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![A Certain Someone [某某] by Mu Su Li](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/vhsvdaetzwzuirx7ued8dqv8gi85)
4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
"I don't owe anything to anyone"
When I first started reading A Certain Someone, I was convinced I'd give it a 4 star rating, at best. Not my first Mu Su Li novel, you see, and I had some issue with Copper Coins - namely the plot holes and the manner in which something that dragged for chapter after chapter after chapter was suddenly 'miraculously' and quickly resolved, as if the author had grown tired with the writing that story. I was afraid the same thing would happen with this one. And, tbh, having just finished Saye (now sitting at nr 1 fave Danmei along with Erha) I frankly had my doubts A Certain Someone would even come close to being as good. The fact that for a number of chapters all I could find were similarities between both novels didn't help - I have no idea which one was written first, but the truth is they are very similar, from the MCs surface personalities to the secondary characters, and even the fact that there was a damn escape room chapter, I kept finding bits and pieces that were close to equal. It could have made me drop this novel, because the emotional bagagge the characters carry on Saye is simply not here - nor does it have to, this is a whole other story - and for the first few chapters both MCs felt a little... flat? Lacking, that's the word, they were lacking because I kept comparing them to Gu Fei and Jiang Cheng. But Jiang Tian and Sheng Wang are a world of their own, and the more I lost myself in their story, the more enamoured I became with it. If Copper Coins left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, though heralding the author's potential, A Certain Someone has shown me Mu Su Li's full extent of direct but beautiful writing style, with characters that will carve their way into your heart and remain in your memory. If Saye was a constant punch to the gut, this was a warm embrace for most of it. Slow burn, some say, too slow, they complain. I disagree. This was the perfect 'don't care for you' to friends, and from there, friends to lovers. The way the relationship between the two boys grows and morphs and becomes something so much stronger, so much more intense is extremely well done, in my opinion. There's no rushing into things, and the reader isn't rushed along, either. We witness their emotions grow and change in such a natural, organic way, and the way they both come to realise they're in love is not only sweet but realistic. The culmination point when everything comes tumbling down was done with mastery - so true to character, where it comes to all those involved in that particular chapter. And those parents! While in Saye the parental units are downright despicable and in-your-face wrong, here the evidence is subtler. But Sheng Mingyang, Jiang Ou and Ji are some of the worst parents I ever read in books. The way they are incapable of supporting their children despite having been absent emotionally all through their growth is nothing short of sickening. Thankfully, their children are much better, and though they grow emotionally dettached from these parental units, setting boundaries the moment they become adults - owing nothing to no one - the fact they are still willing to give this duo of mother and father a chance is yet one more evidence of the author's superb work on building the characters - because their choices and attitudes remain true to character and in accordance with their personality, despite the evident changes they go through. When Jiang Tian tells Jiang Ou that she had made another Jiang Tian out of Sheng Wang I felt personally vindicated - for no good reason.
I started reading this novel convinced I'd end up giving it 4 stars at best.
I give it 5 because that's how high I can get.
When I first started reading A Certain Someone, I was convinced I'd give it a 4 star rating, at best. Not my first Mu Su Li novel, you see, and I had some issue with Copper Coins - namely the plot holes and the manner in which something that dragged for chapter after chapter after chapter was suddenly 'miraculously' and quickly resolved, as if the author had grown tired with the writing that story. I was afraid the same thing would happen with this one. And, tbh, having just finished Saye (now sitting at nr 1 fave Danmei along with Erha) I frankly had my doubts A Certain Someone would even come close to being as good. The fact that for a number of chapters all I could find were similarities between both novels didn't help - I have no idea which one was written first, but the truth is they are very similar, from the MCs surface personalities to the secondary characters, and even the fact that there was a damn escape room chapter, I kept finding bits and pieces that were close to equal. It could have made me drop this novel, because the emotional bagagge the characters carry on Saye is simply not here - nor does it have to, this is a whole other story - and for the first few chapters both MCs felt a little... flat? Lacking, that's the word, they were lacking because I kept comparing them to Gu Fei and Jiang Cheng. But Jiang Tian and Sheng Wang are a world of their own, and the more I lost myself in their story, the more enamoured I became with it. If Copper Coins left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, though heralding the author's potential, A Certain Someone has shown me Mu Su Li's full extent of direct but beautiful writing style, with characters that will carve their way into your heart and remain in your memory. If Saye was a constant punch to the gut, this was a warm embrace for most of it. Slow burn, some say, too slow, they complain. I disagree. This was the perfect 'don't care for you' to friends, and from there, friends to lovers. The way the relationship between the two boys grows and morphs and becomes something so much stronger, so much more intense is extremely well done, in my opinion. There's no rushing into things, and the reader isn't rushed along, either. We witness their emotions grow and change in such a natural, organic way, and the way they both come to realise they're in love is not only sweet but realistic. The culmination point when everything comes tumbling down was done with mastery - so true to character, where it comes to all those involved in that particular chapter. And those parents! While in Saye the parental units are downright despicable and in-your-face wrong, here the evidence is subtler. But Sheng Mingyang, Jiang Ou and Ji are some of the worst parents I ever read in books. The way they are incapable of supporting their children despite having been absent emotionally all through their growth is nothing short of sickening. Thankfully, their children are much better, and though they grow emotionally dettached from these parental units, setting boundaries the moment they become adults - owing nothing to no one - the fact they are still willing to give this duo of mother and father a chance is yet one more evidence of the author's superb work on building the characters - because their choices and attitudes remain true to character and in accordance with their personality, despite the evident changes they go through. When Jiang Tian tells Jiang Ou that she had made another Jiang Tian out of Sheng Wang I felt personally vindicated - for no good reason.
I started reading this novel convinced I'd end up giving it 4 stars at best.
I give it 5 because that's how high I can get.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
my nerve was aching and aching while reading this occasionally it was like mu su li lured us into a false sense of contentment and happiness only to suddenly dump a steaming pile of angst on us for no reason BUT this is a great read overall i never thought i would enjoy a novel in a school life setting lawl once i picked this up i couldnt put it back down. this story is now #2 on my list of favorites!
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
/finished vol 1 of 5 = 20 chapters/ the school life was giving me rage && anxiety
heavy focus on exams/school for majority of book but liked the classmates. ending felt a bit rushed/ wanted more but it was still good
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was my second time reading a Mu Su Li novel, and i really loved the writing style. This book literally broke me and my heart in all of the best ways possible, before putting my heart back together in the last 20 chapters. At first, I was questioning the step-brother's thing, but it was resolved in a really nice way. Idk if this counts as a spoiler, but the homophobia was kinda hard to get through so I’d look out for that before reading it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes