The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
madhatter360's review against another edition
3.0
I'm happy with how the SUPER CREEPY plotline about trying to seduce the teacher ultimately went. Gretchen is awesome.
debi_g's review against another edition
3.0
This book has far more dialogue than most. The repartee is exhaustively written, and a bit exhausting to read at times.
YA novels often falter by way of condescending to teens or by featuring precocious teens with overly-informed tastes in music, books, or art. Never, Always, Sometimes falls into the second category. I certainly appreciate the references to books and songs and bands, but it's a challenge to accept that the characters are invested in them. The trope of the nevers list is a difficult sell, since incoming freshmen rarely have the sort of perspective required to recognize and sneer at cliched high school behavior.
The plotline with the math teacher makes me cringe. The slam poem, however, is near-genius.
All in all, this is a carefully written book and I do believe it will captivate readers and lead them to discover some great music and ways of thinking. I'm simply not the target audience.
YA novels often falter by way of condescending to teens or by featuring precocious teens with overly-informed tastes in music, books, or art. Never, Always, Sometimes falls into the second category. I certainly appreciate the references to books and songs and bands, but it's a challenge to accept that the characters are invested in them. The trope of the nevers list is a difficult sell, since incoming freshmen rarely have the sort of perspective required to recognize and sneer at cliched high school behavior.
The plotline with the math teacher makes me cringe. The slam poem, however, is near-genius.
All in all, this is a carefully written book and I do believe it will captivate readers and lead them to discover some great music and ways of thinking. I'm simply not the target audience.
tatumreads's review against another edition
4.0
The many negative reviews on this book seem a bit harsh. Although the dialogue and character traits of Julia and Dave were unrealistic at times, it was refreshing to read witty conversations that were unique and interesting. However, I do agree that the ending lacked closure. The storyline between Dave and Julia seemed a bit too back and forth, ending in a very unclosed way that was unsettling. The quirky way the characters interacted made up for the storyline, though. I would be interested to read more of Adi Alsaid's books.
sandrareilly513's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting realization of how our teenage years are a roller coaster ride of clichés, even if we try our hardest to avoid them. While we always want to believe we are unique, that no one else could possibly think or feel as we do individually, the truth is that we are all alike in so many ways -- maybe especially so as young adults.
Julie is hell-bent on not being your typical high school girl, to be "original" and to avoid as many of the usual high school clichés we all know and love. What she doesn't realize until near the end of the novel -- and with help from BFF/love-of-her-life Dave -- is that that makes her one big walking cliché herself. Then there's Dave, the boy who would do just about anything for his best friend, the girl he's been secretly in love with for years. Honestly, Dave is likeable but kind of wimpy because he just follows Julia's lead. Julia is definitely not as likeable. She is incredibly un-self-aware (so not a word, but you get the idea), yet acts as though existentialism is her driving force. It was refreshing to see Dave pull away and come into his own a bit, but cringe-worthy to watch the love triangle that ensues.
While I must say that the relationships are portrayed quite well and I honestly didn't know who would "get the boy" in the end, the story was not screaming with originality. I enjoyed how Alsaid explores the clichés and stereotypes of adolescence, and also that they exist for a reason, but I very much liked his first novel, Let's Get Lost, more. This is still a sweet teen romance for HS library collections, but most adults who like to dive into the YA book world will find this story a bit superficial.
Julie is hell-bent on not being your typical high school girl, to be "original" and to avoid as many of the usual high school clichés we all know and love. What she doesn't realize until near the end of the novel -- and with help from BFF/love-of-her-life Dave -- is that that makes her one big walking cliché herself. Then there's Dave, the boy who would do just about anything for his best friend, the girl he's been secretly in love with for years. Honestly, Dave is likeable but kind of wimpy because he just follows Julia's lead. Julia is definitely not as likeable. She is incredibly un-self-aware (so not a word, but you get the idea), yet acts as though existentialism is her driving force. It was refreshing to see Dave pull away and come into his own a bit, but cringe-worthy to watch the love triangle that ensues.
While I must say that the relationships are portrayed quite well and I honestly didn't know who would "get the boy" in the end, the story was not screaming with originality. I enjoyed how Alsaid explores the clichés and stereotypes of adolescence, and also that they exist for a reason, but I very much liked his first novel, Let's Get Lost, more. This is still a sweet teen romance for HS library collections, but most adults who like to dive into the YA book world will find this story a bit superficial.
raeanne's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know how I feel about this one. I'll have to come back to it later.
Content Warning: Cheating, Stalking, Breaking & Entering
>>Took awhile to get into because Dave is just so sappy in love with Julia and I found them boring and pretentious. It wasn't until the other Love Interest and Brother got involved that I was emotionally invested at all. I'm sure if I read it when I was in my John Green phase I would've feel better about it.
>>The dialogue and banter is better than similar YA novels like John Green's.
>>Did not find Julia's jokes about Dave's name funny though. Too many white people play that shit straight.
>>The teacher subplot is...horribly unacceptable and not funny. Poor guy. :/
>>Skimmed over all the physically cheating parts, because I found it really awkward and in bad taste. I was internally screaming and cringing. It's a sore spot for me, admittedly.
>>Wish Julia had more character progression and resolution
>>Totally saw the Brother's secret coming from a mile away.
>>I'll still be trying out Alsaid's other novels. I think I should've done more research and picked a different one given the content.
Content Warning: Cheating, Stalking, Breaking & Entering
>>Took awhile to get into because Dave is just so sappy in love with Julia and I found them boring and pretentious. It wasn't until the other Love Interest and Brother got involved that I was emotionally invested at all. I'm sure if I read it when I was in my John Green phase I would've feel better about it.
>>The dialogue and banter is better than similar YA novels like John Green's.
>>Did not find Julia's jokes about Dave's name funny though. Too many white people play that shit straight.
>>The teacher subplot is...horribly unacceptable and not funny. Poor guy. :/
>>Skimmed over all the physically cheating parts, because I found it really awkward and in bad taste. I was internally screaming and cringing. It's a sore spot for me, admittedly.
>>Wish Julia had more character progression and resolution
>>Totally saw the Brother's secret coming from a mile away.
>>I'll still be trying out Alsaid's other novels. I think I should've done more research and picked a different one given the content.
lissajean7's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. I did enjoy the first section a lot. I liked the second section. I hated the third. I struggled to like Julia after the first half of the book. There were moments where she was pretty awesome in the second section, but... She definitely had a mean streak in her. Very self-absorbed. She just...bothered me.
agrutle's review against another edition
2.0
Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Net Galley for the book in exchange for a honest review.
I've thought long and hard about how to express my thoughts on this book and I'm still coming up blank. I had high expectations, from reading the blurb for it. It let me down. I was expecting one thing and I got something different. I thought Julia was abrasive and sometimes downright rude. Dave was meek and backwards at times. I know that I sound like all I'm doing is bashing it but I just can't find anything that I loved about the book. They tried to be so far away from cliche that they ended up being more than weird.
If you read it let me know what your thoughts are. I'm interested how others will receive this book.
I've thought long and hard about how to express my thoughts on this book and I'm still coming up blank. I had high expectations, from reading the blurb for it. It let me down. I was expecting one thing and I got something different. I thought Julia was abrasive and sometimes downright rude. Dave was meek and backwards at times. I know that I sound like all I'm doing is bashing it but I just can't find anything that I loved about the book. They tried to be so far away from cliche that they ended up being more than weird.
If you read it let me know what your thoughts are. I'm interested how others will receive this book.
christinasanabia's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked it but wanted the whole Brett thing to play out ☺