sophiesometimesreads's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.25
This book was an emotional rollercoaster got me and I related to Alice in a lot of deep and personal ways. Some may say this is poor ace representation as it doesn't reflect their experience, and not relating to Alice's experience is valid, but this book felt like Kann took my experiences and put them down on the page, so I thought it was good. Though I do believe that, even if representation is scarce, one character of a given identity doesn't need to reflect every single individual experience with said identity, and this book reflected one of the many.
Alice was quirky, funny but imperfect, as most 19 year olds are. I feel a lot of people who said she was immature for 19 probably forgot what being 19 is like, because it's actually still quite young. She's still figuring out herself and her life, and taking comfort in the things she likes whilst doing so.
This book portrayed therapy in a positive way, which was good, and I also liked how Takumi took some time to really understand what Alice meant when she said she was asexual. He was also imperfect and I think that's realistic, as a lot of people haven't heard of asexuality before and need to take some time to understand experiences outside their own and might say the wrong thing in good faith whilst doing so.
I thought Feenie and Ryan were a bit harsh on her, though I could see their POV as I've been in a similar situation before. This could have been resolved a bit better though, without Alice taking all the blame for it, because I think her feelings and experience was also valid (they did ditch her first!).
Though I did enjoy this book overall, there were a few little things that I didn't like as much. I don't know why Takumi had to be so much older than her, it seemed irrelevant to the plot and I always find teen/mid-20s pairings a bit iffy given the mentality differences generally present between these ages and stages of life. It didn't ruin the book, but it was something I noticed. I also would've liked to see how their relationship developed a bit more after the getting together stage, and see Alice explore what that meant for her identity. The side characters could've been developed a little more, too.
In saying this, I did enjoy the book overall and thought there were a lot of good things about it. I thought the ace rep was good, the writing was engaging and easy to read, and the characters were fun. It was also able to address fairly heavy topics whilst also managing to be overall a lighthearted and fluffy read.
Alice was quirky, funny but imperfect, as most 19 year olds are. I feel a lot of people who said she was immature for 19 probably forgot what being 19 is like, because it's actually still quite young. She's still figuring out herself and her life, and taking comfort in the things she likes whilst doing so.
This book portrayed therapy in a positive way, which was good, and I also liked how Takumi took some time to really understand what Alice meant when she said she was asexual. He was also imperfect and I think that's realistic, as a lot of people haven't heard of asexuality before and need to take some time to understand experiences outside their own and might say the wrong thing in good faith whilst doing so.
I thought Feenie and Ryan were a bit harsh on her, though I could see their POV as I've been in a similar situation before. This could have been resolved a bit better though, without Alice taking all the blame for it, because I think her feelings and experience was also valid (they did ditch her first!).
Though I did enjoy this book overall, there were a few little things that I didn't like as much. I don't know why Takumi had to be so much older than her, it seemed irrelevant to the plot and I always find teen/mid-20s pairings a bit iffy given the mentality differences generally present between these ages and stages of life. It didn't ruin the book, but it was something I noticed. I also would've liked to see how their relationship developed a bit more after the getting together stage, and see Alice explore what that meant for her identity. The side characters could've been developed a little more, too.
In saying this, I did enjoy the book overall and thought there were a lot of good things about it. I thought the ace rep was good, the writing was engaging and easy to read, and the characters were fun. It was also able to address fairly heavy topics whilst also managing to be overall a lighthearted and fluffy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Racism
lqvekanej's review against another edition
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Bullying, Sexual assault, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Biphobia and Cursing
kirstenf's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Racism
elenushka8'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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Racism and Alcohol
dododenise's review
emotional
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
4.25
So good. Saw a lot of my own insecurities in here. This seems like the kind of book i would write myself as a healing experience. Just the pacing was a bit weird at times and threw me off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
psistillreadyou's review against another edition
inspiring
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia
anna_wa's review against another edition
hopeful
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, and Abandonment
sillysmudge's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia and Racism
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I was surprised by how much I loved this story. In large part, it was because I love Takumi and Alice. They are sweet, charming characters who I squeed about constantly. I loved seeing a romantic relationship develop without the asexuality changing. I related wholeheartedly to the conflicts between Alice and her friends. Though the resolution between them wasn't satisfying perse, I still really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy
tatiana_luz's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
I've never read a romantic comedy or a book with an asexual protagonist. I was nervous because the book was super hyped by the asexual community and I didn't want to be left feeling disappointed.
I loved this book. It touched on a lot of fears with dating as an asexual, but Alice also had other relatable issues with family and friendships. Alice's asexuality is a huge part of who she is, but it is not the only thing. I like that the author made that clear.
The romance was silly and even cheesy at times, but it felt organic. Takumi was very kind and honest in his lack of understanding of asexuality, which I respect. The fact that they both gave me hope for romance.
I loved this book. It touched on a lot of fears with dating as an asexual, but Alice also had other relatable issues with family and friendships. Alice's asexuality is a huge part of who she is, but it is not the only thing. I like that the author made that clear.
The romance was silly and even cheesy at times, but it felt organic. Takumi was very kind and honest in his lack of understanding of asexuality, which I respect. The fact that they both
Spoiler
admitted that they didn't know if it would work, but trying anyway,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infidelity