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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ellie can't call herself a Mainer if she hasn't heard of a whoopie pie!
This book was like a really nice puzzle whose pieces got all jumbled around. All of the conflicts felt out of order, the character building fell flat at times, overall it just kind of meh.
★★★ // she writes okay, but lacks any punch or oompf in terms of story-telling. they’re two completely different things.
This is a great YA romance- sweet and summery and just infused with enough side characters and plot points to keep the story grounded.
Zo saai. Het zag er zo leuk uit, maar niet dus. Ik heb de laatste 20% van het boek diagonaal gelezen.
Title: This Is What Happy Looks Like
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Headline
Length: 416 pages
Original Publishing Date: April 2nd, 2013
Series: Standalone
Where I got it: Bought from Barnes & Noble
Links: Goodreads Amazon Author's Website
Synopsis from Goodreads:
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?
Main characters: 3.5/5
Graham gave a personable aspect to celebrities. I loved that Smith depicted him as a normal person and showed the everyday struggles that he had to deal with. It made him a realistic and sympathetic main character.
Ellie was so incredibly down-to-earth. I think that's probably the best way to describe her in one phrase. She was so grounded in everyday life, had a good head on her shoulders, and was entirely practical- in the best way possible. I think her personality meshed with Graham's because Graham could often be up in the clouds- drawing or thinking or acting.
Some problems with Ellie and Graham: it took me a long time to get a great sense of how Graham and Ellie interacted together. Although Smith included some of their emails in the prologue, we didn't get a true idea of how they meshed or the chemistry between them. This made their romance have an "instalove" feel, even though I don't think it actually was.
Another big problem? I didn't feel integrally connected to their characters. I was rooting for them sure, but I wasn't passionately involved in their story. I think part of this may have been the predictability of the story, which caused me to feel like there was less of a stake in their romance.
Secondary characters: 3/5
This is another books that has very few secondary characters. The biggest secondary character was Quinn, Ellie's best friend. I like that Quinn is described as opposite of Ellie, and the mix-up that ensues with her and Graham. Quinn also has her own stuff going on in her life, which means that we don't see her a lot. Quinn had the possibility of being a great best friend character, but specific plot points made her fall short of her potential as a developed character. These plot points added conflict and dynamics to Ellie and Quinn's relationship, but made it difficult to understand Quinn further.
Ellie's mom played a big role in the novel and I liked that. Even though she and Ellie get along well, they still disagree over some things and we see some conflict between the two. This conflict allowed us to get to know both Ellie and her mom better, and their conflict advanced the story and allowed them to grow as individuals.
All of this being said? I was disappointed with the number and depth of secondary characters. Because there were few major secondary characters, I wanted to be emotionally attached to them and understand them fully and I really didn't get that.
Writing style: 3/5
You may remember that I struggled at bit with Jennifer E. Smith's writing style in The Statistical Probability of Falling in Love. I enjoyed the writing in This is What Happy Looks Like far more. The pacing, to start, was faster for me than Probability, even though it was longer.
The writing was simple and utilitarian for most of the novel, but there were parts where Smith just shone as hit you with some beautiful sentences. Those run-on sentences were still present, but they were less noticeable than in Probability. Overall, my experience with Smith's writing style was still just ok. It didn't particularly stand out to me, and there were definitely still aspects that didn't click with me.
Plot: 3/5
The first thing I need to point out about the plot is that it is predictable. This isn't always a bad thing though, because even though Smith draws on cliches that we are all familiar with, I still felt myself falling into their relationship. The novel focuses on Ellie and Graham as individuals and as a couple, but I also loved that it dealt with family and identity.
But let's talk about the mechanics of the plot structure. I mentioned earlier that I wished there had been more interaction with Ellie and Graham before they met in person. We are led to believe that they have so much in common, but it didn't come through in the writing. Graham also has this "gut reaction" to Ellie (or not Ellie) that I think came off as a little ridiculous given that they had never met in person. Finally, I struggled with the middle section when Ellie blows off Graham. I didn't understand why and the fact that Graham forgave her so quickly seemed unrealistic to me.
Ending: 3/5
Smith tries to make the ending of the novel very literary and meaningful, and I'm still a little torn on the extent to which it accomplished its goal.
On the one hand, the writing is absolutely gorgeous and I love that the ending leaves some options open: just as Graham and Ellie don't know what the future will hold, neither do we. That being said, I felt like the end just tried too hard. Like it was attempting to make a light, fun romance into some big mysterious meaning of life.
Best scene: When Graham realizes that Quinn is not Ellie.... Oops....
Reminded Me Of: You've Got Mail
Positives: Realistic main characters, the simple elegance of the writing style, the way it ended
Negatives: No intense connection to main characters, small and underdeveloped secondary cast, predictable plot, the description/writing style of the ending (the overdramatic descriptions)
Cover: It's perfect. Following in the same style as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, it features hand-drawn yellow features on a black and white background. The yellow goes perfectly with the "happy" theme and I LOVE the font, again.
Verdict: A fun and light summer read that doesn't stand out much from the crowd
Rating: 5.0 / 10 (3 stars)
Your Thoughts: Have you read it? What did you think? If you haven't, will you be adding it to your TBR list? Let me know!
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Headline
Length: 416 pages
Original Publishing Date: April 2nd, 2013
Series: Standalone
Where I got it: Bought from Barnes & Noble
Links: Goodreads Amazon Author's Website
Synopsis from Goodreads:
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?
Main characters: 3.5/5
Graham gave a personable aspect to celebrities. I loved that Smith depicted him as a normal person and showed the everyday struggles that he had to deal with. It made him a realistic and sympathetic main character.
Ellie was so incredibly down-to-earth. I think that's probably the best way to describe her in one phrase. She was so grounded in everyday life, had a good head on her shoulders, and was entirely practical- in the best way possible. I think her personality meshed with Graham's because Graham could often be up in the clouds- drawing or thinking or acting.
Some problems with Ellie and Graham: it took me a long time to get a great sense of how Graham and Ellie interacted together. Although Smith included some of their emails in the prologue, we didn't get a true idea of how they meshed or the chemistry between them. This made their romance have an "instalove" feel, even though I don't think it actually was.
Another big problem? I didn't feel integrally connected to their characters. I was rooting for them sure, but I wasn't passionately involved in their story. I think part of this may have been the predictability of the story, which caused me to feel like there was less of a stake in their romance.
Secondary characters: 3/5
This is another books that has very few secondary characters. The biggest secondary character was Quinn, Ellie's best friend. I like that Quinn is described as opposite of Ellie, and the mix-up that ensues with her and Graham. Quinn also has her own stuff going on in her life, which means that we don't see her a lot. Quinn had the possibility of being a great best friend character, but specific plot points made her fall short of her potential as a developed character. These plot points added conflict and dynamics to Ellie and Quinn's relationship, but made it difficult to understand Quinn further.
Ellie's mom played a big role in the novel and I liked that. Even though she and Ellie get along well, they still disagree over some things and we see some conflict between the two. This conflict allowed us to get to know both Ellie and her mom better, and their conflict advanced the story and allowed them to grow as individuals.
All of this being said? I was disappointed with the number and depth of secondary characters. Because there were few major secondary characters, I wanted to be emotionally attached to them and understand them fully and I really didn't get that.
Writing style: 3/5
You may remember that I struggled at bit with Jennifer E. Smith's writing style in The Statistical Probability of Falling in Love. I enjoyed the writing in This is What Happy Looks Like far more. The pacing, to start, was faster for me than Probability, even though it was longer.
The writing was simple and utilitarian for most of the novel, but there were parts where Smith just shone as hit you with some beautiful sentences. Those run-on sentences were still present, but they were less noticeable than in Probability. Overall, my experience with Smith's writing style was still just ok. It didn't particularly stand out to me, and there were definitely still aspects that didn't click with me.
Plot: 3/5
The first thing I need to point out about the plot is that it is predictable. This isn't always a bad thing though, because even though Smith draws on cliches that we are all familiar with, I still felt myself falling into their relationship. The novel focuses on Ellie and Graham as individuals and as a couple, but I also loved that it dealt with family and identity.
But let's talk about the mechanics of the plot structure. I mentioned earlier that I wished there had been more interaction with Ellie and Graham before they met in person. We are led to believe that they have so much in common, but it didn't come through in the writing. Graham also has this "gut reaction" to Ellie (or not Ellie) that I think came off as a little ridiculous given that they had never met in person. Finally, I struggled with the middle section when Ellie blows off Graham. I didn't understand why and the fact that Graham forgave her so quickly seemed unrealistic to me.
Ending: 3/5
Smith tries to make the ending of the novel very literary and meaningful, and I'm still a little torn on the extent to which it accomplished its goal.
On the one hand, the writing is absolutely gorgeous and I love that the ending leaves some options open: just as Graham and Ellie don't know what the future will hold, neither do we. That being said, I felt like the end just tried too hard. Like it was attempting to make a light, fun romance into some big mysterious meaning of life.
Best scene: When Graham realizes that Quinn is not Ellie.... Oops....
Reminded Me Of: You've Got Mail
Positives: Realistic main characters, the simple elegance of the writing style, the way it ended
Negatives: No intense connection to main characters, small and underdeveloped secondary cast, predictable plot, the description/writing style of the ending (the overdramatic descriptions)
Cover: It's perfect. Following in the same style as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, it features hand-drawn yellow features on a black and white background. The yellow goes perfectly with the "happy" theme and I LOVE the font, again.
Verdict: A fun and light summer read that doesn't stand out much from the crowd
Rating: 5.0 / 10 (3 stars)
Your Thoughts: Have you read it? What did you think? If you haven't, will you be adding it to your TBR list? Let me know!
2.5 Stars. It was a very quick read. Although I didn't necessarily dislike it strongly, I didn't really like it that much either. It felt a bit too much like I was reading a cliché-filled Disney Channel movie written for preteen girls half my age. Not much substance, but easy to finish since it is so short. Easy to finish... and easy to forget afterwards. The prologue was better than the rest of the book. It held some promise because it reminded me a little bit of Dash and Lilly's Book of Dares (a fun book that exceeded my expectations), but after that it fizzled out and became kind of empty. Maybe I'm not judging the book fairly because I am technically not a young adult (to whom this book is aimed), but I've read plenty of young adult books with much more depth and entertainment value than this. I would say don't waste your time reading this, but it's so short that it's barely a waste of time at all.
The Good:
So cute
-The title is my favorite thing: “This is What Happy Looks Like” What a great title.
-This book is complete wish fulfillment for all of us who dreamed about dating a celebrity. Just like we would be, Ellie is totally unfazed by Graham’s celebrity and completely understands the pressure he is under. I probably kept reading because the plot is similar to the fantasy I had when I was twelve years old about meeting Cole Spouse at the mall and him falling in love with me because I couldn’t care less who he was. (“Oh The Suite Life? Yeah whatever, I may have seen a few episodes. By accident or something.”)
-The story starts with Graham accidentally emailing Ellie to ask her to take his pig for a walk and how cute of a hook is that
-The setting, adorable tourist town Henley, Maine is just so charming. I loved reading about the Mom & Pop stores, and how each beach had a different personality.
-A completely harmless story
The Bad:
-A completely harmless story
-Absolutely nothing is challenging. Nothing is morally ambiguous, the protagonists are never ever hard to cheer for, they just change from likable to likable in slightly different ways.
I’d like very much to complain about how easily all the conflicts were resolved in the third act, but spoilers.
-The characters all speak in the same way. Sure Graham’s manager says things that Ellie’s best friend would not, but their manner of speaking is exactly the same. The teenagers sound no different than the adults, the A-list celebrities from LA sound no different than the shop owners from Maine. No one has a distinctive speaking voice. It’s boring.
-It’s boring.
I did enjoy parts of this book. It’s a summer book and I love love love summer books. They’re just special. And I genuinely did enjoy the wish fulfillment aspects. Apparently it’s still exciting to me to think about an ordinary girl having a celebrity fall in love with her. Like I said, that alone was enough to finish reading. But I am definitely not reading it again.
Originally posted on heyteenbookshey.tumblr.com
So cute
-The title is my favorite thing: “This is What Happy Looks Like” What a great title.
-This book is complete wish fulfillment for all of us who dreamed about dating a celebrity. Just like we would be, Ellie is totally unfazed by Graham’s celebrity and completely understands the pressure he is under. I probably kept reading because the plot is similar to the fantasy I had when I was twelve years old about meeting Cole Spouse at the mall and him falling in love with me because I couldn’t care less who he was. (“Oh The Suite Life? Yeah whatever, I may have seen a few episodes. By accident or something.”)
-The story starts with Graham accidentally emailing Ellie to ask her to take his pig for a walk and how cute of a hook is that
-The setting, adorable tourist town Henley, Maine is just so charming. I loved reading about the Mom & Pop stores, and how each beach had a different personality.
-A completely harmless story
The Bad:
-A completely harmless story
-Absolutely nothing is challenging. Nothing is morally ambiguous, the protagonists are never ever hard to cheer for, they just change from likable to likable in slightly different ways.
I’d like very much to complain about how easily all the conflicts were resolved in the third act, but spoilers.
-The characters all speak in the same way. Sure Graham’s manager says things that Ellie’s best friend would not, but their manner of speaking is exactly the same. The teenagers sound no different than the adults, the A-list celebrities from LA sound no different than the shop owners from Maine. No one has a distinctive speaking voice. It’s boring.
-It’s boring.
I did enjoy parts of this book. It’s a summer book and I love love love summer books. They’re just special. And I genuinely did enjoy the wish fulfillment aspects. Apparently it’s still exciting to me to think about an ordinary girl having a celebrity fall in love with her. Like I said, that alone was enough to finish reading. But I am definitely not reading it again.
Originally posted on heyteenbookshey.tumblr.com
