Scan barcode
kaikai1618's review against another edition
2.0
DNFed it. Tried so hard to finish but in the end I found nothing keeping me going. It's not that the writing was bad, it was that not even good writing can save such a vapid external situation with people I care little about, a relationship that moved too quickly for me to be invested in and that made me roll my eyes. I couldn't continue because the characters were so painful to listen to and I was about 75% done with the book. Anything I was remotely interested in couldn't overcome how unbearable most of the characters were.
shanhautman's review against another edition
Not my cup of tea. Couldn't even handle as a light, escapist read. Vapid characters, repetitive narrative, and a hollow plot that's been done again and again.. Less than 50 pages in and could surmise the entire plot trajectory. No point in reading further.
jess_mango's review against another edition
Let's call it a 3.5 for now.
This is a modern YA retelling of[b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601352433l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928]. But instead of being set in Russian society, it is set in current day NYC featuring a cast of private school teens. The titular character Anna K is Korean-American, she attends a private school in Greenwich and described as a great beauty. She's in a lackluster relationship with Alexander, a boy who people call the Greenwich OG. Then, she catches the eye of a girl-chasing young man that all the girls lust after.
This features teen but is on the more risque end of YA with sex, drugs, and the whole shebang. It is thoroughly modern...featuring Coachella, lots of name dropping of current pop culture icons and modern trends.
This is a modern YA retelling of[b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601352433l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928]. But instead of being set in Russian society, it is set in current day NYC featuring a cast of private school teens. The titular character Anna K is Korean-American, she attends a private school in Greenwich and described as a great beauty. She's in a lackluster relationship with Alexander, a boy who people call the Greenwich OG. Then, she catches the eye of a girl-chasing young man that all the girls lust after.
This features teen but is on the more risque end of YA with sex, drugs, and the whole shebang. It is thoroughly modern...featuring Coachella, lots of name dropping of current pop culture icons and modern trends.
poachingeggs's review against another edition
1.0
the kind of book that would put you in a reading slump; very disappointed :(( i would’ve dnf-ed it, had i not already set up a page for it in my book bullet journal ://
christianalikesbooks's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
dembury's review against another edition
4.0
This book heavily reminds me of The Clique series by Lisi Harrison, books I used to be obsessed with as a young reader because their spoiled and dramatic main characters were so unlike anyone I knew in real life, and I loved the glitz and over-the-top-ness of it all. "Anna K" has the same vibes; the blurbs calling it the contemporary "Gossip Girl" retelling of "Anna Karenina" are spot-on.
There were points I thought I might hate this book because of certain characters and actions, but the character growth really comes through in this one. It's not like everyone is a saint at the end, but I was pleasantly surprised with how things wrapped up. For example, I came to love Kimmie's character, and thought she was a really accurate and heartfelt portrayal of a 14-year old girl trying to be her own strong self and learn how to be a feminist.
I would also mildly argue that "Anna K" might be more likable if you have read or seen the real "Anna Karenina". Although this retelling is a bit on the nose at times, there are certain plot points that I think just might seen totally bizarre if you don't know what they're echoing. I saw a few people complaining about the ending, but having already seen the movie I personally was waiting for that to happen, so having that knowledge is just going to change your reading experience!
All of March I've been in a horrible reading mood and only read one other book, and "Anna K" got me out of that slump. The story is just the total opposite of my headspace right now during self-distancing, so maybe part of why I enjoyed this was the escapism factor. Either way, I thought it was a really fun read!
There were points I thought I might hate this book because of certain characters and actions, but the character growth really comes through in this one. It's not like everyone is a saint at the end, but I was pleasantly surprised with how things wrapped up. For example, I came to love Kimmie's character, and thought she was a really accurate and heartfelt portrayal of a 14-year old girl trying to be her own strong self and learn how to be a feminist.
I would also mildly argue that "Anna K" might be more likable if you have read or seen the real "Anna Karenina". Although this retelling is a bit on the nose at times, there are certain plot points that I think just might seen totally bizarre if you don't know what they're echoing. I saw a few people complaining about the ending, but having already seen the movie I personally was waiting for that to happen, so having that knowledge is just going to change your reading experience!
All of March I've been in a horrible reading mood and only read one other book, and "Anna K" got me out of that slump. The story is just the total opposite of my headspace right now during self-distancing, so maybe part of why I enjoyed this was the escapism factor. Either way, I thought it was a really fun read!
elkiebear's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Addiction, Drug use, and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, and Mental illness
janagaton's review against another edition
5.0
HOLY CRAP did I absolutely adoreeee this book!! Gossip Girl x Crazy Rich Asians in less than 400 beautiful pages. I'm really glad I haven't read the original Anna Karenina, which is what this book was based on, because I probably wouldn't have been as surprised by certain things as I was. I really appreciated the omniscient third-person narration, as it made it easier to keep track of all the characters. (The character description list at the beginning of the book helped, too!) Each character was pretty well-developed, too, so once you see past their superficiality due to being wealthy, you'll quickly get to know each one on a deeper level, baggage and all. I felt so connected to almost all of the characters throughout the entire novel, and the ways everyone eventually interact with each other made it a fun read as well. There are surprises, hard-hitting topics, a ton of gossip, and a lot of romance. It was all so well-crafted, and I would definitely reread this in the future!