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gingerbread_void's review against another edition
3.0
This was a great queer romance! I am a sucker for the fake dating trope and this book did it so well. I loved the relationship between the main character.
btokasey's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
audreyet's review against another edition
4.0
The Girl Next Door is a sweet coming of age story from the point of view of a high school senior who finds her dream senior year threatened when her boyfriend cheats on her with one of the most popular girls in school, and breaks up with her. She finds herself in a fake dating situation with the popular girl's ex girlfriend, who is also her neighbor and childhood friends. I enjoyed the author's use of the fake dating trope, and thought it was smart to include the childhood friends aspect, because I felt like it built their relationship up faster than it otherwise might've.
It did take me about a quarter of the book to really get into the main character's monologuing, especially because she so often thinks of things in terms of movie making, especially horror films, something I have little interest in. But Cleo was very likable to me, and she had flaws that were realistic, and she acknowledged them which sometimes doesn't happen with YA romances. Loved seeing her really grow as a person regardless of the romantic subplots. Her relationship with her dad was lovely.
I do wish that the 'Girl Next Door' herself Marianne, was explored just a bit more, especially because the ex boyfriend gets quite a bit of character exploration, but she was a dreamy love interest.
There are a bunch of side characters, who though they didn't monopolize much of the writing, were all fun to get to know and I was actually able to remember most of them easily which I sometimes have trouble with when reading YA books that take place in high school. There's a lot of queer rep in this, but in an organic way. Sometimes I feel like representation can be forced in just for the sake of representation, but not in this case. There is no closeting or homophobia present in this story.
The plots were fairly predictable, but that's not always a bad thing, and I recommend this for people who enjoy high school queer romances. It's a quick and fun read.
Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC
It did take me about a quarter of the book to really get into the main character's monologuing, especially because she so often thinks of things in terms of movie making, especially horror films, something I have little interest in. But Cleo was very likable to me, and she had flaws that were realistic, and she acknowledged them which sometimes doesn't happen with YA romances. Loved seeing her really grow as a person regardless of the romantic subplots. Her relationship with her dad was lovely.
I do wish that the 'Girl Next Door' herself Marianne, was explored just a bit more, especially because the ex boyfriend gets quite a bit of character exploration, but she was a dreamy love interest.
There are a bunch of side characters, who though they didn't monopolize much of the writing, were all fun to get to know and I was actually able to remember most of them easily which I sometimes have trouble with when reading YA books that take place in high school. There's a lot of queer rep in this, but in an organic way. Sometimes I feel like representation can be forced in just for the sake of representation, but not in this case. There is no closeting or homophobia present in this story.
The plots were fairly predictable, but that's not always a bad thing, and I recommend this for people who enjoy high school queer romances. It's a quick and fun read.
Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC
sofisuns's review against another edition
3.0
“The Girl Next Door” is a solid YA romance that includes many popular tropes with a sapphic twist! This is similar to “Heartstopper” in that way of taking simple stories and making them queer. There were many things I liked in this and some things I wasn’t as fond as.
The relationships were all so complicated in this book and I just felt like? That got quite annoying quite quick. Despite that I did mostly enjoy this. There were plenty of sweet moments between our main pair that will have you cheering for them. This is a very sweet coming of age story overall full of fluff, angst, and general girl next door love.
The relationships were all so complicated in this book and I just felt like? That got quite annoying quite quick. Despite that I did mostly enjoy this. There were plenty of sweet moments between our main pair that will have you cheering for them. This is a very sweet coming of age story overall full of fluff, angst, and general girl next door love.
wunder's review against another edition
5.0
Emotionally true and intricate, written with skill, this trip through senior year grabbed me from the start. With a first-person viewpoint (Cleo's), we still see things that Cleo doesn't, like Marianne's care for her. The film club reminds me of my backstage work in high school, my real tribe where classes often felt like a distraction from what was really important.
I'll be reading more from this author.
I'll be reading more from this author.
kraken_keeper18's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
liznc's review against another edition
4.0
So beautifully written and the love story gave all the feels. Teenage years are hard and wonderful and this book captured it all.
misha_ali's review against another edition
4.0
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this a lot. There's a lot of focus on the idea of making up for a life that is cut short because of you, similarly to [b:I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself|60679392|I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself|Marisa Crane|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648063139l/60679392._SY75_.jpg|95655500] in theme because of a child carrying the guilt and burden of resulting in the death of their mother during childbirth.
That said, the supporting cast is decently developed, which is always great, but the love interest is not really aside from tossing in things about them such as OCD and anxiety in the past but not really having much relating to these issues on-stage for direct impact on the story.
A solid YA read, and I appreciate that the main character is a bit of a Dawson-esque movie subgenre nerd aspiring to film school and making a difference with her art.
That said, the supporting cast is decently developed, which is always great, but the love interest is not really aside from tossing in things about them such as OCD and anxiety in the past but not really having much relating to these issues on-stage for direct impact on the story.
A solid YA read, and I appreciate that the main character is a bit of a Dawson-esque movie subgenre nerd aspiring to film school and making a difference with her art.