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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
Thank you to Netgalley, Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Ivy is 16, and being left alone in the house for a week by her parents going away. Her only plans are to watch her favourite show H-MAD, hang out with her best friend Henry, and avoid Mack her ex-best friend and neighbour. All is going to plan until the night after she was writing some fanfic during a storm she wakes up with a boy in her bed. The boy in question is Weston, the main character of her favourite show, and lead in all her fanfics. He claims to be her boyfriend, and the man of her dreams and she doesn't know what to do. She recruits Henry and Mack to figure out what is going on and how to fix it. Along the way friendships get mended and formed, and Ivy and Mack both finally talk through what happened to them and what they both want in the future between them.
The premise of this one had a lot of potential to be so fun and campy. And while it did accomplish that to an extent I found it lacking. Maybe I was just the wrong demographic for this one as it does read quite young ya, but I just felt everything was so surface level. Fanfiction and fandom have always been part of my life and what brings be joy so this seemed like a book I would really enjoy but it just missed the mark. The writing and plot felt very clunky, and the characters did not feel very complex. The moral of the story was a good one though, and the importance of compromising in friendship, and have interests outside of the other person. Overall it was interesting but just not for me.
Ivy is 16, and being left alone in the house for a week by her parents going away. Her only plans are to watch her favourite show H-MAD, hang out with her best friend Henry, and avoid Mack her ex-best friend and neighbour. All is going to plan until the night after she was writing some fanfic during a storm she wakes up with a boy in her bed. The boy in question is Weston, the main character of her favourite show, and lead in all her fanfics. He claims to be her boyfriend, and the man of her dreams and she doesn't know what to do. She recruits Henry and Mack to figure out what is going on and how to fix it. Along the way friendships get mended and formed, and Ivy and Mack both finally talk through what happened to them and what they both want in the future between them.
The premise of this one had a lot of potential to be so fun and campy. And while it did accomplish that to an extent I found it lacking. Maybe I was just the wrong demographic for this one as it does read quite young ya, but I just felt everything was so surface level. Fanfiction and fandom have always been part of my life and what brings be joy so this seemed like a book I would really enjoy but it just missed the mark. The writing and plot felt very clunky, and the characters did not feel very complex. The moral of the story was a good one though, and the importance of compromising in friendship, and have interests outside of the other person. Overall it was interesting but just not for me.
I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was hilarious. Usually I prefer more romance but the plot was so fun I didn’t mind that this was a slow burn. I do wish we’d gotten more time with them actually together, but I also understand why it’s written the way it is. Also, be aware that this book is full of miscommunication, but as it’s YA, I can give it a bit of grace in that regard, and I felt like the miscommunications and angst were normal, teenager-y stuff that everyone goes through which made it feel more real than a lot of other books that use that trope. It was just fun and humorous and well-written. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by Sophie Gonzales that I didn’t love.
funny
lighthearted
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
Huge thank you to Hachette Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was SO much fun. As someone who’s been writing fanfiction for over half my life now, having a book centre on that in a unique way was such a joy.
I loved Ivy so much. All her little insecurities and her deep love for this tv show and the characters within it felt so real and relatable. I loved that she was flawed, that she made mistakes, that she cared deeply and was terrified of that. I love that she KNEW she’d made mistakes and could also acknowledge she wasn’t ready to own them. She was just brilliant.
I adored Mack as a love interest. Their conflict and its resolution felt so raw and authentic. Stories like this can be irritating with all the miscommunication and selfishness and fighting but all of it, both sides, just felt so relatable. It’s a really fine line to toe and Gonzales did it perfectly.
I also loved Henry so much. He was such a good friend, such a fun character, and someone I could see myself being friends with in all honesty. Also, he’s aroace! Kindred spirit!
I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a quick, fun, easy read.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
To help her get over the rift with her best friend Mack, Ivy writes fan fiction of her favorite fantasy TV show. Then, the attractive main character, Weston, magically appears in her bedroom, claiming to be her soul mate. Ivy realizes her fanfiction has brought Weston to life, but their connection isn’t as romantic as she imagined. When Mack reenters her life, Ivy questions whether Weston, her “perfect guy,” is truly perfect for her—or if someone else holds that title.
I enjoyed this sapphic YA fantasy romance. Gonzales is a brilliant author, and the emotion in this book is deep. I loved the characters, and the story kept me guessing.
Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I enjoyed this sapphic YA fantasy romance. Gonzales is a brilliant author, and the emotion in this book is deep. I loved the characters, and the story kept me guessing.
Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I grew up on fanfics and it’s evident that the author did too. A lot of times when fanfics are brought up in books it’s awkward and obvious that the author did not understand the community, but not here. This is a love letter to the fanfic community.
I loved the alternating timelines as well as the characters but I think Ivy did take too long figuring out what was going on.
All in all this is another perfect book by Sophie Gonzales.
This is a fun one, y’all. A teenage fanfic writer gets an unexpected surprise guest while her parents are out of town. Said surprise guest believes that he’s hopelessly in love with her, which is kind of unfortunate, seeing as how he appears to be the incarnation of a fictional character and, well, she’s still hung up on her former best friend / now enemy / neighbor.
Told through dual timelines, we see how the friendship fell apart in the past, ultimately due to some believable teenage miscommunication, and how the guest’s presence in the present brings the former friends back together.
It’s a clever setup and an entertaining execution. If you’re a fan of YA novels that ask you to suspend your disbelief a bit, I recommend picking this one up.
I appreciated the queer representation in this one; there are bi, lesbian, and aro-ace characters.
And for any readers out there concerned about spice levels in YA books, this one is kissing only.
I was fortunate to have early copies of both the ebook and the audiobook. Jeremy Carlisle Parker’s audiobook narration is a treat. The narrator plays into both the humor and emotion of the book.
I received an advance copy of the ebook from Wednesday Books and an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio, both via NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.
Told through dual timelines, we see how the friendship fell apart in the past, ultimately due to some believable teenage miscommunication, and how the guest’s presence in the present brings the former friends back together.
It’s a clever setup and an entertaining execution. If you’re a fan of YA novels that ask you to suspend your disbelief a bit, I recommend picking this one up.
I appreciated the queer representation in this one; there are bi, lesbian, and aro-ace characters.
And for any readers out there concerned about spice levels in YA books, this one is kissing only.
I was fortunate to have early copies of both the ebook and the audiobook. Jeremy Carlisle Parker’s audiobook narration is a treat. The narrator plays into both the humor and emotion of the book.
I received an advance copy of the ebook from Wednesday Books and an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio, both via NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.
I support the Readers for Accountability boycott of St. Martin's Press (and imprints). As I live outside of the US, I am not blocking the covers in my reading tracker but I will not be posting reviews on any social media while the boycott continues. #SpeakUpSMP
This one was an okay YA romcom. The fantasy magical realism aspect was fun in concept but wasn't my fave execution of it overall. However, the queer rep in this was great: lesbian, bi, aroace. And I always enjoy the inclusion of fanfic about a beloved show. But yeah, overall it was an okay read for me but not my fave by this author.
This one was an okay YA romcom. The fantasy magical realism aspect was fun in concept but wasn't my fave execution of it overall. However, the queer rep in this was great: lesbian, bi, aroace. And I always enjoy the inclusion of fanfic about a beloved show. But yeah, overall it was an okay read for me but not my fave by this author.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m a big fan of Sophie Gonzales as an author because she really has original ideas. Personally, I just didn’t connect with this book or these characters. However, it was still a very well written book and the intended age is probably late middle school to early high school. The past and present mix in each chapter was well executed and the friendships are really the main focus of the book. Some of the ending was cheesy and predictable, but that’s also what makes it good for a younger reader. For an original idea in a book, this is a really great one. 3.75⭐️, 0🌶
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.
This was such a fascinating and magical take on a queer, coming-of-age novel. Ivy is a high school student who enjoys writing fan fiction about her favorite TV show, Hot, Magical, and Deadly. When her parents leave her home alone for a week, the character of her crush from the TV show, Weston, magically appears in her bedroom. To no one's surprise, the perfect guy is in fact not perfect.
Parts of this book were laugh out loud ridiculous. I especially enjoyed the way in which the author played with common romance and fanfic tropes. And I loved Ivy's friend Henry and his support for her throughout the book.
Other aspects felt a bit over the top. I would recommend this for a younger YA audience and for folks who are deeply immersed in TV fandom.
This was such a fascinating and magical take on a queer, coming-of-age novel. Ivy is a high school student who enjoys writing fan fiction about her favorite TV show, Hot, Magical, and Deadly. When her parents leave her home alone for a week, the character of her crush from the TV show, Weston, magically appears in her bedroom. To no one's surprise, the perfect guy is in fact not perfect.
Parts of this book were laugh out loud ridiculous. I especially enjoyed the way in which the author played with common romance and fanfic tropes. And I loved Ivy's friend Henry and his support for her throughout the book.
Other aspects felt a bit over the top. I would recommend this for a younger YA audience and for folks who are deeply immersed in TV fandom.