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eetishmeh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
This was my first YA book in a long while, and honestly I forgot YA characters can swear so much (I usually read middle grade lol) (I am not a middle schooler.)
I loved reading about Leo's journey of dealing with anxiety, grief and the expectations of his father. This is also the first time I've read anything that touches heavily on Greek culture, and I always love learning about other cultures, especially through stories!
I originally picked up this book because its synopsis told of a boy who does needlework and has anxiety, whose parent doesn't like how not-traditionally-masculine he is, and these highlighted traits are also shared by a character of my own, who has his own story. I was curious to see how similar and different they were. (Answer: They're a lot different!)
Also, I've been wondering if I have a form of anxiety for quite a few years now, and I was hoping this book could lend some insight. Of course, a fictional book is no mental health diagnosis, but it's nice to know that Leo and I go through some of the same things.Speaking of, I enjoyed the part where Drake understood what Leo meant when he was getting a panic attack from sensory overload, since Drake probably has to deal with something similar as he'a implied to have ADHD :'D ADHD is another thing I've been wondering about too hahaha
About Drake, I've seen people say in other reviews that he has more romantic chemistry with Leo than Evey does, and while I could see Drake and Leo as romantic partners, I disagree that Evey is a bad love interest for Leo. In a similar vein, I've seen people call Evey a 2D character, and that's just not true! She's stoic and reserved, so I think people have been mistaking that for lack of personality.
However, this also brings me to my next point: I believe Leo and Evey's relationship could be better developed. Don't get me wrong: I love their current dynamic and how it unfolded, but I do think it could've had more depth. I didn't like how a lot of what Leo found out about Evey wasn't shared with him by Evey herself, which lessened her presence a little. There were three big things that, in my opinion at least, should've been addressed by Evey herself, and in the end only one of them was. BIG SPOILER: What happened with her ex that caused her to break things off with him, her ambition, and her ex leaking her private photos.
That's why their chemistry felt shallow; while they didn't lack communication, it was mostly done for them. Another thing ai didn't like was that the Big Mystery of her real motives behind the revenge photoshoot felt really dragged out and anticlimactic
Oh, I wanna mention that I like the inclusion of the March 25th Greek Independence celebration, and the Greek superstitions Leo's Yia Yia told him about. Thanks to the author once again for sharing her culture through Evey and Leo!
This review got way longer than intended, oopsie. That's all from me, haha!
I loved reading about Leo's journey of dealing with anxiety, grief and the expectations of his father. This is also the first time I've read anything that touches heavily on Greek culture, and I always love learning about other cultures, especially through stories!
I originally picked up this book because its synopsis told of a boy who does needlework and has anxiety, whose parent doesn't like how not-traditionally-masculine he is, and these highlighted traits are also shared by a character of my own, who has his own story. I was curious to see how similar and different they were. (Answer: They're a lot different!)
Also, I've been wondering if I have a form of anxiety for quite a few years now, and I was hoping this book could lend some insight. Of course, a fictional book is no mental health diagnosis, but it's nice to know that Leo and I go through some of the same things.
Oh, I wanna mention that I like the inclusion of the March 25th Greek Independence celebration, and the Greek superstitions Leo's Yia Yia told him about. Thanks to the author once again for sharing her culture through Evey and Leo!
This review got way longer than intended, oopsie. That's all from me, haha!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, Vomit, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood, Cancer, and Alcohol
Please research if you're concerned about the topics this book touches on, as this is not an extensive list and is only based on what I can remember. Stay safe! <3
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