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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
I see this book sitting on my bookshelf and all the disgust and anger I felt for it one year ago rebirths. So I decide to write a review...
I did not like this book. At all. I put it down half-way through then finished it... hmm... maybe three months later? Torrey Grey, the main character, is self-centered and shallow, and lacks a decent character. And that never changes. I think the author wanted to have a flawed character with good points overruling, but she obviously forgot the other half rotting in a dumpster or something.
Torrey judges other people (and their fashion choices) quite often through out the book like she has the privilege because she's a popular internet "fashion guru" or whatever the hell. It gets annoying. Also, how she looks in other peoples' eyes seems to be her biggest concern. The book is just a bunch a clichés with a shitty main character and, of-fucking-course, an amazing and cute love interest that people in the book haven't payed much attention to. (But I guess I've grown used to that.)
I picked up this book mainly because of the fact Torrey is a popular vlogger, and YouTube was mentioned. But I don't even remember if that was a big part of the book. It mainly was just about some girl going to a new school with a "popular group"-oh yeah-the girl is a popular Internet vlogger and the last words she screamed at her younger sister before she died were "Grow up, Miranda."
Maybe I'm being too hard or expecting too much.
I don't know, it's been a while since I read such a book equivalent to a heaping pile of garbage and human phlegm.
I wish I could get a refund, I could've bought a Hershey bar with the money I wasted.
I did not like this book. At all. I put it down half-way through then finished it... hmm... maybe three months later? Torrey Grey, the main character, is self-centered and shallow, and lacks a decent character. And that never changes. I think the author wanted to have a flawed character with good points overruling, but she obviously forgot the other half rotting in a dumpster or something.
Torrey judges other people (and their fashion choices) quite often through out the book like she has the privilege because she's a popular internet "fashion guru" or whatever the hell. It gets annoying. Also, how she looks in other peoples' eyes seems to be her biggest concern. The book is just a bunch a clichés with a shitty main character and, of-fucking-course, an amazing and cute love interest that people in the book haven't payed much attention to. (But I guess I've grown used to that.)
I picked up this book mainly because of the fact Torrey is a popular vlogger, and YouTube was mentioned. But I don't even remember if that was a big part of the book. It mainly was just about some girl going to a new school with a "popular group"-oh yeah-the girl is a popular Internet vlogger and the last words she screamed at her younger sister before she died were "Grow up, Miranda."
Maybe I'm being too hard or expecting too much.
I don't know, it's been a while since I read such a book equivalent to a heaping pile of garbage and human phlegm.
I wish I could get a refund, I could've bought a Hershey bar with the money I wasted.
uhh.. terrible.
i read it cuz it was sitting in my cupboard and i needed something easy to get through.. this was very wattpad, the writing is veryyy wattpad. but i dont feel like giving proper criticism or anything cuz this *is* like 6-7 years old, so whatever, meh. didnt expect it to be great. but i didnt like anybody, the only emotion was annoyance. the weird offrenda thing was also so eh, so away from my personal beliefs and all too, nah, wouldnt.
every character sucks <3
no growth, no one to root for, veryyy flat story.
but at least i read it chalo khair hai
i read it cuz it was sitting in my cupboard and i needed something easy to get through.. this was very wattpad, the writing is veryyy wattpad. but i dont feel like giving proper criticism or anything cuz this *is* like 6-7 years old, so whatever, meh. didnt expect it to be great. but i didnt like anybody, the only emotion was annoyance. the weird offrenda thing was also so eh, so away from my personal beliefs and all too, nah, wouldnt.
every character sucks <3
no growth, no one to root for, veryyy flat story.
but at least i read it chalo khair hai
The sypnosis drew me in... and then the book ended all too fast. I read this after I read Skinny, so of course I ended up comparing them. I can tell you, hands down, that Skinny is MUCH better.
Idk, it's like being "popular", according to Torrey, is just as important as every other problem she has. HELLO, YOUR SISTER JUST DIED, AND YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT POPULARITY??? There's this person who actually cares about her. She ditches him for the chance to... oh, idk, maybe hang out with people who'd boost her popularity status at the new school?
It gets a little better at the end, I guess. Well, better than the beginning. At first she's too scared to hang out with Luis, because it might mess up her reputation.
And then the end. It felt too abrupt for a book where it felt like almost nothing happened. And maybe it's just me, but I'm used to reading Sci Fi and fantasy. So, compared to this... it feels almost plotless, you know?
The parts about Miranda were nice. I liked the flashbacks and the sisterly "love", lol. But then the parts about school came along and just messed it up.
I guess the setting was the same as Skinny, especially since Ever and Rat are mentioned once or twice. It made me wonder: What's the point? Besides Rat and Ever, everyone else from Skinny just disappeared. Also, the characters from Skinny felt more realistic. I couldn't care less for some of the characters in this story.
Maybe this really is an awesome story. I wish I could've liked it as much as I did for Skinny.
Idk, it's like being "popular", according to Torrey, is just as important as every other problem she has. HELLO, YOUR SISTER JUST DIED, AND YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT POPULARITY??? There's this person who actually cares about her. She ditches him for the chance to... oh, idk, maybe hang out with people who'd boost her popularity status at the new school?
It gets a little better at the end, I guess. Well, better than the beginning. At first she's too scared to hang out with Luis, because it might mess up her reputation.
And then the end. It felt too abrupt for a book where it felt like almost nothing happened. And maybe it's just me, but I'm used to reading Sci Fi and fantasy. So, compared to this... it feels almost plotless, you know?
The parts about Miranda were nice. I liked the flashbacks and the sisterly "love", lol. But then the parts about school came along and just messed it up.
I guess the setting was the same as Skinny, especially since Ever and Rat are mentioned once or twice. It made me wonder: What's the point? Besides Rat and Ever, everyone else from Skinny just disappeared. Also, the characters from Skinny felt more realistic. I couldn't care less for some of the characters in this story.
Maybe this really is an awesome story. I wish I could've liked it as much as I did for Skinny.
This book has such an interesting concept! I couldn't put it down; it's such a cute and fun story! Although I didn't find the main character that enjoyable to read about, I loved all of the other characters, and the overall plot. I would definitely recommend this book to contemporary fans!
It was good at the start. It is a book that kind of makes you think. Makes you realise. It can be a little relatable if you are a fan of beauty youtube videos and you start to think about how many of our favourite youtubers may be going thru problems irl but they hide it with a smile and film. It's kinda sad though :( The book was alright. If you have watched the movie "Coco" you may actually understand it better. However I feel that the book could have been written better. But its a unique book as not many books about youtubers have been published, therefore , I urge you to try it out
Grade Range: 9-12 grade
Genre: Realistic
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization:Very Good
Recommendation: Recommended
Here's my review. See below for a student's take on this novel.
At first glance, I did not think that Can’t Look Away showed much promise to be a book that I (a non-teen YA reader) would enjoy. On the book’s cover, there are many different photos of a girl on a YouTube style window showing emotions ranging from sad to frustrated to bored. It did nothing to pique my interest, and the first few chapters of the book did nothing to change my mind. The main character Torrey is a teen beauty vlogger who has recently become controversial because of her involvement in an accident that caused the death of her sister. In the beginning there is not much about Torrey that makes her sympathetic or that makes you want to root for her. She comes across as shallow, superficial and downright mean. Torrey’s first person narration gives readers access to every thought behind her awful scheming and manipulations in an attempt to achieve popularity at her new school. She meets a boy named Luis who seems to be an outcast at the school yet she is inexplicably drawn to him. She begins developing a relationship with him in secret so as not to hurt her chances of becoming popular.
Eventually, in very small increments, Torrey does begin to show some growth in character and slowly starts to learn to deal with her grief, and that is what saved this book for me. Though I didn’t enjoy Torrey’s awfulness and frequent back slides into mean girl territory, I thought it was a realistic portrayal of a teen’s personal growth because it isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight. Overall, I did enjoy the book and found that it had more depth than what I was originally expecting. Recommended for teens who enjoy contemporary, realistic fiction dealing with both family life and high school drama, especially those with an interest in fashion.
Student review by Dominque E. (11th grade)
Can’t Look Away by Donna Cooner is about a girl named Torrey Grey who is an internet fashion advice sensation who just can’t get enough of the praise from her fans, until a horrible car accident killed her 12 year old sister. Torrey is now shunned by her fans and peers, and her distraught parents move her to Texas with her supportive but unpopular cousin Raylene. There she meets Blair, who is pretty much the Torrey that she was before she left, and Luis, who is anti-social and unpopular but also brooding and attractive. His family runs the funeral home, and he begins tells Torrey about the Day of the Dead. Torrey must decide if she wants the life she had. trying to act like the death of her sister didn’t affect her, or come to terms with her turbulent emotions and make peace.
Can’t Look Away was absolutely amazing; it should be titled I can’t put it down because I literally couldn’t. This book’s pace was not at all slow, and some parts it moved kind of fast. One minor issue I had is (while this to be expected) only the main character got the most development throughout the story while some characters who were important were just there and not adequately developed. Overall, this book deserves a 10/10 and is suitable for all high school age groups and older middle school.
Genre: Realistic
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization:Very Good
Recommendation: Recommended
Here's my review. See below for a student's take on this novel.
At first glance, I did not think that Can’t Look Away showed much promise to be a book that I (a non-teen YA reader) would enjoy. On the book’s cover, there are many different photos of a girl on a YouTube style window showing emotions ranging from sad to frustrated to bored. It did nothing to pique my interest, and the first few chapters of the book did nothing to change my mind. The main character Torrey is a teen beauty vlogger who has recently become controversial because of her involvement in an accident that caused the death of her sister. In the beginning there is not much about Torrey that makes her sympathetic or that makes you want to root for her. She comes across as shallow, superficial and downright mean. Torrey’s first person narration gives readers access to every thought behind her awful scheming and manipulations in an attempt to achieve popularity at her new school. She meets a boy named Luis who seems to be an outcast at the school yet she is inexplicably drawn to him. She begins developing a relationship with him in secret so as not to hurt her chances of becoming popular.
Eventually, in very small increments, Torrey does begin to show some growth in character and slowly starts to learn to deal with her grief, and that is what saved this book for me. Though I didn’t enjoy Torrey’s awfulness and frequent back slides into mean girl territory, I thought it was a realistic portrayal of a teen’s personal growth because it isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight. Overall, I did enjoy the book and found that it had more depth than what I was originally expecting. Recommended for teens who enjoy contemporary, realistic fiction dealing with both family life and high school drama, especially those with an interest in fashion.
Student review by Dominque E. (11th grade)
Can’t Look Away by Donna Cooner is about a girl named Torrey Grey who is an internet fashion advice sensation who just can’t get enough of the praise from her fans, until a horrible car accident killed her 12 year old sister. Torrey is now shunned by her fans and peers, and her distraught parents move her to Texas with her supportive but unpopular cousin Raylene. There she meets Blair, who is pretty much the Torrey that she was before she left, and Luis, who is anti-social and unpopular but also brooding and attractive. His family runs the funeral home, and he begins tells Torrey about the Day of the Dead. Torrey must decide if she wants the life she had. trying to act like the death of her sister didn’t affect her, or come to terms with her turbulent emotions and make peace.
Can’t Look Away was absolutely amazing; it should be titled I can’t put it down because I literally couldn’t. This book’s pace was not at all slow, and some parts it moved kind of fast. One minor issue I had is (while this to be expected) only the main character got the most development throughout the story while some characters who were important were just there and not adequately developed. Overall, this book deserves a 10/10 and is suitable for all high school age groups and older middle school.
I really liked this book. It was a book where the main character had to take care of her emotions. It was good. It almost made me cry a little bit but also made me laugh.
This was a frustrating read. In my mind I knew that Torrey. a famous youtuber, was grieving over the loss of her younger sister Miranda. She wasn't processing her grief she was trying to push it aside. She was focusing on what her follower where thinking and regaining popularity status after moving to Texas. She would get so caught up trying to please the queen b at the school that was being so mean to the people who were starting to care for her such as potential love interest Luis and her cousin Raylene.
It is actually Luis and his family that help her work through her emotions. His family owns the town's funeral home and his entire family are so comfortable with the idea of death. His abuelita (grandma) is the one who tells Torrey about el Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Death). Torrey begins to gather offerings to bring her sister.
I thought Donna Cooner using the offerings as a way for readers to learn about the sisters dynamic was well done. In fact I really like how the simplest phrase or image would trigger a flash back for Torrey.
I am giving this book a B.
Donna Cooner showed us that grief comes in different forms. Torrey pushed her aside, her mother's grief let it consume her. She also did a great job of exploring the Day of the Dead celebration which is well known but not always accurately represented in the media.
She also had come really great lines in this book. Here are my favorite quotes.
"When the moon shines bright, your fears will be few, and only sweet dreams will come true."
"I want to encourage you to look away from the mirror and turn off your screens. Seek out beauty in unexpected, new places. Maybe you'll find it in an exquisite new friendship. In your own family. And you might even find it hidden deep inside something indescribably ugly."
It is actually Luis and his family that help her work through her emotions. His family owns the town's funeral home and his entire family are so comfortable with the idea of death. His abuelita (grandma) is the one who tells Torrey about el Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Death). Torrey begins to gather offerings to bring her sister.
I thought Donna Cooner using the offerings as a way for readers to learn about the sisters dynamic was well done. In fact I really like how the simplest phrase or image would trigger a flash back for Torrey.
I am giving this book a B.
Donna Cooner showed us that grief comes in different forms. Torrey pushed her aside, her mother's grief let it consume her. She also did a great job of exploring the Day of the Dead celebration which is well known but not always accurately represented in the media.
She also had come really great lines in this book. Here are my favorite quotes.
"When the moon shines bright, your fears will be few, and only sweet dreams will come true."
"I want to encourage you to look away from the mirror and turn off your screens. Seek out beauty in unexpected, new places. Maybe you'll find it in an exquisite new friendship. In your own family. And you might even find it hidden deep inside something indescribably ugly."
This was an amazing book but also sad at the same time! This book had 264. It had 25 chapters. I recommend this book to whoever likes to read realistic fiction