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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
HAPPY FIRST BOOK OF 2020!
OK so real talk -- a friend recommended this in our "Hot Garbage Book Club". I was looking for a fun stupid little read to kick off the new year, and girded my loins on this one. The description, true enough, sounded saccharine as hell and too stupid to take seriously -- a high school senior who works for her mom's wedding business finds love? Barf.
People. This was a surprisingly sweet book! Our main heroine Luna is heartbroken/ traumatized after she shares a perfect night with a boy (and honestly, the perfect night is described in a way that legitimately moved this cynic to Feelings Town), only to have him tragically killed in a random school shooting. Jesus! This was heavier subject material than I had bargained for, and it was handled surprisingly well by the author. And Ambrose legitimately sneaks up on you as an endearing protagonist! The author REALLY skips over some important plot details, like the reason AMbrose was denied a driver's license...? And also, are we all just ok with dog theft when the owner is grumpy? Because everyone was disturbingly chill about that...
All in all, holy cats was I grateful for this book, and was pleasantly surprised to boot!
OK so real talk -- a friend recommended this in our "Hot Garbage Book Club". I was looking for a fun stupid little read to kick off the new year, and girded my loins on this one. The description, true enough, sounded saccharine as hell and too stupid to take seriously -- a high school senior who works for her mom's wedding business finds love? Barf.
People. This was a surprisingly sweet book! Our main heroine Luna is heartbroken/ traumatized after she shares a perfect night with a boy (and honestly, the perfect night is described in a way that legitimately moved this cynic to Feelings Town), only to have him tragically killed in a random school shooting. Jesus! This was heavier subject material than I had bargained for, and it was handled surprisingly well by the author. And Ambrose legitimately sneaks up on you as an endearing protagonist! The author REALLY skips over some important plot details, like the reason AMbrose was denied a driver's license...? And also, are we all just ok with dog theft when the owner is grumpy? Because everyone was disturbingly chill about that...
All in all, holy cats was I grateful for this book, and was pleasantly surprised to boot!
It’s one of Dessen’s better book, with no toxic love interest. With all the weddings, it’s easy to escape into another world where COVID-19 does not yet happen. With what happens to Ethan, it’s a reminder that school shootings effects not only the school’s area but as a ripple effect.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Sarah Dessen always and forever but this one wasn't one of my favorites. Es mucho.
It was a great easy read, however I didn't really like Ambrose's character. He was a little annoying and immature. I felt that their relationship was rushed but whatever.
This book fell short of expectations. Ostensibly a romance, this book lacked all traces of romantic tension. Filled with characters that had potential, most of them were very shallowly written, and only focused on their interactions with Louna, the main character in the book.
The plot had potential, but I'm not sure if Dessen felt comfortable writing about gun violence in general, and school shootings in particular. It was a book that felt like it had potential all the way up to the point where it was clear that it didn't have any potential. The ending was obvious, it was just a matter of figuring out how the plot would be manipulated to get there.
Dessen, a powerhouse of an author, has written some amazing titles. Sadly, this can't be counted among them.
The plot had potential, but I'm not sure if Dessen felt comfortable writing about gun violence in general, and school shootings in particular. It was a book that felt like it had potential all the way up to the point where it was clear that it didn't have any potential. The ending was obvious, it was just a matter of figuring out how the plot would be manipulated to get there.
Dessen, a powerhouse of an author, has written some amazing titles. Sadly, this can't be counted among them.
I absolutely ADORE this book and the young adult love story that goes along with it. So many quotes I had to write down in my notes app. My favorite being: “life didn’t begin cleanly, and it surely never ended that way. we were blessed with whatever we had in the middle. it made sense that it be messy, too.” ❤️ such a wonderful read, read it twice, and will probably read again