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cschaepe84's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
5.0
So yeah, I've been curious about this book on and off for a long time, and I'm glad I'm finally getting around to reading it. Premise is interesting and the first part of the book is drawing me in.
Seriously though, spice, passion, mystery, and an emotional thrill ride, this book HAD IT ALL. I hadn't wanted to read this due to have already read quite a few secret message/pen pal lovers by now, and most were great, others "eh, it's okay" but lacking, but THIS is probably the very best one I've read in that genre.
To be fair, the book takes places AFTER Misha and Ryen have been writing to each other for seven years, and although we do get a few glimpses of some past letters, they are not actively writing each other at this point and know each other, even though their identities are secret. In addition, Misha has stopped writing Ryen for a good three months, which in and of itself becomes a mystery to her among many other things. What happened? Misha was her life-line, her best friend and confidant, even though she has never met him in person. The two are twin flames, and she has fallen for him mentally and emotionally. But maybe the same can't be said for her? Either way, she doesn't know, and the angst of not having him in her life becomes too much so she feels she has no one to talk to, no one to relate to, something I feel I myself can relate with. But with Ryen, that angst had turned her into something else. A lie. Something she hates. She ends up creating this persona that isn't her, a personality that she thinks will make everyone like her, even if it is only just superficially. Nevertheless, the pain eats at her, and she acts out in ways, no one would ever imagine.
Enter then, Masen, who we know from the get-go is actually Misha. He shows up to her school one day, on a covert mission (of which I had to sit there and guess until nearly the very end, and when that ending happened...WHOA). He's had one encounter with Ryen in the past, of which Ryen wasn't aware of, but seeing her in person in school, in her own surroundings, he feels anger and disappointment. The deep, thoughtful, insightful, intelligent girl he had fallen in love with in the letters was actually everything he hates, superficial, shallow, a "mean girl". He feels cheated and duped, and can't help but act out in anger against her when they do collide. But...something about her, even when she's acting in ways that makes him cringe, is wrong. There's more to Ryen than what he sees on the surface, and he's set to finding out what that could be.
All this takes place while the school has a vandal on the loose, writing strange, esoteric messages on the walls and in other places for the student body to see in the morning from the night before. Ryen has a strong feeling Masen, the mysterious, yet forbidden boy that she's grown to hate due to his animosity towards her, may have a hand in it all. As much as she can't stand him, and he her, these two can't stay away from one another, and course, sparks fly, heating up and igniting the page as I go (that Drive-in and Library scene??? Oh man, that was FIRE). Against her best judgment, she is fallen for Masen, and she thinks he may be falling for her too, but something is holding him back from letting them together. It is the secret he's been holding out on, as it would only destroy her.
This book is extremely well-written, and although there's a lot of smut involved (and very good smut at that), I really enjoyed the emotional connection between Ryen and Masen/Misha. I also felt a lot of sympathy for the struggle each of them are going through. The book focuses a lot on Ryen and her own insecurities, her feelings of being alone, but toward the end, we got a lot of Misha too, the mystery of him unravelling little by little. What IS Misha doing in the school if not for Ryen??? What did he steal from the principal's office when he snuck in the school one night??? I know it had a lot to do with him losing his sister, which he talks about quite frequently in the story, but by the end, EVERYTHING tied together so well and came full circle. Once Misha's secret was revealed, everything made sense that didn't before, and we see a disillusioned, broken boy in search of "his tribe" the way Ryen was searching for hers. The finale during the prom was perfect, and I loved how when Ryen decided to drop her mask, her real friend who had been there all along came forward, and they hall worked together to bring down the school bully. One of my other favorite moments is when Misha shows Ryen all his tattoos when she accused him of not caring or thinking about her, showing her that she was in the music the whole time (this was the most beautiful romantic moment I've read--well, ever).This was a story I wish I had written or I wish existed when I was younger, as these themes still speak to me today. Yeah, I know there's a lot cursing, abusive behavior, and many times both Misha and Ryen act despicably and can be unlikeable, but I'm the kind of reader who always wants to ask "why?" and dig until the end. Not that I think people can't have their own opinions, as I know this is why some people DNF'd the book and gave it a low rating, but I really do think they should've stuck with the book to the very end. I promise it's worth it.
Seriously though, spice, passion, mystery, and an emotional thrill ride, this book HAD IT ALL. I hadn't wanted to read this due to have already read quite a few secret message/pen pal lovers by now, and most were great, others "eh, it's okay" but lacking, but THIS is probably the very best one I've read in that genre.
To be fair, the book takes places AFTER Misha and Ryen have been writing to each other for seven years, and although we do get a few glimpses of some past letters, they are not actively writing each other at this point and know each other, even though their identities are secret. In addition, Misha has stopped writing Ryen for a good three months, which in and of itself becomes a mystery to her among many other things. What happened? Misha was her life-line, her best friend and confidant, even though she has never met him in person. The two are twin flames, and she has fallen for him mentally and emotionally. But maybe the same can't be said for her? Either way, she doesn't know, and the angst of not having him in her life becomes too much so she feels she has no one to talk to, no one to relate to, something I feel I myself can relate with. But with Ryen, that angst had turned her into something else. A lie. Something she hates. She ends up creating this persona that isn't her, a personality that she thinks will make everyone like her, even if it is only just superficially. Nevertheless, the pain eats at her, and she acts out in ways, no one would ever imagine.
Enter then, Masen, who we know from the get-go is actually Misha. He shows up to her school one day, on a covert mission (of which I had to sit there and guess until nearly the very end, and when that ending happened...WHOA). He's had one encounter with Ryen in the past, of which Ryen wasn't aware of, but seeing her in person in school, in her own surroundings, he feels anger and disappointment. The deep, thoughtful, insightful, intelligent girl he had fallen in love with in the letters was actually everything he hates, superficial, shallow, a "mean girl". He feels cheated and duped, and can't help but act out in anger against her when they do collide. But...something about her, even when she's acting in ways that makes him cringe, is wrong. There's more to Ryen than what he sees on the surface, and he's set to finding out what that could be.
All this takes place while the school has a vandal on the loose, writing strange, esoteric messages on the walls and in other places for the student body to see in the morning from the night before. Ryen has a strong feeling Masen, the mysterious, yet forbidden boy that she's grown to hate due to his animosity towards her, may have a hand in it all. As much as she can't stand him, and he her, these two can't stay away from one another, and course, sparks fly, heating up and igniting the page as I go (that Drive-in and Library scene??? Oh man, that was FIRE). Against her best judgment, she is fallen for Masen, and she thinks he may be falling for her too, but something is holding him back from letting them together. It is the secret he's been holding out on, as it would only destroy her.
This book is extremely well-written, and although there's a lot of smut involved (and very good smut at that), I really enjoyed the emotional connection between Ryen and Masen/Misha. I also felt a lot of sympathy for the struggle each of them are going through. The book focuses a lot on Ryen and her own insecurities, her feelings of being alone, but toward the end, we got a lot of Misha too, the mystery of him unravelling little by little. What IS Misha doing in the school if not for Ryen??? What did he steal from the principal's office when he snuck in the school one night??? I know it had a lot to do with him losing his sister, which he talks about quite frequently in the story, but by the end, EVERYTHING tied together so well and came full circle. Once Misha's secret was revealed, everything made sense that didn't before, and we see a disillusioned, broken boy in search of "his tribe" the way Ryen was searching for hers. The finale during the prom was perfect, and I loved how when Ryen decided to drop her mask, her real friend who had been there all along came forward, and they hall worked together to bring down the school bully. One of my other favorite moments is when Misha shows Ryen all his tattoos when she accused him of not caring or thinking about her, showing her that she was in the music the whole time (this was the most beautiful romantic moment I've read--well, ever).This was a story I wish I had written or I wish existed when I was younger, as these themes still speak to me today. Yeah, I know there's a lot cursing, abusive behavior, and many times both Misha and Ryen act despicably and can be unlikeable, but I'm the kind of reader who always wants to ask "why?" and dig until the end. Not that I think people can't have their own opinions, as I know this is why some people DNF'd the book and gave it a low rating, but I really do think they should've stuck with the book to the very end. I promise it's worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Bullying, Cursing, Abandonment, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship
sbordo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy, Death, Alcohol, Body shaming, Violence, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Blood
callant's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Idk reading about teenagers getting frisky in a high school just isn't my jam. I couldn't stop thinking about how young they were. And she just went from school bully to leader of the misfits in like a day?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
shadzrose's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Absolutely hated everything about it. Couldn't stop reading because "it can't get any worse, right?" and then it did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Bullying
Moderate: Death and Homophobia
jessanicolesingh's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
This author is quickly climbing up my favorite’s list!
This particular storyline follows a friends to enemies to lovers trope, with a little side quest of mystery. It’s filled with teen angst and a fair amount of steam, and I’m not quite sure how to categorize it; it’s much moodier than a regular romance but fluffier than a dark romance. I saw both of the main reveals coming, but was still satisfied with how all of the loose ends tied up.
This particular storyline follows a friends to enemies to lovers trope, with a little side quest of mystery. It’s filled with teen angst and a fair amount of steam, and I’m not quite sure how to categorize it; it’s much moodier than a regular romance but fluffier than a dark romance. I saw both of the main reveals coming, but was still satisfied with how all of the loose ends tied up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, and Bullying
hannah_lilli's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Grief, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment
everythinginbetween's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Drug use
mouwuol's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Cursing, Classism, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Grief, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Addiction, Blood, Alcohol, Bullying, Sexism, and Death
jasfieldx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Punk 57… what can I say, this book has been on my TBR for at least 2 years and after mixed reviews and putting it off I finally bit the bullet and jumped in.
This book takes you on all sorts of twists and turns that really aren’t expected! There is a lot of suspense and tension built up within this book and a lot of wtaf moments that, tbh I’m not entirely sure were very relevant to the story line and the book may have flowed slightly better without so many paths that the characters went down
The spice in this book was good, it wasn’t too cringe and didn’t happen on every single page so when if did happen, it was creating a moment between Ryen and Misha that made their relationship feel special and created depth between them.
3 stars because it’s a good, fast paced book with a good storyline, likeable FMC but the book has some flaws like the MMC romanticises fairly toxic behaviours from the start that don’t really improve until the end of the book, the bullying across the board just isn’t really needed and the ending is just a bit flat but, I’d still recommend this book because I did enjoy reading it and will be reading more from Penelope Douglas soon
This book takes you on all sorts of twists and turns that really aren’t expected! There is a lot of suspense and tension built up within this book and a lot of wtaf moments that, tbh I’m not entirely sure were very relevant to the story line and the book may have flowed slightly better without so many paths that the characters went down
The spice in this book was good, it wasn’t too cringe and didn’t happen on every single page so when if did happen, it was creating a moment between Ryen and Misha that made their relationship feel special and created depth between them.
3 stars because it’s a good, fast paced book with a good storyline, likeable FMC but the book has some flaws like the MMC romanticises fairly toxic behaviours from the start that don’t really improve until the end of the book, the bullying across the board just isn’t really needed and the ending is just a bit flat but, I’d still recommend this book because I did enjoy reading it and will be reading more from Penelope Douglas soon
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Cursing
charliebites's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Blood