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ritareadstrash's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.25
I'm back with another YA, and this one felt oddly kismet. I started reading it, as I started watching North & South, which turns out to be Ariel's favorite show.
I really loved Cupcake. This book reads very contemporary, however the heart of the story spans generations. She embraces the nickname Cupcake, and strips it of the power as a bully's taunt. She tries to embrace in-store shopping for homecoming, even knowing nothing will fit. She loves her herself, but still struggles with confidence in a world that tells her she's lesser.
Rhys is so wonderful. I, hell girls in general, would've liked high school a lot more if guys were more like him. Before you ask, yes, there's an ACOTAR joke made about his name. Their relationship is very teen, duh, but thanks to Ariel being a movie junkie, there's a lot of fun millennial nostalgia.
There is a CW for bullying. I will say, there are multiple bullies, but what's interesting is for one, you see the heart of the bullying isn't Ariel, but the person being bullied themselves.
Speaking of CW, I thought it was an odd choice to print a page in the front saying we want our readers to be informed, so go to the back of the book for a CWs page? You literally could've saved a page, and not made me mad, risking spoilers to find the CWs
I really loved Cupcake. This book reads very contemporary, however the heart of the story spans generations. She embraces the nickname Cupcake, and strips it of the power as a bully's taunt. She tries to embrace in-store shopping for homecoming, even knowing nothing will fit. She loves her herself, but still struggles with confidence in a world that tells her she's lesser.
Rhys is so wonderful. I, hell girls in general, would've liked high school a lot more if guys were more like him. Before you ask, yes, there's an ACOTAR joke made about his name. Their relationship is very teen, duh, but thanks to Ariel being a movie junkie, there's a lot of fun millennial nostalgia.
There is a CW for bullying. I will say, there are multiple bullies, but what's interesting is for one, you see the heart of the bullying isn't Ariel, but the person being bullied themselves.
Speaking of CW, I thought it was an odd choice to print a page in the front saying we want our readers to be informed, so go to the back of the book for a CWs page? You literally could've saved a page, and not made me mad, risking spoilers to find the CWs
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Bullying
wandersbetweenpages's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this eARC.
I flew through this book. I spent the entire day reading this amazing book and I just can’t help but swoon over these amazing leads! Both Rhys and Ariel are so lovable. Both have really strong personalities but they have stories that they hold close to their hearts, that made them who they are. I love seeing that side of each character.
I love how the story tackles issues that are not as talked about in the community. Like as much as people are always sharing about body positivity, there are still a lot of people shaming plus-size women without knowing why they are like that. Eat disorder was also talked about in this book and it was not something that was brushed over. They talked about why some would starve themselves to be the ideal size. I also love that they broke the stereotype of mean girls being mean girls until the very end. Lina was such a mean girl and I thought she would always be in between Rhys and Ariel's romance, but she changed, especially after knowing why Ariel is the way she is.
The fact that they both love SJM (this might be a deal-breaker for some) and books, in general, made me love them even more. I always love books that talk about pop culture or have real-life references. It just makes the book more relatable and real.
I also enjoyed the last few chapters with the Homecoming playlist on Spotify. Glad I took a break from reading and search up the playlist that was featured in the book.
Reading this book made me remember why Romance books are so comforting and the best creation there is. This would just be the sign I need to read more books from this amazing author, Adorkable is interesting.
I flew through this book. I spent the entire day reading this amazing book and I just can’t help but swoon over these amazing leads! Both Rhys and Ariel are so lovable. Both have really strong personalities but they have stories that they hold close to their hearts, that made them who they are. I love seeing that side of each character.
I love how the story tackles issues that are not as talked about in the community. Like as much as people are always sharing about body positivity, there are still a lot of people shaming plus-size women without knowing why they are like that. Eat disorder was also talked about in this book and it was not something that was brushed over. They talked about why some would starve themselves to be the ideal size. I also love that they broke the stereotype of mean girls being mean girls until the very end. Lina was such a mean girl and I thought she would always be in between Rhys and Ariel's romance, but she changed, especially after knowing why Ariel is the way she is.
The fact that they both love SJM (this might be a deal-breaker for some) and books, in general, made me love them even more. I always love books that talk about pop culture or have real-life references. It just makes the book more relatable and real.
I also enjoyed the last few chapters with the Homecoming playlist on Spotify. Glad I took a break from reading and search up the playlist that was featured in the book.
Reading this book made me remember why Romance books are so comforting and the best creation there is. This would just be the sign I need to read more books from this amazing author, Adorkable is interesting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Fatphobia
Minor: Eating disorder and Mental illness
obscurepages's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Okay, this is just classic romcom. One that I probably needed because I've been in a book slump for quite a bit!
Here's what I loved:
- the fat rep (I love the discussions in this book about being fat, e.g. how shopping is messy, how there are no fat princesses/not much fat MCs in the media, how fat people also eat healthy and are healthy but still disregarded, the small insecurity/doubt fat people still have despite being confident, these are all so important and so real/relatable, and I love that the author clearly showed that)
- mental health rep (not talked about a lot, but still I love that it was highlighted)
- the main plot didn't pit women against women! I love that the author showed camaraderie between Ariel and the other Court princesses, especially Lana. At first I thought they were going to be against each other, but I love how they sort of came together and understood each other at the end
- the romance. I have to admit there were some swoon-worthy stuff in here
- funny and light prose/writing style
What I didn't exactly like:
- they kept saying "fat-ist" in the book?! Just say fatphobic, please, it's really right there (sorry, this annoyed me lol)
- at times, I feel like the book is actually such a cliche, but I feel like that's exactly the mission of the author. Especially since Ariel herself likes romcom movies so much and is a sucker for these cliche/classics.
- Characterization. I've gotten to know Ariel and Rhys pretty well in the book, but I feel like the minor characters didn't shine that much.
Overall, Cupcake is such a fun book and I enjoyed reading it! If you're looking for a quick, romcom read with great fat rep, this is it!
Exact rating: 3.75/5
CW: fatphobia, mentions of eating disorder in the past, bullying (verbal, physical (on a flashback not on page)), mental illness, food/desserts
Thank you so much to Entangled Teen for sending over an ARC! (This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
Here's what I loved:
- the fat rep (I love the discussions in this book about being fat, e.g. how shopping is messy, how there are no fat princesses/not much fat MCs in the media, how fat people also eat healthy and are healthy but still disregarded, the small insecurity/doubt fat people still have despite being confident, these are all so important and so real/relatable, and I love that the author clearly showed that)
- mental health rep (not talked about a lot, but still I love that it was highlighted)
- the main plot didn't pit women against women! I love that the author showed camaraderie between Ariel and the other Court princesses, especially Lana. At first I thought they were going to be against each other, but I love how they sort of came together and understood each other at the end
- the romance. I have to admit there were some swoon-worthy stuff in here
- funny and light prose/writing style
What I didn't exactly like:
- they kept saying "fat-ist" in the book?! Just say fatphobic, please, it's really right there (sorry, this annoyed me lol)
- at times, I feel like the book is actually such a cliche, but I feel like that's exactly the mission of the author. Especially since Ariel herself likes romcom movies so much and is a sucker for these cliche/classics.
- Characterization. I've gotten to know Ariel and Rhys pretty well in the book, but I feel like the minor characters didn't shine that much.
Overall, Cupcake is such a fun book and I enjoyed reading it! If you're looking for a quick, romcom read with great fat rep, this is it!
Exact rating: 3.75/5
CW: fatphobia, mentions of eating disorder in the past, bullying (verbal, physical (on a flashback not on page)), mental illness, food/desserts
Thank you so much to Entangled Teen for sending over an ARC! (This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Bullying
Minor: Mental illness
Food/desserts
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