cemsreadingcorner's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
Good book! I gave it 4 ⭐️’s because one of the main characters, Brady, did something bad and no one in the book acknowledged that. He spilled the beans about his gf to his bestie and then kept his distance from his gf, instead of just telling her what happened. She had to figure it out for herself. No one acknowledged that. Also, the only person who stayed mad at him for what he did on Valentine’s Day, was Parker’s boss. Like, wtf?! Anyway, other than that, the book was good. Things ended the way they should have. The book ended on a high note. Things weren’t perfect, but they were getting better day by day. Hope that continues to happen if the author decides to write a second book to this story.
Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 5:23 PM
Spoiler
I’m glad Parker and Hope overcame their differences and became friends. And I think Parker and Brady needed to break up for their own good, so, I’m glad that happened too.Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 5:23 PM
charmaineac's review against another edition
1.0
I read the author's note, and I'll admit that the premise of this story was good. It was well-intentioned. However, by trying to make Parker an "approachable" mean girl, she ends up a.) not being mean at ALL, b.) overly sympathetic, and c.) not really the stereotypical "girl who's got the guy's affections," considering the pragmatic state of Parker and Brady's relationship. Thus, this story doesn't flip any of the cliches on their heads.
In fact, if anything, Hope is the classic "man-stealer" in this case, as well as the "mean girl" to Parker. She doesn't appreciate her life at all! It takes her parents making drastic moves for her to start listening.
I like the (very low) self-awareness that Hope would fail the Bechdel test, because she talks about Brady ALL. THE. TIME. Seriously, he's just not into you — get over it! And seriously, don't take it out on his girlfriend (until you find something out that causes you to start pitying her, at least). The frustrating part about this book is that I don't think the characters understood the consequences of their actions well-enough. Brady got an easy-out. Hope fell all over herself and was immediately forgiven. And how could Parker's stance on handouts change so drastically by the end of the book? "Perspective" isn't a good enough reason!
I also don't find Hayley sympathetic at all, and truly wanted to see her suffer. She honestly doesn't deserve Parker's care. Seriously, rehab and hospital stints are NOT cheap in the US. Parker should've put her foot down a long time ago. And was that episode REALLY enough to serve as a catalyst for Hayley to turn her life around? I found that pretty suspect.
In general, I felt like the characters weren't well developed enough. And I also felt like a lot of the scenes were unnecessary — for example, why bother showing Hope and Madelyn at the 16+ club multiple times? I didn't know what Eulberg was trying to achieve from those bartender encounters.
The only slightly thought-provoking part of this book came from Brady's POV. I definitely had an inkling that his situation would unfold the way it did. But honestly, he got out of there relatively unscathed.
In fact, if anything, Hope is the classic "man-stealer" in this case, as well as the "mean girl" to Parker. She doesn't appreciate her life at all! It takes her parents making drastic moves for her to start listening.
I like the (very low) self-awareness that Hope would fail the Bechdel test, because she talks about Brady ALL. THE. TIME. Seriously, he's just not into you — get over it! And seriously, don't take it out on his girlfriend (until you find something out that causes you to start pitying her, at least). The frustrating part about this book is that I don't think the characters understood the consequences of their actions well-enough. Brady got an easy-out. Hope fell all over herself and was immediately forgiven. And how could Parker's stance on handouts change so drastically by the end of the book? "Perspective" isn't a good enough reason!
I also don't find Hayley sympathetic at all, and truly wanted to see her suffer. She honestly doesn't deserve Parker's care. Seriously, rehab and hospital stints are NOT cheap in the US. Parker should've put her foot down a long time ago. And was that episode REALLY enough to serve as a catalyst for Hayley to turn her life around? I found that pretty suspect.
In general, I felt like the characters weren't well developed enough. And I also felt like a lot of the scenes were unnecessary — for example, why bother showing Hope and Madelyn at the 16+ club multiple times? I didn't know what Eulberg was trying to achieve from those bartender encounters.
The only slightly thought-provoking part of this book came from Brady's POV. I definitely had an inkling that his situation would unfold the way it did. But honestly, he got out of there relatively unscathed.
hazelstaybookish's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
I seriously appreciate what this book is trying to do: give perspective to different circumstances of people. Concept-wise it's really amazing and makes the characters so realistically human, but the writing fell short for me. I miss Eulberg's natural witty banter dialogues that I've come to love and expect in her works but the voice here seems a little strained to me. That said, the way this book tackles a character struggling to survive after being abandoned was moving. Also, there's a Filipino supporting character so I'm pretty satisfied!!
I seriously appreciate what this book is trying to do: give perspective to different circumstances of people. Concept-wise it's really amazing and makes the characters so realistically human, but the writing fell short for me. I miss Eulberg's natural witty banter dialogues that I've come to love and expect in her works but the voice here seems a little strained to me. That said, the way this book tackles a character struggling to survive after being abandoned was moving. Also, there's a Filipino supporting character so I'm pretty satisfied!!
bookishtiffany's review against another edition
1.0
Love this cover but I hate the plot. It was very cliche.
islandgeekgirl's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book where I really liked the concept of it because it rings very true. There's so many mediums where the reader or viewer see one girl or a group of girls vilifying another girl for some reason that looks petty in hindsight and without ever really knowing anything about the poor girl. I liked the idea of getting to see both sides. Hope, who had a huge crush on her best friend Brady and hated his girlfriend, and Parker, Brady's girlfriend who was struggling with a lot of things and really didn't need Hope's hatred on top of it all.
The book alternated their POVs to give the reader both sides of the drama. I found myself enjoying Parker's chapters more than Hope's for the main character but Hope's chapters more than Parker's for the supporting characters. Parker's parts were more focused on her struggle to keep her secret and her stress that Hope might succeed in stealing Brady from her. Hope's parts were focused on her plan to steal Brady but also involved her and her club mates in the Rube Goldberg machine group she started. I fell in love with those guys. We also got to see a lot of Hope's mother and her best friend.
With the book being so short, it didn't feel like there was a lot of time spent on developing a lot of the characters. The plot stayed pretty straight forward and predictable. I could see where the build up was going but once it got there, it fell a bit flat. It definitely had a lot of potential and there's an author's note included that is a must read, but overall it just fell flat for me.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The book alternated their POVs to give the reader both sides of the drama. I found myself enjoying Parker's chapters more than Hope's for the main character but Hope's chapters more than Parker's for the supporting characters. Parker's parts were more focused on her struggle to keep her secret and her stress that Hope might succeed in stealing Brady from her. Hope's parts were focused on her plan to steal Brady but also involved her and her club mates in the Rube Goldberg machine group she started. I fell in love with those guys. We also got to see a lot of Hope's mother and her best friend.
With the book being so short, it didn't feel like there was a lot of time spent on developing a lot of the characters. The plot stayed pretty straight forward and predictable. I could see where the build up was going but once it got there, it fell a bit flat. It definitely had a lot of potential and there's an author's note included that is a must read, but overall it just fell flat for me.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
cmw119's review against another edition
4.0
So, overall, I'm Hope, without someone at home to make me Mexican food. And while I felt bad for Parker, the whole thing was a just a tad too unrealistic, especially in a small town, smaller than my own. She wouldn't have been able to hide that secret, because in my school with a class of 110, you could look at someone funny and it would be all over school before second period. We would get a new kid and someone (usually me) would have their whole life story ferreted out by the end of the day.
I get the concept, but this probably would have been more realistic if Hope and Parker were on a more level playing field, like if Parker's parents were still around and just sucked. I enjoyed this but there were things that could have been changed.
I get the concept, but this probably would have been more realistic if Hope and Parker were on a more level playing field, like if Parker's parents were still around and just sucked. I enjoyed this but there were things that could have been changed.
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: What a Rube
Drinking Buddy: Nope
Testosterone Estrogen Level: Meh
Talky Talk: This Love Triangle Is Not Acute One
Bonus Factor: Rube Goldberg
Bromance Status: Take Separately
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: What a Rube
Drinking Buddy: Nope
Talky Talk: This Love Triangle Is Not Acute One
Bonus Factor: Rube Goldberg
Bromance Status: Take Separately
Read the full book report here.
maegsreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book for a book report, who knew that I would fall in love with this author.
ritzcracker60's review against another edition
4.0
This was much better than I thought it would be.
There are 2 protagonists; Hope and Parker. Hope has had a huge crush on her best friend, Brady, since forever. She thinks that he feels the same way. What she can't understand, though, is why Brady is still together with his girlfriend, Parker. She hates Parker because she has it so easy, with her "perfect body" and her boyfriend.
Guess what?
She's wrong.
Parker's home life is really tough. I can't say much about it or else it would probably be considered as a spoiler, but anyways, she feels forever grateful for her friends and Brady. But Hope isn't helping.
But as their junior year goes by, Parker learns that it's okay to ask for help and Hope begins to realize that there's more to Parker than just on the outside . . .
I really enjoyed this. Why? Despite Hope being a self-absorbed, narcissistic brat, the other characters were likable and the plot was interesting.
Characters
Hope: As you can tell from above, I didn't like Hope. At all. She was so rude, ungrateful, so obsessed with Brady, and she hated Parker with a passion despite the fact she hadn't even had a full conversation with her.
Parker: Parker was sweet. She was nice. She was such a better person than Hope. She deserves better than what happened to her.
Brady: God, it's so hard to not like a character like Brady even when they do really stupid things. He was so sweet and carefree and was so supportive of Parker. I honestly have no idea why he was best friends with Hope because he's so much better than her.
And for the side characters: I loved Hope's mom, Gabriella. She was so, so nice and I don't understand how she gave birth to a jerk (*cough* HOPE *cough*). And Madalyn. She was Hope's friend and she was so likable; confident and bold. I love how she didn't care what people thought of her body and herself.
Plot and Other things
Of course, this is a high-school contemporary, so there was a bunch of drama. Between Hope and Parker, Parker and Brady, Hope and Brady, Hope and Madalyn, whoever. It just made the book move along faster, but at times it could be a bit much.
And this book actually went through a lot of real-life things, like addiction, body shaming, and others. These elements were blended nicely into the actual story, so the issues were addressed properly.
In Conclusion
This was a good book. Entertaining, good writing, mostly likable characters. I once again rate an Elizabeth Eulberg book 4.5 Stars.
There are 2 protagonists; Hope and Parker. Hope has had a huge crush on her best friend, Brady, since forever. She thinks that he feels the same way. What she can't understand, though, is why Brady is still together with his girlfriend, Parker. She hates Parker because she has it so easy, with her "perfect body" and her boyfriend.
Guess what?
She's wrong.
Parker's home life is really tough. I can't say much about it or else it would probably be considered as a spoiler, but anyways, she feels forever grateful for her friends and Brady. But Hope isn't helping.
But as their junior year goes by, Parker learns that it's okay to ask for help and Hope begins to realize that there's more to Parker than just on the outside . . .
I really enjoyed this. Why? Despite Hope being a self-absorbed, narcissistic brat, the other characters were likable and the plot was interesting.
Characters
Hope: As you can tell from above, I didn't like Hope. At all. She was so rude, ungrateful, so obsessed with Brady, and she hated Parker with a passion despite the fact she hadn't even had a full conversation with her.
Parker: Parker was sweet. She was nice. She was such a better person than Hope. She deserves better than what happened to her.
Brady: God, it's so hard to not like a character like Brady even when they do really stupid things. He was so sweet and carefree and was so supportive of Parker. I honestly have no idea why he was best friends with Hope because he's so much better than her.
And for the side characters: I loved Hope's mom, Gabriella. She was so, so nice and I don't understand how she gave birth to a jerk (*cough* HOPE *cough*). And Madalyn. She was Hope's friend and she was so likable; confident and bold. I love how she didn't care what people thought of her body and herself.
Plot and Other things
Of course, this is a high-school contemporary, so there was a bunch of drama. Between Hope and Parker, Parker and Brady, Hope and Brady, Hope and Madalyn, whoever. It just made the book move along faster, but at times it could be a bit much.
And this book actually went through a lot of real-life things, like addiction, body shaming, and others. These elements were blended nicely into the actual story, so the issues were addressed properly.
In Conclusion
This was a good book. Entertaining, good writing, mostly likable characters. I once again rate an Elizabeth Eulberg book 4.5 Stars.
diamondxgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This was cute and so much more than I expected.
My favorite moment of YallFest was the moment David Levithan handed me Just Another Girl and told me I needed to read it. Like, any book David hands me I would probably read - for real. Plus just look at that cover! And Elizabeth is so dang lovely. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Just Another Girl.
Alright, how many of you are tired of the same ol’ love triangle story? You know, girl is in love with her boy BFF but he has this super hot but totally undeserving girlfriend? It’s set up so nicely - girl BFF totally deserves him! Look how she’s always there for him! They’d be so cute together!
You truly don’t know somebody until you’ve spent a day in his or her shoes.
That’s what we are taught, right? Trope Trope Trope. And I LOVE how Elizabeth turns this trope upside down and explores both sides of the agenda in this dual POV. Bonus that the boyfriend isn’t part of the problem but factors into the larger picture and there are supportive adults to balance out the less than fabulous ones.
This is overall a cute story with some depth to it. It’s short because it doesn’t waste any time getting through the arc. Readers will be left satisfied with a full heart!
My favorite moment of YallFest was the moment David Levithan handed me Just Another Girl and told me I needed to read it. Like, any book David hands me I would probably read - for real. Plus just look at that cover! And Elizabeth is so dang lovely. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Just Another Girl.
Alright, how many of you are tired of the same ol’ love triangle story? You know, girl is in love with her boy BFF but he has this super hot but totally undeserving girlfriend? It’s set up so nicely - girl BFF totally deserves him! Look how she’s always there for him! They’d be so cute together!
You truly don’t know somebody until you’ve spent a day in his or her shoes.
That’s what we are taught, right? Trope Trope Trope. And I LOVE how Elizabeth turns this trope upside down and explores both sides of the agenda in this dual POV. Bonus that the boyfriend isn’t part of the problem but factors into the larger picture and there are supportive adults to balance out the less than fabulous ones.
This is overall a cute story with some depth to it. It’s short because it doesn’t waste any time getting through the arc. Readers will be left satisfied with a full heart!