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dixiecarroll's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review. This was a solid 3-3.5 read. I’ll start by saying that I will still recommend and with it only taking me a few hours, I think it will be a favorite for many. I really loved The Bodyguard and was expecting something similar, but this was a bit too much of a highly unbelievable teenage fantasy for me.
Let me explain… a woman experiences a very rare brain disorder causing face blindness - that’s not the part I found unbelievable - I found this interesting and refreshing (if not similar to several hallmark movies). The part I found unbelievable and teenage was that she actually has an evil stepsister who supposedly framed her for wild suicide-inducing bullying getting her kicked out of school and shipped away to boarding school… and then that evil stepsister follows her around and continues to make her life miserable (yes she moves into the building she lives in and purposely fucks with her since she can’t recognize her). Anyway that part of the story is forgettable to me so I don’t feel bad sharing it now - she gets her moment at the end with her bully being publicly shamed.
I literally think that entire plot should be removed as it was so insane to read. The high stakes of the main plot are more interesting and very twisty in their own way!
Ultimately a 4 star read, but pushed down to 3 stars because of that insane stepsister. The romance was fun and the facial blindness was very interesting - those parts were very compelling!
Let me explain… a woman experiences a very rare brain disorder causing face blindness - that’s not the part I found unbelievable - I found this interesting and refreshing (if not similar to several hallmark movies). The part I found unbelievable and teenage was that she actually has an evil stepsister who supposedly framed her for wild suicide-inducing bullying getting her kicked out of school and shipped away to boarding school… and then that evil stepsister follows her around and continues to make her life miserable (yes she moves into the building she lives in and purposely fucks with her since she can’t recognize her). Anyway that part of the story is forgettable to me so I don’t feel bad sharing it now - she gets her moment at the end with her bully being publicly shamed.
I literally think that entire plot should be removed as it was so insane to read. The high stakes of the main plot are more interesting and very twisty in their own way!
Ultimately a 4 star read, but pushed down to 3 stars because of that insane stepsister. The romance was fun and the facial blindness was very interesting - those parts were very compelling!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail