gilwen's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
ceciliacrawley's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
johtsosie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.75
jp4moso's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book I’ve read that I cried reading the Author’s Notes. Anna’s character could not feel more real and relatable, it truly kept me up at night thinking about burnout and how AAPI communities (and many other communities) ignore mental health to “keep everyone happy” at the cost of personal health
ooooo this book got me…
I am knocking off a star because one particular chapter of Quan deciding to fly to Arizona and run. It felt so off and not as believable. A lot of his storyline felt weaker than the family storyline.
But frankly, the star of this book was Anna and her family dynamic and I truly feel like I would recommend this book because of the mental health content mater and not as a romance novel.
I love how vulnerable the author was with this book, incredibly brave and admirable work.
ooooo this book got me…
I am knocking off a star because one particular chapter of Quan deciding to fly to Arizona and run. It felt so off and not as believable. A lot of his storyline felt weaker than the family storyline.
But frankly, the star of this book was Anna and her family dynamic and I truly feel like I would recommend this book because of the mental health content mater and not as a romance novel.
I love how vulnerable the author was with this book, incredibly brave and admirable work.
christinarosie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
raygoetz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
layna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
wanda16's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the story, but there were some things that really bothered me:
1) One minute, Julian has told everyone he and Anna are getting married (even though he never formally proposed), then she runs off and he, too, just suddenly disappears. It just feels like there’s a huge gap there.
2) And Anna never fully explained to Quan that she and Julian were over. She apologizes, but doesn’t fully explain what happened (at least from what we can see), and suddenly they’re kissing.
3) Anna and Priscilla. Why couldn’t they have worked things out? Maybe it was more realistic, but it still kinda bothered me.
4) A lot of the conversations just felt really unfinished and weren’t explained clearly. Maybe that was the author’s intention, but it didn’t sit right with me.
Just those things bothered me the most.
Still, I did the story a lot overall. It’s an interesting way to learn about autism and the autism spectrum, and I love the character development and plot (minus the gaps).
1) One minute, Julian has told everyone he and Anna are getting married (even though he never formally proposed), then she runs off and he, too, just suddenly disappears. It just feels like there’s a huge gap there.
2) And Anna never fully explained to Quan that she and Julian were over. She apologizes, but doesn’t fully explain what happened (at least from what we can see), and suddenly they’re kissing.
3) Anna and Priscilla. Why couldn’t they have worked things out? Maybe it was more realistic, but it still kinda bothered me.
4) A lot of the conversations just felt really unfinished and weren’t explained clearly. Maybe that was the author’s intention, but it didn’t sit right with me.
Just those things bothered me the most.
Still, I did the story a lot overall. It’s an interesting way to learn about autism and the autism spectrum, and I love the character development and plot (minus the gaps).