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blodeuedd's review
3.0
Adam's mum owns an arcade. He loves it, and talks about it on social media. Whitney's dad owns e-sport cafe´s, and she is running it's social media. They used to be best friends. Now they trade insults on twitter.
But owning a pinball arcade is not exactly big business, and they are struggling. Since he is in HS he is also trying to figure out what he wants.
Whitney is too busy trying to get her dad to notice her. Her boyfriend and friends sounds like utter losers too.
It was never any big drama. They trade insults, they get to know each other again. They re evaluate their lives, and that big snow storm is first at the end of the book.
A slow building romance from friendship.
I have never listened to these narrators before, but I really enjoyed their voices. They worked well with their chapters. It all went together really nicely.
But owning a pinball arcade is not exactly big business, and they are struggling. Since he is in HS he is also trying to figure out what he wants.
Whitney is too busy trying to get her dad to notice her. Her boyfriend and friends sounds like utter losers too.
It was never any big drama. They trade insults, they get to know each other again. They re evaluate their lives, and that big snow storm is first at the end of the book.
A slow building romance from friendship.
I have never listened to these narrators before, but I really enjoyed their voices. They worked well with their chapters. It all went together really nicely.
kthornette's review
3.0
I’ll be honest, this book couldn’t keep my attention. It was very cute, though, and full of pop culture references.
dragongirl271's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
“So much of pinball is about letting go - pulling the plunger and taking the journey - and there's a lot I need to let go of. But it's so much easier playing a game than living a life.”
You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith
I have decided that Eric Smith is a top pick for a feel-good, cute read that still showcases real emotional growth in the characters. A great choice when you need a pick-me-up book.
This is such a cute book but it also tackles grief in a lot of different ways. Adam is desperately trying to hold onto his late father's vintage pinball arcade and dreams of a custom pinball machine. Whitney's mourning the relationships she used to have before her dad's start-up became successful and now almost every major relationship in her life has become transactional. They used to be childhood friends, but grief, business rivalries, and toxic friends pushed them apart. The way their relationship is rekindled and they help each other grow and recognize what they actually want for themselves in the world is very touching. I'm rooting for them.
Smith is fantastic at writing both well-developed main characters and side characters that have a lot of heart and great personalities. Adam's best friend and his Swedish Fish therapy method are a hilarious and heartwarming standout. Smith is also really great at the Pixar ending - the one that isn't the happy ending you anticipate going into the story, but is instead the one the characters needed most (even if it is a little bittersweet).
I also love the sense of community that Smith wrote into the Old City neighborhood. The businesses all work together and help each other out. The owners all know one another personally. They come together during the blizzard that impacts the winter festival. They make up a lovely community and it's also a delightful shout-out to small businesses everywhere.
Dual 1st-person POV. Enemies-to-lovers with forced proximity. Tackles grief and toxic relationships really well. The pinball philosophy book was a great touch to show Adam's journey.
You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith
I have decided that Eric Smith is a top pick for a feel-good, cute read that still showcases real emotional growth in the characters. A great choice when you need a pick-me-up book.
This is such a cute book but it also tackles grief in a lot of different ways. Adam is desperately trying to hold onto his late father's vintage pinball arcade and dreams of a custom pinball machine. Whitney's mourning the relationships she used to have before her dad's start-up became successful and now almost every major relationship in her life has become transactional. They used to be childhood friends, but grief, business rivalries, and toxic friends pushed them apart. The way their relationship is rekindled and they help each other grow and recognize what they actually want for themselves in the world is very touching. I'm rooting for them.
Smith is fantastic at writing both well-developed main characters and side characters that have a lot of heart and great personalities. Adam's best friend and his Swedish Fish therapy method are a hilarious and heartwarming standout. Smith is also really great at the Pixar ending - the one that isn't the happy ending you anticipate going into the story, but is instead the one the characters needed most (even if it is a little bittersweet).
I also love the sense of community that Smith wrote into the Old City neighborhood. The businesses all work together and help each other out. The owners all know one another personally. They come together during the blizzard that impacts the winter festival. They make up a lovely community and it's also a delightful shout-out to small businesses everywhere.
Dual 1st-person POV. Enemies-to-lovers with forced proximity. Tackles grief and toxic relationships really well. The pinball philosophy book was a great touch to show Adam's journey.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
siren_books's review
5.0
A magnificently warm hug that winks and nods favorite things in the most unexpected way. A genuinely sweet book that I absolutely loved.
cossettereads's review
5.0
4.5 rounded up to 5
tw: grief, death of a parent, strained family relationships.
tw: grief, death of a parent, strained family relationships.
jessential_reads's review
5.0
This was such a cozy book. It started a little slow but I liked the characters, especially Adam, he was very kind and effortlessly cool. He had a strong connection with his dad which made his love for pinball and the arcade a way for him to keep his dad alive, even though it was hurting his family financially. Whitney on the other hand, although she was good at being in charge of her dad’s business social media accounts, it's not what she really wanted to do, but felt the need to keep doing it so she could be close to her dad. It was good friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to=lovers. I liked how they were both going through their inner turmoil and that's why they lashed out at each other and it's YA so I did think this was such a teenage thing and obviously, I sided with the moms, haha, however, I still enjoyed their cute moments where they were discovering their feelings for each other, it kept me smiling. I really disliked Whitney's dad and I think things were still a little off with him but I guess it was something that needed to be worked overtime. I liked the snowy scenery and the small community helping each other out. Overall, a nice theme, to focus on what is really important and follow your heart and talk your feelings out with some Swedish fish.
lookingforamandaa's review
3.0
I’m a part of the blog tour for You Can Go Your Own Way. So, thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy to read and review honestly.
This was a fun story full of love and nods to the city of Philadelphia. I’m from New England and I’ve never been to Philly, but Smith’s love for the city definitely shone through. I could, however, absolutely related to the weather problems that the characters had to deal with in the story. Adam and Whitney get ‘trapped’ in Adam’s family arcade during a blizzard. The thing with the weather though is that they had warning, they all knew the snow was coming. I’m not sure what the snow is usually like in PA, but in New England, if there’s a risk of a blizzard, everything is shut down. From what it sounded like, they don’t do a super great job clearing and salting the roads. So, one would assume that they would close everything down as well (which eventually happened, but way too late to be realistic in my experience).
Depsite my personal issues with the weather, I liked both Adam and Whitney as individuals. They both have things that they’re dealing with and needing to work through. For Adam, he’s still grieving his father but he also really needs to learn to move on and let things go. He’s letting himself get stuck in the past and unable to look toward the future. Whitney is a people pleaser, specifically her father. She craves his attention and the only way she thinks she can get it is by working for his business (a rival to Adam’s family arcade.) But running the social media and worrying about her father’s business is negatively affecting the rest of her life. Her friends are really not great. Her boyfriend breaks up with her. Adam and Whitney are connected by their past. They’re childhood friends that drifted when they got to high school.
The synopsis was a little misleading since I thought the whole book was going to be the day/night they were trapped in the arcade, but there’s so much more to the story than that. I really enjoyed the book. I think Whitney and Adam were interesting and well-developed characters. I liked them as individuals and how they came back together to be friends again and then more than that. I loved the setting. I especially liked the bits we got to see of the business’s social media interactions with one another. They were really funny at times. I definitely think this will be a hit for fans of YA contemporary books.
This was a fun story full of love and nods to the city of Philadelphia. I’m from New England and I’ve never been to Philly, but Smith’s love for the city definitely shone through. I could, however, absolutely related to the weather problems that the characters had to deal with in the story. Adam and Whitney get ‘trapped’ in Adam’s family arcade during a blizzard. The thing with the weather though is that they had warning, they all knew the snow was coming. I’m not sure what the snow is usually like in PA, but in New England, if there’s a risk of a blizzard, everything is shut down. From what it sounded like, they don’t do a super great job clearing and salting the roads. So, one would assume that they would close everything down as well (which eventually happened, but way too late to be realistic in my experience).
Depsite my personal issues with the weather, I liked both Adam and Whitney as individuals. They both have things that they’re dealing with and needing to work through. For Adam, he’s still grieving his father but he also really needs to learn to move on and let things go. He’s letting himself get stuck in the past and unable to look toward the future. Whitney is a people pleaser, specifically her father. She craves his attention and the only way she thinks she can get it is by working for his business (a rival to Adam’s family arcade.) But running the social media and worrying about her father’s business is negatively affecting the rest of her life. Her friends are really not great. Her boyfriend breaks up with her. Adam and Whitney are connected by their past. They’re childhood friends that drifted when they got to high school.
The synopsis was a little misleading since I thought the whole book was going to be the day/night they were trapped in the arcade, but there’s so much more to the story than that. I really enjoyed the book. I think Whitney and Adam were interesting and well-developed characters. I liked them as individuals and how they came back together to be friends again and then more than that. I loved the setting. I especially liked the bits we got to see of the business’s social media interactions with one another. They were really funny at times. I definitely think this will be a hit for fans of YA contemporary books.
bluebeereads's review
5.0
Listen, if you're going to give a book the title of a Fleedwood Mac song, I'm going to be interested no matter what it's about. But the fact that it's a book in my favorite genre is definitely a bonus. I'm ashamed to admit this is my first Eric Smith book, but boy am I glad I read it. You Can Go Your Own Way is a heartwarming, funny and amazing book and definitely one of my favorites of the year so far.
I loved everything about this book. The setting of Philly - which is as much of a character than any of the people in the book - the characters, the story. It just tugged at my heartstrings at all the right times while also making me laugh out loud plenty of times. The way the story is told, and how social media is used, hooked me right from the start. I read this book pretty much in one go because I just couldn't stop reading.
Adam, one of our main characters, was really my favorite. He's still so deeply in his grief after losing his dad and I related so much to him and his inability to let go of things. Especially his father's arcade. He's such a sweet guy and I honestly just wanted to wrap him in blankets and reassure him everything would be okay.
There's also Whitney, who I needed to warm up to a little bit? But I love her nonetheless. She's caring and devoted and passionate and it was really really nice to see her find herself in this book. Her love for plants is one I, for one, cannot relate to because I am one of those people that can kill even the most tough of plants. But I loved that about her! The way she loved them and cared about them and got insulted whenever someone says it's "just a plant". Her relationship with Adam is a rocky one since his father died but throughout the book they become friends again and maybe even more? And it was so nice and sweet and genuine and it made my heart so happy.
Also, the parents in this book. YES. I love awesome parents in YA! This book definitely nailed that part (though I'm still hesitant about Whitney's father). But the moms are all A+. And all the other characters too! Just... GAH. Everything. Everyone. I loved it so much.
You Can Go Your Own Way made me laugh, swoon, tear up and everything in between and I am booting up Eric's other book, Don't Read The Comments as I'm typing this because I'm honestly mad at myself for not reading it sooner now. I highly recommend this wonderful gem of a book and I know it's not releasing for a while but I just couldn't stop myself from talking about it. Because it was just. That. Good.
Read this when you have the chance, seriously.
I loved everything about this book. The setting of Philly - which is as much of a character than any of the people in the book - the characters, the story. It just tugged at my heartstrings at all the right times while also making me laugh out loud plenty of times. The way the story is told, and how social media is used, hooked me right from the start. I read this book pretty much in one go because I just couldn't stop reading.
Adam, one of our main characters, was really my favorite. He's still so deeply in his grief after losing his dad and I related so much to him and his inability to let go of things. Especially his father's arcade. He's such a sweet guy and I honestly just wanted to wrap him in blankets and reassure him everything would be okay.
There's also Whitney, who I needed to warm up to a little bit? But I love her nonetheless. She's caring and devoted and passionate and it was really really nice to see her find herself in this book. Her love for plants is one I, for one, cannot relate to because I am one of those people that can kill even the most tough of plants. But I loved that about her! The way she loved them and cared about them and got insulted whenever someone says it's "just a plant". Her relationship with Adam is a rocky one since his father died but throughout the book they become friends again and maybe even more? And it was so nice and sweet and genuine and it made my heart so happy.
Also, the parents in this book. YES. I love awesome parents in YA! This book definitely nailed that part (though I'm still hesitant about Whitney's father). But the moms are all A+. And all the other characters too! Just... GAH. Everything. Everyone. I loved it so much.
You Can Go Your Own Way made me laugh, swoon, tear up and everything in between and I am booting up Eric's other book, Don't Read The Comments as I'm typing this because I'm honestly mad at myself for not reading it sooner now. I highly recommend this wonderful gem of a book and I know it's not releasing for a while but I just couldn't stop myself from talking about it. Because it was just. That. Good.
Read this when you have the chance, seriously.