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thepaige_turner's review against another edition
2.0
If you follow me on Twitter (which you totally should; there’s fun gifs and you get to hear about the dumb shenanigans I get myself into) then you know I was struggling with whether or not I should give up on this book. I ultimately decided to do so after reaching the 60% mark. I’m not writing the book off completely, since I think there were some really awesome components in it, but it ended up coming down to me getting annoyed with the main character mixed with some “I don’t really care about this story anymore.”
So, pros! I started off really liking the unique voice that this contemporary had. Jules definitely does not care what others think of her and I liked her inner dialogue…until it became annoying. There was a specific turning point in the novel when I couldn’t relate to her anymore and I started to find myself flicking past pages wondering when she was going to stop talking. Alex also got on my nerves. He seemed sort of sleazy from the beginning. No, I didn’t make it to the end so maybe he does redeem himself, but the point I got to made me really dislike him.
Gay parents! Yes! Jules’ mom’s were so rad. I probably stuck it out as long as I did because I loved them and their dialogue. Can we get a book focused all around their romance? I’d read that in a heartbeat.
I also got a bit sick of Jules’ friends and the way she treated them. Jules is so caught up in her own life that she can’t even take the time to respond to emails/texts and her friends let her get away with it! Maybe I’m just not an overly forgiving person, but it continued to happen enough in the book that I seriously questioned why her best friend, who’s name I can’t remember beyond “the loud one who acts as the foil to the quiet one” would put up with that crap.
Maybe I’m just getting too old for contemporaries? I really hope not. Maybe it’s my own fault too for siding with the “bad” characters too. I mean Jules is pretty set in her ways, which I’m all for sticking to your guns, but she did it in such a way that shut down everyone else’s ideas, and I wasn’t too thrilled with that.
At the end of the day I am giving this two stars though. I think (and hope) some people will find it enjoyable, but it just wasn’t for me. As someone pointed out to me on Twitter, life is too short to waste time reading books you don’t like. On to the next!
(As it’s becoming a common theme with my DNF’s, I do really like this cover. There’s just something about it that is great! Maybe it’s the soft pastels)
What do you think? Have you read this one yet? Are you going to pick it up when it gets released next week? Let me know!
So, pros! I started off really liking the unique voice that this contemporary had. Jules definitely does not care what others think of her and I liked her inner dialogue…until it became annoying. There was a specific turning point in the novel when I couldn’t relate to her anymore and I started to find myself flicking past pages wondering when she was going to stop talking. Alex also got on my nerves. He seemed sort of sleazy from the beginning. No, I didn’t make it to the end so maybe he does redeem himself, but the point I got to made me really dislike him.
Gay parents! Yes! Jules’ mom’s were so rad. I probably stuck it out as long as I did because I loved them and their dialogue. Can we get a book focused all around their romance? I’d read that in a heartbeat.
I also got a bit sick of Jules’ friends and the way she treated them. Jules is so caught up in her own life that she can’t even take the time to respond to emails/texts and her friends let her get away with it! Maybe I’m just not an overly forgiving person, but it continued to happen enough in the book that I seriously questioned why her best friend, who’s name I can’t remember beyond “the loud one who acts as the foil to the quiet one” would put up with that crap.
Maybe I’m just getting too old for contemporaries? I really hope not. Maybe it’s my own fault too for siding with the “bad” characters too. I mean Jules is pretty set in her ways, which I’m all for sticking to your guns, but she did it in such a way that shut down everyone else’s ideas, and I wasn’t too thrilled with that.
At the end of the day I am giving this two stars though. I think (and hope) some people will find it enjoyable, but it just wasn’t for me. As someone pointed out to me on Twitter, life is too short to waste time reading books you don’t like. On to the next!
(As it’s becoming a common theme with my DNF’s, I do really like this cover. There’s just something about it that is great! Maybe it’s the soft pastels)
What do you think? Have you read this one yet? Are you going to pick it up when it gets released next week? Let me know!
talya_'s review against another edition
I couldn't finish this. I couldn't even get past the first six chapters. The book crawled at a snail's pace and was dull enough to make my eyes water with boredom. The characters are...well I would say typical characters, but they're far too boring to be called typical. They're just dull, flat, and highly uninteresting. And this book has far too many details in it that only makes the book even slower. Like it describes, in detail, how Jules and her mom are making meatballs. Tell me, why they hell is that relevant? Get on with the damn story and stop describing how to make meatballs or your duty as a liaison in school. I just...no. I wasn't going to put myself through this torture so I stopped reading. It's not a BAD book (actually, who knows maybe it is-- I didn't read far enough to find out), it's just mind-numbingly boring.
ameserole's review against another edition
2.0
I do love a good YA book every now and then but this book was just okay to me...more like meh. I thought the title was cute and interesting, so I automatically thought I'd like it; however, that was not the case. Now I'm not saying I hated the book but I also didn't love it either. After the first couple of chapter the main character, Jules, gets super annoying. I get it she's a Type A all honors stupid--yippee? But the book is basically two groups fighting the entire time.. kind of reminded me of Shut Out by Kody Keplinger...but that was more like boys vs. girls (sports-wise) and in my opinion a better book. Maybe it's cause I didn't have enough sleep or coffee today but I will definitely give this book another chance and hopefully my review will change in a more positive note.
kaylareadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was cute! I liked this one! I'm a big fan of Amy's books!
aprilalwayswithabook's review against another edition
3.0
Unrealistic and most of the characters are pretty two-dimensional. I loved Alex's playfulness but I didn't get much chemistry between him and Jules. I would have loved more of Sadie too. I didn't buy the animosity between Jules and Natalie, really.
_camk_'s review against another edition
Did not finish. Got 60% through but couldn't carry on when I could be reading a book I actually enjoyed.
Jules is the worst - "broken hearted" after a week and a half, selfish, boring. Sadie is the worst. Alex is not worst but he is also so boring.
Not worth a read.
Jules is the worst - "broken hearted" after a week and a half, selfish, boring. Sadie is the worst. Alex is not worst but he is also so boring.
Not worth a read.
krissyranae's review against another edition
4.0
This was cute! There was definitely a minute in the middle where I got really frustrated with Jules, and I wanted to pull her aside, shake her a little, and say, "Jules, really?! Come on, girl! You need to get your shit together." But I think that was mostly the adult set of motivations in me overpowering my memories of the things that motivated me as a high school senior. Because I definitely didn't have my shit together senior year either, and I definitely made questionable choices based on oddly interpreted queues from my environment/fellow humans.
Basically what I'm saying is that Amy is real good at capturing the weirdness that is high school, and the strange things people do when they're immersed in that world.
(My actual rating is 3.5 stars, but I'm bumping it to 4 on here because YOU CAN'T MAKE ME ROUND DOWN INSTEAD OF UP.)
(Also, A+ portrayal of non-shitty parents doing the parenting thing pretty solidly, and also for a family unit who all like each other, and show genuine, and open, care and love.)
Basically what I'm saying is that Amy is real good at capturing the weirdness that is high school, and the strange things people do when they're immersed in that world.
(My actual rating is 3.5 stars, but I'm bumping it to 4 on here because YOU CAN'T MAKE ME ROUND DOWN INSTEAD OF UP.)
(Also, A+ portrayal of non-shitty parents doing the parenting thing pretty solidly, and also for a family unit who all like each other, and show genuine, and open, care and love.)
kcmmp13's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fun read. I loved the characters of overachiever and type A Jules, her friends Sadie & Em, and the new guy, Alex. I liked that the romance wasn't the main focus but it was still there in the background. The one thing I didn't love, was that there was a turn of events with about thirty pages left. It seemed rushed at the end. I would've much rather had some things cut out or have read a longer book. If there's ever a follow up book I'd definitely be interested in reading it.
bookish_notes's review against another edition
4.0
[b:The New Guy|26030737|The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions)|Amy Spalding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1450302509s/26030737.jpg|42774937] is a light and fun book about an ambitious and passionate teenager, Jules McAllister-Morgan, in her senior year of high school. From the first page, you get a sense who Jules is and her voice and tone is clearly set for the rest of the book. Jules is vying to be the editor-in-chief of her private high school's 104-year-old newspaper, The Crest. She sees this as another checkbox on her senior year accomplishments she needs to complete in order to get into the Ivy League school of her choice. However, Jules quickly finds out that life can't be a series of checkboxes to tick off her list because things happen that are beyond her control. Enter a former teenage boyband member, Alex Powell, and the rise of a news competitor at school that threatens the livelihood of her beloved school newspaper.
I thought the story was cute and fun read and that this book is aimed primarily at a younger audience. Jules definitely has her priorities straight with her schooling, but everything that feels just a little bit trivial to me seems to be blown out of proportion in Jules mind when the school newspaper and the new video telecast for the school goes to war with one another. There are so many intense scheming scenes and antics from both sides that I think I honestly connected more with Mr. Wheeler, the newspaper advisor, when he basically tells them to chill out.
Jules and Alex felt a little too much like instalove when they suddenly get together after knowing each other for about a week. But they have a cute relationship throughout the book, and their passive-aggressiveness at dog walking is hilarious. None of the characters have passages of descriptions written on them, but based on their interactions with one another, they still feel like they jump off the page and are memorable in their own way. I love Jules and her group of friends. I only wish we saw more of them! Jules parents are definitely a nice change from your usual mom and dad couples, because "Mom" and Darcy are so lovely and have a real relationship with Jules that doesn't stand in the way of the story at all.
I would definitely recommend this for all those who enjoy a good teenage contemporary.
*Thank you, NOVL for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*
I thought the story was cute and fun read and that this book is aimed primarily at a younger audience. Jules definitely has her priorities straight with her schooling, but everything that feels just a little bit trivial to me seems to be blown out of proportion in Jules mind when the school newspaper and the new video telecast for the school goes to war with one another. There are so many intense scheming scenes and antics from both sides that I think I honestly connected more with Mr. Wheeler, the newspaper advisor, when he basically tells them to chill out.
Jules and Alex felt a little too much like instalove when they suddenly get together after knowing each other for about a week. But they have a cute relationship throughout the book, and their passive-aggressiveness at dog walking is hilarious. None of the characters have passages of descriptions written on them, but based on their interactions with one another, they still feel like they jump off the page and are memorable in their own way. I love Jules and her group of friends. I only wish we saw more of them! Jules parents are definitely a nice change from your usual mom and dad couples, because "Mom" and Darcy are so lovely and have a real relationship with Jules that doesn't stand in the way of the story at all.
I would definitely recommend this for all those who enjoy a good teenage contemporary.
*Thank you, NOVL for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*