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12dejamoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Middle of the road book. I think I probably went into this expecting something different but maybe that's on me (or maybe it's on the blurb??). Anyway, it was less ~~romance~~ and more superheroes with a side of romance. Which is fine just different.
I liked lots of parts of this book - the concept is cool and the side characters were all great. I won't deny it was gripping at points.
However, it also felt like it dragged at other points. I think Dylan fell for Jordan too quickly (although with the focus on the superhero plotline maybe it was appropriate), and I think some of the scenes felt a little lacklustre. There were a lot of moments when action happened and suddenly a character was somewhere else and I had a hard time finding the moment when it had happened. Also a lot of times where things happened a little awkwardly.
A small point but there were lots of little bits that sat weirdly with me. For instance, Dylan's mum tells him he's grounded, and then a little while later he talks to her on the phone and says 'I'm pretty sure I'm grounded' and then later he says his parents don't believe in grounding their children and then later still his mum tells him he's grounded. And I'm left wondering how all those instances co-exist. And the powers are also a little unclear. I know this isn't high fantasy and it doesn't need to be explained in excrutiating detail, but I did think there were inconsistencies throughout which were kind of frustrating.
This sentiment also applies to the way Dylan interacted with people in this book. I have no idea what happened with Darlene there in the corridor - one of those moments where I can't place what exactly has transpired and suddenly he's sitting on the floor and she's shouting. Ngl I think he was fair enough to be annoyed that she wants him to join the GSA as the 'token gay', but for some reason she's now scared and/or angry with him to the point of outright shouting at him. And Savanna's earlier interactions also seemed caricaturish. I did love her later but some of her angry scenes were really awkward. And then why does Dylan insist on running after everyone all the time. The boy DOES NOT know when to take a hint. And yes, okay, maybe I'm weirded by it because I wouldn't do that but also there are so many times where someone runs away from him and he just follows them for ages without any signs of stopping.
Overall, it was a good enough time but I'm kind of glad it's over.
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Car accident
booknerdz28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia
mengzhenreads's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
This definitely reads more younger, and I think I was expecting it to be more sophisticated than it actually was, which is partly my fault so that's fair. I would've lost my mind over this book if I was in middle school, but right now it isn't my cup of tea.
But, I do think that this really does have potential to be a really fire (pun intended) tv show so I'm gonna keep an eye out for that.
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
thebookpaiges's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
courtnoodles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia
nellienelson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
They also don’t really go through a lot of character development during the book and the characters seem a bit flat in my opinion.
Aside from that, I really did love the book. It was an easy, light-hearted read with queer representation and some sweet scenes.
If you’re in need of something light-hearted, I’d definitely recommend it!
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Homophobia and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
sirpancakes's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
pey333's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
larseneiii's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Alcohol
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol
Minor: Terminal illness