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jaslyn_'s review against another edition
4.0
this book was so fucking trashy I have no idea whether I'm biased or...FUCK. At least it's not forgettable.
This clings onto the YA trope of spewing way too many plot points and issues and tangling them up into a massive pinch 20% before completion
Also if the first kiss comes less than 40% of the way through you know things are gonna get fucked up
Very annoying switching to other languages. The mother's broken english was a blast
There are some thematic qualities I liked
1) Grey Morality from all characters. Especially the protagonist (GOD SO MUCH CASUAL RACISM). I am very, very annoyed with how Jamie's arc played out and that bitch is sus as fuck
2) Truths and untruths and words unsaid
3) I liked the narrative about the perspectives of race and class
Also I liked the part at the start where she joins track and talks about a pain she can understand vs a pain she cannot. That bit was good and gave me enough false hope to finish this story
In all I hated the fucking protagonist but there were some redeeming qualities where it mattered. Romance was meh.
This clings onto the YA trope of spewing way too many plot points and issues and tangling them up into a massive pinch 20% before completion
Also if the first kiss comes less than 40% of the way through you know things are gonna get fucked up
Very annoying switching to other languages. The mother's broken english was a blast
There are some thematic qualities I liked
1) Grey Morality from all characters. Especially the protagonist (GOD SO MUCH CASUAL RACISM). I am very, very annoyed with how Jamie's arc played out and that bitch is sus as fuck
2) Truths and untruths and words unsaid
3) I liked the narrative about the perspectives of race and class
Also I liked the part at the start where she joins track and talks about a pain she can understand vs a pain she cannot. That bit was good and gave me enough false hope to finish this story
In all I hated the fucking protagonist but there were some redeeming qualities where it mattered. Romance was meh.
midsummernightsread's review against another edition
2.0
RTC
Not really sure how I feel about this one 🤔
Not really sure how I feel about this one 🤔
poachingeggs's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, but i’ll round up because it was pretty cute. initially, i was losing it because this book was marketed as “perfect for fans of becky albertalli and to all the boys i’ve loved before,” and the fact that tatbilb is the only prominent ya book with an east asian lead so it’s tacked onto the blurb any other ya book with an east asian is ridiculous. hOweVer, the writing style did have similar ~vibes~ to tatbilb in that it was descriptive and relatable and just the right amount of quirky. sana, the main character, is incredibly flawed in so many ways and so are all of the characters, which is nice to read about because it’s so realistic, but i wish there was more on how sana is working to better herself, especially since so much of the book deals with racism within different POC groups, and just ,,,,, Sana Do Better.
krystalmath's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars because the second half of the book was filled with casual (and not-so-casual) racism and homophobia that never really got addressed???
like the MC got away with just giving a half-assed apology and reading a poem in class to solve her issues with cheating and racism! plus it feels awfully hypocritical of the MC to be so concerned about her father's affair but in the same breath cheats on her gf with a boy even tho she's gay???
i get it -- high schoolers can be a mess. but it's frustrating when their egocentrism and sometimes plain shitty behavior drives contrived plot points that aren't parsed out. plus the whole bit with Sana calling Jamie's friends "thugs" was honestly so painful to read. and once again, hypocritical as she parroted anti-Mexican talking points her mom makes, which she had previously expressed disapproval of!!! also the fact that Jamie only got a little angry at her for this. girl needs to grow a backbone PLEASE.
honestly did not like a single character in this book...Jamie and Christina are okay, and Caleb didn't really anything wrong (though he's not particularly memorable and definitely needs to be in therapy or at least get a tik tok to monetize his whole Sad Boy persona).
woulda given this 1 star if it had not been for the subplot of uncovering Sana's dad's affair. hearing Sana's mom explain the complex family dynamic was actually pretty nuanced and a sweet "bonding" moment between the usually-contentious mother-daughter duo. that paired with Sana's spontaneous coming out and her mother's reaction was also kind of nice. it gave her mom a bit more depth compared to the Asian mom caricature she was for most of the book.
like the MC got away with just giving a half-assed apology and reading a poem in class to solve her issues with cheating and racism! plus it feels awfully hypocritical of the MC to be so concerned about her father's affair but in the same breath cheats on her gf with a boy even tho she's gay???
i get it -- high schoolers can be a mess. but it's frustrating when their egocentrism and sometimes plain shitty behavior drives contrived plot points that aren't parsed out. plus the whole bit with Sana calling Jamie's friends "thugs" was honestly so painful to read. and once again, hypocritical as she parroted anti-Mexican talking points her mom makes, which she had previously expressed disapproval of!!! also the fact that Jamie only got a little angry at her for this. girl needs to grow a backbone PLEASE.
honestly did not like a single character in this book...Jamie and Christina are okay, and Caleb didn't really anything wrong (though he's not particularly memorable and definitely needs to be in therapy or at least get a tik tok to monetize his whole Sad Boy persona).
woulda given this 1 star if it had not been for the subplot of uncovering Sana's dad's affair. hearing Sana's mom explain the complex family dynamic was actually pretty nuanced and a sweet "bonding" moment between the usually-contentious mother-daughter duo. that paired with Sana's spontaneous coming out and her mother's reaction was also kind of nice. it gave her mom a bit more depth compared to the Asian mom caricature she was for most of the book.
elliecornishx's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
other_worlds_than_these's review
5.0
4.5/5
I loved this!! This was so cute but it also dealt with so many deep topics exceptionally well!
I loved Sana as a character; she was headstrong and independent but also naive and ignorant and her character development was on point.
The friendships were complex and felt very real as high school friendships. The only small problem I had was the fatphobia and homophobia mainly from Elaine got brushed away and not talked about.
I loved Jaime and Sana’s relationship; it felt so real with how it starts off so cute and innocent and in a bubble and then it evolves and people make mistakes but they actually talk about those mistakes and they both grow. Cheating doesn’t bother me and I felt it was handled as expected, especially since it deals with teenagers but also cultural differences.
I loved how the author incorporated both Japanese and Mexican culture and that the characters don’t just speak English, especially with their parents.
I loved the poetry elements; I thought that was a unique way of illustrating Sana’s thoughts and feelings.
One other thing I didn’t like was Caleb; he felt like he was just there; he didn’t really contribute to the story other than as a plot device but also his racism got brushed over at the beginning which was annoying.
And this is being nit-picky but when Sana first meets Jamie, she thinks she’s a “stupid, useless store clerk..” when she and her mom are interrupted and I know it’s just a spur of the moment thought but as a retail worker it’s annoys me when people characterize us as useless
I loved this!! This was so cute but it also dealt with so many deep topics exceptionally well!
I loved Sana as a character; she was headstrong and independent but also naive and ignorant and her character development was on point.
The friendships were complex and felt very real as high school friendships. The only small problem I had was the fatphobia and homophobia mainly from Elaine got brushed away and not talked about.
I loved Jaime and Sana’s relationship; it felt so real with how it starts off so cute and innocent and in a bubble and then it evolves and people make mistakes but they actually talk about those mistakes and they both grow. Cheating doesn’t bother me and I felt it was handled as expected, especially since it deals with teenagers but also cultural differences.
I loved how the author incorporated both Japanese and Mexican culture and that the characters don’t just speak English, especially with their parents.
I loved the poetry elements; I thought that was a unique way of illustrating Sana’s thoughts and feelings.
One other thing I didn’t like was Caleb; he felt like he was just there; he didn’t really contribute to the story other than as a plot device but also his racism got brushed over at the beginning which was annoying.
And this is being nit-picky but when Sana first meets Jamie, she thinks she’s a “stupid, useless store clerk..” when she and her mom are interrupted and I know it’s just a spur of the moment thought but as a retail worker it’s annoys me when people characterize us as useless
nxclx's review against another edition
Okay so let's start off by saying this isn't a bad book. I don't like YA and it was enjoyable to read. That being said, everyone in this book sucks. They all have flaws, and I don't really root for anyone, there's a general dislike for the whole cast. But it was still a good book and had great discussions. Also the ending?? I don't think I've had a hook end like thay with the parents?? I'm here for it but it caught me so off guard.
marahz's review against another edition
3.0
i liked this book. did not love, but it was pleasant. i like misa sugiura’s second book much better, but i’m not sure if that’s because she had more experience at that point or if the story was just more interesting to me.
however, this book raises a question in my head. is it okay to be a type writer (not a typewriter, a type writer)? i think it’s okay to be a type actor. some people’s physical feature just are more stereotypical to a certain personality, so they mostly get cast as that. although, only writing the similar stories with very similar progressions, is that okay? is it lazy? i’m not sure. i have no room to talk because i definitely am a type writer, but that’s from lack of experience. you’d think a published author would have the ability for more variety. sugiura is BY FAR not the worst with this, though. miles away from the worst. plus, her books are still quite enjoyable (unlike sarah dessen who is very guilty of type writing).
perhaps, i’m looking too far into this. people usually just write a mix of what they enjoy and what they can get good money for. misa sugiura has found that, i think. meaningful topics that are personal, but also are within the genre that ya readers just eat up. i can admire that.
however, this book raises a question in my head. is it okay to be a type writer (not a typewriter, a type writer)? i think it’s okay to be a type actor. some people’s physical feature just are more stereotypical to a certain personality, so they mostly get cast as that. although, only writing the similar stories with very similar progressions, is that okay? is it lazy? i’m not sure. i have no room to talk because i definitely am a type writer, but that’s from lack of experience. you’d think a published author would have the ability for more variety. sugiura is BY FAR not the worst with this, though. miles away from the worst. plus, her books are still quite enjoyable (unlike sarah dessen who is very guilty of type writing).
perhaps, i’m looking too far into this. people usually just write a mix of what they enjoy and what they can get good money for. misa sugiura has found that, i think. meaningful topics that are personal, but also are within the genre that ya readers just eat up. i can admire that.
marlieraines's review
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
2.5
bbroiles's review against another edition
3.0
It started a really good read, but it was less humor than I was expecting, and by 60% through I was tired of Sana and the whole complex web of everyone's lies. So... it was a good book, but I enjoyed it less than I might've in high school. The drama was tiring, the muddled communication as a drama trope was irritating, and the emotional "climax and wrap up" was way too trite for my tastes. Tackling the nuances of racism in high school is tricky, so I'm not comfortable being too judgmental on how she handled it, but it seemed overworked in spots. Maybe that was the point, what to do I know.