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A review by earthtonadia
The Mixtape by Brittainy C. Cherry
2.0
I need to start off by saying that I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It flowed really well, there was a great buildup, and the character’s struggles were palpable. But then, the train went off the tracks for me. (Some spoilers of the third act below)
This book is labeled as a romance, but it was buried under all the other stuff going on — family drama, single mom struggles, depression, grief, industry gossip, religious zealot/authoritarian parents… there was no time for the romance to build. Emery and Oliver interacted with each other, and the next thing I knew — they were in love. It felt like their love and relationship was an afterthought.
I liked Emery’s character. She was strong and never gave up. She stood her ground time and time again, finding solutions no matter what life hit her with. But when she needed to have a backbone the most, when her entire world literally crumbled in front of her eyes, she succumbed. She gave in to bullying. She let other people get to her and stopped trying to find solutions. She shut out the very people that had the means and the ability to help her. That didn’t fit her character at all, in my eyes.
Oliver was… okay. He was battling through depression and grief, and understandably so, but that was essentially his entire character. And after no more character dimension, I kinda just stopped caring. I did like his interactions with Reese, Emery’s daughter, though.
Can we talk about Emery’s parents? Why do all religious parents have to be so authoritarian? I understand that it’s common and very traumatizing, but do all religious parents have to fit this stereotype? Her parents were so toxic and I absolutely hated them, but they didn’t have to be the villains in this story. It felt lazy to me.
Very disappointed. This had such a promising start and then it absolutely nosedived.
This book is labeled as a romance, but it was buried under all the other stuff going on — family drama, single mom struggles, depression, grief, industry gossip, religious zealot/authoritarian parents… there was no time for the romance to build. Emery and Oliver interacted with each other, and the next thing I knew — they were in love. It felt like their love and relationship was an afterthought.
I liked Emery’s character. She was strong and never gave up. She stood her ground time and time again, finding solutions no matter what life hit her with. But when she needed to have a backbone the most, when her entire world literally crumbled in front of her eyes, she succumbed. She gave in to bullying. She let other people get to her and stopped trying to find solutions. She shut out the very people that had the means and the ability to help her. That didn’t fit her character at all, in my eyes.
Oliver was… okay. He was battling through depression and grief, and understandably so, but that was essentially his entire character. And after no more character dimension, I kinda just stopped caring. I did like his interactions with Reese, Emery’s daughter, though.
Can we talk about Emery’s parents? Why do all religious parents have to be so authoritarian? I understand that it’s common and very traumatizing, but do all religious parents have to fit this stereotype? Her parents were so toxic and I absolutely hated them, but they didn’t have to be the villains in this story. It felt lazy to me.
Very disappointed. This had such a promising start and then it absolutely nosedived.