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se_wigget's review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This isn't a rom com. It's a romance--with an ace protagonist--but it's a serious one (aside from some banter) with intense relationship drama. Makes me glad I'm old and gave up dating years ago.
I love that the protagonist is asexual. Another major character is bisexual. When the Gay-Straight Alliance comes up in dialog, I hoped they'd go and hang out with that group on campus, but it never happens.
The young women in this book need to take a self-defense class and carry tasers or at least pepper spray all the time. The boys who aren't sexual predators seem overprotective on a patronizing level. (Maybe I think that because it's been decades since I was in my twenties. I remember in my twenties in St. Louis I didn't leave my apartment without pepper spray and a dagger, and I took a self-defense class.)
Since the book's city (Atlanta, GA) and campus have such a big rape culture problem, I wanted that to come up in dialog--something about how much it sucks that this society teaches boys to be rapists and misogynists & teaches girls to be scared of walking alone after dark... when we should fucking teach boys and men to... not be rapists... and to respect women and girls. If you're going to address such blatant rape culture in a book, have a feminist message--not a "that's just the way it is" attitude. It doesn't need to be preachy--it could just come up in dialog or thoughts.
Also, Nick should have gotten a new roommate and kicked that POS sexual predator Sam the fuck out as soon as possible.
Early in the book, the protagonist's roommate sounds like my first dorm roommate... but worse. Blasted hetero extroverts. And yet... by halfway through the book, Reese comes across as a good friend and roommate. Her friend Hunter is the same way: they both start out terrible and end up otherwise. It was confusing and inconsistent. I think they could have used more character development.
This takes place in Atlanta, Georgia--though until I learned that, I assumed the Midwest because of the communication... skills. Or lack thereof. I (fortunately) haven't dwelled in the Midwest in a long time, and it would be a culture shock to return and be bombarded with the bizarre, open aggression I remember. (Or the Midwest/St. Louis, since St. Louis is generally considered part of the South. Also the use of plastic grocery bags would be a culture shock, but I digress.)
But maybe being rude and abrasive is the norm for young (college age, in this case) Americans no matter where they live? That doesn't describe the one twenty-something I know here in the Pacific NW. Or... maybe Atlanta is close enough to St. Louis to have the same kind of communication... skills.
Admittedly, I was not only awkward but socially inept in my twenties--and it didn't help that I was neurodivergent and surrounded by empathy-challenged perpetual playground bullies. I've looked back and realized in hindsight that I was horribly socially inept in my twenties--but maybe that's normal.
I didn't find Nick annoying until he calls Spencer "sweetheart"... and keeps doing so. Maybe it's a Southern thing? It's weird that he disapproves of Hunter calling her "princess" (also annoying), when he's almost as bad.
The protagonist's abrasive and rude remarks for approximately the first hundred pages continued to be a jolt and sound... Midwestern. At first I thought: Maybe Hunter is a bad influence on her. She's young and doesn't know how to communicate, I suppose. That said, when she goes home for Thanksgiving and we meet her mother... it’s no wonder she's so rude and abrasive, with a mother like that. Though she could have as easily turned out to be a people-pleaser.
Page 181: It seems like a paragraph may have been deleted here. Sure, the two were talking, but Nick went away with a professor. It seems like there should have been more transition between that... and Spencer getting startled when someone lays a hand on her shoulder and it turns out to be Nick. True, she did finish her hot chocolate in that amount of time, so maybe that's enough.
Apparently Atlanta, Georgia is similar to St. Louis. Crazy drivers tailgating you? Very St. Louis. People telling you not to be alone because you're female and might be sexually assaulted? Very St. Louis. You're surrounded by rude assholes? Very St. Louis.
Too much eye rolling. It's not just one character doing it. That's a scathing facial expression.
I want POS Sam's head on a pike. Ditto his creepy buddy, Jake.
I definitely need to keep writing novels about aces who are in their thirties, forties, and fifties. So far all the ace characters I've read about in publishe books are in their teens and twenties. In the past few years, I've written quite a few novels with middle-aged adult aces--but I need to keep reviewing an editing them--and get them published. #unfinishedprojects
I love that the protagonist is asexual. Another major character is bisexual. When the Gay-Straight Alliance comes up in dialog, I hoped they'd go and hang out with that group on campus, but it never happens.
The young women in this book need to take a self-defense class and carry tasers or at least pepper spray all the time. The boys who aren't sexual predators seem overprotective on a patronizing level. (Maybe I think that because it's been decades since I was in my twenties. I remember in my twenties in St. Louis I didn't leave my apartment without pepper spray and a dagger, and I took a self-defense class.)
Since the book's city (Atlanta, GA) and campus have such a big rape culture problem, I wanted that to come up in dialog--something about how much it sucks that this society teaches boys to be rapists and misogynists & teaches girls to be scared of walking alone after dark... when we should fucking teach boys and men to... not be rapists... and to respect women and girls. If you're going to address such blatant rape culture in a book, have a feminist message--not a "that's just the way it is" attitude. It doesn't need to be preachy--it could just come up in dialog or thoughts.
Also, Nick should have gotten a new roommate and kicked that POS sexual predator Sam the fuck out as soon as possible.
Early in the book, the protagonist's roommate sounds like my first dorm roommate... but worse. Blasted hetero extroverts. And yet... by halfway through the book, Reese comes across as a good friend and roommate. Her friend Hunter is the same way: they both start out terrible and end up otherwise. It was confusing and inconsistent. I think they could have used more character development.
This takes place in Atlanta, Georgia--though until I learned that, I assumed the Midwest because of the communication... skills. Or lack thereof. I (fortunately) haven't dwelled in the Midwest in a long time, and it would be a culture shock to return and be bombarded with the bizarre, open aggression I remember. (Or the Midwest/St. Louis, since St. Louis is generally considered part of the South. Also the use of plastic grocery bags would be a culture shock, but I digress.)
But maybe being rude and abrasive is the norm for young (college age, in this case) Americans no matter where they live? That doesn't describe the one twenty-something I know here in the Pacific NW. Or... maybe Atlanta is close enough to St. Louis to have the same kind of communication... skills.
Admittedly, I was not only awkward but socially inept in my twenties--and it didn't help that I was neurodivergent and surrounded by empathy-challenged perpetual playground bullies. I've looked back and realized in hindsight that I was horribly socially inept in my twenties--but maybe that's normal.
I didn't find Nick annoying until he calls Spencer "sweetheart"... and keeps doing so. Maybe it's a Southern thing? It's weird that he disapproves of Hunter calling her "princess" (also annoying), when he's almost as bad.
The protagonist's abrasive and rude remarks for approximately the first hundred pages continued to be a jolt and sound... Midwestern. At first I thought: Maybe Hunter is a bad influence on her. She's young and doesn't know how to communicate, I suppose. That said, when she goes home for Thanksgiving and we meet her mother... it’s no wonder she's so rude and abrasive, with a mother like that. Though she could have as easily turned out to be a people-pleaser.
Page 181: It seems like a paragraph may have been deleted here. Sure, the two were talking, but Nick went away with a professor. It seems like there should have been more transition between that... and Spencer getting startled when someone lays a hand on her shoulder and it turns out to be Nick. True, she did finish her hot chocolate in that amount of time, so maybe that's enough.
Apparently Atlanta, Georgia is similar to St. Louis. Crazy drivers tailgating you? Very St. Louis. People telling you not to be alone because you're female and might be sexually assaulted? Very St. Louis. You're surrounded by rude assholes? Very St. Louis.
Too much eye rolling. It's not just one character doing it. That's a scathing facial expression.
I want POS Sam's head on a pike. Ditto his creepy buddy, Jake.
I definitely need to keep writing novels about aces who are in their thirties, forties, and fifties. So far all the ace characters I've read about in publishe books are in their teens and twenties. In the past few years, I've written quite a few novels with middle-aged adult aces--but I need to keep reviewing an editing them--and get them published. #unfinishedprojects
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Misogyny, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexism
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Death of parent, and Vomit
mpbookreviews's review
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Death and Death of parent
ismildlypoetic's review
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
Four stars = I loved the book!!! (i just haven't hyperfixated... yet)
I was initially drawn to the book because it was advertised as an asexual romance with spice level: milk. I do think this is true to its word! But that description leaves out that it's also a story foremost of friendship, found family, and the inner healing of my own (incredibly lonely) first year of college life.
Spencer's stubbornness mixed perfectly with Nick's inability to think of anything else except this girl, and Jocelyn and Hunter were such amazing characters.
The only thing I didn't love was the Sam plotline, but that's 90% because I didn't enjoy Spencer going through that, and only 10% of the violence interacting with spice level: milk was so jarring. But looking back, it very much fits within the story, and corrective rape very much is something that happens in the ace community.
Anyways, I would very much recommend. Please read. And I'll be preordering the author's next book the second it grazes upon my Insta feed <3
I was initially drawn to the book because it was advertised as an asexual romance with spice level: milk. I do think this is true to its word! But that description leaves out that it's also a story foremost of friendship, found family, and the inner healing of my own (incredibly lonely) first year of college life.
Anyways, I would very much recommend. Please read. And I'll be preordering the author's next book the second it grazes upon my Insta feed <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia and Alcoholism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Vomit, and Death of parent
SA is a major theme in this book, from minor descriptions such asdogoodwithbooks's review
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5/5 (rounded down to 3)
CW: acephobia, attempted sexual violence, sexual harassment, abusive parent (mentioned), unplanned pregnancy (recounted), armed robbery (recounted), murder (recounted), death of both parents (recounted), ableism, emotional abuse/gaslighting, blood, alcoholism, emesis
College is going surprisingly well for Spencer so far. She has two great friends, Reese and Hunter, and she ends up with a go-to study partner, Nick, and coffee shop to hang out in. Yet, in the midst of her freshman year at Ravens College, she goes through a journey of self-discovery and possibly falling for Nick.
I had high hopes for This Doesn't Mean Anything, but I don't think my expectations for the book were fully met.
Yes, the book is long. At over 450 pages, readers find themselves going through Spencer's first year of college right to the very end. While I'm find with the length and duration of the plot (I mean Alice Osman's Loveless has a similar concept to it), the pacing felt off. While the pacing for the first half of the book felt slow and you could clearly see which part of the semester the characters were in (although I thought there were some parts that were dragged out for the sake of it, the second half of the book kind of just rushed in there. I just wished the pacing was a little bit more consistent for both halves of the book.
Additionally, I noticed Whalen does a lot of "tell, not show" in the book. For example, Spencer finding out that she's asexual is rarely touched upon in the book. All that was said is that Spencer went online and figured out she was asexual. I feel like Whalen could have had something really meaningful if we actually got to see Spencer's thought process during her search and realizing that she is asexual. I could name other examples of the "tell, not show", but this was the only one I remember vividly when reading This Doesn't Mean Anything.
That's not to say there isn't anything good about this book and that you shouldn't read it. Personally, I like the whole navigating through college setting and I think that Whalen did a great job with creating a core friend group: Spencer, Reese, Hunter, Nick, & Joselyn (even if the excessive pet names were weird). I also thought Spencer and Nick had a good relationship and you could see that Nick really cared about Spencer (in his own way).
Overall, Whalen provides an alright debut with This Doesn't Mean Anything. I think that Whalen has some potential in this title (as well as her subsequent series) and I know that with the right editor she can get there in future books.
CW: acephobia, attempted sexual violence, sexual harassment, abusive parent (mentioned), unplanned pregnancy (recounted), armed robbery (recounted), murder (recounted), death of both parents (recounted), ableism, emotional abuse/gaslighting, blood, alcoholism, emesis
College is going surprisingly well for Spencer so far. She has two great friends, Reese and Hunter, and she ends up with a go-to study partner, Nick, and coffee shop to hang out in. Yet, in the midst of her freshman year at Ravens College, she goes through a journey of self-discovery and possibly falling for Nick.
I had high hopes for This Doesn't Mean Anything, but I don't think my expectations for the book were fully met.
Yes, the book is long. At over 450 pages, readers find themselves going through Spencer's first year of college right to the very end. While I'm find with the length and duration of the plot (I mean Alice Osman's Loveless has a similar concept to it), the pacing felt off. While the pacing for the first half of the book felt slow and you could clearly see which part of the semester the characters were in (although I thought there were some parts that were dragged out for the sake of it, the second half of the book kind of just rushed in there. I just wished the pacing was a little bit more consistent for both halves of the book.
Additionally, I noticed Whalen does a lot of "tell, not show" in the book. For example, Spencer finding out that she's asexual is rarely touched upon in the book. All that was said is that Spencer went online and figured out she was asexual. I feel like Whalen could have had something really meaningful if we actually got to see Spencer's thought process during her search and realizing that she is asexual. I could name other examples of the "tell, not show", but this was the only one I remember vividly when reading This Doesn't Mean Anything.
That's not to say there isn't anything good about this book and that you shouldn't read it. Personally, I like the whole navigating through college setting and I think that Whalen did a great job with creating a core friend group: Spencer, Reese, Hunter, Nick, & Joselyn (even if the excessive pet names were weird). I also thought Spencer and Nick had a good relationship and you could see that Nick really cared about Spencer (in his own way).
Overall, Whalen provides an alright debut with This Doesn't Mean Anything. I think that Whalen has some potential in this title (as well as her subsequent series) and I know that with the right editor she can get there in future books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, and Gaslighting
sophiesmallhands's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit and Blood
Minor: Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
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