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caseylovett's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Wedding planning runs in the family. Split timeline of a previous relationship with a tragic ending and a new relationship with an annoying guy who has a soft side. Characters feel too mature to be high school age but without adult aspects so they’re just boring children. Heavy mentions of school shootings without any content warning beforehand or acknowledgement of how serious the topic is. Tragedy is used as a dramatic plot point for a romance that has no chemistry regardless.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident
enchantedsleeper's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this book and I raced through it in two days, but I also agree with a lot of the gripes that other people have raised in the reviews.
The way that Sarah Dessen uses a school shooting to engineer a tragedy wherein the main character loses her first love felt... off. Hollow. I originally thought that the "loved and lost" that the blurb referred to was a bad breakup, and I kind of wish it had been. When she referenced the school shooting to show what had happened to Ethan it just felt like - really? We're going there? And while I felt like the young love element was handled well, Ethan's actual death felt less so. She never went to the memorial, and that's it? Wasn't she in touch with any of his friends, his family? They might not have been together for long, but everyone knew they were in a relationship! Did no-one reach out to her?
I think Louna's actual response of being jaded and cynical about love fit better with a bad breakup (and her background in the wedding industry), not traumatically losing a teenage love. I don't think she would be in the place where she was for this book just seven months later, much less willing to date around random guys because of... what, a bet? As others have pointed out, there was also no space on the page devoted to the horror of gun violence or any of those implications. It was just treated like "something that happens". And I'm not from the US, but I can't believe that anyone who is is that inured to it that they wouldn't dwell on the circumstances of how he died. Campaigned over gun rights. Been angry at the senselessness of how Ethan's life was taken. Not "I was SUPER SAD for seven months but I'm mostly okay now and ready to move on".
Ambrose as a character was okay. He was very much a retread of Dexter from This Lullaby, right down to the little dog, and started off as this arrogant guy but then actually wasn't? Possibly because Dessen realised this made him too unlikeable? Instead he's just clumsy and scatty, except that he's actually super reliable and great, and he juggles women constantly but that's their fault for getting attached to him, he never promised them anything. Geez. I think I preferred the relationships that all the background characters were getting into. William and the cheese guy were totally cute; I found the mum's romance with mister Work Clichés a bit convenient, especially the timing, but it was nice to have a parent figure - two, really - who actually communicates and is honest. Natalie and William being platonic besties was also adorable. I'll take a whole book about them navigating their new relationships alongside their close friendship with each other.
People have mentioned Jilly actually being a crummy friend to Louna and I kind of agree. She sets her up with clearly terrible guys and doesn't look out for her at a party. She's unimpressed by Ambrose when they first meet, which I get, but then does a complete 180 and is fine with him. And then she tells Ambrose about Ethan without even asking Louna? Even though she knows that Louna hasn't told him herself and must know that she doesn't want to? Nope, nope, nope. Do not do this to your friends, ever. I felt like that part, the patented Sarah Dessen moment where everything falls apart but it's fine because it will be solved by the end, felt a lot more contrived than usual. I was actively groaning when it happened. And I don't enjoy that part in any of her books, but in this one it felt particularly forced, because of how it happened. I had been preparing for Louna and Ambrose to finally have the conversation about Ethan, and in the end it wasn't even her that brought him up. She would have been justified in feeling seriously betrayed by Jilly, but it wasn't even an issue between them? And poor Ben. The Paul of the story (referencing This Lullaby), but at least Remy had the good grace to break it off with Paul before she reunited with Dexter (and did it for reasons unrelated to Dexter), whereas Louna straight-up abandoned Ben on her birthday, with no explanation, and then came back saying "I'm with this guy now"? Meanwhile her mum, William and their respective significant others are looking on? Yiiiiiiikes.
There were things to like about this book and I did find her romance with Ethan compelling, unlike some who found it unrealistic. But most of what happened in the present day? Not super sold. I think the wedding industry + a bad breakup would have been enough to make Louna cynical without needing to bring a *school shooting* of all things into the equation. Or if you're determined to do the tragedy, then do it right. Maybe make them friends at the end of the book for once instead of a couple. But that's not how The Formula goes.
I think Louna's actual response of being jaded and cynical about love fit better with a bad breakup (and her background in the wedding industry), not traumatically losing a teenage love. I don't think she would be in the place where she was for this book just seven months later, much less willing to date around random guys because of... what, a bet? As others have pointed out, there was also no space on the page devoted to the horror of gun violence or any of those implications. It was just treated like "something that happens". And I'm not from the US, but I can't believe that anyone who is is that inured to it that they wouldn't dwell on the circumstances of how he died. Campaigned over gun rights. Been angry at the senselessness of how Ethan's life was taken. Not "I was SUPER SAD for seven months but I'm mostly okay now and ready to move on".
Ambrose as a character was okay. He was very much a retread of Dexter from This Lullaby, right down to the little dog, and started off as this arrogant guy but then actually wasn't? Possibly because Dessen realised this made him too unlikeable? Instead he's just clumsy and scatty, except that he's actually super reliable and great, and he juggles women constantly but that's their fault for getting attached to him, he never promised them anything. Geez. I think I preferred the relationships that all the background characters were getting into. William and the cheese guy were totally cute; I found the mum's romance with mister Work Clichés a bit convenient, especially the timing, but it was nice to have a parent figure - two, really - who actually communicates and is honest. Natalie and William being platonic besties was also adorable. I'll take a whole book about them navigating their new relationships alongside their close friendship with each other.
People have mentioned Jilly actually being a crummy friend to Louna and I kind of agree. She sets her up with clearly terrible guys and doesn't look out for her at a party. She's unimpressed by Ambrose when they first meet, which I get, but then does a complete 180 and is fine with him. And then she tells Ambrose about Ethan without even asking Louna? Even though she knows that Louna hasn't told him herself and must know that she doesn't want to? Nope, nope, nope. Do not do this to your friends, ever. I felt like that part, the patented Sarah Dessen moment where everything falls apart but it's fine because it will be solved by the end, felt a lot more contrived than usual. I was actively groaning when it happened. And I don't enjoy that part in any of her books, but in this one it felt particularly forced, because of how it happened. I had been preparing for Louna and Ambrose to finally have the conversation about Ethan, and in the end it wasn't even her that brought him up. She would have been justified in feeling seriously betrayed by Jilly, but it wasn't even an issue between them? And poor Ben. The Paul of the story (referencing This Lullaby), but at least Remy had the good grace to break it off with Paul before she reunited with Dexter (and did it for reasons unrelated to Dexter), whereas Louna straight-up abandoned Ben on her birthday, with no explanation, and then came back saying "I'm with this guy now"? Meanwhile her mum, William and their respective significant others are looking on? Yiiiiiiikes.
There were things to like about this book and I did find her romance with Ethan compelling, unlike some who found it unrealistic. But most of what happened in the present day? Not super sold. I think the wedding industry + a bad breakup would have been enough to make Louna cynical without needing to bring a *school shooting* of all things into the equation. Or if you're determined to do the tragedy, then do it right. Maybe make them friends at the end of the book for once instead of a couple. But that's not how The Formula goes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Grief, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Vomit, and Car accident
imlaurenshelton's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As a teenager, I enjoyed Sarah Dessen on multiple occasions. My favorite book of hers will forever be Lock & Key. I admired how she had the talent to talk about serious matters with grace and poise, highlighting the subject of the content matter rather than creating flash to draw readers in. So much about this book I love, first and foremost the revolving door of weddings (because I will always enjoy a good book with a wedding). I love Louna’s mom. I’m a hardcore fan, I think she’s funny and I completely understand her bitter (“cynical”) outlook on life, especially after what her husband did, but look at what she (and William) managed to do, while raising a child. William is the touch of love that’s needed throughout, always giving comfort and gentle nudges where needed. I sympathized with Ambrose, I saw a lot of my brother in him - especially with the tape dispenser scene. He’s just a young man trying to do right and people find him pre-emotive my annoying; of course there are some things he just gets utterly wrong, such as his revolving door of women and dates and animal theft behaviors. He’s the perfect charming, main-character-loves-to-hate love interest. I did not care for Jilly, I thought she was pretty self-centered and from my perspective, most of her actions towards Louna had an end-goal of helping herself out. As for Louna herself, she’s a character where my feelings get complicated. From what she experienced, I understand her anguish and bitterness towards love - but I don’t understand her dislike of Ambrose, not really. If she was someone who truly admired and believed in love and the process of monogamy, I would understand the dislike. However, she was built up as a cynical character who learned to hate love after listening to her mother and William after all these years. What Ambrose does shouldn’t affect her feelings about him, and yet she hates him instantly (coincidentally when he decides that he likes her). Her character was very wishy-washy, and maybe that’s in part to the consistent time jumps back and forth from present to a year ago.
At the end of the day, everyone gets their HEA and I did enjoy the book. However, I took off a star for the teenage sex (I don’t care if it happens in real life, I don’t like the idea of pushing teens to have sex) and the unlikable-ness of Louna. I think there’s an issue where all the supporting characters are more well-liked despite their flaws and the main character is meh. I would recommend this even still to anyone looking for a lighthearted summer romance.
At the end of the day, everyone gets their HEA and I did enjoy the book. However, I took off a star for the teenage sex (I don’t care if it happens in real life, I don’t like the idea of pushing teens to have sex) and the unlikable-ness of Louna. I think there’s an issue where all the supporting characters are more well-liked despite their flaws and the main character is meh. I would recommend this even still to anyone looking for a lighthearted summer romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Car accident
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
This book, for its majority, is lighthearted and sweet. There are a few things to be wary of though. There is mention of school shootings throughout, none in graphic detail, butqueenfury's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
"You can't measure love by time put in, but the weight of those moments. Some in life are light, like a touch. Others, you can't help but stagger beneath."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident