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2.92 AVERAGE
2.92 AVERAGE
I liked it at first, but the last 100 pages were brutal. It just got weird and all wtf.
I liked Holly at first, but in the end..no. F no. She is flaky. She gets new roommates and falls in love with the nerd who does not talk. He has a girlfriend online, but does she care. No, because she knows better. He should be with her, even if he does not want to. She lies. She meets this great guy, but she is all in love with Addison, and trust me, she will still get a HEA: But in the end I did no think she deserved one.
I just wish those last 100 pages had not happened, it was some sort of trippy dream, it just went from a silly book to is everyone crazy?
Also there is this one thing that happens, and most just laugh it off, but honestly, you could put someone in jail over that!
It went from good to bad. So ok then
I liked Holly at first, but in the end..no. F no. She is flaky. She gets new roommates and falls in love with the nerd who does not talk. He has a girlfriend online, but does she care. No, because she knows better. He should be with her, even if he does not want to. She lies. She meets this great guy, but she is all in love with Addison, and trust me, she will still get a HEA: But in the end I did no think she deserved one.
I just wish those last 100 pages had not happened, it was some sort of trippy dream, it just went from a silly book to is everyone crazy?
Also there is this one thing that happens, and most just laugh it off, but honestly, you could put someone in jail over that!
It went from good to bad. So ok then
I very much disliked most of the characters in this one, especially the main character. I liked Finn though.
There were aspects of this book that I really liked. But it was brought down a lot by a very flawed main character. She makes fun of her friend for possibly being gay while thinking she's not being an ass. She comes across as very fatphobic. In some ways, I think it really illustrates how different acceptable public discourse surrounding inclusion is in the last 20 years.
There's also a lot of weirdness toward the end that really should have had consequences but is just completely bypassed.
Oddly, my favorite relationship is the one she has with the cantankerous other patient in the hospital who claims to be god.
There's also a lot of weirdness toward the end that really should have had consequences but is just completely bypassed.
Oddly, my favorite relationship is the one she has with the cantankerous other patient in the hospital who claims to be god.
This was a delightful surprise. Awkward and charming and funny.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
My Very '90's Romance by Jenny Colgan is a quirky yet somewhat lackluster novel.
Twenty-eight year old Holly Livingstone has terrible luck with roommates. She finally ends up living with college mates Josh and Kate and computer geek and recluse Addison Farthing. Holly is a barely employed florist whereas Kate is a hard-working, successful businesswoman and Josh has a cushy job in the family business. Holly is fascinated by Addison who rarely leaves his room (or the house for that matter) and she basically forces herself on him by intruding on him without invitation. After meeting some of Kate's workmates, Holly hits it off Finn but she cannot give up on trying to coax Addison into a relationship. Kate is dating disaster who always winds up dating married men and Josh is trying to figure out his sexuality.
What seems like a recipe for madcap fun quickly descends into ridiculous, over-the-top unrealistic situations and offensive humor. Outside of Finn and Addison, none of the characters are particularly likable. Holly is incredibly immature and her snarky sense of humor becomes tedious. Josh and Kate are mostly innocuous but they lack dimension. Certain scenes are downright ludicrous and would never happen in real life. My Very '90's Romance is absolutely nothing like Jenny Colgan's more serious novels and it was a struggle to finish this latest release (which seems to be a re-named re-release of Talking to Addison).
Twenty-eight year old Holly Livingstone has terrible luck with roommates. She finally ends up living with college mates Josh and Kate and computer geek and recluse Addison Farthing. Holly is a barely employed florist whereas Kate is a hard-working, successful businesswoman and Josh has a cushy job in the family business. Holly is fascinated by Addison who rarely leaves his room (or the house for that matter) and she basically forces herself on him by intruding on him without invitation. After meeting some of Kate's workmates, Holly hits it off Finn but she cannot give up on trying to coax Addison into a relationship. Kate is dating disaster who always winds up dating married men and Josh is trying to figure out his sexuality.
What seems like a recipe for madcap fun quickly descends into ridiculous, over-the-top unrealistic situations and offensive humor. Outside of Finn and Addison, none of the characters are particularly likable. Holly is incredibly immature and her snarky sense of humor becomes tedious. Josh and Kate are mostly innocuous but they lack dimension. Certain scenes are downright ludicrous and would never happen in real life. My Very '90's Romance is absolutely nothing like Jenny Colgan's more serious novels and it was a struggle to finish this latest release (which seems to be a re-named re-release of Talking to Addison).
The version I read had an author's note about poorly dealing with autism. That's true and there should be another note about her immature fatphobia here too, though that was rife in the 90s so it's definitely an accurate reflection of the times. I'm so glad I've read other Jenny Colgan before this because I this book wouldn't have made me a fan of her work.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Found it meh, not the greatest writing, not connected to any characters, lots of 90s language that I’m not comfortable with.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia