angelicasbooknook's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
dopamine_surge's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
dawnthoma100's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.0
This story is very sweet and fun! The two main characters are distinct and likeable. The story is a bit unfocused. Too many mini-dramas take us to a meandering soap-opera territory. The second half of the book felt rushed and unresolved..
kim_c's review against another edition
3.0
CAWPILE Rating: 6/10
STAR Rating: ★★★
Trigger Warnings: Sexual assault, Abusive parent, Racism.
This is a book about complicated relationships and heavy subjects (Including rape, trauma, racism and abuse). Both characters had their own struggles to deal with, and I felt like they were conveyed well.
However, I couldn’t help but feel that the ending was abrupt. I can still feel the emotional whiplash a few days later. I feel like Jordan never got any closure surrounding his relationship with his mother. Similarly, the dynamic between Jordan and his friends was only bearable to me because I felt like it was going somewhere. They constantly cross the line, don’t respect his boundaries, make fun of his mother’s mental illness and yet Jordan doesn’t ever get to address those issues with them. That boy needs better friends for real.
A minor gripe but … Brother in Christ, the audiobook. This thing really does a disservice to Jordan. The voice Jordan used for Max's lines sounded like a parody. I did NOT buy that these two were in love, when I couldn’t help but feel like he was mocking him with every sentence. I think if I ever revisit this one, it’ll be via ebook.
STAR Rating: ★★★
Trigger Warnings: Sexual assault, Abusive parent, Racism.
This is a book about complicated relationships and heavy subjects (Including rape, trauma, racism and abuse). Both characters had their own struggles to deal with, and I felt like they were conveyed well.
Spoiler
Max struggling to keep up his “Super Max” persona while dealing with the aftermath of his assault was handled with care and sensitivity. One line from Jordan in particular stood out to me, while watching Max’s mother console him.“I have this incredible, awful, sad realisation. That if this was me, if I’d been raped and this was my mom, I’d be hugging and consoling her. She would make this all about her.”
However, I couldn’t help but feel that the ending was abrupt. I can still feel the emotional whiplash a few days later. I feel like Jordan never got any closure surrounding his relationship with his mother. Similarly, the dynamic between Jordan and his friends was only bearable to me because I felt like it was going somewhere. They constantly cross the line, don’t respect his boundaries, make fun of his mother’s mental illness and yet Jordan doesn’t ever get to address those issues with them. That boy needs better friends for real.
A minor gripe but … Brother in Christ, the audiobook. This thing really does a disservice to Jordan. The voice Jordan used for Max's lines sounded like a parody. I did NOT buy that these two were in love, when I couldn’t help but feel like he was mocking him with every sentence. I think if I ever revisit this one, it’ll be via ebook.
anoceru's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5!
i have... mixed feelings about this one. on one hand, i quite appreciated how it handled certain specific topics, i liked the writing and narration, and i really enjoyed jordan's character.
but at the same time, i was just not super convinced by the main romantic relationship; max and jordan's development wasn't what i'd hoped for. i admittedly have high standards when it comes to character chemistry and romance in media, and i'm probably pickier than others – however, i don't think i'm being completely unreasonable here, so bear with me :') the circumstances that these two came together under were just something that i could not quite wrap my head around. max was initially highly critical of jordan, barely offering him sympathy when he expressed deeply ingrained insecurity, swearing frequently at him, and overall acting like he didn't even like existing around jordan. the latter could certainly be an ass to max as well – these two are both rude at times – but jordan's romantic feelings were much more developed, and he seemed to like max so much more than the other liked him.
once they got together, though, i was more on board! i just wish i hadn't been so put off by their development prior to them dating, because it did put a damper on my enjoyment. however, i do think the second half of the book was much better; that was definitely in part to them being romantically together and the consequent increase in healthy communication.
other than the romance development, i had another gripe with the book: in terms of plot and pacing, i felt that it ended in a pretty unsatisfactory way, and i don't understand why some plot points never followed through? while it could be considered realistic for things to be imperfect, i found it just made no sense narratively. there were absolutely some events that could've been addressed by the end of the book; i especially wish the plot with jordan's mother had seen some sort of conclusion, but it's left almost entirely open. she ruins her and jordan's lives, and that's pretty much... it. i wish he'd been able to at least have a final proper conversation with her.
i also think that it could have been interesting to see max and jordan talk about relationship boundaries, especially in regards to sex. because of max's trauma surrounding his past sexual trauma, i think that would've been a very interesting conversation to read about. it could've also added more layers and nuance to the novel's exploration of sexual assault survivors. i would've appreciated that, even if it was just barely touched on! this novel definitely has good ideas about toxic masculinity in relation to rape culture; the topics written about here are not new, but could be a great place to begin for someone interested in seeing how these ideas are explored in teen fiction.
all this to say, i liked the music of what happens, however don't have much else to say about it. but!! this was also the first book i read after a years-long reading slump, and i appreciate it for that. :)
i have... mixed feelings about this one. on one hand, i quite appreciated how it handled certain specific topics, i liked the writing and narration, and i really enjoyed jordan's character.
but at the same time, i was just not super convinced by the main romantic relationship; max and jordan's development wasn't what i'd hoped for. i admittedly have high standards when it comes to character chemistry and romance in media, and i'm probably pickier than others – however, i don't think i'm being completely unreasonable here, so bear with me :') the circumstances that these two came together under were just something that i could not quite wrap my head around. max was initially highly critical of jordan, barely offering him sympathy when he expressed deeply ingrained insecurity, swearing frequently at him, and overall acting like he didn't even like existing around jordan. the latter could certainly be an ass to max as well – these two are both rude at times – but jordan's romantic feelings were much more developed, and he seemed to like max so much more than the other liked him.
once they got together, though, i was more on board! i just wish i hadn't been so put off by their development prior to them dating, because it did put a damper on my enjoyment. however, i do think the second half of the book was much better; that was definitely in part to them being romantically together and the consequent increase in healthy communication.
other than the romance development, i had another gripe with the book: in terms of plot and pacing, i felt that it ended in a pretty unsatisfactory way, and i don't understand why some plot points never followed through? while it could be considered realistic for things to be imperfect, i found it just made no sense narratively. there were absolutely some events that could've been addressed by the end of the book; i especially wish the plot with jordan's mother had seen some sort of conclusion, but it's left almost entirely open. she ruins her and jordan's lives, and that's pretty much... it. i wish he'd been able to at least have a final proper conversation with her.
i also think that it could have been interesting to see max and jordan talk about relationship boundaries, especially in regards to sex. because of max's trauma surrounding his past sexual trauma, i think that would've been a very interesting conversation to read about. it could've also added more layers and nuance to the novel's exploration of sexual assault survivors. i would've appreciated that, even if it was just barely touched on! this novel definitely has good ideas about toxic masculinity in relation to rape culture; the topics written about here are not new, but could be a great place to begin for someone interested in seeing how these ideas are explored in teen fiction.
all this to say, i liked the music of what happens, however don't have much else to say about it. but!! this was also the first book i read after a years-long reading slump, and i appreciate it for that. :)
george1636's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-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? N/A
4.5
Very cute book. Dealt with some darker topics but generally a cute romance. Well written and very nice imagery. 🖤
obviously_lene's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
antithesis's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
issiebakam's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
sarahelem's review against another edition
It felt a little too teen-angsty for me, and a handful of aspects of it came across as a different flavor of the Heartstopper comics. It really didn't hold me so I'm DNFing.