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blissofalife's review against another edition
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Listen. I am indeed a fanfiction reader and a Reylo shipper. I didn't know that's what this was originally going into it, but it quickly became obvious. That being said, I think if I had read this on Ao3 as a Reylo fanfic I would've really enjoyed it. You just have certain expectations about how characters are going to act and more suspension of disbelief when it comes to fanfiction. The characters in a fanfiction can be atrocious but you still love them because you loved them in their original stories, that's why you're reading the fanfiction to begin with.
But starting a book with no background expectations or knowledge of characters is a very different experience. This as a published book? I'm conflicted. The characters were all pretty dislikable. Ari and Josh are depressed for nearly the entire book, and though they set clear boundaries and expectations of what their relationship is going to be (which I am personally a fan of, I love some good communication), when Josh's perspective is full of thoughts of Ari as more than a friend and his sexual desire for her it felt like he made no effort whatsoever to respect Ari's CLEARLY COMMUNICATED needs and wants. But later we're supposed to sympathize with him when she rejects him? And cheer for them to get together? No. I don't think so.
Everybody in this book needs therapy. It made for good storytelling for the first half of the book, but after that it became repetitive and hard to root for the characters. Toxic relationships abound. Everybody's mad all the time, nobody's happy ever, and that sucks. The ending felt forced and very rom-com-esque. I give 'em a year.
But starting a book with no background expectations or knowledge of characters is a very different experience. This as a published book? I'm conflicted. The characters were all pretty dislikable. Ari and Josh are depressed for nearly the entire book, and though they set clear boundaries and expectations of what their relationship is going to be (which I am personally a fan of, I love some good communication), when Josh's perspective is full of thoughts of Ari as more than a friend and his sexual desire for her it felt like he made no effort whatsoever to respect Ari's CLEARLY COMMUNICATED needs and wants. But later we're supposed to sympathize with him when she rejects him? And cheer for them to get together? No. I don't think so.
Everybody in this book needs therapy. It made for good storytelling for the first half of the book, but after that it became repetitive and hard to root for the characters. Toxic relationships abound. Everybody's mad all the time, nobody's happy ever, and that sucks. The ending felt forced and very rom-com-esque. I give 'em a year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Gaslighting
lermaline's review
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.25
For fanfictions and New York fans (obviously)
I'm sorry that I didn't like this book more. I picked it up on the verge of a reading slump expecting it to spark my reading flame back up because I have a an autumn reading challenge to complete and I'm putting way to much pressure on myself, but I dragged throught it. I heard a couple good reviews about how it was sweet and funny, and it for sure is. It has fall/end of the year vibes, in fact I think I got hooked by the stunning cover. However I didn't expect it to hold so much heartbreak and difficult emotions. I adored the vast range of relationships, how people care about each other and remain in the other's lives over time. Besides that I had a hard time with the "grumpy" hero, to me he was oftentimes too rude and inflexible. There are many, many references that I didn't quite get (to the cooking world, the humor world, the New York of it all) as a non-New Yorker, hell I'm not even American. So I felt detached about the setting throughout the book, where I think a NY fan would precisely feel greatly immersed in the culture. In fact the author kindly included an extensive guide to NYC at the end including food places, museums, etc. It didn't come as a surprise when I discovered "You, Again" is a When Harry Met Sally fanfic and even has Reylo fanfic air to it. The ups and downs of the book are specifically inherent to the format of writing and uploading fanfic, the auhtor explained. I'm sure I would read another book from her again !
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction and Drug use