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pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
caszriel's review against another edition
3.0
It hurts me to give this three stars, it really does. And it's so close to four... Join me in crying about what could've been. But alas, in relation to other books in this genre and my 2021 rating system, it really is a three.
Do you think a guy who dreads forgetting the past and a girl who's focused on the future could, you know, be friends?
When I started reading Time of Our Lives, I was confused. I've been wanting to read it since before its release, but the first few chapters made me unsure why I'd wanted to read it to begin with. The confusion faded as I got further along, and the book definitely got better.
There's a lot about Juniper that I can relate to, and I loved Fitz as a character. However, their family situations both felt quite exaggerated, slightly forced as if anything less extreme would be unbelievable (to the contrary, I felt that a more subtle approach would've been more believable). As the ridiculousness faded into the background the story settled more into what I thought it should've been all along; an exploration of two teenagers coming to a crossroads in their lives.
I loved this book so much, but the beginning really let it down. The ending, on the other hand, I felt was so perfect; it's everything I wanted for the characters, and I thought it left off at just the right moment. If you're looking for a coming-of-age high school story, I would still highly recommend Time of Our Lives, but perhaps don't go in with as high hopes as I did because those hopes may just get crushed.
Do you think a guy who dreads forgetting the past and a girl who's focused on the future could, you know, be friends?
When I started reading Time of Our Lives, I was confused. I've been wanting to read it since before its release, but the first few chapters made me unsure why I'd wanted to read it to begin with. The confusion faded as I got further along, and the book definitely got better.
There's a lot about Juniper that I can relate to, and I loved Fitz as a character. However, their family situations both felt quite exaggerated, slightly forced as if anything less extreme would be unbelievable (to the contrary, I felt that a more subtle approach would've been more believable). As the ridiculousness faded into the background the story settled more into what I thought it should've been all along; an exploration of two teenagers coming to a crossroads in their lives.
I loved this book so much, but the beginning really let it down. The ending, on the other hand, I felt was so perfect; it's everything I wanted for the characters, and I thought it left off at just the right moment. If you're looking for a coming-of-age high school story, I would still highly recommend Time of Our Lives, but perhaps don't go in with as high hopes as I did because those hopes may just get crushed.
achaperonwrites's review against another edition
5.0
Time of Our Lives: A Review
Final rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel another book hangover coming on! For real though, I finished moments ago and my heart hurts. I’m sure this one is going to stick with me for a long time.
EW and ASB have such an incredible way of coming together to create characters I just absolutely love. Fitz and Juniper might just be my favorite of the bunch.
I’m not going to lie, this one started out a little slower for me than Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest. But it’s also the one that for whatever reason hit me the hardest. Perhaps it’s because Fitz and Juniper’s experience is eerily reminiscent of one of my own. Perhaps it’s simply because EW and ABS make you feel every joy and heartbreak, every moment of anger and helplessness, as their characters feel it.
These two are both on the precipice of a major milestone: college. Fitz feels duty-bound to stay close to home for a mother who will one day forget him, and Juniper cannot wait to move away from a stifling family life. Though they don’t know it yet, they need each other in a big way.
Both set out on a college tour down the Eastern Seaboard. Fitz in obligation to his mother, and Juniper despite the protestations from her family.
Call whatever brings these two together anything you want: fate, serendipity, the need for a really good pastry. The responsible party is far less important than this simple fact: their coming together will change them both irrevocably.
A beautiful story about memories—making them, cherishing them, saving them, and letting them forever change you—Time of Our Lives is yet another masterpiece from my favorite YA duo.
Final rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel another book hangover coming on! For real though, I finished moments ago and my heart hurts. I’m sure this one is going to stick with me for a long time.
EW and ASB have such an incredible way of coming together to create characters I just absolutely love. Fitz and Juniper might just be my favorite of the bunch.
I’m not going to lie, this one started out a little slower for me than Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest. But it’s also the one that for whatever reason hit me the hardest. Perhaps it’s because Fitz and Juniper’s experience is eerily reminiscent of one of my own. Perhaps it’s simply because EW and ABS make you feel every joy and heartbreak, every moment of anger and helplessness, as their characters feel it.
These two are both on the precipice of a major milestone: college. Fitz feels duty-bound to stay close to home for a mother who will one day forget him, and Juniper cannot wait to move away from a stifling family life. Though they don’t know it yet, they need each other in a big way.
Both set out on a college tour down the Eastern Seaboard. Fitz in obligation to his mother, and Juniper despite the protestations from her family.
Call whatever brings these two together anything you want: fate, serendipity, the need for a really good pastry. The responsible party is far less important than this simple fact: their coming together will change them both irrevocably.
A beautiful story about memories—making them, cherishing them, saving them, and letting them forever change you—Time of Our Lives is yet another masterpiece from my favorite YA duo.
marshmallowbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Proof that my own high-school experience, and even my limited recollection of it, would make a very boring book. This leaves me to wonder at how representative YA fiction is of actual high school.
paperbackbri's review against another edition
DNF @ page 219
I really enjoyed the two other books by these authors so this one was kind of disappointing. I wanted to love it but I just was SO BORED. Fitz annoyed me so much. He came across as so pretentious and the way he treated his brother irritated me because it made me feel like Fitz thought he was better than Lewis and a better son.
I found it really difficult to buy into Fitz and Juniper’s romance, for me there was just no chemistry and everything moved so quickly between them. Don’t even get me started on Juniper and the situation with her boyfriend cause that annoyed me too.
I just couldn’t bring myself to finish this one because I knew where it was gonna go and I just didn’t care. I didn’t like the characters together and I wasn’t excited to read. Such a bummer and now I’m nervous for these authors next book.
I really enjoyed the two other books by these authors so this one was kind of disappointing. I wanted to love it but I just was SO BORED. Fitz annoyed me so much. He came across as so pretentious and the way he treated his brother irritated me because it made me feel like Fitz thought he was better than Lewis and a better son.
I found it really difficult to buy into Fitz and Juniper’s romance, for me there was just no chemistry and everything moved so quickly between them. Don’t even get me started on Juniper and the situation with her boyfriend cause that annoyed me too.
I just couldn’t bring myself to finish this one because I knew where it was gonna go and I just didn’t care. I didn’t like the characters together and I wasn’t excited to read. Such a bummer and now I’m nervous for these authors next book.
brokenrecord's review against another edition
2.0
I've read two other books by these authors before and really loved them both, so I was excited for this, but it ended up being incredibly disappointing. I found both main characters kind of annoying, and I feel a little bad about it because I think part of what I found annoying about them was just that they're teenagers and still figuring themselves out. In general, I wasn't into the romance, although The book also felt weirdly unfinished? The stuff with Fitz's mom and brother seemed not really dealt with enough in the end. Like, he's starting to consider other colleges but then finds out his mom's in worse shape than he thought, and they fight and then make up, but like… then what? The same for Juniper — she has this pressure from her aunt to stay home and look after the family, but that's never really resolved. I guess her aunt asking her to tell her about the colleges she loved is her blessing? I don't know. It definitely felt like it needed some kind of epilogue. Anyways, really not a fan of this, but I'd probably still give these authors another chance based on their other work.
Spoiler
I was glad at least that the book ended on a, maybe they'll meet again someday, maybe they won't, kind of note, because I did not buy this was a grand romance, especially not during the short timeframe of the book.staceyliu95's review against another edition
Couldn’t handle the female main character’s family
doremelodie's review against another edition
2.0
Dual POV. College tour. Alzheimer’s.
The storyline just seemed very repetitive, which made it drag. The MCs had zero chemistry and weren’t even together because of forced proximity. They chose to hang out together for who knows what reason.
The storyline just seemed very repetitive, which made it drag. The MCs had zero chemistry and weren’t even together because of forced proximity. They chose to hang out together for who knows what reason.
kehill's review against another edition
5.0
Woah!
What a beautiful book about family. The memories we want to keep and forget. Not living in the past but not forgetting it either. What the future holds and it being ok to be scared of it.
Juniper and Fitz were perfect!
What a beautiful book about family. The memories we want to keep and forget. Not living in the past but not forgetting it either. What the future holds and it being ok to be scared of it.
Juniper and Fitz were perfect!