You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book. It was funny and had smart, interesting, nuanced characters.
Buuuuut Gillian dying on page 304/320 was too abrupt and dealt with super quickly. It almost ruined the book for me. It should have happened earlier so things could have been resolved. The other main characters were just like “Gillian’s dead, oh that’s pretty sad, we should take this as a lesson to live our lives to the fullest, okay goodbye the end.”
I hate to compare it, but the reason that John’s death in Looking For Alibrandi was so impactful was that there was time to focus on and deal with and grieve over him. It was a plot point, not just a shocking way to end a book. Gillian’s death felt super rushed and as such, I didn’t really have the time to feel anything. It left me thinking that there was no point of her dying other than a sensationalised way to end a book.
I did enjoy the rest of the book and thought it painted a pretty good picture of teenage life, dramas and high school woes. It was a good read, just not as emotionally impactful as it perhaps could have been.
Buuuuut Gillian dying on page 304/320 was too abrupt and dealt with super quickly. It almost ruined the book for me. It should have happened earlier so things could have been resolved. The other main characters were just like “Gillian’s dead, oh that’s pretty sad, we should take this as a lesson to live our lives to the fullest, okay goodbye the end.”
I hate to compare it, but the reason that John’s death in Looking For Alibrandi was so impactful was that there was time to focus on and deal with and grieve over him. It was a plot point, not just a shocking way to end a book. Gillian’s death felt super rushed and as such, I didn’t really have the time to feel anything. It left me thinking that there was no point of her dying other than a sensationalised way to end a book.
I did enjoy the rest of the book and thought it painted a pretty good picture of teenage life, dramas and high school woes. It was a good read, just not as emotionally impactful as it perhaps could have been.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-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
I received a copy of The Yearbook Committee from HarperCollins to review. I’ve never read a book by Sarah Ayoub before but this made me want to find more of her books.
A friend of mine told me this was like The Breakfast Club which I watched for the first time last year and didn’t like. But The Yearbook Committee was so much better than I was expecting.
The Yearbook Committee follows the five teens as they start their final year in high school and all the drama and stress that comes with it. Two of the teens are in the “popular” crowd and the other three aren’t bothered with popularity. What starts as an awkward and mostly reluctant group become unlikely friends as they work on the yearbook.
Through the book each teen faces something that they didn’t expect and they grow and change with the experience and new friendships. It’s like they’ve found the people that bring out the best in them and make them realise they matter. I liked all of the main characters, they had their flaws but doesn’t everyone?
Some things that happened were pretty obvious from the start but the ending was a bit of a shock. I didn’t see that coming at all.
I really enjoyed The Yearbook Committee and it was a very fast read for me. I didn’t want to put it down.
A friend of mine told me this was like The Breakfast Club which I watched for the first time last year and didn’t like. But The Yearbook Committee was so much better than I was expecting.
The Yearbook Committee follows the five teens as they start their final year in high school and all the drama and stress that comes with it. Two of the teens are in the “popular” crowd and the other three aren’t bothered with popularity. What starts as an awkward and mostly reluctant group become unlikely friends as they work on the yearbook.
Through the book each teen faces something that they didn’t expect and they grow and change with the experience and new friendships. It’s like they’ve found the people that bring out the best in them and make them realise they matter. I liked all of the main characters, they had their flaws but doesn’t everyone?
Some things that happened were pretty obvious from the start but the ending was a bit of a shock. I didn’t see that coming at all.
I really enjoyed The Yearbook Committee and it was a very fast read for me. I didn’t want to put it down.
Having a group of randoms and misfits forced together is a trope I'm always up for. The different POV style of the book was a good idea, now that I'm thinking about it is essential to the telling of each character's story and the shock of intertwining lives. However, because of the numerous characters and the demands and restrictions of moving a story along and writing on all of them, they were a little underdeveloped. The ending was a little loose and did not really fix, explain or deal with anything. Nice to have details and settings in very familiar places (I'm getting the vibe that Matty works at a fictional Top Juice/Boost Juice). Made me wonder who makes the yearbooks at my own school.
2.5/5 rounded up.
i think i had pretty high expectations for this book considering it had a ‘the breakfast club’ and ‘one of us is lying’ vibes, which may be the reason as to why i was slightly let down.
at the beginning, i didn’t really like the characters at all; they were all stupid and annoying. however, as the book progressed, i think they really developed as characters.
the relationships in this book were kinda fast and unrealistic but i guess that’s ok since it’s a 320 page book.
the ending/climax was also really abrupt and i don’t think the novel did a good job at building up to it or dealing with the aftermath.
to sum up: the pacing could have been better and the characters’ relationships should have been more developed.
i think i had pretty high expectations for this book considering it had a ‘the breakfast club’ and ‘one of us is lying’ vibes, which may be the reason as to why i was slightly let down.
at the beginning, i didn’t really like the characters at all; they were all stupid and annoying. however, as the book progressed, i think they really developed as characters.
the relationships in this book were kinda fast and unrealistic but i guess that’s ok since it’s a 320 page book.
the ending/climax was also really abrupt and i don’t think the novel did a good job at building up to it or dealing with the aftermath.
to sum up: the pacing could have been better and the characters’ relationships should have been more developed.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism
Awful. Not recommending to anyone. The characters had zero growth and were so unlikable. There was even the line “I’m not other girls”, we have one of those, yes. No reprimands for characters that deserved it and does not deal with the problems sought out in the book such as: fat shaming, bullying, online bullying, Down syndrome, etc. Only good things were 2 characters and the way it kept you grippers the last 50 pages, wish it was like that the other 200. So many things were lest unresolved. I cant even go into detail how much I hated this book. There’s so much else like: Charlie’s awful character, the bullying to Gillian never resolved, David never learning his lesson, Rachel never learning her lesson for SO SO SO SO SO MANY THINGS. 1 and a half stars.
The characters weren't enjoyable to read about, I kept getting frustrated and I couldn't keep track of all of them.
I very rarely find novels about Australian teenagers in Australian high schools, with Australian lives. YA is full to the brim with American settings (not that it’s a bad thing), so it was very refreshing to read The Yearbook Committee. Because, you know, I’m Australian:) If you want to know what Australian- well, Sydney- student life is like, go ahead. This book is great.
This story is about five very different people, from different walks of life, coming together to create an yearbook for the end of the year.
The characters: Ryan, Matty, Charlie, Tammi and Gillian, were unique in their own way. Each of them had their own problems, own concerns that stuck them apart. But what I liked the most is the friendship that was formed between all four of them. They were so different: blunt and determined Charlie and quiet, wallflower Matty, for example. Their ‘polar opposites’ personalities made for an enjoyable read.
The Yearbook Committee also deals with some serious issues as the story is spun. Issues like bullying, peer pressuring, and difficult home life are discussed- and you really feel for the characters as you read through their trials and tribulations. I admit, it made me realise just how much it affects us, because it literally hit too close to home. I think that Sarah Ayoub aptly discussed these issues through our main characters. I was so saddened by the end of the book, because the events that unfolded were so unexpected. No spoilers, obviously, but I cannot stress how much this book shows how issues should be talked about- and never bottled up.
It also deals with the prospect of the future in what I think is an intelligent way. All the main characters are dealing not only with navigating their final year of high school, but what exactly they want to do in their future. I mean, not all of us have our futures planned to a minute detail- we all have our doubtful days, and I think The Yearbook Committee captures this well.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. I loved it, and I hope you will too!
This story is about five very different people, from different walks of life, coming together to create an yearbook for the end of the year.
The characters: Ryan, Matty, Charlie, Tammi and Gillian, were unique in their own way. Each of them had their own problems, own concerns that stuck them apart. But what I liked the most is the friendship that was formed between all four of them. They were so different: blunt and determined Charlie and quiet, wallflower Matty, for example. Their ‘polar opposites’ personalities made for an enjoyable read.
The Yearbook Committee also deals with some serious issues as the story is spun. Issues like bullying, peer pressuring, and difficult home life are discussed- and you really feel for the characters as you read through their trials and tribulations. I admit, it made me realise just how much it affects us, because it literally hit too close to home. I think that Sarah Ayoub aptly discussed these issues through our main characters. I was so saddened by the end of the book, because the events that unfolded were so unexpected. No spoilers, obviously, but I cannot stress how much this book shows how issues should be talked about- and never bottled up.
It also deals with the prospect of the future in what I think is an intelligent way. All the main characters are dealing not only with navigating their final year of high school, but what exactly they want to do in their future. I mean, not all of us have our futures planned to a minute detail- we all have our doubtful days, and I think The Yearbook Committee captures this well.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. I loved it, and I hope you will too!