Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
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
It's a good debut novel! The romance/chemistry fell flat to me. I didn't like the MC's "I have it the worst and no one understands me" mentality and what's worse is that it didn't change one bit to be more sympathetic to others. In fact, it was only reinforced at the end.
i loved how they wrote this book for chinese-americans, no whitesplaining definitions or anything. i cried 3 times
“he’s too disciplined, and i’m too stubborn” summary of my love life
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had really high hopes for this book in the beginning. I thought the pacing was very good for relationships and plot for probably the first 60-70% of the book. And then the kidnapping scheme happened...
Here are my thoughts on where this book lost me:
Girl is extremely complicit in a kidnapping scheme because she wants the money to maintain the status of attending an elite institution.
Instead of taking responsibility, she stands beside her new bestie and former enemy, blackmails the school board so that she won't get sued.
The invisibility just disappears without any explanation.
Then, a teacher who she stole test answers from (never confessed to this either) helps her get into a slightly less elite international boarding school on a scholarship.
Finally, she decides that the solution to everything is just scholarships and that she knows she'll be super successful in the future no matter what...
I'm struggling to find a proper moral of the story or growth or change. The only thing that is different from the beginning is that she is going to a slightly less elite school and is dating Henry. Honestly, Chanel was my favorite character and I knew hardly anything about her.
Andrew. His characterization was a huge problem to me. First, he call for the kidnapping scheme, then uses the, "I don't have friends so I had to do something" card, which made no sense given his circumstance. That aside, the general "shut up Andrew" energy the main characters gave was infuriating. They completely dismissed him as a villain when Alice CHOSE to take on the kidnapping.
I'm sorry, one more thing... why does she not turn invisible anymore?
Anyways, overall it was a pretty interesting YA novel. I thought the setting and characterizations felt very real. I just wish the ending didn't feel so, "ah, everything is great now because I got everything I wanted with minimal sacrifice."
Final note: Henry was an interesting multifaceted character at first. The trauma, the likely longstanding unrequited feelings for Alice, it was all there. But half-way through or so, he starts becoming very one dimensional. "I am sole love interest. I will do anything Alice tells me to do because I'm in love. Now I'm her boyfriend and I'm so nice and good at things." I'm sad that so much of the witty banter that used to exist is gone. I also didn't feel like his evolution was very realistic.
Here are my thoughts on where this book lost me:
Girl is extremely complicit in a kidnapping scheme because she wants the money to maintain the status of attending an elite institution.
Instead of taking responsibility, she stands beside her new bestie and former enemy, blackmails the school board so that she won't get sued.
The invisibility just disappears without any explanation.
Then, a teacher who she stole test answers from (never confessed to this either) helps her get into a slightly less elite international boarding school on a scholarship.
Finally, she decides that the solution to everything is just scholarships and that she knows she'll be super successful in the future no matter what...
I'm struggling to find a proper moral of the story or growth or change. The only thing that is different from the beginning is that she is going to a slightly less elite school and is dating Henry. Honestly, Chanel was my favorite character and I knew hardly anything about her.
Andrew. His characterization was a huge problem to me. First, he call for the kidnapping scheme, then uses the, "I don't have friends so I had to do something" card, which made no sense given his circumstance. That aside, the general "shut up Andrew" energy the main characters gave was infuriating. They completely dismissed him as a villain when Alice CHOSE to take on the kidnapping.
I'm sorry, one more thing... why does she not turn invisible anymore?
Anyways, overall it was a pretty interesting YA novel. I thought the setting and characterizations felt very real. I just wish the ending didn't feel so, "ah, everything is great now because I got everything I wanted with minimal sacrifice."
Final note: Henry was an interesting multifaceted character at first. The trauma, the likely longstanding unrequited feelings for Alice, it was all there. But half-way through or so, he starts becoming very one dimensional. "I am sole love interest. I will do anything Alice tells me to do because I'm in love. Now I'm her boyfriend and I'm so nice and good at things." I'm sad that so much of the witty banter that used to exist is gone. I also didn't feel like his evolution was very realistic.
the last part didn't make much sense, but Alice is a force to be reckoned with and the academia vibes and romanceeeeeee. Henryyyy