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jessicasophie's review against another edition
2.0
★★ 2 stars
review cross-posted to my blog: paper utopia
Thanks to Maximum Pop for sending me this review copy. All thoughts are my honest own.
Review: Although I originally thought that I might enjoy this book tremendously I found myself sorely disappointed. Even though I can identify with Tuesday in a number of different ways, being a music-obsessed 18 year old blogger, there is something really big and lacking from her character. Mostly, I think, this is because she reads like a 14 year old girl would. I know I have a habit of thinking this about a lot of YA narrators (in fact, I mentioned this in my last review about Lara Jean Song in [b:To All the Boys I've Loved Before|15749186|To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)|Jenny Han|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100s/15749186.jpg|21442106]To All The Boys I've Loved Before) but it's so brutally honest with Tuesday Cooper that it is constantly hard to remember she is actually 18, in college, and is not some lovestruck pre-teen.
Leading me into my next point, instalove is abhorrent in this book. Alongside so many other things that lacked development, the relationship between Tuesday and Jackson felt so artificially constructed it was painful. Even though Tuesday already has a boyfriend when she she feels this bright spark of connection with him (supposedly, the reader doesn't actually get to read much about this connection or see it develop at all) that is simply lacking when it comes to Seymour, who she views as more of a friend than anyone romantic. Which in itself, I can totally understand. Tuesday has been enamoured by Jackson Griffiths since she was 13 and he was in the pop band Sour Apples, so now that he suddenly gets in contact with her, it must be a dream come true. I actually sympathise with Seymour a lot even though he's not the most likeable character either.
I had a lot of qualms with the age difference between Tuesday and Jackson too. Even though they are both consenting adults, Tuesday is an incredibly naive and inexperienced 18 year old who is still in education, no less, whilst Jackson is a 23 year old who has been in the limelight for many years, has had a string of previous relationships and has even been married! I just felt that there was more than one occasion where he was trying to take advantage of Tuesday's affection for him which may or may not be linked to the ages or the differing experience levels between them, I don't know. It's important to remember that Tuesday's exams start in literally a week's time but Jackson is Not that Jackson is just to blame for that.. they were both being stupid. Still, I feel very protective of Tuesday Cooper and feel that she was wrongfully taken out of her comfort zone.
"'I've got to go,' I say lamely, not moving. This time I know I've really got to. I've already stayed much later than I should have done.
'Oh, Ruby Tuesday! Don't go. Please.' He sounds genuinely panicked. 'I was hoping you could stay over. We could spend the whole evening together.'" - p.118
It's not all doom and gloom though, given that I haven't given the book 1 star. I gave it two, since there are a few redeemable qualities to it and a few elements that I actually did enjoy. Anna, friend of Tuesday and girlfriend of Tuesday's best friend Nishi, is a thoroughly thought out character and one of the only people who makes a clear definable development from the beginning of the novel to the end. At first she's quite meek and very intimidated by her girlfriend even though they are happy together; by the end she's exponentially come out of her shell and realised how to stand up for herself, even with those she loves. Seymour makes a similar transition.
Overall, I thought the plot of the book had potential to be incredibly interesting if only it had been given the depth and maturity needed to look at some of the issues delved into within the book. The whole Glastonbury scene looked at negative effects of the media and addiction but they were never explored properly, like I would have liked. Alongside this so many other elements were left half-explained or underdeveloped. I just wasn't happy with it in general. Perhaps to a younger audience this would resonate more. For these reasons, I have given My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend 2 stars.
review cross-posted to my blog: paper utopia
Thanks to Maximum Pop for sending me this review copy. All thoughts are my honest own.
Review: Although I originally thought that I might enjoy this book tremendously I found myself sorely disappointed. Even though I can identify with Tuesday in a number of different ways, being a music-obsessed 18 year old blogger, there is something really big and lacking from her character. Mostly, I think, this is because she reads like a 14 year old girl would. I know I have a habit of thinking this about a lot of YA narrators (in fact, I mentioned this in my last review about Lara Jean Song in [b:To All the Boys I've Loved Before|15749186|To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)|Jenny Han|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100s/15749186.jpg|21442106]To All The Boys I've Loved Before) but it's so brutally honest with Tuesday Cooper that it is constantly hard to remember she is actually 18, in college, and is not some lovestruck pre-teen.
Leading me into my next point, instalove is abhorrent in this book. Alongside so many other things that lacked development, the relationship between Tuesday and Jackson felt so artificially constructed it was painful. Even though Tuesday already has a boyfriend when she
Spoiler
starts visiting Jackson in London, per his request,Spoiler
Except, when they do meet up and feelings start to develop (I use that word loosely—refer back to 'instalove' comment) she doesn't break it off with Seymour. Actually, at no point in the novel, not even when she kisses Jackson at Glastonbury, does she explicitly break up with her boyfriend. Naturally he is pissed off when he finds out, after it being splashed across every newspaper and trashy gossip rag in the country.I had a lot of qualms with the age difference between Tuesday and Jackson too. Even though they are both consenting adults, Tuesday is an incredibly naive and inexperienced 18 year old who is still in education, no less, whilst Jackson is a 23 year old who has been in the limelight for many years, has had a string of previous relationships and has even been married! I just felt that there was more than one occasion where he was trying to take advantage of Tuesday's affection for him which may or may not be linked to the ages or the differing experience levels between them, I don't know. It's important to remember that Tuesday's exams start in literally a week's time but Jackson is
Spoiler
constantly pestering her to come visit him in London, to stay over, to go to Glastonbury with him. It's ridiculous! And, you know, as a result of Tuesday heading off to Glastonbury she fails her last English paper. Completely.Spoiler
"'I've got to go,' I say lamely, not moving. This time I know I've really got to. I've already stayed much later than I should have done.
'Oh, Ruby Tuesday! Don't go. Please.' He sounds genuinely panicked. 'I was hoping you could stay over. We could spend the whole evening together.'" - p.118
It's not all doom and gloom though, given that I haven't given the book 1 star. I gave it two, since there are a few redeemable qualities to it and a few elements that I actually did enjoy. Anna, friend of Tuesday and girlfriend of Tuesday's best friend Nishi, is a thoroughly thought out character and one of the only people who makes a clear definable development from the beginning of the novel to the end. At first she's quite meek and very intimidated by her girlfriend even though they are happy together; by the end she's exponentially come out of her shell and realised how to stand up for herself, even with those she loves. Seymour makes a similar transition.
Overall, I thought the plot of the book had potential to be incredibly interesting if only it had been given the depth and maturity needed to look at some of the issues delved into within the book. The whole Glastonbury scene looked at negative effects of the media and addiction but they were never explored properly, like I would have liked. Alongside this so many other elements were left half-explained or underdeveloped. I just wasn't happy with it in general. Perhaps to a younger audience this would resonate more. For these reasons, I have given My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend 2 stars.
Favourite Parts: The cake at the café. Richard. Carrie_Cougar. Mad Reggie and the minivan.
Least Favourite Parts: Glastonbury. Seymour's family dinners. Tuesday's blogs. At Jackson's Hotel.
Would Recommend To: A younger audience than myself.
jemilyhugh's review against another edition
3.0
An easy to read cheese fest, perfect for the beach or something. It reads like a Disney channel original movie. It's not ground breaking, the references will date fairly quickly and it doesn't exactly promote smart thinking, but it's cute, it's wish fulfilment and there is just a hint of that age old adage; never meet your heroes. I enjoyed it and it's gotten me out of a reading slump, so it's not all bad :).
librocubicularist_lena's review against another edition
3.0
Die Idee und der Klappentext der Geschichte haben mich wirklich fasziniert, wodurch ich mich wirklich sehr auf das Buch gefreut habe. Leider hielt diese Freude nicht mehr lang, sobald ich begonnen habe zu lesen.
Als erstes ist mir ins Auge gesprungen, dass die Geschichte, für mich zumindest, sehr oberflächlich war und nicht wirklich in die Tiefe gegangen ist. Außerdem fand ich die ganze Story sehr sehr unrealistisch, aber das konnte man sich ja schon irgendwie vom Klappentext her denken, da kaum ein großer Künstler auf eine Bloggerin aufmerksam wird, deren Blog gerade mal 4 oder 5 Leute lesen, das war aber der Punkt, der mich am wenigsten gestört hat.
Der Punkt, der mich fast am meisten gestört hat, war, dass Chew's Freunde, bis auf Anna, sehr toxisch waren, was für mich einfach eine riesengroße Red-Flag ist.
Tuesday fand ich als Protagonistin nicht schlecht, aber ich kann mich jetzt, wo ich das Buch beendet habe, nicht mehr wirklich an ihre Persönlichkeit erinnern, außer dass ich sie großteils recht naiv fand.
Ich muss aber sagen, ich fand die Geschichte nicht grottenschlecht, das auf keinen Fall, aber ich denke, dass ich mit meinen 18 Jahren einfach schon zu "alt" für das Buch bin und es mir besser gefallen hätte, wenn ich es mit 13, 14 Jahren gelesen hätte.
Fazit:
An sich ist die Idee, die hinter dem Buch steckt wirklich gut, aber ich denke, dass es andere Wege gegeben hätte, sie umzusetzen. Für zwischendurch kann ich das Buch vor allem jüngeren Lesern und Leserinnen empfehlen, da es doch ganz witzig und unterhaltsam war, trotz diverser Punkte, die mich persönlich einfach gestört haben.
Als erstes ist mir ins Auge gesprungen, dass die Geschichte, für mich zumindest, sehr oberflächlich war und nicht wirklich in die Tiefe gegangen ist. Außerdem fand ich die ganze Story sehr sehr unrealistisch, aber das konnte man sich ja schon irgendwie vom Klappentext her denken, da kaum ein großer Künstler auf eine Bloggerin aufmerksam wird, deren Blog gerade mal 4 oder 5 Leute lesen, das war aber der Punkt, der mich am wenigsten gestört hat.
Der Punkt, der mich fast am meisten gestört hat, war, dass Chew's Freunde, bis auf Anna, sehr toxisch waren, was für mich einfach eine riesengroße Red-Flag ist.
Tuesday fand ich als Protagonistin nicht schlecht, aber ich kann mich jetzt, wo ich das Buch beendet habe, nicht mehr wirklich an ihre Persönlichkeit erinnern, außer dass ich sie großteils recht naiv fand.
Ich muss aber sagen, ich fand die Geschichte nicht grottenschlecht, das auf keinen Fall, aber ich denke, dass ich mit meinen 18 Jahren einfach schon zu "alt" für das Buch bin und es mir besser gefallen hätte, wenn ich es mit 13, 14 Jahren gelesen hätte.
Fazit:
An sich ist die Idee, die hinter dem Buch steckt wirklich gut, aber ich denke, dass es andere Wege gegeben hätte, sie umzusetzen. Für zwischendurch kann ich das Buch vor allem jüngeren Lesern und Leserinnen empfehlen, da es doch ganz witzig und unterhaltsam war, trotz diverser Punkte, die mich persönlich einfach gestört haben.
jessie_fleur's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Such a lovely story with likable characters. I really felt like I knew Chew. I could maybe have almost even been her. I love the messages of family and friends and finding yourself. The tale of becoming confident in who you are and what you want was woven into the story in such a way that it was near subliminal. To me that's special in this type of YA books. Often at some point you feel like there is some important moral or lesson beating you over the head and shoved down your throat, but not here. There wasn't the level of romance I expected and it didn't end how I thought it would but the ending was really kind of perfect for this tale. I finished the book with a smile on my face which is always a good thing for me.
xsophiehoughton's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of this book for review from the published via Maximum Pop. This in no way impacted on my view.
I'd seen this book mentioned a lot on twitter, and was very intrigued. When I was offered the chance to review it for Maximum Pop, I couldn't wait to read it. My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend follows Tuesday (yes, that's her real name) Cooper, an 18 year old student whose life revolves around her music blog, her A-Levels, and her weird obsession with vintage and wacky clothes. She spends most of her time with her best friend, Nishi, Nishi's girlfriend, Anna, and her boyfriend, Seymour. Through her blog, she unexpectedly comes into contact with her idol, Jackson Griffith. From this point on, her life completely changes.
I really liked Tuesday - she had a sort of self-deprecating personality that you just had to enjoy. She knew she was wacky and weird, but she didn't let that get in the way of what she wanted - to pass her A-Levels, go to university, and write. Her blog, which she knew wasn't perfect, was a means of expressing herself - albeit to a small audience - and practise her writing in a way that was informal, and not judged. She was very dedicated to everything she did, and I think that was great, as a lot of YA these days shows people shirking from their responsibilities.
I did have some slight problems with the people she hung out with though. Nishi had been her best friend since they started school, but she basically treated Tuesday like crap at times, just walking all over her and not supporting her when she needed it. Seymour was pretty much the same. Tuesday and Seymour were from two different backgrounds, and the way that Seymour's family, particularly his mother, treated Tuesday was deplorable. He never stood up for her, and only really argued with his mam when it was something he wanted. Quite frankly, Seymour was the wrong choice entirely for Tuesday, and I'm not really sure how they got together in the first place. It's not surprising Tuesday had such a connection with Jackson as she did. The only saving grace in Tuesday's friend group was Anna. Anna believed Tuesday when she said Jackson was real, and helped her to get to Glastonbury - even going with her so she wasn't alone. I'm really glad Tuesday had Anna to call a friend.
Jackson and Tuesday's relationship was also not without its own problems. They were really sweet, on paper. The messages they sent each other were really cute, and I enjoyed reading them. I also liked their meetings in London, where they could be themselves and not have to worry about anything or anyone else. However, when they met up at Glastonbury, everything fell apart. Jackson, who we already knew had drug and alcohol problems, went off the rails, and jeopardised Tuesday's future. She changed from someone focused on her school work, to someone thrust into the public sphere, receiving death threats left, right, and centre because she was linked with a celebrity.
She also lied, a lot. No matter how much I may have disliked Seymour, the fact that she was still in a relationship with him when everything was happening with Jackson really annoyed me. If she had just dumped him beforehand, I'd have no problem with it all.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read - I mean, I read it in less than a day. Yes, there were issues, but not issues that caused me to put the book down. Rather, I wanted to see how the issues were resolved, and ultimately wanted to see how everything panned out. I think my favourite part of the whole book was the last 20 or so pages, when everything was resolved, and we could see how the future would work for the whole gang. I'd definitely recommend the book for British teenagers today, as the mix of reality and fantasy was wonderful, and it still had important messages about the consequences of shirking responsibilities, and how much impact education can have on your life.
I'd seen this book mentioned a lot on twitter, and was very intrigued. When I was offered the chance to review it for Maximum Pop, I couldn't wait to read it. My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend follows Tuesday (yes, that's her real name) Cooper, an 18 year old student whose life revolves around her music blog, her A-Levels, and her weird obsession with vintage and wacky clothes. She spends most of her time with her best friend, Nishi, Nishi's girlfriend, Anna, and her boyfriend, Seymour. Through her blog, she unexpectedly comes into contact with her idol, Jackson Griffith. From this point on, her life completely changes.
I really liked Tuesday - she had a sort of self-deprecating personality that you just had to enjoy. She knew she was wacky and weird, but she didn't let that get in the way of what she wanted - to pass her A-Levels, go to university, and write. Her blog, which she knew wasn't perfect, was a means of expressing herself - albeit to a small audience - and practise her writing in a way that was informal, and not judged. She was very dedicated to everything she did, and I think that was great, as a lot of YA these days shows people shirking from their responsibilities.
I did have some slight problems with the people she hung out with though. Nishi had been her best friend since they started school, but she basically treated Tuesday like crap at times, just walking all over her and not supporting her when she needed it. Seymour was pretty much the same. Tuesday and Seymour were from two different backgrounds, and the way that Seymour's family, particularly his mother, treated Tuesday was deplorable. He never stood up for her, and only really argued with his mam when it was something he wanted. Quite frankly, Seymour was the wrong choice entirely for Tuesday, and I'm not really sure how they got together in the first place. It's not surprising Tuesday had such a connection with Jackson as she did. The only saving grace in Tuesday's friend group was Anna. Anna believed Tuesday when she said Jackson was real, and helped her to get to Glastonbury - even going with her so she wasn't alone. I'm really glad Tuesday had Anna to call a friend.
Jackson and Tuesday's relationship was also not without its own problems. They were really sweet, on paper. The messages they sent each other were really cute, and I enjoyed reading them. I also liked their meetings in London, where they could be themselves and not have to worry about anything or anyone else. However, when they met up at Glastonbury, everything fell apart. Jackson, who we already knew had drug and alcohol problems, went off the rails, and jeopardised Tuesday's future. She changed from someone focused on her school work, to someone thrust into the public sphere, receiving death threats left, right, and centre because she was linked with a celebrity.
She also lied, a lot. No matter how much I may have disliked Seymour, the fact that she was still in a relationship with him when everything was happening with Jackson really annoyed me. If she had just dumped him beforehand, I'd have no problem with it all.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read - I mean, I read it in less than a day. Yes, there were issues, but not issues that caused me to put the book down. Rather, I wanted to see how the issues were resolved, and ultimately wanted to see how everything panned out. I think my favourite part of the whole book was the last 20 or so pages, when everything was resolved, and we could see how the future would work for the whole gang. I'd definitely recommend the book for British teenagers today, as the mix of reality and fantasy was wonderful, and it still had important messages about the consequences of shirking responsibilities, and how much impact education can have on your life.