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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
fast-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:
No
This book is better than I remember.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mia was kinda annoying at first but she got better. It was alright nothing special but fun
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Awful. I have loved everything Cabot has written except this series. It's terrible--loaded with selfish and just plain dumb characters, lacking genuine story or plot...leave it on the shelf.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
such a classic read and so nostalgic for me. the humor in this book is so layered: things she outright jokes about, her sarcasm, and then there're jokes only an older/more experienced reader might understand that even mia herself doesnt.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
funny
lighthearted
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
This had a particular charm and enduring quality. Was a good amount of it because my queen Anne Hathaway was narrating the audiobook? Quite possibly. I picked this up partially because of that fact, partly because I love the movies, and partly because Gavin Reads It All is reading all of these books this month for a video (the fact that Anne Hathaway narrated the audiobook definitely pushed my decision to read this over the edge, though). This was lighthearted, with a good amount of humor, however, the fact that this was released in the early 2000s is quite clear. I enjoyed a majority of this, but there were a good amount of throwaway lines that were either insensitive or borderline offensive (or outright offensive), which made me uncomfortable. Mia is 14, so of course she is not the most self-aware or empathetic person in the entire world. All in all, she is relatively open-minded, but there are definitely some blindspots. Just like with the movie, I am not a fan of Lilly. She is rude and mean, and, in the book, sometimes encourages Mia to be so as well. She also often gives off the vibe of a typical white person enraged at the injustices of the world, while also lacking the understanding of them (she's, again, is 14, so there is some leeway, but it still annoyed me). Mia's grandmother is quite rude and has some problematic views that I wasn't a fan of, though this is kind of made fun of and pointed out to be outrageous and wrong, so at least there was that (this type of thing happens a good deal, and I'm not the biggest fan of it, but it doesn't completely ruin the book for me). The fact that Mia somewhat has to parent her mom in terms of responsibilities (i.e.: making sure to pay bills on time) made me a bit sad. Her dad (who was alive in this one) was unobtrusive in regards to my enjoyment. Mia's bodyguard (due to his name) reminded me of Rhys Larsen. Mia is delightfully (and a bit exasperatingly) naive and clueless in regards to Michael's crush on her. Mia's random opinions are usually humorous and interesting, though sometimes includes the problematic throwaway lines. Why is there so much sexual harassment in this? There's literally so much for a story about a 14 year old. It matches the vibe of the time period, but it's really strange how much is included. Overall, this was a relatively enjoyable read (though I suspect a good amount of my enjoyment is because of Anne Hathaway's delivery), but the problematic aspects definitely tampered down my enjoyment. I'm not entirely sure whether I'll continue the series. I might just leave it off here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Racism, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Fatphobia
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Stalking, Alcohol