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eboni04's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
barrymeinbooks's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Cursing
diaryofabookahloic's review
3.0
I have mix feeling about this book I enjoyed the middle of the book but the beginning and end just felt like force drama just put in there for drama and it was kind of meh. Another thing I didn't like was this force love tringle things like come on there really wasn't anything there with the one guy and now... I'll stop i don't want to get in to spoilers. I do like how after everything the MC goes though she finally stands up to her mother who is delusional and her father who is absent and basically a really bad father. I like how we see from the "other family" in a secrets family what would be neat is if the author writes a compan novel about the fathers "real" family over all I just kind of feel Meh about this book I don't love it but i Don't hate it
cleoharper's review
1.0
While this book perfectly captures what it's like to be 15, it missed its mark for me. I hated being 15 and wouldn't go back even if someone paid me. It's the type of book I wanted at 15; I would have loved seeing someone struggle with questions of love and family and friendship. I couldn't get invested in any of the characters because no one seemed to like each other and everyone was one dimensional with zero character development.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for review*
*ARC provided by Netgalley for review*
alexandriammans's review
5.0
Dark, funny, cool, and real. It ends how life does – without a bow on top. A very enjoyable journey in a coming-of-age story that doesn’t read like a coming-of-age story.
sherwoodreads's review
I thought I'd check in with what's going on with YA these days. Maybe this was not the book to try.
It begins with the main character Gracie crying in a bathroom over a teacher, twenty years older than her fifteen years, who is now engaged. She has decided out of the blue that she is in love" with said teacher, and screams the house down at him for daring to have his own life.
This subject (which I really don't want to read about, blech) could have been handled sensitively. Kids that age live in the moment, their hormones fueled like jet engines. At fifteen it's difficult to know the difference between love and lust, especially with regard to an authority figure--something the book avoids dealing with, as our heroine goes on to demonstrate how cool she is with bad language, bad behavior, bad choices. Also bad characterization--she came in and out of focus, at times she didn't read like any of the teens around me.
The plot goes haywire from there, making me wonder if the editor was asleep on the job. There's a lot of talent here, but little narrative control. Making a note to check out this author after she gets a few more books under her belt.
Copy provided by NetGalley
It begins with the main character Gracie crying in a bathroom over a teacher, twenty years older than her fifteen years, who is now engaged. She has decided out of the blue that she is in love" with said teacher, and screams the house down at him for daring to have his own life.
This subject (which I really don't want to read about, blech) could have been handled sensitively. Kids that age live in the moment, their hormones fueled like jet engines. At fifteen it's difficult to know the difference between love and lust, especially with regard to an authority figure--something the book avoids dealing with, as our heroine goes on to demonstrate how cool she is with bad language, bad behavior, bad choices. Also bad characterization--she came in and out of focus, at times she didn't read like any of the teens around me.
The plot goes haywire from there, making me wonder if the editor was asleep on the job. There's a lot of talent here, but little narrative control. Making a note to check out this author after she gets a few more books under her belt.
Copy provided by NetGalley
sillygoosereads's review against another edition
1.0
If the age of the main characters were never stated I would have assumed they were awkward, jaded adults.. not 15 year olds.
It felt like the author was trying to manufacture teenage angst, it was too much. The narration and even dialogue felt unrealistic.
No 15 year old would refer to sex as 'sexual intercourse' outside of a classroom. While I'm sure some people will enjoy this, I unfortunately was not one of then
It felt like the author was trying to manufacture teenage angst, it was too much. The narration and even dialogue felt unrealistic.
No 15 year old would refer to sex as 'sexual intercourse' outside of a classroom. While I'm sure some people will enjoy this, I unfortunately was not one of then
booksniffer2000's review
2.0
- 2.5 Stars -
Some books have complicated protagonists, or ones that are a little rough around the edges from being dealt a bad hand in life. Grace Welles, on the other hand, is an over-the-top mean and insufferable teenager whose favorite hobby is making snide comments about every person she’s ever met.
She also seemed to be written much more like an adult than a teen, with how emotionless she was about being the illegitimate child of a businessman who kept her and her mom a secret. She also was very blasé about psycho analyzing her mother as being susceptible to her fathers charm as a young woman - anyone else have all these complex theories down at 15?
Beyond Grace’s unpleasant character, the way sex and relationships are depicted in this book is far more unhealthy than the average YA novel. She’s advised early on to lose her virginity to someone who she doesn’t care about, and chooses someone who has had a history of being a massive jerk to most people she knew. Does sex always have to be some big important spectacle? No, but it hardly seemed like she learned much about healthy romantic relationships by the end of the book, either.
More noticeably, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU INCLUDE AN INFATUATION WITH A TEACHER IN A TEEN NOVEL? The opening “heartbreak” she felt over being “in love” with her adult teacher was so hard to get through and made me cringe terribly. It was hardly necessary to the plot and just felt like it was in bad taste.
Wade’s character was the shining ray of light in a decidedly dark swamp of sad and bitter characters. He was funny and adorable but not in a flat way - he seemed like a real, interesting person. The other side characters were also interesting to read about, including Grace’s first fling, but they probably seemed so especially interesting in comparison to Grace’s dry, one-dimensional, mean-spirited personality.
I liked the premise of the book and there were actually quite a few very cute moments between the two young lovers, but I found it difficult to slog on through Grace’s inner dialogue in which she thought everyone she met was a loser, unlike her.
Some books have complicated protagonists, or ones that are a little rough around the edges from being dealt a bad hand in life. Grace Welles, on the other hand, is an over-the-top mean and insufferable teenager whose favorite hobby is making snide comments about every person she’s ever met.
She also seemed to be written much more like an adult than a teen, with how emotionless she was about being the illegitimate child of a businessman who kept her and her mom a secret. She also was very blasé about psycho analyzing her mother as being susceptible to her fathers charm as a young woman - anyone else have all these complex theories down at 15?
Beyond Grace’s unpleasant character, the way sex and relationships are depicted in this book is far more unhealthy than the average YA novel. She’s advised early on to lose her virginity to someone who she doesn’t care about, and chooses someone who has had a history of being a massive jerk to most people she knew. Does sex always have to be some big important spectacle? No, but it hardly seemed like she learned much about healthy romantic relationships by the end of the book, either.
More noticeably, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU INCLUDE AN INFATUATION WITH A TEACHER IN A TEEN NOVEL? The opening “heartbreak” she felt over being “in love” with her adult teacher was so hard to get through and made me cringe terribly. It was hardly necessary to the plot and just felt like it was in bad taste.
Wade’s character was the shining ray of light in a decidedly dark swamp of sad and bitter characters. He was funny and adorable but not in a flat way - he seemed like a real, interesting person. The other side characters were also interesting to read about, including Grace’s first fling, but they probably seemed so especially interesting in comparison to Grace’s dry, one-dimensional, mean-spirited personality.
I liked the premise of the book and there were actually quite a few very cute moments between the two young lovers, but I found it difficult to slog on through Grace’s inner dialogue in which she thought everyone she met was a loser, unlike her.
nhi_nguyen's review
4.0
*3.75
Despite the...questionable beginning, this isn't that bad. At least, it isn't as bad as some ratings or reviews might suggest. Yes, the MC isn't that likable. She's very rude but there are people like that in this world. The love story deserves more credit. It's raw, heartbreaking, and very realistic of what first love is like, especially in high school. That's definitely my favorite part about the book. The bittersweet ending is the perfect wrap-up. I genuinely enjoyed this more than I realized.
Despite the...questionable beginning, this isn't that bad. At least, it isn't as bad as some ratings or reviews might suggest. Yes, the MC isn't that likable. She's very rude but there are people like that in this world. The love story deserves more credit. It's raw, heartbreaking, and very realistic of what first love is like, especially in high school. That's definitely my favorite part about the book. The bittersweet ending is the perfect wrap-up. I genuinely enjoyed this more than I realized.
jhna04's review against another edition
1.0
oh my god. i dont even have words for how annoying that girl was. HORRIBLE. please do everyone a favor and go die or something. itll be better for us all