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itsmemiana's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
time to rant.....
okay so I wanna start by saying that if you liked this book, I totally respect your opinion and I honestly wish that was me because I wish I could like every book I read especially one that I've been wanting to read for so long. š«¶š¼
my face throughout the whole book was like this: š¤Øš¬š
but anyways, I hated literally every single character in this book and SO MANY scenes gave me the ick.
these characters, both the main and the side characters had everything I absolutely hate about real life people... lying, faking and the worst thing of all.... bullying.... (and beyond).
I hated Ryen so much, I honestly didn't sympathise with her once over her constant explanations on why she was how she was..... I have zero sympathy for bullies and the dude she bullied is better than me because when she apologised, I would've given her the middle finger and told her to fuck off.
and Misha was annoying and a weirdo. obviously I sympathised with him over his sister, I can't imagine having to go through that but everything else... brother ewww... also, wtf is his problem with taking no's??? I feel like she constantly said "oh I don't wanna do this rn" and he would persuade her???? hello???? police????? and if I remember correctly there was even a moment where he threatened something (I just don't remember what LMAO).
I'm gonna admit that there is one thing Ryen pissed me off for but it's because I'm also guilty of that and I hate that about myself, which is choosing bad friends (HOWEVER as bad as I've chosen, I'd never let them bully other people in front of me, much less me joining them in the bullying).
and I think this is how I realise I do in fact have a limit on how much smut I mind in a book..... for me, it's the same if a book has smut or doesn't, I don't mind either way but now I know there's definitely something as too much smut. (or maybe it's because the rest of the book had a shitty plot, who knows). but I definitely thought this book had a bit too much.
also, can we talk about how this was set in high school?????? I know teenagers have sex (even tho I didn't LMAO) but come on....
this was my first ever Penelope Douglas book and I have Birthday Girl on my tbr but now idk if I should read it. but I guess I might give her another chance with that book, but we'll see.
okay so I wanna start by saying that if you liked this book, I totally respect your opinion and I honestly wish that was me because I wish I could like every book I read especially one that I've been wanting to read for so long. š«¶š¼
my face throughout the whole book was like this: š¤Øš¬š
but anyways, I hated literally every single character in this book and SO MANY scenes gave me the ick.
these characters, both the main and the side characters had everything I absolutely hate about real life people... lying, faking and the worst thing of all.... bullying.... (and beyond).
I hated Ryen so much, I honestly didn't sympathise with her once over her constant explanations on why she was how she was..... I have zero sympathy for bullies and the dude she bullied is better than me because when she apologised, I would've given her the middle finger and told her to fuck off.
and Misha was annoying and a weirdo. obviously I sympathised with him over his sister, I can't imagine having to go through that but everything else... brother ewww... also, wtf is his problem with taking no's??? I feel like she constantly said "oh I don't wanna do this rn" and he would persuade her???? hello???? police????? and if I remember correctly there was even a moment where he threatened something (I just don't remember what LMAO).
I'm gonna admit that there is one thing Ryen pissed me off for but it's because I'm also guilty of that and I hate that about myself, which is choosing bad friends (HOWEVER as bad as I've chosen, I'd never let them bully other people in front of me, much less me joining them in the bullying).
and I think this is how I realise I do in fact have a limit on how much smut I mind in a book..... for me, it's the same if a book has smut or doesn't, I don't mind either way but now I know there's definitely something as too much smut. (or maybe it's because the rest of the book had a shitty plot, who knows). but I definitely thought this book had a bit too much.
also, can we talk about how this was set in high school?????? I know teenagers have sex (even tho I didn't LMAO) but come on....
this was my first ever Penelope Douglas book and I have Birthday Girl on my tbr but now idk if I should read it. but I guess I might give her another chance with that book, but we'll see.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Violence, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Outing
pandachrissan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ein etwas anderes Romance Buch.
Ich habe es genossen es zu lesen und konnte mit mehreren Charakteren relaten. Vor allem da ich auch selber Mobbing erlebt habe und mir das Buch geholfen hat ein bisschen meine Ereignisse zu verarbeiten, auch wenn es mich ein paar Mal zum Weinen gebracht hat. Ich habe es auch geliebt, dass die Hauptcharakterin mal nicht das typische brave MƤdchen war, wie in den meisten BĆ¼chern, sie war anders, sie war fehlerhaft und nicht perfekt, und genau das machte sie perfekt in meinen Augen. Jeder von uns hat seine Fehler und Macken, um es in Mishas Worten zu sagen "Everyone is ugly, the only difference is some hide it and some wear it". Perfekt fande ich auch den Charakterwandel in dem Buch, der hat mir sehr gefallen, sowohl bei Ryen als auch bei Misha.
Und die Story, den Plot und die Lovestory fand ich besonders und schƶn, aber denke man hƤtte es alles besser umsetzen kƶnnen.
Ich habe es genossen es zu lesen und konnte mit mehreren Charakteren relaten. Vor allem da ich auch selber Mobbing erlebt habe und mir das Buch geholfen hat ein bisschen meine Ereignisse zu verarbeiten, auch wenn es mich ein paar Mal zum Weinen gebracht hat. Ich habe es auch geliebt, dass die Hauptcharakterin mal nicht das typische brave MƤdchen war, wie in den meisten BĆ¼chern, sie war anders, sie war fehlerhaft und nicht perfekt, und genau das machte sie perfekt in meinen Augen. Jeder von uns hat seine Fehler und Macken, um es in Mishas Worten zu sagen "Everyone is ugly, the only difference is some hide it and some wear it". Perfekt fande ich auch den Charakterwandel in dem Buch, der hat mir sehr gefallen, sowohl bei Ryen als auch bei Misha.
Und die Story, den Plot und die Lovestory fand ich besonders und schƶn, aber denke man hƤtte es alles besser umsetzen kƶnnen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, and Mental illness
Minor: Body shaming
koplomps's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug abuse, Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
chelle22's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
verisarg's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Death
Moderate: Drug use and Violence
sbordo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
lanahla's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This book was OKAY at most. maybe itās not my type of novel but I really didnāt enjoy this as much as others who have reviewed or recommend Punk 57.
I went into this book completely blind and I guess Iām not that disappointed. Iām not sure what I was expecting but it wasnāt this. while I did enjoy SOME of the plot points some other aspects were not quite interesting to meā¦ specifically the weird interactions between the main characters Ryen and Misha.
SPOILERS!!!
I really enjoyed Annieās backstory and the fact she died at the start actually caught me so off guard and made for an interesting plot. however I wish I wouldāve gotten to see more of her character, I feel like I really wouldāve liked her if she wouldāve been shown more. personally, I think some of the songs Misha and his band wrote were decent not to mention the writing/graphite of āPunkā (Ryen) is also great. I know many other people who have read this book may totally disagree BUT Misha is a huge red flag. throughout Punk 57 I was annoyed by his reactions and the way he acted with Ryen. I do admit that at some parts he was a likable character but for most, if not all pages he was not at all one of my favorites. Ryen was okay, I understood her backstory more than I wouldāve expected but besides that I donāt really see anything else about her. the other characters were nice and made for some interesting moments but thatās really it. I also really hated Mishaās reaction to Ryen during the first part of the book. I can describe it as just a huge ick that he literally stalked her, but each to their own some people enjoy reading this stuff. I also quite disliked the ending where we seen Ryen pregnant only a FEW MONTHS LATER. CRAZY. i also hated every second of the library scene and car. I read like two pages and skipped the chapter because that was the most awkward thing Iāve ever read. I have to give it SOME credit though, it did get me out of a reading slump and made me want to find a book better. nothing TOO special or outstanding happened and thatās why Iām rating it what it is.
I went into this book completely blind and I guess Iām not that disappointed. Iām not sure what I was expecting but it wasnāt this. while I did enjoy SOME of the plot points some other aspects were not quite interesting to meā¦ specifically the weird interactions between the main characters Ryen and Misha.
SPOILERS!!!
I really enjoyed Annieās backstory and the fact she died at the start actually caught me so off guard and made for an interesting plot. however I wish I wouldāve gotten to see more of her character, I feel like I really wouldāve liked her if she wouldāve been shown more. personally, I think some of the songs Misha and his band wrote were decent not to mention the writing/graphite of āPunkā (Ryen) is also great. I know many other people who have read this book may totally disagree BUT Misha is a huge red flag. throughout Punk 57 I was annoyed by his reactions and the way he acted with Ryen. I do admit that at some parts he was a likable character but for most, if not all pages he was not at all one of my favorites. Ryen was okay, I understood her backstory more than I wouldāve expected but besides that I donāt really see anything else about her. the other characters were nice and made for some interesting moments but thatās really it. I also really hated Mishaās reaction to Ryen during the first part of the book. I can describe it as just a huge ick that he literally stalked her, but each to their own some people enjoy reading this stuff. I also quite disliked the ending where we seen Ryen pregnant only a FEW MONTHS LATER. CRAZY. i also hated every second of the library scene and car. I read like two pages and skipped the chapter because that was the most awkward thing Iāve ever read. I have to give it SOME credit though, it did get me out of a reading slump and made me want to find a book better. nothing TOO special or outstanding happened and thatās why Iām rating it what it is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
charliebites's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
essie__reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ā ļøā ļøā ļøTHIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERSā ļøā ļøā ļø
Minor critique - I hate the way she spelled both "Masen" and "Ryen."
Review:
When I started reading this, I couldn't put it down. Buttttt the more I thought about it, the less I liked it. For starters, I really wish these characters were college-aged and not in high school, but more on that later. š„“ I could suspend reality for some of the plot lines, like the kid sleeping at an abandoned theme park and the constant vandalism at the school. But some of the plot just doesn't make sense. Like him getting a fake identity to come to a school 30 minutes down the road from where he lives...? š (Would his biological mom really not google his name and recognize him at all?!) The way she started vandalizing the school because her pen pal stopped writing her? Lmao...what? The fact that she was at an event to promote a local band at the beginning of the book and didn't know who the band was or who the band members were is also unrealistic. š¤¦āāļø
Misha's dad allowing his son to sleep outside his on a nightly basis and not freaking out and worrying about him also seemed very unrealistic. If Misha really came from such an affluent family, I highly doubt his go-to reaction at the loss of his sister would be to start acting like a homeless person. That was an unnecessary aspect of the book. It seemed like it was added so the cove hide-and-seek scene could play out.
My biggest qualm is the sex scenes. They're well written but extremely unrealistic for how inexperienced teenagers would talk and engage in sex. These sex scenes are written as if these are very experienced, older characters, and not horny teens. I also really wish they were older because it's cringey to go from sex scenes to petty high school events/drama and this is borderline a YA novel in my opinion, and I prefer not to read open door sex scenes about teenagers- ew! Also, Ryen, having the hots for "Masen" after knowing he broke into her house, seems unrealistic, too. That's borderline stalker behavior. The way the men talk to and about women is also unrealistic for teenagers and extremely misogynistic. The girls calling each other sluts and the way Ryen doesn't stand up for her friend Layla when she's being slut-shamed at school is not okay either. I know Ryen wasn't a genuine friend to Layla but still, that didn't make me, as a reader, like Ryen any more. I think Ten is the only likable and somewhat realistic character in this whole cast. She didn't hear from her pen pal for 3 months and despite being pen pals for several years and knowing his full name and address, she never once googled him?! Unbelievable š«
A student having a key to the high school and that not being investigated after weeks of consistent vandalism taking place? Also there were secutity gaurds at the school the night that Misha and Ryen fucked in the library. Where were those gaurds the night of the prom???
Okay not gonna lie I did NOT expect the principal to be Misha's mom, though. Penelope got me on that one lol. But Misha yelling at the principal for abandoning him and Annie and blaming her for Annie's death? That's ridiculous! Also the way this author writes about addiction is not the greatest. It seems like she uses it as a plot device, and the bit about Manny was so minor and felt unnecessary to the storyline. Douglas also doesn't include any content warnings or helpline info for readers who may be experiencing addiction issues, that seems like a basic courtesy that should be included at the beginning of the book when writing about the topic of addiction.
In a 10 month period he went on a short tour and recorded and released an album? His first album, that quickly? š
Overall, I feel like Douglas couldn't decide how she wanted to write these characters, and due to that, they don't feel well fleshed out to me. I think this book could have been edited more, too. Hopefully, her writing has evolved as she has continued her career because she has a ton of potential. It just felt like too many ideas were thrown in. It wasn't edited well, and the character's identities/personalities were a bit all over the place. I'd definitely read more books by her, but I am not sure I would recommend this one.
Not her pregnant in the epilogue, too - bleh!
Minor critique - I hate the way she spelled both "Masen" and "Ryen."
Review:
When I started reading this, I couldn't put it down. Buttttt the more I thought about it, the less I liked it. For starters, I really wish these characters were college-aged and not in high school, but more on that later. š„“ I could suspend reality for some of the plot lines, like the kid sleeping at an abandoned theme park and the constant vandalism at the school. But some of the plot just doesn't make sense. Like him getting a fake identity to come to a school 30 minutes down the road from where he lives...? š (Would his biological mom really not google his name and recognize him at all?!) The way she started vandalizing the school because her pen pal stopped writing her? Lmao...what? The fact that she was at an event to promote a local band at the beginning of the book and didn't know who the band was or who the band members were is also unrealistic. š¤¦āāļø
Misha's dad allowing his son to sleep outside his on a nightly basis and not freaking out and worrying about him also seemed very unrealistic. If Misha really came from such an affluent family, I highly doubt his go-to reaction at the loss of his sister would be to start acting like a homeless person. That was an unnecessary aspect of the book. It seemed like it was added so the cove hide-and-seek scene could play out.
My biggest qualm is the sex scenes. They're well written but extremely unrealistic for how inexperienced teenagers would talk and engage in sex. These sex scenes are written as if these are very experienced, older characters, and not horny teens. I also really wish they were older because it's cringey to go from sex scenes to petty high school events/drama and this is borderline a YA novel in my opinion, and I prefer not to read open door sex scenes about teenagers- ew! Also, Ryen, having the hots for "Masen" after knowing he broke into her house, seems unrealistic, too. That's borderline stalker behavior. The way the men talk to and about women is also unrealistic for teenagers and extremely misogynistic. The girls calling each other sluts and the way Ryen doesn't stand up for her friend Layla when she's being slut-shamed at school is not okay either. I know Ryen wasn't a genuine friend to Layla but still, that didn't make me, as a reader, like Ryen any more. I think Ten is the only likable and somewhat realistic character in this whole cast. She didn't hear from her pen pal for 3 months and despite being pen pals for several years and knowing his full name and address, she never once googled him?! Unbelievable š«
A student having a key to the high school and that not being investigated after weeks of consistent vandalism taking place? Also there were secutity gaurds at the school the night that Misha and Ryen fucked in the library. Where were those gaurds the night of the prom???
Okay not gonna lie I did NOT expect the principal to be Misha's mom, though. Penelope got me on that one lol. But Misha yelling at the principal for abandoning him and Annie and blaming her for Annie's death? That's ridiculous! Also the way this author writes about addiction is not the greatest. It seems like she uses it as a plot device, and the bit about Manny was so minor and felt unnecessary to the storyline. Douglas also doesn't include any content warnings or helpline info for readers who may be experiencing addiction issues, that seems like a basic courtesy that should be included at the beginning of the book when writing about the topic of addiction.
In a 10 month period he went on a short tour and recorded and released an album? His first album, that quickly? š
Overall, I feel like Douglas couldn't decide how she wanted to write these characters, and due to that, they don't feel well fleshed out to me. I think this book could have been edited more, too. Hopefully, her writing has evolved as she has continued her career because she has a ton of potential. It just felt like too many ideas were thrown in. It wasn't edited well, and the character's identities/personalities were a bit all over the place. I'd definitely read more books by her, but I am not sure I would recommend this one.
Not her pregnant in the epilogue, too - bleh!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Stalking, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
laurakwiecinski's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Pregnancy