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A review by buffyreads
You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh
5.0
Thank you to Tundra Books for a chance to read an arc this book! 🖤
5⭐️ Fun, messy, and heartwarming! | tropes: fake dating, ya romance, opposites attract, anxiety rep, Palestinian fmc x Lebanese mmc | digital
"You’re not getting the win on this one, Ben. You started it. Now, I’m going to finish it."
characters
🩶 I loved Jamie immensely! I understood why she wanted Ben back and how that related to her relationship with her absent father. I loved how anxiety was talked about in this book and how it acknowledges that it isn't just something you can think away but something that takes effort and sometimes a physical toll on you. Seeing Jamie struggle but also succeed validated my own struggles with anxiety. I also loved how real she felt. She had a lot of feelings to unravel and process in a short amount of time!
🩶 I liked Axel as well! He was charismatic and fun. I loved that he had a deeper side we got to see with his relationship with his family and his friends. Like yes, he's confident but he also needs reassurance and support.
"If this is supposed to be fake, then why does it feel more real than anything I ever experienced with Ben."
favorite bits
🖤 I love fake dating! I loved Jamie and Axel's relationship and how fun and sweet they were together. I thought they brought the best out of each other and tried to understand each other even when they didn't see eye to eye. But I also appreciated their relationship was perfect and they were still characters with emotions and flaws. It was a messy road but worth it in the end.
🖤 At first I didn't understand why Jamie would want Ben back but then I realized it was more about control and anxiety then Ben himself and I completely understood her. She also really loved him and it's hard to immediately break off with a person you depended on for so long.
🖤 I often complain that parental issues are often are brushed over and rushed to be fixed in YA novels but here we get to see them being worked through on page and I really appreciated that. Jamie's feelings were validated and understood by both her parents and we see them making changes and putting the work to mend those relationships.
🖤 I also enjoyed the conversations about culture and how it's important but also different for each person. I empathize with Jamie's mom a lot about how negative family / community experiences can lead to a intense negative connotations to it in the future but I also empathized with Jamie and her desire to have a relationship with her extended Palestine family and want to know more about her history, language and culture.
"And he likes me. The real me."
final thoughts:
I really loved this book! I meant to read 10% during a emotionally tough day at work but ended up reading the entire book in one day because I fell in love with these characters and their story! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book and "Everything comes back to you" next year!
5⭐️ Fun, messy, and heartwarming! | tropes: fake dating, ya romance, opposites attract, anxiety rep, Palestinian fmc x Lebanese mmc | digital
"You’re not getting the win on this one, Ben. You started it. Now, I’m going to finish it."
characters
🩶 I loved Jamie immensely! I understood why she wanted Ben back and how that related to her relationship with her absent father. I loved how anxiety was talked about in this book and how it acknowledges that it isn't just something you can think away but something that takes effort and sometimes a physical toll on you. Seeing Jamie struggle but also succeed validated my own struggles with anxiety. I also loved how real she felt. She had a lot of feelings to unravel and process in a short amount of time!
🩶 I liked Axel as well! He was charismatic and fun. I loved that he had a deeper side we got to see with his relationship with his family and his friends. Like yes, he's confident but he also needs reassurance and support.
"If this is supposed to be fake, then why does it feel more real than anything I ever experienced with Ben."
favorite bits
🖤 I love fake dating! I loved Jamie and Axel's relationship and how fun and sweet they were together. I thought they brought the best out of each other and tried to understand each other even when they didn't see eye to eye. But I also appreciated their relationship was perfect and they were still characters with emotions and flaws. It was a messy road but worth it in the end.
🖤 At first I didn't understand why Jamie would want Ben back but then I realized it was more about control and anxiety then Ben himself and I completely understood her. She also really loved him and it's hard to immediately break off with a person you depended on for so long.
🖤 I often complain that parental issues are often are brushed over and rushed to be fixed in YA novels but here we get to see them being worked through on page and I really appreciated that. Jamie's feelings were validated and understood by both her parents and we see them making changes and putting the work to mend those relationships.
🖤 I also enjoyed the conversations about culture and how it's important but also different for each person. I empathize with Jamie's mom a lot about how negative family / community experiences can lead to a intense negative connotations to it in the future but I also empathized with Jamie and her desire to have a relationship with her extended Palestine family and want to know more about her history, language and culture.
"And he likes me. The real me."
final thoughts:
I really loved this book! I meant to read 10% during a emotionally tough day at work but ended up reading the entire book in one day because I fell in love with these characters and their story! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book and "Everything comes back to you" next year!