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zombiezami's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Bullying, Infidelity, and Medical content
Minor: Abandonment, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Blood
thenovelmaura's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
3.5
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an eARC of this one! Kristina Forest is one of my favorite YA romance authors, but I'm sorry to say that this read isn't on the same level as her first two books. She spent a bit too much time flat-out telling us how the characters felt and why they reacted in certain ways instead of showing it, which definitely contributed to the book's extended length. I also didn't love the ending; it just didn't go the way I was expecting it to go. Given all of the buildup about how these two need to deal with their individual insecurities and not project them onto the relationship, I was anticipating that they would spend more time apart and get together again during one of their breaks from college (via an epilogue).
I enjoyed the dual timeline and how Forest used it to give us perspective into the thoughts of some side characters. For me, the mystery aspect wasn't so much "did they run away" as it was "why did they break up in the first place?" (and of course, "what happened on Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day??"). Kai in particular was a strong, multi-faceted character and the reader is given a lot of insight into the pressure he puts on himself to appear "perfect" through his talks with his therapist. Throughout the book, Kai demonstrated the non-linear nature of grief due to the loss of his parents, which is such important representation for YA literature to have. I also appreciated the complexity of the relationships that Zyla had with her mom and dad, showing that you can love and respect people without agreeing with all of their life choices.
Finally, I want to add that the overall story was really cute! Not as lighthearted as her previous books, given the aforementioned topics, but Kai and Zyla were both sweethearts who made me think of my own first love and how exciting it was. This book is sex-positive, features strong friendships, and takes place in New Jersey (with a few jaunts into Philly), which I loved. If you're looking for a YA romance that takes a thoughtful approach to some really tough topics, then this book could be a great choice for you or a teen in your life.
I enjoyed the dual timeline and how Forest used it to give us perspective into the thoughts of some side characters. For me, the mystery aspect wasn't so much "did they run away" as it was "why did they break up in the first place?" (and of course, "what happened on Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day??"). Kai in particular was a strong, multi-faceted character and the reader is given a lot of insight into the pressure he puts on himself to appear "perfect" through his talks with his therapist. Throughout the book, Kai demonstrated the non-linear nature of grief due to the loss of his parents, which is such important representation for YA literature to have. I also appreciated the complexity of the relationships that Zyla had with her mom and dad, showing that you can love and respect people without agreeing with all of their life choices.
Finally, I want to add that the overall story was really cute! Not as lighthearted as her previous books, given the aforementioned topics, but Kai and Zyla were both sweethearts who made me think of my own first love and how exciting it was. This book is sex-positive, features strong friendships, and takes place in New Jersey (with a few jaunts into Philly), which I loved. If you're looking for a YA romance that takes a thoughtful approach to some really tough topics, then this book could be a great choice for you or a teen in your life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Death of parent
Depression
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