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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book at the beginning but slowly began to dislike it as the story progressed. This isn’t a cute story about falling in love like I’d hoped, the relationship between Sana and Jamie was more of a subplot and felt pretty rushed, I didn’t root for them at all which shows I just didn’t care about them as a couple. Though I’m glad the book did discuss some wider issues about racism, love, and society as a whole, it still fell flat for me
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
a YA romance - perhaps the not the most original although I loved the alternate look at family/monogomy/marriage which redeemed the story for me. I find the narrative of relationship breakdown due to lack of openness a plot twist that I am so over. Perhaps it is so common but I find it so annoying. It is worse than plan old miss understanding - the assumptions and lack of communication and jumping to conclusions feels so avoidable.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
tense
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
Loved the beginning. Was highly relatable and loved seeing Asian characters in YA.
Spoiler****
I don’t condone cheating. The second half of the book especially the ending left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The trope that queer characters cheat makes me sick.
Spoiler****
I don’t condone cheating. The second half of the book especially the ending left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The trope that queer characters cheat makes me sick.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
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
Honestly, I wish I had read this as soon as this came out, for I was much more closer to the ages of the characters than I am now. In the beginning, it was cringy writing, but as it moved on, it developed into something much more interesting, developing into a truly nuanced take on intersectionality, race, class, and sexuality as a teenager in a multicultural space, while also making one of the best heartfelt and good apologies with real accountability I've seen (including in real life). I think everyone should read Sana's story without any judgment because, in the end, she is a teenager who is growing up and learning from her mistakes.
[12/05/2021] thinking of rereading both of misa's published books before LAOND comes out. im not a huge rereader (because my tbr is so huuuge:<) but they're both so close to my heart and I've come a long way since I first read this during my baby lesbian days <3
---
[4.75 stars!] // 26/12/2019
I can't express how much this book means to me. It was the first f/f book I read after my queer awakening, and I am so happy I did. It exceeded a lot of expectations and tackled a lot of real-world issues I've never seen addressed as profoundly in a book before.
I did feel kinda uncomfortable reading a couple of chapters in this book. There were hints of stereotyping and slut-shaming that weren't exactly problematic (because the author clearly wasn't condoning them) but mildly bordered on it. I also definitely think the Sana-Christina race discussion should have gotten more page time and been resolved better. I do love the subplot, though! It's deeply accurate, nuanced and unlike any depiction of racism I've read before, at least in execution. The resolution left a lot to be desired.
Sana is perhaps the most relatable, gorgeously flawed protagonist I've ever had the pleasure of following. She's utterly pigheaded and set in her (often unfounded or ridiculously opinionated) beliefs at the start of the story. She makes a lot (and by that I mean a lOt) of horrendous decisions, including cheating on her partner and being an asshole in general, but ends up developing wonderfully by the end of the novel. It honestly warmed my heart and I'd kill to experience reading this book for the first time again:')
As in her second book, Misa tackles...a lot of issues with her debut, and not with the clear-cut, straightforward resolutions typical to TV, either. A lot of people are bound to find it's style unsatisfying, because most of it is open-ended and it debunks a lot of universal issues that are pretty much considered black-or-white in Western culture (e.g. cheating and family structure) with nuance. I'm not going to elaborate on all of them, but I do feel like it might be more relatable to people with exposure to multiple cultures and belief systems? It definitely offers a lot of food for thought.
This book also centres on an interracial f/f romance, which is fairly well-done but also, in my opinion, kind of bland and overshadowed by a lot of the other outstanding aspects of the book (I'm a sucker for sapphic romances but I actually really appreciated the route the book took in this case!) The little bits of poetry sprinkled in added a nice touch, too. HIGHLY recommended, this has to be one of my favourite books (and covers) of all time! <3
---
[4.75 stars!] // 26/12/2019
I can't express how much this book means to me. It was the first f/f book I read after my queer awakening, and I am so happy I did. It exceeded a lot of expectations and tackled a lot of real-world issues I've never seen addressed as profoundly in a book before.
I did feel kinda uncomfortable reading a couple of chapters in this book. There were hints of stereotyping and slut-shaming that weren't exactly problematic (because the author clearly wasn't condoning them) but mildly bordered on it. I also definitely think the Sana-Christina race discussion should have gotten more page time and been resolved better. I do love the subplot, though! It's deeply accurate, nuanced and unlike any depiction of racism I've read before, at least in execution. The resolution left a lot to be desired.
Sana is perhaps the most relatable, gorgeously flawed protagonist I've ever had the pleasure of following. She's utterly pigheaded and set in her (often unfounded or ridiculously opinionated) beliefs at the start of the story. She makes a lot (and by that I mean a lOt) of horrendous decisions, including cheating on her partner and being an asshole in general, but ends up developing wonderfully by the end of the novel. It honestly warmed my heart and I'd kill to experience reading this book for the first time again:')
As in her second book, Misa tackles...a lot of issues with her debut, and not with the clear-cut, straightforward resolutions typical to TV, either. A lot of people are bound to find it's style unsatisfying, because most of it is open-ended and it debunks a lot of universal issues that are pretty much considered black-or-white in Western culture (e.g. cheating and family structure) with nuance. I'm not going to elaborate on all of them, but I do feel like it might be more relatable to people with exposure to multiple cultures and belief systems? It definitely offers a lot of food for thought.
This book also centres on an interracial f/f romance, which is fairly well-done but also, in my opinion, kind of bland and overshadowed by a lot of the other outstanding aspects of the book (I'm a sucker for sapphic romances but I actually really appreciated the route the book took in this case!) The little bits of poetry sprinkled in added a nice touch, too. HIGHLY recommended, this has to be one of my favourite books (and covers) of all time! <3