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rosage's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
my high school self would have loved this book. however it’s is very much trauma bonding and their whole relationship is built bc of their two personal traumas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction and Adult/minor relationship
zoe_sass's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Addiction
homoconnor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
4.0
The Music of What Happens entranced me with its characters. While the supporting cast was… well, you didn’t always want to hear from them (besides Rosa, she deserves the world), the two main characters, Max and Jordan, felt more real than pretty much any other YA protagonists I have ever encountered.
It fell short in that the author was trying to include too many storylines. If I had this story idea in my head, I’d imagine it as more of a mini-series on TV rather than a 300-ish page book.
I think there were some times where the characters didn’t always handle the tough topics in the books with much grace, but I would argue that despite the knowledge and sensitivity that many readers of LGBT books likely have, a lot of teenagers aren’t there yet. More importantly, the characters do have conversations about the way they talked and treated each other, and you do feel their growth in the story.
One of the really noticeable things in this book, which I feel a lot of romances attempt but don’t always succeed at, is how the characters learn and grow because of each other. I don’t want to spoil anything so I will leave it at that, but this is a must-read in YA LGBT literature.
It fell short in that the author was trying to include too many storylines. If I had this story idea in my head, I’d imagine it as more of a mini-series on TV rather than a 300-ish page book.
I think there were some times where the characters didn’t always handle the tough topics in the books with much grace, but I would argue that despite the knowledge and sensitivity that many readers of LGBT books likely have, a lot of teenagers aren’t there yet. More importantly, the characters do have conversations about the way they talked and treated each other, and you do feel their growth in the story.
One of the really noticeable things in this book, which I feel a lot of romances attempt but don’t always succeed at, is how the characters learn and grow because of each other. I don’t want to spoil anything so I will leave it at that, but this is a must-read in YA LGBT literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Addiction and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
rebecca_t's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
(slight spoilers ahead + check trigger warnings! See the bold sentence at the end for a spoiler-free, short review)
phew, I'm really disappointed in this book. I thought I was going to like it a lot but the opposite is the case. If it hadn't been so easy to read (writing style-wise, not content-wise) I would've stopped after the first 50 pages. I absolutely disliked the writing style. It wasn't necessarily bad, but every conversation made me cringe and didn't feel authentic at all. The relationship felt rushed and there were so many instances where Max and Jordan made certain comments or had thoughts about each other that gave the impression that Max and Jordan didn't even like each other.
On the topic of liking, I absolutely hated both Jordan's and Max's friends. Some people might be okay with their behavior but I think you should dump friends who don't listen to you, don’t take you seriously and who just generally make you feel like shit. Like seriously, the girls only befriended Jordan because they wanted to help him out himself, like they have any say in this as some random classmates and then only really wanted Jordan to be their stereotypical gay best friend. And then Betts, Max's friend, was just the worst straight, white and not even subtly racist guy ever. I get that the person who is subjected to racism has to decide if they're hurt by it or not, but I feel like it’s such a bad representation to not have him be actually confronted about his disgusting behavior.
Also, all the heavy topics discussed in this book felt like they were just thrown in there to make the story more dramatic. I do absolutely not want to take away from the importance of discussing things such as rape, addiction and racism, however from my point of view it was executed so so poorly. I felt like the author just wrote in the rape for the purpose of giving Max a difficult background too, as if Jordan's problems were enough. Obviously bad things in life don‘t come to you one by one, and sometimes you get hit by several ones at the same time, but this is a fictional story with only so much time to discuss the consequences and difficulties of such things, so if you're gonna mention these, do it properly.
In short: I would've skipped this book if I could go back in time. This is not some cute enemies-to-lovers story, it is annoying to read and discusses way to many heavy topics to do be able to do them justice.
phew, I'm really disappointed in this book. I thought I was going to like it a lot but the opposite is the case. If it hadn't been so easy to read (writing style-wise, not content-wise) I would've stopped after the first 50 pages. I absolutely disliked the writing style. It wasn't necessarily bad, but every conversation made me cringe and didn't feel authentic at all. The relationship felt rushed and there were so many instances where Max and Jordan made certain comments or had thoughts about each other that gave the impression that Max and Jordan didn't even like each other.
On the topic of liking, I absolutely hated both Jordan's and Max's friends. Some people might be okay with their behavior but I think you should dump friends who don't listen to you, don’t take you seriously and who just generally make you feel like shit. Like seriously, the girls only befriended Jordan because they wanted to help him out himself, like they have any say in this as some random classmates and then only really wanted Jordan to be their stereotypical gay best friend. And then Betts, Max's friend, was just the worst straight, white and not even subtly racist guy ever. I get that the person who is subjected to racism has to decide if they're hurt by it or not, but I feel like it’s such a bad representation to not have him be actually confronted about his disgusting behavior.
Also, all the heavy topics discussed in this book felt like they were just thrown in there to make the story more dramatic. I do absolutely not want to take away from the importance of discussing things such as rape, addiction and racism, however from my point of view it was executed so so poorly. I felt like the author just wrote in the rape for the purpose of giving Max a difficult background too, as if Jordan's problems were enough. Obviously bad things in life don‘t come to you one by one, and sometimes you get hit by several ones at the same time, but this is a fictional story with only so much time to discuss the consequences and difficulties of such things, so if you're gonna mention these, do it properly.
In short: I would've skipped this book if I could go back in time. This is not some cute enemies-to-lovers story, it is annoying to read and discusses way to many heavy topics to do be able to do them justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
messyread's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
This book definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I thought this was going to be another MLM YA contemporary romance and it is but it's also more.
This book is about teenagers having to deal with adult problems, and how some adults have failed them. I love that this book discusses the subjects of sexual assault, mental health, toxic masculinity, internalized homophobia, toxic home dynamics, etc. I think it also has a great portrayal of casual discrimination and how people deal with it.
The characters are my favorite part of this story. Every character has so much more depth to them than you think and they compliment each other in great ways.
Also, I love the "explanation" for the title. So, if you're into that, read this book.
I'd recommend this book to someone that is looking for a more casual read or someone that wants a book that shows you a new perspective and makes you look at life from a different angle.
This book is about teenagers having to deal with adult problems, and how some adults have failed them. I love that this book discusses the subjects of sexual assault, mental health, toxic masculinity, internalized homophobia, toxic home dynamics, etc. I think it also has a great portrayal of casual discrimination and how people deal with it.
The characters are my favorite part of this story. Every character has so much more depth to them than you think and they compliment each other in great ways.
Also, I love the "explanation" for the title. So, if you're into that, read this book.
I'd recommend this book to someone that is looking for a more casual read or someone that wants a book that shows you a new perspective and makes you look at life from a different angle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Death of parent
laejone's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
There were parts where I felt the story lag a little bit, but the ending made me really happy and emotional.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
kaabtik's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
3.0
🌟 Writing. Direct, not flowery
🌟 About. Set under the sweltering heat of the Arizona sun, two unlikely coworkers Max and Jordan must work hand in hand in order to earn enough to keep Jordan's house.
WARNINGS: Rape, Racism, Homophobia, Sexism, Animal Cruelty, Mental Disorders, Parental Neglect, Addiction
💕 Likes 💕
- Character development between the leads
- No miscommunication trope; emotions were more or less made known and the characters actually talked about things instead of bottling them up and exploding
💔 Dislikes 💔
- Chemistry between them was flimsy.
- Some issues were brushed over (Jordan's obliviousness to the racial disparity between them, Max's aggressive way of dealing with Jordan's wavering confidence)
📩 Overall Thoughts 📩
Definitely something that isn't an easy read. It's not just a mere summer romance (which I first assumed it to be) as it deals with some pretty heavy stuff.
🌟 About. Set under the sweltering heat of the Arizona sun, two unlikely coworkers Max and Jordan must work hand in hand in order to earn enough to keep Jordan's house.
WARNINGS: Rape, Racism, Homophobia, Sexism, Animal Cruelty, Mental Disorders, Parental Neglect, Addiction
💕 Likes 💕
- Character development between the leads
- No miscommunication trope; emotions were more or less made known and the characters actually talked about things instead of bottling them up and exploding
💔 Dislikes 💔
- Chemistry between them was flimsy.
- Some issues were brushed over (Jordan's obliviousness to the racial disparity between them, Max's aggressive way of dealing with Jordan's wavering confidence)
📩 Overall Thoughts 📩
Definitely something that isn't an easy read. It's not just a mere summer romance (which I first assumed it to be) as it deals with some pretty heavy stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
a_bookish_sapphic's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Rape, and Sexual assault
g_cav's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction
memorable's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.75
Wow! I just finished this book as an audiobook and I’m deeply moved. Jordan and Max faced so many obstacles, so many sad moments, and are so different from each other, yet they find their way and accept each other for who they are. This book has lots of topics that are dealt with and are challenged, so you have to be in the right mindset to be able to deal with them. But in the end, this book is really hopeful. I loved it!
I think it’s even better when you read it as part such as the theatre play were a little confusing to listen to. I also gotta admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of “the wives”, yet I really liked how they all talked about setting boundaries in the end.
I think it’s even better when you read it as part such as the theatre play were a little confusing to listen to. I also gotta admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of “the wives”, yet I really liked how they all talked about setting boundaries in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Toxic masculinity Gambling Gaslighting Talks about/ descriptions of food HIV/AIDS Low self esteem/ lots of down talking oneself