jordana_b_bookish's review
1.0
At most a 1.5*
I did not like any of the characters in this story. They all felt very similar except the two main characters, Shoshanna and Jake, and not for good reasons. Shoshanna was a whiny, juvenile, 16 year old girl who works in a bookstore and isn't (but is actually really) judgmental of what you read if you even read. The whole story she acted like a 12 year old. She was incredibly rude and impulsively called people rude / mean (customers and co-workers) posted something online without her friends permission (her friend said she didn't want it to be posted EVER) everything she did and said just felt so immature for someone her age, even her moms told her she needed to grow up and stop acting like this. When ever there was conflict, even if it didn't involve her, she would always try to 'fix it'. Jake at the begging was a complete ass. He was rude, has no real 'want' to work in a bookstore and was just there for the money ( he told his co workers
I did not like any of the characters in this story. They all felt very similar except the two main characters, Shoshanna and Jake, and not for good reasons. Shoshanna was a whiny, juvenile, 16 year old girl who works in a bookstore and isn't (but is actually really) judgmental of what you read if you even read. The whole story she acted like a 12 year old. She was incredibly rude and impulsively called people rude / mean (customers and co-workers) posted something online without her friends permission (her friend said she didn't want it to be posted EVER) everything she did and said just felt so immature for someone her age, even her moms told her she needed to grow up and stop acting like this. When ever there was conflict, even if it didn't involve her, she would always try to 'fix it'. Jake at the begging was a complete ass. He was rude, has no real 'want' to work in a bookstore and was just there for the money ( he told his co workers
henrike1997's review
lighthearted
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
3.0
pn_hinton's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a cute, sweet, fluffy read! It was the perfect jolt of holiday delight that I needed. I really enjoyed the banter between Shoshanna and Jake, which is always like catnip for me. It is an "enemy to more" relationship, which is like my top trope (paraphrased a bit since it is YA).
Shoshanna's relatability is what drew me in. She was the kind of teenager I was. Awkward, trying to be helpful and failing, and, even though it was never specified in the book, anxious. She was a sweet girl trying to do the right thing and missing the mark a few times. What I also enjoyed is that she knew when she messed up. When the relationship between Jake and her was changing and she told him all her stressors, he pointed it out to her that she knew she messed up which was the first step. She just had to figure out how to fix.
There is also quite a bit of representation here which shouldn't go unnoticed. The book had LGBTQ+ rep, there was a very important scene involving the first night of Hanukkah. At this time of year the market gets saturated with Christmas books so it's always nice to read about another holiday, even if it is one that you may personally not celebrate. It's great to learn about other cultures at any time of the year.
Plus it takes place in a bookstore which is still my dream job. I know it's not perfect and it's likely going to stay a pipe dream. But it's still there.
The fact that I tore through this book in one calendar day, and not just because my loan was almost up, is testament enough to how awesome it was. Even with mommy and day job obligations, I still couldn't put it down until I got to the last page. Highly recommend for anyone.
Shoshanna's relatability is what drew me in. She was the kind of teenager I was. Awkward, trying to be helpful and failing, and, even though it was never specified in the book, anxious. She was a sweet girl trying to do the right thing and missing the mark a few times. What I also enjoyed is that she knew when she messed up. When the relationship between Jake and her was changing and she told him all her stressors, he pointed it out to her that she knew she messed up which was the first step. She just had to figure out how to fix.
There is also quite a bit of representation here which shouldn't go unnoticed. The book had LGBTQ+ rep, there was a very important scene involving the first night of Hanukkah. At this time of year the market gets saturated with Christmas books so it's always nice to read about another holiday, even if it is one that you may personally not celebrate. It's great to learn about other cultures at any time of the year.
Plus it takes place in a bookstore which is still my dream job. I know it's not perfect and it's likely going to stay a pipe dream. But it's still there.
The fact that I tore through this book in one calendar day, and not just because my loan was almost up, is testament enough to how awesome it was. Even with mommy and day job obligations, I still couldn't put it down until I got to the last page. Highly recommend for anyone.
readermeetsbook's review
3.0
Cute holiday story with a tiny romance and yes, the bookselling bits were spot on!
senexosaweffers's review against another edition
3.0
It’s a cute read, although it had a distracting number of typos despite the fact that the author is also an editor. The protagonist is quite flawed, which I consider a plus because I really enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book.
I didn’t enjoy the overabundant mentions of Harry Potter, and I felt that this book is timely enough that many of those references could have been removed in light of JKR’s heinous attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community—especially since Recommended for You features several characters who are part of that community. I wonder if the publishers even discussed that.
I will note that, even if JKR weren’t the way she is, and even if I did make an effort to separate author from work, I would still think there are too many references to Harry Potter in this book. One mention is plenty.
I didn’t enjoy the overabundant mentions of Harry Potter, and I felt that this book is timely enough that many of those references could have been removed in light of JKR’s heinous attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community—especially since Recommended for You features several characters who are part of that community. I wonder if the publishers even discussed that.
I will note that, even if JKR weren’t the way she is, and even if I did make an effort to separate author from work, I would still think there are too many references to Harry Potter in this book. One mention is plenty.
abzhozay's review
fast-paced
3.0
I did not know this was technically a "holiday" read before I picked this up so I was pleasantly surprised. Love a good romcom with a bookish theme. It kinda reminded me of "You've Got Mail" with the saving the bookstore plot line. I haven't read a Young Adult novel in a while. For a YA, I actually liked the dynamic between the two main leads. Not exactly an enemies to lovers but more like a "misunderstanding" to lovers. I liked the sales bookstore contest. I also like seeing the Jewish rep. Overall, a cute read for the holidays!
amppet22's review
5.0
Very cute, wholesome story! A definite for the book lover. Who doesn’t love a cute romance with a great amount of diverse characters and a lovely bookstore?
honeybee_reads's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.5
bak8382's review against another edition
4.0
I can't resist books set in bookstores, and this is another good addition to that category.