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ekmartin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Cursing, Body shaming, Child death, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder, Grief, Pregnancy, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
karensareadsatnight's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Sexual content
beezinda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Upon finishing this novel, I'm left with the overwhelming feeling "WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST READ???"
The pros, the positives of this novel...the author deftly handle that this book is simultaneously an enemies to laver and friend's to lover story woven tight together with dramatic irony. This author showed a masterful hand at creating and holding romantic tension and angst that drives the emotional heart of this story.
The romantic core of this story is solid as an old oak tree. We really have 2 character with 2 emotional arc and journey that are resolved by understanding their love for each other. When an author can nail that I'm turning pages. I blew through this novel.
Lastly, I was actually surprised by Misha's ending. I literally didn't see it coming. Which was refreshing as I thought I had everything pegged. It has been a long while since a plot line was actually laid in a romance that I didn't clock by the reveal. It was really refreshing. Felt intentional and well earned. Loved that.
The cons: I don't know if these are cons per se, but I personally don't like it. This is a bully romance. Idk if I'd have picked it up if I knew that going in. Not only do they bully each other, there a lot of nastiness in the novel. At times, it's genuinely off-putting. I know for some scissors to the throat, some of the rough handling, some of the words for each other and their classmates. Fucking crazy. Legit...triggerwarning bullying.
Secondly, call me a prude if you want, but I hate smut with high school students. I don't care that they're 18. That not some magical get out jail free card for me. They're literally school children. It's disturbing to me to be that graphic and then talk about 4th period. The sex was not only really graphic but shockingly adult. Then, the scene hard handled with maturity.
That anal scene - kind of horrifying. She immediately says she's not interested. They get busy. He flips her over and says you should trust - do you trust me? He is verbalizing consent, but it still feels tinged with coercion, and that grosses me out. There are more few instances in this novel where Misha/Masen pushes this girls sexual boundaries in a way I don't feel comfortable with.
For however complex Micha and Ryen are, Trey and Lyla are comically villainous to an 80s stereotype extreme. Hamming their action is distracting and ultimate detrimental to the novel.
Overall, there is a good romantic heart to this story, but a specific sub-genre of this novel isn't what I typically like to read. Let's be very aware that this book could be a poster or after-school special for dubious consent.
The pros, the positives of this novel...the author deftly handle that this book is simultaneously an enemies to laver and friend's to lover story woven tight together with dramatic irony. This author showed a masterful hand at creating and holding romantic tension and angst that drives the emotional heart of this story.
The romantic core of this story is solid as an old oak tree. We really have 2 character with 2 emotional arc and journey that are resolved by understanding their love for each other. When an author can nail that I'm turning pages. I blew through this novel.
Lastly, I was actually surprised by Misha's ending. I literally didn't see it coming. Which was refreshing as I thought I had everything pegged. It has been a long while since a plot line was actually laid in a romance that I didn't clock by the reveal. It was really refreshing. Felt intentional and well earned. Loved that.
The cons: I don't know if these are cons per se, but I personally don't like it. This is a bully romance. Idk if I'd have picked it up if I knew that going in. Not only do they bully each other, there a lot of nastiness in the novel. At times, it's genuinely off-putting. I know for some scissors to the throat, some of the rough handling, some of the words for each other and their classmates. Fucking crazy. Legit...triggerwarning bullying.
Secondly, call me a prude if you want, but I hate smut with high school students. I don't care that they're 18. That not some magical get out jail free card for me. They're literally school children. It's disturbing to me to be that graphic and then talk about 4th period. The sex was not only really graphic but shockingly adult. Then, the scene hard handled with maturity.
That anal scene - kind of horrifying. She immediately says she's not interested. They get busy. He flips her over and says you should trust - do you trust me? He is verbalizing consent, but it still feels tinged with coercion, and that grosses me out. There are more few instances in this novel where Misha/Masen pushes this girls sexual boundaries in a way I don't feel comfortable with.
For however complex Micha and Ryen are, Trey and Lyla are comically villainous to an 80s stereotype extreme. Hamming their action is distracting and ultimate detrimental to the novel.
Overall, there is a good romantic heart to this story, but a specific sub-genre of this novel isn't what I typically like to read. Let's be very aware that this book could be a poster or after-school special for dubious consent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Grief, Bullying, Child death, and Homophobia
daisysiete's review
medium-paced
2.75
Not a fan of the writing style, but I catch myself not wanting to put down the book when I reached halfway. I have a love-hate relationship with Ryen. I didn't like her at times but it's nice to see her character develop as the book progresses. The story gets pretty problematic and there are certainly decisions the characters made that are questionable. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it enough to finish it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual harassment
nineinchnails's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
----
reread: 8/1/2024
i actually enjoyed this about as much as i did the first time i read it (possibly more because devil's night crumbs) but i just don't rate purely for enjoyment anymore. i stand by what i said in 2020 it's still really refreshing to have an objectively flawed heroine in this subgenre and while most of the other characters were very one dimensional, the main characters were still interesting and likeable!
----
first read: 27/12/2020
i actually really enjoyed this book it was hot n the pacing was really good!! ryen’s character was so refreshing it’s nice to read about a romance heroine having a flaw that isn’t ‘too nice’. also the actual premise was kinda unique! However it is a little cringy at some points especially the epilogue with him being a famous rockstar but i guess that comes with having the male lead be a musician
reread: 8/1/2024
i actually enjoyed this about as much as i did the first time i read it (possibly more because devil's night crumbs) but i just don't rate purely for enjoyment anymore. i stand by what i said in 2020 it's still really refreshing to have an objectively flawed heroine in this subgenre and while most of the other characters were very one dimensional, the main characters were still interesting and likeable!
----
first read: 27/12/2020
i actually really enjoyed this book it was hot n the pacing was really good!! ryen’s character was so refreshing it’s nice to read about a romance heroine having a flaw that isn’t ‘too nice’. also the actual premise was kinda unique! However it is a little cringy at some points especially the epilogue with him being a famous rockstar but i guess that comes with having the male lead be a musician
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Grief, and Homophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Abandonment, and Addiction
jessica_hartman's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m not a prude by any means, but I was thrown a bit by the details of the main couples sex life given the characters are underage. It was uncomfortable.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Toxic friendship
jesshart8's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Sexism, Death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
isabella_gautreauuu's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Super emotional, character development between main and side characters, heavily smut-based, has you relating to the main characters, flawed main character, first few chapters are hard to read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content
annabananadel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
“Alone, Empty, Fraud, Shame, Fear. Close your eyes. There is nothing to see out here.”
Would just wanna say that the plot twist at the end is a good one. Something I had not expected but mostly because I was focused on the sexual tension between Ryen and Misha.
I think I like this story more than Birthday Girl but it might be also me not fully focused when I was listening to that book. I was more focused with this story and to be honest, I love the friends to enemies to lovers theme of this story. They were best friends first but then later on became enemies once they've actually met one another (granted that one of them does not know who the other person is). It's such a tragic to actually meet someone on the first chapter and just getting your heart broken after she was announced dead after the next few chapters (and no, this ain't a spoiler because it's literally on the first three chapters). I would have loved to meet Annie. But I guess, in order for the story to progress, it had to happen. I would have been devastated as well if I lost someone that close to me.
I can also understand where Ryen is coming from - with how she's the "popular cheerleader" girl but when she really is a different person. I would also be as surprised as Misha when he found out that the girl he's been writing letters with for the past seven years is an entirely different person. I'm really glad Misha was there to straighten Ryen out but the only downside was that he took too long to confess who he really was. It's hard to tell someone the truth the longer you lie.
Overall, a great read if you'd like the teenage sexual drive since they really do be doing it intensely given their age. Penelope really writes amazing sexual scenes, to be honest. I'm here for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
haunted_hexes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Death, and Abandonment