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missymaus's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Addiction, Sexual assault, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
robin_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Rape, Drug use, Abandonment, Racism, and Alcohol
galliexyc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Abortion, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Racism, Eating disorder, and Rape
Minor: Sexual content
jaylee_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Alcohol, Racism, and Alcoholism
reicar's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Moderate: Abortion and Racism
atalanta_nins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
So, I'll tell you some of the things I noticed and disliked about this time that I reread it so Spoilers Ahead.
To be honest, I kinda find Penny a bit annoyingly insufferable and kinda whiny? (or is this just how most YA contemporary romance FL are usually portrayed because they are teenagers, I suppose?) She gives off this vibe like how annoying and needy her mom is (maybe she is but it feels strange to talk so bitchy about your mom if she just want to be close to you and is different than you in a sense that she's pretty popular and well you're neither). I kept racking my brain if what happened to Penny kinda gives her a right to treat people that way. (this bit was overwhelming to read upon but perfectly executed in terms of storytelling. Although, weirdly enough it feels like there was an emphasis that the guy is half-Filipino, plus there's this other remark about a Filipino although that remark she deserves that coz that bitch really didn't care while millions of their people starved). Also, it feels like she's passive-aggressive to her mom sometimes (although i kinda relate on how i think she parents her mom, which is a bit common in Asian household if you're the eldest or an only child of a single working parent). Also, it annoys me so much how she judges people sometimes like she's so righteous or think she's above them. Sure, it doesn't exactly sound like that but the way she loathes herself in a way that maybe just maybe what she really wanted was to be popular, like the people she hates. I even used to agree with her when she hates Mallory (Jude's best friend) who is kinda like the right amount of meanness queen bee but it fells like both Penny and Mallory are kinda bitchy, just in different fonts.
As for Sam, there isn't much to say. I guess I'm neutral for him. Kinda like he's okay but I neither hate nor love him. Also, even though most part of the book covered Penny's thought, it felt Sam's was the one who finally grow to become a better person.
Although, there was a bit in the last few parts of the book where Penny has been opening a little bit but it felt so rushed in a way that we just got a glimpse of it and it felt like she learned her lesson but we are not there to witness it, kinda those kind of vibes. Although, I still like to think that they grew to be who they are supposed to be and like every teen romance, that they did end up together.
Moderate: Rape and Racism
lisa_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
But other than that I thought the book was really good. I maybe should have read some trigger warnings first because I was quite shocked when the rape scene happened. I did not expect it at all. It wasn't exploitative but in enough detail to make me uncomfortable.
There are definitely some darker themes and important topics but I think they were handled in a great way.
I really enjoyed that Penny wrote a story that we also got to read. I thought it was really good and interesting and I always like 'books' in books and that type of thing.
I might reread this and give it 5 stars in a few years. Who knows.
Graphic: Racism, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Addiction, Classism, Deportation, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship
thexwalrus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
while i don't necessarily love a few of the characters, they're all extraordinarily well-written and fleshed out. penny and her mother's relationship is rough and beautifully realistic and i deeply enjoyed reading all of their interactions.
my favorite part of the story was reading about penny's thoughts on writing - seeing her formulate a story and go through the different stages of brainstorming and discovering new sides of characters was so fun, and even though that wasn't the focus of the story, i wish we'd gotten more.
all in all, this was fun! i definitely wanna check out more of choi's writing and this was a very encouraging starting point.
Moderate: Rape and Racism
optionalobjectives's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Rape and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Child death and Racism
urbanall's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Racism and Rape