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h0pesheart's review
3.0
Quite underwhelming to be honest. I’m disappointed that I didn’t receive the same authenticity and raw emotion I felt while reading another of Emma Mills’ books.
maryanne6828's review
4.0
Great book! I feel like the author really gave us an actual picture of high school and all the issues that teens deal with. This was a little bit romance, but mostly about family.
pixelski's review
4.0
Firstly, thanks to PanMacmillan Australia for this review copy.
Review originally posted at Fiction in Fiction in Fiction
I was initially intrigued by First & Then by its gorgeous cover, and then by the pitch which likened it to Pride and Prejudice. While I couldn’t really draw parallels to Pride and Prejudice the way I could an adaption like Emma/Clueless, I could still see the Austen influences that Mills employed.
Told from Devon’s first person perspective (I’ll explain why I feel the need to mention this later), our main character is in her senior year at high school and just trudging along. She’s got one best friend and she wants to keep it that way. I’d say she’s sheltered because she chooses to be ignorant of everything that goes on around her. Devon lives in this bubble and ideally, she’d like to stay in it until graduation. Alas, she also needs to think of the next step which is college and has to find extracurriculars to add to her applications. From here, Devon’s bubble bursts. Add in the arrival of her seemingly awkward cousin Foster and things start getting interesting.
I loved Devon’s character growth throughout the book. As a lover of Austen, she comments on certain situations and how things would have panned out in the Edwardian era compared to what happens in today’s time. In her little bubble, Devon doesn’t notice the things that go on around her. As she slowly interacts with the various people in her freshman gym class, her world completely opens up. The reader is able to see how Devon unknowingly holds all these prejudices and everybody around her breaks stereotypes.
Foster especially is an amazing character. He’s extremely talented at football but also a bit geeky and at times socially unaware because of the way things have turned out for him in life. He’s gone through a lot and as more of his story unfolds, the more Devon is able to warm up to him. I loved the friendship that Foster formed with Devon and how he brings Ezra into the picture.
Now Ezra is our resident Mr. Darcy. He comes off as aloof, standoffish and everybody has the impression Ezra thinks he’s better than everybody else because he’s basically set for college football. Here again, as Ezra slowly reveals more of himself through his interactions with Foster and Devon, we see how people’s assumptions can lead to misinformation. Ezra is a very complex character, add on the way Devon was set on the way she viewed the world and it was kind of like the to-ing and fro-ing of Lizzie and Mr. Darcy.
The secondary characters made for a wonderful cast to breakdown stereotypes. Devon’s somehow managed to get to senior year and view her high school as the clichéd American high school with cliques. And yet her best friend is a jock, her cousin is essentially a ‘jock’ and the other ‘jocks’ are really nice guys who are vying for valedictorian. She sees freshman girls as TBs (I forgot the term used in the book but you know what I mean by teenybopper) who cannot possibly have brains and must be bitchy. Devon is in for a shock of a surprise.
The romance is slowburn and sweet and very Pride and Prejudice in the way it develops. I loved it so much with the tension and repressed feelings. I liked that the romance developed not because Devon was attracted to him from the beginning, but because of the support Ezra provided Foster in times of need. Help that didn’t come with ulterior motives, but purely from the goodness of his heart. Devon be like wow he can’t possibly care about others can he?
Mills’ writing is really funny and snarky as we see through Devon’s voice. This is why I felt the need to mention First & Then is in first person. In a typical Austen, Jane writes in third person and provides authorial comment. Austen comments on the folly’s of her characters, essentially laughing at them and foreshadowing events/complications that needn’t have happened if not for their follies. We don’t get that in First & Then. Instead, Mills uses Devon’s own comments and opinions and juxtaposes these with the dialogues and interactions of those around her. While Devon continues on her own way, at times misunderstanding, the reader gets to ‘laugh’ at Devon and sort of infer what happens next. It’s brilliantly done and I was just shaking my head and hugging Devon in my mind.
Not just a pretty cover, First & Then is a lovely, sweet and adorable contemporary about how change can come at the most unwanted times, but for the best reasons.
Review originally posted at Fiction in Fiction in Fiction
I was initially intrigued by First & Then by its gorgeous cover, and then by the pitch which likened it to Pride and Prejudice. While I couldn’t really draw parallels to Pride and Prejudice the way I could an adaption like Emma/Clueless, I could still see the Austen influences that Mills employed.
Told from Devon’s first person perspective (I’ll explain why I feel the need to mention this later), our main character is in her senior year at high school and just trudging along. She’s got one best friend and she wants to keep it that way. I’d say she’s sheltered because she chooses to be ignorant of everything that goes on around her. Devon lives in this bubble and ideally, she’d like to stay in it until graduation. Alas, she also needs to think of the next step which is college and has to find extracurriculars to add to her applications. From here, Devon’s bubble bursts. Add in the arrival of her seemingly awkward cousin Foster and things start getting interesting.
I loved Devon’s character growth throughout the book. As a lover of Austen, she comments on certain situations and how things would have panned out in the Edwardian era compared to what happens in today’s time. In her little bubble, Devon doesn’t notice the things that go on around her. As she slowly interacts with the various people in her freshman gym class, her world completely opens up. The reader is able to see how Devon unknowingly holds all these prejudices and everybody around her breaks stereotypes.
Foster especially is an amazing character. He’s extremely talented at football but also a bit geeky and at times socially unaware because of the way things have turned out for him in life. He’s gone through a lot and as more of his story unfolds, the more Devon is able to warm up to him. I loved the friendship that Foster formed with Devon and how he brings Ezra into the picture.
Now Ezra is our resident Mr. Darcy. He comes off as aloof, standoffish and everybody has the impression Ezra thinks he’s better than everybody else because he’s basically set for college football. Here again, as Ezra slowly reveals more of himself through his interactions with Foster and Devon, we see how people’s assumptions can lead to misinformation. Ezra is a very complex character, add on the way Devon was set on the way she viewed the world and it was kind of like the to-ing and fro-ing of Lizzie and Mr. Darcy.
The secondary characters made for a wonderful cast to breakdown stereotypes. Devon’s somehow managed to get to senior year and view her high school as the clichéd American high school with cliques. And yet her best friend is a jock, her cousin is essentially a ‘jock’ and the other ‘jocks’ are really nice guys who are vying for valedictorian. She sees freshman girls as TBs (I forgot the term used in the book but you know what I mean by teenybopper) who cannot possibly have brains and must be bitchy. Devon is in for a shock of a surprise.
The romance is slowburn and sweet and very Pride and Prejudice in the way it develops. I loved it so much with the tension and repressed feelings. I liked that the romance developed not because Devon was attracted to him from the beginning, but because of the support Ezra provided Foster in times of need. Help that didn’t come with ulterior motives, but purely from the goodness of his heart. Devon be like wow he can’t possibly care about others can he?
Mills’ writing is really funny and snarky as we see through Devon’s voice. This is why I felt the need to mention First & Then is in first person. In a typical Austen, Jane writes in third person and provides authorial comment. Austen comments on the folly’s of her characters, essentially laughing at them and foreshadowing events/complications that needn’t have happened if not for their follies. We don’t get that in First & Then. Instead, Mills uses Devon’s own comments and opinions and juxtaposes these with the dialogues and interactions of those around her. While Devon continues on her own way, at times misunderstanding, the reader gets to ‘laugh’ at Devon and sort of infer what happens next. It’s brilliantly done and I was just shaking my head and hugging Devon in my mind.
Not just a pretty cover, First & Then is a lovely, sweet and adorable contemporary about how change can come at the most unwanted times, but for the best reasons.
sfujii's review
3.0
I would give this 3.5 stars.
The story overall was cute, if expected. The characters were interesting and relatively complex. Though it was a bit hard to swallow that someone could kick their butt into high gear the fall of their senior year and still have hopes of getting into a top notch school - as was presented in this book.
I was most intrigued by the story between Foster and Devon and think it added an important note that balanced the saccharine sweetness of the star-football-player-falls-for-quiet-book-nerd trope.
I think that the summary of the book needs to be a bit more clear that there is a LOT of football involved in this book. I am not sure why I have such an aversion to this as a structure base for YA fiction, but I do. I just think that football is such a tired framework, and I'm over it. Maybe it's because I don't come from a football-centered place, but whatever the reason, just no.
The story overall was cute, if expected. The characters were interesting and relatively complex. Though it was a bit hard to swallow that someone could kick their butt into high gear the fall of their senior year and still have hopes of getting into a top notch school - as was presented in this book.
I was most intrigued by the story between Foster and Devon and think it added an important note that balanced the saccharine sweetness of the star-football-player-falls-for-quiet-book-nerd trope.
I think that the summary of the book needs to be a bit more clear that there is a LOT of football involved in this book. I am not sure why I have such an aversion to this as a structure base for YA fiction, but I do. I just think that football is such a tired framework, and I'm over it. Maybe it's because I don't come from a football-centered place, but whatever the reason, just no.
marimaia's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
i was filled with this feeling that there was nothing we couldn’t get through three hundred seconds at a time, three hundred words a page.
divertidinho, queria que fosse mais longo com mais momentos entre a dev e o ezra (e o foster também!). se eu pudesse leria um livro só sobre o jordan, fofíssimo.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Death of parent, and Death
terrabme's review
4.0
For those also confused by what a prostitot is, I googled it: "prostitot (plural prostitots) (derogatory, Canada, US, slang) A prepubescent girl (generally 10-14 years of age) who emulates the overtly sexual fashions and attitudes of twentysomething women such as pop stars."
Im not a fan of the lack of female friendships and felt like it could have been flushed out more
3.75 stars
Im not a fan of the lack of female friendships and felt like it could have been flushed out more
3.75 stars
allibruns's review
2.0
I love football, I love reading about football and I love retellings so I thought I would love this, I mean everyone on GR loved this but sadly this just didn't work for me. There were good points mainly Ezra, I loved Ezra. This book has a huge case of Wtfness; who is the father of the pregnant girls baby, why was Cas so mad about Devon and Cas, what is going on with Emir and what on earth is that ending? However my biggest question/problem is why does Mills not describe what the main characters look like. I need some descriptions!
kate_ne_s's review
4.0
4.5/5 stars
This was book was damn-near perfect. The only thing I want is more- more at the end, more in the middle, more. And that’s not a criticism of Mills’ elaboration; her characters and story were fleshy and substantial. It is however a comment my own greed- more, please.
Devon is clambering over the uneven terrain of senior year at TS High, fending off a painful crush on her best friend, learning to be a sister and trying to come to terms with being nothing more than average, in the grand scheme of things.
In this YA contemporary novel, Emma Mills has us reevaluating what it means to be unremarkable. There’s the typical family drama, high school politics and- my favourite- romance of a YA contemporary, but none of it feels obligatory or stale.
First & Then comes to you highly recommended by a YA veteran. It’s a bombshell. It stands out in its rank. You need three variations on a motif to make it work but I don’t have another one and it was going badly anyway.
Read First & Then!
This was book was damn-near perfect. The only thing I want is more- more at the end, more in the middle, more. And that’s not a criticism of Mills’ elaboration; her characters and story were fleshy and substantial. It is however a comment my own greed- more, please.
Devon is clambering over the uneven terrain of senior year at TS High, fending off a painful crush on her best friend, learning to be a sister and trying to come to terms with being nothing more than average, in the grand scheme of things.
In this YA contemporary novel, Emma Mills has us reevaluating what it means to be unremarkable. There’s the typical family drama, high school politics and- my favourite- romance of a YA contemporary, but none of it feels obligatory or stale.
First & Then comes to you highly recommended by a YA veteran. It’s a bombshell. It stands out in its rank. You need three variations on a motif to make it work but I don’t have another one and it was going badly anyway.
Read First & Then!
papalbina's review
4.0
mientras toda mi TL de Twitter estaba viendo y comentando El Ministerio del Tiempo, yo he empezado y terminado este libro. todo un mérito para mí.
le he puesto 4 estrellas porque me ha parecido muy entretenido, pero la calidad literaria igual no llega pa tanto.
su principal problema es que intenta luchar contra los estereotipos para acabar cayendo en ellos de nuevo. tienes toda una paleta de personajes secundarios que rompen con ellos, para que luego vaya la protagonista y caiga en el peor de todos, el de pensar que las chicas monas y maquilladas que se interesan por la moda no tienen dos dedos de frente, y encima cuando se da cuenta de que las ha juzgado mal, se para medio segundo a reflexionar sobre su error.
por otro lado, me han ENCANTADO los personajes principales, sobre todo Foster y Ezra, especialmente Ezra porque es la cosa más cuqui del mundo (y me recuerda a otro personaje pero no sé a cuál).
Devon me ha gustado como protagonista y narradora. al principio entendí su indecisión y su "no sé qué hacer con mi vida pero de momento estoy bien así", y me ha gustado ver cómo va pasando de "no sé lo que quiero" y "me da igual todo" a "eso es lo que quiero y voy a luchar por ello". también me han parecido geniales sus reflexiones y paralelismos con las historias de Jane Austen, eso merecería una relecturas para pillarlas mejor. pero a veces me costaba ver su personalidad. por momentos parecía más un títere transmitiendo ideas que no eran suyas (de la autora, imagino), que la persona que ella decía ser.
me ha ENCANTADO sin embargo cómo evoluciona su relación con Foster y cómo aprende a apreciarlo y a quererlo. y su relación con Ezra me ha gustado mucho mucho. aunque el tema del enfado entre ellos dos me pareció un poco mal llevado y mal explicado, pero se sobrevive bien.
en fin, le falta quizá un poco de profundidad para hacerlo más memorable, pero es un gran libro para leer en una tarde, me ha dejado con buen sabor de boca, a pesar de que se me ha hecho corto, y yo esas cosas las valoro mucho.
muchas gracias a Alhana por regalármelo para mi cumpleaños.
edit: tercera relectura años más tarde... el tema de jane austen me ha escamado y molestado muchísimo mientras lo leía. devon está demasiado obsesionada con las historias de jane austen para que parezca medio normal. y sobre todo, hay demasiadas referencias al romance en las novelas de jane austen cuando sabemos que no es el tema principal de esos libros, aunque la gente suele liarse bastante con ese aspecto... no recordaba apenas nada de la trama y me ha vuelto a gustar, pero no tanto como hace seis años. de hecho, le quitaría una estrella a mi rating
le he puesto 4 estrellas porque me ha parecido muy entretenido, pero la calidad literaria igual no llega pa tanto.
su principal problema es que intenta luchar contra los estereotipos para acabar cayendo en ellos de nuevo. tienes toda una paleta de personajes secundarios que rompen con ellos, para que luego vaya la protagonista y caiga en el peor de todos, el de pensar que las chicas monas y maquilladas que se interesan por la moda no tienen dos dedos de frente, y encima cuando se da cuenta de que las ha juzgado mal, se para medio segundo a reflexionar sobre su error.
por otro lado, me han ENCANTADO los personajes principales, sobre todo Foster y Ezra, especialmente Ezra porque es la cosa más cuqui del mundo (y me recuerda a otro personaje pero no sé a cuál).
Devon me ha gustado como protagonista y narradora. al principio entendí su indecisión y su "no sé qué hacer con mi vida pero de momento estoy bien así", y me ha gustado ver cómo va pasando de "no sé lo que quiero" y "me da igual todo" a "eso es lo que quiero y voy a luchar por ello". también me han parecido geniales sus reflexiones y paralelismos con las historias de Jane Austen, eso merecería una relecturas para pillarlas mejor. pero a veces me costaba ver su personalidad. por momentos parecía más un títere transmitiendo ideas que no eran suyas (de la autora, imagino), que la persona que ella decía ser.
me ha ENCANTADO sin embargo cómo evoluciona su relación con Foster y cómo aprende a apreciarlo y a quererlo. y su relación con Ezra me ha gustado mucho mucho. aunque el tema del enfado entre ellos dos me pareció un poco mal llevado y mal explicado, pero se sobrevive bien.
en fin, le falta quizá un poco de profundidad para hacerlo más memorable, pero es un gran libro para leer en una tarde, me ha dejado con buen sabor de boca, a pesar de que se me ha hecho corto, y yo esas cosas las valoro mucho.
muchas gracias a Alhana por regalármelo para mi cumpleaños.
edit: tercera relectura años más tarde... el tema de jane austen me ha escamado y molestado muchísimo mientras lo leía. devon está demasiado obsesionada con las historias de jane austen para que parezca medio normal. y sobre todo, hay demasiadas referencias al romance en las novelas de jane austen cuando sabemos que no es el tema principal de esos libros, aunque la gente suele liarse bastante con ese aspecto... no recordaba apenas nada de la trama y me ha vuelto a gustar, pero no tanto como hace seis años. de hecho, le quitaría una estrella a mi rating