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katylv's review
5.0
It may only be August, but this is my book of the year. Heart warming, it made me laugh and cry and feel so much. I loved it and I know it’ll be a book I re-read many times.
oncemorewithreading's review
5.0
I was scared going into this book as I loved No Big Deal so much but honestly Bethany Rutter has done it again.
Melt My Heart is an adorable coming of age story that is perfect for YA readers. It didn’t take long for me to love Lily Rose and how in love she is with her body. What I loved the most is that she’s unapologetically human and she has her own flaws. She’s struggling with the idea of going to university, leaving her best friend behind and the feeling that she will never be on the same level as her twin sister Daisy. Lily makes mistakes in this book and she is rightfully called out for them which helped her grow as a character.
I found myself absolutely loving her friendship with Carrie and how creative she was! She had Lily’s back and helped her feel more comfortable in her own skin. Carrie is the best friend we all deserve. I also really liked Cal’s character and honestly, he was adorable and one of the most genuine male characters I’ve seen in YA for a while.
The family dynamic was a big focus in this book and I loved how even when Lily and Daisy aren’t getting along they come together to support their mother, who is hands down one of the best characters in this book! Daisy and Lily are both trying to come to terms with the fact that they’ll be separated whilst also wanting to be their own person.
I could sit here for hours telling you about this book but I want you to read this for yourself. I want you to follow Lily on her journey of balancing her summer, her fears for the future and her life in general.
This book is so much more than about Lily’s weight. Melt My Heart is a story about family, friendship, coming to terms with who you are as a person and loving yourself no matter what. This is a book about body positivity that everyone needs to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Melt My Heart is an adorable coming of age story that is perfect for YA readers. It didn’t take long for me to love Lily Rose and how in love she is with her body. What I loved the most is that she’s unapologetically human and she has her own flaws. She’s struggling with the idea of going to university, leaving her best friend behind and the feeling that she will never be on the same level as her twin sister Daisy. Lily makes mistakes in this book and she is rightfully called out for them which helped her grow as a character.
I found myself absolutely loving her friendship with Carrie and how creative she was! She had Lily’s back and helped her feel more comfortable in her own skin. Carrie is the best friend we all deserve. I also really liked Cal’s character and honestly, he was adorable and one of the most genuine male characters I’ve seen in YA for a while.
The family dynamic was a big focus in this book and I loved how even when Lily and Daisy aren’t getting along they come together to support their mother, who is hands down one of the best characters in this book! Daisy and Lily are both trying to come to terms with the fact that they’ll be separated whilst also wanting to be their own person.
I could sit here for hours telling you about this book but I want you to read this for yourself. I want you to follow Lily on her journey of balancing her summer, her fears for the future and her life in general.
This book is so much more than about Lily’s weight. Melt My Heart is a story about family, friendship, coming to terms with who you are as a person and loving yourself no matter what. This is a book about body positivity that everyone needs to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
s_4_r_4_h's review
3.0
i really wanted to love this (+ parts of it i did!) - it was a fun easy read, but i don't think the plot or characters really did it for me - i just wanted a bit more of everything? lots of events and details felt kind of glossed over (her rlship with Cal, the posters, the results day night out). having said that, there are tons of these kinds of YA books out there, so it's great to have some with fat / bi rep, and most of those bits i did find very relatable - maybe i am holding it to higher standards because of that!
i also thought the more serious/'deep' conversations, particularly between family members, felt kind of unrealistic and forced but maybe that's more of a reflection on me lol
i also thought the more serious/'deep' conversations, particularly between family members, felt kind of unrealistic and forced but maybe that's more of a reflection on me lol
kathrynkaupa's review
5.0
I need tying down. I'm honestly floating away on how perfect this is.
Melt My Heart follows Lily Rose navigating that everlong summer between sitting your A'Levels, and getting the results, and somehow ending the tale wiser than I swear I am now at 36!
Just like with No Big Deal, Bethany manages to create a cast of genuine characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, and it's proof that it can be done, and done seemlessly.
Legit feel good hit of the summer!
Melt My Heart follows Lily Rose navigating that everlong summer between sitting your A'Levels, and getting the results, and somehow ending the tale wiser than I swear I am now at 36!
Just like with No Big Deal, Bethany manages to create a cast of genuine characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, and it's proof that it can be done, and done seemlessly.
Legit feel good hit of the summer!
lydiahephzibah's review
4.0
The fat rep! The bi rep! The cover! I really enjoyed this book and I loved to read about a character like me (fat and bi and unsure about the world). I especially loved the conversation between Lily and Daisy, when Lily pointed out how fatphobic her sister's little comments are. If only more straight size people understood how harmful their little remarks can be!
bethcoop's review
5.0
adorable, summery, unputdownable delight that i got through so quickly! lots of ice cream and sea and cute houses and nice clothes. great fat representation ofc and i would highly highly recommend it for fat (and thin) teenage girls
lucyblack's review
5.0
Such a great YA book, I saved it up for our long hot muggy end of summer and it was the perfect beach read. I love the quiet confidence Bethany Rutter’s characters hold, while they struggle with normal teen stuff like dating, decisions, family drama and friendships, they do it all with style that I lacked at 18. I love the fat activism, the diversity, the queer representation and I love the house and town and beach and bedroom.
kba76's review
3.0
The summer before university is a time of upheaval, and our main character is experiencing her fair share.
We follow Lily-Rose as she takes on a summer project of new things. She learns about herself and her friendships. She tackles some issues that would have been easy to ignore, and it’s hard not to love and empathise with her even if we don’t share her issues.
The story was rather obvious, and it felt like we spent the book waiting for Lily to wake up and realise what seemed quite apparent. However, I liked that there was no one size fits all approach here and that the cutest friendship ever showed the importance of being honest with those you feel are important to you.
We follow Lily-Rose as she takes on a summer project of new things. She learns about herself and her friendships. She tackles some issues that would have been easy to ignore, and it’s hard not to love and empathise with her even if we don’t share her issues.
The story was rather obvious, and it felt like we spent the book waiting for Lily to wake up and realise what seemed quite apparent. However, I liked that there was no one size fits all approach here and that the cutest friendship ever showed the importance of being honest with those you feel are important to you.
shouldireadthis's review against another edition
4.0
So cute! And realistic! A really honest look at a number of things:
1) being bisexual
2) being fat (it’s okay)
3) being a twin
4) realising your sexuality later in life, and it being a process
I related to a lot of stuff in this book and all of it hit home and felt authentic. I love Lily & Cassie and their interactions in this book. It’s so sweet and pure and fun. There are a few issues this book covers too - fatphobia, sexism, bi-erasure, racism - it’s not an incredibly in depth look at either one, rather each weave throughout the narrative in an amount that feels appropriate for this story. It’s not the protagonists’ job to solve any of these issues but that’s not to say that Lily sits on the fence with any of them, either.
Overall I think I actually enjoyed this more than Rutter’s first book - No Big Deal - and I’m excited to see what she covers next.
1) being bisexual
2) being fat (it’s okay)
3) being a twin
4) realising your sexuality later in life, and it being a process
I related to a lot of stuff in this book and all of it hit home and felt authentic. I love Lily & Cassie and their interactions in this book. It’s so sweet and pure and fun. There are a few issues this book covers too - fatphobia, sexism, bi-erasure, racism - it’s not an incredibly in depth look at either one, rather each weave throughout the narrative in an amount that feels appropriate for this story. It’s not the protagonists’ job to solve any of these issues but that’s not to say that Lily sits on the fence with any of them, either.
Overall I think I actually enjoyed this more than Rutter’s first book - No Big Deal - and I’m excited to see what she covers next.
thewoollygeek's review
5.0
A fun YA read and I loved the fact it was partly about body positivity, so nice to see this being supported and included so much more especially in books for YA readers. I loved Lily, she was a great main character and I loved how she struggled when th her conundrum, worrying about and trying to maintain her relationships with everyone , it’s such a fun read but with lots of heart too. Fabulous read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion