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melissareadseverything's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“They were perfect together. Until they met.”
I've been eager to dive into "Punk 57" for some time now, as Penelope Douglas has become my go-to author for comfort reads, pulling me out of reading slumps with her captivating narratives. Her adeptness at crafting stories within the realm of bully romances and enemies-to-lovers dynamics is truly remarkable, making her books an indulgence for fans of this genre, me included.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know both of the main characters in “Punk 57”. Although written from a dual point of view, “Punk 57” is primarily through Ryen’s POV whose depth and evolution throughout the book are expertly portrayed. Ryen’s character is portrayed in two different ways – one as a nerdy, geek-chic girl who is “one of the good ones” and helps the underdogs of the world. The other is the persona she adopts and shows to the outside world. Due to her own personal trauma and bullying as a child, she became one herself as a way to cope with the pressures of being accepted. Alongside Ryen is Misha, a character whose emo charm and tortured soul captivated me from the start. His descent into revenge adds a layer of intensity to this storyline. This could potentially be discomforting for some readers due to its portrayal of intense bullying.
It is hard to root for Ryen as she is not your typical hero. She does some pretty awful things in this book that go along with the underlying theme of acceptance and peer pressure. Ultimately, we would see Ryen’s evolution into the kind person she would like to be, regardless of outside opinions and influences. With Misha, you just want him to make better choices, but grief is a tricky thing, and he also must learn forgiveness and self-acceptance.
Although "Punk 57" didn't quite top my list of favorite Penelope Douglas books, it served its purpose as a refreshing palette cleanser. If you have read the Fall Away series already, this might disappoint in comparison. I couldn’t connect with Ryen and Misha on the same level I did with Tate and Jared. Nonetheless, this was an easy and quick read for me. I would recommend that readers check the trigger warnings as this does include intense bullying and sexual content.
3/5 Overall
3.5/5 Spice
Content Warnings:
- Heart Attack
- Depression
- Self-Hate
- Vandalism
- Bullying
I've been eager to dive into "Punk 57" for some time now, as Penelope Douglas has become my go-to author for comfort reads, pulling me out of reading slumps with her captivating narratives. Her adeptness at crafting stories within the realm of bully romances and enemies-to-lovers dynamics is truly remarkable, making her books an indulgence for fans of this genre, me included.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know both of the main characters in “Punk 57”. Although written from a dual point of view, “Punk 57” is primarily through Ryen’s POV whose depth and evolution throughout the book are expertly portrayed. Ryen’s character is portrayed in two different ways – one as a nerdy, geek-chic girl who is “one of the good ones” and helps the underdogs of the world. The other is the persona she adopts and shows to the outside world. Due to her own personal trauma and bullying as a child, she became one herself as a way to cope with the pressures of being accepted. Alongside Ryen is Misha, a character whose emo charm and tortured soul captivated me from the start. His descent into revenge adds a layer of intensity to this storyline. This could potentially be discomforting for some readers due to its portrayal of intense bullying.
It is hard to root for Ryen as she is not your typical hero. She does some pretty awful things in this book that go along with the underlying theme of acceptance and peer pressure. Ultimately, we would see Ryen’s evolution into the kind person she would like to be, regardless of outside opinions and influences. With Misha, you just want him to make better choices, but grief is a tricky thing, and he also must learn forgiveness and self-acceptance.
Although "Punk 57" didn't quite top my list of favorite Penelope Douglas books, it served its purpose as a refreshing palette cleanser. If you have read the Fall Away series already, this might disappoint in comparison. I couldn’t connect with Ryen and Misha on the same level I did with Tate and Jared. Nonetheless, this was an easy and quick read for me. I would recommend that readers check the trigger warnings as this does include intense bullying and sexual content.
3/5 Overall
3.5/5 Spice
Content Warnings:
- Heart Attack
- Depression
- Self-Hate
- Vandalism
- Bullying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death
oakleydollie's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
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
fairytales_from_the_crypt's review against another edition
4.0
This book deserves more of a 3.5, but I’ll err on the side of courtesy and give it a 4 since half ratings aren’t possible.
If you like really really descriptive sex scenes, this one’s for you!
If you like really really descriptive sex scenes, this one’s for you!
rikea's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The inner teenager in me loved this book.
Great tension, great spice, too much misogyny for my taste but somewhat resolved in the end, a few lines I had to roll my eyes at, but okay,and the end seemed a bit too romantically perfect, but it's a romance after all, so...
Great tension, great spice, too much misogyny for my taste but somewhat resolved in the end, a few lines I had to roll my eyes at, but okay,
farhana101's review against another edition
5.0
This is a friends to enemies to lovers book so tw: there is bullying involved. I’ve read other bully romances similar to Punk 57 and this one was definitely tamer than the others. I really enjoyed how realistically in-depth and poignant the author gets when she addresses the teenage struggles of wanting to fit in so badly. I definitely remember having the same feelings as a kid- not wanting to be alone or be labelled as “weird” etc. Loved the chemistry between the 2 characters and all the letters they write to each other was so so cute!
Solid 4 stars
Solid 4 stars
snoopyjammer's review against another edition
emotional
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
alysreadsss's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Okay so I just finished this book, and oh my God. I feel like I have a lot in common with Ryen. We’re both kind of social outcasts who changed so people would like us better, when in reality, all it really did was hurt us in the long run. It didn’t make us better friends, or help us find true friends. It got us fake friends, that we didn’t know were fake, until their true colors showed. Misha Lare is definitely one of my new favorite book boyfriends. I genuinely love him so much. The way he really cared for Ryen just makes me so happy. I definitely enjoyed the character development for Ryen and Misha, and if there was a sequel, I’d definitely read it. At first, I thought Ryen was definitely a stuck-up bitch, but as the story progressed, I really connected with her. I honestly loved Misha from the beginning. I definitely think that Misha and Ryen have a lot of history, and I’m really living for it. Overall, I’d rate this book a 4.5/5 stars, and even though I love it dearly, I probably won’t read it again.
mowry_haley's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
annsephine's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
I have some mixed feelings with this book. I didn't like the characters, the plot (and plot twist) were meh but I don't know why I couldn't put this book down. maybe I've some problems idk
I have some mixed feelings with this book. I didn't like the characters, the plot (and plot twist) were meh but I don't know why I couldn't put this book down. maybe I've some problems idk