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tostitos's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i loved the complexity of the relationship between jayne and june and the way they were written. my feelings about this book fluctuated sm throughout - i felt like the chapters on jayne’s ed were a bit corny (though i understand the messaging); on the other hand, i rly liked the ending. i also thought the identity switch felt sidelined & wish that had been explored more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Eating disorder
elizabethob's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Sexual assault
rebonky's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emmaaazing's review against another edition
5.0
ok I'm obsessed with this book!! It's a sort of raw stream of consciousness type of writing that makes you cringe at how delulu Jayne is when she thinks about Patrick, makes you hurt when you realize how small and childlike she is when she thinks of June and her family. The way Choi wrote about how Jayne reflected on her family relationships was so real, things are so different when you're 13 vs 23. Some things change, some things don't, and a lot of things are painful.
cwalsh's review against another edition
5.0
5
What an incredible book about familial and romantic relationships, dealing with trauma, and mental health.
I have to say while a lot of Young Adult books cover similar subjects, this one feels a lot heavier, emotional, and authentic. I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a YA - I'd probably mark it as a New Adult - but assume it's marketed that way because of the age of the characters, not the content.
What an incredible book about familial and romantic relationships, dealing with trauma, and mental health.
I have to say while a lot of Young Adult books cover similar subjects, this one feels a lot heavier, emotional, and authentic. I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a YA - I'd probably mark it as a New Adult - but assume it's marketed that way because of the age of the characters, not the content.
lostcupofstars's review against another edition
2.75
This was an interesting exploration of sister dynamics but I found the timelines too sporadic and it dragged quite a bit.
kiaracrawford98's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
audreyxwg's review against another edition
4.0
4.5!!! finished this on the train to work and also cried on the train to work! how beautiful how well-written how dimensional characters. love the dynamic of the sisters and how rich both of them are. the “substitution” of one and the other…brilliant!
the subject is extremely heavy though so definitely decide if you are ready for it.
the subject is extremely heavy though so definitely decide if you are ready for it.
cleoharper's review against another edition
4.0
CW // disordered eating, miscarriage, cancer
Mary HK Choi is the queen of unhappy happy endings. This story was a lot, but it was beautiful and so many parts of it resonated with me, even the ones I didn’t want to. Choi’s writing is incredible and so immersive, and I was invested in Jayne and June’s story the whole way through. I loved reading a sister relationship that wasn’t perfect by any means, but was still strong and unbreakable. This story will keep your attention, even when (and especially when) you don’t like the main characters and their choices.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for review*
Mary HK Choi is the queen of unhappy happy endings. This story was a lot, but it was beautiful and so many parts of it resonated with me, even the ones I didn’t want to. Choi’s writing is incredible and so immersive, and I was invested in Jayne and June’s story the whole way through. I loved reading a sister relationship that wasn’t perfect by any means, but was still strong and unbreakable. This story will keep your attention, even when (and especially when) you don’t like the main characters and their choices.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for review*