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pixiepages's review against another edition
3.0
The first one was much better. I did like being reunited with the characters though. It's just so similar to Gossip Girl and Crazy Rich Asians that I can’t fully fall in love with it. I will say this book was much slower than the first one. Same drama, same group, just a different location. It was just all right for me.
ameserole's review against another edition
2.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Now while I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, Anna K: A Love Story, I will admit that I was actually pretty excited to dive into Anna K: Away. Which, yeah, sounds super weird while I'm typing this but oh well. I said what I said people.
The reason why I was excited was because I really enjoyed reading Crazy Rich Asians. I'm still not a huge fan of the Gossip Girl vibes but I was willing to make an exception if this turned out better than the previous one. Spoiler alert: I still don't like anyone. Maybe it's the characters, drama, romance, or anything else in between but there's just something that rubs me the wrong way.
I tried, like really tried to find one thing to like and right now - that's the ending. In the end, I just don't think this book was for me but I am glad that I took the risk to dive into it.
Now while I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, Anna K: A Love Story, I will admit that I was actually pretty excited to dive into Anna K: Away. Which, yeah, sounds super weird while I'm typing this but oh well. I said what I said people.
The reason why I was excited was because I really enjoyed reading Crazy Rich Asians. I'm still not a huge fan of the Gossip Girl vibes but I was willing to make an exception if this turned out better than the previous one. Spoiler alert: I still don't like anyone. Maybe it's the characters, drama, romance, or anything else in between but there's just something that rubs me the wrong way.
I tried, like really tried to find one thing to like and right now - that's the ending. In the end, I just don't think this book was for me but I am glad that I took the risk to dive into it.
rjsreadingnook's review against another edition
4.0
ANNA K AWAY is a great follow-up to ANNA K: A LOVE STORY with a blend of teen drama worthy of Gossip Girl and the sadness that comes with grief and loss.
I wasn’t sure what to expect after the canon divergence at the end of ANNA K, but Lee really delivers an entertaining story with my favorite characters from the first book and some new characters that I loved right away.
What I loved: Anna’s storyline in South Korea involving some K-pop drama, Beatrice’s budding romance with a Tahitian woman in California, and Lolly’s time at theater camp. The way Lee portrayed grief for teens was done so well. Her writing style flows and kept me engaged. I read this as an audiobook and narrator Jenna Ushkowitz is spectacular.
What didn’t work for me: Kimmie and Dustin’s storyline with the miscommunication trope. Not a fan of that trope and it disappointed me because they were my favorite part of the first book. The final party sequence was a bit of a letdown, too, after so much buildup but there are plenty of entertaining moments sprinkled throughout.
A great beach read and I highly recommend the audiobook version for the narrator Jenna Ushkowitz.
Thank you to Libro.fm and the publisher for the ALC. This was my honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect after the canon divergence at the end of ANNA K, but Lee really delivers an entertaining story with my favorite characters from the first book and some new characters that I loved right away.
What I loved: Anna’s storyline in South Korea involving some K-pop drama, Beatrice’s budding romance with a Tahitian woman in California, and Lolly’s time at theater camp. The way Lee portrayed grief for teens was done so well. Her writing style flows and kept me engaged. I read this as an audiobook and narrator Jenna Ushkowitz is spectacular.
What didn’t work for me: Kimmie and Dustin’s storyline with the miscommunication trope. Not a fan of that trope and it disappointed me because they were my favorite part of the first book. The final party sequence was a bit of a letdown, too, after so much buildup but there are plenty of entertaining moments sprinkled throughout.
A great beach read and I highly recommend the audiobook version for the narrator Jenna Ushkowitz.
Thank you to Libro.fm and the publisher for the ALC. This was my honest review.
briannethebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
*3.5* After tragically losing the love of her life, Anna K escapes to Seoul indefinitely to simultaneously cope with her heartbreak and avoid the repercussions of a sex tape leaked by her ex’s sister. She must decide whether to return to Greenwich for her senior year or stay in Korea for a “fresh start” that both her and her dad need.
My feelings about this are similar to how I felt about Anna K. It definitely made for great escapism reading, and the lives of the rich are wildly entertaining. It very much felt like an episode of Gossip Girl, and I wish there was more to the plot. The book circled through the same characters as the first book, all connected in some way, but it just felt like I couldn’t get invested enough in any of the storylines.
My feelings about this are similar to how I felt about Anna K. It definitely made for great escapism reading, and the lives of the rich are wildly entertaining. It very much felt like an episode of Gossip Girl, and I wish there was more to the plot. The book circled through the same characters as the first book, all connected in some way, but it just felt like I couldn’t get invested enough in any of the storylines.
barefootcoven's review against another edition
5.0
This sequel was everything I couldn't hoped for! Anna K was my favourite book of 2020, and Anna K Away is currently taking the spot for my favourite book of 2021. Whilst the first book was more dramatic, sexual and emotional, the sequel provides more character development and hope. I've especially loved Anna's story. She handles her grief and personal growth like a total badass! But I did find Lolly quite annoying this time around. In the previous book, I felt bad for her because of the way Steven treated her. But now she is acting like a spoiled brat and overreacting about everything.
melissadelongcox's review against another edition
1.0
DNF.
Why was I so intent on picking this up when I rated the last one two stars? Who knows. This was a miss for me. It felt like it wanted to be The Thousandth Floor or Gossip Girl, but it just wasn’t as engaging.
Why was I so intent on picking this up when I rated the last one two stars? Who knows. This was a miss for me. It felt like it wanted to be The Thousandth Floor or Gossip Girl, but it just wasn’t as engaging.
pagesofgabriella's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the second book in the Anna K series! I will say, however, that I liked the first book a lot more and I felt there was something left to be desired in this book if you liked the rich high school themes from the first book. It was still a really fun read and perfect for summer, but not as fun as the first book in my opinion.
_basicbookworm's review
3.0
I don't want to give a synopsis for this one because if you haven't already read Anna K, it will give too much away. The best way to describe this series is a Gossip Girl meets Crazy Rich Asians modern retelling of Anna Karenina. Anna K Away picks up right where Anna K left off and it sucked me in right away.
This book felt less slow than the original and from the first moment it was filled with drama. This is one example where I think I actually enjoyed book two more than book one! While there was a lot going on, this book did not feel as heavy as book one. I enjoyed getting to know the characters better in this one too! Because they were all apart for the summer and had their own storylines, I could really get to know each character as an individual and it made it easier to keep track of the different characters.
The audiobook was phenomenal. I could listen to Jenna Ushkowitz all day!
This book felt less slow than the original and from the first moment it was filled with drama. This is one example where I think I actually enjoyed book two more than book one! While there was a lot going on, this book did not feel as heavy as book one. I enjoyed getting to know the characters better in this one too! Because they were all apart for the summer and had their own storylines, I could really get to know each character as an individual and it made it easier to keep track of the different characters.
The audiobook was phenomenal. I could listen to Jenna Ushkowitz all day!