Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Upside Down by N.R. Walker

8 reviews

kaygol's review against another edition

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

4.25

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cheye13's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

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betweentheshelves's review

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lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I will admit, it took me a little bit to get into this becuase the writing style wasn't quite what I'm used to. I'm not really sure I can put into words why, but it didn't really click with me until about halfway through the book. I loved that second half of the book, though! Once Jordan and Hennessy really start getting into the relationship stuff, that's what really pulled me in.

There is just something so incredibly validating about reading romance with asexual characters. Add in the fact that one of them is a librarian and I am sold. I loved getting to see the characters explore their relationship and explore what it means to be asexual, both in their own ways. There were some great side characters, too, even if I wish a few of them were developed a bit more. 

All in all, this was the perfect read after reading two pretty heavy books in a row. I think I might have to continue with this cute romance theme until the end of the year, because it seems like a good note to end 2021 on.
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rey_therese07's review

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

This was a lot of fun!!

Rep: white gay ace questioning male MC with anxiety, white gay asexual male MC, lesbian female side character, bisexual male side character involved in a poly triad, side characters part of an aromantic and asexual support group. 

CWs: Acephobia, arophobia, alcohol consumption, cursing, mental illness (anxiety), panic attacks. Moderate: past mentions of emotional abuse, homophobia, outing and toxic relationships. 
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alyshkalia's review

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emotional lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.0

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enbygolem's review

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lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I really love that this book had Ace representation. Yep, that's it - that is literally the only thing I liked about it.

I did not care for the 2 main characters at all. I felt that Jordan was excessively mean and myopic to an unsettling degree. He openly mocks random people based off their features constantly and gets upset when those people, at worse, look offended by his lengthy verbal tirades. And the book tries to pass this off as . . . enduring? Funny? To me, he just comes off as a complete dick.  Don't worry though he doesn't "have tourettes or anything like that" . . . Sigh

Hennessy on the other hand was painfully flat and extremely limited. I felt like I didn't know him beyond the information readily available on a Facebook profile. He was also an ass to his friend, again being too caught in his own plot to check in with the only other person featured in his life. He never even apologized after he aggressively shot-down his friend who was trying to come out to him! 

I hate the dialogue in this book. Just, absolutely hate it.  

And while it is awesome that the book features a prominent Ace relationship, I felt that even that was presented in a much too simplified way and did not tap into the many wonderful ways the Ace spectrum can be expressed and felt. Of course, while this is an impossible task for any one book to do, I thought there were many missed opportunities to at least mention the beautiful range of this expansive sexuality beyond the essentially identical intersection that both Jordan and Hennessy happen to occupy. 
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melaniereadsbooks's review

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lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Alright, buckle-up kiddos because it's unpopular opinion time.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the fact that there are so many people I know who saw themselves in this book (maybe for the first time) as a romance that normalizes asexuality and attempts to educate about it. I am so happy for those people! I hope you continue to find books you see yourself in and that you love them!

This book was...not for me.  I had super high expectations going in because of reviews I've seen. I was looking for a book with great ace rep. This did not do it for me. 

Minor problems: I was bored. There wasn't much plot to speak of, what happened was predictable, the main character was annoying. I felt like the writing was not refined and it seemed like a lot of word vomit. It felt like it relied too heavily on dialogue and not enough on action. There wasn't enough distinction between the two different POV's (honestly, I don't even know why this book had a second POV when Jordan was so clearly the main character). 

Major problems: I found a lot of elements of this book very problematic! I know I am in the minority in this and what I mention will probably seem nit-picky but these things really bothered me while reading and still do after I've had time to think about it:
  • The majority of this book is so focused on one type of ace representation--that being, romantic, touch-positive/kiss-positive asexual men.  That is fine! Books don't have to have everything. But. When one of the main characters runs an ace support group and there are assumedly other asexual characters, it would be nice to at least...mention, that asexuality has a wide spectrum and not everyone is exactly like Jordan and Hennessy? But when it is brought up, it feels haphazard, rushed over, and like Jordan does not think it is nearly as important as his own experience. He is so wrapped up in his head that this makes sense, but Hennessey is supposed to be the grounded, knowledgeable one, and he doesn't fix any of this.  There is a scene at the end that talks...a little more about it, but it isn't until the very end and I feel that most of the harm was already done at this point. If that scene hadn't have been in here, my rating would have been even lower.
  • Jordan is a certifiable a-hole. He is so full of himself and his own problems, I honestly don't understand how he has friends. But he is presented as cute and quirky and funny, when he is so mean to other people. He doesn't care what is going on in his friends' lives, he is constantly thinking about and remarking on physical features of other people that he doesn't like. Honestly he is just a bully, and he has no reason for it. Yet the reader is supposed to think it's cute! It's not cute. Please stop being mean to everyone, Jordan. Show some character development. I'm not here for it.
  • The bi/pan character in this book is in a threesome with a married couple. Again, that's fine, but it just grates on me that this is our only bi rep when it is such a huge stereotype and misconception about bi/pan people that they all want threesomes. There is no clarification.
  • Hennessey slut shames his friend for being poly, and never goes back and apologizes. 
    When Michael asks Hennessey if he thinks you can be in love with more than one person, H immediately yells at him and says he couldn't possibly cheat on his wife.  He then proceeds to completely ignore the fact that his friend is clearly going through something and then forget about it. Later in the book, when he finds out Michael is in a poly relationship, H never apologizes for having yelled at him and accused him of cheating. This is all glossed over as if it is okay
    . 
  • There is a part of this book that says having sex with someone when you are completely uncomfortable, have been pressured and coerced into it over a period of months, and are clearly showing that you don't like it, is consensual. Just because you verbally say the word yes does not mean it is consent!!!!! I can understand the character thinking that, being confused and not understanding and blaming themselves, but the other character should have explained that's not what consent is!!!! That. is. not. consensual. This made me so angry. It would have been a perfect time to talk about what consent actually is! What a missed opportunity.
  • Casual racism laughed off as quirky
    Jordan says if he tried to go to a country in Southeast Asia he would end up in a cooler missing a liver
    . Wow. Very not cool.
  • Angus gets high on paint fumes on accident and it's....played off as funny? That's dangerous, Angus, wear a mask.
  • Hennessey majorly slut-shames his ex for sleeping with people AFTER THEY HAVE BROKEN UP and is a general jerk to him while at work.  Then he gets praised for acting so professional.

Okay people are probably going to get mad at me for this review but!!! It was very upsetting. I had to share my true thoughts.

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