A review by mehsi
All That Glitters by Holly Smale
2.0
I have decided on rating this one a 2 star in the end. I was thoroughly bored before halfway of this book and I hated the book after the halfway mark.
Mostly the problem was Harriet. Her antics and how she acts are funny/annoying in book one, haha/annoying in book two, so-so/annoying at book 3, and by book 4 I wasn't laughing because of her antics. I was more annoyed with her and wondered about her parents and how they raised her.
There is a fine line (for me) between social awkward and just being too stupid. Harriet went over that fine line A WHOLE LOT in this book. Seriously, she really didn't get anything? She didn't get any hints? She didn't understand why people wanted to hang out with her at first (thinking it was her FREAKING MAGICAL cookies).....
And add to that that I know for sure that little kids learn about dressing themselves, and also about what is good to wear outside and what you shouldn't wear outside. Sadly, Harriet seems to really missed that lesson or her parents don't give a fuck. Often she goes outside looking like something an unicorn pooped out. Yes, in other words, she was a rainbow mess. One time she wore: Purple pants, blue shirt, variety of colourful scarves, orange earrings, red shoes........... another time she went outside in an even more colourful assortment, one even was something of her pyjama stuff... I mean seriously, I had to check multiple times to make sure Harriet was really 16/17 of age. For all I could see she was actually 3 to 5 years old. And not only because of how she dressed. Her friend making skills, her social skills, anything. I know, or at least I heard that "geniuses" (because I wouldn't call Harriet's useless skill of remembering facts that she is a genius), are quite awkward sometimes. But this is just beyond that. Harriet seems to be totally oblivious to the world around her. Like it is just spinning around her and her stupid facts. Yes, stupid. Because while I loved the facts in the first and the other books, it just got a bit too annoying. Can she really NOT see that people are annoyed with her facts? That they don't want her facts? That they don't CARE about her knowledge? That to others she is bragging about what she knows. That it might feel like she sees them inferior?
I could go on and on about Harriet, and I would, but I think I made my point clear.
And even after 3 books, she is still hopeless with modelling. It just gets a bit meh. I mean, she had 2 or 3 years to learn the shit, why can't she do it? Why? It is just too unrealistic.
Also, what happened to the modelling stuff? We have one gig, and that is it? I am reading this books for the Geek x Modelling. Not to see Harriet fail in life.
Oh and from what I remember (and what I read) the book takes place in England. From what I could find they don't use Fahrenheit.... so why did Harriet say a fact about something and then used Fahrenheit? Why not Celsius, like almost the whole world does (and also her country).
Then we also have Nat and Toby. I didn't like either of them in the book. And frankly, when I found out about a certain thing near the end? I wanted to smack them and hit them hard. Instead of being there for Harriet when she needed them, they did this? I won't spoil anything else, but I was just so pissed at them. What friends are they? Not good ones, I would say.
Then we have some guy named Jasper, who I truly hated. I would even go as far as to call him a bully. He was rude, mean and just horrendous to Harriet. And sure, Harriet is also at fault, but that is still no reason to just bully someone. To make someone so insecure, so afraid and so much more. I hated him, and I hope he is gone with the next book, otherwise, sorry, it is bye bye with this series. I can't handle a 3 year old, but actually 17 year old Harriet and then also have some hateful character like Jasper.
Will I be reading the rest of the series? Yes. Yes, I will. I loved book 1 to 3, and I hope this one was just a fluke. So I will read the next one. Is that one crap, then I will be sad, but I will give up the series.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Mostly the problem was Harriet. Her antics and how she acts are funny/annoying in book one, haha/annoying in book two, so-so/annoying at book 3, and by book 4 I wasn't laughing because of her antics. I was more annoyed with her and wondered about her parents and how they raised her.
There is a fine line (for me) between social awkward and just being too stupid. Harriet went over that fine line A WHOLE LOT in this book. Seriously, she really didn't get anything? She didn't get any hints? She didn't understand why people wanted to hang out with her at first (thinking it was her FREAKING MAGICAL cookies).....
And add to that that I know for sure that little kids learn about dressing themselves, and also about what is good to wear outside and what you shouldn't wear outside. Sadly, Harriet seems to really missed that lesson or her parents don't give a fuck. Often she goes outside looking like something an unicorn pooped out. Yes, in other words, she was a rainbow mess. One time she wore: Purple pants, blue shirt, variety of colourful scarves, orange earrings, red shoes........... another time she went outside in an even more colourful assortment, one even was something of her pyjama stuff... I mean seriously, I had to check multiple times to make sure Harriet was really 16/17 of age. For all I could see she was actually 3 to 5 years old. And not only because of how she dressed. Her friend making skills, her social skills, anything. I know, or at least I heard that "geniuses" (because I wouldn't call Harriet's useless skill of remembering facts that she is a genius), are quite awkward sometimes. But this is just beyond that. Harriet seems to be totally oblivious to the world around her. Like it is just spinning around her and her stupid facts. Yes, stupid. Because while I loved the facts in the first and the other books, it just got a bit too annoying. Can she really NOT see that people are annoyed with her facts? That they don't want her facts? That they don't CARE about her knowledge? That to others she is bragging about what she knows. That it might feel like she sees them inferior?
I could go on and on about Harriet, and I would, but I think I made my point clear.
And even after 3 books, she is still hopeless with modelling. It just gets a bit meh. I mean, she had 2 or 3 years to learn the shit, why can't she do it? Why? It is just too unrealistic.
Also, what happened to the modelling stuff? We have one gig, and that is it? I am reading this books for the Geek x Modelling. Not to see Harriet fail in life.
Oh and from what I remember (and what I read) the book takes place in England. From what I could find they don't use Fahrenheit.... so why did Harriet say a fact about something and then used Fahrenheit? Why not Celsius, like almost the whole world does (and also her country).
Then we also have Nat and Toby. I didn't like either of them in the book. And frankly, when I found out about a certain thing near the end? I wanted to smack them and hit them hard. Instead of being there for Harriet when she needed them, they did this? I won't spoil anything else, but I was just so pissed at them. What friends are they? Not good ones, I would say.
Then we have some guy named Jasper, who I truly hated. I would even go as far as to call him a bully. He was rude, mean and just horrendous to Harriet. And sure, Harriet is also at fault, but that is still no reason to just bully someone. To make someone so insecure, so afraid and so much more. I hated him, and I hope he is gone with the next book, otherwise, sorry, it is bye bye with this series. I can't handle a 3 year old, but actually 17 year old Harriet and then also have some hateful character like Jasper.
Will I be reading the rest of the series? Yes. Yes, I will. I loved book 1 to 3, and I hope this one was just a fluke. So I will read the next one. Is that one crap, then I will be sad, but I will give up the series.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/