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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Erin Watt’s One Small Thing was most definitely not my cup of tea. Usually I am a sucker for a contemporary romance with heartfelt characters and sensitive issues, but this one felt so overly dramatic and full of angst with too many tropes to count.
The characters were all extremely unlikable to me, which was perpetuated by their lack of effective communication skills and ridiculous behavior. Beth’s parents were entirely too overbearing. I can see where they were coming from based on what happened to Beth’s sister, but their tactics were way too outlandish and screamed of people in desperate need of therapy and counseling.
Beth herself wasn’t very much of a wow factor for me either, and Chase ran from hot to cold, to hot again. His mood swings gave me whiplash.
I think this was meant to be a heartfelt story about coping in the aftermath of tragedy and learning how to forgive, but outside of Beth, the forgiveness aspect didn’t read that way at all to me. I’m sure this will appeal to a lot of people, but for me it was a dud.
*Thank you to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
The characters were all extremely unlikable to me, which was perpetuated by their lack of effective communication skills and ridiculous behavior. Beth’s parents were entirely too overbearing. I can see where they were coming from based on what happened to Beth’s sister, but their tactics were way too outlandish and screamed of people in desperate need of therapy and counseling.
Beth herself wasn’t very much of a wow factor for me either, and Chase ran from hot to cold, to hot again. His mood swings gave me whiplash.
I think this was meant to be a heartfelt story about coping in the aftermath of tragedy and learning how to forgive, but outside of Beth, the forgiveness aspect didn’t read that way at all to me. I’m sure this will appeal to a lot of people, but for me it was a dud.
*Thank you to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
I checked this book out on a whim expecting to drop it at any moment but I actually managed to pull through. I never expected to actually like it that much, since this trope (good-girl-needs-escape-and-meets-jaded-bad-boy) isn't something I usually enjoy- but it actually expanded a little from said trope without really straying from it. In other words, it was neatly executed. My only problem would have to be the all-put-together slash nicely-wrapped ending, I feel like the author was going for a clean wrap but had limited pages to do so, thus, the hastiness of the ending. On another note, this is a pretty okay story despite its slightly dark stems.
Spoiler
Do note that I love how the parents decided to get therapy in the end, but I wish Chase and Beth did too, since I think they also have their own issues that needs to be resolved
One of my most favourite book that got me into reading
this story gave me all the feels. I felt emotions such a sadness, happy, laughing and swoony.
Beth just stuck with me and made me not want to put her down, I just had to have my beth fix.
chase was a great character and really helped make this story work!
Beth just stuck with me and made me not want to put her down, I just had to have my beth fix.
chase was a great character and really helped make this story work!
**Review originally posted on My Fangirl Chronicles**
Trigger Warnings: bullying, attempted rape
Initial Thoughts:
I had really high hopes for this one because I absolutely loved Erin Watt's previous standalone novel, "When It's Real". Not to mention the cover is all kinds of gorgeousness! The synopsis really intrigued me as well; I couldn't imagine how a romance between a girl whose sister was killed by the guy she was developing feelings for could ever work out and just had to see how the story went.
Things I Liked:
Right from the start, I got star-crossed-lovers vibes from Chase and Beth. I couldn't imagine how a relationship between them could possibly ever work out because no matter what, her inner circle - the people who matter the most in her life - would always associate him with Rachel's death. Whatever connection there was between them would always be tainted with that fact. I tried to think of ways how they could possibly get around such a daunting obstacle and give a relationship between them a chance, but couldn't think of anything. As the story progressed and we got to know Chase better though, I realized that there was a small ray of light that could possibly be the saving grace for their growing feelings for one another: Despite his part in Rachel's death, Chase was generally a good guy. He endures a lot of his own difficulties - internally and externally - that are associated with Rachel's death, and I couldn't help but admire his strength, determination, and selflessness throughout it all.
Despite doing dumb and reckless things, and needlessly putting herself in dangerous situations, I actually couldn't help but admire Beth, too. She goes through a lot of change and character growth after the loss of her older sister; turning from a rebellious and reckless teenager, to a more introspective and more mature version of herself looking forward to the future. I also found the depth of Beth's ability to forgive very admirable, especially considering the circumstances she was in. Not many people can be so forgiving, myself included. I also sympathized with her immensely when she mentioned feeling "directionless" after losing her older sister, but simultaneously felt impressed that she was able to reach an epiphany that helped her realize what she was doing wrong when it came to her paranoid and overprotective parents.
The growing feelings and chemistry between Chase and Beth had me captivated and really invested in their story. A huge part of me felt that it was hopeless and thought that the book might end with them finally realizing they weren't going to work, but another part of me kept hoping that somehow, against all odds, they would find a way. I really enjoyed their dynamic; Beth's impulsive, persistent, determined, and feisty while Chase is withdrawn, selfless, honest, and cautious. Chase helped with Beth's character growth and Beth helped him realize that he still had a future to look forward to.
Things I Disliked:
Since this was an Erin Watt novel set in a high school, I guess I should have expected the soap-opera type of drama but, their previous stand-alone novel "When It's Real" had minimal amounts of it, so I had high hopes that this would be the same. (And, when I say "soap-opera type of drama", I mean meaningless mean girls who solely exist to cause drama for the heroine, so-called "best friends" who are so quick to backstab that I question their label of 'best friend', stereotypical ditzy girls and bully jocks, etc.) Unfortunately, it was not and felt more similar to their The Royals series. Maybe I should just stay away from their novels that predominantly occur in a high school.
In addition, this type of drama made the side plots really predictable and I found myself rolling my eyes and saying, "Oh, of course that happened" quite often. Every other character who wasn't Chase or Beth was unlikable and annoying, especially every person from their high school, adult and teenager alike. The students at Chase and Beth's school were acting more immature than the ones in the public schools, whom their peers viewed as lesser and barbaric, but for stereotypical rich and pretentious high school students I guess that was to be expected. The so-called adults were no better than the students themselves and were useless most of the time, especially when the jocks were blatantly bullying another student - during class, too! It also frustrated me to no end how everyone kept assuming things, especially in regards to Beth's feelings. I literally wanted to reach into the book and knock all those people out.
Final Thoughts:
Despite its predictability and cheesy soap opera type of drama, I enjoyed "One Small Thing" well enough to be entertained, but what really kept me turning the pages was the development of Chase and Beth's relationship. I became so interested and invested in their budding forbidden romance, and wanted to see how it all played out in the end. If you were already an Erin Watt fan, or wanted to start reading her books, I would definitely recommend picking up "One Small Thing". It has its heartfelt moments, angst, and a ton of drama, but highlights an intriguing story of forbidden love and forgiveness.
Trigger Warnings: bullying, attempted rape
Initial Thoughts:
I had really high hopes for this one because I absolutely loved Erin Watt's previous standalone novel, "When It's Real". Not to mention the cover is all kinds of gorgeousness! The synopsis really intrigued me as well; I couldn't imagine how a romance between a girl whose sister was killed by the guy she was developing feelings for could ever work out and just had to see how the story went.
Things I Liked:
Right from the start, I got star-crossed-lovers vibes from Chase and Beth. I couldn't imagine how a relationship between them could possibly ever work out because no matter what, her inner circle - the people who matter the most in her life - would always associate him with Rachel's death. Whatever connection there was between them would always be tainted with that fact. I tried to think of ways how they could possibly get around such a daunting obstacle and give a relationship between them a chance, but couldn't think of anything. As the story progressed and we got to know Chase better though, I realized that there was a small ray of light that could possibly be the saving grace for their growing feelings for one another: Despite his part in Rachel's death, Chase was generally a good guy. He endures a lot of his own difficulties - internally and externally - that are associated with Rachel's death, and I couldn't help but admire his strength, determination, and selflessness throughout it all.
Despite doing dumb and reckless things, and needlessly putting herself in dangerous situations, I actually couldn't help but admire Beth, too. She goes through a lot of change and character growth after the loss of her older sister; turning from a rebellious and reckless teenager, to a more introspective and more mature version of herself looking forward to the future. I also found the depth of Beth's ability to forgive very admirable, especially considering the circumstances she was in. Not many people can be so forgiving, myself included. I also sympathized with her immensely when she mentioned feeling "directionless" after losing her older sister, but simultaneously felt impressed that she was able to reach an epiphany that helped her realize what she was doing wrong when it came to her paranoid and overprotective parents.
The growing feelings and chemistry between Chase and Beth had me captivated and really invested in their story. A huge part of me felt that it was hopeless and thought that the book might end with them finally realizing they weren't going to work, but another part of me kept hoping that somehow, against all odds, they would find a way. I really enjoyed their dynamic; Beth's impulsive, persistent, determined, and feisty while Chase is withdrawn, selfless, honest, and cautious. Chase helped with Beth's character growth and Beth helped him realize that he still had a future to look forward to.
Things I Disliked:
Since this was an Erin Watt novel set in a high school, I guess I should have expected the soap-opera type of drama but, their previous stand-alone novel "When It's Real" had minimal amounts of it, so I had high hopes that this would be the same. (And, when I say "soap-opera type of drama", I mean meaningless mean girls who solely exist to cause drama for the heroine, so-called "best friends" who are so quick to backstab that I question their label of 'best friend', stereotypical ditzy girls and bully jocks, etc.) Unfortunately, it was not and felt more similar to their The Royals series. Maybe I should just stay away from their novels that predominantly occur in a high school.
In addition, this type of drama made the side plots really predictable and I found myself rolling my eyes and saying, "Oh, of course that happened" quite often. Every other character who wasn't Chase or Beth was unlikable and annoying, especially every person from their high school, adult and teenager alike. The students at Chase and Beth's school were acting more immature than the ones in the public schools, whom their peers viewed as lesser and barbaric, but for stereotypical rich and pretentious high school students I guess that was to be expected. The so-called adults were no better than the students themselves and were useless most of the time, especially when the jocks were blatantly bullying another student - during class, too! It also frustrated me to no end how everyone kept assuming things, especially in regards to Beth's feelings. I literally wanted to reach into the book and knock all those people out.
Final Thoughts:
Despite its predictability and cheesy soap opera type of drama, I enjoyed "One Small Thing" well enough to be entertained, but what really kept me turning the pages was the development of Chase and Beth's relationship. I became so interested and invested in their budding forbidden romance, and wanted to see how it all played out in the end. If you were already an Erin Watt fan, or wanted to start reading her books, I would definitely recommend picking up "One Small Thing". It has its heartfelt moments, angst, and a ton of drama, but highlights an intriguing story of forbidden love and forgiveness.
3.4?/5
MY FIRST FUCKING BOOK I ACTUALLY FINISHED IN 5 FUCKING MONTHS WOW
ok so ngl the writing was juvenile and not at the maturity level that i was expecting or wanting, but i think the fact that i did end up finishing meant that it was good enough for me. all characters at one point were just being so fucking dumb lmao but hey chase- i gotchu thanks for being such a bae.
MY FIRST FUCKING BOOK I ACTUALLY FINISHED IN 5 FUCKING MONTHS WOW
ok so ngl the writing was juvenile and not at the maturity level that i was expecting or wanting, but i think the fact that i did end up finishing meant that it was good enough for me. all characters at one point were just being so fucking dumb lmao but hey chase- i gotchu thanks for being such a bae.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely cannot recommend this book. It was just plain disgusting. How can you find your sister's murderer sexually attractive? (Even if one can speak of negligent homicide rather than murder.)
If you didn't know beforehand, but find out later, you must feel a certain disgust from then on, don't you?
I also find it very unbelievable that for three years she never knew who actually killed her sister. The protagonist Beth is almost unbearable. It was never really clear to me whether she hates her sister with all her heart or not. Every character is unsympathetic. Beth, Chase / Charlie, their parents, their friends, classmates ...
I really read the book to the end, in the hope that there would be a plot twist, something, so that the whole book could be justified somehow. E.g. that he was "only" a passenger, he cannot remember the accident and a friend has hit and missed. But nothing came. The story is very superficial. The last 250 pages could have been saved.
If you didn't know beforehand, but find out later, you must feel a certain disgust from then on, don't you?
I really read the book to the end, in the hope that there would be a plot twist, something, so that the whole book could be justified somehow. E.g. that he was "only" a passenger, he cannot remember the accident and a friend has hit and missed. But nothing came. The story is very superficial. The last 250 pages could have been saved.
It took me forever to finish this book, but it’s rare for me to put away a book unfinished. So I HAD to finish it. Truth be told: the full story wasn’t as cheesy as I thought it would be, but I guess I’m just not the target audience anymore. This book screams teen drama and I guess I’m no longer a teen anymore, right :’D
So to conclude: it’s not that bad, it just wasn’t for me.
So to conclude: it’s not that bad, it just wasn’t for me.
I used to be obsessed with all of Erin Watt's books. This books was just Disappointment-Land all over again, just like the last book of The Royals series.
I hate Beth or Lizzie or whatever she wants to call herself. She is the most selfish character I've ever read about, pretending that she is the only one hurting, not having any empathy whatsoever towards anyone, risking Chase's freedom multiple times, and somehow forcing her feelings onto Chase. The whole plot felt forced and unreal. The only believable things all throughout the book were Chase's advices and opinions. He was straightforward and honest. Other than that, this whole book was just a huge mess.
If you don't want to disappoint yourself, skip this book.
I hate Beth or Lizzie or whatever she wants to call herself. She is the most selfish character I've ever read about, pretending that she is the only one hurting, not having any empathy whatsoever towards anyone, risking Chase's freedom multiple times, and somehow forcing her feelings onto Chase. The whole plot felt forced and unreal. The only believable things all throughout the book were Chase's advices and opinions. He was straightforward and honest. Other than that, this whole book was just a huge mess.
If you don't want to disappoint yourself, skip this book.
