The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I really liked The Bodyguard and was really excited to read another Katherine Center book. That is why I am so genuinely confused by this book.Ā
Disclaimer: Nothing in this review is too spoilery, but I do toe the line because I couldnāt fully express my feelings without that.
I can sum up this book in one sentence: There once was this really dumb girl named Sadie. When Destiny Sidwell called her ādelulu,ā she was so right! Forget her facial blindness, the girl was objectively dumb, even at the beginning. She seemed to go through the story making the worst decisions possible. Why choose a career you actually like when you can be a starving artist who doesnāt really like art that much? Why tell someone about your newly acquired disability when you could simply not, even though it would make your life so much easier? The only person who gave her stupidity a run for her money was her best friend, who upon hearing that she couldnāt recognize anyoneās face to the point of being fooled by her āevil stepsisterā (more on that later), decided that she should throw an impromptu surprise party without even checking to see if Sadie was home.
Another thing about Sadie herself: sheās so incredibly annoying. Like yeah, sheās objectively had a rough life, but that doesnāt give her an excuse to judge people based on nothing but appearance (which she does multiple times) and to ignore people she deems lower than herself. Also, WHATāS WITH HER DOG FOOD?!? Who in their right mind thinks that itās okay to feed their dog food thatās even considered unhealthy for humans just because her dog is āa foodieā?!?! Also, WHY IS HER VET SO CHILL ABOUT IT?!? Yeah, he says itās a bad idea, but he doesnāt actually say that she needs to stop,
Now onto the āevilā stepsister and stepmother. While I completely agree with Parker is evil, she is unrealistically evil. Seriously no one noticed that she was awful?!? Like, no teacher pointed out that the thing that Parker pinned on Sadie sounded more like something Parker would do?!? Also, WHAT 15 YEAR OLD DOES ALL OF THAT STUFF JUST TO GET SADIE KICKED OUT?!? And why did even Sadieās dad side with Parker?!? Even when that was āresolved,ā I still felt very unresolved about the whole thing.
Now onto the actual point of the book: the romance. I thought that the main romance itself was the best (and only good part) of the novel. The tension was good and the few kissing scenes we got were really cute and sweet. But honestly? Every guy in this book deserves better than Sadie.
Finally: the plot twist. I saw it coming from a mile away. I figured it out at the 40% point and I actually now, upon reflection, think that I probably should have figured it out sooner. It annoyed me that it even happened in the first place! If this book would have taken place over a couple of days, okay, maybe I could see it, but six weeks?!? Iām hard of hearing and I bet even Iād know what was going on if I had facial blindness tooā¦
Overall, Iām extremely disappointed, but I also havenāt had the opportunity to rant about a book to this extent in a long time, so thatās fun, I guess? Honestly, my favorite part of the book ended up being the authorās note at the end. If only that had been like the entire novel. I will read more Katherine Center books in the future because this book was well-written, I appreciated the acquired apperceptive prosopagnosia representation, and I truly enjoyed The Bodyguard, but this book was not it.
One last thing: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HATE MISCOMMUNICATION, GETTING SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT, OR PEOPLE BEING DENSE FOR NO GOOD REASON.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martinās Griffin, and Katherine Center for providing me access to this book. Iām sorryā¦
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Grief, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
goodjollymissmolly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse
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