A review by vividaway
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The book starting out with the Doctor Death talk is interesting, because it paints the scene for distrust between Briana and Jacob. I think its also really cool that Jacob has representation for anxiety disorders. It’s written very well, and the interaction between Jacob and his brother and ex partner is fascinating. He wants to try to accept them, but internally he never will. why would he? Briana misunderstanding Jacobs reason for being there is so aggravating but i understand why they used this plotline, as it's very dramatic. The reveal that Briana’s brother is on dialysis and dealing with chronic depression was heartfelt and It changes his sickness/illness for me, because its much bigger than just being hospitalized. Jacob having a miscommunication with Briana was played out well (and not annoying unlike other miscommunication tropes) where she comes to realize that she’s the asshole in the situation, but she too wasn’t meaning too. It was just a bad week for her. Her brother is sick, and it makes sense that she would be a bit triggered by the things he’d said out of context. I think the letter writing is SO CUTE and it such a smart way to counteract the miscommunication trope because it instantly fixes it, and its true that writing is easier to express your thoughts because you have time to think and respond instead of being put on the spot. I think Briana saying the thing about “yours truly” was so cute and its like!!!! you said the thing!!! The phone call between the two was so cute and i love how fast they bond together. The closet lunch scene was a great way to describe symptoms of overthinking with anxiety, and i like the way it all plays out. Jacob donating a kidney is insanely kind, and goes to show what kind of person he truly is. Briana finding out he’s the donor was a slightly tense moment but its quickly resolved The fake dating plot was very nice and i like how involved the two get with each other. Amy accusing Jacob of going too fast with Briana was interesting because you never usually see that in Fake Dating tropes. Briana mishearing the argument and refusing to date Jacob is a little annoying. no elaboration needed, i just hate the miscommunication trope. It doesn’t get resolved for quite awhile, and it was sad to me. I like how Jacob and Briana interact with each other, and i hate that a lot of the book is spent pushing them apart, even if it makes sense. It just seems like there’s such an easy fix and they aren’t doing it. Briana choosing to move in with Jacob for a few months is interesting and they slowly patch up their relationship to what it used to be before Jacob confessed his feelings for her. Briana’s mom is very annoying for me, but i understand where she’s coming from. She has none of the information we do about the relationship. Brianna assuming that everything bad happening with Jacob is related to his anxiety is also a little annoying because its just another miscommunication that they could work through if they just talked. Jacob finding out that Amy is pregnant and having a panic attack was such good representation of GAD and I really did love the entire scene. Her admission of love was a good conclusion to the miscommunication. The spice in this book is extremely poetic (in my humble opinion) and is played out nicely. The next conflict of Briana not wanting to be with him and coming out of a Post-Nut-Clarity was interesting and smart. The talk between the grandpa and Brianna was SO SWEET!! I cant explain it but her giving in and giving him a cigarette is just so cute, and he took all the precautions!! The reveal between Amy and Brianna was cool and shows that she wasn’t a villain in this story, just a person who makes mistakes. I also like that they finally communicate with each other!! finally!! Seeing Nick again was such a shock i wasn’t expecting. And him and his WIFE are pregnant? insane! It triggering her own trauma with miscarriages and men is realistic, and i’ve seen some people say it came out of no where, but i believe the foreshadowing was there. The reveal that Briana is pregnant was SHOCKING. I genuinely wasn’t expecting that when it happened, but it explains the breakdown 10x more. The two having to work through their own issues alone before the transplant was cool for me, because its realy the first time they’ve been apart since the start of the novel. Briana reading Jacob’s diary was a sweet scene, and her trusting him was nice. I liked the ending and the wedding and i think the two are a cute couple together. This was a really tricky novel for me because i liked some parts, but really hated other parts. And on top of this, the parts i do hate are pieces that other people love and adore!! obviously this is alright, but it just makes me feel like the odd man out.