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maggiemaggio's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t want to say that I didn’t like this book, because that’s just not true. I also don’t want to say that it didn’t live up to expectations, because that’s not true either. I guess what I should say is that I think this is a solid book, I get why other people would like it, but it’s just not for me.
Things started well. The main character starts off talking about how she hates the word “moist” and thinks bungee jumping is terrifying. I’m right there with her on those two things so I was hopeful that I had found a book character BFF. Sadly, after the beginning, Julia just became too much for me to deal with.
Julia is strange, I get that, I respect that, I think most people, myself included, are a little weird, but Julia’s complete lack of self-awareness made me want to strangle her pretty much 24/7. At the beginning of the book, when Julia is on her way to London with all her obnoxious classmates, I felt bad for her. I was always a pretty serious student in high school and the gossipy girls and the annoying class clown guys always drove me nuts, too. Then she’s paired up with the annoying class clown Jason and I felt even worse for her, how crappy would that be?
But my issue with the book is that pretty quickly we come to see that Jason is actually a pretty good guy. He uses humor and obnoxiousness as a defense mechanism, sure, but, at least to me, I started to like him pretty much right after the story got under way and I got more and more annoyed at the way Julia was treating him. Maybe this is one of those times where being a 28-year-old and reading YA fiction is a bad thing since I have 12 or so more years than teenagers of dealing with people and better understanding their motivations?
My other main issue, which ties into this one, is that much of the book takes place into Julia’s head. And we’ve already established that I wasn’t a fan of what was happening there. Even though Julia and her classmates are in this amazing city I kind of felt like they didn’t really do anything, even though they did. They went to the Tate, the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels, the Globe Theater, and lots of other cool London spots, but rather than hearing about those spots we’re instead stuck inside Julia’s self-absorbed, ridiculous head. I found myself scrolling forward looking for pages with dialogue rather than ones with Julia’s internal monologue.
Enough with the bad! What did I like? I like the concept up the story, a girl goes on a class trip to London and all her preconceived notions are blasted apart. I liked Jason, a lot, but my liking Jason definitely contributed to my not liking Julia. I liked all the places Julia’s class visited in London; I haven’t been to London in a long time, but I feel like they got a pretty comprehensive tour and if someone who had never been to London read this they would get a good feel for the city.
Bottom Line: I get why people like this book, but, unfortunately, books that take place mainly inside a character’s head aren’t for me, especially when those characters are lacking in self-awareness as much as Julia was. I did love the love interest and all the places that Julia’s class visited in London, but that wasn’t enough to help me get over how much I disliked the main character.
This review first appeared on my blog.
Things started well. The main character starts off talking about how she hates the word “moist” and thinks bungee jumping is terrifying. I’m right there with her on those two things so I was hopeful that I had found a book character BFF. Sadly, after the beginning, Julia just became too much for me to deal with.
Julia is strange, I get that, I respect that, I think most people, myself included, are a little weird, but Julia’s complete lack of self-awareness made me want to strangle her pretty much 24/7. At the beginning of the book, when Julia is on her way to London with all her obnoxious classmates, I felt bad for her. I was always a pretty serious student in high school and the gossipy girls and the annoying class clown guys always drove me nuts, too. Then she’s paired up with the annoying class clown Jason and I felt even worse for her, how crappy would that be?
But my issue with the book is that pretty quickly we come to see that Jason is actually a pretty good guy. He uses humor and obnoxiousness as a defense mechanism, sure, but, at least to me, I started to like him pretty much right after the story got under way and I got more and more annoyed at the way Julia was treating him. Maybe this is one of those times where being a 28-year-old and reading YA fiction is a bad thing since I have 12 or so more years than teenagers of dealing with people and better understanding their motivations?
My other main issue, which ties into this one, is that much of the book takes place into Julia’s head. And we’ve already established that I wasn’t a fan of what was happening there. Even though Julia and her classmates are in this amazing city I kind of felt like they didn’t really do anything, even though they did. They went to the Tate, the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels, the Globe Theater, and lots of other cool London spots, but rather than hearing about those spots we’re instead stuck inside Julia’s self-absorbed, ridiculous head. I found myself scrolling forward looking for pages with dialogue rather than ones with Julia’s internal monologue.
Enough with the bad! What did I like? I like the concept up the story, a girl goes on a class trip to London and all her preconceived notions are blasted apart. I liked Jason, a lot, but my liking Jason definitely contributed to my not liking Julia. I liked all the places Julia’s class visited in London; I haven’t been to London in a long time, but I feel like they got a pretty comprehensive tour and if someone who had never been to London read this they would get a good feel for the city.
Bottom Line: I get why people like this book, but, unfortunately, books that take place mainly inside a character’s head aren’t for me, especially when those characters are lacking in self-awareness as much as Julia was. I did love the love interest and all the places that Julia’s class visited in London, but that wasn’t enough to help me get over how much I disliked the main character.
This review first appeared on my blog.
nikkidreads's review against another edition
4.0
Why I Loved It: I love London. And books set in London. Ooo and love in London. All of the above are found in the book called Meant to Be.. see above * ;) *
Scarily, Julia reminded me of myself. Her nickname was Book Licker. I never had anything that bad for a nickname, but I had my share in school. Julia also has some ideas of love, normally found in books. It happens I suppose. I had the same problem. The fact that we are so similar is probably why she drove me nuts. Its one of those books where the reader knows a lot more about what's going than Julia does. It drives you nuts, but it makes the end much sweeter. And there was one particular twist near the end that I was not expecting at all.
I loved the Beatles influence in the book and put up with the Shakespeare * I am not a big fan of ol' Bill*. The cover is beautiful... BEAUTIFUL. I didn't want to change what I was reading because just the cover made my blog look better. I want a blown up poster size for my room.
All in all, I devoured the book in about a day. Any cliche was forgotten in the midst of the sweet and at times sour story filled with laughs and grunts of frustration with plenty of splashes of "awww" moments. The book leaves you feeling happy and wanting desperately to go to London * so beware of that. *
Who Should Read It: It's a great contemporary read. The main character is a bit judgmental at times, so if that has a tendency to drive you crazy you might want to stay away. I think people who love the idea of a contemporary set in London should pick it up.
Scarily, Julia reminded me of myself. Her nickname was Book Licker. I never had anything that bad for a nickname, but I had my share in school. Julia also has some ideas of love, normally found in books. It happens I suppose. I had the same problem. The fact that we are so similar is probably why she drove me nuts. Its one of those books where the reader knows a lot more about what's going than Julia does. It drives you nuts, but it makes the end much sweeter. And there was one particular twist near the end that I was not expecting at all.
I loved the Beatles influence in the book and put up with the Shakespeare * I am not a big fan of ol' Bill*. The cover is beautiful... BEAUTIFUL. I didn't want to change what I was reading because just the cover made my blog look better. I want a blown up poster size for my room.
All in all, I devoured the book in about a day. Any cliche was forgotten in the midst of the sweet and at times sour story filled with laughs and grunts of frustration with plenty of splashes of "awww" moments. The book leaves you feeling happy and wanting desperately to go to London * so beware of that. *
Who Should Read It: It's a great contemporary read. The main character is a bit judgmental at times, so if that has a tendency to drive you crazy you might want to stay away. I think people who love the idea of a contemporary set in London should pick it up.
annika_de's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very cute book...for high schoolers. Normally, I can read YA romance and still relate because the characters are written as though they're older or more mature than their ages. In this book, however, the characters act like they are actually 15 years old. I honestly think it's great that the author wrote two characters that behave like normal teenagers, but it made me feel SO OLD. I mean, the high school rumor mill? Teenage boys that act like children? The buddy system? My life is so far removed that I felt like the characters' grandma.
Still, there are quite a few adorable moments and I love the message of the book - that there are plenty of people who could be "the one" and you just have to pick one and go for it. I would definitely recommend this book to younger YA readers. (And by younger, I mean younger than twenty. Looking back on this review, it sounds like it was written by a middle-aged mom.)
Still, there are quite a few adorable moments and I love the message of the book - that there are plenty of people who could be "the one" and you just have to pick one and go for it. I would definitely recommend this book to younger YA readers. (And by younger, I mean younger than twenty. Looking back on this review, it sounds like it was written by a middle-aged mom.)
jessicalouise25's review against another edition
4.0
First Read 22/01/14
I was in a reading slump and as usual when that happens my first option is to reread a book I really liked to help pull me out of it. That was the reason I picked up Meant To Be although I pretty much wanted to reread this book from the moment I finished it the first time.
Firstly I need to say that this book is hilarious, I laughed out loud several times throughout.
It is also really sweet, romantic and atmospheric. The 'field trip' element was involved in a really nice way and overall the premise was quite unique.
I loved the mystery aspect of this book which I didn't figure out the first time and which definitely didn't affect my reading experience the second time (In terms of me knowing what happened).
If you are looking for a sweet, funny, quick read with the most loveable red headed male protagonist or just a really well written ya romance this is definitely a book I recommend.
I was in a reading slump and as usual when that happens my first option is to reread a book I really liked to help pull me out of it. That was the reason I picked up Meant To Be although I pretty much wanted to reread this book from the moment I finished it the first time.
Firstly I need to say that this book is hilarious, I laughed out loud several times throughout.
It is also really sweet, romantic and atmospheric. The 'field trip' element was involved in a really nice way and overall the premise was quite unique.
I loved the mystery aspect of this book which I didn't figure out the first time and which definitely didn't affect my reading experience the second time (In terms of me knowing what happened).
If you are looking for a sweet, funny, quick read with the most loveable red headed male protagonist or just a really well written ya romance this is definitely a book I recommend.
saluki's review against another edition
2.0
Thought I'd try a light-hearted, funny, contemporary young adult romance.
Julia is a non-rule-breakingdrill sergeant student, with a high GPA and some OCD tendencies. She's seeking her MTB. Julia did get on my nerves at times, wallowing in her own feelings too much, and correcting others for their lack of cultural/educational knowledge. No one likes a know-it-all... it took a while for her to grow on me, "thankyouverymuch".
Jason is a comedic ass in a goofy, adorable, care-free way, with a big heart and I had no problems with liking him throughout even when he was being annoying. He is still rooted firmly in reality.
The descriptions of London landmarks and Stratford-Upon-Avon were spot-on. I felt I was there again.
It's a first-love story. It was okay. It was cute.
Julia is a non-rule-breaking
Jason is a comedic ass in a goofy, adorable, care-free way, with a big heart and I had no problems with liking him throughout even when he was being annoying. He is still rooted firmly in reality.
The descriptions of London landmarks and Stratford-Upon-Avon were spot-on. I felt I was there again.
It's a first-love story. It was okay. It was cute.
zennalei's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so funny from start to finish, I literally laughed out loud several times. Unfortunately getting strange looks from other people. The plot twists were unexpected. The ending was expected though. Overall, a good read.
irrelahvant's review against another edition
5.0
This book is probably one of my favourite book. The setting of the book was in London and it was descriptive that I could actually imagine watching the whole thing in front of me. The protagonist, Julia, is like me the overachiever and I could someone relate to her, well except for the ending. :P
Anyway, I highly reccomend this book if you want to distract yourself from the real world and enter this adventure around London to find Julia' MTB.
Anyway, I highly reccomend this book if you want to distract yourself from the real world and enter this adventure around London to find Julia' MTB.
lisalit's review against another edition
4.0
C'était vraiment pas mal, j'aurais mis 3⭐️ si la fin n'avait pas était ce qu'elle est !
Mais sinon j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait des moments un peu répétitif dans cette romance, et des sentiments trop prévisibles (on le voit toujours de toute manière que le méchant garcon aime quand même la fille fragile).
Une lecture sympa pour pour l'été, il se lit plutot vite et le niveau est accessible !
Mais sinon j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait des moments un peu répétitif dans cette romance, et des sentiments trop prévisibles (on le voit toujours de toute manière que le méchant garcon aime quand même la fille fragile).
Une lecture sympa pour pour l'été, il se lit plutot vite et le niveau est accessible !
nannasa16's review against another edition
5.0
http://katnissbraid.blogspot.it/2013/03/meant-to-bereview.html
amore.
TANTO.
amore.
TANTO.
blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
If I could give this book 6 stars I would. It is such so fun. Rule-follower Julia goes to London and discovers breaking rules can lead the best of unexpected outcomes! Morrill's voice is witty, fast-paced and adorable and I loved Julia from page one. Jason is a such a fun, interesting character and Morrill pours surprising depth into both of them as they journey through London and discover each other. A must-read.