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This book is astoundingly underrated. I was expecting to barely tolerate it based on the reviews, and it ended up being super funny and fun. I even rooted for the (actual, not hired) love interests to get together, which I almost never do for YA. Hope this guy writes another book.
Listen up, y'all.
This book is freaking amazing, and this is coming from someone who proclaims to be SO OVER YA/dystopian/romance books. Couldn't put it down. Loved the writing (and the satire!). And I'm posting this review at 1am because I just finished it and the adrenaline won't leave. Though this sounds like an oxymoron, this book is truly a YA for ALL audiences. Preorder it! Or join Book Of The Month to get it! And then read it and thank me later!
Shoutout to BOTM for the hookup, and shoutout to Cale Dietrich for writing one hell of a debut novel.
This book is freaking amazing, and this is coming from someone who proclaims to be SO OVER YA/dystopian/romance books. Couldn't put it down. Loved the writing (and the satire!). And I'm posting this review at 1am because I just finished it and the adrenaline won't leave. Though this sounds like an oxymoron, this book is truly a YA for ALL audiences. Preorder it! Or join Book Of The Month to get it! And then read it and thank me later!
Shoutout to BOTM for the hookup, and shoutout to Cale Dietrich for writing one hell of a debut novel.
APRIL 2020 REVIEW
I finished this book like two hours ago and forgot to post about it, oops.
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I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!
I love Dyl and Caden together.
I also love that in the end, they still stayed friends with Juliet.
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I was not expecting pg. 239—that plot twist, HOLY CRAP! I was not expecting Natalie to be a Love Interest as well.
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Also, question, was this set like a little bit in the future because of the high-advanced technology, or was it set in the year it was written (2017)?
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I cannot even form words to describe how much I LOVED this book, honestly!
I finished this book like two hours ago and forgot to post about it, oops.
•
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!
I love Dyl and Caden together.
I also love that in the end, they still stayed friends with Juliet.
•
I was not expecting pg. 239—that plot twist, HOLY CRAP! I was not expecting Natalie to be a Love Interest as well.
•
Also, question, was this set like a little bit in the future because of the high-advanced technology, or was it set in the year it was written (2017)?
•
I cannot even form words to describe how much I LOVED this book, honestly!
RATING: 4 stars
Was this book pretty stupid? Yes. We’re the characters a little two-dimensional and always, always said what they were thinking even if it was unrealistic? Yes.
Was the romance confusing at times and the premise not explained too much? Yep.
Did I like this book anyways? For some reason, yeah. I’m glad I read a few reviews before picking it up because I knew, going into it, that everyone who enjoyed it knew it was sort of making fun of itself and knew not to take it too seriously.
It was fun and I got to eat Mac and cheese while reading it so for those two reasons I liked it lol.
Was this book pretty stupid? Yes. We’re the characters a little two-dimensional and always, always said what they were thinking even if it was unrealistic? Yes.
Was the romance confusing at times and the premise not explained too much? Yep.
Did I like this book anyways? For some reason, yeah. I’m glad I read a few reviews before picking it up because I knew, going into it, that everyone who enjoyed it knew it was sort of making fun of itself and knew not to take it too seriously.
It was fun and I got to eat Mac and cheese while reading it so for those two reasons I liked it lol.
Literally the novelisation of This Means War (2012) but not as fun and everyone was annoying
okay i’ve heard this is only alright but it sounds like a trashy gay spy novel which is.... exactly what my saf heart needs
update it was…. not
update it was…. not
The premise is so excellent that any actual book would've struggled to live up to it. Things mostly hold together through the first 2/3rds, then fall apart in the last third for Surprise!Grimdark that doesn't necessarily...mesh. Tonally. Nonetheless, there's a lot to be said about the ways this deconstructs and interrogates ideas of masculinity in YA.
Also, behold my bitterness about the ending:
I get not ascribing Happy Ever After, but...maybe at least having a "we don't know where this is going but we're happy for now" instead of a "we're going to stick together forever because we can't not after all the fucked up shit we did to get together." Especially considering that twelfth hour heel face turn regarding Dyl's emotions/motivations. Jfc.
Also, behold my bitterness about the ending:
Spoiler
The ending essentially implies that the two male leads only get together because "they sacrificed too much to get together" and literally cannot ever break up because of those sacrifices. It's just fucked up, okay? I did not sign up for some shady af ending that implies these characters aren't necessarily happy together, they're just codependent, or it's going to blow up in their faces soon.I get not ascribing Happy Ever After, but...maybe at least having a "we don't know where this is going but we're happy for now" instead of a "we're going to stick together forever because we can't not after all the fucked up shit we did to get together." Especially considering that twelfth hour heel face turn regarding Dyl's emotions/motivations. Jfc.