Reviews

Anna K Away by Jenny Lee

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jordysbookclub's review against another edition

4.0

QUICK TAKE: let's be clear, I freakin' adored ANNA K. one of my favorite books of 2020, there were a lot of expectations heading into the sequel. Does it live up to the first book. Short answer: no. But ANNA K AWAY is still an excellent addition to this series, and for sure worth your time. The sequel is missing the fun framework of the first book that reinterpreted ANNA KARENINA...here, this is just a continuation of the characters from the first book without those classic literature Easter eggs that made ANNA K so brilliant. I also had issues with the characters spending most of the time apart...I enjoyed the camaraderie of the kids in the first book and missed that here (they come together in the last 50 pages and it really feels like a different book when that happens). That being said, I found this to be an excellent story of teenagers dealing with trauma and grief, and Jenny Lee still does a fantastic job with specificity and detail and wish fulfillment and fun...I could definitely use a spin-off series centered around the k-pop drama she introduces. Ultimately, if you liked the first book, I definitely think you'll enjoy this one!

hmarti13's review against another edition

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3.0

I loved the first book, and when I heard there was going to be a sequel I was so excited. But personally for me this second book seemed a little unnecessary.

It was cute and fun and it was nice being back with the characters, but it definitely does not have the charm the first one did and didn’t add much storyline wise.
There was something about Anna K: A Love Story that made it special, but Anna K Away just felt like another YA contemporary. Which isn’t bad, it just didn’t live up to the standards I had based on the first one.

Overall, I recommend reading this only if you absolutely adored the first novel and just want to be with the characters again. But if you were okay with how the first book ended, I think you’re not missing anything by skipping this one.

3/5⭐️

hdk96's review against another edition

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4.0

Despite others I honestly liked this book better than the first. It was nice to see people actually taking responsibility for their choices. It was nice to see them making choices at all! There was soooo much wishy washy drama in the first book. I loved the second book while there was PLENTY of drama, it always moved the story along instead of just kind of floating along. If you're wondering if you should pick up the second book I wholeheartedly recommend that you do!

drizzleandhurricanebooks's review against another edition

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4.0

Trigger warnings:

Spoiler

grief, loss of loved ones (in the previous book), drug and alcohol use, explicit sexual content, talk about overdose and sex scandal, cheating, divorced parents, addiction.

I had a lot of fun reading Anna K. and found that back in this sequel! I still enjoyed the characters and the drama a whole lot, even if I felt like some events were a little unnecessary.

Full review coming soon!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC through Edelweiss! This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.

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