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rayne_1906's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Audiobook - 4 hours 36 minutes - This wasn't quite what I was expecting - it was a lot heavier than it seemed in the synopsis, exploring darker themes than a book just about a summer romance would. I liked Max's character - it took me a little longer to like Jordan. There were some elements I didn't like at first but I realised towards the end of the novel that a fair few of these were intentional and specifically commented on as part of the conclusion. There were parts of this book that were extremely hard for me to read - Max's story in particular hit far too close for home and upset me a lot, but that is on me for choosing this audiobook at random without researching the content warnings. But overall, I liked the structure of this book - it diverted from the 'automatically happy ending' that I've come to expect from YA novels, and it was a refreshing change, that made sense within the context of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Toxic friendship
catrasbookclub's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Racism, and Sexual assault
chrissy_booknook's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Addiction
bobisthecoolest's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This just wasn’t good tbh:
1. The dialogue is so cringy at points that i had to pause like every two lines
2. The book is not at all like the synopsis
3. Jordan was highly unlikeable and extremely whiny
4. It should have come with trigger warnings because this sounded like a cute little ya gay romance story, but a big part of this is about rape and a gambling addiction.
I could go on for longer, but I just want to move on from this
1. The dialogue is so cringy at points that i had to pause like every two lines
2. The book is not at all like the synopsis
3. Jordan was highly unlikeable and extremely whiny
4. It should have come with trigger warnings because this sounded like a cute little ya gay romance story, but a big part of this is about rape and a gambling addiction.
I could go on for longer, but I just want to move on from this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Racism, and Rape
alyxinthestars's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death of parent
davidbythebay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
An emotional story touching upon several difficult topics, this was a beautiful exploration of youth, coming of age, and being gay. When two gay boys take over a food truck for the summer, the story looks likes its going to be a sweet unknown/enemies to lovers trope. And it sort of is. But it's more about realizing what our boundaries are, how to communicate, the strength in speaking your truth and in supporting others' truths, and coping with significant trauma. It's about speaking what you want and having someone listen to it and abide by it. Boundaries are the key theme of this book and it handles them beautifully. Really, a sweet read that spoke volumes in a matter of pages.
TW: parent death, grief, addiction, gambling, rape, sexual assault, gaslighting, bullying
TW: parent death, grief, addiction, gambling, rape, sexual assault, gaslighting, bullying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia and Vomit
jana_mxy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Rape
Moderate: Racism
kcbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this at least once a year and still love it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia
ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ever wondered what it feels like to grow up? During, it's difficult to differentiate one moment from another. In hindsight, it might be easy to merge memories.
The Music of What Happens is what I would recommend if you want the answer to that question. Bill Konigsberg uses witty, snappy language with hidden heartfelt moments to authentically portray the joy, misery, loneliness, and connection felt in the late teen years. Growing up gay, biracial, lonely; it's not something everyone can understand, much less wonder about.
Heartfelt, real, and incredibly beautiful; The Music of What Happens is a reflection of the teenage experience of coming of age, falling in love, and figuring out how to be your own person. A must read for the young adult contemporary reader.
The Music of What Happens is what I would recommend if you want the answer to that question. Bill Konigsberg uses witty, snappy language with hidden heartfelt moments to authentically portray the joy, misery, loneliness, and connection felt in the late teen years. Growing up gay, biracial, lonely; it's not something everyone can understand, much less wonder about.
Heartfelt, real, and incredibly beautiful; The Music of What Happens is a reflection of the teenage experience of coming of age, falling in love, and figuring out how to be your own person. A must read for the young adult contemporary reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Rape
Minor: Body shaming, Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, and Grief
jadenalex's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Racism, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia