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aheartcalledhome's review
3.0
Cyberbullying and the prevalence of online shaming on the Internet are conversations that writers and educators alike have struggled to make relevant in a time when our ideas and methods of initiating and developing interpersonal relationships are changing dramatically. With the abstraction of social media profiles, likes and favorites in between the people involved in a conversation, it is easy to forget that there is a person behind every username and display picture. It is easier to dig up someone’s history, to lambast them for old decisions that they’ve since repented and apologized for, and shame them for events they had no power to change. This Is How It Happened harnesses the dark side of Internet community and the shift toward “point fingers first, ask questions later” to show the dangers of protecting someone who you idolize (and those associated with them) online, and how the fallout can truly destroy someone’s life.
shorttleowoman's review against another edition
4.0
Genevieve was tired so she asked Dallas her boyfriend to drive her home the next thing she knows she’s in the hospital and Dallas is dead
...
The book was amazing I fell amazingly in love with Paul’s words. I loved the romance between the boy from the park and Genevieve how it started with being friends. I felt devastated when Dallas died even though Paula didn’t write a lot about him! I especially loved the way how Genevieve parents were divorced and she stayed with her dad’s new wife.
Overall I would rate the book 4 starts since I didn’t like the ending very much
shortleowoman's review against another edition
4.0
Genevieve was tired so she asked Dallas her boyfriend to drive her home the next thing she knows she’s in the hospital and Dallas is dead
...
The book was amazing I fell amazingly in love with Paul’s words. I loved the romance between the boy from the park and Genevieve how it started with being friends. I felt devastated when Dallas died even though Paula didn’t write a lot about him! I especially loved the way how Genevieve parents were divorced and she stayed with her dad’s new wife.
Overall I would rate the book 4 starts since I didn’t like the ending very much
guardianofthebookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Grade: C+
An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: This Is How It Happened surprised me. It definitely hasn't had a lot of buzz, and it also wasn't Paula's original planned 2017 book. But I've enjoyed a few of Paula's past books (Girl Against the Universe is excellent, in case you were wondering), so of course this one was on my TBR list. But ultimately, it did not live up to Paula's other books.
I really enjoyed Genevieve and her inner narrative. While she interacts with plenty of people in the book, she is also alone with her thoughts a lot. I appreciate introspective books, and I love how seeing the beauty of Zion National Park made her second-guess her religious assumptions. I also appreciated how her relationship with her stepmother flourished and how kind Rachael was. I also liked where the plot went with Brad Freeman. I liked how Stokes played with first impressions and truth.
However, one of the book's biggest issues was its pacing. It took over 100 pages for Genevieve to get to her dad's house and the national park, and I assumed that would be where all but a teeny bit of the book was set. The first 1/3 of the book dragged too much as a result. I also felt like Dallas was too two-dimensional. Since he was only in (largely negative) flashback scenes, I didn't really see why he had made such an impact on Genevieve's life, so it didn't feel too fast to me when she started getting involved with Elliott (although I wish that had been slowed down just a teeny bit more). Freeman's daughter really pissed me off, though; she was waaayyyy too mouthy and her parents did nothing to rein her in a bit. Considering she was only thirteen, she definitely should've been reprimanded.
Maybe a dozen s-words? Underage drinking happens (although Genevieve never participates).
The Verdict: Eh, it was okay. Nothing especially remarkable though.
An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: This Is How It Happened surprised me. It definitely hasn't had a lot of buzz, and it also wasn't Paula's original planned 2017 book. But I've enjoyed a few of Paula's past books (Girl Against the Universe is excellent, in case you were wondering), so of course this one was on my TBR list. But ultimately, it did not live up to Paula's other books.
I really enjoyed Genevieve and her inner narrative. While she interacts with plenty of people in the book, she is also alone with her thoughts a lot. I appreciate introspective books, and I love how seeing the beauty of Zion National Park made her second-guess her religious assumptions. I also appreciated how her relationship with her stepmother flourished and how kind Rachael was. I also liked where the plot went with Brad Freeman. I liked how Stokes played with first impressions and truth.
However, one of the book's biggest issues was its pacing. It took over 100 pages for Genevieve to get to her dad's house and the national park, and I assumed that would be where all but a teeny bit of the book was set. The first 1/3 of the book dragged too much as a result. I also felt like Dallas was too two-dimensional. Since he was only in (largely negative) flashback scenes, I didn't really see why he had made such an impact on Genevieve's life, so it didn't feel too fast to me when she started getting involved with Elliott (although I wish that had been slowed down just a teeny bit more). Freeman's daughter really pissed me off, though; she was waaayyyy too mouthy and her parents did nothing to rein her in a bit. Considering she was only thirteen, she definitely should've been reprimanded.
Maybe a dozen s-words? Underage drinking happens (although Genevieve never participates).
The Verdict: Eh, it was okay. Nothing especially remarkable though.
jmjames1210's review
5.0
Heartbreakingly lovely.
I adore everything Paula writes. She can pull off so many different genres but always manages to tell a wonderfully compelling story. This is How it Happened was no different. I couldn't put it down.
Genevieve's struggle with grief and guilt was so beautifully told. This book covers a lot of important topics but never felt like it had an agenda or read like an issue book. The plot unfolded along with flashbacks of the night of the accident as Gen remembered them in "real time" and it worked really well to support the narrative. Gen was such a complex character and her story had me crying by the end. The depiction of the Internet mob mentality and cyber bullying felt devastatingly accurate - in our modern society we're never really allowed to deal with tragedy on our own terms, and I think this was shown really well. I really loved the setting of Zion National Park and felt like I was able to picture it. Also, the love story was perfectly adorable but never overpowered the story or character development.
I received an ARC from the author, but this did not influence my review in any way.
I adore everything Paula writes. She can pull off so many different genres but always manages to tell a wonderfully compelling story. This is How it Happened was no different. I couldn't put it down.
Genevieve's struggle with grief and guilt was so beautifully told. This book covers a lot of important topics but never felt like it had an agenda or read like an issue book. The plot unfolded along with flashbacks of the night of the accident as Gen remembered them in "real time" and it worked really well to support the narrative. Gen was such a complex character and her story had me crying by the end. The depiction of the Internet mob mentality and cyber bullying felt devastatingly accurate - in our modern society we're never really allowed to deal with tragedy on our own terms, and I think this was shown really well. I really loved the setting of Zion National Park and felt like I was able to picture it. Also, the love story was perfectly adorable but never overpowered the story or character development.
I received an ARC from the author, but this did not influence my review in any way.
athbayaz's review
4.0
Genevieve was tired so she asked Dallas her boyfriend to drive her home the next thing she knows she’s in the hospital and Dallas is dead
...
The book was amazing I fell amazingly in love with Paul’s words. I loved the romance between the boy from the park and Genevieve how it started with being friends. I felt devastated when Dallas died even though Paula didn’t write a lot about him! I especially loved the way how Genevieve parents were divorced and she stayed with her dad’s new wife.
Overall I would rate the book 4 starts since I didn’t like the ending very much
_sarah_key's review
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Car accident, Death, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism and Suicide attempt