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christine_swiftie's review
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It was pretty boring at first but later on I started to find it pretty interesting
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
I adored Jennifer Yen's debut A taste for love last year and was beyond excited for her latest YA romance featuring Gigi, James's little sister. Gigi loves to code and is working on a Quiz app for a school project when a contest and a new friend inspire her to turn the app into more of a friend matchmaking tool.
This story was full of heart, dealt with new friendships and old ones, had a little romance and super strong female in STEM rep. I really enjoyed the Jane Austen Emma vibes as Gigi tries to help all her friends find love and happiness, not realizing her own HEA might have been in front of her face the whole time.
Great on audio narrated by Annie Q, this book is perfect for fans of Jenny Han or the upcoming My Mechanical romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth that also features a young female in STEM protagonist. Bonus, Liza and James from A taste for love have a few cameos in this book.
This story was full of heart, dealt with new friendships and old ones, had a little romance and super strong female in STEM rep. I really enjoyed the Jane Austen Emma vibes as Gigi tries to help all her friends find love and happiness, not realizing her own HEA might have been in front of her face the whole time.
Great on audio narrated by Annie Q, this book is perfect for fans of Jenny Han or the upcoming My Mechanical romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth that also features a young female in STEM protagonist. Bonus, Liza and James from A taste for love have a few cameos in this book.
betterwithabookinmyhand's review
4.0
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Love, Decoded is a cute contemporary Emma retelling mixed with cool coding and a friends-to-lovers relationship.
Gigi is a high school junior who is near the top of her class. She’s got the grades, the volunteer hours, her best friend Kyle, and a promising career in matchmaking that her grandmother wants to pass onto her. So when the idea hits Gigi to code a matchmaking app using her grandmother’s data she is enraptured in the idea…even more than the matchmaking itself.
When Gigi’s Computer Science class gets word of a coding competition Gigi knows she wants to win and she’s got just the app for the job.
This book was giving me Jenny Han and Blair Waldorf vibes, both of which I’m a fan. The coding element of this book had to be one of my favorite parts, the fact that Gigi cared so much for it gave me a better appreciation for a world I know so little about.
I never thought I would say this but I was expecting the friends-to-lovers relationship to be the big focus in the story and it wasn’t. I can’t tell if I’m slightly disappointed or oddly refreshed. The focus is on Gigi in this mentor/mentee relationship for the majority and with it being an Emma retelling it makes sense, just not what I’m used to in a contemporary.
The pacing of the book did throw me off at times. I read the first third fairly quickly but I was looking for a big plot twist or wrench in the gears but that really didn’t come until the last third. While I would have loved more conflict earlier on, maybe it wouldn’t have been the same story. As it was you get this really easy-going time getting to know Gigi and her mentee over many a meal and shopping date.
I did enjoy Gigi and the side characters in this story and for fans of an easygoing contemporary that isn’t relationship-focused, I’d tell them to try out Love, Decoded.
3.5 stars
Love, Decoded is a cute contemporary Emma retelling mixed with cool coding and a friends-to-lovers relationship.
Gigi is a high school junior who is near the top of her class. She’s got the grades, the volunteer hours, her best friend Kyle, and a promising career in matchmaking that her grandmother wants to pass onto her. So when the idea hits Gigi to code a matchmaking app using her grandmother’s data she is enraptured in the idea…even more than the matchmaking itself.
When Gigi’s Computer Science class gets word of a coding competition Gigi knows she wants to win and she’s got just the app for the job.
This book was giving me Jenny Han and Blair Waldorf vibes, both of which I’m a fan. The coding element of this book had to be one of my favorite parts, the fact that Gigi cared so much for it gave me a better appreciation for a world I know so little about.
I never thought I would say this but I was expecting the friends-to-lovers relationship to be the big focus in the story and it wasn’t. I can’t tell if I’m slightly disappointed or oddly refreshed. The focus is on Gigi in this mentor/mentee relationship for the majority and with it being an Emma retelling it makes sense, just not what I’m used to in a contemporary.
The pacing of the book did throw me off at times. I read the first third fairly quickly but I was looking for a big plot twist or wrench in the gears but that really didn’t come until the last third. While I would have loved more conflict earlier on, maybe it wouldn’t have been the same story. As it was you get this really easy-going time getting to know Gigi and her mentee over many a meal and shopping date.
I did enjoy Gigi and the side characters in this story and for fans of an easygoing contemporary that isn’t relationship-focused, I’d tell them to try out Love, Decoded.
3.5 stars
awkwardash's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This felt like another book where the romance seemed promising but fell flat. There wasn’t much of a focus on the romance as much as I was expecting. I also felt like the main character didn’t have too much of a character development.
haveyoumetlisa's review
4.0
4.5 - the last couple chapters really ramped up the rating.
This is definitely more of a Clueless retelling than an Emma adaptation...only the trace elements are there, but I'll read anything that hints at Jane Austen, lol. Very cute and fun!
This is definitely more of a Clueless retelling than an Emma adaptation...only the trace elements are there, but I'll read anything that hints at Jane Austen, lol. Very cute and fun!
daenknight's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
bookishreia's review
4.0
loved loved how the main focus of this novel was not the romance (bEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS OH MY LORD I CRIED I LITERALLY NEED MORE MOMENTS) but i loved how the focus was on new friends made and treasuring old ones, of sorting out conflict and misunderstanding, of figuring out one's identity and not taking a friendship for granted, etc~
it's a 4/5 for me :)
it's a 4/5 for me :)
debbie_likes_to_read_books's review
2.0
Not sure how to rate this want to give it a 2 or 3 star rating. Gigi was not my favorite I enjoyed reading Kyle and Joey parts until it was revealed but the characters in the book and even though I am Asian idk how I feel about this Asian representation. It seems to be your stereotypical Asian representation Joey is from Singapore and was described "k-pop star" like yeah hes beautiful but, maybe describe him as very beautiful checking off the beauty standards or something!? Man i was so excited to read this book and such, but idk it was just mehhhh and not much flavor too bland of a taste for me. I heard it was an Emma spin-off and I kind of want to get into classics to compare it but we will see. For now its a 2 stars
kaylareadsbooks's review
4.0
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an eARC. This was so much fun and I loved how Gigi was doing matchmaking and it was so cute. I loved the romance.