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spinesinaline's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Definitely a fan of Emma Lord, this had everything I loved from Tweet Cute. Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC, full review at spinesinaline.wordpress.com! CW: HP references, happy to discuss any of the CWs in more detail
Emma Lord just writes good, funny stories. Her debut was a modernized, young adult take on the well-loved movie, You’ve Got Mail, and this time she’s taken inspiration from Parent Trap – the same family drama and summer camp fun but with a 23AndMe twist.
There was a lot I loved from her first book that she’s continued to incorporate here: the quick humour and easy banter, keeping up with that teen lingo (I had no idea what a ‘finsta’ was before reading), name puns, family cafes, big friend groups. It even takes place in the same universe as Tweet Cute, as there’s a brief mention of the characters ordering from one of the restaurants in the first book! I loved that that world could continue, and to be able to imagine all these wonderful characters one day meeting up and swapping recipes (there’s a lot of delicious-sounding food in this one too!).
The book is entirely presented through Abby’s 1st-person perspective but it never felt limiting; somehow we’re able to get a big-cast feel and get to know all these other characters really well even though we only ever get to see inside Abby’s head. And I love the continuing trend of books focusing on beautiful friendships! It’s on full display here and it’s wonderful, you’re going to want to join this fun group by the end.
As fun and lighthearted as the inspiration for this book is, Lord’s book brings in a lot of serious issues on top of that. Characters dealing with anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, grief over the loss of a family member, overwhelmed by schoolwork and college decisions, serious physical illnesses, infertility, adoption and struggles to connect with their birth culture – to name a few of the difficulties folks in this story are dealing with. It is a lot but the lightness of the Parent Trap vibes balance it really well and Lord gives each of these big issues room to breathe and develop so the characters can find some peace and stability.
The way different storylines wrap up are at times very predictable (I guessed the entire ending with the parents in my notes while reading before it was finally revealed) but it’s still wonderful to see it come together and I just really enjoy being with these characters.
Unfortunately there was a sour taste in my mouth because HP was frequently referenced by the characters in terms of personality traits. Those references could easily be removed without any effect on the story (note: I did read an advance copy so I don’t know whether they made it into the final copy). I really enjoyed the story otherwise (my fave of the year so far) and it’d get a perfect score from me without those references.
Emma Lord just writes good, funny stories. Her debut was a modernized, young adult take on the well-loved movie, You’ve Got Mail, and this time she’s taken inspiration from Parent Trap – the same family drama and summer camp fun but with a 23AndMe twist.
There was a lot I loved from her first book that she’s continued to incorporate here: the quick humour and easy banter, keeping up with that teen lingo (I had no idea what a ‘finsta’ was before reading), name puns, family cafes, big friend groups. It even takes place in the same universe as Tweet Cute, as there’s a brief mention of the characters ordering from one of the restaurants in the first book! I loved that that world could continue, and to be able to imagine all these wonderful characters one day meeting up and swapping recipes (there’s a lot of delicious-sounding food in this one too!).
The book is entirely presented through Abby’s 1st-person perspective but it never felt limiting; somehow we’re able to get a big-cast feel and get to know all these other characters really well even though we only ever get to see inside Abby’s head. And I love the continuing trend of books focusing on beautiful friendships! It’s on full display here and it’s wonderful, you’re going to want to join this fun group by the end.
As fun and lighthearted as the inspiration for this book is, Lord’s book brings in a lot of serious issues on top of that. Characters dealing with anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, grief over the loss of a family member, overwhelmed by schoolwork and college decisions, serious physical illnesses, infertility, adoption and struggles to connect with their birth culture – to name a few of the difficulties folks in this story are dealing with. It is a lot but the lightness of the Parent Trap vibes balance it really well and Lord gives each of these big issues room to breathe and develop so the characters can find some peace and stability.
The way different storylines wrap up are at times very predictable (I guessed the entire ending with the parents in my notes while reading before it was finally revealed) but it’s still wonderful to see it come together and I just really enjoy being with these characters.
Unfortunately there was a sour taste in my mouth because HP was frequently referenced by the characters in terms of personality traits. Those references could easily be removed without any effect on the story (note: I did read an advance copy so I don’t know whether they made it into the final copy). I really enjoyed the story otherwise (my fave of the year so far) and it’d get a perfect score from me without those references.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Bullying, Death, Infertility, and Terminal illness
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