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Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin

14 reviews

mynameisrebecca's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book suffers from expectation versus reality. It's a look into character relationships and how those change over time, and less about the Hollywood drama. I expected something a little more campy versus the serious tone the book took. Overall, it felt like it had too slow of a pace for the cadence of the story and plot. The character development is amazing and there's some great plot twists, though. The writing style incorporates multimedia (chat rooms, articles, etc.) which is really fun.
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oliviaja's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The perfect summer read!
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brooke_city's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-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

3.0

It started out with catty promise, reminiscent of the 00's tabloid spirals of child stars. (a la Paris, Lindsay, Britney)
But, Summer turned out to actually be the Mary Sue everyone projected onto her, with everyone around her having a hand in ruining her career and life.


The plot develops much like the Disney shows it parodies, including the cliche ending of the romantic leads running away together.

Lionna could've been a more interesting character, bringing more light to how Black actors are treated in comparison to their white peers. But she still ended up being the token with no growth, and gets the solo by default.

Despite drugs and alcohol use, and casual mentions about sex, this could've been a YA novel. The only thing adult about the characters are their ages.
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goldenbeebookshop's review against another edition

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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

4.0

I really enjoyed Hankin’s previous two books so I was thrilled to get a DRC of her latest.
I didn’t watch the kind of Disney channel shows and movies that inspired the fictional show in this novel, but since I also didn’t live under a rock (just a very pro-PBSs house without cable) I’m aware of the cultural phenomenon and fan base around them. Moreover, I’m aware of what being asked to maintain the patriarchal standards imposed by the network and its viewers does to many of the young female stars. This novel has a little bit of everything- teenage drama, a dash of mystery, reclaiming personal narratives, social commentary, and an unexpectedly hopeful ending.
I was in a reading slump before I decided to jump into this book and it just whisked me along. 
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