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_bobatea_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Grief, Bullying, Addiction, Violence, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Death, Classism, and Adult/minor relationship
zoeelora's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Terminal illness, Fatphobia, and Alcoholism
bookaholic_in_wonderland's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Minor: Alcohol and Bullying
gtrue21's review against another edition
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Cancer, and Terminal illness
vereadsbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Rating ★☆☆☆☆
OMG! this book is insufferable!!!
“It was a summer I would never, ever forget. It was the summer everything began. It was the summer I turned pretty. Because for the first time, I felt it. Pretty, I mean. Every summer up to this one, I believed it’d be different. Life would be different. And that summer, it finally was.”
When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?
“For me, it was almost like winter didn't count. Summer was what mattered. My whole life was measured in summers. Like I don't really begin living until June, until I'm at that beach, in that house”
The read was super light as there is no plot. Absolutely nothing happens in the book. The book is supposed to have a love triangle between Belly and the Fisher brothers. Yet, nothing substantial happens between any of the protagonists.
“I love Conrad and I probably always would. I would spend my whole life loving him one way or another. Maybe I would get married, maybe I would have a family, but it wouldn’t matter, because a piece of my heart, the piece where summer lived, would always be Conrad’s”
The book isn't even romantic or cute. It's just Belly complaining about everyone. She is childish and annoying. She throws tantrums whenever something doesn't go her way.
Belly is so focused on her that she can't see the suffering around her. She has a total disconnect with reality and a lack of empathy towards others. Everything revolves around her and her feelings.
“I grabbed his shirt sleeve. “Admit it. You were mad when I started hanging out with Cam. You wanted me to still be your little admirer”. “What?” He shook me off. “Get your head out of your ass, Belly. The world doesn’t revolve around you.” My cheeks flamed bright red; I could feel the heat beneath my skin. It was like sunburn times a million.
Not only does she use Cam to make Conrad jealous, but she also throws him away when he no longer serves her. She does the same thing she does with Jeremiah.
“He stepped closer to me. “One minute you like me. Then Cam…” Conrad paused. “And then Jeremiah. Isn’t that right? You want to have your cake and eat it too, but you also want your cookies and your ice cream…”
“Shut up!” I yelled. “You’re the one who’s been playing games, Belly.”
She believes that Conrad's self-destructive behavior is because of her when it is actually because of her mother's illness. Even when that secret comes out, Belly manages to make the whole situation revolve around her.
“But they did know” I whimpered. “Everybody knew but me. I’m the only one who didn’t know and I love Susannah more than anybody.”
In general, the characters are not well developed. There isn't depth to their personalities, and there isn't much improvement as the plot progresses. I do feel that Jenny Han evolved a lot in her writing over time. To all the boy I've loved before is superior in several aspects.
Books I have read from this author
To All the Boys I've Loved Before ★★★★☆
P.S. I Still Love You ★★★ ½
Always and Forever, Lara Jean ★★★☆☆
OMG! this book is insufferable!!!
“It was a summer I would never, ever forget. It was the summer everything began. It was the summer I turned pretty. Because for the first time, I felt it. Pretty, I mean. Every summer up to this one, I believed it’d be different. Life would be different. And that summer, it finally was.”
When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?
“For me, it was almost like winter didn't count. Summer was what mattered. My whole life was measured in summers. Like I don't really begin living until June, until I'm at that beach, in that house”
The read was super light as there is no plot. Absolutely nothing happens in the book. The book is supposed to have a love triangle between Belly and the Fisher brothers. Yet, nothing substantial happens between any of the protagonists.
“I love Conrad and I probably always would. I would spend my whole life loving him one way or another. Maybe I would get married, maybe I would have a family, but it wouldn’t matter, because a piece of my heart, the piece where summer lived, would always be Conrad’s”
The book isn't even romantic or cute. It's just Belly complaining about everyone. She is childish and annoying. She throws tantrums whenever something doesn't go her way.
Belly is so focused on her that she can't see the suffering around her. She has a total disconnect with reality and a lack of empathy towards others. Everything revolves around her and her feelings.
“I grabbed his shirt sleeve. “Admit it. You were mad when I started hanging out with Cam. You wanted me to still be your little admirer”. “What?” He shook me off. “Get your head out of your ass, Belly. The world doesn’t revolve around you.” My cheeks flamed bright red; I could feel the heat beneath my skin. It was like sunburn times a million.
Not only does she use Cam to make Conrad jealous, but she also throws him away when he no longer serves her. She does the same thing she does with Jeremiah.
“He stepped closer to me. “One minute you like me. Then Cam…” Conrad paused. “And then Jeremiah. Isn’t that right? You want to have your cake and eat it too, but you also want your cookies and your ice cream…”
“Shut up!” I yelled. “You’re the one who’s been playing games, Belly.”
She believes that Conrad's self-destructive behavior is because of her when it is actually because of her mother's illness. Even when that secret comes out, Belly manages to make the whole situation revolve around her.
“But they did know” I whimpered. “Everybody knew but me. I’m the only one who didn’t know and I love Susannah more than anybody.”
In general, the characters are not well developed. There isn't depth to their personalities, and there isn't much improvement as the plot progresses. I do feel that Jenny Han evolved a lot in her writing over time. To all the boy I've loved before is superior in several aspects.
Books I have read from this author
To All the Boys I've Loved Before ★★★★☆
P.S. I Still Love You ★★★ ½
Always and Forever, Lara Jean ★★★☆☆
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Cancer, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Grief, and Infidelity
its_van_vulpen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cancer, Bullying, Cursing, and Terminal illness
just_klaudia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, and Violence
gmoneyyyyy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Bullying
jessicaludden's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“I would spend my whole life loving him one way or another. Maybe I would get married, maybe I would have a family, but it wouldn’t matter, because a piece of my heart, the piece where summer lived, would always be Conrad’s.”
This was a super fun, quick, and easy read! If I had read it when it came out over ten years ago I would’ve been obsessed with it. It was very entertaining and I read it in a day. Of course it has its problems. It’s a typical YA summer romance with multiple potential love interests. The ages of the characters was something I actively tried not to think about. There were many cringey lines. Overall though I liked it. Sometimes with love triangles it’s impossible for me to choose. I usually always go for the characters like Conrad who are mysterious and brooding and while I did like him I also loved Jeremiah. He was so funny and so sweet. It broke my heart when Belly (side note that’s a very dumb nickname) friendzoned him and it broke my heart even more when he said he felt like Conrad was always better than him. I know she’ll probably end up with Conrad at the end of this series (she did at the end of this book anyways) and I’m not mad at it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want Jeremiah to have his chance too. Overall, this book entertained me for a day and I’m invested enough in the characters to keep reading.
Favorite Quotes:
“Summer was what mattered. My whole life was measured in summers. Like I don’t really begin living until June, until I’m at the beach, in that house.”
“Sometimes it’s like people are a million times more beautiful to you in your mind. It’s like you see them through a special lens—but maybe if it’s how you see them, that’s how they really are.”
“Conrad gave me this look, the kind of look I bet soldiers give each other when they’re teaming up against somebody else. It was like we were in it together.”
“The thing was, whether he was pushing me away or pulling me toward him, I was still going on the same direction. Toward Conrad.”
“He didn’t look over and laugh with me during the funny parts the way Jeremiah did.”
“He smiled, Conrad had a way of looking at me, at you, at anybody, that made everything unravel and want to fall at his feet.”
“He made it so hard not to love him.”
“He had the nerve to look genuinely confused and also anxious. Because for him, the two things were connected—if he was confused, he was anxious. And he was hardly ever confused, so then he was hardly ever anxious. He’s certainly never been anxious over me. I was inconsequential to him. Always had been.”
“Because the truth was, when I looked at Conrad, all I felt was a yearning that never went away.”
“Watching him serving rubbery eggs and pretending not to be sad, I thought to myself, I will love this boy forever.”
“…Jeremiah and I would whisper scary stories to each other till we fell asleep. He always fell asleep first. I’d try to pinch him awake, but it never worked. The last time that happened might have been the last time I ever felt really, really safe in the world. Like all was right and sound.”
“The old pull, the tide drawing me back in. I kept getting caught in this current—first love, I mean. First love kept making me come back to this, to him. He still took my breath away, just being near him. I had been lying to myself the night before, thinking I was free, thinking I had let him go. It didn’t matter what he said or did, I’d never let him go.”
This was a super fun, quick, and easy read! If I had read it when it came out over ten years ago I would’ve been obsessed with it. It was very entertaining and I read it in a day. Of course it has its problems. It’s a typical YA summer romance with multiple potential love interests. The ages of the characters was something I actively tried not to think about. There were many cringey lines. Overall though I liked it. Sometimes with love triangles it’s impossible for me to choose. I usually always go for the characters like Conrad who are mysterious and brooding and while I did like him I also loved Jeremiah. He was so funny and so sweet. It broke my heart when Belly (side note that’s a very dumb nickname) friendzoned him and it broke my heart even more when he said he felt like Conrad was always better than him. I know she’ll probably end up with Conrad at the end of this series (she did at the end of this book anyways) and I’m not mad at it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want Jeremiah to have his chance too. Overall, this book entertained me for a day and I’m invested enough in the characters to keep reading.
Favorite Quotes:
“Summer was what mattered. My whole life was measured in summers. Like I don’t really begin living until June, until I’m at the beach, in that house.”
“Sometimes it’s like people are a million times more beautiful to you in your mind. It’s like you see them through a special lens—but maybe if it’s how you see them, that’s how they really are.”
“Conrad gave me this look, the kind of look I bet soldiers give each other when they’re teaming up against somebody else. It was like we were in it together.”
“The thing was, whether he was pushing me away or pulling me toward him, I was still going on the same direction. Toward Conrad.”
“He didn’t look over and laugh with me during the funny parts the way Jeremiah did.”
“He smiled, Conrad had a way of looking at me, at you, at anybody, that made everything unravel and want to fall at his feet.”
“He made it so hard not to love him.”
“He had the nerve to look genuinely confused and also anxious. Because for him, the two things were connected—if he was confused, he was anxious. And he was hardly ever confused, so then he was hardly ever anxious. He’s certainly never been anxious over me. I was inconsequential to him. Always had been.”
“Because the truth was, when I looked at Conrad, all I felt was a yearning that never went away.”
“Watching him serving rubbery eggs and pretending not to be sad, I thought to myself, I will love this boy forever.”
“…Jeremiah and I would whisper scary stories to each other till we fell asleep. He always fell asleep first. I’d try to pinch him awake, but it never worked. The last time that happened might have been the last time I ever felt really, really safe in the world. Like all was right and sound.”
“The old pull, the tide drawing me back in. I kept getting caught in this current—first love, I mean. First love kept making me come back to this, to him. He still took my breath away, just being near him. I had been lying to myself the night before, thinking I was free, thinking I had let him go. It didn’t matter what he said or did, I’d never let him go.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Bullying, Alcohol, and Blood
readingberry's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, and Body horror
Minor: Physical abuse