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kendragaylelee's review against another edition
4.0
Such a good, fun read.
The characters are ... complicated, as people tend to be. At points I found myself completely swept up in the family drama. And at other points, nodding along at emotions and thoughts that felt achingly real & poignant.
This book reacquainted me with reading for pure pleasure. And I gladly dove right in.
The late-stage coming-of-age situation (you'll know it when you get there) was handled so thoughtfully--and with such humor that I found myself laughing out loud and cheering the character on. Same with the delightfully meta thoughts & discussions about writers of fiction. Well-done all the way around.
The characters are ... complicated, as people tend to be. At points I found myself completely swept up in the family drama. And at other points, nodding along at emotions and thoughts that felt achingly real & poignant.
This book reacquainted me with reading for pure pleasure. And I gladly dove right in.
The late-stage coming-of-age situation (you'll know it when you get there) was handled so thoughtfully--and with such humor that I found myself laughing out loud and cheering the character on. Same with the delightfully meta thoughts & discussions about writers of fiction. Well-done all the way around.
velma's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
5.0
This book has a lot of things going on at once between the characters and different perspectives. It’s an exciting beach read and had me wanting to turn the page and find out what happened next.
olivia_hansen's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
beckeal's review against another edition
2.0
This was better than 2 stars for me, but not really worthy of 3. Far fetched in too many ways. And the pacing was all over the place. I feel like the editor was on vacation at the Cape! But there were a few well-drawn moments. Overall, just really really meh.
catherinehague's review against another edition
3.0
Good writing, I enjoy reading from all the characters’ perspectives, but I wouldn’t read again. I’d probably rate 3.5 if half stars were an option: entertaining easy read that I won’t think about much again.
akstory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book starts with Ruby announcing her engagement to Gabe, her pandemic boyfriend, and her stepmother Sarah’s less than thrilled response. Each chapter is told from a different POV and the whole story is very flashback-heavy (which is necessitated by the crazy plot and lack of action in the present day scenes). This family is MESSY. There’s a lot of problematic behavior—cheating, lies, really icky love triangles… I could go on. Despite all of that: I really enjoyed reading it. It’s almost entirely predictable (except for one romantic encounter towards the end, iykyk), but I couldn’t put it down. I found the multiple POVs entertaining even though I didn’t particularly like any of the adult characters. Lots of reviews of this book complain that it’s too “woke” and nobody wants to read about COVID, but I thought that the emphasis wasn’t on the virus itself, but rather on how it transformed relationships through forced constant proximity during quarantine. If you’re looking for a beach read with a side of family drama x1000, this is for you!
csilvas's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lori_gillem's review against another edition
1.0
Too “woke” for me. All the COVID crap was like a terrible flash back. Didn’t finish the book. Would not recommend.