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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
This book was okay. A little corny at times with a few good lines in there. Also, a 16 year old girl hanging out with men in their 20s is crazy idk. Most annoying of all was her crying about being a pretty white girl like okay…watching the self sabotage happen in real time was so annoying ugh.
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3/5 stars - just on the very edge of 4/5.
I was very very pleased to see a protagonist with some form of APD (Auditory Processing Disorder), especially portrayed as an actual person! It's hard to find books with neurodivergent protagonists, especially where the entire plot isn't focused on their struggles. This book hits the right balance between 'it does actually affect her life' and 'it is by far not the entirety of the plot'. I love it, I love it, I love it.
The protagonist's character arc made sense for most of the time, but about 4/7 to 5/7 of the way through the arc she very abruptly changed. I do wish her development was gradual and seamless throughout the entirety of the book, instead of Sudden and Permanent Confidence! at the press of a button.
Another main reason this book doesn't rate higher is the humour. A lot of stand-up comedy is related to the visuals, timing, and tone of voice - this form of comedy did not translate particularly well into a read format. I'm not sure if they would have been funnier if performed, but the comedy wasn't very amusing in a book format.
I was very very pleased to see a protagonist with some form of APD (Auditory Processing Disorder), especially portrayed as an actual person! It's hard to find books with neurodivergent protagonists, especially where the entire plot isn't focused on their struggles. This book hits the right balance between 'it does actually affect her life' and 'it is by far not the entirety of the plot'. I love it, I love it, I love it.
The protagonist's character arc made sense for most of the time, but about 4/7 to 5/7 of the way through the arc she very abruptly changed. I do wish her development was gradual and seamless throughout the entirety of the book, instead of Sudden and Permanent Confidence! at the press of a button.
Another main reason this book doesn't rate higher is the humour. A lot of stand-up comedy is related to the visuals, timing, and tone of voice - this form of comedy did not translate particularly well into a read format. I'm not sure if they would have been funnier if performed, but the comedy wasn't very amusing in a book format.
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
Strong language, sexual harassment, mental and psychological abuse, deception, mild underage drinking, pejorative language; accidental drug use, mentions sexual content
"ethnically ambiguous"
Spoiler
Strong language, sexual harassment, mental and psychological abuse, deception, mild underage drinking, pejorative language; accidental drug use, mentions sexual content
"ethnically ambiguous"
I truly love Henry's ability to create an authentic interior monologue. Bonus, set in Chicago too. Izzy finds her strength through stand-up to stand-up to emotional abuse. Accessibly complex emotions and situations, although perhaps too many situations to be thoroughly handled.
Then I hit the middle of the book where Izzy says something like "might wake up in Englewood in a tub of ice and missing a kidney." This left a sour taste in my mouth. For those unfamiliar, Englewood is an impoverished black neighborhood in Chicago. Did the author need this specific name drop? No. It felt particularly gross when she started talking about casual racism with another character not 3 pages later. How could the author not realize what she just said just did? Of course perhaps this only strikes a chord if you live in the area and recognize what was done.
Edit: You know what? I also didn't like how disparaging Henry was towards Roosevelt University, repeatedly saying "no one goes there" like it was the worst choice you could make. As a YA author you should be encouraging your readers to go to whatever school they want, not belittling one that doesn't meet your standards. I think it would have been wonderful to have a Roosevelt student win the All College Stand-Up show. Some poetic justice at least.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy.
Then I hit the middle of the book where Izzy says something like "might wake up in Englewood in a tub of ice and missing a kidney." This left a sour taste in my mouth. For those unfamiliar, Englewood is an impoverished black neighborhood in Chicago. Did the author need this specific name drop? No. It felt particularly gross when she started talking about casual racism with another character not 3 pages later. How could the author not realize what she just said just did? Of course perhaps this only strikes a chord if you live in the area and recognize what was done.
Edit: You know what? I also didn't like how disparaging Henry was towards Roosevelt University, repeatedly saying "no one goes there" like it was the worst choice you could make. As a YA author you should be encouraging your readers to go to whatever school they want, not belittling one that doesn't meet your standards. I think it would have been wonderful to have a Roosevelt student win the All College Stand-Up show. Some poetic justice at least.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy.
How does Katie Henry do it? Every time I read one of her books, I think 'man, she'll never top that', and then miraculously, her next book is even better than the last.
Isabel's story was filled with so many strands- family dynamic drama, an emotionally abusive boyfriend, a found family friend group- that all wove together into yet another perfect novel.
*An ARC was provided by Edelweiss and the author in exchange for an honest review*
Isabel's story was filled with so many strands- family dynamic drama, an emotionally abusive boyfriend, a found family friend group- that all wove together into yet another perfect novel.
*An ARC was provided by Edelweiss and the author in exchange for an honest review*
This book started off rough. I did not think I’d like the main character at first but it turned around. This had some funny lines too. Really liked it.
What a sweet book with such a compelling main character. Izzy’s arc is absolutely lovely, and her friendship with Mo is gorgeous. There were a LOT of social justice lectures and maybe too many characters, but overall I really enjoyed this one and I think Izzy is a delight. Also, Chicago! (Although come on these people are traversing the entire city on random Tuesday nights…)
When deciding if I wanted to read this book, I saw that it was "the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comes to high school." That description made my decision for me because I love comedy and the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (for 2.5 seasons).
Izzy's character development felt real to me as someone who was a teen in high school once upon a time and I loved how the book ended once I finally got there. However, I felt like a few chapters could've been left out/some of the plot points felt repetitive which frustrated me and I almost returned it to the library at one point. Call it delayed gratification or whatever but I really needed the plot to move forward more quickly (or am I really just that impatient?). Despite the frustration, I found myself rooting for Izzy and looked forward to the ending.
Overall I liked this book as well as Katie Henry's writing style. I'm glad I decided to read it.
Izzy's character development felt real to me as someone who was a teen in high school once upon a time and I loved how the book ended once I finally got there. However, I felt like a few chapters could've been left out/some of the plot points felt repetitive which frustrated me and I almost returned it to the library at one point. Call it delayed gratification or whatever but I really needed the plot to move forward more quickly (or am I really just that impatient?). Despite the frustration, I found myself rooting for Izzy and looked forward to the ending.
Overall I liked this book as well as Katie Henry's writing style. I'm glad I decided to read it.