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popthebutterfly's review against another edition
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Love Times Infinity
Author: Lane Clarke
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black MC who lives with grandmother, Black characters, Lesbian character, Hispanic character, Foster care character, Jewish character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, Black romance
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 16+ (roaches/bugs, sexual assault/rape, depression, psychiatric hold, anxiety, cursing, alcoholism, underage alcohol consumption, abortion, panic attack, romance)
Explanation of Above: Roaches/bugs are mentioned in the beginning of the book and not at all after that. It’s a quick mention. The book revolves around a character who is the product of rape, so rape and sexual assault are mentioned in varied vagueness to bluntness throughout the novel. Depression and anxiety are shown in the book and there is a psychiatric hold mentioned as well. There is one panic attack scene. There is a lot of cursing throughout the book. Alcoholism is mentioned and underage alcohol consumption is mentioned as well. Abortion is mentioned to a character who is pregnant. There is some romance in the book.
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 368
Synopsis: High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student. The prompts would be hard for anyone, but Michie's been estranged from her mother since she was seven and her concept of family has long felt murky.
Enter new kid and basketball superstar Derek de la Rosa. He is very cute, very talented, and very much has his eye on Michie, no matter how invisible she believes herself to be.
When Michie's mother unexpectedly reaches out to make amends, and with her scholarship deadlines looming, Michie must choose whether to reopen old wounds or close the door on her past. And as she spends more time with Derek, she'll have to decide how much of her heart she is willing to share. Because while Michie may not know who she is, she's starting to realize who she wants to become, if only she can take a chance on Derek, on herself, and on her future.
Review: I think this is a superb read, with really thought provoking questions throughout it. I loved how the book was written and it really made me think throughout it. Usually I stay away from books where it discusses a pregnancy after a rape. I do this because when I was younger, most of the books like that were in the Christian fiction genre. In fact, when I was in high school I had a friend who loved to read Christian novels and some of the novels that she really liked and would tell me about was in the theme of about a pregnancy after a rape. And the thing that really bugged me about those books were that they all showcased that it was all sunshine and rainbows afterwards. And I thought to myself, and I still do think to myself, that It is a very stupid way of framing that unfortunate situation and obviously it was to push a certain political agenda. But the thing I love about this book is that it was very raw and honest about the aftermath of such an event. It didn’t paint the issue as “sunshine and rainbows” but rather it focused on the MC, who is a product of rape, and how they deal with that event and how their family also deals with it. It was raw and emotional and honest, and even when another character in the book got pregnant the MC not only advocated for abortion but also for the character to make a choice that best suited them. The character development was amazing and the world building was well done. The pacing was also great and overall I think this is one of those books that are well worth being read. I also loved all of the Percy Jackson mentions. This is something I think other authors could incorporate as well *hinthint*
The only issue I had with the book is that the ending was a bit sudden and I wanted to see more of the romance between the MC and the love interest, but other than that I absolutely adored this read!
Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!
Book: Love Times Infinity
Author: Lane Clarke
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black MC who lives with grandmother, Black characters, Lesbian character, Hispanic character, Foster care character, Jewish character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, Black romance
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 16+ (roaches/bugs, sexual assault/rape, depression, psychiatric hold, anxiety, cursing, alcoholism, underage alcohol consumption, abortion, panic attack, romance)
Explanation of Above: Roaches/bugs are mentioned in the beginning of the book and not at all after that. It’s a quick mention. The book revolves around a character who is the product of rape, so rape and sexual assault are mentioned in varied vagueness to bluntness throughout the novel. Depression and anxiety are shown in the book and there is a psychiatric hold mentioned as well. There is one panic attack scene. There is a lot of cursing throughout the book. Alcoholism is mentioned and underage alcohol consumption is mentioned as well. Abortion is mentioned to a character who is pregnant. There is some romance in the book.
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 368
Synopsis: High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student. The prompts would be hard for anyone, but Michie's been estranged from her mother since she was seven and her concept of family has long felt murky.
Enter new kid and basketball superstar Derek de la Rosa. He is very cute, very talented, and very much has his eye on Michie, no matter how invisible she believes herself to be.
When Michie's mother unexpectedly reaches out to make amends, and with her scholarship deadlines looming, Michie must choose whether to reopen old wounds or close the door on her past. And as she spends more time with Derek, she'll have to decide how much of her heart she is willing to share. Because while Michie may not know who she is, she's starting to realize who she wants to become, if only she can take a chance on Derek, on herself, and on her future.
Review: I think this is a superb read, with really thought provoking questions throughout it. I loved how the book was written and it really made me think throughout it. Usually I stay away from books where it discusses a pregnancy after a rape. I do this because when I was younger, most of the books like that were in the Christian fiction genre. In fact, when I was in high school I had a friend who loved to read Christian novels and some of the novels that she really liked and would tell me about was in the theme of about a pregnancy after a rape. And the thing that really bugged me about those books were that they all showcased that it was all sunshine and rainbows afterwards. And I thought to myself, and I still do think to myself, that It is a very stupid way of framing that unfortunate situation and obviously it was to push a certain political agenda. But the thing I love about this book is that it was very raw and honest about the aftermath of such an event. It didn’t paint the issue as “sunshine and rainbows” but rather it focused on the MC, who is a product of rape, and how they deal with that event and how their family also deals with it. It was raw and emotional and honest, and even when another character in the book got pregnant the MC not only advocated for abortion but also for the character to make a choice that best suited them. The character development was amazing and the world building was well done. The pacing was also great and overall I think this is one of those books that are well worth being read. I also loved all of the Percy Jackson mentions. This is something I think other authors could incorporate as well *hinthint*
The only issue I had with the book is that the ending was a bit sudden and I wanted to see more of the romance between the MC and the love interest, but other than that I absolutely adored this read!
Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!
luvekelsey_'s review against another edition
5.0
This book was so cute and Derek is book boyfriend worthy and Jojo was the perfect best friend and Michie is such a relatable character. Second 5 star read of 2023
comfortn_reads's review against another edition
5.0
❤️
I really loved this book. I felt like I could relate to the main character in some ways and I also liked all of the characters. I think that it ended really nicely, although I would have loved to see what happens next. I loved how we could see the characters going through a portion of the college admissions process (standardized testing) as that relates to my current stage in life as well. I really loved reading about the chemistry between Michie and Derek.
I really loved this book. I felt like I could relate to the main character in some ways and I also liked all of the characters. I think that it ended really nicely, although I would have loved to see what happens next. I loved how we could see the characters going through a portion of the college admissions process (standardized testing) as that relates to my current stage in life as well. I really loved reading about the chemistry between Michie and Derek.
booksintheirnaturalhabitat's review against another edition
4.0
For a YA book, this book took on some heavy topics - this is a when life gets really real kind of book.
Michie is a high school junior struggling with what seems like “normal” high school struggles: scholarship essays, SATs, a cute new boy in town. Add in an estranged mother who suddenly wants to get in contact, and Michie’s own inner turmoil.
The complexity of the relationships really elevated this book. I had so many FEELINGS for Michie and really everyone in the book. There are points of rawness, of exposure, of trying to protect oneself. There were points where my heart went out to Michie.
I’m shocked that this is a debut novel, but I will highly recommend it to anyone who wants to feel all the feels!
Thank you to @thenovl for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own personal opinions.
Michie is a high school junior struggling with what seems like “normal” high school struggles: scholarship essays, SATs, a cute new boy in town. Add in an estranged mother who suddenly wants to get in contact, and Michie’s own inner turmoil.
The complexity of the relationships really elevated this book. I had so many FEELINGS for Michie and really everyone in the book. There are points of rawness, of exposure, of trying to protect oneself. There were points where my heart went out to Michie.
I’m shocked that this is a debut novel, but I will highly recommend it to anyone who wants to feel all the feels!
Thank you to @thenovl for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own personal opinions.
sweetdee85's review against another edition
inspiring
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
4.0
iselenris's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.25
Michie is so loved as she deserves
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
LOVE TIMES INFINITY is another one of those books where I feel like the cover copy just does not do it justice. I feel like it really leaves out the emotional depth and deep soul-searching and pain that Michie wrestles with. It implies that her family issues are a simple estrangement when in fact, there’s something much darker and more complex in play.
When I started reading the book, at first, I struggled with Michie’s self-pity. I felt empathy for her because obviously a LOT in her life is a struggle, but I wanted to be like, okay but isn’t there a bright side here somewhere?
As I got to know her, though, her down-on-herself attitude suddenly made so much more sense. It became clear how over and over she self-sabotaged because she couldn’t move past a deep wound. She also holds deep beliefs in some really destructive ideas about herself.
But those ideas, her believing them, all of that made sense from Michie’s point-of-view. As the circumstances of her life and the blooming relationships around her force her to confront those ideas, Michie began to experience a transformation. I LOVED that. So many scenes had me crying because they resonated so deeply: hurt, forgiveness, new self-love. The author captured those moments beautifully and perfectly.
The story also explores some ideas about abortion. Michie has complicated feelings about the issue because she feels like lots of people would have told her mom to abort her. She wonders if her mother wishes she had. Michie’s feelings only grow more confusing when she hears rumors that a girl at school has had an abortion, and she isn’t sure how to feel about it. Michie is pretty careful to try to separate her personal feelings from legal or broad mandate ideas. She also allows readers to explore a complex issue from an interesting perspective.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When I started reading the book, at first, I struggled with Michie’s self-pity. I felt empathy for her because obviously a LOT in her life is a struggle, but I wanted to be like, okay but isn’t there a bright side here somewhere?
As I got to know her, though, her down-on-herself attitude suddenly made so much more sense. It became clear how over and over she self-sabotaged because she couldn’t move past a deep wound. She also holds deep beliefs in some really destructive ideas about herself.
But those ideas, her believing them, all of that made sense from Michie’s point-of-view. As the circumstances of her life and the blooming relationships around her force her to confront those ideas, Michie began to experience a transformation. I LOVED that. So many scenes had me crying because they resonated so deeply: hurt, forgiveness, new self-love. The author captured those moments beautifully and perfectly.
The story also explores some ideas about abortion. Michie has complicated feelings about the issue because she feels like lots of people would have told her mom to abort her. She wonders if her mother wishes she had. Michie’s feelings only grow more confusing when she hears rumors that a girl at school has had an abortion, and she isn’t sure how to feel about it. Michie is pretty careful to try to separate her personal feelings from legal or broad mandate ideas. She also allows readers to explore a complex issue from an interesting perspective.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
aerialsshelfielife's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
If you’re looking for something hopeful and bright to get you out of a slump, this is a test pick. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely has a little trauma, but the star of the show is how Michie overcomes it with the love and support of her village.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
jenayzhyrov's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.75
daijahsbookworld's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
this was way more emotional than i anticipated going in. this is a ya coming of age story but our main character was convinced via rape and has an estranged relationship with her mother because of this. she is trying to apply for colleges and feels like she cannot get a grasp on what to write because of this relationship.
this relationship with her mother is a huge portion of the book and her grappling with the fact of how she was brought into this world. she is also in a support group with other teens going through this and we see how this affects them in different ways which i really enjoyed.
derek and michie are absolutely adorable and i loved their relationship so much. i do wish we got more about derek and his struggles. we focused a little bit on his family but michie goes through so much and i wish that derek had at least one thing. it seemed a bit unrealistic that his life was so peachy keen. derek was such a sweet, wholesome, supportive bean tho
i loved seeing michie's relationship with her grandma as well. a lot of the black community is raised by grandparents and other relatives so i loved seeing the representation even tho personally i have never had relationships with any of my grandparents.
i think this discussed something i have never even thought about personally in such an amazing way and we really saw how it impacted michie. while it may have been too much for a ya audience i think it could have done more to talk about rape culture and how rape impacts more people than just the children conceived from it. it talked about the mothers slightly but i think if it dove into that more it could have been an absolute favorite.
overall i would highly recommend this for the audience that it is aimed at.
thank you to lane clarke, and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
this relationship with her mother is a huge portion of the book and her grappling with the fact of how she was brought into this world. she is also in a support group with other teens going through this and we see how this affects them in different ways which i really enjoyed.
derek and michie are absolutely adorable and i loved their relationship so much. i do wish we got more about derek and his struggles. we focused a little bit on his family but michie goes through so much and i wish that derek had at least one thing. it seemed a bit unrealistic that his life was so peachy keen. derek was such a sweet, wholesome, supportive bean tho
i loved seeing michie's relationship with her grandma as well. a lot of the black community is raised by grandparents and other relatives so i loved seeing the representation even tho personally i have never had relationships with any of my grandparents.
i think this discussed something i have never even thought about personally in such an amazing way and we really saw how it impacted michie. while it may have been too much for a ya audience i think it could have done more to talk about rape culture and how rape impacts more people than just the children conceived from it. it talked about the mothers slightly but i think if it dove into that more it could have been an absolute favorite.
overall i would highly recommend this for the audience that it is aimed at.
thank you to lane clarke, and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.