Scan barcode
nikkigribuste's review
4.0
i actually really liked this one even though i wasn't expecting to
it started off quite slow in my opinion but i find that emery lord conveyed the same writing style and build up in the last novel i read of hers 'the names they gave us'.
i really liked paige's character - i usually get annoyed by 16 year old fictional teenage girls just because they make stupid decisions, are winy, and remind me too much of myself at that age HAHAH. it's almost too painful to read. but yeah i really liked her, she seemed like a really good friend and u could always tell she had good intentions.
max omg, i have found another male mc to gush over. he is adorable. typical star wars loving nerd. i could just FEEL my intense care when he ignored and was avoiding paige for a week and i couldn't control my agony and screams at the pages telling him to GET A GRIP AND STOP BEING A FUCKING CHILD. but then when the reasoning came out i was like 'ok fair enough'. i thought he was winy over how paige reacted but it seemed he enjoyed snooping at her dairy instead lol.
i also loved the pride and prejudice references - i'm a major sucker for contemporary authors doing this where they compare their mc's to jane eyre and their male love interests as mr darcy. it may be overdone but i will never get enough of it. 4/5 :)
"i think i've loved you since that first day"
"i would walk 500-milesly yours"
it started off quite slow in my opinion but i find that emery lord conveyed the same writing style and build up in the last novel i read of hers 'the names they gave us'.
i really liked paige's character - i usually get annoyed by 16 year old fictional teenage girls just because they make stupid decisions, are winy, and remind me too much of myself at that age HAHAH. it's almost too painful to read. but yeah i really liked her, she seemed like a really good friend and u could always tell she had good intentions.
max omg, i have found another male mc to gush over. he is adorable. typical star wars loving nerd. i could just FEEL my intense care when he ignored and was avoiding paige for a week and i couldn't control my agony and screams at the pages telling him to GET A GRIP AND STOP BEING A FUCKING CHILD. but then when the reasoning came out i was like 'ok fair enough'. i thought he was winy over how paige reacted but it seemed he enjoyed snooping at her dairy instead lol.
i also loved the pride and prejudice references - i'm a major sucker for contemporary authors doing this where they compare their mc's to jane eyre and their male love interests as mr darcy. it may be overdone but i will never get enough of it. 4/5 :)
"i think i've loved you since that first day"
"i would walk 500-milesly yours"
bookdevouringmisfit's review against another edition
5.0
When I read Jessi Kirby's Things We Know by Heart, I noted in my review that it didn't deliver in its portrayal of grief. I don't mean to compare but once I read this I just couldn't help it--Things We Know by Heart is just mediocre in comparison to The Start of Me and You. The former is more focused on the romance while the latter has so much going on.
There is the friendship which is now so rare in a lot of YA books that I wish every YA book out there would just show more. The bond between the four girls is so authentic that Emery Lord's dedication of its own chapters for the four girls only shows how solidified their friendship is. Each girl has her own strengths and weaknesses that completes and balances their friendship. Theirs is a friendship of deep understanding, frank conversations and strong bond which I really wish I had when I was in high school.
Another aspect that this novel excels at is the familial relationships. Paige's grandmother played such a pivotal role on being an inspiration and role model to her. It is her grandmother who gave her so much strength and courage in finding more about herself and venturing on her dream of being a writer. Paige's divorced-but-dating parents and the younger sister she can't get along with were such important parts of the novel as well. Her mother has become very overprotective following Aaron's death that Paige had to follow rules all the time. What made her home life more strange is that her mother and father have started dating again and have been dating already for four months! Of course, Paige was unhappy because she didn't want to see her parents hurt each other again as opposed to her younger sister who was just ecstatic. This just added to one of the reasons why she and her sister can't get along well. All of this just made her grandmother the only other person she can really talk to so her death really hit me hard.
And now, onto the aspect that I always look forward to in the books I read--the romance. I love a good romance and this one didn't disappoint. Paige has set her sights on Ryan Chase, her ultimate crush since eight grade, but it's his cousin, Max, that snatched her heart away. Paige's realization of her feelings towards Max was achingly slow-burn and she may have spent half the novel pining over Ryan, but it didn't change the fact that she and Max formed a strong friendship right from the beginning. It's undeniable that Max just gets her in the way that her friends don't. They share their own secrets and nerdy references that just made me wish for a male best friend as well. At first Paige didn't deem Max crush-worthy because he didn't have the looks and charm Ryan possesses so theirs is a love that formed for all the right reasons. Their romance is slow and real that just made my heart melt.
It is undeniable that a lot of YA books could learn so much from this.
Just all of the stars for this wonderful masterpiece. Take 'em Emery Lord. Take 'em all.
There is the friendship which is now so rare in a lot of YA books that I wish every YA book out there would just show more. The bond between the four girls is so authentic that Emery Lord's dedication of its own chapters for the four girls only shows how solidified their friendship is. Each girl has her own strengths and weaknesses that completes and balances their friendship. Theirs is a friendship of deep understanding, frank conversations and strong bond which I really wish I had when I was in high school.
Another aspect that this novel excels at is the familial relationships. Paige's grandmother played such a pivotal role on being an inspiration and role model to her. It is her grandmother who gave her so much strength and courage in finding more about herself and venturing on her dream of being a writer. Paige's divorced-but-dating parents and the younger sister she can't get along with were such important parts of the novel as well. Her mother has become very overprotective following Aaron's death that Paige had to follow rules all the time. What made her home life more strange is that her mother and father have started dating again and have been dating already for four months! Of course, Paige was unhappy because she didn't want to see her parents hurt each other again as opposed to her younger sister who was just ecstatic. This just added to one of the reasons why she and her sister can't get along well. All of this just made her grandmother the only other person she can really talk to so her death really hit me hard.
And now, onto the aspect that I always look forward to in the books I read--the romance. I love a good romance and this one didn't disappoint. Paige has set her sights on Ryan Chase, her ultimate crush since eight grade, but it's his cousin, Max, that snatched her heart away. Paige's realization of her feelings towards Max was achingly slow-burn and she may have spent half the novel pining over Ryan, but it didn't change the fact that she and Max formed a strong friendship right from the beginning. It's undeniable that Max just gets her in the way that her friends don't. They share their own secrets and nerdy references that just made me wish for a male best friend as well. At first Paige didn't deem Max crush-worthy because he didn't have the looks and charm Ryan possesses so theirs is a love that formed for all the right reasons. Their romance is slow and real that just made my heart melt.
It is undeniable that a lot of YA books could learn so much from this.
Just all of the stars for this wonderful masterpiece. Take 'em Emery Lord. Take 'em all.
janagaton's review
4.0
I picked this up because I read When We Collided by Emery Lord and absolutely loved it. This one fell a little bit short for me, but I still give it four stars because I saw so much of myself in the main character. Her Type-A personality and interests are so relatable, and it was overall a cute contemporary.
readwithkiekie's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as The Names They Gave Us but really addictive story with a lot of friendship at its core value.
nadine_booklover's review against another edition
4.0
THIS is really a very cute story! Just lovely and touching all over the place. A story about friendship, dealing with loss, overcoming your fears by learning to trust life again and therefor to find a new love.
kvreadsandrecs's review against another edition
5.0
I've read this book twice, both in one sitting (way too late at night). I love Max Watson and loved how Paige remained a broken, yet strong character.
ppaula44's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
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
3.75
such a rushed ending it ruined the vibe
melissaverasreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ✮
I enjoyed this book a lot. The plot was really interesting and the writing was engaging. I loved Max, and the friendship between the girls is just wonderful.
But I felt this story was a lot of telling and not enough showing. A lot of heartbreaking things happened and I was just like... meh. Not even a knot in my stomach. Nothing. It would have work better if this would just be a cute, light book. Also I did have a little problem with Paige, something wasn't right with her attitude. I guess she did grow a lot, and her heart was in the right place... But I don't know, something didn't quite fell into place.
Don't get me wrong, I did liked Paige. And this book was really enjoyable. I recommend it. ☺
I enjoyed this book a lot. The plot was really interesting and the writing was engaging. I loved Max, and the friendship between the girls is just wonderful.
But I felt this story was a lot of telling and not enough showing. A lot of heartbreaking things happened and I was just like... meh. Not even a knot in my stomach. Nothing. It would have work better if this would just be a cute, light book. Also I did have a little problem with Paige, something wasn't right with her attitude. I guess she did grow a lot, and her heart was in the right place... But I don't know, something didn't quite fell into place.
Don't get me wrong, I did liked Paige. And this book was really enjoyable. I recommend it. ☺