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A review by beautifullybookish25
The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram
4.0
First Read 05/03/14
This was another reading slump reread for me and definitely a good choice. I needed something quick, sweet and romantic to read and this was perfect for that. This book is a fluffy light read but there is definite character development and a relationship which progresses and builds at a nice (not instalove) pace. I really like that social anxiety was involved although I think slightly more could have been done with it.
I loved the secondary characters in this book.
The one issue I have with this book isn't something that isn't also present in most other romance books but is something I wish wouldn't happen.
Everyone who is 'popular' in this book is described as physically 'perfect'. The girls are skinny, muscular and are described as having 'perfect bodies'(aside from one of the girls 'lack of chest') by Grayson.
He does admire Avery's softer figure (she is still relatively thin though) but says 'she's not perfect'. Perfect is a real focus when he's describing these girls which annoyed me to no end.
I got a little more annoyed though that the reason Avery's friend doesn't have many friends even though she is funny and outgoing is because she 'isn't as thin as the majority of girls in our school'.Grayson also says that you couldn't call Avery 'chubby, like Libby - who really didn't look too bad in the tasteful tankini she wore'. I hate that this had to bring the book down for me and it may not bother most people but it just annoys me that this is the message being sent out to girls who read this, that guys only like skinny girls.
This whole thing is something I hate to see in books, especially in one I like as much as this one, because it really does give the impression that 'skinny' is vitally important or somehow better than 'chubby'. This books is admirable for the way the story mixes cliques and crossing social boundaries but why must there be the fat/skinny divide.
(Sorry that this got a little ranty)
This was another reading slump reread for me and definitely a good choice. I needed something quick, sweet and romantic to read and this was perfect for that. This book is a fluffy light read but there is definite character development and a relationship which progresses and builds at a nice (not instalove) pace. I really like that social anxiety was involved although I think slightly more could have been done with it.
I loved the secondary characters in this book.
Spoiler
I loved Libby, she was hilarious and quirky. Her and Owen were so great, I really wanted to see more of them or even their own bookThe one issue I have with this book isn't something that isn't also present in most other romance books but is something I wish wouldn't happen.
Everyone who is 'popular' in this book is described as physically 'perfect'. The girls are skinny, muscular and are described as having 'perfect bodies'(aside from one of the girls 'lack of chest') by Grayson.
He does admire Avery's softer figure (she is still relatively thin though) but says 'she's not perfect'. Perfect is a real focus when he's describing these girls which annoyed me to no end.
I got a little more annoyed though that the reason Avery's friend doesn't have many friends even though she is funny and outgoing is because she 'isn't as thin as the majority of girls in our school'.Grayson also says that you couldn't call Avery 'chubby, like Libby - who really didn't look too bad in the tasteful tankini she wore'. I hate that this had to bring the book down for me and it may not bother most people but it just annoys me that this is the message being sent out to girls who read this, that guys only like skinny girls.
Spoiler
It also doesn't escape my notice that Owen and Libby have a secret relationship after the book ends which (although she might be okay with it)seems to say that 'gorgeous' Owen doesn't want people to know he's dating (probably sleeping with) the chubby girl, he won't even tell his best friend.This whole thing is something I hate to see in books, especially in one I like as much as this one, because it really does give the impression that 'skinny' is vitally important or somehow better than 'chubby'. This books is admirable for the way the story mixes cliques and crossing social boundaries but why must there be the fat/skinny divide.
(Sorry that this got a little ranty)