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aalexander8's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
If you were going into this book thinking it would be light-hearted and fun, it isn’t. It does have its moments though.
The author uses common themes found in romance novels about two characters from different sides of the tracks: racism and/or racial injustice (particularly from police and other authority figures), classism, family expectations, and friendship woes, etc. But, she also attempts to tackle heavier topics related to mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, internalized racism (chiefly Isa’s bigoted mother who is Cuban born, yet does not want her daughter to marry a Spanish-speaking person), and the psychological effects of systemic racism and code switching. My guy, Alex deals with this real bad.
That’s alot for a YA “meet cute-esque” romance. And consent issues aside with that whole kissing a random stranger bit, I still wanted to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t well executed and I found myself put off by the characterization of Alex and Isa.
At times it seemed that the author wanted the reader to view the main character Isa, a beautiful ballet dancer, as the ideal with her lighter features, blond hair, and sweet nature. While Alex, the good-natured brown-skinned Dominican American baseball player with a domineering father, is only legitimatized by his love of poetry and his desire to defer to the dominant culture. And why wouldn’t he, his neighborhood has gangs, and drug abusing fathers, and overly jealous and attitudinal girls who can be used as rebounds and slighted continuously but still expected to be in your corner during times of racial injustice (Justice for Kiara(sp?)!!
So…definitely not my favorite book I’ve listened to this year. It was mildly entertaining and I did manage to maintain my usual 1.5x speed.
The author uses common themes found in romance novels about two characters from different sides of the tracks: racism and/or racial injustice (particularly from police and other authority figures), classism, family expectations, and friendship woes, etc. But, she also attempts to tackle heavier topics related to mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, internalized racism (chiefly Isa’s bigoted mother who is Cuban born, yet does not want her daughter to marry a Spanish-speaking person), and the psychological effects of systemic racism and code switching. My guy, Alex deals with this real bad.
That’s alot for a YA “meet cute-esque” romance. And consent issues aside with that whole kissing a random stranger bit, I still wanted to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t well executed and I found myself put off by the characterization of Alex and Isa.
At times it seemed that the author wanted the reader to view the main character Isa, a beautiful ballet dancer, as the ideal with her lighter features, blond hair, and sweet nature. While Alex, the good-natured brown-skinned Dominican American baseball player with a domineering father, is only legitimatized by his love of poetry and his desire to defer to the dominant culture. And why wouldn’t he, his neighborhood has gangs, and drug abusing fathers, and overly jealous and attitudinal girls who can be used as rebounds and slighted continuously but still expected to be in your corner during times of racial injustice (Justice for Kiara(sp?)!!
So…definitely not my favorite book I’ve listened to this year. It was mildly entertaining and I did manage to maintain my usual 1.5x speed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Police brutality
Moderate: Classism and Racism
kristinallard's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Racism
blank_space_forever's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Police brutality
tsundoku_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
4.0
I really enjoyed this and whenever I picked it up it was very hard to put down. Isa and Alex were cute together and I enjoyed seeing them work through the hardships of a relationship and learning that love is something that takes effort and must be fought for. This book dealt with a lot of serious topics as well but I felt like it was done well. I'd recommend this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
spearly's review
emotional
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
3.5
I did not like this book at first. The characters felt really young (and they were - grade 10), but since the novel takes place over a few years, I found the inner dialogue start to change the more I read, which is great.
Story wise, I loved this book. Isa and Alex had palpable chemistry from their first encounter, but I appreciated that Williams didn't write an insta-love situation. It's months later by the time the main relationship gets going, and it's a refreshing change of pace for a YA novel.
I also loved Alex and Isa as characters. I understood them, I never felt like anything that happened in the book, particularly in regards to them as a couple, was far-fetched. Sure, the obvious lack of communication ends up being the main conflict, but considering the characters are about 16/17, it felt believable. At that age, things like family and relationship drama can feel like the end of the world.
I also love Williams' focus on Alex's writing. His sensitivity. His brotherly love. YA also tends to have a lot of alpha male MCs, so Alex was a refreshing change. I loved reading his POV. Honestly, I LOVE when authors do a split POV!
Most importantly, I loved how the novel tackled issues of race, of colorism, of mental health. I could feel the authenticity of it all as I read. My blood boiled with Alex. My mind raced with Merrit. My heart pounded with Isa. The way our MCs move throughout the world is so different from my own experience.
And I enjoyed the main setting of the novel - the story takes place over the course of 2ish years, with majority of the integral chapters taking place on a subway car. It's where Isa and Alex meet. And meet again. And have their first kiss. Their first make up. The big conflict.
My main issues came from the general writing style. Nearly every sentence started with a pronoun, and it came across pretty stilted at times. For example:
I stay where I am, next to the fountain that’s been drained for the season. I want to follow her. But I know I can’t. She’s like a bird, swooping with joy and life. I want to write about it. I take out my phone and snap a pic.
and
I’m on set three of four. The door opens. Robi comes down and sits on the steps. He was at the dining table, cutting hearts out of red construction paper when I came. In elementary school, I had to bring valentines for the class too. Only, I got mine from a box. I was going to tell Robi how cool it was he was making them. How his friends and teachers were going to be impressed. Papi closed a hand on my shoulder, steered me toward the basement before I could. He yelled out to Yaritza, asked why his son was playing with paper hearts when he could be watching his papi’s old games.
Those are just 2 of the many paragraphs I noticed when reading. It feels like an intentional writing choice, given how pervasive it is throughout the while novel, but it just wasn't my thing.
I was an interesting choice, however, since Alex's love of poetry was such an important point in the book. You'd think a book with such a poetic character would be a little more... poetic to read.
3.5, because 3 feels too low but I can't justify a 4 star rating.
Story wise, I loved this book. Isa and Alex had palpable chemistry from their first encounter, but I appreciated that Williams didn't write an insta-love situation. It's months later by the time the main relationship gets going, and it's a refreshing change of pace for a YA novel.
I also loved Alex and Isa as characters. I understood them, I never felt like anything that happened in the book, particularly in regards to them as a couple, was far-fetched. Sure, the obvious lack of communication ends up being the main conflict, but considering the characters are about 16/17, it felt believable. At that age, things like family and relationship drama can feel like the end of the world.
I also love Williams' focus on
Most importantly, I loved how the novel tackled issues of race, of colorism, of mental health. I could feel the authenticity of it all as I read. My blood boiled with Alex. My mind raced with Merrit. My heart pounded with Isa. The way our MCs move throughout the world is so different from my own experience.
And I enjoyed the main setting of the novel - the story takes place over the course of 2ish years, with majority of the integral chapters taking place on a subway car. It's where Isa and Alex meet. And meet again. And have their first kiss. Their first make up. The big conflict.
My main issues came from the general writing style. Nearly every sentence started with a pronoun, and it came across pretty stilted at times. For example:
I stay where I am, next to the fountain that’s been drained for the season. I want to follow her. But I know I can’t. She’s like a bird, swooping with joy and life. I want to write about it. I take out my phone and snap a pic.
and
I’m on set three of four. The door opens. Robi comes down and sits on the steps. He was at the dining table, cutting hearts out of red construction paper when I came. In elementary school, I had to bring valentines for the class too. Only, I got mine from a box. I was going to tell Robi how cool it was he was making them. How his friends and teachers were going to be impressed. Papi closed a hand on my shoulder, steered me toward the basement before I could. He yelled out to Yaritza, asked why his son was playing with paper hearts when he could be watching his papi’s old games.
Those are just 2 of the many paragraphs I noticed when reading. It feels like an intentional writing choice, given how pervasive it is throughout the while novel, but it just wasn't my thing.
I was an interesting choice, however, since Alex's love of poetry was such an important point in the book. You'd think a book with such a poetic character would be a little more... poetic to read.
3.5, because 3 feels too low but I can't justify a 4 star rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
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