholism
cookiemic's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism and Addiction
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Transphobia
cdoubet's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, Drug use, Alcohol, Outing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual assault and Hate crime
xeniba's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Wow, this book brought up way more than I expected it to. Jimmy’s panic and anxiety was incredibly relatable. Not sure if Alice is planning anything else in this universe, but I’d love to see what happens next for the boys if The Ark.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
darcyparcy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.25
i've only read loveless so far in the world of oseman novels, and i liked this a lot more than loveless. it was unflinchingly human, bordering on absurdity at points, and i had so much fun and so many emotions while reading
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Violence
therewillbenewsuns's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Sexual harassment
Minor: Toxic friendship