Scan barcode
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicide, Abortion, and Abandonment
Poverty, foster homes, premie.betweentheshelves's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
That aside, this is a powerful coming of age story that isn't afraid to tackle difficult topics head on. The romance at the center felt realistic and the characters were all well developed. Clarke nailed the voice also; it felt very authentically teen. For a debut, I was very impressed!
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death
librarybookscene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt
antonique_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion
livinginlibros's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Simply beautiful.
Thank you, Netgalley, Little Brown, and Lane Clarke for the arc
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape and Abortion
Minor: Death
getlitwithamy_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When Lane Clark reached out to me to pitch her novel and to ask if I would be interested in reading it, I knew from her email that this was a book I wanted to read. She does a great job writing about tough topics such as rape, abortion, suicidal ideations, and more without making these topics the only thing for readers to focus on when following the journey of the main character Michie.
I would have preferred if the book did not focus on having a romance occur, and to have it be mainly a book about friendship, character development, and relationship building. While Clarke has all of these in significant detail, I felt like the romance was. a little forced even though it took place gradually throughout the book.
Regardless, this was a very heartwarming read with a story to embrace: a high school teenager overcoming adversity and finding her place in the world.
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Abortion
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First and foremost, I feel the need to mention that the book takes place in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. This is where I was born and raised and lived for 27 years. It means the world to me and I've never in my life read a fictional novel set in that city. Other places in Virginia, sure, but never RVA. This was a really special experience. It felt surreal to flip through pages referencing streets that I've walked a million times. It even mentioned an ice cream shop that I did a photoshoot at during my fashion blogging days. I mean, talk about cool! I realize I'm geeking out about this small detail, but to me, it wasn't small. It made the story feel so personal, like I could've just bumped into Michie and Derek at any point.
Something that makes the "greats" I mentioned above (Nicola Yoon and Elizabeth Acevedo) stand out among other contemporary YA authors is that they always have an underlying message in their stories. You don't necessarily read their books to escape so much as you read them to learn and grow. That was absolutely the case with Love Times Infinity. It didn't just touch on tough topics. It was swimming in them. If you plan to read this book, prepare to fully immerse yourself in difficult questions and thought-provoking scenarios. This might have been a coming-of-age story for Michie, but it made me rethink things as well, proving yet again that we can learn from 1) fiction and 2) books about those who are younger than us - at any age.
I'm not sure if the author has plans to turn this into a series, but I honestly hope that's the case. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger, but it was slightly open. Whether that's for the reader to make their own assumptions about what's going to happen next or so that there's room for a sequel, I'm not entirely sure. However, even if there isn't any continuation after Love Times Infinity, I love the way it wrapped up. There was so much phenomenal character development, the romance was sweet-yet-realistic for high school, and the found (somewhat dysfunctional) family gave me the warm fuzzies.
Do yourself a favor and add Love Times Infinity to your TBR. You won't regret it, that's for sure.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Abandonment
Content Warnings from the author: depictions of anxiety and depression, discussions of sexual assault, discussions of abortion, alcohol use, discussions of alcoholism, parental abandonment, grandparent death (backstory, off-page)