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readwithkiekie's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as The Names They Gave Us but really addictive story with a lot of friendship at its core value.
nadine_booklover's review
4.0
THIS is really a very cute story! Just lovely and touching all over the place. A story about friendship, dealing with loss, overcoming your fears by learning to trust life again and therefor to find a new love.
kvreadsandrecs's review against another edition
5.0
I've read this book twice, both in one sitting (way too late at night). I love Max Watson and loved how Paige remained a broken, yet strong character.
ppaula44's review
funny
inspiring
medium-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? Yes
3.75
such a rushed ending it ruined the vibe
melissaverasreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ✮
I enjoyed this book a lot. The plot was really interesting and the writing was engaging. I loved Max, and the friendship between the girls is just wonderful.
But I felt this story was a lot of telling and not enough showing. A lot of heartbreaking things happened and I was just like... meh. Not even a knot in my stomach. Nothing. It would have work better if this would just be a cute, light book. Also I did have a little problem with Paige, something wasn't right with her attitude. I guess she did grow a lot, and her heart was in the right place... But I don't know, something didn't quite fell into place.
Don't get me wrong, I did liked Paige. And this book was really enjoyable. I recommend it. ☺
I enjoyed this book a lot. The plot was really interesting and the writing was engaging. I loved Max, and the friendship between the girls is just wonderful.
But I felt this story was a lot of telling and not enough showing. A lot of heartbreaking things happened and I was just like... meh. Not even a knot in my stomach. Nothing. It would have work better if this would just be a cute, light book. Also I did have a little problem with Paige, something wasn't right with her attitude. I guess she did grow a lot, and her heart was in the right place... But I don't know, something didn't quite fell into place.
Don't get me wrong, I did liked Paige. And this book was really enjoyable. I recommend it. ☺
ameliabiblio's review against another edition
3.0
It was a cute read that I thoroughly enjoyed, The story, to me, was more about how important friends are. It mirrored my friendships, actually. She has three very close friends that help her and support her through everything, and she supports them back. To me, that was the really enjoyable and relatable part of the story. The writing style was good and I enjoyed the frequent nerd references (can I get a whoop whoop for Firefly ?) Overall, it was an enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend for lovers of inspiring, coming-of-age books.
Spoiler
but I didn't like how long it took for Paige and Max to get together. That's just something that I personally don't like in books.aclairerium's review against another edition
5.0
I have to admit I was nervous to read this because I enjoyed When We Collided so much, turns out I loved this too.
rlstrayer1's review
5.0
WHAT A WONDERFUL BOOK! It was like wrapping a warm, fuzzy blanket around myself. I loved the slow romance, but I absolutely LOVED the emphasis on friendship...both with guys and girls. Guys and girls can be platonic friends (I have a few guy friends myself) without feelings getting involved. Overall, this was one of the best reads I picked up this year.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
The Start of Me and You was unexpectedly delightful. I expected it to be your typical contemporary YA, boy meets girl was a side of grief. But it ended up being something quite different and really great.
Paige is sick of being known as the girl whose boyfriend died. She's about to start her junior year of high school, and she wants a fresh start. Her boyfriend Aaron died in an accidental drowning a year earlier. They had only been dating for two months, and they were just 15, so although, Paige's grief for him is real, she also realizes that she barely knew him and that her grief pales in comparison to his family and long-time friends. As she tries to move beyond Aaron's death, she's suffering from post-traumatic stress, leaving her with frequent nightmares about drowning and a terror of swimming. Paige has determined that junior year is when she stops being the girl that everyone pities. She makes a plan, which includes joining a new activity, dating again (hopefully her long-time crush Ryan Chase), and swimming. Her junior year ends up being not at all what she expected, but maybe exactly what she needs.
I really liked this book. It's a lovely look at the importance of friends. Yes, there's some romance, but the focus of the book is really more on friendship. Paige has three very close friends, Tessa, Morgan, and Kayleigh. They're wonderful friends, and they've stood by her through her rough year. Unlike so many YA books where the heroine falls in insta-love and her friends fade into the background, Paige and her friends remain tight, even as things are changing for all of them. There are two potential love interests, Paige's crush Ryan and his cousin Max, but both of them become Paige's friends, and potential romances are never the sole focus of the book.
Paige is very relatable character. She's been through something terrible, but now she's ready to be strong and move on. She loves her family even though they sometimes drive her crazy (her mother is very overprotective in the wake of Aaron's death, and Paige is freaked out by her divorced parents deciding to date each other again). She has a close relationship with her grandmother, who's in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and their scenes together are lovely and poignant. I loved that when she decides to get involved in a school activity, although she's initially thinking of something more social, she ends up joining the Quiz Bowl team, which throws her and the adorkable Max together. I enjoyed reading about smart kids having fun with a slightly dorky but also very cool activity.
I highly recommend this one, and I think anyone who enjoys Sarah Dessen and similar writers will really like it.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
Paige is sick of being known as the girl whose boyfriend died. She's about to start her junior year of high school, and she wants a fresh start. Her boyfriend Aaron died in an accidental drowning a year earlier. They had only been dating for two months, and they were just 15, so although, Paige's grief for him is real, she also realizes that she barely knew him and that her grief pales in comparison to his family and long-time friends. As she tries to move beyond Aaron's death, she's suffering from post-traumatic stress, leaving her with frequent nightmares about drowning and a terror of swimming. Paige has determined that junior year is when she stops being the girl that everyone pities. She makes a plan, which includes joining a new activity, dating again (hopefully her long-time crush Ryan Chase), and swimming. Her junior year ends up being not at all what she expected, but maybe exactly what she needs.
I really liked this book. It's a lovely look at the importance of friends. Yes, there's some romance, but the focus of the book is really more on friendship. Paige has three very close friends, Tessa, Morgan, and Kayleigh. They're wonderful friends, and they've stood by her through her rough year. Unlike so many YA books where the heroine falls in insta-love and her friends fade into the background, Paige and her friends remain tight, even as things are changing for all of them. There are two potential love interests, Paige's crush Ryan and his cousin Max, but both of them become Paige's friends, and potential romances are never the sole focus of the book.
Paige is very relatable character. She's been through something terrible, but now she's ready to be strong and move on. She loves her family even though they sometimes drive her crazy (her mother is very overprotective in the wake of Aaron's death, and Paige is freaked out by her divorced parents deciding to date each other again). She has a close relationship with her grandmother, who's in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and their scenes together are lovely and poignant. I loved that when she decides to get involved in a school activity, although she's initially thinking of something more social, she ends up joining the Quiz Bowl team, which throws her and the adorkable Max together. I enjoyed reading about smart kids having fun with a slightly dorky but also very cool activity.
I highly recommend this one, and I think anyone who enjoys Sarah Dessen and similar writers will really like it.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
florenciacasares's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5