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girkich's review against another edition
4.0
If Becky Albertalli writes it, I will read it also I'm in love with Jamie
bookshelvesandtealeaves's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
4.0
This was such a good book with so many great characters. Very diverse and informative while still remaining light.
I loved the slow-build romance between Maya and Jamie. I loved how they really became passionate about the politics they were fighting for and the way it drew them closer. They were so freaking cute together.
I really enjoyed the political sub plot. I felt like I was campaigning alongside them. It was a wild ride and it felt really well paced and thought out.
I also just adored our supporting cast (except Gabe - I really hated Gabe). InstaGramm and Sophie were highlights for me. I especially loved Sophie’s little coming out scene. Hers and Jamie’s sibling relationship was so lovely.
Definitely recommend this one to any YA romance fans.
ellapearl's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
hyacinth_reads's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 stars.
I really did enjoyed this book! If you are looking for a cute, simple love story that you can read over the course of a day--this is the book for you.
There are a bunch of pros for this novel. For example, the authors' very clearly understand the many emotions that accompany teenage life, and they do a fantastic job of validating those feelings by making them seem just as real as any adult's. The reactions the characters have to experiences riddled with hardship--islamophobia and anti-semitism, just to name a few--are just so akin to how I feel teenagers like me deal with adversity. The tidal wave of emotions that accompany that experience--shock, anger, fright--are so well expressed. In addition, the passion these characters have about politics and creating change is an invigorating reminder that just because you can't vote doesn't mean you can't act. This sends in overarching message: just because you're not an adult doesn't mean you can't be a force of good in the world. Another great thing about this book is the information you gain by reading about two people of different faiths. The two (very lovable) characters both have strong identities, and by reading about their connection to their religion, you learn a lot about the culture of those religions.
Unfortunately, there's one (minor) con. I'm a sucker for a good love story, and while this is my first Saeed book, Albertalli had me falling head over heels for Ben and Arthur in What if It's Us. I wanted to feel the same electricity sparking through the pages here, but I'm sad to say I just...didn't. Now, don't get me wrong. I still recommend this book for a ton of other reasons...but if you're solely looking for a YA teen romance that will blow you away, I'm gonna have to recommend you go somewhere else. If you want an easy read with cute characters that will help you understand different cultures, the inner-workings of the teenage mind, and political junkies, then this is the place for you. :)
I really did enjoyed this book! If you are looking for a cute, simple love story that you can read over the course of a day--this is the book for you.
There are a bunch of pros for this novel. For example, the authors' very clearly understand the many emotions that accompany teenage life, and they do a fantastic job of validating those feelings by making them seem just as real as any adult's. The reactions the characters have to experiences riddled with hardship--islamophobia and anti-semitism, just to name a few--are just so akin to how I feel teenagers like me deal with adversity. The tidal wave of emotions that accompany that experience--shock, anger, fright--are so well expressed. In addition, the passion these characters have about politics and creating change is an invigorating reminder that just because you can't vote doesn't mean you can't act. This sends in overarching message: just because you're not an adult doesn't mean you can't be a force of good in the world. Another great thing about this book is the information you gain by reading about two people of different faiths. The two (very lovable) characters both have strong identities, and by reading about their connection to their religion, you learn a lot about the culture of those religions.
Unfortunately, there's one (minor) con. I'm a sucker for a good love story, and while this is my first Saeed book, Albertalli had me falling head over heels for Ben and Arthur in What if It's Us. I wanted to feel the same electricity sparking through the pages here, but I'm sad to say I just...didn't. Now, don't get me wrong. I still recommend this book for a ton of other reasons...but if you're solely looking for a YA teen romance that will blow you away, I'm gonna have to recommend you go somewhere else. If you want an easy read with cute characters that will help you understand different cultures, the inner-workings of the teenage mind, and political junkies, then this is the place for you. :)
ariajb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Gaslighting
rainydayswithbooks's review against another edition
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
A book about friends to lovers, slow-burn and with a good dose of political activism. He falls in love first, she doesn't realise it. Jamie has been really sweet to read as he always thinks everything through in detail and really is a green flag. The book was written by the two authors in reference to the 2016 US presidential election and is still (unfortunately) a relevant depiction of the situation in America today. I can therefore only recommend everyone to read the story and take the content to heart. Because no matter where you live, when the next elections are in your country or how old you are: you can make a difference. Become politically active, engage with the issues and listen. Exchange ideas with other people, look beyond borders. Because we all want to live in a peaceful world in the future. In my opinion, the book encourages this.
ashezbookz's review against another edition
3.0
It's sad that I finished this book on Thursday and I already forgot most of it. It's very politically motivated which I normally hate, but this was done really well. It was cute, it was sweet, it was adorable.. the usual Albertalli and I am not mad at it!
dale_in_va's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
raynorn's review against another edition
3.0
I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
Becky Abertalli is a very familiar name in the YA circuit, and I have read her work for years and enjoyed it so much when I was younger. I hadn’t heard of Aisha Saeed before reading this book and this collab seemed interesting to me because of that.
The novel itself is a very typical YA plot of first romances and the twist for this is the inclusion of the political discourse throughout. The issue I had with this novel didn’t lie in the plot or the general writing of this novel, however it was written in collaboration worked well and managed to make two writers create something that read cohesive and continued to interest me.
The issue I had was how weak a lot of the points that were trying to be made felt, in that I honestly believe if expanded upon or changed in some way would have improved my experience with this book. The theme of growing older and seeing the political world form around you however being powerless to change anything with a vote was a topic that I felt was well discussed and relatable as I remember that feeling too well being a teen who was unable to truly speak out regarding the EU independence referendum in the UK. Many other teenagers or even older young adults can understand this and the novel deals with it fine. Other elements however such as aspects of Maya’s Muslim faith were not dealt with as much as it could have been considering the plot of the novel. Certain smaller aspects of the faith could have been explored even further, to give an intimate understand of life as an American Muslim teenager.
Overall, I enjoyed this as a read despite some points I would have liked explored and I hope that Abertalli explores other collaborations as this is where I prefer her writing being, just as she did with Adam Silvera and with this novel.
Becky Abertalli is a very familiar name in the YA circuit, and I have read her work for years and enjoyed it so much when I was younger. I hadn’t heard of Aisha Saeed before reading this book and this collab seemed interesting to me because of that.
The novel itself is a very typical YA plot of first romances and the twist for this is the inclusion of the political discourse throughout. The issue I had with this novel didn’t lie in the plot or the general writing of this novel, however it was written in collaboration worked well and managed to make two writers create something that read cohesive and continued to interest me.
The issue I had was how weak a lot of the points that were trying to be made felt, in that I honestly believe if expanded upon or changed in some way would have improved my experience with this book. The theme of growing older and seeing the political world form around you however being powerless to change anything with a vote was a topic that I felt was well discussed and relatable as I remember that feeling too well being a teen who was unable to truly speak out regarding the EU independence referendum in the UK. Many other teenagers or even older young adults can understand this and the novel deals with it fine. Other elements however such as aspects of Maya’s Muslim faith were not dealt with as much as it could have been considering the plot of the novel. Certain smaller aspects of the faith could have been explored even further, to give an intimate understand of life as an American Muslim teenager.
Overall, I enjoyed this as a read despite some points I would have liked explored and I hope that Abertalli explores other collaborations as this is where I prefer her writing being, just as she did with Adam Silvera and with this novel.
pinkpassionpages's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Right, so, I had higher hopes for this one.
Let's start with the most important thing about this book: diversity. Which was, weird enough, lacking. A Muslim and a Jew, yet there didn't seem to be much attention for their religion and culture. A few vaguely descriptions, but no true acts. It wasn't as detailed as it should have been to match the synopsis and the meaning of the book.
Second, it got boring pretty fast. The happenings in the plot are repetitive. Certain scenes gave a déjà vu feeling. A 400+ book wasn't the right choice for this one because it felt as if the plot was dragged out for the worst.
The reactions of the characters are not that believable. At the points where everything seems to fall down, they say weird things and they make even weirder decisions.
And lastly, the connection between both main characters were not that great. I haven't felt their spark. To me it felt more like a friendship. I also don't understand the female lead to switch her faith in roughly 5 pages. That's bit of a weird turn. There was no chemistry and I did not believe their little love story for a second.
Overall, okay story. Nothing special. Pretty plain. Boring from time to time.
Right, so, I had higher hopes for this one.
Let's start with the most important thing about this book: diversity. Which was, weird enough, lacking. A Muslim and a Jew, yet there didn't seem to be much attention for their religion and culture. A few vaguely descriptions, but no true acts. It wasn't as detailed as it should have been to match the synopsis and the meaning of the book.
Second, it got boring pretty fast. The happenings in the plot are repetitive. Certain scenes gave a déjà vu feeling. A 400+ book wasn't the right choice for this one because it felt as if the plot was dragged out for the worst.
The reactions of the characters are not that believable. At the points where everything seems to fall down, they say weird things and they make even weirder decisions.
And lastly, the connection between both main characters were not that great. I haven't felt their spark. To me it felt more like a friendship. I also don't understand the female lead to switch her faith in roughly 5 pages. That's bit of a weird turn. There was no chemistry and I did not believe their little love story for a second.
Overall, okay story. Nothing special. Pretty plain. Boring from time to time.