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snoopydoo77's review against another edition
3.0
This was a cute, fun and quick book, that I enjoyed more than I thought I would at first.
I know I say that a lot but it's true lol ... Once I got used to Bailey (Mink) being a bit extra and over dramatic I did really enjoy it.
After reading it all the way through I saw a few people had issues with Porter saying that he is an ass and such. I actually liked him better than her.... Sure in the beginning he was a bit if a jerk but it seemed more like he was the normal teen wanna show up alpha male, than ass to me . Once they started hanging out I thought he as super cute and thoughtful in the things he did for her,sure there were a few tiny things but that was a given ...
And honestly her dad was the true VIP here I though..... I loved her dad and how he handled or not handled things......
I enjoyed Porter's family as well, even grumpy dad lol.
The online thing.... with them .... it was okay, but honestly they took it a bit too series and as far I knew they never really "dated" online so some things were a bit much for me. Speaking too much ..... also some of the situation they go thrown into seemed a bit to over the top for me , but I'm sure it worked for others.
Overall, it was good and I enjoyed it...... even though some of the things were a bit over the top for the drama. I for sure will try the author with a different book again.....
I rate it 3★
I know I say that a lot but it's true lol ... Once I got used to Bailey (Mink) being a bit extra and over dramatic I did really enjoy it.
After reading it all the way through I saw a few people had issues with Porter saying that he is an ass and such. I actually liked him better than her.... Sure in the beginning he was a bit if a jerk but it seemed more like he was the normal teen wanna show up alpha male, than ass to me . Once they started hanging out I thought he as super cute and thoughtful in the things he did for her,sure there were a few tiny things but that was a given ...
And honestly her dad was the true VIP here I though..... I loved her dad and how he handled or not handled things......
I enjoyed Porter's family as well, even grumpy dad lol.
The online thing.... with them .... it was okay, but honestly they took it a bit too series and as far I knew they never really "dated" online so some things were a bit much for me. Speaking too much ..... also some of the situation they go thrown into seemed a bit to over the top for me , but I'm sure it worked for others.
Overall, it was good and I enjoyed it...... even though some of the things were a bit over the top for the drama. I for sure will try the author with a different book again.....
I rate it 3★
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted something adorable and I got it.
Alex, Approximately follows Bailey "Mink" Rydell, a classic movie buff who's spent months crushing on a fellow film geek she only knows online, who goes by Alex. They both live on opposite coasts until Bailey moves into Alex's town to live with her father. But she doesn't tell Alex about it, or about Porter Roth, her new archnemesis-turned-maybe-something-more. What she doesn't know is that Porter is Alex.
And while you might think that finding Alex's identity would be a huge plot point, it's really not. In the beginning, Bailey is very eager to find him but then their online communications start to dwindle as they both get busy in their offline lives and the book starts to focus more on the Bailey-Porter relationship, which is adorable.
The two of them are so great together. They didn't get along at the very beginning; Porter can be quite outspoken and likes to tease and stuff, while Bailey is reserved and a self-proclaimed evader. (Tangent: I wasn't sure if I would like Bailey because people who run from their problems get on my last nerve. But Bailey simply prefers not to be in awkward situations, and when things really matter, she doesn't falter.) Despite the initial clashing of personalities though, as Bailey and Porter get to know each other, they start to get along. Their romantic journey is very well done.
The writing was good, though a bit heavy on the mundane details sometimes. I had a slight issue with the pace in the beginning but it was perfectly fine afterwards. And while some might not be happy about the Porter-Alex revelation being right in the synopsis, I think the author made the right choice. It would have been quite easy to guess, and this way, we got to observe the similarities between Alex and Porter.
I do wish that Bailey would have figured it out about Porter being Alex because at one point, she had all the facts. But I guess she wasn't looking for him in Porter. Makes sense.
The ending was beautifully done and I loved it. There was like a 30-40 page section near the ending which has a misunderstanding that I found to be a little silly, but even that made a lot of sense when explained. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend checking it out.
faeriesparks's review against another edition
4.0
This was fantastic. I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations I had because of Night Owls but I thoroughly enjoyed Alex, Approximately.
I can't say how accurate these marginalized groups are represented but this book features a diverse cast of characters, including:
- Polynesian/Chinese love interest
- black side character (Nigerian, if I remember correctly)
- amputee side character
- disabled side character
- and though not stated, our MC deals with a few mental health issues (maybe PTSD? I can't say for sure)
If there are any #ownvoices reviews for these marginalized groups, I'd love if you could direct me to them (I haven't found any yet).
I adored the dialogue in this book. The dialogue is also what won me over with Night Owls and I've come to realise that Jenn Bennett is really, really great at writing fun but also meaningful dialogue. And don't even get me started on the sexual tension between Bailey and Porter. So fantastic.
I can't say how accurate these marginalized groups are represented but this book features a diverse cast of characters, including:
- Polynesian/Chinese love interest
- black side character (Nigerian, if I remember correctly)
- amputee side character
- disabled side character
- and though not stated, our MC deals with a few mental health issues (maybe PTSD? I can't say for sure)
If there are any #ownvoices reviews for these marginalized groups, I'd love if you could direct me to them (I haven't found any yet).
I adored the dialogue in this book. The dialogue is also what won me over with Night Owls and I've come to realise that Jenn Bennett is really, really great at writing fun but also meaningful dialogue. And don't even get me started on the sexual tension between Bailey and Porter. So fantastic.
heabooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve loved Jenn Bennett’s writing since I started reading Kindling the Moon. And I’ve really enjoyed the voice of her YA characters, especially Bailey. Bailey is sarcastic and witty and I found myself laughing at some of her thoughts. YA is not a genre I read a lot of anymore because the immaturity of many of the characters is just not something I can relate to or tolerate anymore. However, I’ve always liked that Jenn Bennett writes more mature teenagers, because you know what? Lots of teens are mature and witty, it’s not just an adult thing. The key here is that Bennett might give us great YA banter but she also shows the youth and vulnerability of teenagers. Her characters might be all confident and self-assured while interacting with their peers but they’re still confronted with moments when they’re just a nervous 17 year old who has gotten in trouble with their parents.
I really liked Bailey throughout this book because I saw a lot of myself in her when I was that age. Bailey’s sarcasm and self-deprecating attitude kept the narrative interesting and funny. The Artful Dodger, as she calls herself, spends much of this book learning to be a better friend, to be more involved in life, and to not repress everything she’s feeling to avoid conflict. Bennett does an amazing job of showing Bailey’s growth over time and I really appreciated this.
At first I thought I would dislike Porter after he embarrasses Bailey about her shoes. However, he turns himself around and it becomes clear that Bailey and Porter like to argue and debate with each other. I found Porter to be a very interesting hero for a YA novel because he had all the necessary swoon-worthy qualities but he also had some good flaws. He’s almost overly cocky, a bit argumentative, and he often frustrates Bailey as much as he intrigues her. He’s also a bit of a hot-head and doesn’t always think everything through.
I really liked Bailey throughout this book because I saw a lot of myself in her when I was that age. Bailey’s sarcasm and self-deprecating attitude kept the narrative interesting and funny. The Artful Dodger, as she calls herself, spends much of this book learning to be a better friend, to be more involved in life, and to not repress everything she’s feeling to avoid conflict. Bennett does an amazing job of showing Bailey’s growth over time and I really appreciated this.
At first I thought I would dislike Porter after he embarrasses Bailey about her shoes. However, he turns himself around and it becomes clear that Bailey and Porter like to argue and debate with each other. I found Porter to be a very interesting hero for a YA novel because he had all the necessary swoon-worthy qualities but he also had some good flaws. He’s almost overly cocky, a bit argumentative, and he often frustrates Bailey as much as he intrigues her. He’s also a bit of a hot-head and doesn’t always think everything through.
hannahnana73's review against another edition
2.0
I was excited at first to read this book since I'd heard it was really good, but from the first chapter all my excitement waned... I guess this just wasn't my cup of tea...
ingo_lembcke's review against another edition
3.0
No Triggers, imho, so no Trigger Warnings!
YA Romance, sex talked of, a little mentioned, but rather tame.
Felt too long, and as it was big on romance, not really a book for me. A few scenes where suspenseful, but the main story began to drag for me, I think about 60% into the book, too late to DNF, although the ending was as expected. One real problem was well handled (gun), but the problem of the female MC did not really grab me.
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3, as it is it was too long and not interesting enough for me. Would have worked for me with 20-30% less pages, or a few other problems.
What saved it, was the wording and use of language, the movie references. This exceptionally well written, a big notch above usual YA romance fare and/or some indie-self-published ones, imho. As it was very hot, I tended to rate it harder, with colder weather I might have rounded up to 4.
As it is, I stand by it, recommended 3star, but am not sure, wether I will read a book by this author again. Have not followed the author anywhere, as I tend to do with other books ( authoralarms, Amazon.de / .com follow this author etc. ).
YA Romance, sex talked of, a little mentioned, but rather tame.
Felt too long, and as it was big on romance, not really a book for me. A few scenes where suspenseful, but the main story began to drag for me, I think about 60% into the book, too late to DNF, although the ending was as expected. One real problem was well handled (gun), but the problem of the female MC did not really grab me.
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3, as it is it was too long and not interesting enough for me. Would have worked for me with 20-30% less pages, or a few other problems.
What saved it, was the wording and use of language, the movie references. This exceptionally well written, a big notch above usual YA romance fare and/or some indie-self-published ones, imho. As it was very hot, I tended to rate it harder, with colder weather I might have rounded up to 4.
As it is, I stand by it, recommended 3star, but am not sure, wether I will read a book by this author again. Have not followed the author anywhere, as I tend to do with other books ( authoralarms, Amazon.de / .com follow this author etc. ).
natsafan18's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
A book that I didn't want to put down! I love the happy couple with all my heart and soul!
Also, the Monterey Bay Aquarium being mentioned was the best thing ever, thank you forever Bailey and Porter
Also, the Monterey Bay Aquarium being mentioned was the best thing ever, thank you forever Bailey and Porter
smithrachaelynn's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. I wasn’t expecting this book to go where it did, but I thought it was such a great story. This book said a lot to me about the assumptions we make about the people around us. It was cool to watch it all unfold. Such a unique story.