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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
very cutesy book. enjoyed the read just wish there was more at the end.
Maddy and Gabe have grown-up next door to each other and have been skating partners since the first time they stepped on to the ice. Maddy's also been in love with Gabe for years, and has had to see him with other girls. Gabe, meanwhile, can't allow himself to feel anything but sibling affection for Maddy. He's never had a relationship last more than two weeks and he doesn't want to ruin their on ice relationship. But when their coach assigns them a new, romantic routine, it changes everything.
This was a cute, quick read. I love figure skating movies and this one put me in the same mood I'm in while watching something like The Cutting Edge.
I liked Maddy a bit more than Gabe as main characters. I really believed her drive to succeed and how passionate she was about skating. For her, there was no future without skating. She could be very impulsive and easily jumped to conclusions but she was always willing to take that risk to get to the next level. Gabe, on the other hand, was more of a worrier. He worried about everything and I think that was why he didn't grow on me as much as Maddy. They had so many cute moments together, both on and off the ice and it was easy to see how such a strong bond had formed between them.
I also liked the contrast between Gabe/Maddy and their ice dancing friends Chris/Kate. Chris and Kate were partner who were dating and they were always fighting. For Maddy and especially Gabe, it was like being shown the worst case scenario every day during practice. In their case, the best friends to lovers had so much more at stake since it could ruin their skating partnership. It was also a nice contrast to see how much more focused on skating the pair of Gabe and Maddy were compared to Chris and Kate.
There were so many skating references in the book and I loved it. The cursing using skating terms could have been annoying but instead, I found it cute. It just made sense considering the characters. It was great to see that not only did the characters have to grow and mature through the book, their skating had to as well. The skating storyline wasn't forfeited for the sake of a romantic one.
It took me one night to read this book. It was cute and easy to read but also, I just didn't want to stop. This one just came out but I'm already ready for more, maybe a Chris and Kate companion book?
This was a cute, quick read. I love figure skating movies and this one put me in the same mood I'm in while watching something like The Cutting Edge.
I liked Maddy a bit more than Gabe as main characters. I really believed her drive to succeed and how passionate she was about skating. For her, there was no future without skating. She could be very impulsive and easily jumped to conclusions but she was always willing to take that risk to get to the next level. Gabe, on the other hand, was more of a worrier. He worried about everything and I think that was why he didn't grow on me as much as Maddy. They had so many cute moments together, both on and off the ice and it was easy to see how such a strong bond had formed between them.
I also liked the contrast between Gabe/Maddy and their ice dancing friends Chris/Kate. Chris and Kate were partner who were dating and they were always fighting. For Maddy and especially Gabe, it was like being shown the worst case scenario every day during practice. In their case, the best friends to lovers had so much more at stake since it could ruin their skating partnership. It was also a nice contrast to see how much more focused on skating the pair of Gabe and Maddy were compared to Chris and Kate.
There were so many skating references in the book and I loved it. The cursing using skating terms could have been annoying but instead, I found it cute. It just made sense considering the characters. It was great to see that not only did the characters have to grow and mature through the book, their skating had to as well. The skating storyline wasn't forfeited for the sake of a romantic one.
It took me one night to read this book. It was cute and easy to read but also, I just didn't want to stop. This one just came out but I'm already ready for more, maybe a Chris and Kate companion book?
My feelings towards The Boy Next Door were very much a roller coaster, one minute I was loving it and the next I was left feeling disappointed. The Boy Next Door was featured in my First Impression Friday, which you can check out here.
I never really fell for Gabe, so it was mainly during his chapters that I wasn't feeling it. He was nice enough, but ask any teacher and they'd tell you to go and grab a thesaurus and find a better word.
So maybe I didn't love Gabe, but the ice skating? Got to say I loved it! I always watch the figure skating whenever it's on the TV and especially during the Olympics, so I was reading The Boy Next Door reminiscing over my childhood dream of becoming a figure skater. Sad to say it's not a dream that was meant to be.
I really liked Mad, she's determined and focussed on her dream of becoming a figure skating champion, and which also happens to be a relationship with Gabe both on and off the ice. She really had to persevere to win Gabe over to her way of thinking, not because he didn't like her in that way, but because he didn't want to ruin their partnership. I can't make my mind up whether I think this is sweet or selfish.
I actually felt quite sorry for Mad, she had a lot going on in her life, lots of things to think about and process, not to mention worry about! Gabe was a good friend to Maddy, and I think redeemed himself a little bit in that way.
The Boy Next Door was an enjoyable YA romance. The figure skating backdrop to the novel was definitely interesting and not something I can say I've read before!
I never really fell for Gabe, so it was mainly during his chapters that I wasn't feeling it. He was nice enough, but ask any teacher and they'd tell you to go and grab a thesaurus and find a better word.
So maybe I didn't love Gabe, but the ice skating? Got to say I loved it! I always watch the figure skating whenever it's on the TV and especially during the Olympics, so I was reading The Boy Next Door reminiscing over my childhood dream of becoming a figure skater. Sad to say it's not a dream that was meant to be.
I really liked Mad, she's determined and focussed on her dream of becoming a figure skating champion, and which also happens to be a relationship with Gabe both on and off the ice. She really had to persevere to win Gabe over to her way of thinking, not because he didn't like her in that way, but because he didn't want to ruin their partnership. I can't make my mind up whether I think this is sweet or selfish.
I actually felt quite sorry for Mad, she had a lot going on in her life, lots of things to think about and process, not to mention worry about! Gabe was a good friend to Maddy, and I think redeemed himself a little bit in that way.
The Boy Next Door was an enjoyable YA romance. The figure skating backdrop to the novel was definitely interesting and not something I can say I've read before!
Check out this review and more at On the Wings of Books
• The Cutting Edge is one of my all time favorite movies. I love figure skating and romance so it sounds like the perfect win, unfortunately The Boy Next Door and I were not a perfect match.
• I really did love the figure skating aspect of The Boy Next Door.
• Maddy was alright except for the over the top swooning of Gabe, her skating partner. I didn't understand her attraction to Gabe at all. He was a total jerk to pretty much everyone. I didn't like him at all.
• I did not ship this romance. At all. The romance at the end was way too much, even for me.
• The storyline with Maddy's parents and what was happening with her dad was infinitely more interesting than the main storyline of the book. This is a problem.
Overall The Boy Next Door just wasn't for me.
What I Thought...
• The Cutting Edge is one of my all time favorite movies. I love figure skating and romance so it sounds like the perfect win, unfortunately The Boy Next Door and I were not a perfect match.
• I really did love the figure skating aspect of The Boy Next Door.
• Maddy was alright except for the over the top swooning of Gabe, her skating partner. I didn't understand her attraction to Gabe at all. He was a total jerk to pretty much everyone. I didn't like him at all.
• I did not ship this romance. At all. The romance at the end was way too much, even for me.
Spoiler
Gabe decided that it would be a good idea to have a fake wedding. They had sex for the first time that night. And there was a promise ring at the end too. It was all just way too much.• The storyline with Maddy's parents and what was happening with her dad was infinitely more interesting than the main storyline of the book. This is a problem.
Overall The Boy Next Door just wasn't for me.
There are some books that I need to think about for a while after I finish reading them. The Boy Next Door was one of them, because while I mostly enjoyed my experience reading the book, there were a couple areas where I was left with mixed feelings.
Reasons to Read:
1. Good alternating perspectives:
The use of alternating perspectives in a book can either be quite effective or it can completely distract from the story. But Katie van Ark uses the alternating chapters very well, as it reveals the private thoughts of the two main characters and their relationship with each other. The different perspectives highlights how differently two people can perceive the same events.
2. An insider's view on figure skating:
I'm completely useless at ice skating (as in: I can't do it at all. Worst Canadian ever!) and it was utterly fascinating to me to read about the world of competitive figure skating. I know nothing about it, and yet I was impressed with Maddy and Gabe's commitment to the sport and how The Boy Next Door introduced me to a whole new world. I obviously can't speak to the accuracy of the details in the book, but I certainly felt like this was a very involved, knowledgeable perspective.
This is actually going to be a reason that is hit-or-miss for some people. But I certainly felt the tension between Maddy and Gabe the entire time I was reading, and I just had to know what was going to happen with them. It was certainly convincing to read about these two characters try to find themselves on the same page with each other.
That being said, I ended the book with mixed feelings on Maddy and Gabe. They struck me as realistic characters (flaws and all) which is important, but there were some responses and comments made by each that I found hard to appreciate in the book. (I don't want to spoil anything directly, but I'll just say that Maddy's reaction to her bruises from figure skating was not one of which I was a fan.) Overall, I felt that some of this detracted from my overall experience.
This is a book which is heavy on the romance (obviously since it's from the Swoon Reads imprint), but much of it is a true teenaged romance. The characters are fairly immature and have to mature as the book goes on. That isn't a bad thing at all - I think it's a positive for the book, because that's reality. But to an extent, it can make it harder for certain readers to completely connect with the story. At the end of the day, not enough of the book stuck with me over time although I enjoyed reading it at the time.
ARC received from publisher for review; no other compensation was received.
Reasons to Read:
1. Good alternating perspectives:
The use of alternating perspectives in a book can either be quite effective or it can completely distract from the story. But Katie van Ark uses the alternating chapters very well, as it reveals the private thoughts of the two main characters and their relationship with each other. The different perspectives highlights how differently two people can perceive the same events.
2. An insider's view on figure skating:
I'm completely useless at ice skating (as in: I can't do it at all. Worst Canadian ever!) and it was utterly fascinating to me to read about the world of competitive figure skating. I know nothing about it, and yet I was impressed with Maddy and Gabe's commitment to the sport and how The Boy Next Door introduced me to a whole new world. I obviously can't speak to the accuracy of the details in the book, but I certainly felt like this was a very involved, knowledgeable perspective.
This is actually going to be a reason that is hit-or-miss for some people. But I certainly felt the tension between Maddy and Gabe the entire time I was reading, and I just had to know what was going to happen with them. It was certainly convincing to read about these two characters try to find themselves on the same page with each other.
That being said, I ended the book with mixed feelings on Maddy and Gabe. They struck me as realistic characters (flaws and all) which is important, but there were some responses and comments made by each that I found hard to appreciate in the book. (I don't want to spoil anything directly, but I'll just say that Maddy's reaction to her bruises from figure skating was not one of which I was a fan.) Overall, I felt that some of this detracted from my overall experience.
This is a book which is heavy on the romance (obviously since it's from the Swoon Reads imprint), but much of it is a true teenaged romance. The characters are fairly immature and have to mature as the book goes on. That isn't a bad thing at all - I think it's a positive for the book, because that's reality. But to an extent, it can make it harder for certain readers to completely connect with the story. At the end of the day, not enough of the book stuck with me over time although I enjoyed reading it at the time.
ARC received from publisher for review; no other compensation was received.
What a ride! This book was written so beautifully. Love how the author integrated skating terms into the book itself. I actually went and watch quite a few Olympics figure skating pairs videos in order to understand the terms in it. But let me just say, it was worth it. This book isn't just about romance between the two childhood friends, it is so much more. It is about knowing yourself. It is about standing up after falling. It is about chasing after your dreams. Most of all, it is about believing in yourself.
Hand in hand, we head for the kiss and cry. Today, we're going to kiss. Sometimes, we'll cry. There'll be broken tree branches. Misunderstandings and crash landings. It turns out all relationships are like Axels. They take a leap of faith and they have their ups and downs.
But it's not about falling, it's about what you do after the fall. Whatever happens, we'll pick ourselves u. Brush ourselves off. And circle around for another attempt.
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't even tell you how disappointed I am with this book. I was looking forward to it SO much and then pretty much hated the whole book. Seriously depressing.
Review to (eventually) come.
Review to (eventually) come.