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hjb_128's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
scottonreads's review against another edition
4.0
I am on a bit of a YA kick, and when the books are this good I do not hate it! I am a big Farah
Heron fan, so I knew this one was going to be a delight. Big thanks to #netgalley and Skyscape for the ARC to read and review.
Samaya is a very smart, self-proclaimed nerd girl who is going through it as she enters her final year of high school. Her boyfriend broke up with her over the summer. Her parents and school counselors are on her to strengthen her resume for college applications. And the rumor mill is working overtime with the help of an anonymous Instagram account. Her exboyfriend has already started dating someone new. The only brightspot for Samaya outside of good friends Aimee and Cass is LostNight - someone who she games with but hasn't met IRL.
Samaya ends up volunteering at a local shelter, and it changes everything, especially meeting Daniel, her very cute co-volunteer.
I love a coming-of-age story that feels authentic - because teenage girls are messy, and often selfish. and Heron does such a great job in crafting her characters with this level of nuance. Were there times I was frustrated with Samaya? Sure, but it felt so real. Lord knows how frustrating I was as a teen! But this also delves deep into tough issues - socioeconomic status and classism, racism and homophobia.
I tore through this one, and when I finished had a big ol smile on my face. What a delight!
I will post this review on my bookstagram, @scottonreads, goodreads and retail sites.
Heron fan, so I knew this one was going to be a delight. Big thanks to #netgalley and Skyscape for the ARC to read and review.
Samaya is a very smart, self-proclaimed nerd girl who is going through it as she enters her final year of high school. Her boyfriend broke up with her over the summer. Her parents and school counselors are on her to strengthen her resume for college applications. And the rumor mill is working overtime with the help of an anonymous Instagram account. Her exboyfriend has already started dating someone new. The only brightspot for Samaya outside of good friends Aimee and Cass is LostNight - someone who she games with but hasn't met IRL.
Samaya ends up volunteering at a local shelter, and it changes everything, especially meeting Daniel, her very cute co-volunteer.
I love a coming-of-age story that feels authentic - because teenage girls are messy, and often selfish. and Heron does such a great job in crafting her characters with this level of nuance. Were there times I was frustrated with Samaya? Sure, but it felt so real. Lord knows how frustrating I was as a teen! But this also delves deep into tough issues - socioeconomic status and classism, racism and homophobia.
I tore through this one, and when I finished had a big ol smile on my face. What a delight!
I will post this review on my bookstagram, @scottonreads, goodreads and retail sites.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fun #ownvoices YA fake dating romance between a nerdy STEM girl and a hockey jock baker. Where do I even start with this one?? I'm a huge Farah Heron fan and this latest YA love story was a pure delight!
From the Toronto setting, the math-smart, gamer girl protagonist, the great baking adventures and the diverse cast of characters. I really enjoyed Samaya and her fake boyfriend Daniel's opposites attract romance as she tries to move on from her ex and prove she's 'winning' their breakup.
Perfect for fans of books like Love, decoded by Jennifer Yen or My mechanical romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth and great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Soneela Nankani. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
From the Toronto setting, the math-smart, gamer girl protagonist, the great baking adventures and the diverse cast of characters. I really enjoyed Samaya and her fake boyfriend Daniel's opposites attract romance as she tries to move on from her ex and prove she's 'winning' their breakup.
Perfect for fans of books like Love, decoded by Jennifer Yen or My mechanical romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth and great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Soneela Nankani. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
shavon713's review against another edition
3.0
Samaya, self proclaimed gamer and nerd, gets dumped by her high school sweetheart and not only does he dump her, he ruins her summer volunteering position she needs for college applications. With a Gossip Girl spin, their high school’s gossip page is broadcasting their whole breakup and life after. Samaya’s world is turned upside down when she meets Daniel at the shelter she volunteers at.
A YA novel with friendship, homelessness, gaming, and LGBT characters infused seamlessly, it wasn’t the most realistic plot but it was engaging and not your typical focus!
A YA novel with friendship, homelessness, gaming, and LGBT characters infused seamlessly, it wasn’t the most realistic plot but it was engaging and not your typical focus!
bookishkenyannerd's review against another edition
5.0
After her boyfriend broke up with her, sabotaged her upcoming summer job, and started dating her frenemy, Samaya wanted to appear the winner of their breakup. Of course, what better way than to start a fake relationship with Daniel, the handsome jock and baking whiz at the shelter where she started to volunteer at?
Daniel was so sweet, so cheerful, so supportive, and the cutest pastry-loving (and baking) jock ever
Daniel was so sweet, so cheerful, so supportive, and the cutest pastry-loving (and baking) jock ever
ceredonia's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*. Another cute read I got on a whim at the library. I loved the nerd stuff but it got a bit repetitive, and I really didn't like the cyber bullying subplot. I'm a sucker for fake-dating stories though!
josephinebean's review against another edition
4.0
rated: 4 stars
this was such a cheesy high school fake dating romance novel, and combined with the gaming and the rather compelling mystery catfish subplot, i found myself liking this book way more than i expected to. the diverse characters were well done, no one really felt left behind in terms of side characters and everyone got their moment in the sun, which is always nice.
the limited perspective worked well for the heavier discussions about homelessness and marginalised groups, and i felt towards the end our mc samaya had really started to go through some character growth and development that didn't feel rushed. the book was only a portion of her full story, so it felt good that the author didn't try to shoehorn in a complete character change and allowed the mc to just start on her deconstruction of her own prejudices. her inner monologue and the issues that she felt focused on also felt very realistic.
the only thing that i didn't love about this book was the writing style. at times the language used was very adult trying to write like a teenager, and there were also passages that were over explaining to me what the scene or what outfits looked like, instead of giving me a framework that allowed me to come up with an image myself. this wasn't a deal breaker for me though, because ultimately the other aspects of this book worked well enough that i was still compelled to keep reading.
I got an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
this was such a cheesy high school fake dating romance novel, and combined with the gaming and the rather compelling mystery catfish subplot, i found myself liking this book way more than i expected to. the diverse characters were well done, no one really felt left behind in terms of side characters and everyone got their moment in the sun, which is always nice.
the limited perspective worked well for the heavier discussions about homelessness and marginalised groups, and i felt towards the end our mc samaya had really started to go through some character growth and development that didn't feel rushed. the book was only a portion of her full story, so it felt good that the author didn't try to shoehorn in a complete character change and allowed the mc to just start on her deconstruction of her own prejudices. her inner monologue and the issues that she felt focused on also felt very realistic.
the only thing that i didn't love about this book was the writing style. at times the language used was very adult trying to write like a teenager, and there were also passages that were over explaining to me what the scene or what outfits looked like, instead of giving me a framework that allowed me to come up with an image myself. this wasn't a deal breaker for me though, because ultimately the other aspects of this book worked well enough that i was still compelled to keep reading.
I got an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
sudeepthi's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
dorothy0426's review against another edition
4.0
Super cute YA Fake dating troupe. Wasn’t sure if I was too old to read this book as the book was set in high school. But I ended up really enjoying this one and cheering for the FMC to get her happiness that she deserved. There was some hiccups through out the book but all it took was a bit of “growing up” and all was good in the end. This was my first read by this author and I do look forward to reading more from her. Recommend this book if YA is your thing!!
danadoesbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you Skyscape and NetGalley for the eARC of How to Win a Breakup! All opinions in this review are my own.
How to Win a Breakup is easily my favorite Farah Heron book I've read so far! With a mix of Gossip Girl and the movie Can't Buy Me Love, Heron creates a situation that is both funny and heartwarming. Samaya learns a lot about herself over the course of the book and I like how much she is able to recognize her own expectations by the end. I hope Heron writes more YA novels because this one was an excellent start!