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caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition
TW: This is a book about a school principal OBSESSED with school security.
I know that Katherine Center could not have foreseen the school tragedy in Uvalde, but she wrote this book after the shooting in Santa Fe High School in 2018. Did I mention that Santa Fe High School is in Galveston County? Yeah, NOPE. This feels irresponsible. I never DNF book club books, but I refuse to read this triggering book.
I know that Katherine Center could not have foreseen the school tragedy in Uvalde, but she wrote this book after the shooting in Santa Fe High School in 2018. Did I mention that Santa Fe High School is in Galveston County? Yeah, NOPE. This feels irresponsible. I never DNF book club books, but I refuse to read this triggering book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Grief and Car accident
Minor: Alcohol and Death of parent
smallsurvivor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Gun violence
thrillofthepage's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
sara_phoenix's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Samantha Casey is a school librarian that loves her home, loves her job, loves her friends, and loves her life. But when an former colleague, Duncan Carpenter, shows up to be the new school principal, everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. While I enjoyed the overall theme of the book that joy can still be found in the midst of difficult circumstances, I could not move past the fact that the main characters were very annoying. I finished the book hoping for some sort of redemptive quality in them to appear, but it never came, and the books conclusion was somewhat messy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, and Death
westhemm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Grief, and Death
lexa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“We made a choice to do joy on purpose. Not in spite of life’s sorrows. But because of them.”
This book is all about seeking out joy. And not living in fear. I enjoy Katherine Center’s writing; she has a way of writing lighthearted and beautiful love stories, with a deeper theme or issue worked in. This one is no different, however the “issues” seemed a bit too exaggerated that at times it verged on cheesy or stereotypical.
You might like this book if you: love a school setting, self-help vibe, second chances, and/or people overcoming tragedies.
This book is all about seeking out joy. And not living in fear. I enjoy Katherine Center’s writing; she has a way of writing lighthearted and beautiful love stories, with a deeper theme or issue worked in. This one is no different, however the “issues” seemed a bit too exaggerated that at times it verged on cheesy or stereotypical.
You might like this book if you: love a school setting, self-help vibe, second chances, and/or people overcoming tragedies.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Toxic relationship
florencia's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
On the one hand, I rooted for the charscters and the relationship had good chemistry and made my heart hurt. On the other, the logic and reasoning of the main character is nonsensical:
She has an unrequited crush on her coworker? She quits her job, and leaves town and her life behind.
The same guy moves to where she lives now? She HAS to quit and move away from a life she loves.
None of it made sense. Also the backstory for the emotional conflict was not built up enough that I bought the final conflict.
In the end, I read it in one sitting but it left a lot to be desired.
She has an unrequited crush on her coworker? She quits her job, and leaves town and her life behind.
The same guy moves to where she lives now? She HAS to quit and move away from a life she loves.
None of it made sense. Also the backstory for the emotional conflict was not built up enough that I bought the final conflict.
In the end, I read it in one sitting but it left a lot to be desired.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mass/school shootings
sarahv's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I enjoy the writing style of Katherine Center. I liked the main character and the friends and town. I did find her description of the absurd outfits she was wearing a little distracting. However, I did not like the love interest very much. He is recovering from trauma as a teacher during a school shooting. The first day as the principal of the new school, he shoots off a fake gun in the building. He spends the rest of the book squashing all joy and treating the children and teachers like prisoners. He comes around in the end, but I found it hard to like him after that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Child death, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Death and Grief
A past school shooting is one of the central plots of this book. At the very beginning of the book, someone dies unexpectedly of a stroke and the rest of the book the main character is dealing with grief.
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