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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
the main characters, but specifically opal, are extremely irritating. my last straw was when opal asked pepper’s friends why they didn’t like her when she actually is indirectly ruining peppers life lol. also—opal and pepper???? give me a break
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
This was a very sweet romance and I think a very good representation of autism. It wasn't heavy handed but still did a good job of showing how it affects your life and your way of thinking. I liked seeing both Pepper and Opal learn to love themselves and each other, learn their own strength and to believe in themselves. The book may have been a smidge long, and I wouldn't have minded a bit more focus on the plot over the romance - it took them a bit long to decide on a design for the competition, and the financial struggle of the farm didn't seem at the forefront of their minds for a lot of the book. Overall, though, I think it was really well written and very sweet.
2.5⭐
When one of your most anticipated reads of the year falls flat... Ugh!
Listen. LISTEN. The premise of this books sounded SO promising. I was so excited for a neurodivergent sapphic love story that takes place on a FLOWER FARM (hello!!!), but this was so... forced? Cliche. Bland! The phrases "she giggled" and "she rolled her eyes" were used SO many times I wanted to rip my hair out. There were so many issues with the writing, the pacing, and the characters. Opal and Pepper's love story is based off of little to nothing. The only thing the have in common is that they are both neurodivergent! The opposites attract narrative did not land. The grumpy/sunshine trope missed the marked entirely. The chemistry just wasn't there for me. The conversations surrounding sensory issues should have been fleshed out more, in my opinion. There definitely needed to be more talk about how touches during s3x can sometimes feel wrong, off, too much, and just downright overwhelming.
I also really disliked the way Eddings painted us neurodivergent people as "disasters." The characterization of Opal was that of a "walking tornado" (I'm paraphrasing) and she's described as someone who bounds into people's lives and messes things up. Made me super uncomfy. I'm so tired of the narrative that every person with ADHD is a "mess" when it comes to taking care of their spaces, their appearance, their well-being. It's getting old.
Now I don't want to be remiss and not mention what I DID enjoy about this book. There are a few saving graces! The descriptions of grief were really well done. I also did enjoy that Pepper and Opal do not try to change one another. There is a coherent understanding between them that autism and ADHD are very difficult to navigate. It's also understood that communication isn't always easy when you don't have a neurotypical brain.
I really wish this book was better. I'm hoping that since this is an ARC, maybe some of the things I disliked will be revised. Fingers crossed the finished copy is a bit better.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
When one of your most anticipated reads of the year falls flat... Ugh!
Listen. LISTEN. The premise of this books sounded SO promising. I was so excited for a neurodivergent sapphic love story that takes place on a FLOWER FARM (hello!!!), but this was so... forced? Cliche. Bland! The phrases "she giggled" and "she rolled her eyes" were used SO many times I wanted to rip my hair out. There were so many issues with the writing, the pacing, and the characters. Opal and Pepper's love story is based off of little to nothing. The only thing the have in common is that they are both neurodivergent! The opposites attract narrative did not land. The grumpy/sunshine trope missed the marked entirely. The chemistry just wasn't there for me. The conversations surrounding sensory issues should have been fleshed out more, in my opinion. There definitely needed to be more talk about how touches during s3x can sometimes feel wrong, off, too much, and just downright overwhelming.
I also really disliked the way Eddings painted us neurodivergent people as "disasters." The characterization of Opal was that of a "walking tornado" (I'm paraphrasing) and she's described as someone who bounds into people's lives and messes things up. Made me super uncomfy. I'm so tired of the narrative that every person with ADHD is a "mess" when it comes to taking care of their spaces, their appearance, their well-being. It's getting old.
Now I don't want to be remiss and not mention what I DID enjoy about this book. There are a few saving graces! The descriptions of grief were really well done. I also did enjoy that Pepper and Opal do not try to change one another. There is a coherent understanding between them that autism and ADHD are very difficult to navigate. It's also understood that communication isn't always easy when you don't have a neurotypical brain.
I really wish this book was better. I'm hoping that since this is an ARC, maybe some of the things I disliked will be revised. Fingers crossed the finished copy is a bit better.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced