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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
CW; racism & racial profiling, mental health (bipolar, depression), overdose (off page, side character).
This was a pretty fast-paced, easy to read contemporary that had a lot of cute moments, but it just wasn't as good as I'd thought it would be. I really liked the way it was set over the space of a year with Isa and Alex's relationship starting from brief encounters on the train. Their friendship and then blossoming relationship started off as v cute until this book decided to go a step further than your classic YA contemporary miscommunication and went full on just no communication at all. It was just so frustrating to read if anything, and also just made me feel indifferent about the future of their relationship.
It was a quick read and I enjoyed it, it just sadly wasn't that memorable. It also included a lot of important topics and wasn't just a fluffy romance, but my issue was that it felt like it just brushed over them? There were a lot of parts of this book that dragged on and felt unnecessary and I feel like those bits could've been used to explore those topics in more depth.
Also the ending felt really abrupt and I was just left like 'huh okay that's it'.. so overall it was a decent story and I loved the premise, it just wasn't amazing.
This was a pretty fast-paced, easy to read contemporary that had a lot of cute moments, but it just wasn't as good as I'd thought it would be. I really liked the way it was set over the space of a year with Isa and Alex's relationship starting from brief encounters on the train. Their friendship and then blossoming relationship started off as v cute until this book decided to go a step further than your classic YA contemporary miscommunication and went full on just no communication at all. It was just so frustrating to read if anything, and also just made me feel indifferent about the future of their relationship.
It was a quick read and I enjoyed it, it just sadly wasn't that memorable. It also included a lot of important topics and wasn't just a fluffy romance, but my issue was that it felt like it just brushed over them? There were a lot of parts of this book that dragged on and felt unnecessary and I feel like those bits could've been used to explore those topics in more depth.
Also the ending felt really abrupt and I was just left like 'huh okay that's it'.. so overall it was a decent story and I loved the premise, it just wasn't amazing.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this and whenever I picked it up it was very hard to put down. Isa and Alex were cute together and I enjoyed seeing them work through the hardships of a relationship and learning that love is something that takes effort and must be fought for. This book dealt with a lot of serious topics as well but I felt like it was done well. I'd recommend this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Police brutality
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was lovely. I loved the relationship between Alex and Isa. They were both such great characters with so much going on in their lives. A lot of the conflict between them could have been resolved by them having a Grownup Conversation, but since neither of them are grown nor have experience with relationships and the kind of honest communication that they require, it gets a pass from me.
I think we probably could have done without the "friend joining a gang" side plot. I worry that including the gang element veers a little too much into stereotype, but I am not familiar enough (or at all) with life as a Dominican in New York to be able to say definitively, yes or no, this is a damaging stereotype.
I think we probably could have done without the "friend joining a gang" side plot. I worry that including the gang element veers a little too much into stereotype, but I am not familiar enough (or at all) with life as a Dominican in New York to be able to say definitively, yes or no, this is a damaging stereotype.
There's a lot going on in his book (issues of mental health, racism, family disputes being three of the big ones) and for the most part I think the author handles them well. The romance is sweet as well, I was definitely rooting for the characters to be together. But I can't give the book a higher rating because the conflict is caused by miscommunication. The girl, Isa, doesn't want to burden her love interest with all the heavy stuff that is going on in her life, so instead of being honest with him she just completely shuts him out. It's ridiculously frustrated and feels pretty contrived. It's too bad that it was the central thread, because everything going on around it was well done.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
BRRRRROOOOOOOO So cute so mean so everything ugh so fun to read
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i enjoyed the setting and the characters, and thought the writing style was nice. it was just a bit boring at times for me, but not to an extreme extent. i’d still recommend it for a romance with a bit more serious topics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Suicide attempt