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britwalsh16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual content, Car accident, Alcohol, Death, Grief, and Cursing
Moderate: Stalking, Sexism, Cancer, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Suicide, and Classism
Minor: Sexual harassment, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Rape
abidavisf'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
4.5
For the first two books in this series, my reviews centred on how extraordinary Elle Kennedy is at writing hard-hitting topics and weaving them into such romantic storylines. Frankly, I had no idea how extraordinary she was until I read The Score.
This book has torn me apart. I sobbed. Do not expect an easy read, because, I promise you, it isn’t one but, my word, is it beautiful.
Allie and Dean’s relationship is joyous, playful and fun and just wonderful to observe but, more than anything, the individual journeys that they (particularly Dean) take are beautiful. Dean experiences some real hardship in this story. His character is tested and he has to make some difficult choices in heartbreaking circumstances. The Score is not for the faint of heart but it will make you grateful for today.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Car accident, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Death, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Drug use
just_one_more_paige'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, Alcohol, and Drug use
maddibleu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I was really enjoying this until we got to Dean’s “growth” or redemption arc or whatever. I honestly found Allie’s behavior and thoughts about Dean’s grief to be kind of disgusting. The whole situation was Dean’s best friend dies (as a plot device to show he can’t handle “difficult things” because he’s always been able to “throw money to fix things). So his friend dies and Dean starts to spiral into his grief. Drinking but still functioning through class and hockey. But he’s in a dark place, disconnected from his friends and Allie.
After THREE WEEKS, Allie starts to get tired of his behavior and uses it to solidify the fact that Dean’s basically jumps ship when confronted with difficult things, rather than facing them (his friend’s death) head-on and working through his feelings rather than avoiding.
Allie’s whole thought process was gross. The multiple “I shouldn’t judge how someone else grieves” but then doing it over and over. She was only thinking of herself. He misses her performance because he’s partying with the football team (who also just lost their best friend!!!) and she dumps Dean for not “growing up.”
He’s apologetic, but still out of it a bit, and says he’ll go to tomorrow’s show. But she “doesn’t want him there.” In any other situation besides him grieving the death of his best friend, I would write him off as an asshole who’s just blowing Allie office, but it’s been THREE WEEKS and everyone acts like he should already be able to face and move past his friend’s death.
This was such a shallow and horrible portrayal of grief. If an author is going to kill someone off as a plot device to give a character some dynamic growth, then that character should at least be given the space to grieve.
On top of all this Allie lost her mom as a child and has a father who has an incurable illness. You’d think she’d have more empathy and understanding. This book was about making Dean right for Allie, but not about making sure Allie was right for Dean. Ruined it for me.
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
kamreher'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? It's complicated
4.25
This one had me CRYIN
i'm sorry but how dare this book do this to me.
did it make me cry? - .. yes.
Graphic: Death and Sexual content
kamelleruano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Cursing, and Alcohol
lindsaymck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Dean has main character energy, for sure. I like how the author always seems to peel back the layers on her MMCs to reveal that there is more to them than meets the eye. They are not what their first impression might lead you to believe and I admire how she showed Dean’s true colors. The male characters always seem to have bit more growth and evolution, but as a female reader…I love that.
I found Allie’s attitude towards casual sex relatable and respected her taking a breather to know herself as an individual before becoming part of a couple again.
Big bombshell dropped at the end of the book makes me eager to dive into #4 and see how the previous books’ characters come into play now that they’ve all graduated.
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Car accident
jetty_books'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: Alcoholism, Cursing, Alcohol, Drug use, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Car accident
Minor: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
catastrophiclyss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual content, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Vomit, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Stalking, Vomit, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Blood, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
elmead's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Car accident