The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
jayyden_kk's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was an enjoyable read!Â
ethereal_fiction's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Not the suspense I was expecting. You read that a girl was kidnapped as a child and you assume it's a stranger. I was very disappointed in the reveal and feel I was misled from the start.Â
I'm from Wisconsin (born and raised), I love the Packers and cheese and the small town feel, but the references got to be a little much. I know the author is also from Wisconsin and was probably excited to get the state in a book, but it felt like it was written by an author who wanted to set their book in Wisconsin and went over the top researching it to throw as much info and as many place names in as possible. Instead of adding to the story, each reference pulled me out.Â
And I couldn't stand Paula. I skipped a middle chunk to just see how it ended. The ending seemed to resolve too quickly and neatly.Â
I'm from Wisconsin (born and raised), I love the Packers and cheese and the small town feel, but the references got to be a little much. I know the author is also from Wisconsin and was probably excited to get the state in a book, but it felt like it was written by an author who wanted to set their book in Wisconsin and went over the top researching it to throw as much info and as many place names in as possible. Instead of adding to the story, each reference pulled me out.Â
And I couldn't stand Paula. I skipped a middle chunk to just see how it ended. The ending seemed to resolve too quickly and neatly.Â
aprilmarius23's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
I read this very quickly and it was very easy to get through. The writing isn't particularly good in my opinion and a lot of the dialogue feels cringey. Every few pages a character says "Ah, I..." and that was very annoying.
sydneylmeyer7's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
eviejo_07's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
caitief's review
challenging
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? No
5.0
briannaamato's review
3.0
2.75 stars.
Loved the concept and bits and pieces of the story line, but it felt a little too underwhelming when it came to how the adults and children interacted with each other. The first few chapters were a little too overly cutesy and didnt really have a lot of build up to the big revelation, just a lot of what I would think of as fluff.
Loved the concept and bits and pieces of the story line, but it felt a little too underwhelming when it came to how the adults and children interacted with each other. The first few chapters were a little too overly cutesy and didnt really have a lot of build up to the big revelation, just a lot of what I would think of as fluff.
sc104906's review
3.0
I received this as an eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Ali has the perfect life. She has a great group of friends and feels like part of the town's family, even though it is just her and her father. While Ali's mother died when she was really young, she loves her father. They have a great relationship, have themed nights, and talk to each other about everything. It may seem like Ali has the perfect life, but when she begins applying for college, her identity is flagged and it turns out that she is the missing child Amanda. Ali can't comprehend her past, but as the media gets involved and her birth mother comes back on the scene, get ready for some Whatever Happened to Janie emotional turmoil.
This will be a solid read for young teen readers. Ali seemed to be developed to act younger than her actual age, but this will lend itself to being appropriate for younger readers. I found it interesting and well-done that I was rooting for Ali's dad, even though he was not the good guy. However, I wished for a better developed birth mother and her family, I wanted to have empathy for this section of Ale's life but could never truly get there.
Ali has the perfect life. She has a great group of friends and feels like part of the town's family, even though it is just her and her father. While Ali's mother died when she was really young, she loves her father. They have a great relationship, have themed nights, and talk to each other about everything. It may seem like Ali has the perfect life, but when she begins applying for college, her identity is flagged and it turns out that she is the missing child Amanda. Ali can't comprehend her past, but as the media gets involved and her birth mother comes back on the scene, get ready for some Whatever Happened to Janie emotional turmoil.
This will be a solid read for young teen readers. Ali seemed to be developed to act younger than her actual age, but this will lend itself to being appropriate for younger readers. I found it interesting and well-done that I was rooting for Ali's dad, even though he was not the good guy. However, I wished for a better developed birth mother and her family, I wanted to have empathy for this section of Ale's life but could never truly get there.
hazydazywaffles's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.0
I will say, the writing read really strange to me at times because this entire book is in the present tense. Also, the cursing really bothered me, more than I'm really comfortable with. Overall, interesting but not my favorite.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing