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lyricalmess's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I first discovered Paige Toon 14 years ago and fell fast for her writing styles. The first book is Lucy In The Sky, it is not however the first book of hers I ever read. But having read another I was eager to read everything I could which is what lead me to Lucy In The Sky.
I haven't read this book for a number of years and rereading it was like experiencing it again for the first time. I love that Lucy is flawed and that these flaws actually make her more likeable. That her clash of conscious makes her relatable. None of Paige Toons characters are ever stylized as perfect, they all have flaws and share experiences that make them realistic.
You always find yourself routing for the female lead because she's human. She makes mistakes, she laughs, she cries, she feels guilt and love unapologetically.
I found myself mistrusting James from the offset, I found him grossly narcissistic and the gaslighting of Lucy from the get go really solidified that throughout. I found myself half wanting things to work out for Lucy and James though because she's so likeable I wanted to be wrong and wanted so badly to route for that relationship even though other characters raised questions about James and his sincerity. Lucy ended up with the right person in the end
The other thing I love about Toons novels is that there's always a nod to other characters they all interlink and flow through the books.. You'll find characters you fell in love with popping up later in other books and it's always so nice to get closure almost and see where their story's ended up taking them
I haven't read this book for a number of years and rereading it was like experiencing it again for the first time. I love that Lucy is flawed and that these flaws actually make her more likeable. That her clash of conscious makes her relatable. None of Paige Toons characters are ever stylized as perfect, they all have flaws and share experiences that make them realistic.
You always find yourself routing for the female lead because she's human. She makes mistakes, she laughs, she cries, she feels guilt and love unapologetically.
The other thing I love about Toons novels is that there's always a nod to other characters they all interlink and flow through the books.. You'll find characters you fell in love with popping up later in other books and it's always so nice to get closure almost and see where their story's ended up taking them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting
sophiesometimesreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I have SO MANY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK that I cannot express without some (hopefully minor) spoilers, so buckle up and read at your own risk.
First of all, I could tell James was a cheating gaslighter from the get go, when he asked Lucy to apologise for accusing him of cheating when someone sent HER a text from HIS phone about it. But I guess at first she could’ve been excused for wanting it to not be true and not seeing his true personality, but even when she did see this I can’t believe she stuck with him!
The first part in Sydney was really good, I enjoyed it and I could understand her wondering if developing feelings for Nathan were a result of the text message or if they were true. I liked the characters and the dynamic between them, and Lucy’s inner monologue was bearable in terms of pining over Nathan when she had a boyfriend.
But, oh my god, did it get far more annoying and frustrating once she got back to London. She was constantly angry at James for possibly cheating but she had thoughts and feelings for someone else, too. She kept saying how she didn’t trust James but then would NOT break up with him. I do understand how that situation is hard for someone in it but I think it was drawn out too long in the book and by the end I was just frustrated over being able to empathise with Lucy. I would have liked her take the plunge, leave him earlier in the book and live on her own to figure out what she wants that way, instead of thinking she either HAS to settle for James or go back to Australia with Nathan.
Lucy was always calling Nathan “my Nathan” even though SHE was the one in a relationship she didn’t want to leave, which was really frustrating, and she didn’t really have the self awareness to realise how annoying that was. She ended up becoming quite entitled, pining over two guys and stringing them both along and expecting them to both just hang around for it. I don’t mind reading characters with flaws and that are imperfect and frustrating, but I think it got too much by the end of the book and it would’ve been nice to see a bit of development in her character to become self-aware about how she was the one who put herself in this situation.
There were quite a few moments that obviously dated the book back to 2007. The subtle fat shaming through the prologue gave me the ick, but I will give Paige Toon the benefit of the doubt and put it down to the fact that it was more normalised in 2007 (unfortunately). Also, the fact that YouTube had to be prefaced with the descriptor “infamous internet site” then called “the YouTube website” in the next line was absolutely hilarious.
The ending was a bit lacklustre for me. I would’ve liked to see what she decided to do, even if it was just a summary paragraph or something at the end, or a longer epilogue. I assume the epilogue suggested they got engaged and moved back to Australia, but it wasn’t all that clear. After the amount of pining I read, I should have at least gotten a clear and epic ending!
The writing style was easy to read but I think parts were over-explained for no reason. It didn’t really impact the reading experience too much but I sometimes found myself wondering what the point of some descriptions were, such as where Mosman is relative to Manly or in-depth descriptions of clothes and make up looks that span multiple sentences.
In the end, I did enjoy reading the majority of this book. There’s definitely ways it could have been made better but I was intrigued and invested enough that I think it warrants 3 out of 5 stars.
EDIT: I wrote this review immediately after finishing the book but I honestly thought about this book for DAYS after finishing it, both in frustration and admiration. Therefore, for the sole fact this book stayed with me for days after, I’ve decided to up my rating to 3.5 stars. This book made me feel something and I enjoy those sorts of books, even if half the time that feeling was frustration.
First of all, I could tell James was a cheating gaslighter from the get go, when he asked Lucy to apologise for accusing him of cheating when someone sent HER a text from HIS phone about it. But I guess at first she could’ve been excused for wanting it to not be true and not seeing his true personality, but even when she did see this I can’t believe she stuck with him!
The first part in Sydney was really good, I enjoyed it and I could understand her wondering if developing feelings for Nathan were a result of the text message or if they were true. I liked the characters and the dynamic between them, and Lucy’s inner monologue was bearable in terms of pining over Nathan when she had a boyfriend.
But, oh my god, did it get far more annoying and frustrating once she got back to London. She was constantly angry at James for possibly cheating but she had thoughts and feelings for someone else, too. She kept saying how she didn’t trust James but then would NOT break up with him. I do understand how that situation is hard for someone in it but I think it was drawn out too long in the book and by the end I was just frustrated over being able to empathise with Lucy. I would have liked her take the plunge, leave him earlier in the book and live on her own to figure out what she wants that way, instead of thinking she either HAS to settle for James or go back to Australia with Nathan.
Lucy was always calling Nathan “my Nathan” even though SHE was the one in a relationship she didn’t want to leave, which was really frustrating, and she didn’t really have the self awareness to realise how annoying that was. She ended up becoming quite entitled, pining over two guys and stringing them both along and expecting them to both just hang around for it. I don’t mind reading characters with flaws and that are imperfect and frustrating, but I think it got too much by the end of the book and it would’ve been nice to see a bit of development in her character to become self-aware about how she was the one who put herself in this situation.
There were quite a few moments that obviously dated the book back to 2007. The subtle fat shaming through the prologue gave me the ick, but I will give Paige Toon the benefit of the doubt and put it down to the fact that it was more normalised in 2007 (unfortunately). Also, the fact that YouTube had to be prefaced with the descriptor “infamous internet site” then called “the YouTube website” in the next line was absolutely hilarious.
The ending was a bit lacklustre for me. I would’ve liked to see what she decided to do, even if it was just a summary paragraph or something at the end, or a longer epilogue. I assume the epilogue suggested they got engaged and moved back to Australia, but it wasn’t all that clear. After the amount of pining I read, I should have at least gotten a clear and epic ending!
The writing style was easy to read but I think parts were over-explained for no reason. It didn’t really impact the reading experience too much but I sometimes found myself wondering what the point of some descriptions were, such as where Mosman is relative to Manly or in-depth descriptions of clothes and make up looks that span multiple sentences.
In the end, I did enjoy reading the majority of this book. There’s definitely ways it could have been made better but I was intrigued and invested enough that I think it warrants 3 out of 5 stars.
EDIT: I wrote this review immediately after finishing the book but I honestly thought about this book for DAYS after finishing it, both in frustration and admiration. Therefore, for the sole fact this book stayed with me for days after, I’ve decided to up my rating to 3.5 stars. This book made me feel something and I enjoy those sorts of books, even if half the time that feeling was frustration.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
spiritualeigh's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this story, particularly the way Toon is just fantastic at placing the reader right in the middle of any setting. I finish her books desperate to visit all the places she describes. The characters are really fun, particularly Molly and Sam and Lucy's family. And I loved that Lucy's indecision didn't just come from her desire for a man, but weighing up her entire life in London versus a potential life in Sydney.
But I did find it a real struggle to empathise with Lucy for a lot of the book. I was pleased with the conclusion but disagreed with the way she behaved a lot of the time. What constitutes infidelity is a grey area for many people but I was quite uncomfortable with Lucy's behaviour, whether or not her boyfriend was a complete villain (although I also liked that the truth about James was open to interpretation).
That said, this level of moral ambiguity made for a really interesting discussion when buddy reading, which I really enjoyed!
But I did find it a real struggle to empathise with Lucy for a lot of the book. I was pleased with the conclusion but disagreed with the way she behaved a lot of the time. What constitutes infidelity is a grey area for many people but I was quite uncomfortable with Lucy's behaviour, whether or not her boyfriend was a complete villain (although I also liked that the truth about James was open to interpretation).
That said, this level of moral ambiguity made for a really interesting discussion when buddy reading, which I really enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse
estherelle's review against another edition
Das Buch beginnt damit, dass gerade als Lucy im Flugzeug nach Australien sitzt, ein SMS bekommt, die vermuten lässt, dass James (ihr Verlobter) sie betrügt.
Grundsätzlich ja kein schlechter Ausgangspunkt für eine Geschichte, aber leider ist es das erste Buch, das ich nicht beendet habe.
Ich habe bei etwa 70% schlussendlich aufgegeben Lucy und das Drama um James oder Nathan, England oder Australien verfolgen zu wollen.
Denn nicht nur ist Lucy arrogant, naiv und auf den ersten Seiten fat-shameing, hat sie auch noch die schlechtesten Freunde, die ich nur meinem größten Feind wünschen würde.
Ich habe noch nie ein Buch gelesen, in dem das gesamte Freundschaftsumfeld so unleidlich und nicht hilfsbereit ist. Denn Lucy erklärt verschiedenen Freunden mehrfach von ihren bedankten zum Thema der SMS und James treue, doch von allen wird sie mit einem "Aber ihr seid doch schon so lange zusammen.“ / „Da ist bestimmt nichts dann, das war nur ein Scherz seiner Freunde“/ „Das wird schon wieder" vertröstet.
Wie Lucy mit James es so lange in einer Beziehung ausgehalten hat, ist mir zudem insgesamt ein Rätsel, da es wohl kaum einen unsympathischeren Charakter geben kann. Er einfach nur arrogant und selbstverliebt. Zudem nicht nur, dass er Lucy höchstwahrscheinlich betrügt, ist er auch dauerhaft dabei, ihr Unwahrheiten einzureden. Und obwohl es ihr bereits früh in der Beziehung bewusst wurde, lässt sie sich dieses Verhalten immer wieder von ihm gefallen.
Die australischen Freunde sind die einzigen, die in der Geschichte zumindest etwas bodenständiger sind, aber auch sie reden Lucy ein, dass James doch ihr Verlobter ist und sie ihn daher lieben muss, anstatt wahrzunehmen das Lucy eindeutig etwas für Nathan übrighat.
Da es ein Roman aus dem Genre Romance ist, nehme ich stark an das Lucy ihr Happy End mit (vermutlich) Nathan hat, und ich kann nur hoffen, dass James noch das bekommt, was er verdient, denn zu Ende lesen werde ich dieses Buch nicht mehr.
Alles in allem war das, was ich von dem Buch gelesen habe einfach nur frustrierend und die Handlung der Charaktere und deren Beziehungen zueinander unverständlich.
Jedoch vielen Dank an Netgalley, Fischer Taschenbuch und der Autorin Paige Toon für die Möglichkeit, dieses Buch als eARC im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension zu lesen.
Grundsätzlich ja kein schlechter Ausgangspunkt für eine Geschichte, aber leider ist es das erste Buch, das ich nicht beendet habe.
Ich habe bei etwa 70% schlussendlich aufgegeben Lucy und das Drama um James oder Nathan, England oder Australien verfolgen zu wollen.
Denn nicht nur ist Lucy arrogant, naiv und auf den ersten Seiten fat-shameing, hat sie auch noch die schlechtesten Freunde, die ich nur meinem größten Feind wünschen würde.
Ich habe noch nie ein Buch gelesen, in dem das gesamte Freundschaftsumfeld so unleidlich und nicht hilfsbereit ist. Denn Lucy erklärt verschiedenen Freunden mehrfach von ihren bedankten zum Thema der SMS und James treue, doch von allen wird sie mit einem "Aber ihr seid doch schon so lange zusammen.“ / „Da ist bestimmt nichts dann, das war nur ein Scherz seiner Freunde“/ „Das wird schon wieder" vertröstet.
Wie Lucy mit James es so lange in einer Beziehung ausgehalten hat, ist mir zudem insgesamt ein Rätsel, da es wohl kaum einen unsympathischeren Charakter geben kann. Er einfach nur arrogant und selbstverliebt. Zudem nicht nur, dass er Lucy höchstwahrscheinlich betrügt, ist er auch dauerhaft dabei, ihr Unwahrheiten einzureden. Und obwohl es ihr bereits früh in der Beziehung bewusst wurde, lässt sie sich dieses Verhalten immer wieder von ihm gefallen.
Die australischen Freunde sind die einzigen, die in der Geschichte zumindest etwas bodenständiger sind, aber auch sie reden Lucy ein, dass James doch ihr Verlobter ist und sie ihn daher lieben muss, anstatt wahrzunehmen das Lucy eindeutig etwas für Nathan übrighat.
Da es ein Roman aus dem Genre Romance ist, nehme ich stark an das Lucy ihr Happy End mit (vermutlich) Nathan hat, und ich kann nur hoffen, dass James noch das bekommt, was er verdient, denn zu Ende lesen werde ich dieses Buch nicht mehr.
Alles in allem war das, was ich von dem Buch gelesen habe einfach nur frustrierend und die Handlung der Charaktere und deren Beziehungen zueinander unverständlich.
Jedoch vielen Dank an Netgalley, Fischer Taschenbuch und der Autorin Paige Toon für die Möglichkeit, dieses Buch als eARC im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension zu lesen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Toxic friendship
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