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acourtoffairytale's review against another edition
4.5
4.5 ✨️✨️
Oh my god, I loved this so much.
Both Tegan and Zelda we're beautifully written. There were moments when I was dully immersed in the story, and I felt 14 years old again, going through the motions with Tegan.
I could relate so much with her and her experiences in love, friendship, and family.
The Mrs. Chiu character is a real sweetheart, too. Every quote she said was a real eye opener. Also, her plot twist had me laughing so much because I never saw that coming.
I devoured this book in a day, I cried so much, laughed so much at the sparky remarks Zelda mades, at the jokes they share...
And as if I wasn't already ugly crying, you throw there Robbie and Mary's story, and I'm sobbing uncontrollably. That got to my heart, and I'm going to be thinking about them for days.
Overall, I think this book has all, but also, I think you have to go into it thinking it's middle grade. YA, it's a bit far-fetched.
Also, I take 0.5 stars out of this because:
1. The Kindle Edition was awful, with no chapters separations, chapters ending, and beginning on the same pages...
2. Sometimes, I felt this was a supernatural/Destiel fanfiction, which confirmed it with the Tumblr Destiel comment. Don't get me wrong, I love supernatural with my body and soul (i have it tattooed, there's no denying), but it threw me off so much that it blew the atmosphere when reading.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARCs✨️
Oh my god, I loved this so much.
Both Tegan and Zelda we're beautifully written. There were moments when I was dully immersed in the story, and I felt 14 years old again, going through the motions with Tegan.
I could relate so much with her and her experiences in love, friendship, and family.
The Mrs. Chiu character is a real sweetheart, too. Every quote she said was a real eye opener. Also, her plot twist had me laughing so much because I never saw that coming.
I devoured this book in a day, I cried so much, laughed so much at the sparky remarks Zelda mades, at the jokes they share...
And as if I wasn't already ugly crying, you throw there Robbie and Mary's story, and I'm sobbing uncontrollably. That got to my heart, and I'm going to be thinking about them for days.
Overall, I think this book has all, but also, I think you have to go into it thinking it's middle grade. YA, it's a bit far-fetched.
Also, I take 0.5 stars out of this because:
1. The Kindle Edition was awful, with no chapters separations, chapters ending, and beginning on the same pages...
2. Sometimes, I felt this was a supernatural/Destiel fanfiction, which confirmed it with the Tumblr Destiel comment. Don't get me wrong, I love supernatural with my body and soul (i have it tattooed, there's no denying), but it threw me off so much that it blew the atmosphere when reading.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARCs✨️
fanboyriot's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
♡ Afterlife
♡ Sapphic
♡ Chaotic Angel
This book was way better than I anticipated, definitely worth the hype I had for it. I really enjoyed the character development and how everything came together. The setting of this book was so good, all the details were amazing—from the tampon in the motel pool or the slimy mushrooms at breakfast, it was literally so well detailed!
The story was a good mix of humor and heartbreak, touching on more depressing moments as the main character coming to terms with being dead, that her heaven was a place she had some of the worst memories.
Also Zelda was amazing, I loved her so much.
This book talks about some heavy topics as well such as abandonment issues and neglect, failed friendships and childhood crushes, and of course death.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧💧 (5/5)
POV: First Person
Release Date: 14, May 2024
Rep: Lesbian (Main Character), Lesbian (Side Character), LGBTQIA+ (Main and Side Character)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief and Car accident
Minor: Toxic friendship
tfstepakoff's review
4.0
This was so cute! A few tears there, a few cringes there, the overall message was great. I originally requested it because I wanted a light, queer read but this has much more substance to it. It’s not light all the time, but it’s balanced very well with all of the dark parts. It’s not just a romance, it reminded me of what life is about. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
sapphic_library's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
THE WORST PERFECT MOMENT is a sapphic coming of age book... set in the afterlife. after tegan masters died, she was disappointed and surprised to find out that her version of heaven is a recreation of one of the worst weekends of her life. zelda, the angel assigned to tegan's case, however, is insistent that she couldn't have gotten it wrong. but when tegan escalates her complaints to zelda's higher ups, the two have to set off on a mission through tegan's memories to see which one of them is right. this is such a fun, emotional, but also heartbreaking story about death, self-worth and figuring out who you are and i absolutely loved it. zelda and tegan were both such compelling characters and i absolutely loved their dynamic and their banter. thanks to netgalley and holiday house for the advanced copy. THE WORST PERFECT MOMENT comes out may 14th!
chapterfern's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree / Holiday House for the eARC. Regardless, this review remains my personal opinion on this book.
The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza is a book about Tegan Masters, a 16-year-old girl who had just risen to heaven as a result of her untimely demise. Though when heaven greets her in the form of the Hotel Lodge she considers her worst memory, she doesn't chalk herself as amused. Worse, when it turns out her personal angel, Zelda, apparently designed her heaven based on her happiest memory, Tegan could not be more displeased. A coming-of-age book about life in the afterlife, Tegan ultimately realizes what it truly means for her to be happy.
I really enjoyed this book. I found myself empathizing a lot with Tegan and Zelda as the people (and angel) they are as opposed to characters in a book. I also liked how they interacted with each other, their dynamic, and their relationship. They are quite literally everything, and have really, really cute scenes together. I also really enjoyed how the plot developed and moved along; there were plenty of times where I picked up the book as soon as I had the free time to because I just had to know what happens next and where the story goes.
Not too much of a thorough review of this book because this was very much one of my "turn off your brain, read, and enjoy" books that I was reading in my rotation. Though as for recommendations on who this book is for, I would especially recommend it to sapphic teens looking for representation and to teens who are struggling with handling how heavy their emotions are and want a fictional character that they can relate to regarding such.
This isn't the best book in the world by any means, but this is definitely a book I would pick up and reread to get out of a reading slump or just to read a cutesy littlesapphic love story about two girls my age trying to get a grip on their emotions, face life experiences (and embarrassments!) that they'd rather forget, and slowly fall in love along the way .
I really enjoyed this book. I found myself empathizing a lot with Tegan and Zelda as the people (and angel) they are as opposed to characters in a book. I also liked how they interacted with each other, their dynamic, and their relationship. They are quite literally everything, and have really, really cute scenes together. I also really enjoyed how the plot developed and moved along; there were plenty of times where I picked up the book as soon as I had the free time to because I just had to know what happens next and where the story goes.
Not too much of a thorough review of this book because this was very much one of my "turn off your brain, read, and enjoy" books that I was reading in my rotation. Though as for recommendations on who this book is for, I would especially recommend it to sapphic teens looking for representation and to teens who are struggling with handling how heavy their emotions are and want a fictional character that they can relate to regarding such.
This isn't the best book in the world by any means, but this is definitely a book I would pick up and reread to get out of a reading slump or just to read a cutesy little
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death and Car accident
bookstolune's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
landofkait's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree/Holiday House for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!
Right off the bat, this cover stole my attention. The synopsis is what sent me rushing to make a request. I was immediately intrigued by what seemed to be a sapphic YA version of A Christmas Carol as Tegan Masters went hunting through her memories, accompanied by a frustratingly unhelpful teenage angel named Zelda, trying to figure out why a two-star motel in New Jersey is her own personal heaven. Tegan goes on a coming-of-(eternal)-age quest to figure out why this—what she thinks is the worst weekend of her life—is really her best moment ever.
Tegan was deeply relatable as a 16-year-old queer girl trying to figure out where she fit in the world. Her hurt is palpable, and her walls are righteously high. Her instant dislike of Zelda—who immediately comes onto the scene and slathers ketchup on mushrooms, truly disgusting—sets her on edge. Their banter sometimes feels younger YA, but the energy of adversaries-to-lovers is spot on. Watching Tegan overcome her feelings about Zelda’s version of heaven being so wrong and getting to a place where what she wants (the right heaven) versus not wanting anything bad to happen to Zelda is a great walkthrough of the difficulties and overwhelming emotions of young love.
Plozza’s pacing feels steady. Tegan is an introspective and funny narrator. She’s clearly a teenage girl dealing with a lot, and it’s evident in her running thoughts. The break in perspective to show us the weekend in more detail doesn’t take the reader out of the atmosphere; it just gives it a magnifying lens. Tegan’s character is also fleshed out and nuanced. Zelda falls a little flat, but this isn’t her story, and I felt okay not having too many questions about her at the end. I did have questions about Tegan’s family and selfishly wanted what Tegan did: a chance to see them after everything. But each side character was entertaining (save Kelvin) and nuanced enough. It was very much a look at the world from Tegan’s viewpoint and her love and interest in each character was evident in the way she spoke of them.
Overall, 4 stars. It is a great, cozy, paranormal, sapphic YA read that I kept trying to pick up despite knowing I couldn’t get any reading done during the day.
Favorite quote: “I am sixteen, dead, and I have seen the ocean. It was here the whole time.”
jazzyjbox's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
If heaven was based on your happiest memory, would yours be a run- down hotel in New Jersey?
Tegan was 16 when she died and discovered heaven was not what she thought it'd be. A sassy angel named Zelda created Tegan's heaven, but she is sure Zelda got it wrong. Now Zelda has to prove she was right, and Tegan has to figure it out or get sent to Purgatory.
This book is brutal with the way it tackles Tegan's complicated emotions about happiness and feeling like she's always the one left behind. I do like a book that makes me feel things, and I felt a whole lot of things.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
Tegan was 16 when she died and discovered heaven was not what she thought it'd be. A sassy angel named Zelda created Tegan's heaven, but she is sure Zelda got it wrong. Now Zelda has to prove she was right, and Tegan has to figure it out or get sent to Purgatory.
This book is brutal with the way it tackles Tegan's complicated emotions about happiness and feeling like she's always the one left behind. I do like a book that makes me feel things, and I felt a whole lot of things.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
themagicalworldofnian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The worst perfect moment by Shivaun Plozza - review
First of all thank you so much @netgalley and @holidayhouse for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc before the publication date. The book will be released May 14th.
4⭐️
🫑
I will start by saying I went into this without any expectations and the only thing I did know about it is that it would be a sapphic ya romance.
And boy was I surprised getting into the story 😅. It starts off with the FMC Tegan, who is sixteen and she has just died in a car accident. She has woken up in heaven, but everything is wrong, the moment is just not as perfect as she imagined heaven would be like. The angel, Zelda, who is in charge of her heaven recreated a memory of a motel in Jersey where she spend an awful weekend with her sister Quinn and her dad. Because of this fault in her heaven she decides to make a complaint at the manager of Zelda, and suddenly they have a month to prove that Tegan is ready for eternal happiness in heaven and that Zelda didn’t make a mistake. Otherwise there will be unthinkable consequences.
I really need some time to get my thoughts in order because this book made me laugh and cry and it made me just feel all the feels. It was just absolutely amazing and not what I expected but in a good way.
The only critique I have on the story is that the vocabulary and behaviour sometimes seemed a bit immature. For example, every time Tegan asked Zelda a question she would answer with “spoilers” and she wouldn’t actually answer the questions.
Therefore I would say that the book may be for a bit of a younger audience.
However, it does deal with some heavy topics, such as death and the afterlife and being redeemed. I do think that it is heaven is depicted in such a unique way. It also shows the bureaucracy of heaven and that it isn’t necessarily better than earth. That there are faults and mistakes that happen, and that it is not so easy to just decide on the perfect moment. The angels don’t really understand what it is like to be human and therefore do have some preconceived ideas on what a perfect moment should be. Which I found such an interesting take.
Further I really enjoyed the characters, the relationships and the complexity. I just loved the relationship between the main characters. They are just soo cute, “normal”, and relatable, even though I haven’t been sixteen for a while. Both seem like just teenage girls with their teen troubles and insecurities but also their weirdness.
I also really love the depiction of the relationship of Tegan with her family, her dad and her sister, Quinn. They just have each other but have sticked together through it all. The flashbacks are just the best and I loved seeing their interactions. And I would just love to give Quinn a hug as she has lost her big sister who is everything for her.
Further the deeper meaning of finding the “problem” and happiness is soo beautiful. And I would definitely recommend you to read this.