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anonymous_traveller's review against another edition
Boring as hell, but good vibes if you don’t consider her dysfunctional family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I wanted to read this book as I've seen this book everywhere and I believe there is a Netflix film out based on this book. Also Sarah Dessen has been recommended to me several times so I thought I would start with this book and it was . . . okay.
This book follows a young adult named Auden, and she doesn’t sleep at night. This is due to her parents’ divorce and when they were fighting when she was younger. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family before she goes off to college. She gets a part-time job in a clothes boutique for her stepmother and helping her with paperwork. In this clothes boutique Auden is introduced to the world of girls – the talks, the friendships and their crushes. She missed out on all of that as she was too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, a fellow insomniac who is described as an intriguing loner, he becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on their personal quests – for Auden: to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied, for Eli: to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.
This book could be a comfy read if you don’t really want to be pulled into a book. It was okay, I just found it a bit slow at times and a bit bland. Maybe it's me reading it a bit later than when it was first published and it was probably all the rag when it first came out. It was very cliché of how the friendship groups works with the girl who’s not over her high school bf and the guy who thinks the world of her, to the girl who will only date older men. The cliché of the academic girl who has never done anything who falls for the guy who is mysterious and dark can be done right and I just felt like it was lacking a bit. Auden and Eli could have been SOOO much more and it hurts that they weren’t. I would have loved this to be dual POV – It would have made it to 4 stars. I liked Auden and could relate with the divorced parents and fighting aspect and also stepmother issues but that was about it.
I am hoping the next book I read of Sarah Deesen’s is better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident and Gaslighting
samone2's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
nonidude's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Predictable, nothing spectacular, but a relaxing read. Makes me want to create summertime memories and explore a beach town when the world's asleep.
Auden's dad is a POS, and Heidi deserves better. Other than him, good ending.
Auden's dad is a POS, and Heidi deserves better. Other than him, good ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Car accident, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders
katsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.0
“Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existance.”
“But sometimes you lose. Nothing you can do but admit it."
“Who says there has to be a point? Or a reason. Maybe it's just something you have to do.”
This book had some nostalgia vibes, as do most Sarah Dessen novels for me. It held up better than some of her other novels. Auden was a lot like Macy from The Truth About Forever but I liked her a lot less. My favorite part of this book was the plot around Auden's relationship with her parents. I wish that would have been more fleshed out than it was. Her parents were so frustrating and I feel like by the end, we got a little bit of closure with her mom but any reconcilliation that happened with her dad happened off page which was very unsatisfying. I liked the bike shop element, it added a fun twist but, again, didn't feel like it was fleshed out enough. This book is one of this authors longest but I think it has too may have too many pieces going on. The secondary cast of characters was super interesting but the only one we even sort of got to know better was Maggie. Even the main love interest felt disconnected from the plot of the story which really affect the emotional impact of the love story. The one relationship I absolutely loved was the one between Auden, Thisbe and Heidi. I loved the exploration of a healthy stepfamily relationship especially in contrast to Auden's dysfunctional blood-related family. I remember really liking this a lot when I was younger but I think I just really connected with how the parental relationships were depicted. It made me feel seen. And to an extent, it still does but overall, not as great as I remembered.
“But sometimes you lose. Nothing you can do but admit it."
“Who says there has to be a point? Or a reason. Maybe it's just something you have to do.”
This book had some nostalgia vibes, as do most Sarah Dessen novels for me. It held up better than some of her other novels. Auden was a lot like Macy from The Truth About Forever but I liked her a lot less. My favorite part of this book was the plot around Auden's relationship with her parents. I wish that would have been more fleshed out than it was. Her parents were so frustrating and I feel like by the end, we got a little bit of closure with her mom but any reconcilliation that happened with her dad happened off page which was very unsatisfying. I liked the bike shop element, it added a fun twist but, again, didn't feel like it was fleshed out enough. This book is one of this authors longest but I think it has too may have too many pieces going on. The secondary cast of characters was super interesting but the only one we even sort of got to know better was Maggie. Even the main love interest felt disconnected from the plot of the story which really affect the emotional impact of the love story. The one relationship I absolutely loved was the one between Auden, Thisbe and Heidi. I loved the exploration of a healthy stepfamily relationship especially in contrast to Auden's dysfunctional blood-related family. I remember really liking this a lot when I was younger but I think I just really connected with how the parental relationships were depicted. It made me feel seen. And to an extent, it still does but overall, not as great as I remembered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
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