marisa_egg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
The .25 is because Fallon is amazing. Ben is the worst thing to every exist
Horrible book overall.
Spoiler
The sexual assault scene in the bar made me hate him, this book, and made it nearly impossible to finish. She says no several times to him and he keeps going. They then just brush past this?? What the hell! Genuinely fucked up that Colleen Hoover doesn’t address how he assaulted her and just plays it off as she loves him back so it’s fine. Great book if you want to cry over how genuinely fucked up the things he does are. She has no confidence and forgives him/takes the blame for things in the end… what in the manipulative hell?!?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
magmun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
This was one of the worst books I’ve ever read and it featured the worst characters imaginable. Both main characters are walking red flags, but the male love interest Ben is a psychopathic stalker when you remove the authors rose colored glasses. The romance is uncomfortable and the choice to only show one day every year with the characters makes them feel empty and undeveloped. It would have been nice to see the characters actually change and live their lives instead of just hearing them talk about it. Colleen Hoover needs to learn what consent is and clearly struggles with pacing and story structure. The ending is rushed and the payoff is non-existent as the main conflict between the love interests doesn’t happen until the last 15% of the book making the resolution feel half assed and disappointing. Also, having Ben write the book November 9 within the book makes for insanely self congratulatory statements from Colleen. Characters go on and on about how good of an idea the book is and how great the love story is. It was an insanely cringy self-insert/ circle jerk moment for Colleen that made me roll my eyes and sigh. Maybe she knew how bad the book was and needed to preemptively give herself good fake reviews.
Spoiler
Within hours of meeting each other Ben is telling Fallon it is her fault for being insecure about her scars (which he gave her) and non-consensually undressing her and sexually harassing her. There are multiple scenes that feel like sexual assault as Fallon mentions again and again feeling uncomfortable about Ben’s actions and feeling like she can’t move or stop him. This is supposed to be “sexy” I guess but it feels like a Stockholm syndrome situation where Fallon is so starved of male attention she ignores her comfort and excuses his behavior. The choice of having Ben’s pov throughout the book without him ever mentioning the fire he caused that almost killed Fallon makes him look like a psychopath that is stalking and using this girl he is obsessed with. The ending is especially egregious as Fallon only finds out about Ben causing the fire in the last few chapters. She has her first reasonable reaction and is rightfully horrified but every other character in her life including her mom is on Ben’s side. Fallon forgives Ben and her awful father for some reason in the last couple pages of the book making for a unsatisfactory ending that brushes over all of the problems in their relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault
The sexual harassment/assault is portrayed as romantic and the main character doesn’t see it as assault however the language used is still very upsetting and possibly triggering. Basically consent isn’t given and the character mentions being uncomfortable and unable to move but she ends up being fine with it. The suicide is a minor character and is mentioned in flashbacks but could also be upsetting.kleinerdiktator's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I don't know how anyone can actually root for Fallon and Ben to get together when he should rot in jail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Death of parent, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Violence, Car accident, Addiction, Physical abuse, Body shaming, and Bullying
Ben emotionally manipulates Fallon several times without it being acknowledged in the book and instead rewards him for this behavior.pikaellie's review against another edition
I read this book about a month ago, and I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. Holy heck this book was not great. I like CoHo's writing style, for the most part, and that's the only reason that I would say that this book was alright. The romance in this story was gross. The ending was disappointing. I wish that more people would reread the first intimate scene between Ben and Fallon and realize that it was not okay. The entire relationship between these two was not okay. If I had read this book when I was eighteen, or worse, younger, I might have thought that the relationship between Ben and Fallon was okay and not... toxic. It is not a good model for a healthy relationship. Let me go over why:
1. Lies. SO MANY LIES. Ben did not Fallon ANYTHING that she should have known. She had to find out for herself the truth about his past, and in my opinion, she should have left him right then and there.
2.
3. The sex scenes. YIKES. Ben crosses Fallon's boundaries many times, and it's awful. That is not what a healthy relationship looks like.
4. If you need a more detailed explanation, check out this reddit review. It spoils the book, but explains exactly why it sucked. https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/vjalms/why_november_9th_by_colleen_hoover_is_one_of_the/
I need someone to give me a legitimate reason to enjoy this book again, because I can't see it. The writing is fine, but the story was awful. Ben's "redemption" was awful.
1. Lies. SO MANY LIES. Ben did not Fallon ANYTHING that she should have known. She had to find out for herself the truth about his past, and in my opinion, she should have left him right then and there.
2.
Spoiler
"He lied to me. He was the reason I was insecure about my body. He was the reason I couldn't act anymore. He was the reason that I suffered. But, he did tell me I was beautiful. He told me I shouldn't be insecure! Now I feel great. He's now the reason that I feel confident. I also don't blame him for what he did to me because he didn't mean to!! He was suffering too!! His suffering MUST come before my own so I'll forgive him, marry him" absolutely disgusting. My friend, who hadn't read the book, pointed out that one description of the book says that it ends in heartache. And I responded with, "it should have."3. The sex scenes. YIKES. Ben crosses Fallon's boundaries many times, and it's awful. That is not what a healthy relationship looks like.
Spoiler
He cheated on her, forced her to undress when she clearly isn't comfortable, makes her wear what he thinks will look pretty on her, forced her to reconcile with him because he didn't want to be the woman he CHEATED ON HER WITH, practically assaulted her in the nightclub because he claimed that she wanted him, no. No. No. That's not okay. If a man or woman does this, it's NOT OKAY. You cannot convince me that Ben was a good partner, and not a creep. FUCK that.4. If you need a more detailed explanation, check out this reddit review. It spoils the book, but explains exactly why it sucked. https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/vjalms/why_november_9th_by_colleen_hoover_is_one_of_the/
I need someone to give me a legitimate reason to enjoy this book again, because I can't see it. The writing is fine, but the story was awful. Ben's "redemption" was awful.
Spoiler
If I had known why his brother punched him during year 2, I would have fucking cheered him on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
kileyglispie's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
rinyy's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
I wish I was illiterate
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Gaslighting
carolinec_19's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book sucks
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
sanaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
This book proved to me Colleen Hoover’s first psychological thriller was not Verity.
After finishing the book I wondered to myself, why did I read this? The truth is I get fomo and my curiosity of understanding what gives writing mass appeal got the better of me. Colleen Hoover wrote the worst romantic male lead I’ve ever read. I remember when he was fucking his dead brother’s wife I was screaming with rage, but babes I was in for an even worse storm and I didn’t know it.
Also the fact that he got an agent to potentially publish his story detailing the very criminal action he committed without fear of law enforcement is peak white privilege.
ALSO THAT CLUB SCENE. Remember girlies it’s not SA if you like it. Even if you’re saying stop or nothing at all. It’s not assault if you’re wet due to a natural physiological response the body does to prevent injury not out of arousal (read Come As You Are by Dr. Emily Nagoski Colleen Hoover Stan’s PLEASE). In case you don’t understand the tone I’m being sarcastic. Fallon was assaulted in the club by Ben and her moaning does not change the fact that she was not consenting ESPECIALLY BC SHE WAS DRUNK AND HE KNEW IT. UGHHH IM SO ANGRY
In the words of Taylor, “I wish you’d left me wondering”
After finishing the book I wondered to myself, why did I read this? The truth is I get fomo and my curiosity of understanding what gives writing mass appeal got the better of me. Colleen Hoover wrote the worst romantic male lead I’ve ever read. I remember when he was fucking his dead brother’s wife I was screaming with rage, but babes I was in for an even worse storm and I didn’t know it.
Also the fact that he got an agent to potentially publish his story detailing the very criminal action he committed without fear of law enforcement is peak white privilege.
ALSO THAT CLUB SCENE. Remember girlies it’s not SA if you like it. Even if you’re saying stop or nothing at all. It’s not assault if you’re wet due to a natural physiological response the body does to prevent injury not out of arousal (read Come As You Are by Dr. Emily Nagoski Colleen Hoover Stan’s PLEASE). In case you don’t understand the tone I’m being sarcastic. Fallon was assaulted in the club by Ben and her moaning does not change the fact that she was not consenting ESPECIALLY BC SHE WAS DRUNK AND HE KNEW IT. UGHHH IM SO ANGRY
In the words of Taylor, “I wish you’d left me wondering”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
routheboat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
instead of reading this crap with a main love interest who's a walking red flag and actions/themes that are not treated with any critical thought or narrative nuance, consider going to your nearest ao3 fandom tag and filter for the most kudos-ed 5+1 fic. i reckon you'd pick up more value there and if not, at least u could excuse it for being written by an amateur most-likely-teenage writer instead of a published married adult author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
jokehelldo's review against another edition
-1000000/5 stars. Please, delete this book.
Are you trying to tell me that the book about
*Cough*
Abuse, sexual assault, gaslighting, stalking, scar (that are you falt) fetishizing, dead-brother-wife-who-you-see-as-your-sister fucking, marking people who attend suicide as „attention seekers” and much, much more shit is a „romance book”?
You must be joking
Are you trying to tell me that the book about
*Cough*
Abuse, sexual assault, gaslighting, stalking, scar (that are you falt) fetishizing, dead-brother-wife-who-you-see-as-your-sister fucking, marking people who attend suicide as „attention seekers” and much, much more shit is a „romance book”?
You must be joking
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Physical abuse