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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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:
No
I really enjoy how so many authors are exploring new storytelling formats, especially when it's done to it's full potential, and "Love in 280 Characters or Less" fits the bill perfectly.
Ravynn K. Stringfield's incorporation of blog posts, tweets, and emails as a form of storytelling was highly engaging and offered a uniquely creative perspective into the world of Sydney Ciara. The tweet and email exchanges progressed so naturally throughout character dialogues, especially in the social media format with which the conversations were exchanged through. The witty banter in the tweets and the formal nature of the email exchanges were so well thought-out, and I enjoyed how we were able to see different sides of Sydney through these moments.
More often than not, I feel like YA stories will focus on high school experiences, but I really enjoyed how "Love in 280 Characters or Less" highlighted Sydney's freshman first semester at her HBCU. Her anxieties around moving in, the uncertainty of her study path (with the added pressure of her parents wanting her to study pre-law), the loneliness she feels as she struggles to make friends, each of these seemingly tiny details capture just how overwhelming freshman year of college can be, and its so invigorating to see an author shine a light on how these struggles affect students. I enjoyed seeing Sydney find her bearings both in her college and her future, as well as in herself and her identity, especially through her blog posts.
The character relationships were where I found the story to be a little bit shaky at times; it was a fairly easy for me to take an accurate guess at the identity of the mysterious "YoungPrinceX", but I did highly enjoy the way in which that relationship concluded. Although the romance with Xavier was heart-warming and added a fun and lighthearted dimension into the story, it did feel like much of Sydney's social sphere centered solely around the men in her life. I appreciated seeing her struggle to make friends with her roommate and the other girls in her class, but I wanted a little bit more from that element, perhaps a discussion into how making friends CAN be awkward and uncomfortable but how that IS part of making friendships. It felt like the easy banter she had with Malcolm and Xavier stemmed heavily from a male-centric mindset, and though I did enjoy the ending of that storyline, I wish there had been a heavier focus onto her relationships with women besides her sister.
In addition, I also felt like story as a whole felt like it struggled a bit with pacing and tone; the beginning feels a lot more lighthearted and easy-going before the halfway point when the story dives deeply into the oppression faced by Black students within campuses, at the hands of campus police brutality. Granted, I felt like both portions of the plot were written incredibly well; both offered nuance and dimension in adding to Sydney's character development, so I don't feel like the disconnect distracts too much from the overall story.
Overall, I still think this book is definitely worth the read; the author hits a fairly good balance between collegiate coming-of-age and romance while also highlighting the struggles Black students fac without the book ever feeling overly bogged down, which I feel is a fairly impressive feat for a book that's 320 pages and told through tweets, emails, and blog posts!
Ravynn K. Stringfield's incorporation of blog posts, tweets, and emails as a form of storytelling was highly engaging and offered a uniquely creative perspective into the world of Sydney Ciara. The tweet and email exchanges progressed so naturally throughout character dialogues, especially in the social media format with which the conversations were exchanged through. The witty banter in the tweets and the formal nature of the email exchanges were so well thought-out, and I enjoyed how we were able to see different sides of Sydney through these moments.
More often than not, I feel like YA stories will focus on high school experiences, but I really enjoyed how "Love in 280 Characters or Less" highlighted Sydney's freshman first semester at her HBCU. Her anxieties around moving in, the uncertainty of her study path (with the added pressure of her parents wanting her to study pre-law), the loneliness she feels as she struggles to make friends, each of these seemingly tiny details capture just how overwhelming freshman year of college can be, and its so invigorating to see an author shine a light on how these struggles affect students. I enjoyed seeing Sydney find her bearings both in her college and her future, as well as in herself and her identity, especially through her blog posts.
The character relationships were where I found the story to be a little bit shaky at times; it was a fairly easy for me to take an accurate guess at the identity of the mysterious "YoungPrinceX", but I did highly enjoy the way in which that relationship concluded. Although the romance with Xavier was heart-warming and added a fun and lighthearted dimension into the story, it did feel like much of Sydney's social sphere centered solely around the men in her life. I appreciated seeing her struggle to make friends with her roommate and the other girls in her class, but I wanted a little bit more from that element, perhaps a discussion into how making friends CAN be awkward and uncomfortable but how that IS part of making friendships. It felt like the easy banter she had with Malcolm and Xavier stemmed heavily from a male-centric mindset, and though I did enjoy the ending of that storyline, I wish there had been a heavier focus onto her relationships with women besides her sister.
In addition, I also felt like story as a whole felt like it struggled a bit with pacing and tone; the beginning feels a lot more lighthearted and easy-going before the halfway point when the story dives deeply into the oppression faced by Black students within campuses, at the hands of campus police brutality. Granted, I felt like both portions of the plot were written incredibly well; both offered nuance and dimension in adding to Sydney's character development, so I don't feel like the disconnect distracts too much from the overall story.
Overall, I still think this book is definitely worth the read; the author hits a fairly good balance between collegiate coming-of-age and romance while also highlighting the struggles Black students fac without the book ever feeling overly bogged down, which I feel is a fairly impressive feat for a book that's 320 pages and told through tweets, emails, and blog posts!
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Thank you, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley, for this E-ARC!
Things this book made me feel against my will: nostalgia, sadness, motivation, like I need to get off my ass and get back to writing those books. It wasn’t even a direct hit; simply experiencing Syd navigating her new space and life at college took me back to those days and sparked that fire in my chest. A lot of what she felt was how I did at the time, and some of those feelings are still the same. Being in Syd’s head was fun; she’s funny, headstrong, a little awkward, and has so much care for her people. I love how relationships were portrayed, and I think a lot of readers will find pieces of themselves reflected in these characters. This book was a mirror of life and everyday activity, from the mundane to sudden swerves that’ll force readers to the edge of their seats.
I’m not sure if this was the arc, but the formatting took me out of the story. As much as I loved following Syd on this journey, I wasn’t fully immersed in the story because it was told through journal entries, social media posts, comments, messages, etc. There was a thick glass wall between me and this story that I didn’t like at all. As someone who has a vivid imagination, instead of being a bystander, I mostly saw Syd sitting at her computer writing all of these events. I hope that makes sense. There weren’t any in-person scenes where I saw her interacting with other people and the world; she told me about everything. And I don’t like the internet enough to enjoy this form of storytelling. I would’ve loved to see her at Thanksgiving with her family, on that first date, her interactions with her sister and best friend, etc. Like I said, it might’ve been the arc format and not the whole story, but I had a hard time connecting fully because of that separation, and it felt like I was missing chunks of a full picture.
Overall, this was great and something I’d read again if the published version is full and more dynamic. I think this is a great story for anyone (bonus for writers), but mostly college students or people who’re going to college for the first time.
Things this book made me feel against my will: nostalgia, sadness, motivation, like I need to get off my ass and get back to writing those books. It wasn’t even a direct hit; simply experiencing Syd navigating her new space and life at college took me back to those days and sparked that fire in my chest. A lot of what she felt was how I did at the time, and some of those feelings are still the same. Being in Syd’s head was fun; she’s funny, headstrong, a little awkward, and has so much care for her people. I love how relationships were portrayed, and I think a lot of readers will find pieces of themselves reflected in these characters. This book was a mirror of life and everyday activity, from the mundane to sudden swerves that’ll force readers to the edge of their seats.
I’m not sure if this was the arc, but the formatting took me out of the story. As much as I loved following Syd on this journey, I wasn’t fully immersed in the story because it was told through journal entries, social media posts, comments, messages, etc. There was a thick glass wall between me and this story that I didn’t like at all. As someone who has a vivid imagination, instead of being a bystander, I mostly saw Syd sitting at her computer writing all of these events. I hope that makes sense. There weren’t any in-person scenes where I saw her interacting with other people and the world; she told me about everything. And I don’t like the internet enough to enjoy this form of storytelling. I would’ve loved to see her at Thanksgiving with her family, on that first date, her interactions with her sister and best friend, etc. Like I said, it might’ve been the arc format and not the whole story, but I had a hard time connecting fully because of that separation, and it felt like I was missing chunks of a full picture.
Overall, this was great and something I’d read again if the published version is full and more dynamic. I think this is a great story for anyone (bonus for writers), but mostly college students or people who’re going to college for the first time.
lighthearted
fast-paced
This was cute. I don’t read a lot of young adult so this was a breath of fresh air.
This book was beautifully chaotic in the best way. The love, the banter—absolutely swoon-worthy and so much fun. I really enjoyed watching Syd navigate everything happening around her. I found myself relating to her at so many points—especially as a chronically online girl myself. Honestly, I might just start a little blog now because it sounds so peaceful and reflective!
I loved seeing how she processed it all and figured out how to move forward on her own terms. It was a quick read that kept me intrigued from start to finish, and I can definitely see myself rereading it. I’m even getting a copy for my baby who’s heading to college next year—this is that kind of book.
Big thanks to TBR & Beyond and Ravynn K. Stringfield for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
📚TBRANDBEYONDTOURS STOP📚
Love in 280 Characters Or Less
By Ravynn K. Stringfield
Pub Date 4/15/2015
320 Pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description:
Sydney Ciara Warren is excited as she starts her first year of college, but also nervous. Despite her interests in writing and fashion, she has no idea what path will ultimately be right for her. As she tries to figure out her place on campus and in the world, she finds solace in blogging about her life, putting together outfits with meaning, and spending time online.
It’s within the digital space that she connects with someone who goes by YoungPrinceX. She may not know “X” in real life, but that doesn’t stop her from developing a crush on him. Except she's also navigating her first romantic relationship, with a sweet boy on campus named Xavier (who maybe could be X???).
Can Sydney Ciara not only make it through her first semester, but thrive in real life, as much as she seems to be thriving online?
Perfect read for those looking for:
*New Adult
*Black love stories
*Novels told in nontraditional formats
*Main characters who love fashion
*Chronically online characters like in Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
Review:
I really enjoyed this journey the author took us on watching young adult Sydney trying to find herself and her place in life. The characters are very relatable and realistic. Brought me back to my college day's of trying to figure how to handle college life, classes, social groups and being in charge of your own life without any supervision. A true culture shock. The author's portrayal of Sydney's up's and down's was written so well and even gave guidance that students can use in real life. Like meditation, speaking to peers and utilizing mentorships. This story talked about love, relationships, activism and fashion that kept me glued to each page. Please grab yourself a copy Tuhday!!!!
Thank you @tbrandbeyondtours.com & @ravynnkamia for my eArc in exchange for my honest review.
Love in 280 Characters Or Less
By Ravynn K. Stringfield
Pub Date 4/15/2015
320 Pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description:
Sydney Ciara Warren is excited as she starts her first year of college, but also nervous. Despite her interests in writing and fashion, she has no idea what path will ultimately be right for her. As she tries to figure out her place on campus and in the world, she finds solace in blogging about her life, putting together outfits with meaning, and spending time online.
It’s within the digital space that she connects with someone who goes by YoungPrinceX. She may not know “X” in real life, but that doesn’t stop her from developing a crush on him. Except she's also navigating her first romantic relationship, with a sweet boy on campus named Xavier (who maybe could be X???).
Can Sydney Ciara not only make it through her first semester, but thrive in real life, as much as she seems to be thriving online?
Perfect read for those looking for:
*New Adult
*Black love stories
*Novels told in nontraditional formats
*Main characters who love fashion
*Chronically online characters like in Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
Review:
I really enjoyed this journey the author took us on watching young adult Sydney trying to find herself and her place in life. The characters are very relatable and realistic. Brought me back to my college day's of trying to figure how to handle college life, classes, social groups and being in charge of your own life without any supervision. A true culture shock. The author's portrayal of Sydney's up's and down's was written so well and even gave guidance that students can use in real life. Like meditation, speaking to peers and utilizing mentorships. This story talked about love, relationships, activism and fashion that kept me glued to each page. Please grab yourself a copy Tuhday!!!!
Thank you @tbrandbeyondtours.com & @ravynnkamia for my eArc in exchange for my honest review.
This book made my 90s baby heart so happy!
I loved that the book was written through blog and social media posts. Definitely took me back to the dear diary days!
I can’t talk too much about this book without giving anything away but just know it’s a must read! You won’t be disappointed!
I loved that the book was written through blog and social media posts. Definitely took me back to the dear diary days!
I can’t talk too much about this book without giving anything away but just know it’s a must read! You won’t be disappointed!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes