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afjakandys's review
3.0
A reaaaaaally slow burn, but overall really great! It offers a really realistic portrayal of a modern romance, and just how slow it can be to get started. If you're looking for something mundane, modern, relatable, and cute, check this out! It's an easy read, perfect for relaxation.
graveyardbook's review against another edition
3.0
This was in one positive word: cute.
But in one negative word: aimless
Well, not at first. Initially, there was the aim to get the main couple together but it was stretched out over so many months that I started losing enthusiasm for awkward Lea and shy Gabe to realize their obvious feelings for each other.
The story is told in 14 simple POV's, all clearly labelled, and mostly with distinct voices so I never got confused about who was talking (although the Starbucks baristas may have melded into 1 human being by the end). It's just that some of the POV's did not matter. In idea, the POV of a squirrel and a bench sounds quirky but in execution, it contributed nothing that we didn't get from the other POV's so it was pretty useless.
The other POV characters were all great surface-level characters, who for some reason obsess over catching glimpses of the main characters' snail-pace love life. If I'm being honest, I only really cared about Gabe's brother Sam by the end of the book because everybody else was so...unmemorably casual i.e. I got bored with them real fast.
That's basically me with this whole book: it started off so cute and fun but the not-so-exciting dilemma was nowhere near being solved halfway through the book and there was no climax in sight near the end either. Plus, I kid you not, 90% of the story is dialogue and tends to repeat events that we already witnessed through another POV, which again I saw no reason for.
Overall, I got bored real fast and had to trudge through to the end, where the story finally fizzled to a close without even a hint of excitement. I didn't quite hate anything but I didn't like much either. I suggest if you want to read this, you read it all in one go. Do not spread it over several weeks or you will most likely forget it in some uninhabited corner.
But in one negative word: aimless
Well, not at first. Initially, there was the aim to get the main couple together but it was stretched out over so many months that I started losing enthusiasm for awkward Lea and shy Gabe to realize their obvious feelings for each other.
The story is told in 14 simple POV's, all clearly labelled, and mostly with distinct voices so I never got confused about who was talking (although the Starbucks baristas may have melded into 1 human being by the end). It's just that some of the POV's did not matter. In idea, the POV of a squirrel and a bench sounds quirky but in execution, it contributed nothing that we didn't get from the other POV's so it was pretty useless.
The other POV characters were all great surface-level characters, who for some reason obsess over catching glimpses of the main characters' snail-pace love life. If I'm being honest, I only really cared about Gabe's brother Sam by the end of the book because everybody else was so...unmemorably casual i.e. I got bored with them real fast.
That's basically me with this whole book: it started off so cute and fun but the not-so-exciting dilemma was nowhere near being solved halfway through the book and there was no climax in sight near the end either. Plus, I kid you not, 90% of the story is dialogue and tends to repeat events that we already witnessed through another POV, which again I saw no reason for.
Overall, I got bored real fast and had to trudge through to the end, where the story finally fizzled to a close without even a hint of excitement. I didn't quite hate anything but I didn't like much either. I suggest if you want to read this, you read it all in one go. Do not spread it over several weeks or you will most likely forget it in some uninhabited corner.
dogncatluver21's review
3.0
2.5 very trite; was confused why i was hearing from a bench and a squirrel for a while. Felt very dated?
bananagram's review
2.0
2.5 Stars
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The concept was great--a love story told from everyone's POV except the two falling in love. However, I think Sandy Hall fell a little short in her execution. All the characters sounded very similar to me, to the point where I couldn't remember if it was the teacher, the bench, or the squirrel narrating. I think I just wanted more from this book.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The concept was great--a love story told from everyone's POV except the two falling in love. However, I think Sandy Hall fell a little short in her execution. All the characters sounded very similar to me, to the point where I couldn't remember if it was the teacher, the bench, or the squirrel narrating. I think I just wanted more from this book.
emilybmorgan02's review
2.0
This reads like an odd romantic comedy filled with cliche and/or stereotypical characters...it was an alright story...but not well-written... :(
jmillington84's review
4.0
Such a cute story. I loved that it was told from different perspectives since it gave you a better idea of the main characters and their relationship.
forrestefires's review against another edition
2.0
The book was cute, but, although short, I felt how I do when a couple on screen takes a long time to get together: "Come on already!" It was creative to show the observational perspective of inanimate objects.
sofisofa's review
3.0
This book was so ridiculously stunning and romantic yet so original. I went into this book expecting it to be cute but it was so relatable. Within the first 20 pages, the book had already referenced 10 Things I Hate About You and Mean Girls. Let me start by going through why I loved the two main characters.
Gabe was definitely my favourite character. He was so shy and from the moment you meet him, you know that he is keeping something from the readers and from Lea. You still love him because you can see that he has problems and you empathize with him. That is why I loved this book because despite not being in Gabe's mind, I still felt so much for him and I really don't think I could have gained anything extra from being in his mind. Gabe had so much emotion and you learn a lot about him through his brother and his friends as well as learning a lot about him through his interaction with the others. Gabe was an incredibly enjoyable main character and I want him.
Read more of my review at: http://wp.me/p4cI6P-9P
Gabe was definitely my favourite character. He was so shy and from the moment you meet him, you know that he is keeping something from the readers and from Lea. You still love him because you can see that he has problems and you empathize with him. That is why I loved this book because despite not being in Gabe's mind, I still felt so much for him and I really don't think I could have gained anything extra from being in his mind. Gabe had so much emotion and you learn a lot about him through his brother and his friends as well as learning a lot about him through his interaction with the others. Gabe was an incredibly enjoyable main character and I want him.
Read more of my review at: http://wp.me/p4cI6P-9P