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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was okay but it wasn’t very engaging. The romance felt forced. It didn’t feel natural to me at all. We are expected to believe that suddenly she had been pining for him for over a decade and it just didn’t feel like it. And the chemistry was dull. Toward the end it felt more natural but it was still cringey.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There was a lot I liked about this book: early 2000s nostalgia, Twilight references, all the music. The characters were interesting and fun, I love Pearl. The magical realism was an interesting touch but didn’t quite work for me. Sam frustrated me. She was so set on things being one way that she couldn’t fathom any other. There was some good character development though and I liked the resolution. I really enjoy La Rosa’s writing and the way the author deals with tough subjects.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think this concept would have worked better for a YA novel. It felt a little too cheesy for an adult romance.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
New favorite!!
lighthearted
medium-paced
lighthearted
Sam is a pilot who wanted nothing more than to escape her hometown. When her grandmother needs help moving from her childhood home she reluctantly goes home to help and is confronted with her past in creative ways. She finds her old Discman (portable cd player) and it still has a CD she and her best friend, Damon made when they were younger. Pressing play catapults her back through time and she watches an alternate reality where she kisses Damon that one time when he asked instead of declining it like she did "irl."
I rated The Backtrack 3 stars purely for the nostalgia I think, My favorite part of this book is the playlist and looking at the past through someone else's eyes. It was a nostalgic ride with lots of band references. I recommend listening to the songs when appropriate. There's a playlist! Outside of that the story was a bit repetitive. It drags in the middle, I kept getting distracted because I had to make myself read a couple chapters. Also the character's past selves were more fleshed out than their present selves which made the relationship a smidge thin.
Sam's grandmother is a hilarious gem of a character. Honestly the nostalgia and Pearl were the best parts of this book.
Oh! Rachel was not a good friend btw.
SPICE: one open door scene
TW: miscarriage, cheating
TROPES:
friends to lovers
small town
second chance
alternative life
playlist
I rated The Backtrack 3 stars purely for the nostalgia I think, My favorite part of this book is the playlist and looking at the past through someone else's eyes. It was a nostalgic ride with lots of band references. I recommend listening to the songs when appropriate. There's a playlist! Outside of that the story was a bit repetitive. It drags in the middle, I kept getting distracted because I had to make myself read a couple chapters. Also the character's past selves were more fleshed out than their present selves which made the relationship a smidge thin.
Sam's grandmother is a hilarious gem of a character. Honestly the nostalgia and Pearl were the best parts of this book.
Oh! Rachel was not a good friend btw.
SPICE: one open door scene
TW: miscarriage, cheating
TROPES:
friends to lovers
small town
second chance
alternative life
playlist
This book dares to ask the big questions in life, like:
Are boys better than planes?
Are boys better than Paris?
What if Jumanji was a CD player instead of a board game?
What if the potential life you could’ve had with your hot best friend from highschool runs parallel to the generational trauma that has been slowly suffocating the women in your family?
I really enjoyed this story which was infinitely more character driven than its contemporaries, with a weird, magical twist. Also this will be a Netflix romcom in roughly 18 months.
Are boys better than planes?
Are boys better than Paris?
What if Jumanji was a CD player instead of a board game?
What if the potential life you could’ve had with your hot best friend from highschool runs parallel to the generational trauma that has been slowly suffocating the women in your family?
I really enjoyed this story which was infinitely more character driven than its contemporaries, with a weird, magical twist. Also this will be a Netflix romcom in roughly 18 months.
slow-paced