Reviews

Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills

abstab's review

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3.0

nothing really that special, just small town love (but YA…)

vern_middle_90's review

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it was ok, I might come back to it if I have nothing else to read. but it wouldn't be my first choice 

syl_val15's review

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2.0

2.75 out of 5 Stars!

*Clears throat*

I hereby announce with a heavy heart that I did not love this book.

Alright, putting my ''theatrical side'' away for a minute.
I tried, I really tried my very best to like this book, unfortunately I couldn't. I've been familiar with this author's books for years and ever since I kept finding myself getting interested in her books more after reading the synopsis', and after finally reading a book by her I didn't know what to think. I thought at first it's just me that didn't like the book, but after seeing all the reviews I realized that indeed IT WAS JUST ME who didn't enjoy it. It was an ''It's not you it's me'' situation.

I don't know what I was expecting from this book, maybe I'm not used to it to her books or maybe I made a bad decision picking 'Famous in a Small Town' as my first book by this author.

All in all, I'm definitely going to read her other books in the future, to see if her books are for me or not. Because judging by the ratings of her books the averages are close to and/or above 4 stars.

Eiither way, I'm still willing to give her books a chance and see what th results will be.

jennc's review against another edition

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5.0

Can Emma Mills just write all the books? God, I adore her writing. I loved Sophie so much. She was smart and caring without being a doormat - so refreshing to see. This book surprised me a few times, definitely took some twists I didn’t see coming. I laughed and almost cried and I loved it all.

readingwithrae's review

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3.0

3.5 stars.

i'm a big fan of emma mills writing (this adventure ends RUINED ME in the best way) and this book definitely showcased her talent. all of the characters just felt so real, she really has a way of writing teenagers realistically. the friendships in this book also were just *chef's kiss*

the thing i didn't vibe with was the plot. it was kinda all over the place, with random shock backstories showing up throughout without any kind of explanation or resolution? also the ending was really random and didn't really make a lot of sense, imo.

ashurq's review

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4.0

For other reviews and more, please visit my blog: What's She Reading?

TL;DR – Characters feel like characters rather than real people and the main character’s kind of taken for granted, but still a really enjoyable read.

I absolutely tear through these books. Emma Mills is really good at writing characters that are enjoyable to read. Even though her characters are a little too witty almost all of the time, I still find myself enjoying the banter. You kind of just have to accept that these are obviously characters–not real people. One thing I liked about this book is that Sophie already has an established group of friends. I’ve noticed a trend in YA Contemporary where the main character is kind of this misfit and/or a really introverted girl who gets absorbed into this quirky friend group and is handed a love interest. I thought Sophie’s group of friends was interesting and I felt that their shared history gave the group depth.

On the other hand, there were a lot of times when I felt like Sophie was being completely taken advantage of and the rest of the group was acting really selfishly. Sophie cares so much for other people–ESPECIALLY HER FRIENDS–and I felt like she was repeatedly getting trampled on (figuratively speaking). I mean, how hard is it for her friends to care about the Megan Pleasant thing for TWO SECONDS just because it’s important to Sophie?!? TWO SECONDS. I just wish they’d been more supportive of Sophie.

The plot takes some interesting turns, but I don’t want to spoil anything. I’ll just say that one of the twists had me bawling and the other seemed…a little bit of a stretch. How everything played out just seemed a bit questionable and maybe a tad too convenient?

Overall, I liked this book as much as Mills’ other ones and will definitely continue to pick up her stuff. I had some minor issues with it, but nothing that really prevented me from enjoying it.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: Heavy
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

hannahk22's review

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4.0

WHY IS AUGUST JUST

bluebeereads's review

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4.0

I seriously adore Emma Mills' books. She writes the cutest romances and the most epic friendships.

thebookberrie's review

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1.0

My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

For most of this book, I loved it so much. It was fun, adorable, and I loved the dialogue. I thought the romance was really cute and pure, and everything about this book was just like eating ice cream on a summer evening. While it was a little on the young side- I still loved Sophie and her friend group. It had everything going for it and everything I liked in a fluffy contemporary. That is until this author decided that she wanted to have some super big sad reveal, just destroying everything that came before it.

When I go into a cute looking contemporary novel, I expect cute; I crave it. I understand the need to have some seriousness or some depth. But you know, some people just don't want to get punched in the face with a bunch of bullshit that they never asked for, especially so late in the book. I read this author's last book and it didn't do this, so there was no way I could have guessed she would do it here. There was no warning, there was no reason besides extra drama when the book already had a fair amount. And of course because it's some super big reveal, no reviews are going to TW that because it is a fun surprise. Guess what? TW: someone close to the MC died beforehand but we find out late in the book

I thought this would be a winner, something I could tell everyone to read if they want to eat summer ice cream. But on every level I have, I'm not finishing this book, and I'm going to yeet it into the sun. Call me sensitive, call me dramatic, but I don't want random extra sad stuff when I just wanted a good time. I didn't sign up for this and I'm done.

Dropped at page 235 out of 309 and I'm not reading this author again after that betrayal.

desertlover's review

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4.0

4- Number of Mills's books read.
4- Number of Mills's books that made me giggle/laugh out loud.
4 -Number of Mills's book that made me unexpectedly cry like a baby.
4- Number of Mills's books that left me with the "book high" I long for with every book.

Obviously, there is a pattern with Emma Mills, and she has quickly become one of my favorite YA authors. I adored Sophie and the entire cast of ordinary but rememberable characters. Sophie is full of whit and dry humor. I found myself constantly smiling or laughing at her antics. She is hilarious without the effort. I especially enjoyed the familial aspect; it's refreshing to have a book where teens and parents actually communicate. Even though there are tearful moments, I never felt saddened. At its heart, there is feel good theme, and a meaningful coming of age storyline.

I cannot wait for whatever Mills writes next; she is officially an auto-buy author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for my advanced review copy. The finished hardback fits beautifully on my shelf as well.