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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
finally!! the dramatic / over the top inner monologue started to annoy me somewhere in the middle of the book, but the imperfect characters and the fact that it took place at a festival made up for that for the most part. (both of these girls should definitely try therapy tho! a 'life-changing festival' is not a replacement!) it's somewhere in between 3 and 4 stars but i'll be generous because i LOVE leah johnson
Reader who read [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] and expect a feel-good story, may be a bit disappointed. This book does not have the supportive, bring-a-smile-to-your-face climax that Johnson's previous novel has. Instead it offers us two flawed protagonists trying to lose themselves in a weekend of music with their respective best friends. Both Olivia and Toni are looking for closure, for healing; as they feel more and more drawn to the other, some of their wounds start to heal. This is not a fairy tale romance and life's complications get in the way of their new, tennis relationship.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*review based on an ARC
A Black Girl Magic, queer love story at a music festival... aka an amazing recipe for a rom-com! I guess it wasn't super funny, but it has the feel of a rom-com.
This book had a slow start but I was crying by the end. (Good crying, though.) Toni and Olivia are so well-written that I didn't even have a favorite narrator, which is hard to do when a book has multiple narrators. The concept of the Farmland Music and Arts Festival was really well thought out and added so many layers to the story; it was the perfect venue for this romance to blossom! (Okay, sorry, I'm being a little cheesy. But rom-coms are supposed to be cheesy, right?)
A great example of how having a crush on someone doesn't have to ruin your friendship with them, how friendships and people change but that's okay, how apologizing is sometimes enough and sometimes not enough. There are some heavy topics in here, but--with incredible finesse--Leah Johnson weaves them together with the lighter and more fun parts of the narrative.
I did sometimes feel like the characters' thoughts were a bit too on-the-nose, like they were telling us verbatim what we should be getting out of a scene or moment rather than just letting us feel it. It doesn't bother me when this is done once or twice, but towards the end, there were so many moments like this that it detracted from what was happening and slowed things down more than they needed to be.
Peter was such a great character, too. He was like a puppy dog person and just the best dude ever. Everyone needs a Peter in their life to force them to look on the bright side! Plus, his random US president facts were always delightful. Peter could fit in with the characters of a John Green book easily.
A Black Girl Magic, queer love story at a music festival... aka an amazing recipe for a rom-com! I guess it wasn't super funny, but it has the feel of a rom-com.
This book had a slow start but I was crying by the end. (Good crying, though.) Toni and Olivia are so well-written that I didn't even have a favorite narrator, which is hard to do when a book has multiple narrators. The concept of the Farmland Music and Arts Festival was really well thought out and added so many layers to the story; it was the perfect venue for this romance to blossom! (Okay, sorry, I'm being a little cheesy. But rom-coms are supposed to be cheesy, right?)
A great example of how having a crush on someone doesn't have to ruin your friendship with them, how friendships and people change but that's okay, how apologizing is sometimes enough and sometimes not enough. There are some heavy topics in here, but--with incredible finesse--Leah Johnson weaves them together with the lighter and more fun parts of the narrative.
I did sometimes feel like the characters' thoughts were a bit too on-the-nose, like they were telling us verbatim what we should be getting out of a scene or moment rather than just letting us feel it. It doesn't bother me when this is done once or twice, but towards the end, there were so many moments like this that it detracted from what was happening and slowed things down more than they needed to be.
Peter was such a great character, too. He was like a puppy dog person and just the best dude ever. Everyone needs a Peter in their life to force them to look on the bright side! Plus, his random US president facts were always delightful. Peter could fit in with the characters of a John Green book easily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia, Racism, Sexism
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
A joyous celebration of live music and a beautiful story of Black queer love. Johnson touches on important topics with respect and care, sending a great message to anyone who reads. The characters were very realistically flawed, which is hard to find sometimes with YA. Definitely would recommend to any music fans, maybe those who are missing the thrill of being at a concert/festival with thousands of strangers that you know nothing about except for the love of music that bonds you together.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes