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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
*consumed as an audiobook*
This was an accidental pick. I accidentally clicked start as I was reading the synopsis on Spotify and once it started I decided to commit. Well, I am very glad I did. At first I was unsure, and had remmebered why I dislike fiction audiobooks because of the tone but once I adjusted and the story established it’s characters and setting in the first few chapters it picked up and I fell In love. I thought it was so fun to have an author as a main character ( love any book related profession for a protagonist) and then getting a look at how an adaptation works and jsut all the other elements. I loved that it also had a deeper message within it with Helen coping with the events surrounding her and Grants past. Over so enjoyable. I cant say if I would’ve enjoyed it as much reading it, it assume so but I definitely think the setting and the perspective the author choose to write in made very enjoyable as an audiobook. It alternated between a male and female reader because the chapters alternated between perspectives.
Truly taken by surprise, this might just have won top book of the year for me so far..
This was an accidental pick. I accidentally clicked start as I was reading the synopsis on Spotify and once it started I decided to commit. Well, I am very glad I did. At first I was unsure, and had remmebered why I dislike fiction audiobooks because of the tone but once I adjusted and the story established it’s characters and setting in the first few chapters it picked up and I fell In love. I thought it was so fun to have an author as a main character ( love any book related profession for a protagonist) and then getting a look at how an adaptation works and jsut all the other elements. I loved that it also had a deeper message within it with Helen coping with the events surrounding her and Grants past. Over so enjoyable. I cant say if I would’ve enjoyed it as much reading it, it assume so but I definitely think the setting and the perspective the author choose to write in made very enjoyable as an audiobook. It alternated between a male and female reader because the chapters alternated between perspectives.
Truly taken by surprise, this might just have won top book of the year for me so far..
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is okay? I didn’t despise it or anything, but the pacing seemed inconsistent: too fast to get to the romantic feelings, too drawn out in the main characters’ conflict over the future of their relationship. And what bothered me most is that Helen’s sister often gets remembered only as some kind of justification of Helen’s relationship hangups with Grant and her parents.
Okay, I lied. There is one thing I despise: at some point in the story, Helen says, “Brain goes vroom vroom,” and that I absolutely cannot abide.
Okay, I lied. There is one thing I despise: at some point in the story, Helen says, “Brain goes vroom vroom,” and that I absolutely cannot abide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Car accident
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
This was a really beautiful love story with complicated deeply traumatized characters who were drawn to each other despite all of their history making them a bad idea, while working together on a TV adaptation of her YA book series. This book had ALOT going on but I thought the author handled it well.
Grief is a major player in this book with her sister's suicide haunting the narrative of both of our characters. I really appreciated how desperate Helen was for an answer to her sister's death and that she doesn't get one; she just has to keep moving forward in the world and continuing to grieve her sister. For Grant, her death haunts his as he deals with simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time and having his life changed forever.
This book deals with some heavy topics like suicide, difficult parental relationships, grief, mental health, and more while still being focused on our MCs having a happily ever after together no matter how hard it is for them to be together.
I think this book had some technical things that come from a new author, especially one whose written in other mediums, and gets a little too quick at the end, but otherwise is a fantastic debut from Kuang!
Grief is a major player in this book with her sister's suicide haunting the narrative of both of our characters. I really appreciated how desperate Helen was for an answer to her sister's death and that she doesn't get one; she just has to keep moving forward in the world and continuing to grieve her sister. For Grant, her death haunts his as he deals with simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time and having his life changed forever.
This book deals with some heavy topics like suicide, difficult parental relationships, grief, mental health, and more while still being focused on our MCs having a happily ever after together no matter how hard it is for them to be together.
I think this book had some technical things that come from a new author, especially one whose written in other mediums, and gets a little too quick at the end, but otherwise is a fantastic debut from Kuang!
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Both characters need a hug. And therapy, probably.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Meh, interesting enough, but ultimately falls flat.
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love the idea behind this book. It is certainly not a light hearted rom com, but a story of grief and growth and culture and community. I don’t love the friends with benefits trope, and again, I felt frustrated by the FMC as it seemed like she was so bent on lying to herself and all around her just to appease her parents. Parents opinions are important, add to that the trauma they all experienced, but for a 30yo to still strive to please unpleaseable parents, and for those parents to demand her submission, that’s one that just grates on me. Overall, loved the story, the characters, and the way they processed and matured, but there were times when it felt like the spice was added in unnecessarily, and with the things mentioned above, I’d probably give it a 3.5 star.
About halfway through the plot stopped plotting and the spice got laughable.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes