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mikeydp's review against another edition
5.0
This was SO. GOOD. It’s my fav in this series! Quân is so patient and understanding with Anna it’s making my heart hurt ok.
Serious side note: while reading all 3 books, I did learn a lot about the autism spectrum and the different ways it can present in people. I highly recommend these books, whether it is to educate yourself, to relate to the characters or to just generally have a good time :)
Serious side note #2: this book does tackle very heavy subjects, such as the decline and hospice care of a loved one. Please keep that in mind as I was NOT prepared.
Serious side note: while reading all 3 books, I did learn a lot about the autism spectrum and the different ways it can present in people. I highly recommend these books, whether it is to educate yourself, to relate to the characters or to just generally have a good time :)
Serious side note #2: this book does tackle very heavy subjects, such as the decline and hospice care of a loved one. Please keep that in mind as I was NOT prepared.
hailqueenmary's review against another edition
Wow, it is rare for me to DNF a book but this was just such a downer. I read romance for a joyful escape. I think the themes explored in this book would be better suited to contemporary lit. The FMC doesn't show a lot of growth or self advocacy and I just got to the point where I didn't want to listen to her anymore. I really loved the first two books in this series and was really looking forward to hearing Quan's story. Unfortunately, this book just felt heavy and mildly dark in a way that was sad and did not encourage change in the characters.
nia9's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
gabloisanne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
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
4.75
jess_mango's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
runaps's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably my new favorite book. I'm autistic too, and while I could see glimpses of myself on Stella and Khai, my struggles match so well with Anna's that I cried multiple times while reading.
As someone who felt like the other two books are five stars, this one feels better than five, I need more stars to give, honestly.
From the start of the book I new this one felt different, more personal than the others, and I felt so thankful and happy because the author is so brave, channeling so much of her in this book.
I too got a late diagnosis, only a week before I started reading this, and my experiences matched so much with Anna. While my mind kept spiraling and I kept thinking about whether or not I should tell family and friends about it, I kept reading about Anna and Quan. Honestly Quan is literally my type, he was my favorite character from book one, because I had the feeling he'd be the one I wished that could be around while I grew up, the type of person that would have made a difference, and reading this made me realize that yeah, I'm different, but that doesn't mean I have to settle for less, breaking, bending and molding myself to fit under the masks that don't even make people happy, but work pretty well on making me miserable. I deserve something real, with someone that respects me.
Reading about Anna's masking, her grief, how she struggled so much to be a good caregiver but just couldn't... I felt that. Deeply.
For years I couldn't even picture myself as autistic. I'm terrible at math. I'm not that strict with routine. I love arts. I'm messy! But autism is called spectrum for a reason, and Anna reminded me of that.
Thank you Helen Hoang, this is the book I didn't knew that I needed.
As someone who felt like the other two books are five stars, this one feels better than five, I need more stars to give, honestly.
From the start of the book I new this one felt different, more personal than the others, and I felt so thankful and happy because the author is so brave, channeling so much of her in this book.
I too got a late diagnosis, only a week before I started reading this, and my experiences matched so much with Anna. While my mind kept spiraling and I kept thinking about whether or not I should tell family and friends about it, I kept reading about Anna and Quan. Honestly Quan is literally my type, he was my favorite character from book one, because I had the feeling he'd be the one I wished that could be around while I grew up, the type of person that would have made a difference, and reading this made me realize that yeah, I'm different, but that doesn't mean I have to settle for less, breaking, bending and molding myself to fit under the masks that don't even make people happy, but work pretty well on making me miserable. I deserve something real, with someone that respects me.
Reading about Anna's masking, her grief, how she struggled so much to be a good caregiver but just couldn't... I felt that. Deeply.
For years I couldn't even picture myself as autistic. I'm terrible at math. I'm not that strict with routine. I love arts. I'm messy! But autism is called spectrum for a reason, and Anna reminded me of that.
Thank you Helen Hoang, this is the book I didn't knew that I needed.
threegoodrats's review against another edition
4.0
I liked Helen Hoang’s first two books, but I liked this one even more. Both main characters were struggling a bit with personal issues that made a relationship challenging (not the least of which is that Anna already had a boyfriend) and I liked how they both gained confidence as they got to know each other. Their mutual enjoyment of My Octopus Teacher was pretty adorable too. Anna had some really difficult family situations that I think are what made this extra compelling to me.
amethyst1218's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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
kokobeereading's review against another edition
characters fell flat and the writing style feels to obvious. like the author can’t trust the reader to pick up on nuances so they smack you in the face with it.