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kayleig38's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
crisisreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail
jevette15's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
joyner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual violence
thinwhit3lies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
First off, the writing was simple, very easy to get immersed in the story. However, it was the dialogue and some comments that really put me off. The unnecessary and numerous remarks about how small Shannon was and how big, huge, massive Johnny was put me against the wall. They were so ridiculous that at the end I was fake-sobbing 💀.
On the other hand, there were some comments that I could not but take seriously. Some misogynistic, ableist, and transphobe comments were thrown like nothing, and they literally left me gasping. I get this book is set in the 2000s, but it seems quite unnecessary in a high school romance book to make such serious statements. Honestly, it just feels icky and enrages (at least, that was what accomplished with me).
Continuing with the characters, Shannon was obviously tiny, but apart from that nothing really stood out LOL. Nah, she was cute but sometimes really frustrating, she was indecisive about everything.
I honestly expected more of Johnny. Probably because he was a teenager, but his mood swings and his attitude didn’t really attract me (not to talk about the situation with his thigh injury 😭😭). He was sweet with Shannon, but seeing how it was quite insta-lovey on his part didn’t make it entirely appealing. In the end, he improved and he actually showed a quite different and better side (let’s hope this is the beginning of his character development 🙏🙏). So yeah, I liked his daddy much better and he only appeared in two scenes 🥴🥴. Sorry, Johnny.
Shannon and Johnny had some cute moments that got me squealing, but others were actually really awkward and embarrassing, so I’m not totally on board with them. Let’s see how it goes 👁️👁️.
For me, the real star of the show here was Joey. Seeing how cared about his siblings, and how he struggled so much but also made an effort to make things better really touched my heart. I love him and he must be protected at all costs 🫶🫶.
Despite having no real plot, I had no problems getting through this book, and I actually was invested (hence my rating). The ending was pretty good (the drama finally blew up ✊), but seeing the repetitiveness and length of the story doesn’t make me rush for the next book.
Graphic: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Misogyny and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Ableism
wynterstrike's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved the depth of the characters, and Gibsie and Johnny's friendship was a highlight for me. There were a couple of questionable comments made by characters, and everyone seemed to act first, talk later, but given the characters ages I think it checks out.
What I'd like to see in book 2:
It's worth checking the trigger warnings if you're okay not going in completely blind, there's some pretty dark themes throughout.
Graphic: Child abuse and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Medical trauma
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Vomit
kelseyr09'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
2.0
Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Miscarriage, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Child abuse and Homophobia
bissm16'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
2.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
mariahlynnpeck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
elisereadsbigbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
Moderate: Miscarriage and Vomit