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missgrangerr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I read this book because I read [b:Sadie|34810320|Sadie|Courtney Summers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1534431396s/34810320.jpg|56026767] and loved it. I figured I would catch up on [a:Courtney Summers|1487748|Courtney Summers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1519531831p2/1487748.jpg] books. This book was difficult. The main character, Parker is extremely hard to like. Usually there is something redeeming about the protagonist in a story even if they are supposed to be 'unlikable' yet she was unnecessarily mean to everyone and extremely selfish. I honestly believed the bad thing she did would turn to to be not that bad, it was. Then there is the reason this book is extraordinarily bad to me Spoilerthe dog she rescues in the book dies. The scene is unnecessarily graphic and lengthy.. Up until that point I was holding out hope that Parker would redeem herself and she never does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Rape, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
perksofbeingasunflower's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Heartfelt book, I identified with the mixed likeability and unlikeability of the narrator - she was a character who was incredibly wrapped up in her own guilt and although I guessed the ending, it was still a fresh twist in the way in which her perspective made you want to shake her by the shoulders and simultaneously give her the biggest hug.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
sebradley29's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Drug use, Child death, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
venusdapoopiehead's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
wanted to re-read this to give it another chance and i’m so glad i did considering i missed the entire point of this book the first time i read it. parker, imo, is by far one of the most realistic and relatable main characters i’ve read about in a book. the self sabotaging behavior, isolating yourself and pushing people away, the need for perfection and desperately trying to fulfill the incredibly high expectations people have of you, etc etc, all incredibly relatable and something that i think almost everyone can relate to, especially teens, and i’m just actually glad she’s not perfect (she even said so herself) cause picture perfect characters are so boring and uninteresting.
one thing that i think i loved the most about this book was the style of the writing, where we (the readers) get like little snippets of the past and what happened, as a way to try to fully understand and comprehend why parker is the way that she is, i thought that was a nice touch to the book overall since i wanted to know more about such an interesting main character. apparently some couldn’t tell that said snippets in the book were from the past, personally if you just simply look at the fact that they’re in italics and use context clues, it’ll be easy to tell that it’s clearly talking about parker’s past. i am slightly curious about how parker’s life goes from there-like i think i’d love a little sequel where she’s an adult and we get a glimpse into how she’s doing now that she’s older and how much progress she made in terms of self improvement, if she made any progress at all, etc, but obviously the chances of a sequel are pretty slim, so oh well.
also personally wasn’t a fan of parker and jake’s relationship? situationship? idk but i didn’t care, especially since jake was kind of a weirdo at times (which ig is to be expected cause he’s a teenage boy but still) so each time they interacted (which was a lot, pretty much half of the book) i just did not care whatsoever.
TLDR: loved the relatability of the main character and how realistic she felt (cause let’s be honest here what high schooler isn’t super depressed and extremely flawed). also loved the writing style, wish i could see into the main character’s future tho cause now im way too invested into the life of someone who doesn’t even exist, but im fine with the fact that there won’t ever be a sequel to this. didn’t care about parker and jake’s “relationship” or whatever, but other than that, good soup.
one thing that i think i loved the most about this book was the style of the writing, where we (the readers) get like little snippets of the past and what happened, as a way to try to fully understand and comprehend why parker is the way that she is, i thought that was a nice touch to the book overall since i wanted to know more about such an interesting main character. apparently some couldn’t tell that said snippets in the book were from the past, personally if you just simply look at the fact that they’re in italics and use context clues, it’ll be easy to tell that it’s clearly talking about parker’s past. i am slightly curious about how parker’s life goes from there-like i think i’d love a little sequel where she’s an adult and we get a glimpse into how she’s doing now that she’s older and how much progress she made in terms of self improvement, if she made any progress at all, etc, but obviously the chances of a sequel are pretty slim, so oh well.
also personally wasn’t a fan of parker and jake’s relationship? situationship? idk but i didn’t care, especially since jake was kind of a weirdo at times (which ig is to be expected cause he’s a teenage boy but still) so each time they interacted (which was a lot, pretty much half of the book) i just did not care whatsoever.
TLDR: loved the relatability of the main character and how realistic she felt (cause let’s be honest here what high schooler isn’t super depressed and extremely flawed). also loved the writing style, wish i could see into the main character’s future tho cause now im way too invested into the life of someone who doesn’t even exist, but im fine with the fact that there won’t ever be a sequel to this. didn’t care about parker and jake’s “relationship” or whatever, but other than that, good soup.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Infidelity
tripleareads's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Rape, and Animal death
alittlebitheather's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've been meaning to read this one for a while - I knew I had been sleeping on it, and boy was that proven right. While the cast isn't super diverse, it's still a compelling story about guilt, trauma, and losing one's self. It's exceptionally powerful for being one of Summers' early works (it's not always that an author gets stronger as time goes on, but she definitely has!) and is ultimately a story of redemption and coping with how certain events can change us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Rape
ravensandlace's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.5
Title: Cracked Up to Be
Author: Courtney Summers
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: owned paperback
Star Rating: 3.5 stars
tw: underage drinking, missing children, hospitalization, animal death, rape, death, attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, infidelity
I really thought I was going to like this book more than I did. But unfortunately, I just didn’t fall in love with this book. While I think it’s an incredibly important book, I just couldn’t bond with the main character. It’s probably because I couldn’t relate to what she was going through or who she was before everything happened.
I understand completely that Parker was a very broken individual, even before everything happened. I understand that her behavior is rooted in guilt for something she thinks is her fault. But I just had such a problem with the way Parker was to everyone. I don’t care how much you are hurting, there is no need to be so disrespectful. I am also not a fan of the trope that if something bad happens, even if it isn’t your fault, you must punish yourself. I just can’t stand that.
But despite my complaints about Parker, this book describes guilt and grief so well. I would even go so far as to say that the guilt Parker is feeling is borderline survivor’s guilt. Parker is a great example of how grief and guilt can completely change a person, to the point where they aren’t even recognizable to themselves or others. So even though I had complaints, I still enjoyed all other aspects of this book, including the complex relationship with guilt.
Overall, I still recommend this book despite not falling in love with it. Courtney Summers certainly knows how to write hard-hitting books with characters you are either going to fall in love with or can’t stand. She also knows how to write books that touch on incredibly difficult topics that often aren’t discussed. And that’s why, even though I may not love all her books, I still highly recommend them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Murder
tw: underage drinking, missing children, hospitalization, animal death, rape, death, attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, infidelitycoolcat02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. I love how the main character is realistic and relatable. The way the author slowly revealed things that made everything make sense was so brilliant. I'm obsessed with how Parker wasn’t just fixed and she realistically needed more time. Also can we take a moment for the hero of the story; Bailey!! He was so adorable and I love what he meant to Parker. This book hit me and I loved it. I love this author and eat up all her books. This feels like a must read for all my fellow perfectionists out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Self harm
idonthaveanygoodideas's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Alcohol, and Rape
ellainalisa's review
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Rape, Animal death, and Death