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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
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
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Death of parent
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol
Thank you to Colored Pages Tours, Peachtree Teen, and Amanda DeWitt for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I can never get enough of YA books with ace rep, and this was exactly what I was looking for. Amanda DeWitt’s Wren Martin Ruins It All is funny, sweet, and entertaining. Things go wrong for Wren many times, but it bogs down the story; instead, this was a wonderfully light, stress-free read. I loved the friendships, the minor drama, and the mystery behind Wren’s new crush. It felt reminiscent of Simon vs. the Homosapien’s Agenda, but with less fighting and with a protagonist who already has his sexuality figured out. Regarding the ace rep, I enjoyed that there were conversations about asexuality without it being the focus of the book. It was casual and fun, just like everything else in this book. I recommend it if you’re looking for a lighthearted, fast-paced contemporary YA novel!
I can never get enough of YA books with ace rep, and this was exactly what I was looking for. Amanda DeWitt’s Wren Martin Ruins It All is funny, sweet, and entertaining. Things go wrong for Wren many times, but it bogs down the story; instead, this was a wonderfully light, stress-free read. I loved the friendships, the minor drama, and the mystery behind Wren’s new crush. It felt reminiscent of Simon vs. the Homosapien’s Agenda, but with less fighting and with a protagonist who already has his sexuality figured out. Regarding the ace rep, I enjoyed that there were conversations about asexuality without it being the focus of the book. It was casual and fun, just like everything else in this book. I recommend it if you’re looking for a lighthearted, fast-paced contemporary YA novel!
This was way too adorable to be legal.
Now. Right off the bat: it's a romcom. It's a very cliched romcom. It's got all the tropes. It's so predictable you can see everything coming from a mile away. Though it pains me to admit it, there's really nothing new about this book that gives me the right to feel so feral about it
However,
ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP—
I think you get the idea. And I love how it's not really that big of a deal? A lot of YA tends to do this thing with any kind of identity where there are entire paragraphs dedicated to it. I've seen characters have their entire lives shaped around a certain part of their identity. But Wren doesn't really go off on tangents about his asexuality unless it's directly relevant to his thought process and his internal monologue. I loved that.
But even putting all that aside, this book is wonderful. It's hilarious—I was practically dying like a beached whale in my seat from how hard it made me laugh. It's got a lot of heart in it. A lot of the characters are trope-y (the best friend, the jock, the mean one—you get the drift), but they still manage to come off as delightful.
And of course, Wren Martin himself. Such a grumpy, dramatic little gremlin. I would kill for him.
I think one important thing to note plot-wise was that there was a plot twist that actually surprised me. It's mostly my fault for not paying enough attention, but still. I'd forgotten rom-coms could technically do that.
So in conclusion: would definitely recommend. And it's not just because the main character keeps chickens.
Find me on my tumblr
Now. Right off the bat: it's a romcom. It's a very cliched romcom. It's got all the tropes. It's so predictable you can see everything coming from a mile away. Though it pains me to admit it, there's really nothing new about this book that gives me the right to feel so feral about it
However,
ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP ACE REP—
I think you get the idea. And I love how it's not really that big of a deal? A lot of YA tends to do this thing with any kind of identity where there are entire paragraphs dedicated to it. I've seen characters have their entire lives shaped around a certain part of their identity. But Wren doesn't really go off on tangents about his asexuality unless it's directly relevant to his thought process and his internal monologue. I loved that.
But even putting all that aside, this book is wonderful. It's hilarious—I was practically dying like a beached whale in my seat from how hard it made me laugh. It's got a lot of heart in it. A lot of the characters are trope-y (the best friend, the jock, the mean one—you get the drift), but they still manage to come off as delightful.
And of course, Wren Martin himself. Such a grumpy, dramatic little gremlin. I would kill for him.
I think one important thing to note plot-wise was that there was a plot twist that actually surprised me. It's mostly my fault for not paying enough attention, but still. I'd forgotten rom-coms could technically do that.
So in conclusion: would definitely recommend. And it's not just because the main character keeps chickens.
Find me on my tumblr
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book started off a bit rough but then more than redeemed itself. At first, the prose is a bit stilted, with the character sometimes saying something immediately after it was described in the book. Also the fact that Leo is tall was mentioned extremely frequently. That being said, the romance was really nice, the high schoolness was very much bearable, the foreshadowing was subtle and clear, and the book was cute and wholesome. I wish the ending was a bit longer so I could savour it more but delightful book
Spoiler
Even if the book ended with Wren being rejected, I still would’ve liked it.
aaaw this was such a cute book!! even if 'the twist' could be seen from the first time both main characters got introduced and if the story wasn't nearly as dramatic as the title implies. just a silly little gay romance that was really entertaining to listen to.
This was not bad, but I wish it was dual POV! The thing for me with making a book with a considerable romance plot a solo POV when the LI is interesting enough to get their own is that the sole MC needs to be solid enough to carry the narrative and I just don’t think Wren did, for me. I found him…kinda annoying throughout, sorry. It particularly would’ve been great to get Leo's POV to understand what he saw in Wren when it seems like the latter was an asshole to him for years.
I definitely enjoyed the book, but I would have loved more interactions with Wren and Leo being closer. We had moments of tenderness, but I want it when there is less angst (gasp, me want less angst? Who knew)