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slimepuppy's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
If you manage to suspend your disbelief past that start, the book still doesn’t make it worth your time. The main characters are flat - them having made mistakes in the past doesn't change the fact that they're still the only nice, normal people in a school filled with assholes.
So, one main character is experiencing prejudice and the only person in the entire school willing to stand up for him is ANOTHER main character? Great. No character is allowed nuance, not our heroes or our villains. Simon was the only one who could have been three dimensional, and he was in it for a second, never to return, not even through flashbacks, which would have been a great way to explore his psyche and his motivations for the terrible things he did.
The pacing was... exquisite. Halfway through the book Addy's arc is basically concluded while Cooper's is just starting to unravel. It makes for a bumpy, uneven read, when you go from reading a character that kind of has nowhere left to grow to one just starting his journey, then to a hamfisted romance between two of the least interesting main characters.
Finally, the ending felt very rushed. The final confrontation was fun! The resolution of the mystery was well done and there was even an important detail that had been foreshadowed earlier, which was satisfying to see coming back. But following that scene, the book seems to be dying to be over.
We don't get to see Nate face life outside of jail and him reconnecting with his mom, we don't get to ever see Cooper interact with his family again, nothing. We're just told things are happening, all so we can have more time devoted to a stupid break up that makes no sense and feels extremely forced. So you spent the entire book telling me that Bronwyn is headstrong and willing to fight tooth and nail for what she wants, and at the first cold shoulder she just gives up? Great characterization, LOL.
Ok, so to mention the things I actually liked for posterity: Cooper was a good character. He was consistent and his actions made sense with what he was going through. He had internal and external conflicts to deal with - you very much get the sense that Cooper could lose his chances of being a pro player because of the scandal, while Browwyn never gets so much as a glare from a teacher for having cheated on multiple tests for an entire semester (?!).
Anyways, Cooper's outing made me feel genuinely sick - the police station scene was well written, I could feel the dread that Cooper was feeling as he realized what was being done to him.
A lot of it had to do with their inner lives - Cooper's friends and family felt the most realistic of the four, people with flaws and qualities and their own lives going on - Bronwyn's parents were just like every other YA parent. Her two friends might as well be cardboard cutouts. Addy's mom is an ugly caricature that fails to ever develop a single trait that might make her seem like a real person. Nate's mom is not flat, but she's barely there - we could have gotten so much more out of their relationship.
That's the basic TLDR of this book, I guess: it could have been waay better, but the author was just not interested in fleshing out characters or situations beyond the the surface level.
Also, the synopsis is just kind of misleading!
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Outing, Misogyny, Addiction, and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Cancer, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
cararowen'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
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Outing
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Classism, Eating disorder, Child death, Sexism, Misogyny, Addiction, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Medical trauma, Hate crime, Abandonment, Alcohol, Self harm, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Confinement, Alcoholism, Suicide, Cancer, Ableism, Vomit, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Mental illness
tgreene507'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? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts
stungbythewood'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
4.0
I really enjoyed this book on my first read through and still enjoy it just as much on my second although I do have a few minor complaints.
There are a few points of misogyny that are just :/
And after rereading the ending, it all felt way too convenient.
I get that it was supposed to mainly be focused on the bay view four as suspects in Simon’s murder but Jake’s involvement felt too out there within the whole story.
I was not anticipating the twist outcome on my first read through so I was genuinely surprised by that.
I thoroughly enjoyed Nate and Bronwyn’s storylines as well as Addy’s. Cooper’s was fine but I’m not all that interested in sports so his storyline didn’t interest me for the most part.
Bronwyn and her desire to fix things head on as they come along in her relationship with Nate is so relatable that I genuinely felt as if I lived their story (without being accused of murder, of course) and I think their relationship is very realistic, especially toward the end when Nate ducks out of Bronwyn’s life because things got too real for him. It’s an experience I know all too well, but luckily, Nate gets his act together and realizes that self isolating isn’t the solution to what he’s feeling.
He actually listens to advice given to him by Addy and attempts to make things work with Bronwyn and COMMUNICATES HIS FEELINGS!!!!!!!!
Thank you Karen M. McManus for writing men that actually work on improving themselves for the women in their life.
Her finding her footing and place in this world is something that I relate to a LOT myself.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you’re looking for a quick but fun mystery to read.
I’ve already read the second book and am not sure if I’ll be going a reread of it but I am looking forward to reading the third installment!
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Homophobia, Outing, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
prairieraven'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
3.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Outing, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Grief, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Drug use, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
beatriks'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
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Infidelity
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
sammymilfort's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Blood, Outing, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer
hypofocus's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Child abuse
Minor: Misogyny and Gaslighting
calypso_the_oboe'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
4.75
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Death
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Toxic friendship, Car accident, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
alexreads1023'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Addiction, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders