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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
If I could give 4,5 stars, I would have. I really enjoyed this sequel and Aristotle is one of my favorite characters ever. The way he grows and develops during both the first book and this one feels very authentic! His emotions seem so very real and that is what makes this an amazing read. The writing style is great in my opinion, but the fact that it took quite some time to get to the major events in this book that make it so good is a shame. I hope Ari and Dante will be fine in the future!
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
To be honest, this book did not move me like the first one day. This may, in part, be because I outgrew the young adult genre and the target audience for this text is just way younger than me; however, I also felt that it was extremely contrived. There were so many moments throughout this book where I felt that it was super cheesey and cliche. If it wasn't for the fact that I don't do this, wanted an easy book, and loved the first one so much, I would have stopped reading. This was not a horrible book for the purpose it served, and there were moments when I enjoyed it. But I think I just outgrew this novel and maybe this type of novel. I would, however, highly recommend this book and definitely its predecessor to a much younger audience.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a super cute read and mostly a satisfying sequel! Maybe it's important to mention that the book that this is a sequel to was one of my absolute favourite books growing up, when I was about 14-15? So it generally just was a nice experience to get back into the world of Ari & Dante that I was so invested in once. However, what this also means is that themes and messages that this book and the first book discuss just don't resonate with me as much anymore as they did back then.
There were a couple of things that justify my three star rating of this. First, the writing style felt really clumsy at times, and the dialogue could feel forced and unrealistic. I really enjoyed how Ari's friendships were explored, but very little of his internal processes are left up to the imagination - everything is spelled out very explicitly for the reader, almost like a coked up version of the first book's writing style (which had a similar tone). In general, there were many times where I was just taken out and my immersion was broken by what I perceived to be pretty unrealistic and weirdly paced scenes. It also sometimes felt like important plot events weren't set up enough for them to have a huge emotional impact on me - but that might also just have to do with me not being able to fully immerse myself in the story.
The heart of the book(s), which of course is Ari & Dante's relationship and the way they influence and empower each other, shone through though, and the path their story took on felt organic and fitting for them. I also enjoyed the elements of community, friendship and family.
All in all, it's not a favourite, but I'm still glad I read this novel. People who read the first one when they were younger might enjoy getting back in touch with the characters they got to know so long ago, and in that case - I recommend it. :)
There were a couple of things that justify my three star rating of this. First, the writing style felt really clumsy at times, and the dialogue could feel forced and unrealistic. I really enjoyed how Ari's friendships were explored, but very little of his internal processes are left up to the imagination - everything is spelled out very explicitly for the reader, almost like a coked up version of the first book's writing style (which had a similar tone). In general, there were many times where I was just taken out and my immersion was broken by what I perceived to be pretty unrealistic and weirdly paced scenes. It also sometimes felt like important plot events weren't set up enough for them to have a huge emotional impact on me - but that might also just have to do with me not being able to fully immerse myself in the story.
The heart of the book(s), which of course is Ari & Dante's relationship and the way they influence and empower each other, shone through though, and the path their story took on felt organic and fitting for them. I also enjoyed the elements of community, friendship and family.
Spoiler
Something that was super significant to me was the part where Ari went to see his brother in prison - it felt very satisfying and was super interesting. Ari's ambiguous feelings towards the whole situation with his brother are such a focal point of the first book, and that whole arc that was beautifully resolved in the sequel.All in all, it's not a favourite, but I'm still glad I read this novel. People who read the first one when they were younger might enjoy getting back in touch with the characters they got to know so long ago, and in that case - I recommend it. :)
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes