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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
This was....blah. Another one whose synopsis fooled me! It had such a cute premise - a chance meeting at a party, a "what a small world" web of friendships and crushes. Though it felt like once the conflict was introduced, the rest of the story was just dragged along for the ride. It had promise, but many of the characters and the writing were just not for me.
I blindly picked this book and purchased it. Sounded super cute and I love a good story about two people who fall for each other and life gets in the way of them actually being together. This book was totally awkward and I found myself rooting for Sam and Hannah. I didn't fall in love with it, but it was enjoyable. The cover is super cute! Side note: Stella sucked as a character and friend. Glad Hannah stood up to her finally, didn't like the way things ended with the girls, though.
So, had many different opinions about the book. I thought overall it was great. The format, the way it went between Sam and Hannah's POV, but I didn't exactly like all of the content. Of course, I would recommend the book. Like I said the content of it was iffy. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. OVERALL, good job on the co-writing and I can't wait for another book.
cute but definitely awkward,,, miraffe, mirhino, mirelephant, miroccodile,,,
Misschien ligt het aan mij, maar eigenlijk vond ik dit een Mwah-verhaal. Wel leuk en grappig, maar niet echt speciaal. Door alle positieve reacties heb ik misschien de lat wat te hoog gelegd.
Hannah's just graduated and has plans to finally lose her virginity to Freddie Clemence. Is he the one? No, not really. But he'll do for this. Unfortunately nothing goes according to plan and the night ends with Hannah's situation unchanged. But she did meet someone. A cute guy whose name she didn't even catch.
Sam is certain he botched his French exam, ruining his chances at university. But for one night that's all been put aside. For one night, he and his friends are going to party and enjoy themselves. And, if he's lucky, Sam might just meet a girl. Luckily, he does. Meet a girl, that is. Unfortunately she's with someone named Freddie!
Theirs is a match that should be made in heaven, but absolutely nothing goes the way it should!
Well today's certainly been a day for fun and funny romantic tales! And this one kind of has to be, all things considered. I mean, it's written by two best friends/exes!
Yep, it's true. Authors Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison dated once upon a time and banded together as friends to write "...an older teen book that was funny and that really captured how just awkward and ridiculous it is to be seventeen years old." I'd say they've succeeded!
Sam and Hannah are genuine and realistic, the kind of kids you knew in high school (or maybe were yourself). And their experiences are fairly universal, I think. The awkwardness of meeting someone new, the general self-consciousness of being a teen, that weird in between world that comes right after high school... oh, and the drama! Holy, moly! It's been some time since I was a teen myself, but some things never fade from memory. And, speaking as an adult who quite enjoyed this teen outing, while it may not be a phase of life many of us would voluntarily repeat, spending a little time in a story that captures that feeling is definitely fun. (Maybe because it's that much more of a relief that it's over!)
One of the things I quite enjoyed about this book was how well the two authors' prose works together. It's a dual narrative, splitting time between Sam and Hannah fairly equally and giving readers the story from both of their perspectives (Tom = Sam and Lucy = Hannah). Their styles and voices really do bring the characters to life but, even better, the story itself is completely cohesive and fluid. It really is a perfect storytelling match! (Which is great because apparently they've got two more titles going already!)
If you're in the mood for a goofy and yes, awkward, love story, A Totally Awkward Love Story definitely fits the bill. And it will make you laugh out loud - you have been warned!
Sam is certain he botched his French exam, ruining his chances at university. But for one night that's all been put aside. For one night, he and his friends are going to party and enjoy themselves. And, if he's lucky, Sam might just meet a girl. Luckily, he does. Meet a girl, that is. Unfortunately she's with someone named Freddie!
Theirs is a match that should be made in heaven, but absolutely nothing goes the way it should!
Well today's certainly been a day for fun and funny romantic tales! And this one kind of has to be, all things considered. I mean, it's written by two best friends/exes!
Yep, it's true. Authors Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison dated once upon a time and banded together as friends to write "...an older teen book that was funny and that really captured how just awkward and ridiculous it is to be seventeen years old." I'd say they've succeeded!
Sam and Hannah are genuine and realistic, the kind of kids you knew in high school (or maybe were yourself). And their experiences are fairly universal, I think. The awkwardness of meeting someone new, the general self-consciousness of being a teen, that weird in between world that comes right after high school... oh, and the drama! Holy, moly! It's been some time since I was a teen myself, but some things never fade from memory. And, speaking as an adult who quite enjoyed this teen outing, while it may not be a phase of life many of us would voluntarily repeat, spending a little time in a story that captures that feeling is definitely fun. (Maybe because it's that much more of a relief that it's over!)
One of the things I quite enjoyed about this book was how well the two authors' prose works together. It's a dual narrative, splitting time between Sam and Hannah fairly equally and giving readers the story from both of their perspectives (Tom = Sam and Lucy = Hannah). Their styles and voices really do bring the characters to life but, even better, the story itself is completely cohesive and fluid. It really is a perfect storytelling match! (Which is great because apparently they've got two more titles going already!)
If you're in the mood for a goofy and yes, awkward, love story, A Totally Awkward Love Story definitely fits the bill. And it will make you laugh out loud - you have been warned!
First time I DNF a book. 20 pages in I was already hating it. I told myself it’s get better but it didn’t and that’s why I’m DNF’ing. Sam is supposed to be this casual, cute boy who can’t stop thinking about Hanna from the moment he meets her. What I didn’t stand for is the way he speaks about women. He is completely superficial and an asshole. Talking about not knowing why he likes this girl he can’t get over because she is kind of cross-eyed, or saying some other girl was totally hot because of her, and I quote, “tits” and other physical attributes. He was always talking about it. Do you ever looking at anything else than the physic aspect of a person?
Anyway, I found it absolutely disgusting, and it felt like the story wasn’t going anywhere.
Easiest decision ever.
Anyway, I found it absolutely disgusting, and it felt like the story wasn’t going anywhere.
Easiest decision ever.
This one is definitely going into my favourite books list!
If you haven't read this book already, you really must. It's only been released just this month and I was lucky enough to find this book when browsing in my local bookshop. The cover enticed me to pick it up and I absolutely loved this book!
It's basically about a girl, Hannah, and a boy, Sam, who are on a mission to find "The One" or their Lobster (which I learnt from Friends what that was about). They don't want to go to university virgins and set out on a mission to find their other half with a few problems thrown in the way of their quest.
Everything about this book was brilliant. First off, this was set in the UK. Oh, how I've missed books that are set in my own country! So it's refreshing to read people use slang words from where I'm from and speak like me, a lot of the situations were similar to when I was around that age too. It's annoying when I'm reading a book set in the USA and I have to google what something means. The characters also went away on holiday and I love books where they're going around to different places, maybe it's the traveller in me that wants to see various places all the time in my stories. This is why I love road trip books.
The characters are very relatable, as a female, I felt I could relate to Hannah a lot with the issues she was having, especially the problems she had with some of her friends. None of them were unrealistic and they were all flawed in their own way. Sam and the boys' side of the story was funny, it's certainly what I expect from boys their age to talk about and the issues they'd facing, seeing as their most important thing was getting laid (and sometimes his odd worry over school)
I have to mention, if you love the Harry Potter series, you'll also love the references in this book. And there's a lot! I was pleasantly surprised to see it get mentioned pretty much every few chapters and you can tell a fan wrote this story.
I can't really write much more without spoiling anything.
It had me doubling over in laughter, it's a great summer read and I highly recommend everyone give this one a go. It's quick to read, a story that kept me hooked and it's a fantastic debut novel from Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison. Everyone can relate in some way and you'll be laughing, crying and cringing along with Hannah and Sam. It's a great coming-of-age story that you can't not love. A new favourite book for me!
*
REVIEW ALSO POSTED AT http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/
If you haven't read this book already, you really must. It's only been released just this month and I was lucky enough to find this book when browsing in my local bookshop. The cover enticed me to pick it up and I absolutely loved this book!
It's basically about a girl, Hannah, and a boy, Sam, who are on a mission to find "The One" or their Lobster (which I learnt from Friends what that was about). They don't want to go to university virgins and set out on a mission to find their other half with a few problems thrown in the way of their quest.
Everything about this book was brilliant. First off, this was set in the UK. Oh, how I've missed books that are set in my own country! So it's refreshing to read people use slang words from where I'm from and speak like me, a lot of the situations were similar to when I was around that age too. It's annoying when I'm reading a book set in the USA and I have to google what something means. The characters also went away on holiday and I love books where they're going around to different places, maybe it's the traveller in me that wants to see various places all the time in my stories. This is why I love road trip books.
The characters are very relatable, as a female, I felt I could relate to Hannah a lot with the issues she was having, especially the problems she had with some of her friends. None of them were unrealistic and they were all flawed in their own way. Sam and the boys' side of the story was funny, it's certainly what I expect from boys their age to talk about and the issues they'd facing, seeing as their most important thing was getting laid (and sometimes his odd worry over school)
I have to mention, if you love the Harry Potter series, you'll also love the references in this book. And there's a lot! I was pleasantly surprised to see it get mentioned pretty much every few chapters and you can tell a fan wrote this story.
I can't really write much more without spoiling anything.
It had me doubling over in laughter, it's a great summer read and I highly recommend everyone give this one a go. It's quick to read, a story that kept me hooked and it's a fantastic debut novel from Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison. Everyone can relate in some way and you'll be laughing, crying and cringing along with Hannah and Sam. It's a great coming-of-age story that you can't not love. A new favourite book for me!
*
REVIEW ALSO POSTED AT http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/
OH MY GOSH you guys! This book was a total sleeper and you do not want to miss it! Such a cute summer kickoff story. I buddy-read this with two other girlfriends who were also feeling burnt out and in need of a reset book. Two of us read primarily horror/paranormal and one reads primarily contemporary but all three of us agree that this book is a LOBSTER for everyone (hehe - inside book joke). I'll share some of their thoughts with you, as if I weren't convincing enough!
The hardest part about reading this book was the actual buddy read I did. None of us wanted to put it down.
That transition to adulthood is equally exciting and scary, right? Everyone is doing it at their own pace but it certainly doesn't feel that way so it's easy to understand why Hannah and Sam are at a race to grow up and find their lobsters - their mate for life. We cut the book into 5 parts and here are some of our thoughts along the way:
Day 1:
This book makes me want to be British. I would also settle for being able to pull off a convincing British accent. Because really, if you're going to hold cans of Tresseme to your vagina, you need to have a British accent. Not that I'm doing that. High-ten anyone?
SQUEE this book is exactly what I need right now. I love Hannah and Sam's conversation about greetings because I'm totally that person that fumbles the handshake that turns into a hug.
Day 2:
I want to simultaneously beat Hannah with a slipper, and give her a hug, and say, "Preach, sister. I would have said the same stupid thing." And can we just talk about how much loathing I'm developing for Stella? She should not be anyone's best friend. She needs to be locked in a room with a therapist and no mirrors for at least six months.
So dang cute. I'm totally going to be Nan when I grow up.
Day 3:
Hmmm... Twists!
Today was the hardest to put down because !!! 1. Stella really is the worst but then again, don't we all have that friend? I think I maybe even am that friend to some. 2. Robin's dating advice is both hilarious and awful. Which means it's double hilarious. 3. Sam's "encounter." I'm pretty sure most girls have had that type of experience with a guy. I wish it was more normalized and that girls knew how not to react. 4. Everyone needs a Casper. Someone where there's no ego, no competition and you can just let it all out. His speech to her about boys? <3 LOVE
Day 4:
Casper is my favorite, hands down.
Today's selection was a literal roller coaster that I did not want to get off of. Ending at page 240 was so hard and I'm SO GLAD tomorrow I get to finish this book because I need to know how everything ends! So many tabs in this section. I wanted to make so many notes that amounted to SQUEE or OMG or SWOON. Very deep thoughts here.
Day 5:
New life goal: Become Nan. Those sequin shirts just look better and better every year.
The hardest part about reading this book was the actual buddy read I did. None of us wanted to put it down.
That transition to adulthood is equally exciting and scary, right? Everyone is doing it at their own pace but it certainly doesn't feel that way so it's easy to understand why Hannah and Sam are at a race to grow up and find their lobsters - their mate for life. We cut the book into 5 parts and here are some of our thoughts along the way:
Day 1:
This book makes me want to be British. I would also settle for being able to pull off a convincing British accent. Because really, if you're going to hold cans of Tresseme to your vagina, you need to have a British accent. Not that I'm doing that. High-ten anyone?
SQUEE this book is exactly what I need right now. I love Hannah and Sam's conversation about greetings because I'm totally that person that fumbles the handshake that turns into a hug.
Day 2:
I want to simultaneously beat Hannah with a slipper, and give her a hug, and say, "Preach, sister. I would have said the same stupid thing." And can we just talk about how much loathing I'm developing for Stella? She should not be anyone's best friend. She needs to be locked in a room with a therapist and no mirrors for at least six months.
So dang cute. I'm totally going to be Nan when I grow up.
Day 3:
Hmmm... Twists!
Today was the hardest to put down because !!! 1. Stella really is the worst but then again, don't we all have that friend? I think I maybe even am that friend to some. 2. Robin's dating advice is both hilarious and awful. Which means it's double hilarious. 3. Sam's "encounter." I'm pretty sure most girls have had that type of experience with a guy. I wish it was more normalized and that girls knew how not to react. 4. Everyone needs a Casper. Someone where there's no ego, no competition and you can just let it all out. His speech to her about boys? <3 LOVE
Day 4:
Casper is my favorite, hands down.
Today's selection was a literal roller coaster that I did not want to get off of. Ending at page 240 was so hard and I'm SO GLAD tomorrow I get to finish this book because I need to know how everything ends! So many tabs in this section. I wanted to make so many notes that amounted to SQUEE or OMG or SWOON. Very deep thoughts here.
Day 5:
New life goal: Become Nan. Those sequin shirts just look better and better every year.
Ahhhhhhh I really don't like this book. By 70% I was literally just skimming so that it would end faster. I have so many problems with this book.
1. The characters
I'm a character driven person and when I really dislike some characters and the characters are very 2-dimensional, I instantly reject it.
And the main characters here are very annoying and unlikable. They're that "everyone knows they're hot but them" kind of people, seemed special just because they're the only people that cared so much about their study, read books and like "weird stuff" such as hot grape, which I understand, I know that these people are special but it felt like these facts were shoved into my face. I wasn't even excited when Sam and Hannah finally got together because I hated Sam so much because he said and did some very questionable thing. It was like he was supposed to be this smart, geeky guy like the main characters in every John Green books but totally failed to be portrayed in that way.
And oh my god, their friends group. Exactly on 50%, I made this note:
thought i currently have: sam and hannah both have that crappy friends from crappy white offensive comedy movies that u outgrew but couldn't cut strings with
Both main characters have crappy taste in friend! They're each other lobsters considering how annoying and their taste in friends!
Even Hannah's grandmother was annoying. At first, she was a cool grandma but as I read more, I just thought, how could a 70-year-old be so immature and annoying?
I don't know if they're annoying and this stupid because they're high school students and teenager and purposely written that way but even if it's purposely written that way, I still really hate it.
2. The plot
MAAAN these characters are just too obsessed with losing their virginity. I think the authors tried to make Sam and Hannah's relationship more complicated which added damages to the story. I mean sure, the main goal of this book; to be as awkward as possible, was achieved. But I feel like it could be written so much better. And there are still some things that weren't unfinished by the time this book end (probably the readers should presume what happens next but I don't really like doing it) such as are they still gonna be friends with their crappy friends, what happens to the girl who cheated and so on. I get that these are more serious topics and this book is supposed to be a rom-com type of book but you can at least make Hannah being absolutely honest with Stella, confronts her or whatever.
3. The writing style
is very immature. I feel like if the writing style is okay, I would've give this book at least low 3 stars.
Everything that was unsaid was tainting the memories of the last seven years. Our rooms plastered with millions of photographs, every weekend spent together since we were eleven, but in the end it just amounted to some sort of Mean Girls–style survival of the fittest.
It felt very crappy-teen-movie-ish and Wattpad-ish.
4. HANNAH SHOULD END UP WITH SOMEONE BETTER.
I totally didn't ship Hannah with Sam. Sam is a crappy human-being that doesn't deserve Hannah, full stop. I like Caspar, Caspar is good, I know he's only Hannah's guy friend but Caspar is really good and he's the only character that I actually liked.
So that's my review for this book. It's a solid 2 stars from me.
1. The characters
I'm a character driven person and when I really dislike some characters and the characters are very 2-dimensional, I instantly reject it.
And the main characters here are very annoying and unlikable. They're that "everyone knows they're hot but them" kind of people, seemed special just because they're the only people that cared so much about their study, read books and like "weird stuff" such as hot grape, which I understand, I know that these people are special but it felt like these facts were shoved into my face. I wasn't even excited when Sam and Hannah finally got together because I hated Sam so much because he said and did some very questionable thing. It was like he was supposed to be this smart, geeky guy like the main characters in every John Green books but totally failed to be portrayed in that way.
And oh my god, their friends group. Exactly on 50%, I made this note:
thought i currently have: sam and hannah both have that crappy friends from crappy white offensive comedy movies that u outgrew but couldn't cut strings with
Both main characters have crappy taste in friend! They're each other lobsters considering how annoying and their taste in friends!
Even Hannah's grandmother was annoying. At first, she was a cool grandma but as I read more, I just thought, how could a 70-year-old be so immature and annoying?
I don't know if they're annoying and this stupid because they're high school students and teenager and purposely written that way but even if it's purposely written that way, I still really hate it.
2. The plot
MAAAN these characters are just too obsessed with losing their virginity. I think the authors tried to make Sam and Hannah's relationship more complicated which added damages to the story. I mean sure, the main goal of this book; to be as awkward as possible, was achieved. But I feel like it could be written so much better. And there are still some things that weren't unfinished by the time this book end (probably the readers should presume what happens next but I don't really like doing it) such as are they still gonna be friends with their crappy friends, what happens to the girl who cheated and so on. I get that these are more serious topics and this book is supposed to be a rom-com type of book but you can at least make Hannah being absolutely honest with Stella, confronts her or whatever.
3. The writing style
is very immature. I feel like if the writing style is okay, I would've give this book at least low 3 stars.
Everything that was unsaid was tainting the memories of the last seven years. Our rooms plastered with millions of photographs, every weekend spent together since we were eleven, but in the end it just amounted to some sort of Mean Girls–style survival of the fittest.
It felt very crappy-teen-movie-ish and Wattpad-ish.
4. HANNAH SHOULD END UP WITH SOMEONE BETTER.
I totally didn't ship Hannah with Sam. Sam is a crappy human-being that doesn't deserve Hannah, full stop. I like Caspar, Caspar is good, I know he's only Hannah's guy friend but Caspar is really good and he's the only character that I actually liked.
So that's my review for this book. It's a solid 2 stars from me.