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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
Absolutely no surprise here, but I loved this book.
I adore Ravynn Stringfield’s debut, LRC, and while this is technically YA, this was so different and yet just as powerful. And maybe it was fate that I loved it so much—because the FMC’s middle name is my name, and we share the same first and last initials! 😭✨
The heart of this story is Syd’s college journey, and Ravynn goes beyond just the romantic love we expect in a romance book. She beautifully explores the scariness of growing up and being "alone" for the first time, navigating who you are vs who you (or your parents) thought you were supposed to be, building community, and redefining what love looks like in all its forms—platonic, familial, and self-love too.
Told through tweets, texts, emails, and blog posts, the format gave me early 2000s internet vibes in the best way. Back when Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter were our diaries and strangers online became our closest confidantes and biggest cheerleaders.
This book made me I laugh out loud (there's the line about being from D.C. that people from—or people who have lived in—the DMV will appreciate and laugh as soon as they hear it!) and sob like a baby...without giving too much away, the friendship blog post at the end hit me HARD. That reflection was relevant and timely for me now as a 30+ year old, and I deeply appreciated being able to empathize with what Syd was feeling.
I could yap on and on about all the things I loved about the book (DM me to discuss once you've finished the book), but I’ll wrap it up with this: Love in 280 Characters or Less is a quiet powerhouse of a story—authentic, funny, moving, and affirming.
It comes out TOMORROW 4/15 -- so PREORDER RIGHT NOW!
Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends, and Libro.fm for the e-ARC & ALC!
ALSO: #TeamMalcolm, IYKYK 💛
I adore Ravynn Stringfield’s debut, LRC, and while this is technically YA, this was so different and yet just as powerful. And maybe it was fate that I loved it so much—because the FMC’s middle name is my name, and we share the same first and last initials! 😭✨
The heart of this story is Syd’s college journey, and Ravynn goes beyond just the romantic love we expect in a romance book. She beautifully explores the scariness of growing up and being "alone" for the first time, navigating who you are vs who you (or your parents) thought you were supposed to be, building community, and redefining what love looks like in all its forms—platonic, familial, and self-love too.
Told through tweets, texts, emails, and blog posts, the format gave me early 2000s internet vibes in the best way. Back when Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter were our diaries and strangers online became our closest confidantes and biggest cheerleaders.
This book made me I laugh out loud (there's the line about being from D.C. that people from—or people who have lived in—the DMV will appreciate and laugh as soon as they hear it!) and sob like a baby...without giving too much away, the friendship blog post at the end hit me HARD. That reflection was relevant and timely for me now as a 30+ year old, and I deeply appreciated being able to empathize with what Syd was feeling.
I could yap on and on about all the things I loved about the book (DM me to discuss once you've finished the book), but I’ll wrap it up with this: Love in 280 Characters or Less is a quiet powerhouse of a story—authentic, funny, moving, and affirming.
It comes out TOMORROW 4/15 -- so PREORDER RIGHT NOW!
Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends, and Libro.fm for the e-ARC & ALC!
ALSO: #TeamMalcolm, IYKYK 💛
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ravynn has said that this book was the book of her heart and oh how that shines through every word. If I had Love in 280 my first year of college I think I would have been a different student. Young people, especially those with marginalized identities are being told who to be and how to be at every turn during those first years out of high school and they are seldom encouraged to sit with themselves and who *they* want to be. If I had the capacity to tell 18 year old Keara: who do you *want* to be, not who do you think *they* want you to be, I probably would've made a lot more waves, found a lot more community, and probably ended up where I am, but much much sooner.
Love in 280 Characters or Less is not the typical coming-of-age love story, it's a book about how storytellers and art are necessary for movements, you cannot have one without the other. How we (society) place an inordinate amount of expectations on young people, especially young Black people to have a perfect voice or comment or opinion straight out the gate. Folks, especially young ones, need to have the space to find themselves and their voices and Love in 280 helped remind me of that.
The internet is such a special place for community building. I found my people on the internet and it's because of them that I found the courage to translate that to my offline spaces. So yeah, go read Love in 280 Characters or Less and remind yourself why you put out the art, the words, the presence that you do.
Thanks Feiwel & Friends for my e-arc!
Love in 280 Characters or Less is not the typical coming-of-age love story, it's a book about how storytellers and art are necessary for movements, you cannot have one without the other. How we (society) place an inordinate amount of expectations on young people, especially young Black people to have a perfect voice or comment or opinion straight out the gate. Folks, especially young ones, need to have the space to find themselves and their voices and Love in 280 helped remind me of that.
The internet is such a special place for community building. I found my people on the internet and it's because of them that I found the courage to translate that to my offline spaces. So yeah, go read Love in 280 Characters or Less and remind yourself why you put out the art, the words, the presence that you do.
Thanks Feiwel & Friends for my e-arc!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book isn't bad at all I think it's just not for me. I thought I would be okay with the formatting but it made it feel disconjointed. I think I got to know Syd but not really any of the other characters. Also the I love you at the end made no sense and came out of no where. I did really like the activist part of it though and how it showed Syd that she really could write and have it mean something.
I received an arc through netgalley.
I received an arc through netgalley.
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Stringfield does it again! Firstly, Thank you so much to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends for this early advance reader copy!! I literally inhaled this book in 48 hours. Love in 280 Characters are Less is a beautiful ode to the chronically online girlies and Black girls trying to find their footing as a freshman in college! As someone who struggled like a baby giraffe trying to walk for the first time as a freshman in college, I definitely understand Syd's struggles. I feel like this really was more of a coming-of-age story, with a sprinkle of love and romance. So many coming of age stories focus on romantic partnerships, however, Love in 280 had love in all of its beautiful forms: platonic, familial, political, and online.
One sentence summary: Sydney Ciara embarks on her first year of college and she attempts to figure out exactly who she is, survive parental pressures, fall in love both IRL and on the internet, and decide on the path she wants to walk for her life.
This story is told entirely in online/text formats - which is absolutely executed beautifully! It reminds me of a book I read as a middle schooler that was entirely AIM Texts. Between Syd's tweets, blog posts, emails, text messages, and more, we really get a glimpse into a young Black woman's experience, and we get to watch her crash out & grow. I feel like I am still mad at all the main characters, but that's just because that prefrontal cortex was not online at all! Malcolm, Xavier, and Syd all that to develop immediately! But that's what college is all about right? Finding yourself - flaws and all. My only critique is that I wish we could continue to follow Syd for her entire college experience! She's so adorable to watch figure out her life! 4.75 stars - I cannot wait to see what Dr. Stringfield writes next!
One sentence summary: Sydney Ciara embarks on her first year of college and she attempts to figure out exactly who she is, survive parental pressures, fall in love both IRL and on the internet, and decide on the path she wants to walk for her life.
This story is told entirely in online/text formats - which is absolutely executed beautifully! It reminds me of a book I read as a middle schooler that was entirely AIM Texts. Between Syd's tweets, blog posts, emails, text messages, and more, we really get a glimpse into a young Black woman's experience, and we get to watch her crash out & grow. I feel like I am still mad at all the main characters, but that's just because that prefrontal cortex was not online at all! Malcolm, Xavier, and Syd all that to develop immediately! But that's what college is all about right? Finding yourself - flaws and all. My only critique is that I wish we could continue to follow Syd for her entire college experience! She's so adorable to watch figure out her life! 4.75 stars - I cannot wait to see what Dr. Stringfield writes next!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
love in 280 characters or less follows a young black woman, sydney, through her first semester as a college freshman. it is a story of self identity and coming of age, told through sydney’s blog posts, tweets, and texts.
i think the way that ravyn stringfield chose to write the story through these online tidbits was such a good creative choice. as is referenced in the novel, so much of our digital life is intertwined with our real life and we find ourselves having to navigate how that works as we grow older. sydney is a relatable and likable main character, and i couldn’t help but root for her. my only real complaint with the story is that the texts/tweets, or i guess the voice of the characters themselves, didn’t feel necessarily like teenagers/young adults just out of high school. it felt more like written conversation forced into this “funky” format at times, but it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.
thank you netgalley for the e-arc!
i think the way that ravyn stringfield chose to write the story through these online tidbits was such a good creative choice. as is referenced in the novel, so much of our digital life is intertwined with our real life and we find ourselves having to navigate how that works as we grow older. sydney is a relatable and likable main character, and i couldn’t help but root for her. my only real complaint with the story is that the texts/tweets, or i guess the voice of the characters themselves, didn’t feel necessarily like teenagers/young adults just out of high school. it felt more like written conversation forced into this “funky” format at times, but it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.
thank you netgalley for the e-arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality
Moderate: Car accident
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
What I liked about this book was Sydney as the main character. She is passionate, quirky, and (like me) is chronically online. The inclusion of the internet and social media was relatable. I loved the blog and tweet formats. I wasn't the biggest fan of all the dialogue being throught texts. In my opinion, certain conversations in the book would've been better versed had they been written as verbal dialogue. I had a hard time connecting with the other characters because of this. I do think Sydney finding her path was written beautifully. I see this book more as a coming-of-age story rather than a YA Romance. Overall, I found Love in 280 Characters or Less to be a good read.