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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
It's so sweet and cutesie. There are so many laugh out loud moments, that you shouldn't read it before sleeping, because it gives you energy from reading it.
There is one plottwist and it was a surprise but also kind of expected.
i feel like the author expects us to know who Buddy Boy is, because to me it was quite obvious that Leo is BB. And i think that it's more of a plottwist for the characters themselves. But i enjoyed it nevertheless. :)
There is one plottwist and it was a surprise but also kind of expected.
*SPOILERS AHEAD!*
This was another bookstagram/good reads made me do it! I’ve been seeing this book everywhere and initially wasn’t going to bother with it, after not enjoying the author’s debut. But then the audio popped up on Libby, so I thought I’d give it a try. And it was fine.
I quite disliked Wren Martin for the entire book, he was not a likeable or sympathetic character. Part of this could be that I’m just really over YA, so I have zero time for mean, whiny protagonists who don’t see much development over the course of the book. Wren is still mean and whiny at the end of the book. I also thought that he treated Leo quite badly, including intentionally embarrassing him in front of their friends with PDA. Like, that seems mildly dubcon to me.
I also didn’t like that he really seemed to dislike his dad. Like, constantly making snide jokes and comments about his dad’s OCD (NOT FUCKING COOL) and lifestyle choices. Maybe it was meant to be more of a stereotypical *all high schoolers hate their parents* thing? But it just added to Wren’s overall unlikeability.
Also, bad chicken rep. At one point Wren has been cleaning their coop for an hour and is a disgusting mess, which just wouldn’t happen. To clean a coop for five chickens should take 10-15 minutes MAX, and if you’re filthy afterwards, you are doing something very wrong. Also, Wren should have been getting just as filthy (but likely more so) sitting with the chickens while he did his homework and having them sit on him, than he would cleaning their coop.
And again, as with DeWitt’s first book, I don’t entirely get the point of the asexuality part. Like, it plays virtually no role in the overall story, which is disappointing. At most Wren uses it as an excuse to not date, which is not asexuality, that is aromanticism. And I know it’s not up to me to be any sort of asexuality police, it’s a spectrum and is experienced differently, but to me it feels like it’s just stuck in there to make the character more interesting (maybe?), and not as an actual part of the character. Like, *I’m asexual so I don’t date and hate Valentines dances!*, but then behaviourally there is nothing there to indicate Wren’s aceness. I guess I wanted more from the character being ace, and maybe that’s because I’ve read other books with asexual protagonists that were excellent, and this one just fell flat.
And lastly, did everyone else figure out who Buddy Boy was almost immediately? Was it supposed to be some sort of big reveal?
Okay, I think I’ve actually talked myself down a star rating over the course of writing this review…
This was another bookstagram/good reads made me do it! I’ve been seeing this book everywhere and initially wasn’t going to bother with it, after not enjoying the author’s debut. But then the audio popped up on Libby, so I thought I’d give it a try. And it was fine.
I quite disliked Wren Martin for the entire book, he was not a likeable or sympathetic character. Part of this could be that I’m just really over YA, so I have zero time for mean, whiny protagonists who don’t see much development over the course of the book. Wren is still mean and whiny at the end of the book. I also thought that he treated Leo quite badly, including intentionally embarrassing him in front of their friends with PDA. Like, that seems mildly dubcon to me.
I also didn’t like that he really seemed to dislike his dad. Like, constantly making snide jokes and comments about his dad’s OCD (NOT FUCKING COOL) and lifestyle choices. Maybe it was meant to be more of a stereotypical *all high schoolers hate their parents* thing? But it just added to Wren’s overall unlikeability.
Also, bad chicken rep. At one point Wren has been cleaning their coop for an hour and is a disgusting mess, which just wouldn’t happen. To clean a coop for five chickens should take 10-15 minutes MAX, and if you’re filthy afterwards, you are doing something very wrong. Also, Wren should have been getting just as filthy (but likely more so) sitting with the chickens while he did his homework and having them sit on him, than he would cleaning their coop.
And again, as with DeWitt’s first book, I don’t entirely get the point of the asexuality part. Like, it plays virtually no role in the overall story, which is disappointing. At most Wren uses it as an excuse to not date, which is not asexuality, that is aromanticism. And I know it’s not up to me to be any sort of asexuality police, it’s a spectrum and is experienced differently, but to me it feels like it’s just stuck in there to make the character more interesting (maybe?), and not as an actual part of the character. Like, *I’m asexual so I don’t date and hate Valentines dances!*, but then behaviourally there is nothing there to indicate Wren’s aceness. I guess I wanted more from the character being ace, and maybe that’s because I’ve read other books with asexual protagonists that were excellent, and this one just fell flat.
And lastly, did everyone else figure out who Buddy Boy was almost immediately? Was it supposed to be some sort of big reveal?
Okay, I think I’ve actually talked myself down a star rating over the course of writing this review…
funny
hopeful
fast-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
lighthearted
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Seeing this book compared to Red, White, and Royal Blue makes total sense; the amount of times I got Alex Claremont-Diaz vibes from Wren was unmatched. Plus, the whole "I hate this man with every fiber of my being. Unless..." is always a win in my book
That being said, this story knows how to hold its own. Asexual and aromantics are often overlooked, so to have a book narrated by such a well flushed out character was refreshing to see.
The relationship, and the way it was given space to flourish, was probably my favorite aspect of this story. I love Leo, and the way he and Wren slowly were able to bond and get to know one another over a shared experience. It was pretty obvious from the get go, for me at least, on who Buddy Boy was, but the idea of an anonymous app based solely on mutual interests was another plot point that grabbed my attention. Plus, the added turning point of why, and who, it was created for and by, was a nice touch.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree for the e-arc!
That being said, this story knows how to hold its own. Asexual and aromantics are often overlooked, so to have a book narrated by such a well flushed out character was refreshing to see.
The relationship, and the way it was given space to flourish, was probably my favorite aspect of this story. I love Leo, and the way he and Wren slowly were able to bond and get to know one another over a shared experience. It was pretty obvious from the get go, for me at least, on who Buddy Boy was, but the idea of an anonymous app based solely on mutual interests was another plot point that grabbed my attention. Plus, the added turning point of why, and who, it was created for and by, was a nice touch.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree for the e-arc!