Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Expiration Dates

Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

27 reviews

bringmybooks's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

✨Bring✨ | ~~Borrow~~ | ~~Bypass~~

Thank you to Edelweiss, Atria Books, & Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

Review: Rebecca Serle's books seem to be finding a particularly formulaic groove, but I don't know that I mind it too much - it's predictable in it's way, but it works so well for her that it's not a problem. As in her previous books, I genuinely loved these characters and enjoyed watching the back and forth between them (as well as really enjoying the now and then of the storytelling, and getting to see each of her relationships since the letters started arriving).

There were a couple of quibbles I had with some parts at the end, and that's where it kind of lost me on the enjoyment, plot, and pacing factors - but overall it is definitely recommended (and with a "Bring" rather than "Borrow" because her covers are just too good!)

Overall Rating: ★★★★ / 3.88

Rating each element of the book out of 5★
Characters ★★★★
Atmosphere ★★★
Writing ★★★★
Plot ★★★
Intrigue ★★★★
Logic ★★★★
Enjoyment ★★★
Pacing ★★★
Dialogue ★★★★

★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it

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mandi_lea's review

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hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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niquee3317's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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jjoyce's review

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hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Quick read but didn't really like this at all. I've heard criticism that the main character is unlikeable...I thought she was just relatively flatly written. Even though, especially after the twist, we knew a lot about her, I still didn't feel like I had a good sense of who she was. Or maybe, on further examination, I do have a sense of who she is/what her motivations are, but I just didn't care about her? Generally don't mind a "magical realism" element like the one in this book not being explained, but the juxtaposition of the premise of the book with that premise being turned upside down by one character's actions didn't work for me.

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xoxojordanisabella's review

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emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

i went into this truly expecting to fall in complete love with this book, and for the first half, i really did. there was a solid two days where i couldn’t put it down. around halfway through, though, it felt like there was a sudden tone shift. the more i read, it felt like the author may have written the whole first half and worked out her ending, but put down writing it for another project before she finished the third quarter.

right around when daphne reveals her illness

is when it starts to feel rushed. the whole plotline felt like a cheap way to start wrapping up the story without having to come up with a meaningful reason why her relationship with hugo failed.

i was honestly expecting her to kill off daphne as a way not to make her choose between jake and hugo.

the whole thing started feeling very wattpad very fast, which SUCKS, because i think if that plotline had been a little more well rounded, it could’ve added a lot of meaningfulness to the book as a whole.

overall, it was worth the time i spent reading it, but i probably won’t be giving it a second read and i’m really glad i borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.

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daniellereadslikealot_'s review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

Do yourself a favor before you read this one and make sure you have a box of tissues nearby. The synopsis even says this book is heartbreaking and yet, I was surprised when I cried several times so that’s on me. Yes, there is romance in this story, but it’s about so much more. Daphne was such a well written character who I related to so heavily. I loved her wit, her strength and her unabashed desire for true love. The book starts off making you think it’s going to be about a woman who knows how long each relationship she enters will be and yes, there is that, but then the other shoe drops and it surprised the heck out of me in the best way. This is a book about living, not just surviving, believing in good things for yourself and of course, taking a chance on true love. I did think that there were a few things that needed a bit more explanation and the ending was a bit abrupt, but those are my only complaints. I highly recommend this one.

Mini spoiler: nothing bad happens to the dog!

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silverhill's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

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infusionofviolets's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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megwilli's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad slow-paced

4.0

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meredith_williams_'s review

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emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Rebecca Serle’s books are always better in theory than in actual execution for me. I read her first book, “In Five Years” and, like “Expiration Dates”, liked the way elements of magical realism were used to explore deeper philosophical questions about life and love. However, I do not enjoy the way she writes her characters. They always feel a bit pretentious and melodramatic.

I’m also not a fan of incorporating terminal illnesses just for the sake of the plot. Lastly, I would like to say that Hugo was an asshole and a terrible romantic lead. Justice for Jake!! He deserved better even though his doc marten notebook quirk was annoying.

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