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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Overall not a bad book but not one I'd necessarily recommend. The characters were a bit frustrating for almost the whole book, but I liked the ending. I could relate to Penny on a few things. Jude was my favorite character throughout.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Racism, Rape, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
kodi_rae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Pros: I thought the characters were interesting, and the texting format was fun. Cons: I thought some of the dialogue tried a bit too hard or felt forced.
Also a note of warning that even though this seems like more of a romcom/breezy book, it deals with quite a lot of serious topics that I think could potentially be triggering.
Also a note of warning that even though this seems like more of a romcom/breezy book, it deals with quite a lot of serious topics that I think could potentially be triggering.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
Minor: Alcoholism, Racism, Addiction, Child death, and Alcohol
ava_jane's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Panic attacks/disorders
_bethypaige's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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: Rape, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, and Racism
Minor: Pregnancy and Miscarriage
ayem's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Enjoyable read with excellent characters in a slice of life romance. It’s very slow going at first and the denouement is way too fast, but is a really fun and pleasant experience overall
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, and Rape
leanjeanreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
at the start, it was hard to be hooked to this book.. i kept putting this book off for days and weeks and finally decided to sit down and read it. it was really really cute. before i knew it, i couldn’t put this book down. loved the writing and how unique the characters were.
reasons for 4 stars.
1. to me the plot was half developed? there were many fleeting moments of other characters. for example, lorr just coming and going. andy popping out randomly and disappearing. it felt like the other characters were really just there to support penny/sam and to me, i thought i was unnecessary. though i got to kind of know sam and penny more, i thought it was rather random to have these “events” happening.
2. the ending. how can the book end without more romance on sam and penny 😭 they only made out once and it was so short 💔 i wanted more on their dates or how they went with their lives…
3. though the characters had alot of bad past experiences and family problems, i felt like there werent much covered on how they recovered from it together. i wished to see more character development on penny and her mum and sam and his mum. it was like, mary choi wanted to show how messed up sam and penny’s family situation is, leave it there, touch on it a little when they were texting and needing each other, then just going pass it. i felt like more couldve been written about the characters and their family? i thought that penny’s situation with her mum was a little weird and hard to comprehend too :/
reasons for 4 stars.
1. to me the plot was half developed? there were many fleeting moments of other characters. for example, lorr just coming and going. andy popping out randomly and disappearing. it felt like the other characters were really just there to support penny/sam and to me, i thought i was unnecessary. though i got to kind of know sam and penny more, i thought it was rather random to have these “events” happening.
2. the ending. how can the book end without more romance on sam and penny 😭 they only made out once and it was so short 💔 i wanted more on their dates or how they went with their lives…
3. though the characters had alot of bad past experiences and family problems, i felt like there werent much covered on how they recovered from it together. i wished to see more character development on penny and her mum and sam and his mum. it was like, mary choi wanted to show how messed up sam and penny’s family situation is, leave it there, touch on it a little when they were texting and needing each other, then just going pass it. i felt like more couldve been written about the characters and their family? i thought that penny’s situation with her mum was a little weird and hard to comprehend too :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
crafts_writing's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
I found this book at an interesting time in my life: I'm a fairly new college student who hasn't read for fun in a couple of years. So, my reviewing skills might be a little rusty. But, I was excited to get back into reading again and this seemed like a good start for me.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It's light-hearted but eventful with emotional scenes and multiple "side plots." Besides the basic synopsis, there wasn't much for a plotline, but there was a lot going on in this book: Penny's storyline, Sam's storyline, the mother's storyline, Judy's (and Mallory's) storyline, etc. In particular, I found myself loving the basic characterizations of each character but struggled to really get to know the side characters. I struggle to put it into words, but there was something missing from Judy and Mallory and later Andy's characterizations. It was hard to understand their motivations. Still, it was a minor flaw.
Other things I loved about this book: how easy of a read this book is. There were sections that were a little harder to read, but for the most part, this book flowed really nicely. I struggled a bit at the beginning because of how YA this story feels. The texting and references were silly and out of character, but once you get further in the book, you realize why. It becomes a bit more in character for them and the way they talk. But, I think this writing style would have been more appropriate with Penny being 15/16 and Sam being 17/18. If the writing style was different, this book could have easily been a new adult instead of a YA.
(Also, can we talk about the cover?! The hardcopy has a theme of light pink and gold, and the character art is beautiful!)
Another thing I loved is that some things didn't have perfect endings. Sam's mother Brandie Rose toward the end still didn't care for her son, but Sam seemed to accept and be able to move on. I'm really glad Choi didn't try and resolve them after she ruined Sam's life. Lorriane's storyline as well. Sam was able to move on from her, albeit a bit suddenly in my opinion. I wish we got a little more in his head about her.
Some things I disliked: Sam's initial character. As a teenager, the "bad boy" type can really seem appealing, but as you get older, it looks like a giant red flag. Some of his actions and the way he reacted considering the seriousness of the situation were a bit off-putting. The way he was almost excited to trap Lola was crazy to me. Of course, I understood his reasoning for wanting to have direction, but I think he should have been freaked out more. He got her pregnant despite knowing the relationship was basically one-sided. The whole pregnancy situation threw me for a loop, and I still don't know how I feel about the whole thing. I didn't particularly enjoy that section of the novel.
Another thing I disliked was generally the first section of the novel. This is the author's first-ever fiction book, and it feels a little bumpy at the beginning. Penny acted overly aggressive, and some of the lines are weird or out of place. I think Choi needed to tweak the beginning after finishing her novel and adjust the characters accordingly. Sure, it's character development, but the shifts from "I hate you" to "you're my friend now" characterizations were like a blink. (I'm looking at you, Mallory).
Why I disagree with some bad reviews: I see a lot of people not liking the writing style, and I think people forget this is a young adult novel. Although both main characters are over 18, the book's demographic is teenagers. Of course, the characters in a realistic fiction story are going to act like whiny teenagers! Because, well, they kind of are. Although, I can agree with people saying Penny's character at the beginning is a bit rude and standoff-ish (actually, there were several moments I got whiplash by how rude characters were!) To me at least, this fizzled out more towards the end.
Pros: it's a light-hearted read, genuinely really funny at times, has good connections between the love interests, as well as creative and unique lines. Really easy to read right through.
Cons: bumpy start, writing/characters are too immature for some people, questionable morals.
Overall, I think it's a great read! If you're extra picky about your YA books seeming too immature, maybe skip this one. The language can come off as trying too hard for some people I've heard, and I can kind of see why. Otherwise, it's a semi-fast read and everything is nicely resolved.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It's light-hearted but eventful with emotional scenes and multiple "side plots." Besides the basic synopsis, there wasn't much for a plotline, but there was a lot going on in this book: Penny's storyline, Sam's storyline, the mother's storyline, Judy's (and Mallory's) storyline, etc. In particular, I found myself loving the basic characterizations of each character but struggled to really get to know the side characters. I struggle to put it into words, but there was something missing from Judy and Mallory and later Andy's characterizations. It was hard to understand their motivations. Still, it was a minor flaw.
Other things I loved about this book: how easy of a read this book is. There were sections that were a little harder to read, but for the most part, this book flowed really nicely. I struggled a bit at the beginning because of how YA this story feels. The texting and references were silly and out of character, but once you get further in the book, you realize why. It becomes a bit more in character for them and the way they talk. But, I think this writing style would have been more appropriate with Penny being 15/16 and Sam being 17/18. If the writing style was different, this book could have easily been a new adult instead of a YA.
(Also, can we talk about the cover?! The hardcopy has a theme of light pink and gold, and the character art is beautiful!)
Another thing I loved is that some things didn't have perfect endings.
Some things I disliked: Sam's initial character. As a teenager, the "bad boy" type can really seem appealing, but as you get older, it looks like a giant red flag. Some of his actions and the way he reacted considering the seriousness of the situation were a bit off-putting.
Another thing I disliked was generally the first section of the novel. This is the author's first-ever fiction book, and it feels a little bumpy at the beginning. Penny acted overly aggressive, and some of the lines are weird or out of place. I think Choi needed to tweak the beginning after finishing her novel and adjust the characters accordingly. Sure, it's character development, but the shifts from "I hate you" to "you're my friend now" characterizations were like a blink. (I'm looking at you, Mallory).
Why I disagree with some bad reviews: I see a lot of people not liking the writing style, and I think people forget this is a young adult novel. Although both main characters are over 18, the book's demographic is teenagers. Of course, the characters in a realistic fiction story are going to act like whiny teenagers! Because, well, they kind of are. Although, I can agree with people saying Penny's character at the beginning is a bit rude and standoff-ish (actually, there were several moments I got whiplash by how rude characters were!) To me at least, this fizzled out more towards the end.
Pros: it's a light-hearted read, genuinely really funny at times, has good connections between the love interests, as well as creative and unique lines. Really easy to read right through.
Cons: bumpy start, writing/characters are too immature for some people, questionable morals.
Overall, I think it's a great read! If you're extra picky about your YA books seeming too immature, maybe skip this one. The language can come off as trying too hard for some people I've heard, and I can kind of see why. Otherwise, it's a semi-fast read and everything is nicely resolved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Racism
claireinhart's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.75
I love how these characters were exactly who they are. Incredibly readable and relatable and heart flippy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Vomit and Racism
besohappily's review against another edition
3.25
The first part of the story annoyed me incredibly. Especially Penny seemed very selfish and just tended to make me frustrated for no reason what so ever. After a while the story does get more engaging. I must say that some aspects seemed force. I would also and Sam as a character was quite simply the one better written out of the main two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
lenavejar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Alcohol
Minor: Blood, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Racism