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papertraildiary's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this! So beautiful and hopeful. It also got me out of a big reading slump, so kudos to not being able to put this book down!
miariinfinityreads's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
classicbhaer's review against another edition
4.0
*I received this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
What I Liked
Nearly from the beginning I felt connected to the characters. I wanted everything to work out perfectly for all of them. For me, if a book causes me to have this type of connection it has well written characters. I recently read a book and I felt nearly nothing for the characters and it made reading it dull and boring even with all the excitement happening with the plot. Another thing that I truly loved about this book was not only how I connected with the characters, but how they connected with one another. Both friendship wise and family wise I enjoyed reading about their relationships, they seemed real and they never felt like they were forced.
I have to say another positive for me was that it took place in Australia. I rarely have seen a book that takes place here and it truly was refreshing. I found that this was maybe an unintentional thing, or I may be making a connection out of no where. But, Australia is such a beautiful and natural place. In my mind it is a place of sunshine and full of life. Britain from what I understand is a place where it can be rainy for a good amount of the place, even though it is beautiful. Having the main character move from a place that is known to be rainy and dreary to a place that I have perceived as bright and lively kinda mirrors the growth of Hazel.
What I Didn’t Like
There really wasn’t anything I can pinpoint that I did not like about this book. At times it dragged, but not for a noticeable amount of time.
Overall Thoughts
Overall this was an enjoyable read. I throughly enjoyed reading it and like I said earlier I was invented in Hazel’s story as well as her friends. If you see anything in the description I think you will enjoy this read as well. It is well written and has genuine relationships and growth.
What I Liked
Nearly from the beginning I felt connected to the characters. I wanted everything to work out perfectly for all of them. For me, if a book causes me to have this type of connection it has well written characters. I recently read a book and I felt nearly nothing for the characters and it made reading it dull and boring even with all the excitement happening with the plot. Another thing that I truly loved about this book was not only how I connected with the characters, but how they connected with one another. Both friendship wise and family wise I enjoyed reading about their relationships, they seemed real and they never felt like they were forced.
I have to say another positive for me was that it took place in Australia. I rarely have seen a book that takes place here and it truly was refreshing. I found that this was maybe an unintentional thing, or I may be making a connection out of no where. But, Australia is such a beautiful and natural place. In my mind it is a place of sunshine and full of life. Britain from what I understand is a place where it can be rainy for a good amount of the place, even though it is beautiful. Having the main character move from a place that is known to be rainy and dreary to a place that I have perceived as bright and lively kinda mirrors the growth of Hazel.
What I Didn’t Like
There really wasn’t anything I can pinpoint that I did not like about this book. At times it dragged, but not for a noticeable amount of time.
Overall Thoughts
Overall this was an enjoyable read. I throughly enjoyed reading it and like I said earlier I was invented in Hazel’s story as well as her friends. If you see anything in the description I think you will enjoy this read as well. It is well written and has genuine relationships and growth.
aubreej's review against another edition
emotional
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
charmaineac's review against another edition
3.0
I was disappointed. I guessed the big "secret" quite easily — the letters gave it away. Was that intentional? The book was just so angsty and melodramatic. Listen, life happens. Death happens. Time goes on.
Some of these characters act out/lash out. The omniscient third-person POV kind of keeps you detached from them. The POV shifts a bit, but you never really get to KNOW these characters intimately.
There were also some annoying loose ends. Why did Hazel and her mom move to England in the first place? Why did things happen the way they did, when there was so much love all around? I was confused. Likewise, why didn't Hunter and Maddie have other friends? I would've completely expected such friendly, fun people to have a boisterous and large friend group. But hey, good for Hazel. I'm glad she got this opportunity to wipe the slate clean.
The love story was sweet and simple, but I left hoping for just a bit more.
Some of these characters act out/lash out. The omniscient third-person POV kind of keeps you detached from them. The POV shifts a bit, but you never really get to KNOW these characters intimately.
There were also some annoying loose ends. Why did Hazel and her mom move to England in the first place? Why did things happen the way they did, when there was so much love all around? I was confused. Likewise, why didn't Hunter and Maddie have other friends? I would've completely expected such friendly, fun people to have a boisterous and large friend group. But hey, good for Hazel. I'm glad she got this opportunity to wipe the slate clean.
The love story was sweet and simple, but I left hoping for just a bit more.
adriannawaters's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
claire_bear_the_bear's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
I really love this book. I finished it within a day and couldn’t get enough of it, so I kept looking back at my favorite moments and decided to read it again. Within two days, I had read this book twice and had to hold myself back from reading it again. It has the perfect amount of romance, is not too sad, and has just an overall sweet story.
arij8112's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Rosemary
Cover Story: Montell Jordan
BFF Charm: Probably x3
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: The Omniscient YA Unicorn
Bonus Factor: Australia
Relationship Status: I'll Be Alone, Dancing, You Know It Baby
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Montell Jordan
BFF Charm: Probably x3
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: The Omniscient YA Unicorn
Bonus Factor: Australia
Relationship Status: I'll Be Alone, Dancing, You Know It Baby
Read the full book report here.
cerahsee's review against another edition
4.0
**I received a copy from NetGalley**
Hazel finds herself in Australia to live with the father she has never met and she cannot wait to move back to England, with her mother. It soon becomes clear that Hazel was the sole caretaker for her mother who was dealing with an illness or some other kind of issue (we later learn it's early onset Alzheimer's).
Throughout the book, Hazel writes letters to her mother reminding her of fun times that they shared together. She also resists her father's attempts to get to know her and to help her make their house a home. She does however befriend Red, a local art student, and eventually his twin brother Luca, who has struggles of his own.
This book gave me feels. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Hazel and Luca grow as well as the relationship between Hazel and her father. It was heartbreaking to witness as he tried so hard to get Hazel to open up to him.
Watching Luca and his father reconnect was also neat to read. I think so many teenagers feel that their parents only love them when they perform or when they share common interests and to see that play out in the way it does here, when Luca can't run anymore, was so beautiful.
There were things that I felt came out of nowhere and could have used a little more explanation (or maybe I just missed it as I read through it), but a time or two I found myself confused when something would be mentioned as if we were all in on the information, but I didn't remember ever being told.
Hazel finds herself in Australia to live with the father she has never met and she cannot wait to move back to England, with her mother. It soon becomes clear that Hazel was the sole caretaker for her mother who was dealing with an illness or some other kind of issue (we later learn it's early onset Alzheimer's).
Throughout the book, Hazel writes letters to her mother reminding her of fun times that they shared together. She also resists her father's attempts to get to know her and to help her make their house a home. She does however befriend Red, a local art student, and eventually his twin brother Luca, who has struggles of his own.
This book gave me feels. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Hazel and Luca grow as well as the relationship between Hazel and her father. It was heartbreaking to witness as he tried so hard to get Hazel to open up to him.
Watching Luca and his father reconnect was also neat to read. I think so many teenagers feel that their parents only love them when they perform or when they share common interests and to see that play out in the way it does here, when Luca can't run anymore, was so beautiful.
There were things that I felt came out of nowhere and could have used a little more explanation (or maybe I just missed it as I read through it), but a time or two I found myself confused when something would be mentioned as if we were all in on the information, but I didn't remember ever being told.