Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one wasn't a personal favorite, mainly because I had a really hard time with Olivia as a character--she is purposefully selfish, and she does eventually realize the impact of her actions, but it is almost at the end. I just didn't know why her friends would have stuck around for so long. There is a lot going on plot-wise, with both Toni and Olivia having their own goals for the festival weekend. I definitely think that people looking for sapphic YA with flawed main characters will enjoy this, it just wasn't a personal fave.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Minor: Mass/school shootings
YA about two teenage black girls who travel to the Farmland music festival to hear favorite bands, and who fall for other people, fight, make up, and have general overall teenage drama throughout--in a completely relatable way. The music festival background was such a nice touch.
i wanted to like this book so badly but it just didn't work for me :/
Thank U, Next is Ariana Grande's fifth studio album. It had three singles Thank U, Next which is an upbeat song where Ari forgives and appreciates her exes, 7 Rings which is about the benefits of being rich, and Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored which is a playful song about wanting a guy to dump his girlfriend so he can be with Ari.
These are by far the worst single choices I have ever seen for an album because they do not match TUN's themes at all. The actual album deals with some heavy themes of trauma and grief and was written by Ari as a means of coping with her own trauma. It's even a bit difficult to listen to, especially the song ghostin which Ari initially didn't want to include but was pressured by her manager and world class asshole who I would fight in a Denny's parking lot at 3 a.m. Scooter Braun (yes the same Scooter Braun who stole Taylor Swift's masters).
I bring up TUN because reading this book felt a lot like listening to that album. I expected something lighter than I got based on previous content (in Ari's case her singles and in Leah Johnson's her previous book, You Should Me In A Crown) and was a little caught off guard. I was expecting something a little more fluffy.
Which is not to say this or TUN are bad! TUN is a great and raw album and this is a pretty good book! TUN is an extreme example, this book never reaches that level of dark and vulnerable, but it deals quite a bit with some heavier topics such as gun violence and grief.
Now the darker content isn't why I rated this three stars, and really it's my fault for not reading the synopsis well enough where it literally mentions grief being something this explores. I gave this three stars because I feel the characters were a bit bland to the point it was difficult to distinguish POV's. The pacing is also a bit wonky.
But it really isn't a bad book. Three stars is a good rating! I liked that the characters were allowed to be imperfect and this story's emphasis on how relationships need work and the love for live music throughout. I also do always appreciate a good Midwestern setting, being from the Midwest myself. It's also great that Leah Johnson is writing books with queer Black girls and I hope she is thriving!
Trigger warnings: death of a loved one, gun violence, revenge porn.
These are by far the worst single choices I have ever seen for an album because they do not match TUN's themes at all. The actual album deals with some heavy themes of trauma and grief and was written by Ari as a means of coping with her own trauma. It's even a bit difficult to listen to, especially the song ghostin which Ari initially didn't want to include but was pressured by her manager and world class asshole who I would fight in a Denny's parking lot at 3 a.m. Scooter Braun (yes the same Scooter Braun who stole Taylor Swift's masters).
I bring up TUN because reading this book felt a lot like listening to that album. I expected something lighter than I got based on previous content (in Ari's case her singles and in Leah Johnson's her previous book, You Should Me In A Crown) and was a little caught off guard. I was expecting something a little more fluffy.
Which is not to say this or TUN are bad! TUN is a great and raw album and this is a pretty good book! TUN is an extreme example, this book never reaches that level of dark and vulnerable, but it deals quite a bit with some heavier topics such as gun violence and grief.
Now the darker content isn't why I rated this three stars, and really it's my fault for not reading the synopsis well enough where it literally mentions grief being something this explores. I gave this three stars because I feel the characters were a bit bland to the point it was difficult to distinguish POV's. The pacing is also a bit wonky.
But it really isn't a bad book. Three stars is a good rating! I liked that the characters were allowed to be imperfect and this story's emphasis on how relationships need work and the love for live music throughout. I also do always appreciate a good Midwestern setting, being from the Midwest myself. It's also great that Leah Johnson is writing books with queer Black girls and I hope she is thriving!
Trigger warnings: death of a loved one, gun violence, revenge porn.
After loving Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown, I was thrilled to read an advance copy of her newest book! This one follows two girls to Farmland, a summer concert festival. I loved the setting and juxtaposition of the main characters. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
A solid second book by Johnson. I saw a lot of potential in You Should See Me In A Crown but it was a bit safe for me. This book took more risks and added the second character perspective and I loved it. Once I picked it up it was hard to put down.
The only downside was the ending was a bit rushed. The big turning point happened so late in the book and there was no epilogue to add to it.
Otherwise, it was a decent niche YA setting that really hit on the "being young and going to concerts" nostalgia.
The only downside was the ending was a bit rushed. The big turning point happened so late in the book and there was no epilogue to add to it.
Otherwise, it was a decent niche YA setting that really hit on the "being young and going to concerts" nostalgia.
It’s cute, it ties in with You Should See Me in a Crown which was really cool and it has a few more plot lines than I saw coming! But music festivals ain’t my thing so this book wasn’t really meant for me
I think I personally liked this less than I liked [b:You Should See Me in a Crown|50160619|You Should See Me in a Crown|Leah Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568912283l/50160619._SX50_SY75_.jpg|69288604] BUT I think there's a lot in this book that will resonate with a lot of teens--how important music feels, anxiety about mass shootings, consent/nude photos/etc. And I really liked that Olivia was shown both as a character whose many crushes were taken as important to her and that narratively she wasn't shamed for being interested in so many people (across genders), but that her romantic pursuits DID make her selfish and treat her best friend badly and she could address that without needing to like, disregard teen romance. I really liked that nuance.
emotional
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:
Yes