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melkhug's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5 Stars)
This book was so good, I was almost confused. It made my heart clench one second and then made me laugh heartily the next. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
First off, I loved the dual perspective. It was done so, so perfectly. The characters pov where both so rich and different. And also, Pratt does a wonderful job at making their thoughts fresh and seemingly realistic, rather than expected and boring.
Hannah was hilarious and surprisingly mature. Her growth was so immense and I grew to love reading her thoughts. Even though she was constantly disappointed, she never gave up. I really respect that.
Aaron, oh Aaron. I want a best friend like him! Honestly. I love him a hundred times over. He was such a refreshingly direct character. That is so uncommon in teen fiction. (AND WHEN THE BABY WAS NAMED AFTER HIM I FLIPPED WITH JOY.)
My only complaint is where it ended. I wish we could have seen Aaron and Hannah as a couple or even just their interaction with Tyler. I would have also loved a little resolution with Jay (what was in the letter to Han?!) And goodness I wanted Katie to get what she deserved. I HATE HER.
Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It makes my heart smile.
This book was so good, I was almost confused. It made my heart clench one second and then made me laugh heartily the next. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
First off, I loved the dual perspective. It was done so, so perfectly. The characters pov where both so rich and different. And also, Pratt does a wonderful job at making their thoughts fresh and seemingly realistic, rather than expected and boring.
Hannah was hilarious and surprisingly mature. Her growth was so immense and I grew to love reading her thoughts. Even though she was constantly disappointed, she never gave up. I really respect that.
Aaron, oh Aaron. I want a best friend like him! Honestly. I love him a hundred times over. He was such a refreshingly direct character. That is so uncommon in teen fiction. (AND WHEN THE BABY WAS NAMED AFTER HIM I FLIPPED WITH JOY.)
My only complaint is where it ended. I wish we could have seen Aaron and Hannah as a couple or even just their interaction with Tyler. I would have also loved a little resolution with Jay (what was in the letter to Han?!) And goodness I wanted Katie to get what she deserved. I HATE HER.
Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It makes my heart smile.
kayelina's review against another edition
5.0
a spoiler free review
Trouble is a Perks of Being a Wallflower meets Eleanor & Park masterpiece. It's a refreshing and heartwarming story of a teen pregnancy that let’s tragedy take a backseat, making readers sit and enjoy a variety of flawed characters just trying to do the right thing. Hannah Sheppard is a fifteen year old girl who’s troubled--no pun intended. She’s just a teen doing teenager things because she’s just trying to fit in, find herself, and get by. Aaron is troubled--pun hella intended. Aaron is the new kid in school, trying to escape, cope, or just get by. They could both use a friend and boy, do they get that and more.
What starts as a very surface level, shallow, predictable novel becomes a poignant story of two kids quickly becoming adults from the cards they dealt. This story could very easily be mistaken as a romance but it’s far from it. These characters are drawn together by realizing they could be and do something bigger and greater than themselves.
I think the reason it got such “low” reviews is people who are heavy bookworms rarely find themselves drawn to a book about teen pregnancy; and when they do, they find it unrealistic and unrelatable because most readers aren’t going out getting pregnant. It takes place at a somewhat posh UK school with a clique of bullies that go out to the neighborhood park late at night, get drunk, and fuck. A lot of bookworms aren’t doing that. You aren’t going to find readers busting out East of Eden AND getting crunk on the weekends with some random guy’s wang. I mean, you might. I’m not going to say that person or crowd doesn’t exist (that would be an interesting book club concept), I just think that’s why people find these characters unrelatable.
So knowing this, I put that aside because no matter how hard I try, I will not go to a school in the UK and I will not go back to being 15 (even if you paid me) and get myself preggerts. From the cover artwork and my filmmaker mind, I read this like an indie drama that was really just about family, true friendships, forgiving others and yourself, and self-sacrifice. There’s not romance but there is a girl and a boy who fall in love and bond over their need to have purpose.
My idiot self always tries to predict the ending. Most times I’m right and that can be disappointing or exciting depending on the story. I’m always assuming the worst or the most dramatic. I think why I like this book so much is the fact that a lesser author might have jam packed as much tragedy as one could into the book for shock factor. Someone could argue and say that there was! There was too much soap opera shit--it’s a teen pregnancy after all. Okay, okay, you could say that. There could've been sexual assault, suicide, and poverty, but there wasn't because that's not the kind of story. That's a different book. This author was trying to tell us something else because the teen pregnancy is not the point of the story. It's the catalyst but not the point.
The fact that the parents are extremely involved and supportive speaks volumes. A lesser author would’ve made them deadbeats or nonexistent. They could’ve been single parents or in an abusive relationship and the kids could run away. But no. They’re successful, hard working individuals who are just trying their best and sometimes can’t get it quite right. Just like their kids. Where most stories, and some films do this, too, is they have the parents only show up angry or happy when it's funny or convenient for the story; they use this trope when it comes to the old folks in the nursing home that the troubled teens sometimes visit, which is also in this book. But these protagonists are kids. I assume Aaron is fifteen as well and therefore, can barely drive or do anything without parental consent.
These parents have their own lives, personalities, goals, and are with their kids every step of the way. Even the grandparents and the people in the nursing home! I loved that. I love when every character is useful and dynamic. I think I loved the adults most of all just for that. That helps shape the world and makes me more attached to the character and story; and I love that the author utilized every part of that. She didn’t just throw tragedy or cliffhanger after truth bomb for the clout of it--if I may say. This story had a purpose. This story wasn’t about a girl fucking up her life and everyone makes her feel like shit for choosing to keep it or fuck someone in the first place. It was the exact opposite. This was a girl trying to fix herself. For the first time in her life, she figured out who she was and what she wanted in life. This was her story.
I might be biased though. The protagonist was a Cancer… I’m a Cancer. But it showed. Hannah expressed caring for people that never cared back. For sharing all her feelings and wanting to talk everything through when others just dealt with sadness with silence and alone time. Wanting someone who doesn’t want you but still desperately seeking answers and closure whenever possible. She has an addiction to ice cream… All things I could relate to.
The ending was perfect. Not too sour, not too sweet, not too drawn out or hyped up. It was bittersweet and actually one I didn't see coming. I’m grateful the book was about the journey and not the destination. I highly recommend this beautiful novel to people who want their souls touched from a story about what self-sacrifice and healing can look like from a young teen’s eyes. So appreciative I got a chance to read this and I wish for more.
Thanks for making it this far. Follow me on Instagram for more @Kayelina. My next review is the debut book of the fantasy series A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
Trouble is a Perks of Being a Wallflower meets Eleanor & Park masterpiece. It's a refreshing and heartwarming story of a teen pregnancy that let’s tragedy take a backseat, making readers sit and enjoy a variety of flawed characters just trying to do the right thing. Hannah Sheppard is a fifteen year old girl who’s troubled--no pun intended. She’s just a teen doing teenager things because she’s just trying to fit in, find herself, and get by. Aaron is troubled--pun hella intended. Aaron is the new kid in school, trying to escape, cope, or just get by. They could both use a friend and boy, do they get that and more.
What starts as a very surface level, shallow, predictable novel becomes a poignant story of two kids quickly becoming adults from the cards they dealt. This story could very easily be mistaken as a romance but it’s far from it. These characters are drawn together by realizing they could be and do something bigger and greater than themselves.
I think the reason it got such “low” reviews is people who are heavy bookworms rarely find themselves drawn to a book about teen pregnancy; and when they do, they find it unrealistic and unrelatable because most readers aren’t going out getting pregnant. It takes place at a somewhat posh UK school with a clique of bullies that go out to the neighborhood park late at night, get drunk, and fuck. A lot of bookworms aren’t doing that. You aren’t going to find readers busting out East of Eden AND getting crunk on the weekends with some random guy’s wang. I mean, you might. I’m not going to say that person or crowd doesn’t exist (that would be an interesting book club concept), I just think that’s why people find these characters unrelatable.
So knowing this, I put that aside because no matter how hard I try, I will not go to a school in the UK and I will not go back to being 15 (even if you paid me) and get myself preggerts. From the cover artwork and my filmmaker mind, I read this like an indie drama that was really just about family, true friendships, forgiving others and yourself, and self-sacrifice. There’s not romance but there is a girl and a boy who fall in love and bond over their need to have purpose.
“I know it’s a lot to ask. But let me do this. Let me matter.” -Non Platt, Trouble (pg. 159)
My idiot self always tries to predict the ending. Most times I’m right and that can be disappointing or exciting depending on the story. I’m always assuming the worst or the most dramatic. I think why I like this book so much is the fact that a lesser author might have jam packed as much tragedy as one could into the book for shock factor. Someone could argue and say that there was! There was too much soap opera shit--it’s a teen pregnancy after all. Okay, okay, you could say that. There could've been sexual assault, suicide, and poverty, but there wasn't because that's not the kind of story. That's a different book. This author was trying to tell us something else because the teen pregnancy is not the point of the story. It's the catalyst but not the point.
The fact that the parents are extremely involved and supportive speaks volumes. A lesser author would’ve made them deadbeats or nonexistent. They could’ve been single parents or in an abusive relationship and the kids could run away. But no. They’re successful, hard working individuals who are just trying their best and sometimes can’t get it quite right. Just like their kids. Where most stories, and some films do this, too, is they have the parents only show up angry or happy when it's funny or convenient for the story; they use this trope when it comes to the old folks in the nursing home that the troubled teens sometimes visit, which is also in this book. But these protagonists are kids. I assume Aaron is fifteen as well and therefore, can barely drive or do anything without parental consent.
These parents have their own lives, personalities, goals, and are with their kids every step of the way. Even the grandparents and the people in the nursing home! I loved that. I love when every character is useful and dynamic. I think I loved the adults most of all just for that. That helps shape the world and makes me more attached to the character and story; and I love that the author utilized every part of that. She didn’t just throw tragedy or cliffhanger after truth bomb for the clout of it--if I may say. This story had a purpose. This story wasn’t about a girl fucking up her life and everyone makes her feel like shit for choosing to keep it or fuck someone in the first place. It was the exact opposite. This was a girl trying to fix herself. For the first time in her life, she figured out who she was and what she wanted in life. This was her story.
I might be biased though. The protagonist was a Cancer… I’m a Cancer. But it showed. Hannah expressed caring for people that never cared back. For sharing all her feelings and wanting to talk everything through when others just dealt with sadness with silence and alone time. Wanting someone who doesn’t want you but still desperately seeking answers and closure whenever possible. She has an addiction to ice cream… All things I could relate to.
The ending was perfect. Not too sour, not too sweet, not too drawn out or hyped up. It was bittersweet and actually one I didn't see coming. I’m grateful the book was about the journey and not the destination. I highly recommend this beautiful novel to people who want their souls touched from a story about what self-sacrifice and healing can look like from a young teen’s eyes. So appreciative I got a chance to read this and I wish for more.
Thanks for making it this far. Follow me on Instagram for more @Kayelina. My next review is the debut book of the fantasy series A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
refvemma's review against another edition
5.0
This book gave me lots of warm fuzzy feelings. Friends being kind to each other & defending them against shitty teenagers will always get me. So fun!!
dominicanbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
"Whatever it is, I'm on Hannah's side. As if I'd be anywhere else.
I feel like this is one of those cases were the star rating damages instead of highlighting a good book. This books was not a 3 for me, but neither a 4 or 5.
It was beautiful and raw and SO important. A++++ for: no slut shaming, for sex scenes and CONVERSATIONS, for amazing family/parent support, for an incredible friendship at the heart of everything, for character growth, for seniors (grandparents, etc) been so important to the plot (and respected)...
I took down some stars because of some things that IMO took away from the book and were maybe too much? But that's my personal opinion.
BUT, this book was really good and I think that people should definitely give it a chance.
*Random, but, IT WAS SO BRITISH! The slang, manerisms, etc!
I feel like this is one of those cases were the star rating damages instead of highlighting a good book. This books was not a 3 for me, but neither a 4 or 5.
It was beautiful and raw and SO important. A++++ for: no slut shaming, for sex scenes and CONVERSATIONS, for amazing family/parent support, for an incredible friendship at the heart of everything, for character growth, for seniors (grandparents, etc) been so important to the plot (and respected)...
I took down some stars because of some things that IMO took away from the book and were maybe too much?
Spoiler
Overall, the whole drama with the baby daddy and Hannah's best friend. I wish those hadn't been present in the book (or had been MINIMAL), so it could have focused more on Hannah and her baby, Hannah and her family, Hannah and Aaron's friendship (and tentative romance?), Hannah's growth... all those things were actually in the book but the drama was too present and intermingled with everything that I feel like it affected how much I liked the book.BUT, this book was really good and I think that people should definitely give it a chance.
*Random, but, IT WAS SO BRITISH! The slang, manerisms, etc!
blurrybug's review against another edition
3.0
3,5
enjoyable
I liked that Hannah and Aaron had two different fonts made it easy to tell who was saying what, some repetition between the two but that just made it feel more authentic
enjoyable
I liked that Hannah and Aaron had two different fonts made it easy to tell who was saying what, some repetition between the two but that just made it feel more authentic
m3l89's review against another edition
4.0
This wasn't the kind of book I usually read but it was on display at the library so I thought I'd try it.
Yes, this was filled with teen angst but it was believable and realistic with likeable characters and good character development.
I will definitely be reading other books by Non Pratt.
Yes, this was filled with teen angst but it was believable and realistic with likeable characters and good character development.
I will definitely be reading other books by Non Pratt.
readwkc's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so cute!!! I would love it if they made it into a movie!