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kestrel's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
4.0
What a cute little book!
First of all, I want to say how much I like the cover and all the small details it has. Now, concerning the content of the book, the writing was the familiar Olivie Blake's witty writing style (Yes, Alexene Farol Follmuth is also Olivie Blake, in case you didn't know). The romance was very cute, and I appreciated the feminist message overall, even though it didn't always feel organic to me. I happy that this book exists and GIRLS IN STEM RULE!
**Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.**
First of all, I want to say how much I like the cover and all the small details it has. Now, concerning the content of the book, the writing was the familiar Olivie Blake's witty writing style (Yes, Alexene Farol Follmuth is also Olivie Blake, in case you didn't know). The romance was very cute, and I appreciated the feminist message overall, even though it didn't always feel organic to me. I happy that this book exists and GIRLS IN STEM RULE!
**Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity and Vomit
Minor: Cultural appropriation
jadebear's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I would have liked the diversity of the two leads' backgrounds in terms of race and religion explored a bit more. It seemed more like costumes for the characters to wear, rather than something that informed their characters or how they act. Maybe Teo could wrestle with some Catholic guilt, and that's why he has trouble agreeing to do too much. Because of past guilt when he didn't. Maybe Bel could have been conflicted about siding with her white dad over her Philipino mom, not just who had infidelity and caused the marriage to end. It just seems like a wasted opportunity, when only a few lines here and there could have been added to make the book not just about misogyny and teen romance, but also racism. But maybe it was there and got edited out because it's a YA book and the editor(s) wanted to simplify it. I still found it funny, engaging and I learned a lot about competitive robotics clubs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Vomit, Cultural appropriation, and Infidelity
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