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allisonisabel's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Ellen O’Clover for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I say I devoured this, it’s an understatement.
I’m going to be honest, YA contemporary is not usually my genre. I picked this book up because as a Hopkins student myself, I got the chance to meet Ellen O’Clover when she spoke to my Hopkins writing club via zoom, and she was genuinely one of the nicest most helpful people ever. That said, I loved this book.
It goes without saying that as a girl with anxious, perfectionist tendencies, and as a pre-med Hopkins student to boot, I saw myself in Audrey. I am her, she is me. From the jump, Audrey as a character was so crisp in my mind. The words on the page felt like reading her diary, so raw and real and with such a clear voice. The book was engaging, the subject matter nuanced and thoughtful, and the characters were so endearing. The romance was loving and adorable, and I genuinely appreciate authors modeling relationships with healthy dynamics and communication for younger readers—communication between Audrey and Silas that is.
Any criticisms I have lie in very minor things. I found the “twist” to be a bit predictable and the relationship to feel slightly rushed at the end, but it is a YA novel, and I’m willing to forgive it these things.
Overall, I can vouch not only for this book as a tender story, a love letter to all of us type A, anxious perfectionists, but I can also vouch for how genuine and kind the author is. I look forward to reading more of her work.
When I say I devoured this, it’s an understatement.
I’m going to be honest, YA contemporary is not usually my genre. I picked this book up because as a Hopkins student myself, I got the chance to meet Ellen O’Clover when she spoke to my Hopkins writing club via zoom, and she was genuinely one of the nicest most helpful people ever. That said, I loved this book.
It goes without saying that as a girl with anxious, perfectionist tendencies, and as a pre-med Hopkins student to boot, I saw myself in Audrey. I am her, she is me. From the jump, Audrey as a character was so crisp in my mind. The words on the page felt like reading her diary, so raw and real and with such a clear voice. The book was engaging, the subject matter nuanced and thoughtful, and the characters were so endearing. The romance was loving and adorable, and I genuinely appreciate authors modeling relationships with healthy dynamics and communication for younger readers—communication between Audrey and Silas that is.
Any criticisms I have lie in very minor things. I found the “twist” to be a bit predictable and the relationship to feel slightly rushed at the end, but it is a YA novel, and I’m willing to forgive it these things.
Overall, I can vouch not only for this book as a tender story, a love letter to all of us type A, anxious perfectionists, but I can also vouch for how genuine and kind the author is. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Medical content, and Self harm
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