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A review by ashlynkcraig
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
2.0
2.5 ⭐️ Okay, so I had a few major problems with this book. The first one I have to address is I listened to the audiobook and the narrator for Kristen was TERRIBLE. She did these weird voices that sounded like she was trying to make herself sound cool and dragged out the end of the sentences in a way that was so obnoxious it almost ruined the book for me. At 2x speed it was almost tolerable, but I think her voice made me more annoyed with Kristen’s character than I was already. I would suggest if you’re going to try to read it, find a physical or digital copy and find a different audiobook.
Next, Kristen is an obnoxious character. The “I’m not like other girls” trope feels so played out at this point. She also, like many of Jimenez’s other female characters, decides without having any conversations with the love interest that she’s not good enough for some reason and then making them both suffer unnecessarily. So much of the plot could be solved by her just… talking to him, and at this point, if that’s the only thing that’s driving the narrative forward, it feels lazy. I get it, there are plenty of reasons these characters don’t want to talk about the things that they perceive as their flaws, but at this point it feels beyond drawn out and redundant. And I know, I know, where’s the drama in good communication, but I just want these authors to be a little more creative here. Is that too much to ask?
Next, Kristen is an obnoxious character. The “I’m not like other girls” trope feels so played out at this point. She also, like many of Jimenez’s other female characters, decides without having any conversations with the love interest that she’s not good enough for some reason and then making them both suffer unnecessarily. So much of the plot could be solved by her just… talking to him, and at this point, if that’s the only thing that’s driving the narrative forward, it feels lazy. I get it, there are plenty of reasons these characters don’t want to talk about the things that they perceive as their flaws, but at this point it feels beyond drawn out and redundant. And I know, I know, where’s the drama in good communication, but I just want these authors to be a little more creative here. Is that too much to ask?