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literarypenguin's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Hot Dog Girl was a huge disappointment and I honestly was expecting better. I was expecting a sweet summer love story about two girls discovering their feelings for each other. Instead I got something totally different then what I was expecting.
The writing in this book was not that great, it felt like it could have used more polishing and at times didn't make sense like it should have. Not too mention that besides Seely and Lou's father I didn't like any of the other characters. They just felt flat and weren't really that memorable to me. They just seem like they were boring and didn't have that much of a personality that were different from each other.
My main problem with this book was the main character Lou. I didn't like her at all, she was selfish and didn't care about anyone but herself the whole time! She not only used her best friend Seely to try to get the attention of a guy but this guy she wanted so badly was taken already by a girl named Jessa. Which she for some reason had so much hatred towards her. I don't know why she hated her so much except that she was dating the boy she liked. No other reason was really given to why Lou would hate her. I thought useless girl hate was in the past and we moved past all that. Of course toward the end they had to make Jessa do something that made Lou's hate of her justified which felt out of now where and forced. It felt like they had to give a reason for the hate whether it made sense or not. Lou's actions and schemes throughout the book made her appear so selfish such as ruining her friend's reputation where they worked and not seeming to care that her friend was watching her grandmother die slowly. She just honestly ruined the experience of the book for me!
A big disappointment to start of the new year which I hope can only get better and I hope I can find more success which are not like this book!
The writing in this book was not that great, it felt like it could have used more polishing and at times didn't make sense like it should have. Not too mention that besides Seely and Lou's father I didn't like any of the other characters. They just felt flat and weren't really that memorable to me. They just seem like they were boring and didn't have that much of a personality that were different from each other.
My main problem with this book was the main character Lou. I didn't like her at all, she was selfish and didn't care about anyone but herself the whole time! She not only used her best friend Seely to try to get the attention of a guy but this guy she wanted so badly was taken already by a girl named Jessa. Which she for some reason had so much hatred towards her. I don't know why she hated her so much except that she was dating the boy she liked. No other reason was really given to why Lou would hate her. I thought useless girl hate was in the past and we moved past all that. Of course toward the end they had to make Jessa do something that made Lou's hate of her justified which felt out of now where and forced. It felt like they had to give a reason for the hate whether it made sense or not. Lou's actions and schemes throughout the book made her appear so selfish such as ruining her friend's reputation where they worked and not seeming to care that her friend was watching her grandmother die slowly. She just honestly ruined the experience of the book for me!
A big disappointment to start of the new year which I hope can only get better and I hope I can find more success which are not like this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Infidelity
Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, and Vomit
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Every time I consider reading a contemporary novel, I have this passing thought of I hate contemporary 98% of the time, especially when the main characters are high schoolers, maybe I should just swear off the genre altogether at this point that is soon interrupted by the contrary thought of oh, but what if this one just happens to be the 2% that redeems all other contemporary literature?
Suffice to say, this did not fall in that percentage.
Technically, the portrayal of teenagers as irrational and impulsive and immature is accurate; if anything, teenagers should be portrayed like that more often. Here, however, it's not in a way that's likeable or even enjoyable to read, and it's also not challenged at all -- Lou's constant self-deprecation, interference in others' lives, and contrived schemes get little more than a slap on the wrist, if even that. Her perspective is... very difficult to read and sympathize with, not least because the style itself isn't super appealing.
The book also seems uncertain what its own central plot is -- the amusement park closing, or the relationship drama -- which weakens both, and there are too many background plot threads that aren't juggled properly. (Lou's parental abandonment is just kind of thrown in there, unresolved, and the cheating subplot is, surprisingly for how heavyhanded it comes across, almost entirely brushed off.) Because of this, the tone is inconsistent and awkward, and I'm not really into how easily some things are resolved -- if they're actually resolved at all. By the time things start picking up, the characters still haven't been fleshed out enough for me to really care about them and their problems; the miscommunication for drama is also super frustrating. Nick's appeal is lost on me, and honestly so is Seeley's, not to mention Jessa's backstory being some clunky rationale for her actions that is introduced too late and also is not handled well.
Honestly, I think a lot of Hot Dog Girl's problems might have been solved if it were shorter, or at least committed to better developing its characters in the amount of time it does offer -- and focusing on one plot. If it has anything going for it, it's a relatively lighthearted summer romance that dabbles in some deeper themes and messages, but it misses the ample opportunity to delve even further.
Suffice to say, this did not fall in that percentage.
Technically, the portrayal of teenagers as irrational and impulsive and immature is accurate; if anything, teenagers should be portrayed like that more often. Here, however, it's not in a way that's likeable or even enjoyable to read, and it's also not challenged at all -- Lou's constant self-deprecation, interference in others' lives, and contrived schemes get little more than a slap on the wrist, if even that. Her perspective is... very difficult to read and sympathize with, not least because the style itself isn't super appealing.
The book also seems uncertain what its own central plot is -- the amusement park closing, or the relationship drama -- which weakens both, and there are too many background plot threads that aren't juggled properly. (Lou's parental abandonment is just kind of thrown in there, unresolved, and the cheating subplot is, surprisingly for how heavyhanded it comes across, almost entirely brushed off.) Because of this, the tone is inconsistent and awkward, and I'm not really into how easily some things are resolved -- if they're actually resolved at all. By the time things start picking up, the characters still haven't been fleshed out enough for me to really care about them and their problems; the miscommunication for drama is also super frustrating. Nick's appeal is lost on me, and honestly so is Seeley's, not to mention Jessa's backstory being some clunky rationale for her actions that is introduced too late and also is not handled well.
Honestly, I think a lot of Hot Dog Girl's problems might have been solved if it were shorter, or at least committed to better developing its characters in the amount of time it does offer -- and focusing on one plot. If it has anything going for it, it's a relatively lighthearted summer romance that dabbles in some deeper themes and messages, but it misses the ample opportunity to delve even further.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Blood, Infidelity, and Death
Minor: Medical content, Cancer, and Terminal illness
One scene includes underage drinking.erniedresser's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Vomit
melaniereadsbooks's review
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
This was a quick and fun read! The romance was adorable, and I love love love the friends-to-lovers trope. This book did that very well! There are other important themes in this book, and I thought Elouise learned a lot through the course of the book and was a very dynamic character!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief
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