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tiffani_reads's review against another edition
funny
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? It's complicated
3.5
alexan13's review against another edition
3.0
Probably closer to a 2.75.
I really wanted to love this book. It has a demisexual main character, which is still pretty rare, and is written entirely through text conversations which is a really cool format.
However, I felt like the text conversations varied in quality. This format made it really quick to get through, but nothing really compelled me to get through it. I really recommend not reading the synopsis of this book, like at all, because then there might be some driving plot conflict to keep you flipping pages, but having read the synopsis, you essentially know everything. Sure, it’s kind of fun to see the confusion play out as a reader with the advantage of knowing more than the characters, but it was also frustrating at times. I think it would have been more fun had I know less going in.
I also couldn’t really connect to the characters, despite the texting format supposedly giving the kind of insight to these characters that a close friend would have. I felt like this was the kind of novel that tried too hard to have a “”quirky”” main character. Others might not feel this way, but unfortunately sometimes the writing (yup, the writing of casual texts) came off as kind of stilted, leading me to feel disconnected from the main character.
Overall, I think this book has a cool format and actually utilizes its format to craft a plot that would not have worked had the book been written any other way. It’s really quickly to get through, so worth giving a go if you’re interested, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.
I really wanted to love this book. It has a demisexual main character, which is still pretty rare, and is written entirely through text conversations which is a really cool format.
However, I felt like the text conversations varied in quality. This format made it really quick to get through, but nothing really compelled me to get through it. I really recommend not reading the synopsis of this book, like at all, because then there might be some driving plot conflict to keep you flipping pages, but having read the synopsis, you essentially know everything. Sure, it’s kind of fun to see the confusion play out as a reader with the advantage of knowing more than the characters, but it was also frustrating at times. I think it would have been more fun had I know less going in.
I also couldn’t really connect to the characters, despite the texting format supposedly giving the kind of insight to these characters that a close friend would have. I felt like this was the kind of novel that tried too hard to have a “”quirky”” main character. Others might not feel this way, but unfortunately sometimes the writing (yup, the writing of casual texts) came off as kind of stilted, leading me to feel disconnected from the main character.
Overall, I think this book has a cool format and actually utilizes its format to craft a plot that would not have worked had the book been written any other way. It’s really quickly to get through, so worth giving a go if you’re interested, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.
baoluong's review against another edition
4.0
Told in exchanging text messages, Haley and Martin spark up an online friendship. Their conversations feel natural and enforces the ability to form connections through words and conversations alone. The essence of someone consists of their thoughts, opinions, and taste. Sometimes the "real world" encompasses what you read.
This is a relatively quick, fun read with enjoyable banter, intros to sexualities, and on par with realistic high school drama. Haley learns to trust herself and invest in her own mental health. Things are pretty wholesome with characters living their own complex lives. I would even consider them relatable making a realistic character cast. This reminds me of the idea of tiny little quirky things authors write for their characters are simply normal things that regular people do. Martin and Haley have quirks, but in reality that's just called having a personality. Having likes and dislikes is part of being human and furthermore interesting. Areas of interest, dreams and fears, and how they interact with others is the basis of there relationship.
The ending is sweet no matter the somewhat annoying misunderstandings. I'm fine with that as we blow over the trope as quickly as possible. I recommend this for fans of Fangirl with an appropriate amount of high school drama.
I like the compartmentalization of each illustration in a text bubble. It reminds me of comic books and I appreciate the detail of how each text bubble faces different directions. The color scheme is perfect for a mild romance book. I also like trying to trace back scenes and how they correlate to what's shown on the cover.
dunder_mifflin's review against another edition
1.0
ugh. i'm so glad i've finally finished this. it was literally. painful.
haley, the main character, is literally the most dense, oblivious, idiotic character.
i liked a few things about the book: martin, haley's parents, the format,
i literally cannot stand haley though like how can you be so DUMB???? it was SO OBVIOUS and she just..... is an idiot
also i was expecting it to not be so obvious because the BLURB THAT IS MEANT TO ADVERTISE THE BOOK TO YOU is literally a lie. it says martin doesn't know she's got the wrong boy either, so i thought it would legit just be like 'not talking about irl so it's not obvious' but no. it was obvious. martin knew from literally the start.
thanks for lying on your blurb, lana. if you hadn't lied, maybe i would have known what i was getting into, and could have read something else
haley, the main character, is literally the most dense, oblivious, idiotic character.
i liked a few things about the book: martin, haley's parents, the format,
i literally cannot stand haley though like how can you be so DUMB???? it was SO OBVIOUS and she just..... is an idiot
also i was expecting it to not be so obvious because the BLURB THAT IS MEANT TO ADVERTISE THE BOOK TO YOU is literally a lie. it says martin doesn't know she's got the wrong boy either, so i thought it would legit just be like 'not talking about irl so it's not obvious' but no. it was obvious. martin knew from literally the start.
thanks for lying on your blurb, lana. if you hadn't lied, maybe i would have known what i was getting into, and could have read something else
sofia_santana's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
c1aud55n's review against another edition
2.0
2.5?
This book was mediocre at best.
It wasn't quite what I expected, and that definitely hindered my enjoyment of it. I was expecting something light and fluffy and this book just didn't do that.
The book could have easily been a hundred pages shorter had Johnson cut out unnecessary scenes.
The romance made sense but it jumped so quickly from a friendship to a romance that it was almost unbelievable. That's definitely were the format of the book hindered this story. We couldn't see any of the characters inner monologue which left a barrier between them and the reader, almost like a disconnect. This led to certain climactic scenes being underwhelming as we couldn't see the action, only the fallout.
This book was mediocre at best.
It wasn't quite what I expected, and that definitely hindered my enjoyment of it. I was expecting something light and fluffy and this book just didn't do that.
The book could have easily been a hundred pages shorter had Johnson cut out unnecessary scenes.
The romance made sense but it jumped so quickly from a friendship to a romance that it was almost unbelievable. That's definitely were the format of the book hindered this story. We couldn't see any of the characters inner monologue which left a barrier between them and the reader, almost like a disconnect. This led to certain climactic scenes being underwhelming as we couldn't see the action, only the fallout.
mayakenney1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.5
sarahs_booklove's review against another edition
4.0
Dieses Buch ist genau zum richtigen Zeitpunkt gekommen. Es ist mal etwas ganz anderes, durch die Text Nachrichten, aber sehr süß gemacht. Perfekt für zwischendurch und zum Abschalten. Auf diese Idee muss man erstmal kommen, und die Umsetzung hat mir auch sehr gut gefallen. Es ist ein richtig gutes Young Adult Buch, was ich gerne weiterempfehlen werde.
wishfulfillment's review against another edition
5.0
2019: 5/5 stars, one of my favorite reads of the year
2020: still 5/5 stars, one of my favorite books of all-time
2020: still 5/5 stars, one of my favorite books of all-time
madiscone06's review against another edition
2.0
2-2.5
It was okay. I liked a good chunk of it but a lot of it was just forgettable. And god Haley is oblivious, she’s so dumb sometimes it makes me angry. She needs to just listen to M sometimes. M was the best character by FAR, he had more of a personality than most of the other characters. Haley was an ok character until she just got dumb, and at the end - very irritating. Also Chloe was a right dickhead, and who the other girl was (forgot her name I think it starts with an S) was just not a good friend.
It was an easy read though which boosted its points. I liked the text chat layout idea but I feel like at the end there should have been proper scenes scattered throughout the book when they were together. (ESPECIALLY AT THE END THAT WOULDVE BEEN SO CUTE)
It was okay. I liked a good chunk of it but a lot of it was just forgettable. And god Haley is oblivious, she’s so dumb sometimes it makes me angry. She needs to just listen to M sometimes. M was the best character by FAR, he had more of a personality than most of the other characters. Haley was an ok character until she just got dumb, and at the end - very irritating. Also Chloe was a right dickhead, and who the other girl was (forgot her name I think it starts with an S) was just not a good friend.
It was an easy read though which boosted its points. I liked the text chat layout idea but I feel like at the end there should have been proper scenes scattered throughout the book when they were together. (ESPECIALLY AT THE END THAT WOULDVE BEEN SO CUTE)