purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abandonment, Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol, and Car accident
Minor: Biphobia, Racism, Homophobia, Sexism, and Chronic illness
Underage drinking and drunkennessfoxo_cube's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Most of my qualms with the book are more down to personal taste. There are four Hawthorne brothers - the grandsons of the billionaire who left his property to our main character, Avery. Three of them are of an age range to make them romanceable options for her.
Nash, the oldest, is a cowboy. Why? I do not know. I like him and I was actually really rooting for him and Libby, Avery's older sister, to get together - I felt like they'd be cute together. Yeehaw.
Grayson is an arrogant twat
Spoiler
for most of the bookSpoiler
He does get a redemption arc and I actually ended up liking him. He had reason to be suspicious and standoffish (not excusing him, but explaining his actions) and he seems to acknowledge it was a him problem. He seems to be a decent-hearted guy.Jameson is... I don't know. He has a personality. I just don't really get what it is. He starts out being drunk and speaking weirdly cryptically like he thinks he's the Sphinx who tells riddles. I was severely put off him when he used a secret passage to go to Avery's room and go "I am in your walls, let me in, let me in" in the middle of the night, and then, when she let him in, he was like "it would be a shame if we were related [with euphemistic intent]". That's nightmare fuel, and she's just like "he's kinda hot, though". What?! Although he becomes more likeable, I never really felt any real chemistry between them beyond her swooning over him occasionally. I just couldn't feel invested in them getting together even though that's clearly what the book's getting at.
Xander is a good boy, a sweet boy, and a boy of many talents. For some reason, despite acknowledging he is tall and attractive (both traits commonly deemed attractive by straight female protagonists in YA novels), he is never swooned over. To be fair, this goes both ways. Xander is much more concerned with eating scones.
Spoiler
That, and facilitating the game his grandfather set up to get his brothers to work together to solve a puzzle, occasionally prodding Avery in the right direction when she hits a wall.Avery is definitely a little bit of a blank slate in the YA protagonist kind of way where you're meant to project yourself onto her, but she experiences her own character development and she feels believable.
I feel as though I'd have enjoyed this more if it weren't for the romance elements, which felt a little forced.
Spoiler
That said, I liked how the parallel was drawn between Avery and Emily in that respect.Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Biphobia
book_becca's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Car accident, Medical content, Racism, Incest, Classism, and Emotional abuse
morganperks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Child death
Moderate: Grief, Stalking, Bullying, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Cancer, Racism, and Incest
merah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The characters are so loveable.
A thrilling story with some very unexpected twists.
And: short chapters!!
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Classism, Death of parent, Violence, Murder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Biphobia, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Violence, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Car accident, Blood, and Alcohol
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Abandonment, Biphobia, and Self harm
quejk25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infertility, Biphobia, Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Gaslighting
hannibanani29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness
Minor: Violence, Dementia, Incest, Pregnancy, Infertility, Racism, Biphobia, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
marthadude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Spoiler
I really hated Emily. Not only was she homophobic but she was all around a horrible personGraphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Biphobia, Grief, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia