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getupkid10's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
rikerandom's review against another edition
4.0
Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele
Rezensionsexemplar, zur Verfügung gestellt vom Verlag im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension ♥
„Herzflattern mit Karamell oder Wie ich in zwei Wochen mein Leben ruinierte“ der australischen Debutautorin Erin Gough ist einfach eins dieser Bücher, bei denen die Seiten nur so dahin fliegen und die einen nachher mit einer ordentlichen Portion gute Laune zurück lassen. Auch wenn in dem Buch durchaus Konflikte behandelt werden und es die Figuren nicht immer ganz einfach haben, ist die Grundstimmung doch irgendwie stets positiv – was natürlich nicht zu letzt an den einfach total sympathischen Charakteren liegt.
Bei Delilah, der 17 Jahre alten Protagonistin, läuft es alles andere als rund: Erst geht ihre Romanze mit einer Mitschülerin fürchterlich schief und macht sie plötzlich zum großen Außenseiter an der Schule, dann steht sie nach einer Reihe unglücklicher Zwischenfälle auch noch ganz allein mit dem Café ihres Vaters da, während der Urlaub am anderen Ende der Welt macht. Dels Entscheidung ist schnell gefällt: Schluss mit Schule, ab sofort schmeißt sie das Café Flywheel halt allein! Und dass sie von da aus auch noch so eine gute Aussicht auf das Restaurant gegenüber und vor allem die tanzende Kellnerin Rosa hat, ist natürlich nur von Vorteil.
Wie gesagt, der Roman lebt von seinen Charakteren: Del, die mit ihrer Sexualität überhaupt kein Problem hat, aber damit, dass andere so ein Problem daraus machen, schon. Die herrlich unperfekt und manchmal auch wirklich unsympathisch ist und trotzdem immer liebenswert bleibt – auch wenn man sie halt manchmal etwas schütteln möchte, damit sie zur Besinnung kommt. Ihre Freunde, die alle mit Ecken und Kanten daherkommen, was sie zu so realitischen Figuren macht. Und natürlich Rosa, die voller Leidenschaft und Unsicherheiten steckt. Eins haben alle Figuren gemeinsam, sie sind facettenreich und ausgesprochen realistisch und entwickeln sich im Laufe des Romans deutlich.
Erin Goughs Schreibstil und die Geschichte, die sie rund um ihre Charaktere spinnt, haben mir ausgesprochen gut gefallen und sorgen, wie schon gesagt, für ein kurzweiliges und sehr unterhaltsames Lesevergnügen. Nicht ganz so glücklich bin ich mit der Romanze gewesen, nicht etwa, weil ich Rosa nicht mochte – im Gegenteil, die fand ich durchaus sympathisch -, sondern weil ich das Gefühl hatte, dass Del und Rosa an so unterschiedlichen Punkten sind, dass es einfach nicht passt. Aber nun gut, die Romanze ist hier ja nur eins von mehreren zentralen Storyelementen, von daher schmälert das meinen Spaß am Buch nicht wirklich.
Alles in allem gibt es für Erin Goughs Debüt „Herzflattern mit Karamell oder Wie ich in zwei Wochen mein Leben ruinierte“ von mir daher gute 4 Sterne und eine ganz, ganz dicke Empfehlung für diesen locker leichten australischen Lesespaß, der sich, neben vielen anderen Themen, die zum Erwachsenwerden dazu gehören, auch mit der Sexualität seiner Protagonistin auseinander setzt und das ganz ohne daraus eine große Sache zu machen – das Verliebt sein steht im Vordergrund und dass die beiden Mädels sind, sorgt zwar für Komplikationen, ist aber im Endeffekt zweitrangig.
Rezensionsexemplar, zur Verfügung gestellt vom Verlag im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension ♥
„Herzflattern mit Karamell oder Wie ich in zwei Wochen mein Leben ruinierte“ der australischen Debutautorin Erin Gough ist einfach eins dieser Bücher, bei denen die Seiten nur so dahin fliegen und die einen nachher mit einer ordentlichen Portion gute Laune zurück lassen. Auch wenn in dem Buch durchaus Konflikte behandelt werden und es die Figuren nicht immer ganz einfach haben, ist die Grundstimmung doch irgendwie stets positiv – was natürlich nicht zu letzt an den einfach total sympathischen Charakteren liegt.
Bei Delilah, der 17 Jahre alten Protagonistin, läuft es alles andere als rund: Erst geht ihre Romanze mit einer Mitschülerin fürchterlich schief und macht sie plötzlich zum großen Außenseiter an der Schule, dann steht sie nach einer Reihe unglücklicher Zwischenfälle auch noch ganz allein mit dem Café ihres Vaters da, während der Urlaub am anderen Ende der Welt macht. Dels Entscheidung ist schnell gefällt: Schluss mit Schule, ab sofort schmeißt sie das Café Flywheel halt allein! Und dass sie von da aus auch noch so eine gute Aussicht auf das Restaurant gegenüber und vor allem die tanzende Kellnerin Rosa hat, ist natürlich nur von Vorteil.
Wie gesagt, der Roman lebt von seinen Charakteren: Del, die mit ihrer Sexualität überhaupt kein Problem hat, aber damit, dass andere so ein Problem daraus machen, schon. Die herrlich unperfekt und manchmal auch wirklich unsympathisch ist und trotzdem immer liebenswert bleibt – auch wenn man sie halt manchmal etwas schütteln möchte, damit sie zur Besinnung kommt. Ihre Freunde, die alle mit Ecken und Kanten daherkommen, was sie zu so realitischen Figuren macht. Und natürlich Rosa, die voller Leidenschaft und Unsicherheiten steckt. Eins haben alle Figuren gemeinsam, sie sind facettenreich und ausgesprochen realistisch und entwickeln sich im Laufe des Romans deutlich.
Erin Goughs Schreibstil und die Geschichte, die sie rund um ihre Charaktere spinnt, haben mir ausgesprochen gut gefallen und sorgen, wie schon gesagt, für ein kurzweiliges und sehr unterhaltsames Lesevergnügen. Nicht ganz so glücklich bin ich mit der Romanze gewesen, nicht etwa, weil ich Rosa nicht mochte – im Gegenteil, die fand ich durchaus sympathisch -, sondern weil ich das Gefühl hatte, dass Del und Rosa an so unterschiedlichen Punkten sind, dass es einfach nicht passt. Aber nun gut, die Romanze ist hier ja nur eins von mehreren zentralen Storyelementen, von daher schmälert das meinen Spaß am Buch nicht wirklich.
Alles in allem gibt es für Erin Goughs Debüt „Herzflattern mit Karamell oder Wie ich in zwei Wochen mein Leben ruinierte“ von mir daher gute 4 Sterne und eine ganz, ganz dicke Empfehlung für diesen locker leichten australischen Lesespaß, der sich, neben vielen anderen Themen, die zum Erwachsenwerden dazu gehören, auch mit der Sexualität seiner Protagonistin auseinander setzt und das ganz ohne daraus eine große Sache zu machen – das Verliebt sein steht im Vordergrund und dass die beiden Mädels sind, sorgt zwar für Komplikationen, ist aber im Endeffekt zweitrangig.
mcf's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
This was a sweet, fluffy f/f YA story -- something of which there can never be enough -- which has been out for ages in Australia and will finally be published in the US next spring. While there are realistic elements in the book (periodic money concerns, bullying, family pressure), overall it feels like a bit of a fantasy, packed with gorgeous girls and boys, last minutes rescues, and parents who are conveniently absent from 100% of the book's key events.
Overall, it's a fun, quick read, but I did have a couple of frustrations with it. First, every bit of character development was packed into the last 10% of the book -- that's not a growth arc, it's a flatline with a bit of a jump at the end, presumably to facilitate the expected happy ending. And, second, the book ended with multiple people telling Delilah that she should cut the closeted Rosa some slack, and agree to be with her despite the fact that this required the out and increasingly proud Delilah to feel she's being less than true to herself. Ultimately, Delilah agreed, a decision which is framed as part of her general growth as a person. She doesn't hold hands with her girlfriend, talk to her father about him, or do anything else to betray Rosa's trust. While everyone certainly needs to come out (or not) on their own terms and at their own speed, I'm not comfortable with the message this seems to be sending to teen girls -- should they really be expected and pressured by the "reasonable" people around them to give into the needs of potential partners who aren't out, despite feeling as if it's a betrayal of who they are? Surely not.
Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
This was a sweet, fluffy f/f YA story -- something of which there can never be enough -- which has been out for ages in Australia and will finally be published in the US next spring. While there are realistic elements in the book (periodic money concerns, bullying, family pressure), overall it feels like a bit of a fantasy, packed with gorgeous girls and boys, last minutes rescues, and parents who are conveniently absent from 100% of the book's key events.
Overall, it's a fun, quick read, but I did have a couple of frustrations with it. First, every bit of character development was packed into the last 10% of the book -- that's not a growth arc, it's a flatline with a bit of a jump at the end, presumably to facilitate the expected happy ending. And, second, the book ended with multiple people telling Delilah that she should cut the closeted Rosa some slack, and agree to be with her despite the fact that this required the out and increasingly proud Delilah to feel she's being less than true to herself. Ultimately, Delilah agreed, a decision which is framed as part of her general growth as a person. She doesn't hold hands with her girlfriend, talk to her father about him, or do anything else to betray Rosa's trust. While everyone certainly needs to come out (or not) on their own terms and at their own speed, I'm not comfortable with the message this seems to be sending to teen girls -- should they really be expected and pressured by the "reasonable" people around them to give into the needs of potential partners who aren't out, despite feeling as if it's a betrayal of who they are? Surely not.
Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
357h3r's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really good book that was recommended to me by a friend. It was a very satisfying read.
tashas_tbr's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.75
hedgehogbookreviews's review
4.0
You can also find this review on Hedgehog Book Reviews!
3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 on GR
Delilah has a lot of responsibilities for just a high school student. Her dad is away, so she’s stuck managing The Flywheel, his coffee shop. With that commitment, on top of relentless bullying from homophobes at school, Delilah decides to leave academics to work at The Flywheel full time. On a positive note, this gives her more opportunities to not-so-randomly run into her long-time crush, Rosa. Delilah daydreams of Rosa confessing her undying love for her, but she’s aware that this probably will never happen. With big coffee shop competition down the road, Delilah struggles to balance The Flywheel, her gigantic crush on a girl who may not ever like her back, and her school friends who pester her to come back to school.
I want to start out by mentioning the title of this book. Before it was released outside of Australia, this book was named The Flywheel. I, personally, think this was a much better name. The Flywheel is the most important location in the novel, so that was a very fitting title. The title Get It Together, Delilah! confused me a bit.
My favorite part about this book was watching Delilah come to accept that not every queer person can easily come out of the closet like she did. She gets frustrated with some of the other characters in the book who are scared or unable to come out to their families and friends. I’ve seen this frustration in people that I know, personally. Sometimes, LGBT folks who have open-minded loved ones don’t understand why others, in scarier situations, can’t openly call themselves gay. Not everyone is lucky enough to be close to people who are accepting of queer folks, and this is an unfortunately reality for many LGBT people, especially youth. Getting to see Delilah grow into someone who is sensitive to those in rougher situations was very comforting. I love character growth like that!
I actually found myself laughing at one point in the book. I don’t know why I found this so comical, maybe because it’s relatable for queer people, but when Delilah was drunkenly ‘experimenting’ with her male friend, I laughed out loud. It was funny seeing them try to make it work, but in the end they just made a joke of it and decided it could never happen. This is something pretty common in the gay community, but I’m sure this scene is funny to basically anyone.
The only thing that disappointed me about Get It Together, Delilah! was the plot depth. I don’t get a bigger picture kind of feeling after finishing this book. It doesn’t really have a meaning to the reader once they turn the final page. It’s just…over. I wish this work affected me in some way, but it didn’t.
Overall, I liked Get It Together, Delilah!. I read a lot of LGBT fiction, and this wasn’t my favorite, but it was still a good choice for me. It’s fairly short, so it made for a quick read. I’m very glad I stopped by the Chronicle Books booth at BookCon this year and picked it up!
3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 on GR
Delilah has a lot of responsibilities for just a high school student. Her dad is away, so she’s stuck managing The Flywheel, his coffee shop. With that commitment, on top of relentless bullying from homophobes at school, Delilah decides to leave academics to work at The Flywheel full time. On a positive note, this gives her more opportunities to not-so-randomly run into her long-time crush, Rosa. Delilah daydreams of Rosa confessing her undying love for her, but she’s aware that this probably will never happen. With big coffee shop competition down the road, Delilah struggles to balance The Flywheel, her gigantic crush on a girl who may not ever like her back, and her school friends who pester her to come back to school.
I want to start out by mentioning the title of this book. Before it was released outside of Australia, this book was named The Flywheel. I, personally, think this was a much better name. The Flywheel is the most important location in the novel, so that was a very fitting title. The title Get It Together, Delilah! confused me a bit.
My favorite part about this book was watching Delilah come to accept that not every queer person can easily come out of the closet like she did. She gets frustrated with some of the other characters in the book who are scared or unable to come out to their families and friends. I’ve seen this frustration in people that I know, personally. Sometimes, LGBT folks who have open-minded loved ones don’t understand why others, in scarier situations, can’t openly call themselves gay. Not everyone is lucky enough to be close to people who are accepting of queer folks, and this is an unfortunately reality for many LGBT people, especially youth. Getting to see Delilah grow into someone who is sensitive to those in rougher situations was very comforting. I love character growth like that!
I actually found myself laughing at one point in the book. I don’t know why I found this so comical, maybe because it’s relatable for queer people, but when Delilah was drunkenly ‘experimenting’ with her male friend, I laughed out loud. It was funny seeing them try to make it work, but in the end they just made a joke of it and decided it could never happen. This is something pretty common in the gay community, but I’m sure this scene is funny to basically anyone.
The only thing that disappointed me about Get It Together, Delilah! was the plot depth. I don’t get a bigger picture kind of feeling after finishing this book. It doesn’t really have a meaning to the reader once they turn the final page. It’s just…over. I wish this work affected me in some way, but it didn’t.
Overall, I liked Get It Together, Delilah!. I read a lot of LGBT fiction, and this wasn’t my favorite, but it was still a good choice for me. It’s fairly short, so it made for a quick read. I’m very glad I stopped by the Chronicle Books booth at BookCon this year and picked it up!
biggiantloser's review against another edition
this protagonist had zero redeeming qualities. most of her friends were annoying. the entire cafe plot was entirely unbelievable. the love interest might be the only likable character in the novel .. but then you think about it a little more and it’s like ... why would a 19 year old in their second year of uni want to date a kid in year 11?
amparker__'s review against another edition
4.0
I love a cute WLW book and I love cute Australian YA. This books delivers on both. Sadly, I could not suspend my disbelief that a teenager drops out of school to run a cafe and her parents have no idea.
mothgender's review
4.0
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a really good book, despite how long it took me to read it. School really does a number on how long it takes to read things. This book is about Delilah, a gay teen with no internal conflict with who she is. She’s very proud of who she is as a person and it was really refreshing to read a book with a gay character who wasn’t struggling with their identity. I loved her as a character. The side characters were real and very fleshed out. Charlie was a particularly great character and you really got to see him grow as a character alongside Del.
The romance was okay. It wasn’t the greatest part of the story but it did feel pretty real. Rosa was a well-defined character and I enjoyed how she developed throughout the story. I also adored the backstory with Georgina and I would love a spin-off or companion novel around her. I think that that could be a really interesting story.
The romance was okay. It wasn’t the greatest part of the story but it did feel pretty real. Rosa was a well-defined character and I enjoyed how she developed throughout the story. I also adored the backstory with Georgina and I would love a spin-off or companion novel around her. I think that that could be a really interesting story.
lydiascho's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0