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gabrieyell's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
kimmiefmrcn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cj kinda annoyed me
rovwade's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.0
yeli_yeli's review against another edition
2.0
Started off really liking it but then I felt like it went downhill.
bethanghi's review against another edition
3.0
Average realistic fiction high school coming of age novel. A lot of great social issues are discussed like Japanese American culture and the internment, queer identities and issues, and females in the work place.
biblioberry's review against another edition
5.0
ugh I have so many feelings will write a more coherent review for this when I am in the appropriate emotional place
and this did NOT disappoint, at all. it actually ended up being better than I could've ever anticipated. as good, or maybe even better than INLIAS, actually! and by goodness that book meant SO much to me ahhah
nuanced, realistic, romantic, important, informative, entertaining, adorable, witty, and hopeful.
this is one of those books that I'd recommend to everyone. literally. I hope that was implied, but I'm gonna explicitly spell it out because this book was honestly...everything. it handles different perspectives with nuance and clarity and does a great job of exploring the blacks, whites and greys of the various issues it's centred on (whether it's cultural appropriation and remuniration, unplanned pregnancies, queer issues, tradition, faith or just being a teenager). the characters are also unbelievably layered and realistic, and it addresses so many "taboo" concepts so...efficiently. these characters make very human and understandable decisions and it does a great job of clarifying that you're never without an alternative. and all the relationships in this book were just....*chef's kiss*, honestly.
okay I'm going to stop rambling at this point solely because I'm under an obligation to go and be productive after sacrificing literally every facet of my personal life over the past 48 hours in devotion to this book so I'm gonna write the review this book deserves...later, hopefully. ostensibly after my upcoming exam cycle.
until then!
lots of pines, roses and ivies,
me
------
SO I've waited a literal year for this book to be reprinted in India (and I actually prefer e-books to physical copies don't @ me) because It's Not Like It's a Secret is one of my favourite books of all time. Damn that book hit me in the feels.
AND this just arrived in the mail (fi-freaking-nally) so...asdasfdghjlkjfdkajjflsalkjgbl guess it's time to cut off all social and technical connection + forget about the concept of productivity for the next 24 hours THIS HAD BETTER BE GOOD bye
and this did NOT disappoint, at all. it actually ended up being better than I could've ever anticipated. as good, or maybe even better than INLIAS, actually! and by goodness that book meant SO much to me ahhah
nuanced, realistic, romantic, important, informative, entertaining, adorable, witty, and hopeful.
this is one of those books that I'd recommend to everyone. literally. I hope that was implied, but I'm gonna explicitly spell it out because this book was honestly...everything. it handles different perspectives with nuance and clarity and does a great job of exploring the blacks, whites and greys of the various issues it's centred on (whether it's cultural appropriation and remuniration, unplanned pregnancies, queer issues, tradition, faith or just being a teenager). the characters are also unbelievably layered and realistic, and it addresses so many "taboo" concepts so...efficiently. these characters make very human and understandable decisions and it does a great job of clarifying that you're never without an alternative. and all the relationships in this book were just....*chef's kiss*, honestly.
okay I'm going to stop rambling at this point solely because I'm under an obligation to go and be productive after sacrificing literally every facet of my personal life over the past 48 hours in devotion to this book so I'm gonna write the review this book deserves...later, hopefully. ostensibly after my upcoming exam cycle.
until then!
lots of pines, roses and ivies,
me
------
SO I've waited a literal year for this book to be reprinted in India (and I actually prefer e-books to physical copies don't @ me) because It's Not Like It's a Secret is one of my favourite books of all time. Damn that book hit me in the feels.
AND this just arrived in the mail (fi-freaking-nally) so...asdasfdghjlkjfdkajjflsalkjgbl guess it's time to cut off all social and technical connection + forget about the concept of productivity for the next 24 hours THIS HAD BETTER BE GOOD bye
gayathiri_rajendran's review against another edition
3.0
This is a 3.5 out of 5 for me. I bought this book solely for the cover. I had no idea what the book was about. I saw the cover and I had to get it. Just look at this beauty!
Coming to the actual book,the story is pretty good. this story is more relatable to teenagers and young people who are active in their own communities. This story is about a high schooler, CJ Katsuyama of Japanese ethnicity who works at her aunt's flower shop part time and lives with her mom and aunt. She does not know what to do with her life. The flower shop isn't running that great and the family who bought the flower shop from the Katsuyamas during the World War 2 is willing to buy it again for a good sum of money. The first time was before CJ's ancestors were sent to the internment camps during the war. Now faced with this dilemma, CJ wants to fight for what she believes in.
The author's writing is great and we get to see teenagers deal with their messy lives in a realistic manner. The story is good but I felt that it jumped all over the place. The focus of the story kept shifting to different issues. The beginning of the story is mainly about the failing flower shop and how the school is also named after the family who bought the flower shop during the war. We see a bunch of school kids trying to change the name of the school to the person who rightfully owned their land and suddenly in the end it takes a detour about a girl dealing with boy problems. There were a lot of social issues discussed such as racism,sexism,being an ally etc.
I would have liked to see more information about the internment camps and how it personally affected CJ and her family and made them what they are in the present day. At times,I was a bit annoyed with CJ with her immature behaviour but I realise that I'm too old right now while reading this book.
Fans of YA contemporaries will love this book. It has a good story with many social issues being discussed and how even a small group of people can bring a change which could snowball into something big and everlasting. However the lack of focus on a single theme allows the story to meander without a taut plot.
Overall,an enjoyable read!
Coming to the actual book,the story is pretty good. this story is more relatable to teenagers and young people who are active in their own communities. This story is about a high schooler, CJ Katsuyama of Japanese ethnicity who works at her aunt's flower shop part time and lives with her mom and aunt. She does not know what to do with her life. The flower shop isn't running that great and the family who bought the flower shop from the Katsuyamas during the World War 2 is willing to buy it again for a good sum of money. The first time was before CJ's ancestors were sent to the internment camps during the war. Now faced with this dilemma, CJ wants to fight for what she believes in.
The author's writing is great and we get to see teenagers deal with their messy lives in a realistic manner. The story is good but I felt that it jumped all over the place. The focus of the story kept shifting to different issues. The beginning of the story is mainly about the failing flower shop and how the school is also named after the family who bought the flower shop during the war. We see a bunch of school kids trying to change the name of the school to the person who rightfully owned their land and suddenly in the end it takes a detour about a girl dealing with boy problems. There were a lot of social issues discussed such as racism,sexism,being an ally etc.
I would have liked to see more information about the internment camps and how it personally affected CJ and her family and made them what they are in the present day. At times,I was a bit annoyed with CJ with her immature behaviour but I realise that I'm too old right now while reading this book.
Fans of YA contemporaries will love this book. It has a good story with many social issues being discussed and how even a small group of people can bring a change which could snowball into something big and everlasting. However the lack of focus on a single theme allows the story to meander without a taut plot.
Overall,an enjoyable read!
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
Like most teenagers, CJ doesn't know what her goals or ambitions are. The most at home she's ever felt is in the family flower shop where she works with her aunt. When she's using her flower magic to create bouquets, boutonnieres, lockets, and charms she feels like she's spreading a little bit of happiness. When her mother announces that she's planning on selling the shop to the "enemy," the McAllisters, she feels as if the only thing she's ever cared about is going out the window. The McAllisters bought the business from her family for pennies on the dollar when the government forced Japanese Americans to go to internment camps during WWII. It took decades before the Katsuyamas were able to buy it back.... for MUCH more than the McAllisters had bought it for. CJ vows to help save the shop along with her friends, but that too proves to be challenging. Her best friend is falling for a horrible hypocritical lesbian, her co-worker Owen may be forming a crush on her, and her classmates don't all understand why the McAllisters are the "bad guys." CJ has to find out what she truly cares for and fight for it. A good young adult book that covers a lot of hot topics.