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emilyburdick's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
…for the love of PETE! (*eye roll*). I have been duped by a cute cover. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover but I constantly continue to do so, to my own downfall. I had higher expectations for this book, seeing as I thought I loved Alex, Approximately (which looking back I only gave three stars so maybe that should have been a sign), but this was such a snooze fest!
The main characters, although I know they’re teenagers, sounded so stupid the entire book. Like, we get it, Zorie, your entire personality is being Type A to the highest degree and Lennon’s is liking reptiles and wearing black. SO one dimensional.
There are blatant displays of homophobia and abuse (emotional and physical) that go practically unchallenged by the other characters. I have never been so grossed out by a YA parent before, and that entire plot line felt so unnecessary. In my opinion, it was put in there solely for Zorie to have daddy issues as a way to relate to Lennon and his own struggles with his father and the two situations are so NOT on the same level. Zorie continued to diminish what Lennon went though and the reason he stopped talking to her; going so far as to be mad that he didn’t tell her and still keep bringing up that he ditched her at homecoming.
When the characters so openly talked about sex I got kind of excited because it’s good for YA to promote safe sex, but my god, I also don’t need to know that two teenagers went though an entire pack of condoms in two days. One, I think it set a totally unrealistic precedent for intimacy, and, it didn’t add anything to the story for us to know that two underage teenagers bumped like bunnies immediately after they started dating. Maybe it’s not that deep, but it gave me the ick.
This review ended up a lot longer than I anticipated, but I’ve literally been taking mental notes about how much this book irked me while I read it. I think Jenn Bennett might be a one and done for me as far as good books. Or maybe I’m just outgrowing YA contemporaries.
The main characters, although I know they’re teenagers, sounded so stupid the entire book. Like, we get it, Zorie, your entire personality is being Type A to the highest degree and Lennon’s is liking reptiles and wearing black. SO one dimensional.
There are blatant displays of homophobia and abuse (emotional and physical) that go practically unchallenged by the other characters. I have never been so grossed out by a YA parent before, and that entire plot line felt so unnecessary. In my opinion, it was put in there solely for Zorie to have daddy issues as a way to relate to Lennon and his own struggles with his father and the two situations are so NOT on the same level. Zorie continued to diminish what Lennon went though and the reason he stopped talking to her; going so far as to be mad that he didn’t tell her and still keep bringing up that he ditched her at homecoming.
When the characters so openly talked about sex I got kind of excited because it’s good for YA to promote safe sex, but my god, I also don’t need to know that two teenagers went though an entire pack of condoms in two days. One, I think it set a totally unrealistic precedent for intimacy, and, it didn’t add anything to the story for us to know that two underage teenagers bumped like bunnies immediately after they started dating. Maybe it’s not that deep, but it gave me the ick.
This review ended up a lot longer than I anticipated, but I’ve literally been taking mental notes about how much this book irked me while I read it. I think Jenn Bennett might be a one and done for me as far as good books. Or maybe I’m just outgrowing YA contemporaries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Sexual content