Reviews

Di Mana Pun Kau Berada by Kristina Forest

momoj8's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-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

3.75

booknerd98's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

I really enjoyed this! Chloe was really relatable and it was fun and I loved the ballet scenes cuz I used to dance so I understood what she was talking about and the road trip aspect was fun. 

thebookberrie's review against another edition

This was a fun quick read!

I Wanna Be Where You Are is about a girl named Chloe who is a ballerina. When her mother forbids her to apply for a spot at a dance conservatory of her dreams, she devises a secret plan to drive there. Before she can even start, her neighbor Eli insists on hitching a ride, threatening to tell her mom if she doesn't. Along with him is his stinky dog and along they go on a roadtrip that has many speed bumps.

I listened to this on audiobook and this was such a zoom boi. I think I like fun, cute roadtrips where they are on the way to achieving their dreams and not roadtrip because they're on the run from the FBI. (Which I have read many times, all sucking.)

They have a stinky dog that gets INTO it and it's just so funny the situations that happen while trying to hide the dog and then just Eli and Chloe dealing with each other in general. It's ex-friends to lovers and it's such a vibe because Eli is a goofball and Chloe is like absolutely not, you are annoying. They worked so well together even though there was a big thing in their past that had me salty.

According to the author's note, the author used to dance and you can just tell because I really felt how passionate Chloe was to dancing. But other things were just like... yeah I'm too old and teenagers are annoying haha like a lot of this could have been avoided but it's finee.

Loved the vibe.

thebookishsprig's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

this was an incredibly sweet and heartwarming book about finding yourself and trying your best to accomplish your dreams no matter what. i think it was a wonderful debut novel and i’ll continue to read more books by kristina forest. i also really loved the author’s note at the end of the book and for me, it made this book even more special.

kaavi's review against another edition

3.0

It took me some time to read the book even though it was only 200 pages, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved how the book showed the lengths the main character would do to achieve her dream, doing things that she had never done before in her life, road tripping with her enemy and what not. I really liked the way that the author portrayed the trauma of the girl in some form and not just her going and talking about it to every person, and I loved the way she was so dedicated in her interests and wasn’t gonna let anyone else dictate her life. The parents in the book - all of them - were strict and tried to control the lives of their kids, and were keeping them from their true potential without even realising this. But the way the main character’s mum changed her perspective about things was really heartwarming. I also liked that the transition from enemies to lovers was not abrupt, but rather a slow process. You could see her thoughts shifting from “he’s so annoying” to “he’s kind of sweet” in a gradual transition. This wouldn’t be one of my favourite books, but it’s definitely worth recommending.

judithblogtsolo's review against another edition

4.0

Vermakelijke Young Adult over een hele bijzondere roadtrip! Ik vloog door het boek en kon alleen maar hopen dat de jonge personages hun dromen mogen verwezenlijken - je gunt het ze namelijk wel.

mary_binzley's review against another edition

4.0

THIS WAS SO CUTE WTF

agmaynard's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 Strong debut, chiefly a road trip tale with estranged friends to love interests. Ballet portions seem pretty well done though limited; family expectations and frustrations well drawn. Probably fine for most tweens also. Added to teen bibliography listings. 

exorcismemily's review against another edition

4.0

I Wanna Be Where You Are is such a cute story! There are people who have a past now developing a relationship, a doggo, and a road trip! This book has several sweet scenes, and I really had fun reading it.

bymoonflower's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

a solid, very very sweet coming of age book. its good to pass time, i finished it in two days and it leaves a really hopeful and (again) sweet aftertaste. feels like a teenage disney movie