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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Uneven, as all anthologies are, but with a higher ratio of stories I liked to stories I thought were a waste of time than just about any other anthology I can think of.
I've really fallen in love with YA short story anthologies over the past few years--although a lot of the time I find that if I like the story I wish it could be a full-length novel. This was definitely the case with almost all the stories in Meet Cute. I loved seeing how the different authors approached the idea of a first meeting and made the ideas their own. My favorite stories were probably the ones by Nina Lacour, Emery Lord, Dhonielle Clayton, and Meredith Russo!
Spoiler
I worked out an average rating and it was 3.5714285714285 if we want to be oddly, crazily specific...I just rounded up!! Haha!ÂSide note: this wasn't as cute as I thought it would be and there was a lot of angst and bereavement packed into these. Wouldn't have bothered me but so many of these stories has that aspect and I came here for cute...I was tempted to round down to 3 stars instead because of that but it was saved by some seriously good little love stories in here!Â
SIEGE ETIQUETTE by Katie Cotugno - 1 stars- Boring tbh and I didn’t think it was cute, it was a bit creepy. Tried to pack too much angst into such a short story. Also, the cheating aspect didn't sit well with me.Â
PRINT SHOP by Nina LaCour - 4 stars- This was super cute. I really liked the set up and I would really like to read more about these characters. Not just the MC and the love interest, but the other people in the Print Shop and how their relationships grew! Would definitely read more from NinaÂ
HOURGLASS by Ibi Zoboi - 3 stars- I really wanted to like this one a lot more but...it felt like the meet cute was tacked onto the end of a different story. I was enjoying it, don’t get me wrong and I would read more by Ibi Zoboi, but this didn’t work for me. It felt like it took forever for them to meet and then it ended. Nothing really happened between them. If this was the start of a full length novel, I’d be all over it.Â
CLICK by Katherine McGee - 4 stars- I really liked this one. I liked the futuristic spin on dating apps and how it brought the two of them together by accident. I loved the dynamic between the two of them and how even though they weren’t logically compatible, they still came together and fit so well.  Â
THE INTERN by Sara Shepard - 3.5 stars- I did enjoy this one, but I think at this point I was just aching for a story where someone hadn’t just lost a loved one. Plus the previous story handled that grief aspect so well! I’m also not crazy about stories that have a celebrity aspect, but that being said I really liked the genuine connection these two characters had.
SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN by Meredith Russo - 4 stars- I don’t know if I personally would class this as a meet cute...it has cute element but the underlying themes are more hard hitting. I adored the writing and the characters. I thought the subject matter was brilliant and I’m definitely checking out some of Meredith Russo’s other works.
THE WAY WE LOVE HERE by Dhonielle Clayton - 4 stars- I enjoyed this one a lot! I loved the writing and the whole premise was really interesting. Sebastian and Viola were great characters and I really would have liked to see which outcome was true for them.Â
OOMPH by Emery Lord - 5 stars- LOVED!!! This put such a goofy smile on my face and was such the cutest thing. I really loved both Cassidy and Jo, their interactions and the Marvel references!! I would have loved to read more of this one and see what happened when they both came back to New York! Perfect!
THE DICTIONARY OF YOU AND ME by Jennifer L Armentrout - 4.5 stars- I really loved the set up of this one. I liked the interaction they had over the phone and resolution was wonderful!
THE UNLIKELY LIKELIHOOD OF FALLING IN LOVE by Jocelyn Davies - 5 stars- I LOVED this one!! It was so cute to see this girl use math to find the boy and for all her class to be behind her! And the whole time, the boy was trying to find her as well and oh my heart, they were super adorable! Loved it!Â
259 MILLION MILES by Kass Morgan -5 stars- Loved the premise, loved the characters, loved their connection...a bit devastated by the end...
SOMETHING REAL by Julie Murphy - 1 star- liked the two girls, hated everything else.Â
SAY EVERYTHING by Huntley Fitzpatrick - 2 stars- just a bit of a meh story tbh. Felt a bit bored and didn't find anything cute.Â
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEAD LOVE by Nicola Yoon -4 stars- I loved the set up of this one. I really enjoyed the writing and thought it was a cute, hopeful end to the anthology.Â
This is an anthology that was only recently released, and was on my “most anticipated” list of 2018. Although this was not the best anthology I have ever read, I did find it quite enjoyable. There were a fair share of cliches, but also some very unique ideas that impressed me. My favourite thing about anthologies is getting to experience new authors, and to get a taste of their storytelling without investing in a full-length novel. From reading this anthology I have found some new authors I want to read more from, and I consider that a success!
Check out my blog post for individual ratings on each story!
http://theprincessgummybearreviews.blogspot.ca/2018/01/meet-cute-book-review.html
Check out my blog post for individual ratings on each story!
http://theprincessgummybearreviews.blogspot.ca/2018/01/meet-cute-book-review.html
Cute read. Refreshing read. More than once I finished a story and let out an audible "D'awwww". Not life-changing, or impactful, but a good dose to YA to break-up heavier reads I've got lined up.
Siege Etiquette by Katie Cotugno ⭐️
Not my fave at all and was not a good start to this anthology. I don’t think a meet cute should ever start with cheating.
Print Shop by Nina LaCour ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the format of this one a lot. Evie and Lauren are adorable, even if they really only interact for like a second.
Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved the MC but I felt the meet cute could have been more.
Click by Katharine McGee ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Alexa and Raden meet on a date where they’ve been perfectly matched. This had some unexpected twists that were fun and probably the longest page time for the pairing so far in the anthology.
The Intern by Sara Shepard ⭐️⭐️
I honestly done remember this story at all, nothing about it really stood out to me.
Somewhere That’s Green by Meredith Russo
Meredith Russo is a problematic person and I will not be reviewing their work.
The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I could have spent so much more time in this world. The concept of something telling you who your true love is is so compelling to me and it was really interesting seeing it tackled.
Oomph by Emery Lord ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was super cute and I could definitely read a full length novel.
The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Unlikely Likelihood Falling In Love by Jocelyn Davies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was one of the best stories in the collection! I enjoyed the formatting, the characters, and the story overall.
259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought the concept was fun but the character interactions left some to be desired and the ending was good.
Something Real by Julie Murphy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Julie Murphy is an auto buy for me and this story affirms that I will read anything she writes because she nails it every time. 1000% would read a full length novel of this one.
Say Everything by Huntley Fitzpatrick ⭐️
This story was not great at all. Weird, awkward.
The Department of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The concept of this story!!! Another great candidate for a full length novel. Best quote of the book too:
“Some people you want to get to know and some people you want to know you. I think that's the difference.”
Not my fave at all and was not a good start to this anthology. I don’t think a meet cute should ever start with cheating.
Print Shop by Nina LaCour ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the format of this one a lot. Evie and Lauren are adorable, even if they really only interact for like a second.
Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved the MC but I felt the meet cute could have been more.
Click by Katharine McGee ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Alexa and Raden meet on a date where they’ve been perfectly matched. This had some unexpected twists that were fun and probably the longest page time for the pairing so far in the anthology.
The Intern by Sara Shepard ⭐️⭐️
I honestly done remember this story at all, nothing about it really stood out to me.
Somewhere That’s Green by Meredith Russo
Meredith Russo is a problematic person and I will not be reviewing their work.
The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I could have spent so much more time in this world. The concept of something telling you who your true love is is so compelling to me and it was really interesting seeing it tackled.
Oomph by Emery Lord ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was super cute and I could definitely read a full length novel.
The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Unlikely Likelihood Falling In Love by Jocelyn Davies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was one of the best stories in the collection! I enjoyed the formatting, the characters, and the story overall.
259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought the concept was fun but the character interactions left some to be desired and the ending was good.
Something Real by Julie Murphy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Julie Murphy is an auto buy for me and this story affirms that I will read anything she writes because she nails it every time. 1000% would read a full length novel of this one.
Say Everything by Huntley Fitzpatrick ⭐️
This story was not great at all. Weird, awkward.
The Department of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The concept of this story!!! Another great candidate for a full length novel. Best quote of the book too:
“Some people you want to get to know and some people you want to know you. I think that's the difference.”
Wonderful collection of short stories by some fabulous authors!
My favorites, in no particular order:
"Print Shop" Nina LaCour
"The Way We Love Here" Dhonielle Clayton
"Department of Dead Love" Nicola Yoon * (this one is my favorite favorite)
"The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love" Jocelyn Davies
But they're all great, honestly.
My favorites, in no particular order:
"Print Shop" Nina LaCour
"The Way We Love Here" Dhonielle Clayton
"Department of Dead Love" Nicola Yoon * (this one is my favorite favorite)
"The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love" Jocelyn Davies
But they're all great, honestly.
