Reviews

Anna K. by Jenny Lee

msilkwolfe's review against another edition

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4.0

I might be a little generous with my star rating? I'd say a solid 3.5 from me. It was fun though! Kept me engaged from page one. Some of the writing and dialogue made me cringe, but I was able to sort of overlook it. I'd describe it as a YA version of "Gossip Girl meets Tolstoy meets contemporary fiction."Overall it was a fun read and I'm glad I got around to it!

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition

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5.0

5/5

Loved this book so much! I had some low expectations going into it. I mainly just knew that it was somewhat popular on Booktok. The book was really well done in my opinion though I wouldn’t be caught dead doing some of the things that happen in this book. I did enjoy the characters and I was surprised when I wasn’t confused by all the multiple POVs

hortongr's review against another edition

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2.0

This book was my first book from Book of the Month Club and I was beyond excited when it came in the mail. I chose this book specifically because the two books I had read just before it were both extremely dense, difficult, and emotionally draining. I thought this sounded like it would be a nice change of pace and a break from the sadness. I was half right ‘:)

This book was definitely an easier read than my last two books. It seemed to be written at a lower level more palatable for readers of all ages, especially as the characters were in high school (I assume that was the target audience).
It’s content (for the most part lol) was also much lighter. I appreciated the diversity in race and sexual orientation included in the characters of this book. It’s something I feel we always need more of in literature. I also like the way it portrayed sex, as an idea, from a number of perspectives, all in an equally positive light. The ideas of having sex with a partner right away or waiting until the right moment were both presented as choices of equal value and validity which I appreciated bc if this book really is aimed at young people alleviating some of the stigma around being sexually active or not is important. I appreciated the emphasis on individual choice.

I was wrong, however, in assuming this book would not be emotionally draining. A gut-wrenching, almost horrifically dark twist came at the very end that I was not at all prepared for. My roommate was in the room with me when I got to that point and I’m pretty sure I gasped loudly and then nearly shouted “What the F***?!”. It was crazy.

All in all, I think I made a good first BoTM pick. Even though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite book ever and I wouldn’t be inclined to reread it, I found it super funny (audibly laughing at a number of scenes) and felt good enough about it to recommend it to a friend (with a number of content warnings, that is).

“Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.”

kaitlynmpringle's review against another edition

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4.0

kinda ripped my heart out honestly, but a very good take on the classic anna karenina by leo tolstoy.

ashleysager's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful slow-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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

alexislworkman's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense 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

4.5

mollywetta's review against another edition

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I’m a fan of tragic loves stories and Anna Karenina is favorite. I also enjoy me some over the top stories of wealth a privilege (think Gossip Girl). This was a fun, cupcake of a book that was perfect for my vacation.

moshalala's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

lisha's review against another edition

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dnf @ 36%

bookswithdeniece's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5

It was annoying at first but then it hurt?

I just didn't expect the last few chapters.