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challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content warnings: grooming, biphobia (in the past), shitty parenting, cheating
Look, at least part of my rating for this book is entirely my fault. I didn't read the blurb before going into this one. I just saw the cover and that it was available at my library and called it good. So I didn't know that this was about a 15 year old girl who's being groomed by her 36 year old married-with-a-child-on-the-way teacher. And as someone who works in a school, that entire plotline a) gave me the biggest fucking ick, and b) didn't resolve in a way that made sense to me. Like...GO TO THE POLICE, MA'AM. DON'T WAIT TO TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL. I know it was the early 2000s, but still.
Anyway. The moving-to-a-new-town stuff and the gaming stuff was pretty delightful. I just wanted more from the main storyline than I got.
Look, at least part of my rating for this book is entirely my fault. I didn't read the blurb before going into this one. I just saw the cover and that it was available at my library and called it good. So I didn't know that this was about a 15 year old girl who's being groomed by her 36 year old married-with-a-child-on-the-way teacher. And as someone who works in a school, that entire plotline a) gave me the biggest fucking ick, and b) didn't resolve in a way that made sense to me. Like...
Anyway. The moving-to-a-new-town stuff and the gaming stuff was pretty delightful. I just wanted more from the main storyline than I got.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
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
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
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:
No
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
fast-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
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book had so much breathing room while also fitting in so many aspects of… not fitting in?
I loved every character except the ones we were supposed to hate, and I especially loved how the character designs changed over time for some of them, like Aaron.
Big fan of Kate Leth from Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat (highly recommend to anyone and everyone, really) but this was an awesome graphic novel from them. And I also like seeing the nods to gender-shrug-ness in it, I love that for everyone out there who needs to see it and feel seen by it.
I loved every character except the ones we were supposed to hate, and I especially loved how the character designs changed over time for some of them, like Aaron.
Big fan of Kate Leth from Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat (highly recommend to anyone and everyone, really) but this was an awesome graphic novel from them. And I also like seeing the nods to gender-shrug-ness in it, I love that for everyone out there who needs to see it and feel seen by it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Abandonment
Minor: Biphobia
3.5 stars for this coming-of-age drama of new schools, first jobs, first loves, and friend-group troubles. Liv is a teen in the early 2000s struggling with plenty of teen problems: she's moved to a new town after trouble at her old school, so she's wary of making new friends who might drop her; her parents' marriage is in trouble; the guy she likes is already involved with someone else; and the special attention she's getting from a favourite teacher may be crossing the line to inappropriate. Just when she starts feeling progress, finding other gamer-kids, things start to get uncomfortable. Is there any way to untangle all of this? Will she ever find people who really get her?
I like how the adults in this story are characters, too - from Liv's mother to the friend's aunt - with significant roles to play, rather than just being background props, even though the story is about the teens. It felt more realistic that way, compared to lots of YA stories where there are no characters outside the age-range of, like, 13-25.
Recommended for teens and up who enjoy stories of realistic/real-life drama, friend-group dynamics, and coming of age. Serious issues are dealt with in a frank but suitably non-graphic way (there are no images that would traumatize a 9-year-old if the book fell open - but still, this is intended for teens and up; I don't care how 'advanced' your 9-yr-old is, this story is too 'old' for them).
Content/parental concerns: no drugs, alcohol, house-parties etc; no habitual swearing, just the rare occasion of a surprised exclamation; no sex scenes, but a few instances of heavy kissing or making out (not graphically shown - fade-to-black glimpses in silhouette)
Content warnings: infidelity, portrayal of an adult predatory groomer
I like how the adults in this story are characters, too - from Liv's mother to the friend's aunt - with significant roles to play, rather than just being background props, even though the story is about the teens. It felt more realistic that way, compared to lots of YA stories where there are no characters outside the age-range of, like, 13-25.
Recommended for teens and up who enjoy stories of realistic/real-life drama, friend-group dynamics, and coming of age. Serious issues are dealt with in a frank but suitably non-graphic way (there are no images that would traumatize a 9-year-old if the book fell open - but still, this is intended for teens and up; I don't care how 'advanced' your 9-yr-old is, this story is too 'old' for them).
Content/parental concerns: no drugs, alcohol, house-parties etc; no habitual swearing, just the rare occasion of a surprised exclamation; no sex scenes, but a few instances of heavy kissing or making out (not graphically shown - fade-to-black glimpses in silhouette)
Content warnings: infidelity, portrayal of an adult predatory groomer
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced