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_bethypaige's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
hmlongstreet's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
I picked up this book because the cover had a review by Rainbow Rowell (author of Fangirl and Eleanor & Park) and she said it was a good read. This is my usual book genre, a fluffy college romance. I got invested in the story, I really did but after I had finished the book I was left with the feeling of "That's it?". The book has a promising beginning, a going somewhere middle, and a disappointing end.
Themes, characters, and stories are brought up only to be dropped in the next few sections, never to be heard from again. Even some conflicts remained unsolved and even when it was resolved I felt zero satisfaction. This is the book where you could leave out full characters and the story would not change one bit. And the main characters are just okay, the story is character-based but the development to me felt so small. I also could not find the plot, as I went through three ideas of what it could be, it is revealed so far towards the end it makes the whole story feel pointless.
I will mention something about the main character, will place a spoiler as it reveals things in the book.
I really wanted to love this one, but after I finished it and sat with it for a few minutes I couldn't.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Sexual assault
ayem's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
lesbianfrankiero's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, and Abortion
i would've loved to see more character development tbh, BUT i did love the discussion of mental health, socioeconomic disparity, vulnerability, and the focus on the bond or lack thereof between parent and child thatleanjeanreads's review against another edition
- 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
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 :/
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
annika_maree's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
This book is about Sam and Penny, young adults with big dreams. When they meet and exchange phone numbers, making each other their emergency contact which evolves into constant texts and a friendship over their secrets they would never share in real life.
Tw for anxiety (panic attacks), depression, unavailable parents, rape/sexual assault and alcoholism
Key ideas
-I loved how realistic these characters were, Sam and Penny are not the most likeable characters, they are judgmental and pessimistic. These qualities just made me love them more.
-The conversations in this book between Sam and Penny were the most genuine and natural that i have ever read
-The author put parts of herself in the book which amplified our empathy for the characters and made them feel so much more real
-I loved the maturity, this is classed as ya which I feel as if it should be na/a, the characters are in college and have mature issues eg financial, pregnancy, drugs and alcohol
-both Penny and Sam’s voices felt distinct and i was rarely bored
-They had things going on outside of the romance which i believe had the perfect ratio (Pennys writing class and how what she wrote reflected how she felt and Sam and his ex girlfriend trouble as well as the bakery
Quotes
“Penny believed with her whole heart that there were moments - crucial instances - that defined who someone was going to be. There were clues or signs, and you didn't want to miss them.”
“I like knowing that you exist. It doesn’t make me feel any less lonely, because life is lonely, but it makes me feel a lot less alone.”
“Sam enjoyed texting Penny. They talked about work, sleep, food, random facts. It didn’t need to be anything important. Their last text had been what to eat for breakfast. Since Penny had seen him at his lowest, there was no reason to act cooler than he was. It felt easy.”
“Sam wanted to tell Penny everything. He wanted a record of his thoughts and feelings and stories to exist with her. Like a time capsule for this strange period of his life. With her, he felt less lonely. He hadn't even realised he was lonely. He hadn't let himself. “
“Does he say good morning to her in a way that is reassuring? To where it feels as if he is holding her hand for the entire rest of the day until he says good night?”
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism and Abandonment
Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, and Eating disorder
crafts_writing's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Racism
claireinhart's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Racism and Vomit
shaunashares's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Alcoholism and Rape
mirandakyes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've heard people say they didn't like the main character and I can definitely understand that, though I did like her. She's just a bit "high maintenance" I guess? But I liked that about her because it was kind of presented through her anxiety and anti-social tendencies as opposed to her just being annoying. I liked her love interest, Sam, though his personal storylines were pretty unexpected since they were not mentioned in the description at all but played a pretty big part in the book.
All together, the main conflict was pretty avoidable and the plot was basically just the two MCs becoming friends and then getting together (with some personal storylines on both their ends that didn't exactly add up to a culmination of everything at the end, they just kind of got resolved). But I did actually like it while I was reading because I relate to the characters and enjoyed their relationship.
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Rape