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giulay's review against another edition
2.0
More like a 2.5*
This was just honestly too meta for me.
The idea was super thrilling but the book itself kinda fell flat.
Insta-love, love triangle and a typical YA heroine... I understand why all this is present but still I really didn't enjoy it.
This was just honestly too meta for me.
The idea was super thrilling but the book itself kinda fell flat.
Insta-love, love triangle and a typical YA heroine... I understand why all this is present but still I really didn't enjoy it.
sasha_in_a_box's review against another edition
3.0
I should really get myself a metafiction shelf..
This is an odd book. I've been greatly looking forward to it: look at the cute cover, the title, the description! STORY: Our girl Annabelle is a bit of a control freak, she lives with her cool family on Venice beach, and her life is pretty ok. Then she finds out her parents are getting divorced and the beautiful family home (It's graced the front cover of a posh home design magazine! It's dreamy!), which is quite poop. And on top of it all, she finds out that this weird lady, Lucy Keating (oh yes), is writing a book about her. Well, no. Not ABOUT her. She's writing HER. Because Annabelle is a fictional character! WOO! And she knows this because Lucy straight up told her.
As she struggles to come to grips with this weird fact (or fiction. HA!) of her life, she meets the perfect boy, banters with her two-dimensional best friend (her emotional support pony), and mopes about her home life. And tries to avoid her brother's best friend, a slutty drummer man with attractively greasy hair (I dunno man, that's how he's described). And also she's trying to maybe not let her life be so easily controlled.
I was down with the premise almost the whole time, it just had a predictable ending and the appearance of the author herself as a character was fun but weird. She describes herself as a multiple NYT best-selling author of 6 novels, having a giant fan base, and getting interviewed on the set of a movie based on her book. Which is not what the author is, yet. I think it's tongue-in-cheek and it is kinda funny, but it's a bit forced. I don't think the intent was bad at all, but it could do with a little more finesse. And besides, she did make herself look 100% unlikeable, oddly.
Other than that, it was a quick read, an amusing thought experiment (a sincere use of the word amusing, no intention to sound condescending), and a cool main character.
-I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review-
This is an odd book. I've been greatly looking forward to it: look at the cute cover, the title, the description! STORY: Our girl Annabelle is a bit of a control freak, she lives with her cool family on Venice beach, and her life is pretty ok. Then she finds out her parents are getting divorced and the beautiful family home (It's graced the front cover of a posh home design magazine! It's dreamy!), which is quite poop. And on top of it all, she finds out that this weird lady, Lucy Keating (oh yes), is writing a book about her. Well, no. Not ABOUT her. She's writing HER. Because Annabelle is a fictional character! WOO! And she knows this because Lucy straight up told her.
As she struggles to come to grips with this weird fact (or fiction. HA!) of her life, she meets the perfect boy, banters with her two-dimensional best friend (her emotional support pony), and mopes about her home life. And tries to avoid her brother's best friend, a slutty drummer man with attractively greasy hair (I dunno man, that's how he's described). And also she's trying to maybe not let her life be so easily controlled.
I was down with the premise almost the whole time, it just had a predictable ending and the appearance of the author herself as a character was fun but weird. She describes herself as a multiple NYT best-selling author of 6 novels, having a giant fan base, and getting interviewed on the set of a movie based on her book. Which is not what the author is, yet. I think it's tongue-in-cheek and it is kinda funny, but it's a bit forced. I don't think the intent was bad at all, but it could do with a little more finesse. And besides, she did make herself look 100% unlikeable, oddly.
Other than that, it was a quick read, an amusing thought experiment (a sincere use of the word amusing, no intention to sound condescending), and a cool main character.
-I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review-
lydiature's review against another edition
I really wanted to like this. It was such a great premise! I just didn’t like the writing style, so it wasn’t for me, but I can see why someone would like this book.
pigwidgeon's review against another edition
4.0
This book is weirdly good. The main character realize that she is a ‘character’ in a book
majkaem's review against another edition
3.0
Ak si chcete pri knihe dobre oddýchnuť a priveľmi sa nezamýšľať nad príbehom, pokojne siahnite práve po tejto knihe.
Som rada, že som si knihu prečítala, ale keď si to vezmem spätne, myslím, že by som o veľa neprišla ak by som si ju neprečítala.
Ani veľmi nenadchne, ani neurazí.
S hlavnou postavou Anabelle som sa nevedela vžiť. Jej naplánovaný a „nalajnovaný“ život mi prišiel veľmi nudný. Na to, že bola teenegerka, čakala som viac vzdoru, odvahy a chuti robiť zaujímavé veci. Neznášala som, keď ju oslovovali AB. Ach, to mi tak nesadlo.
Ale nápad s tým, že Anabellin život píše spisovateľka bol vcelku zaujímavý. Aj keď mi chýbalo hlbšie spracovanie. Na jej mieste by som tomu hneď neuverila, ale nejako by som si zisťovala, ako je to možné a či to naozaj je môj život, alebo len veľká zhoda náhod.
Páčil sa mi však autorkin štýl s veľkým množstvom priamej reči. Nezaoberala sa opismi, ale venovala sa priamo hlavným postavám.
Chýbalo mi aj dokončenie príbehu, ako to nakoniec skončilo s jeho rodičmi, či s Willom.
Som rada, že som si knihu prečítala, ale keď si to vezmem spätne, myslím, že by som o veľa neprišla ak by som si ju neprečítala.
Ani veľmi nenadchne, ani neurazí.
S hlavnou postavou Anabelle som sa nevedela vžiť. Jej naplánovaný a „nalajnovaný“ život mi prišiel veľmi nudný. Na to, že bola teenegerka, čakala som viac vzdoru, odvahy a chuti robiť zaujímavé veci. Neznášala som, keď ju oslovovali AB. Ach, to mi tak nesadlo.
Ale nápad s tým, že Anabellin život píše spisovateľka bol vcelku zaujímavý. Aj keď mi chýbalo hlbšie spracovanie. Na jej mieste by som tomu hneď neuverila, ale nejako by som si zisťovala, ako je to možné a či to naozaj je môj život, alebo len veľká zhoda náhod.
Páčil sa mi však autorkin štýl s veľkým množstvom priamej reči. Nezaoberala sa opismi, ale venovala sa priamo hlavným postavám.
Chýbalo mi aj dokončenie príbehu, ako to nakoniec skončilo s jeho rodičmi, či s Willom.
kimching232's review against another edition
3.0
When I first saw the synopsis for Literally, I was excited. I think a bookworm would be immediately attracted to what the story is about, because after all, it's about a main character in an author's story. However, it wasn't like I imagined it to be, and I felt like there were too much ambiguities.
Annabelle discovers that she is a character in Lucy Keating's newest romance book because the author visited her school. When the plot of her new book sounded similar to Annabelle's life, Annabelle confronted her. Lucy then proceeds to tell her that she is a character in her newest book.
From this point everything that became weird for me because why would an author be in her own novel? If she's writing the character, shouldn't it have been impossible for them to meet? And why was Annabelle the only one out of all the character to notice the inconsistencies within the novel, and the only one to notice the TK signs? I mean, it's just all hard to grasp when you're reading about it, which is why I think this would have done better as a movie.
For the first half of the book, I really felt confused. However, at the latter part of the book, that when I started enjoying. I liked the message that the author was trying to get across, and there were lots of good quotes in the book. I also started enjoying when she finally decided to choose between Will and Elliot, and how she chose the one I was rooting for, haha!
Overall, I was really confused about this book at first but grew to love it when I learned the message of the novel. It's a quick and fun read that helped me pass my time, and after all the confusion, it was kinda entertaining and enjoyable as well.
Annabelle discovers that she is a character in Lucy Keating's newest romance book because the author visited her school. When the plot of her new book sounded similar to Annabelle's life, Annabelle confronted her. Lucy then proceeds to tell her that she is a character in her newest book.
From this point everything that became weird for me because why would an author be in her own novel? If she's writing the character, shouldn't it have been impossible for them to meet? And why was Annabelle the only one out of all the character to notice the inconsistencies within the novel, and the only one to notice the TK signs? I mean, it's just all hard to grasp when you're reading about it, which is why I think this would have done better as a movie.
For the first half of the book, I really felt confused. However, at the latter part of the book, that when I started enjoying. I liked the message that the author was trying to get across, and there were lots of good quotes in the book. I also started enjoying when she finally decided to choose between Will and Elliot, and how she chose the one I was rooting for, haha!
"I think you have to try your best to find your best self, and the person who makes you your best self."
"And just because something ends, doesn't mean it didn't mean anything. Sometimes, you have to take the risk."
"You can't expect anything real or awesome to happen to you, if you don't take a chance."
"The end is up to you now, Annabelle. You'll find your Happy Ending, and it's not about whom you end up with. I am only just beginning to figure that out."
"I don't do this because it was my plan; it was my plan because I love it. But I'm determined no to stick to it too closely. I have no idea what surprises the future will hold. Now my plan is to follow my dreams. My plan is to surprise myself, and write my own story. I hope, whatever age you are, each one of you chooses to do the same."
Overall, I was really confused about this book at first but grew to love it when I learned the message of the novel. It's a quick and fun read that helped me pass my time, and after all the confusion, it was kinda entertaining and enjoyable as well.
dianaaa_is_reading's review against another edition
1.0
I hate this boom with a boiling passion, the writjng was so bad, the plot was so predictable.
maria70's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this at the thrift store after reading the jacket and without noticing it was a YA novel. I've read other YA before this one skews more tween to me.
This ended up being a quick read but not really my cup of tea. I debated not finishing but it's a quick read so I powered through. For me there wasn't a lot of dimension to the characters and in my own experience teens don't sound the way these ones do.
This ended up being a quick read but not really my cup of tea. I debated not finishing but it's a quick read so I powered through. For me there wasn't a lot of dimension to the characters and in my own experience teens don't sound the way these ones do.
gabydeppe's review against another edition
3.0
The plot twists and overall idea I really liked, it was something new. I could relate to both Annabelle and Lucy. Being a writer, the characters I come up with often decide their own path to get to my endings and some minor characters even surprise me by taking a bigger role. That’s how I could relate to this. But in the end, this didn’t strike me with a lot of emotion or left me wondering what happens next. Either way, it was easy and quick to read, I finished it in 4 days. It was a fun young adult story.
itsmytuberculosis's review against another edition
1.0
DNF: wow who will i choose from???? This one guy who mildly bullies me (but hes just so REAL ya know) or this other guy who does nothing but try to understand me!!! Never mind the fact that I should really be worrying about overthrowing the pretentious writer lady and make my own destiny!!!!!