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elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
Graphic: Addiction, Homophobia, Medical content, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Biphobia, Car accident, Mental illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Outing
Minor: Suicide
laracroft2001's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Bullying
Minor: Medical content
addyisnothere's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Homophobia, Biphobia, Alcohol, Drug use, and Addiction
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Medical content
emmasbelovedbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Outing, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Child abuse, and Confinement
reading_rainbows's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Homophobia, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Biphobia, Drug use, and Outing
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
This was as fun as I thought it would be, but it also delved into a lot more important social topics than I thought it would. I really liked Ruben and Zach and their relationship is an example of friends-to-lovers done really well.
Zach's gradual realisation that he might not be straight and the way he goes back and analyses his previous attraction on other guys felt so real and made me want to give him a hug. The fact he begins to realise this while in the middle of a global tour in front of millions of people can't be easy, so it was lovely that Ruben being supportive and providing comfort when it was needed.
I didn't have many strong feelings about Angel or Jon, but I liked how they supported Ruben and Zach when their management were trying to prevent them from coming out. On the whole, the book delves into some important issues about fame and privacy, substance abuse, being open about mental health, and having a support network around you. The narrative also comments on the heteronormativity of the music industry and the subtle ways in which homophobia can pervade daily life, while also encourages readers to challenge prejudices and injustice.
Final note: I've seen a lot of people saying this is One Direction fanfiction, or that the book started life as such, and while I don't know the origins of the story, it didn't read this way to me. I will say that I was never a 1D fan so I don't really know much about the band and I didn't follow them when they were active, but this read like a YA contemporary in its own right and not really a fanfic of any kind (and I saw this as someone who reads plenty of fic).
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Addiction, Drug use, and Medical content
jfield351's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, and Outing
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, and Child abuse
moll_g's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The chapters alternate from the POV of Ruben (Sophie Gonzales) and Zach (Cale Dietrich), but if I hadn't known it was co-authored I don't think I'd have been able to tell since the book as a whole is so cohesive. I tend to stick to books with a single author but I'm very glad I took a chance on this one.
Overall, a very enjoyable read with loveable characters and a heartwarming storyline.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Alcohol, Blood, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity and Mental illness
anniereads221's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Confinement, Car accident, Biphobia, and Medical content
Sexual talkbeautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, and Car accident
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Outing, Biphobia, and Body shaming