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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Let me first say that I did not have high expectations for this book. I really enjoy the Authors short stories more than her novels but man was this a knock out. I read thus book over about 3-4 days. Sumple devoured it.
Spoilers:
At first I totally thought it was corny and ridiculous but it pulled me in as a person with clinical depression I was skeptical from the start but this blew me away. I had to know what would happen next. Each turn was justified and exciting but believable imo.
If you like corny romance that doesn't have perfect predictable happy endungs you might like this.
Spoilers:
At first I totally thought it was corny and ridiculous but it pulled me in as a person with clinical depression I was skeptical from the start but this blew me away. I had to know what would happen next. Each turn was justified and exciting but believable imo.
If you like corny romance that doesn't have perfect predictable happy endungs you might like this.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hard to explain, but here it goes. After finishing the book, I felt like I hadn't been satisfied with the ending. We have such build ups throughout the book that continuously hint at major conflict coming between the main characters, but when the "twist"/"they get busted for lying" comes to light, it felt...forced? Everything was so conveniently explained at the end (instead of within the story), but it just wasnt convincing for me.
I'm giving this three stars because the author seems like a very kind person and I appreciated the author's note at the very end of the book (part of me wishes it were at the beginning so I could get a sense of what I was walking into). That said, I had many issues with this one so unfortunately it wasn't really for me. I'll start with the one that was never resolved.
1. Dialogue Throughout this one I kept thinking that it would have worked so much better as a screenplay. In fact, I joked in one of my status updates that I thought it was too obvious that the author hoped it would be optioned for a Lifetime movie (I still believe that; I actually think it would make a better movie than a book). The reason for all this, is because the dialogue was so so stiff. Part of this may be because one of the protagonists, Tallie, is a therapist and some of it may also be the author trying to effectuate the kind of stiff dialogue you have with someone you don't really know but want to get to know. The thing is, it rarely got better. Some of the lines were slightly better than others but overall, whenever anyone talked it felt almost 100% like things no one would say in real life. This wouldn't be such a big deal if this book wasn't so dialogue heavy but it pretty much was (and the non-dialogue did not make up for it). Some of my other issues with the plot etc. sorta kinda resolved themselves by the end but the stiff, unrealistic, and at times, corny dialogue persisted throughout.
2. The...Plot? So...what initially drew me in was that the book would focus on how mental health impacts interpersonal relationships between two Black people. I thought this book was more like contemporary adult with a hint of romance but it turns out that I think the mental health was a backdrop for what was essentially a romance novel. Nothing wrong with romance novels. It just wasn't what I was expecting which is maybe my bad considering the cover etc. Anyway, around page 30 I realized that it was basically a romance novel and readjusted but then......it started feeling real fan fiction real quick. I'll put it like this. The book takes course over a weekend and Tallie, the main girl, basically indulges in this guy she does not know but happens to be this perfect looking guy who loves everything about her....They live in this perfect little town in this perfect little neighborhood...I get that they're essentially supposed to be soulmates or something but they truly have no issues? And the main conflicts, ironically, come at the end of the book. I don't get off on conflict for the sake of conflict, but for me, going into the book thinking it would be a realistic portrait about the strains mental health can have on relationships and walking into....a fantasy was pretty rough. I know that the author, in some ways, wanted us to lean into this fantasy; she emphasizes the coziness of Tallie's home and the dreaminess of the weekend. Still, knowing this was supposed to be a fantasy only got me so far and by the end the sugary sweetness almost made me feel a bit sick. Like I said, the main conflicts come up later in the book but they are very rushed and in my opinion, not as well written as they could be. There were hints throughout the book that there would be some big secrets from "Emmett" but I wish that they would have been generously added throughout to break up some of the cutesiness.
3. Other Random Stuff That Don't Need Their Own Paragraphs I know this book is set in the Bible Belt and I know the author is a Christian. I don't have anything against Christians per se but I felt, again, that I walked into this book expecting something a little different. Maybe what annoyed me was the way it was slipped in constantly, almost subliminally. Notwithstanding my own beliefs re: Christianity (including my resistance to being proselytized), I actually think the writing suffered a bit for it. Another random thing that is actually serious is how race was used here. From the cover alone and the fact that it was listed on "African American Books You Need To Read" or whatever, I was confident that the characters were Black. But you really couldn't tell except, in the last 30 pages or so, where a kind of sloppy analysis is added almost an afterthought. My thing is, I know people are going to say that Blackness doesn't look just one way, blah blah etc. But to be honest I've never liked that argument and some of the events in the book actually could have been improved with an racial analysis. For example, there is this part where a cop pulls them over and Emmett, a Black man, casually gets in the car with him? Tallie is very nervous and the author doesn't tell us why exactly although as Black readers we would know. Yet, the entire scene was ultimately unnecessary unless the author was trying to say something about the violence Black people often face at the hands of police. This message, which is true and important, does not come through successfully without the racial analysis. And if that was not the point, then that whole scene totally went over my head. And perhaps, it was some half ass copaganda and if it was then.... Another thing on Blackness is that there is this character named Aisha who is literally never in the book. I have no idea why but it was nice to see a very common Black name in the book I guess? The last thing I'll say is that I did not like the POV shifts. I generally hate when the POV shifts between characters and it's in third person. Their voices sounded the same and truly the only benefit is that we can see and hear some of their inner thoughts (but in the weird distant third person way). I think the book generally would have been much improved if it were in first person. Other things: who is really named Rye? and the line about "is a lesbian half the time" was biphobic to me.
Overall? I think this book could be nice for Christians looking for something to read on the beach. There is some heavier content but it's mainly at the end (which, again, I think is to the book's detriment). I could see someone picking this up for a movie. I would watch it. Would not read it again but I appreciate the author's attempts at optimism.
1. Dialogue Throughout this one I kept thinking that it would have worked so much better as a screenplay. In fact, I joked in one of my status updates that I thought it was too obvious that the author hoped it would be optioned for a Lifetime movie (I still believe that; I actually think it would make a better movie than a book). The reason for all this, is because the dialogue was so so stiff. Part of this may be because one of the protagonists, Tallie, is a therapist and some of it may also be the author trying to effectuate the kind of stiff dialogue you have with someone you don't really know but want to get to know. The thing is, it rarely got better. Some of the lines were slightly better than others but overall, whenever anyone talked it felt almost 100% like things no one would say in real life. This wouldn't be such a big deal if this book wasn't so dialogue heavy but it pretty much was (and the non-dialogue did not make up for it). Some of my other issues with the plot etc. sorta kinda resolved themselves by the end but the stiff, unrealistic, and at times, corny dialogue persisted throughout.
2. The...Plot? So...what initially drew me in was that the book would focus on how mental health impacts interpersonal relationships between two Black people. I thought this book was more like contemporary adult with a hint of romance but it turns out that I think the mental health was a backdrop for what was essentially a romance novel. Nothing wrong with romance novels. It just wasn't what I was expecting which is maybe my bad considering the cover etc. Anyway, around page 30 I realized that it was basically a romance novel and readjusted but then......it started feeling real fan fiction real quick. I'll put it like this. The book takes course over a weekend and Tallie, the main girl, basically indulges in this guy she does not know but happens to be this perfect looking guy who loves everything about her....They live in this perfect little town in this perfect little neighborhood...I get that they're essentially supposed to be soulmates or something but they truly have no issues? And the main conflicts, ironically, come at the end of the book. I don't get off on conflict for the sake of conflict, but for me, going into the book thinking it would be a realistic portrait about the strains mental health can have on relationships and walking into....a fantasy was pretty rough. I know that the author, in some ways, wanted us to lean into this fantasy; she emphasizes the coziness of Tallie's home and the dreaminess of the weekend. Still, knowing this was supposed to be a fantasy only got me so far and by the end the sugary sweetness almost made me feel a bit sick. Like I said, the main conflicts come up later in the book but they are very rushed and in my opinion, not as well written as they could be. There were hints throughout the book that there would be some big secrets from "Emmett" but I wish that they would have been generously added throughout to break up some of the cutesiness.
3. Other Random Stuff That Don't Need Their Own Paragraphs I know this book is set in the Bible Belt and I know the author is a Christian. I don't have anything against Christians per se but I felt, again, that I walked into this book expecting something a little different. Maybe what annoyed me was the way it was slipped in constantly, almost subliminally. Notwithstanding my own beliefs re: Christianity (including my resistance to being proselytized), I actually think the writing suffered a bit for it. Another random thing that is actually serious is how race was used here. From the cover alone and the fact that it was listed on "African American Books You Need To Read" or whatever, I was confident that the characters were Black. But you really couldn't tell except, in the last 30 pages or so, where a kind of sloppy analysis is added almost an afterthought. My thing is, I know people are going to say that Blackness doesn't look just one way, blah blah etc. But to be honest I've never liked that argument and some of the events in the book actually could have been improved with an racial analysis. For example, there is this part where a cop pulls them over and Emmett, a Black man, casually gets in the car with him? Tallie is very nervous and the author doesn't tell us why exactly although as Black readers we would know. Yet, the entire scene was ultimately unnecessary unless the author was trying to say something about the violence Black people often face at the hands of police. This message, which is true and important, does not come through successfully without the racial analysis. And if that was not the point, then that whole scene totally went over my head. And perhaps, it was some half ass copaganda and if it was then.... Another thing on Blackness is that there is this character named Aisha who is literally never in the book. I have no idea why but it was nice to see a very common Black name in the book I guess? The last thing I'll say is that I did not like the POV shifts. I generally hate when the POV shifts between characters and it's in third person. Their voices sounded the same and truly the only benefit is that we can see and hear some of their inner thoughts (but in the weird distant third person way). I think the book generally would have been much improved if it were in first person. Other things: who is really named Rye? and the line about "is a lesbian half the time" was biphobic to me.
Overall? I think this book could be nice for Christians looking for something to read on the beach. There is some heavier content but it's mainly at the end (which, again, I think is to the book's detriment). I could see someone picking this up for a movie. I would watch it. Would not read it again but I appreciate the author's attempts at optimism.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Beautifully descriptive writing style and a captivating story of heartache, healing, and loss.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
I believe this book didn't get good until the twist in which we found out that Emmett is not really Emmett and that he's been lying to Tallie. Before that, I was completely bored, and the writing didn't seem like it was for me, personally. I wish the dialogue wasn't consistent with annoying questions asked by Tallie or their childish back and forth questions to each other (ex: "Are you?" "Well are you?")--I disliked that. Tallie and Rye are super complicated (yet can be dissected once you read more) kind of characters that I felt I couldn't grasp onto in the beginning towards the middle of the book, but I understood them in little different ways from middle to the end. Wasn't expecting them not to be together, and I secretly wanted them to. I can appreciate the realism in it--that not everything in life is sunshine and rainbows, and it's okay to not be okay. Overall, I give this book a 1.8/5!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
It’s been quite some time since I finished a book this quickly. From the first page, it drew me in a lot quicker than books I’ve recently finished.
I loved the dynamic between Tallie and Emmett. I always love reading books about the connection between two individuals and how their relationships blossom. That’s what really drew me to the book.
However, I was so dissatisfied with the ending. I wanted the cliche happy ending… but truthfully, isn’t that life? It doesn’t always turn out the way “pure” way we expect. It worked out the way it needed to. I wanted to give it 3.5 stars but chose to round up to 4.
I loved the dynamic between Tallie and Emmett. I always love reading books about the connection between two individuals and how their relationships blossom. That’s what really drew me to the book.
However, I was so dissatisfied with the ending. I wanted the cliche happy ending… but truthfully, isn’t that life? It doesn’t always turn out the way “pure” way we expect. It worked out the way it needed to. I wanted to give it 3.5 stars but chose to round up to 4.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Sad. Sweet. Engrossing.