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fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Finished my first book in 3 months! BEST FEELING EVER!!
mayonessa's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded up)
I have a lot to say about this book, not all of it can be written in a neatly written review, but I will try my best to convey how this book made me feel. While I have MANY criticisms regarding this story, I think overall it redeemed itself starting in the middle for a semi enjoyable read. Was it an enjoyable read because the book was good? Debatable. But, even with a strong middle story, I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl still falls incredibly short with its embarrassing plot lines and dialogue, dated cliches that are dissected to the extent you’d see in a 2014 Tumblr post, and a whole lot of cringey characterizations from its characters that makes it difficult to root for them. Along with an unsatisfying ending, the book leaves much to be desired, BUT can offer you something if you don’t think about it too hard.
I really like this YouTuber named Athena P (go check out her channel) and she has a series called Camp or Cringe where she reviews 2010s media that she enjoyed in high school and middle school to see if it still holds up as an adult. That’s how I feel about to write this review. Is I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl CAMP or CRINGE? Let’s find out.
The most blaring problems with this book are the most obvious in the beginning portion of the novel. While the concept of the story is actually strong, it doesn’t find its voice or momentum until the very middle of the book and completely throws in every dramatic minor plot point it can think of, before unceremoniously and rapidly tying up all its loose ends with very minimal reward. From the start we are introduced to our protagonist who is just downright unlikeable. I think McNeil was trying to write a relatable protag that was an outcast, but ended up creating a I’m not like other girls stereotype. And while Beatrice’s jealousy and anger is her most interesting character trait, it is not handled well most of the story. Like I said, at first it's a character dissection of stereotypes in the form of a 2000s teen high school movie, and then it goes into serious topics like Bea's complex feelings as a child of divorce and infidelity out of NOWHERE and DOESN'T RESOLVE THEM, and THEN there is a really good dive into female competitiveness BUT it swings back over to being a love story in the very end.
Secondly, It’s just very bizarre how most of the characters are written in this book. They don’t talk like people, they talk like what a middle schooler thinks teenagers talk like based on the fanfiction they've read. And while yes I am being harsh, I believe that is warranted. OR maybe McNeil is really a genius and she nailed down the annoying and obnoxious talk of teens that I as an old musty 25 year old just can't get down with today's teens. Who knows. Either way, difficult to get past as an adult, but a reader might be significantly more forgiving as a teenager.
The biggest issue of this story is that Beatrice is supposed to be a math girlie, but this author seems to have a misconception about what it is actually like to be a girl interested in STEM? While I can say that her pompous nature and efforts to push people away are semi-accurate to my own biographical high school experience as a STEM nerd, I still feel like Beatrice’s character misses the mark significantly. The math the author researched for the book is very minimal, and I am not math genius myself but I think it's glaringly obvious by the odd formulas that she is completely bullshitting what she wrote in the book. I can't fault McNeil for that, but it would have been nice if we delved more into why Beatrice loves math other than she's good at it and hates everyone else because they're bad at it?
And a nitpick, It’s one thing to not be strong in other disciplines in the humanities, but Beatrice’s utter hatred for them not only makes her off-putting but just annoying. Why have her in AP English if she HATES what they’re learning? That makes no sense. She would be in AP Literature as a senior and she HATES literature and makes it obvious she does. It would make more sense for her to be in that class but not be good at it and be surprised because she thought it would be an easy class. However, Beatrice has the highest GPA in her class, so obviously she is doing well.
From personal experience, AP Literature is definitely not just a smart kids class and if there is no effort on part of someone who hates to read poetry and sees it as a waste of time, there is no way she would have a good grade in the class, let alone pass the AP test.
Moving on from that, the wildest thing in this book is how ABSOLUTELY HORNY the author writes Spencer and Beatrice’s scenes. Like I understand wanting to establish they were endgame from the very beginning, but the SNIFFING??? The PROLONGED HUGS THAT MAKE THEM TINGLE?? THE WEIRD TICKLE FIGHT? I usually have no issue with these concepts but it was just a little too strong right off the bat. Plus, Spencer is a shitty friend. I immediately turned on him when he was "disappointed" with Beatrice for sharing Toile's pictures. I hate moments like that, she did nothing wrong. Spencer was just kind of a lame love interest and he seemed more like a pick me boy himself most times than not. AND the fact that Bea just FORGETS about wanting this scholarship at the very end and her happy ending is getting the boy rather than getting the boy AND scholarship? This was an unfortunate oversight on McNeil's part.
I also found a lot the secondary characters to be so bland. Kurt was also a bad secondary character. I understand what the author was trying to do with him and Gabe, but it just wasn't as effective as I think she was hoping it would be. And the high schools bullies were more cartoonish than realistic that it really lowered the stakes of how serious being bullied was to the protagonists.
I think while this book would be more enjoyable for a much younger audience, it is still INCREDIBLY dated to the time period that it was written, and I think it will be hard for current high school aged readers to enjoy the book as much as I did for the nostalgic 2015-2016 camp factors. McNeil seems to be a good writer and when she gets going, the story is actually enjoyable. However, from a critical point of view this entire book reads like a tiktok skit from user Riri Bichri (@riribibi_).
All the scenes with Toile and Bea fighting is just this video in written form: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwbF_JEJUHJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
While the book is a cute high school romance that has some good moments, its story moves from point to point too quickly and never focuses on a definitive purpose of the narrative. It tries to balance a teen high school romance, with a revenge story, with a side of infidelity drama, that tries to act like a dissection of stereotypes that wraps up too quickly for it to be satisfying.
Verdict? CRINGE
I have a lot to say about this book, not all of it can be written in a neatly written review, but I will try my best to convey how this book made me feel. While I have MANY criticisms regarding this story, I think overall it redeemed itself starting in the middle for a semi enjoyable read. Was it an enjoyable read because the book was good? Debatable. But, even with a strong middle story, I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl still falls incredibly short with its embarrassing plot lines and dialogue, dated cliches that are dissected to the extent you’d see in a 2014 Tumblr post, and a whole lot of cringey characterizations from its characters that makes it difficult to root for them. Along with an unsatisfying ending, the book leaves much to be desired, BUT can offer you something if you don’t think about it too hard.
I really like this YouTuber named Athena P (go check out her channel) and she has a series called Camp or Cringe where she reviews 2010s media that she enjoyed in high school and middle school to see if it still holds up as an adult. That’s how I feel about to write this review. Is I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl CAMP or CRINGE? Let’s find out.
The most blaring problems with this book are the most obvious in the beginning portion of the novel. While the concept of the story is actually strong, it doesn’t find its voice or momentum until the very middle of the book and completely throws in every dramatic minor plot point it can think of, before unceremoniously and rapidly tying up all its loose ends with very minimal reward. From the start we are introduced to our protagonist who is just downright unlikeable. I think McNeil was trying to write a relatable protag that was an outcast, but ended up creating a I’m not like other girls stereotype. And while Beatrice’s jealousy and anger is her most interesting character trait, it is not handled well most of the story. Like I said, at first it's a character dissection of stereotypes in the form of a 2000s teen high school movie, and then it goes into serious topics like Bea's complex feelings as a child of divorce and infidelity out of NOWHERE and DOESN'T RESOLVE THEM, and THEN there is a really good dive into female competitiveness BUT it swings back over to being a love story in the very end.
Secondly, It’s just very bizarre how most of the characters are written in this book. They don’t talk like people, they talk like what a middle schooler thinks teenagers talk like based on the fanfiction they've read. And while yes I am being harsh, I believe that is warranted. OR maybe McNeil is really a genius and she nailed down the annoying and obnoxious talk of teens that I as an old musty 25 year old just can't get down with today's teens. Who knows. Either way, difficult to get past as an adult, but a reader might be significantly more forgiving as a teenager.
The biggest issue of this story is that Beatrice is supposed to be a math girlie, but this author seems to have a misconception about what it is actually like to be a girl interested in STEM? While I can say that her pompous nature and efforts to push people away are semi-accurate to my own biographical high school experience as a STEM nerd, I still feel like Beatrice’s character misses the mark significantly. The math the author researched for the book is very minimal, and I am not math genius myself but I think it's glaringly obvious by the odd formulas that she is completely bullshitting what she wrote in the book. I can't fault McNeil for that, but it would have been nice if we delved more into why Beatrice loves math other than she's good at it and hates everyone else because they're bad at it?
And a nitpick, It’s one thing to not be strong in other disciplines in the humanities, but Beatrice’s utter hatred for them not only makes her off-putting but just annoying. Why have her in AP English if she HATES what they’re learning? That makes no sense. She would be in AP Literature as a senior and she HATES literature and makes it obvious she does. It would make more sense for her to be in that class but not be good at it and be surprised because she thought it would be an easy class. However, Beatrice has the highest GPA in her class, so obviously she is doing well.
From personal experience, AP Literature is definitely not just a smart kids class and if there is no effort on part of someone who hates to read poetry and sees it as a waste of time, there is no way she would have a good grade in the class, let alone pass the AP test.
Moving on from that, the wildest thing in this book is how ABSOLUTELY HORNY the author writes Spencer and Beatrice’s scenes. Like I understand wanting to establish they were endgame from the very beginning, but the SNIFFING??? The PROLONGED HUGS THAT MAKE THEM TINGLE?? THE WEIRD TICKLE FIGHT? I usually have no issue with these concepts but it was just a little too strong right off the bat. Plus, Spencer is a shitty friend. I immediately turned on him when he was "disappointed" with Beatrice for sharing Toile's pictures. I hate moments like that, she did nothing wrong. Spencer was just kind of a lame love interest and he seemed more like a pick me boy himself most times than not. AND the fact that Bea just FORGETS about wanting this scholarship at the very end and her happy ending is getting the boy rather than getting the boy AND scholarship? This was an unfortunate oversight on McNeil's part.
Spoiler
ALSO MICHAEL TORRES GETTING A HAPPY ENDING? Electric chair. That boy should have been executed. A very poorly written antagonist that never really played the roll as the antagonist with an even more poorly written ending? Toile was a better villain than him and IF McNeil HAD NOT FORCED HER TO GET WITH MICHAEL IT WOULD HAVE MADE THE STORY A LOT MORE SATISFYING. HER AND BEA'S SCENE WAS THE BEST IN THE WHOLE BOOK.I also found a lot the secondary characters to be so bland. Kurt was also a bad secondary character. I understand what the author was trying to do with him and Gabe, but it just wasn't as effective as I think she was hoping it would be. And the high schools bullies were more cartoonish than realistic that it really lowered the stakes of how serious being bullied was to the protagonists.
I think while this book would be more enjoyable for a much younger audience, it is still INCREDIBLY dated to the time period that it was written, and I think it will be hard for current high school aged readers to enjoy the book as much as I did for the nostalgic 2015-2016 camp factors. McNeil seems to be a good writer and when she gets going, the story is actually enjoyable. However, from a critical point of view this entire book reads like a tiktok skit from user Riri Bichri (@riribibi_).
All the scenes with Toile and Bea fighting is just this video in written form: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwbF_JEJUHJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
While the book is a cute high school romance that has some good moments, its story moves from point to point too quickly and never focuses on a definitive purpose of the narrative. It tries to balance a teen high school romance, with a revenge story, with a side of infidelity drama, that tries to act like a dissection of stereotypes that wraps up too quickly for it to be satisfying.
Verdict? CRINGE
steph01924's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting take on the high school trope of reinventing yourself to be popular. Check out my review on Forever Young Adult.
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
2.0
Woo, where to start? I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a protagonist more than I disliked Bea. This book is so painfully predictable. It’s cliche on top of overdone trope, on top of metaphor. As someone who’s not a math person, Bea’s whole MO is lost on me. I’m also flabbergasted that the premise is girl who has been going to school with the same kids for years cuts hair and changes wardrobe and suddenly people don’t know who she is? If high school were that easy and kids were that dumb, I’d have changed who I was twice a week!
talya_'s review against another edition
1.0
Desperation is pathetic and sad, and this girl reeks of it.
vll295's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up because I really liked the cover. The story was one in which I really enjoyed. It is a high school setting where the youth of the story are trying to make sense of the world around them. I appreciated the plot and I learned something new about the 'manic pixie dream girl' idea. I enjoyed this book.
doublearegee's review against another edition
4.0
Not without its problems, but it was a great read. I would love to see this as an indie movie.
jugglingpup's review against another edition
2.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
This is a review that is part of our Buddy Reads program where Maddy and I review the same book in a short time period.
I am going to be completely frank, I decided this was a book I had to read based on two criteria: the title and Maddy marked it to-read on GoodReads. I didn’t know what the plot was, I didn’t know the author. I clearly don’t pay attention enough before I pick up a book.
This book follows a lot of 80’s movie in the “lets get popular quick” scheming. The reason behind the get popular scheme was new, but the way it was done was pretty much the same. The main difference between those movies and this book is the constant references to math. So combine An Abundance of Katehrines with any 80’s high school movie and you got this book. There was nothing new, nothing exciting.
The main love interest throughout the book is supposedly Jesse, who isn’t a good fit for Bea anyway. He was quick to ditch her and was willing to cheat on who he left her for. So why would she want him back? It was an obvious red hearing. She is dealing with jealousy of the new girl and her un-examined feelings for her best friend. I hope I was never as dense as these characters. There were predictable, shallow, and so easily manipulated.
There wasn’t a single character I liked. The gay sub plot was obnoxious. Bea, who supposedly is a brilliant person, refers to gay people are homosexual at one point. That is not even close to the language that teenagers use. It was extra off-putting because it was during a conversation where she was being called out for being homophobic. I don’t think she is homophobic. I think Kurt has issues with the idea of anyone being femme, but that is a whole separate issue. So in the end, ick, lots of problems with the gay plot.
Just overall, this book fell short. It wasn’t funny enough to pull itself along. It wasn’t witty enough to be a new look at the same plot. Have you seen GBF? Have you seen Mean Girls? Have you seen First Period? All better versions of this book with a better gay plot. I can keep going and actually name movies from the 80’s, but I know the newer movies a bit better. Sadly this book didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t necessarily badly written, it just had a bad plot. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the way the author was able to keep me focused even when I didn’t care. I would give McNeil another read because she clearly has some skill. I am hoping her other books offer more than this one did.
This is a review that is part of our Buddy Reads program where Maddy and I review the same book in a short time period.
I am going to be completely frank, I decided this was a book I had to read based on two criteria: the title and Maddy marked it to-read on GoodReads. I didn’t know what the plot was, I didn’t know the author. I clearly don’t pay attention enough before I pick up a book.
This book follows a lot of 80’s movie in the “lets get popular quick” scheming. The reason behind the get popular scheme was new, but the way it was done was pretty much the same. The main difference between those movies and this book is the constant references to math. So combine An Abundance of Katehrines with any 80’s high school movie and you got this book. There was nothing new, nothing exciting.
The main love interest throughout the book is supposedly Jesse, who isn’t a good fit for Bea anyway. He was quick to ditch her and was willing to cheat on who he left her for. So why would she want him back? It was an obvious red hearing. She is dealing with jealousy of the new girl and her un-examined feelings for her best friend. I hope I was never as dense as these characters. There were predictable, shallow, and so easily manipulated.
There wasn’t a single character I liked. The gay sub plot was obnoxious. Bea, who supposedly is a brilliant person, refers to gay people are homosexual at one point. That is not even close to the language that teenagers use. It was extra off-putting because it was during a conversation where she was being called out for being homophobic. I don’t think she is homophobic. I think Kurt has issues with the idea of anyone being femme, but that is a whole separate issue. So in the end, ick, lots of problems with the gay plot.
Just overall, this book fell short. It wasn’t funny enough to pull itself along. It wasn’t witty enough to be a new look at the same plot. Have you seen GBF? Have you seen Mean Girls? Have you seen First Period? All better versions of this book with a better gay plot. I can keep going and actually name movies from the 80’s, but I know the newer movies a bit better. Sadly this book didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t necessarily badly written, it just had a bad plot. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the way the author was able to keep me focused even when I didn’t care. I would give McNeil another read because she clearly has some skill. I am hoping her other books offer more than this one did.