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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
2.0
2.5/5
I found the book to be alright, I wasn't really into the story as much as I thought I would be, but it is defiantly worth another read.
I found the book to be alright, I wasn't really into the story as much as I thought I would be, but it is defiantly worth another read.
namsmommy09's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Loved this story of Hadley's junior and senior years. The issues she faces aren't so different than that of any other teenager.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Alcohol
courtney3's review
4.0
This book helped get me out of my reading slump, and for that, I am grateful! Coming Up For Air talks about mental health and cancer and shows how addiction can affect those around you. Some tears were shed, but there were also smiles throughout this book, which made for a great read!
alannar2422's review
5.0
I can't find the words to explain how this book made me feel. I felt everything Hadley did and sometimes x100. IT.WAS.SO.GOOD. All the topics were handled so well. I laughed,cried (I HARDLY EVER DO THAT WITH BOOKS), and felt so much turning each page. One thing I felt was handled so well was Braden's drug addiction. I watched him transition from the person he was before to someone unrecognizable because of his addiction. The comparison at the end between her mother fighting cancer and Braden choosing not to fight awed me. Hadley's struggle with choosing to leave Braden for her own good and feeling guilty for leaving him in that state is what women feel across the world in relationships like this. The signs: Him telling her he will change then trying to get more pills, trying to guilt her into staying were all components of an abusive relationship. It was utterly heartbreaking to see how everything had changed from the beginning of the book to the end. Things I never would have seen coming. I also love Tyler and Becca. The two friends who were always there for Hadley and never left her side. Tyler was my favorite with his unwavering loyalty and care, he is probably all I want in a guy tbh. I wish there was an epilogue or a short story about them and how it went but I guess we can imagine it. Another part that I loved was how the author effortlessly switched from past the present and how they blended together. This book is so important to me because it made me feel. A special ingredient that makes a book so special. I have been waiting for this book so long and I shed a tear when I had to close it and that ride was over. Loved loved this book.
_mercury_'s review
2.0
All I can say is that this book VERY NEARLY got me to pay $21 for no reason beyond a teensy bit of water on the pages.
kayharkness's review
4.0
Written very beautifully and compellingly.
The dialogue between the group of friends was at time cardboard like and stiff. Like didn’t feel how a real life group of people would speak to each other.
Overall a good fast paced story with a little bit of mystery and a good amount of conflict and good closure.
The dialogue between the group of friends was at time cardboard like and stiff. Like didn’t feel how a real life group of people would speak to each other.
Overall a good fast paced story with a little bit of mystery and a good amount of conflict and good closure.
rennegade's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really sweet story of family and first love.
One of my favorite tropes in books is the hate-to-love. While it isn't quite as strong in this novel as it is in others, there is still that build up. Hadley meets Braden after hearing from her sister that he is a womanizing scumbag and to steer clear. He is immediately charming, which only serves to raise her hackles even more, despite her grudgingly acknowledging the attraction.
As their romance blooms, her family's worst fear about her mother's cancer remission is realized. Suddenly, Hadley is juggling her family responsibilities and the stress of a sick parent with a boyfriend who seems to be spiraling out after an injury that could potentially set back his swimming dreams.
The story alternates before and after an accident, which isn't fully described until quite a bit later in the book. While this was good for building a degree of suspense and for keeping me turning the pages, I also feel like it did a bit of disservice to the story of Hadley and Braden's romance. For this being the story of her first great love, there were only a few real scenes between the two of them, and I was left wanting just a bit more.
Regardless, I thought this was a lovely story of love and family and heartbreak and recovery and seeing what was right in front of you the whole time. It ended on a really great note, and I felt pleased with how it all wrapped up.
Definitely a good read, and I would happily read more by this author!
This was a really sweet story of family and first love.
One of my favorite tropes in books is the hate-to-love. While it isn't quite as strong in this novel as it is in others, there is still that build up. Hadley meets Braden after hearing from her sister that he is a womanizing scumbag and to steer clear. He is immediately charming, which only serves to raise her hackles even more, despite her grudgingly acknowledging the attraction.
As their romance blooms, her family's worst fear about her mother's cancer remission is realized. Suddenly, Hadley is juggling her family responsibilities and the stress of a sick parent with a boyfriend who seems to be spiraling out after an injury that could potentially set back his swimming dreams.
The story alternates before and after an accident, which isn't fully described until quite a bit later in the book. While this was good for building a degree of suspense and for keeping me turning the pages, I also feel like it did a bit of disservice to the story of Hadley and Braden's romance. For this being the story of her first great love, there were only a few real scenes between the two of them, and I was left wanting just a bit more.
Regardless, I thought this was a lovely story of love and family and heartbreak and recovery and seeing what was right in front of you the whole time. It ended on a really great note, and I felt pleased with how it all wrapped up.
Definitely a good read, and I would happily read more by this author!
bookstorianreads's review
4.0
4.5
That was really hard to read. It's never easy to read about abuse and addiction and the guilt that comes with all that. But it does contain hope and love and other things to lift you up. My heart felt so heavy reading this book but it's amazing.
That was really hard to read. It's never easy to read about abuse and addiction and the guilt that comes with all that. But it does contain hope and love and other things to lift you up. My heart felt so heavy reading this book but it's amazing.
noodle6595's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0