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jiang's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of this book drew me in but alas, it was a let down.
I like the characters but I don't love them. The plot sounded amazing to me and it still is but I can't help feeling baited into this. The ending disappointed me so much. It's like hearing about a place that is described as magical but in reality it's just the same as any other.
I did not like this but I don't regret reading it either nor will I be recommending it any time soon.
I like the characters but I don't love them. The plot sounded amazing to me and it still is but I can't help feeling baited into this. The ending disappointed me so much. It's like hearing about a place that is described as magical but in reality it's just the same as any other.
I did not like this but I don't regret reading it either nor will I be recommending it any time soon.
valeuwu's review against another edition
1.0
I really hated this. Sorry but it’s low key homophobic.
ksparks's review
5.0
I loved this one. First, it is interesting because it's about a home schooled teen (with a normal well-adjusted family, not religious extremists) and I enjoyed learning about what that's like. The characters are smart and interesting, the teens act like teens, the romance builds slowly, and is important but is not more important than the friendships. And it's a story about teens dealing with real issues. This is a deep book with a lot of heart and one that I think teens will be able to relate to. It would be a great choice for book clubs.
aeandrews's review
3.0
Adding this to the pile of "books with a diabetic character who has a dramatic low blood sugar incident purely for plot purposes" (most recent entrant: [b: Top Ten Clues You're Clueless|20646933|Top Ten Clues You're Clueless|Liz Czukas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392234549s/20646933.jpg|39940198]). That said, I liked it fine. Again, some of the writing around her diabetes strikes me as awkward/didn't entirely make sense, but some of it was quite good/actually resonated with me! A big plus. I meant to take note of some of the passages that I liked but forgot to before I had to bring it back to the library, oh well.
The protagonist doesn't wear a pump - but it's addressed. She does actually talk about wearing one for a while and then going back on shots because she didn't like feeling like a robot or something. Personally, I couldn't relate less. Love my robot pancreas so much!!!
The protagonist doesn't wear a pump - but it's addressed. She does actually talk about wearing one for a while and then going back on shots because she didn't like feeling like a robot or something. Personally, I couldn't relate less. Love my robot pancreas so much!!!
eve787's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
marydrover's review against another edition
4.0
This was just such a feel good story. Following three friends–Stevie, Sanger, and Max–during the spring, it’s your typical three unlikely people coming together in a very atypical fashion. I think this is possibly the first time I’ve ever read a book with a homeschooled protagonist, and it was really interesting to dive into that culture and see how it differed from standard high school. This is about Stevie and Sanger, who are homeschooled, their friendship with Max, who has recently moved to Austin, and the list of 23 Ways to Fake My Death. Max, who had two near-death experiences, is trying to overcome his fear of death by faking it. Stevie, who is also the first diabetic protagonist I’ve read, is hell bent on making these last couple months extraordinary because Stevie, her best friend since eight, is moving to Pennsylvania.
No magic, no frills, just friends defying death. It’s a weird, but intriguing plot, and it had me hooked. It was easy to read, and easy to like. The characters are very well-rounded, are flawed in very noticeable ways that they’re forced to acknowledge, and work really well together. Each individual story is interesting enough on its own, so putting them all together made for a fun, exciting story. I gave this four stars because of little things that all piled together to make a bigger thing. Dialogue tags were a thing to be desired. I was constantly having to look back and count dialogue to figure out who was talking. There wasn’t a ton of description, and when there was, it was a sudden big block of text after lots of conversation. I also didn’t really know what Stevie or Sanger looked like other than one was definitely super pale and the other was a POC. (I think? Or just really tan? It wasn’t clear.) The plot, and the little added subplots, were really great, though, and definitely stood out over these small things.
No magic, no frills, just friends defying death. It’s a weird, but intriguing plot, and it had me hooked. It was easy to read, and easy to like. The characters are very well-rounded, are flawed in very noticeable ways that they’re forced to acknowledge, and work really well together. Each individual story is interesting enough on its own, so putting them all together made for a fun, exciting story. I gave this four stars because of little things that all piled together to make a bigger thing. Dialogue tags were a thing to be desired. I was constantly having to look back and count dialogue to figure out who was talking. There wasn’t a ton of description, and when there was, it was a sudden big block of text after lots of conversation. I also didn’t really know what Stevie or Sanger looked like other than one was definitely super pale and the other was a POC. (I think? Or just really tan? It wasn’t clear.) The plot, and the little added subplots, were really great, though, and definitely stood out over these small things.
waitingforthesecondstar's review against another edition
5.0
This was so, so good! Absolutely loved it, especially the complex issues Stevie navigates throughout. This story covers a lot of important ground in nuanced ways. Loved it!!!
booksandbosox's review against another edition
4.0
Well, I found this pretty dang delightful. The characters are wonderful - Stevie felt so authentic and complex. I loved the humor and I loved the quietness of this story - it's about what it takes to figure out what you're really afraid of, no matter how big or small that thing may be. I loved the romance but I loved more the friendship between Stevie and Sanger. I think this book definitely has an audience in my library - we are in Texas after all, and have a large homeschool population. However, I'm not a native Texan nor was I homeschooled and I very much enjoyed this, so I think the audience extends far beyond people who will find themselves clearly reflected here. Very realistic and honest.