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miszne99's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The concept and the issues mentioned in this book is interesting, especially since it's a YA book. But, the way the drama is written doesn't feel right, and the love relationship feels somehow lacking.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
217cms's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
i was promised a good book with rivals to lovers and good representation of feminism, but i did not receive any of that. in fact, i am incredibly disappointed with this book not just with the hype it got on booktok but with all the 4-star reviews it got. here's why:
1. wrong portrayal of feminism
a lot of the actions caused by eliza in the name of "feminism" were definitely questionable. in fact, a lot of the acts caused by characters were questionable because they had questionable intentions in the first place. while i do understand where eliza comes from with feeling as if her losing was due to the misogyny present, you can definitely argue that eliza lost because she isn't a fitting leader. why? because she is managing editor (?) of the bugle already. people already have a taste of how it would be to be under eliza's supervision in a more authoritative position.
sure, you can also argue that it is misogynistic because they chose to favor "possibility" by voting len who has less credentials and less experience instead of "credibility" which eliza clearly had. however, being credible in that specific school setting does not cover if you are a good leader. if the people in the bugle did not like how they were being treated and felt that len could provide better comments that would not only aid them but uplift them, then it makes perfect sense why eliza did not win.
obviously credibility is everything especially in the socio-political context. i mean, its so important to choose people who have more experience when it comes to more nationwide or even schoolwide positions. but i do believe there is nothing wrong with len winning because giving someone the chance to lead despite little experience but with the passion to do so is still as valuable. which is why if the situation were different, i would be able to empathise with eliza better. if it were for the student council position or if len turned out to actually have a bad record from the start, then i would have fully agreed with her. but we cannot deny that her choosing to blame it on misogyny was petty in the sense that it was just actual anger towards len being the editor-in-chief.
this was heavily seen when eliza had mentioned the walkout. the purpose of the walkout was to make sure len would resign from being editor-in-chief, and i felt as if that was performative in itself. there are better ways to tackle misogyny, and i do believe walkouts do have ways to do it. but it is the intention that made the whole reading so upsetting.
obviously, there were still really good points. feminism in the point of view of bipoc people especially those in different generations was a good way to tackle the idea of it. not only that, i can definitely see where misogyny was actually present (such as the school's principal arguing that tampons is an inappopriate topic to discuss in school or when the school found out that eliza and len hooked up, eliza suffered the most). however, i still think the book can send out the wrong message especially with how it was ordered, the intentions, etc.
2. the characters were just overall annoying
i don't know if the intention was to make characters walking cliches or just soooooo annoying but they had no personality. i felt like the only character i really liked was winona. eliza was just so unlikable and len was so. i cant even begin to describe him. his personality trait was just being a washedup athlete LOL! eliza was just so misguided but she did have her sort of redemption arc in some cases. i don't know but its so hard to enjoy this book if everyone was just ANNOYING.
overall, this book could have been better. i'm not even kidding. maybe if the context was changed or the intention or whatever were different, maybe i would've liked this book. people can disagree with me because i will acknowledge that this book still had good points. however, i will still stick by the fact that it could send out the wrong message. as this is a YA book, i hope people who have read this understand that this isn't what feminism or misogyny is all about. please make sure to do your research on what the two are. hopefully this book only helps you in wanting to do proper research on these concepts especially in the views of bipoc people.
1. wrong portrayal of feminism
a lot of the actions caused by eliza in the name of "feminism" were definitely questionable. in fact, a lot of the acts caused by characters were questionable because they had questionable intentions in the first place. while i do understand where eliza comes from with feeling as if her losing was due to the misogyny present, you can definitely argue that eliza lost because she isn't a fitting leader. why? because she is managing editor (?) of the bugle already. people already have a taste of how it would be to be under eliza's supervision in a more authoritative position.
sure, you can also argue that it is misogynistic because they chose to favor "possibility" by voting len who has less credentials and less experience instead of "credibility" which eliza clearly had. however, being credible in that specific school setting does not cover if you are a good leader. if the people in the bugle did not like how they were being treated and felt that len could provide better comments that would not only aid them but uplift them, then it makes perfect sense why eliza did not win.
obviously credibility is everything especially in the socio-political context. i mean, its so important to choose people who have more experience when it comes to more nationwide or even schoolwide positions. but i do believe there is nothing wrong with len winning because giving someone the chance to lead despite little experience but with the passion to do so is still as valuable. which is why if the situation were different, i would be able to empathise with eliza better. if it were for the student council position or if len turned out to actually have a bad record from the start, then i would have fully agreed with her. but we cannot deny that her choosing to blame it on misogyny was petty in the sense that it was just actual anger towards len being the editor-in-chief.
this was heavily seen when eliza had mentioned the walkout. the purpose of the walkout was to make sure len would resign from being editor-in-chief, and i felt as if that was performative in itself. there are better ways to tackle misogyny, and i do believe walkouts do have ways to do it. but it is the intention that made the whole reading so upsetting.
obviously, there were still really good points. feminism in the point of view of bipoc people especially those in different generations was a good way to tackle the idea of it. not only that, i can definitely see where misogyny was actually present (such as the school's principal arguing that tampons is an inappopriate topic to discuss in school or when the school found out that eliza and len hooked up, eliza suffered the most). however, i still think the book can send out the wrong message especially with how it was ordered, the intentions, etc.
2. the characters were just overall annoying
i don't know if the intention was to make characters walking cliches or just soooooo annoying but they had no personality. i felt like the only character i really liked was winona. eliza was just so unlikable and len was so. i cant even begin to describe him. his personality trait was just being a washedup athlete LOL! eliza was just so misguided but she did have her sort of redemption arc in some cases. i don't know but its so hard to enjoy this book if everyone was just ANNOYING.
overall, this book could have been better. i'm not even kidding. maybe if the context was changed or the intention or whatever were different, maybe i would've liked this book. people can disagree with me because i will acknowledge that this book still had good points. however, i will still stick by the fact that it could send out the wrong message. as this is a YA book, i hope people who have read this understand that this isn't what feminism or misogyny is all about. please make sure to do your research on what the two are. hopefully this book only helps you in wanting to do proper research on these concepts especially in the views of bipoc people.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Sexism
aliasbooklover's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
loved the themes that are prominent in the book
would have loved it more if it was set in college/university (but thats just me being “old”)
would have loved it more if it was set in college/university (but thats just me being “old”)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cultural appropriation and Sexism
getbrekked's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Alcohol, Sexism, and Bullying
Minor: War
elderflower's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
ribs's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-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: Misogyny and Sexism
shanomaly's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny
antoniarachael28's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
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
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! I’d been hearing some great things about this book and it was definitely right up my alley. This book not only has great characters, but it will also definitely make you think!
At the beginning, Eliza isn’t the most likeable character. However, this makes sense for her character arc. She doesn’t think she really needs to be liked by her fellow students in order to get where she wants to go. A lot of the book is her realizing that maybe letting people in is okay, and I loved the way her character was written. Everything about her journey felt so natural and worked well as a teenage character.
The secondary characters are just as fleshed out as Eliza. And they also bring some important points to the discussion of what we think of as feminism. Yes, this book takes place in a high school, but so much about what Eliza and her friends talk about regarding gender equality apply in a lot of different aspects of life. It really makes you think about your own version of feminism and whether it really includes gender equality of all kinds.
Eliza and Len also get to talk a lot about what it means to be Asian in America, and even though they both had different experiences, they find a lot of common ground. I think this is why their relationship feels natural in the book and they have such great chemistry.
The main reason this isn’t getting five stars is because I did think the pacing was a bit off in places. But overall, this was an enjoyable read and it will definitely prompt some good discussion!
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There are all sorts of things to love about this book. Engaging story, important discussions, great characters. More to come in a review next week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Alcohol and Vomit
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
paxyshia's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a solid 4 star book! i think it’s a little hard to be completely in love with a young adult book as an adult but i found myself really appreciating this story. i loved the realness of eliza’s culture and family life and the troubles of being young and understanding the complexities of big topics that are pounded into society like sexism and misogyny.
it struck quite a chord with me bringing me back to moments of my life and realizing how far i’ve come in understanding what it means to be a feminist and also how to deal with blatant sexism or misogyny with people we’re close to like family members or friends.
i was actually quite worried that this would fall under some incredible white woman feminist type book but it didn’t. i had to put it in the perspective of a 16/17 year old and realized it wasn’t TOO white in its story and was a great place to start in unpacking what we think feminism is because we’ve been fed to believe it is just women acting out.
the book was also filled with many diverse characters and i really appreciated that from the author. i also appreciated that love didn’t also just save everything in this book. sometimes authors have a way of ending books like love saved the day but the way this played out, it was a great alternative to what i was afraid of and especially in a young adult setting. an all around solid debut for michelle quach! i’m excited to see what she writes in the future!
it struck quite a chord with me bringing me back to moments of my life and realizing how far i’ve come in understanding what it means to be a feminist and also how to deal with blatant sexism or misogyny with people we’re close to like family members or friends.
i was actually quite worried that this would fall under some incredible white woman feminist type book but it didn’t. i had to put it in the perspective of a 16/17 year old and realized it wasn’t TOO white in its story and was a great place to start in unpacking what we think feminism is because we’ve been fed to believe it is just women acting out.
the book was also filled with many diverse characters and i really appreciated that from the author. i also appreciated that love didn’t also just save everything in this book. sometimes authors have a way of ending books like love saved the day but the way this played out, it was a great alternative to what i was afraid of and especially in a young adult setting. an all around solid debut for michelle quach! i’m excited to see what she writes in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault