Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Ermm the FL is a bit annoying & childish sometimes. Really contrast with the ML. The beginning is good then it's get a bit boring. The ending is the best part.
2,5
I was a bit disappointed when I finished One Small Thing. I usually really like reading Erin Watt books, but this one just wasn't for me, I guess.
It was a story that could have been so good, but was poorly executed in my opinion. This doesn't mean that I don't think Erin Watt is a wonderful author (or wonderful authors). They have written amazing books in the past that I've thoroughly enjoyed. That's part of the reason why I felt so let down after reading this one. I just expected more.
Let's talk about the main character, Beth's, relationship with her parents. They're over-protective and paranoid because Beth's sister, Rachel, died three years ago. Over-protective is a bit of an understatement, because the parents are absolutely nuts. They at one point in the book take away Beth's door to her room so they always know what she's up to. I got so angry at them so many times, but in the end it all seemed to come down to Beth. She was the one who had to change - and yes, she was very annoying at times too, but I think the parents at one point should have realised that they were doing inhumane things in their attempt to protect their daughter.
The cringe I felt when Chase, the male protagonist, told Beth that she just had to stop being a rebellious baby was so overpowering that I considered giving up on the story. She isn't offended - no, because when Chase (who killed her sister and went to juvie and lived through worse things than losing your door??) says that you're being a baby, then that's the truth. She does a complete 180 and is suddenly a sweet little angel, to the point that I prayed for her to go back to her annoying self instead of this cringefest. The mother even says that Beth surprised them and Beth replies with: "I surprised myself." BLEHHH
Another thing I just can't deal with, is her friendship with Scarlett. What an absolute trash best friend. From the very start you just feel how disconnected Scar is from Beth. How in the world those two even became best friends in the first place, is a question mark to me. Beth doesn't feel comfortable sharing with Scar that she doesn't hate the person who accidentally killed her sister, even though that should be something you can voice to your best friend. It was an accident after all, and Chase was being dehumanized the entire story by about every single character that popped up in the novel. But no, Scarlett continues to hate on Chase, even though Beth clearly tries to get it across that she doesn't feel any strong hate feelings towards the boy. I just hated how judgemental Scar was. At one point Beth stands up for Chase and she immediately sees how disgusted Scarlett looks - her best friends shoots her a disgusted look because she's standing up for someone she has absolutely nothing to do with.
Then you have Jeff, who has some severe issues that no one seems to pick up on except for the main character - of course. He used to be Rachel's boyfriend and when she passed away he moved to England for three years. Scarlett has a crush on Jeff and of course she's super jealous of Beth because Jeff gives her a lot of attention - because that's what best friends do. Eventually Scar and Jeff get together and all of a sudden Scar backstabs Beth because Jeff told her Beth is hanging out with drug dealers? Oh yeah, and they also suspect that Beth is seeing Chase, which is of course more than enough reason for Scar to disown Beth as a friend. She goes from being Beth's best friend to being her mortal enemy in one single chapter. She even publicly shames Beth at one point.
While reading all of this, I felt so angry and helpless because I wanted Beth to do something logical for once or to stand up for herself and for Chase. She waits until the end of the book to tell people that she is in fact seeing Chase and then the story just goes into speed mode and everything gets resolved in about two chapters. Jeff turns out to be an aggressive douche-bag (who guessed?) and Beth's parents realise that the car accident was something that could have happened to anyone and that Chase isn't at fault.
In the last chapter you get to know that Beth and Scarlett talked it out and that Scarlett felt soooo sorry. Why didn't we get an apology in the novel? Do we just have to accept that after reading about all of Scar's terrible behaviour that she is just forgiven? What about the other girls in Beth's friend group that didn't think twice before choosing Jeff and Scarlett's side? There are just so many things that made me very angry and I felt like I didn't get the closure I deserved after sitting through so many awfully mean dialogues.
I'm sorry. One Small Thing has an amazing premise and could have been great, but it just wasn't. The writing style was good and the story still read very quickly, but aside from that I can't say anything positive about it. I'm definitely going to give Erin Watt another chance when their next book comes out, because I feel like they can do so much better than this.
I was a bit disappointed when I finished One Small Thing. I usually really like reading Erin Watt books, but this one just wasn't for me, I guess.
It was a story that could have been so good, but was poorly executed in my opinion. This doesn't mean that I don't think Erin Watt is a wonderful author (or wonderful authors). They have written amazing books in the past that I've thoroughly enjoyed. That's part of the reason why I felt so let down after reading this one. I just expected more.
Let's talk about the main character, Beth's, relationship with her parents. They're over-protective and paranoid because Beth's sister, Rachel, died three years ago. Over-protective is a bit of an understatement, because the parents are absolutely nuts. They at one point in the book take away Beth's door to her room so they always know what she's up to. I got so angry at them so many times, but in the end it all seemed to come down to Beth. She was the one who had to change - and yes, she was very annoying at times too, but I think the parents at one point should have realised that they were doing inhumane things in their attempt to protect their daughter.
The cringe I felt when Chase, the male protagonist, told Beth that she just had to stop being a rebellious baby was so overpowering that I considered giving up on the story. She isn't offended - no, because when Chase (who killed her sister and went to juvie and lived through worse things than losing your door??) says that you're being a baby, then that's the truth. She does a complete 180 and is suddenly a sweet little angel, to the point that I prayed for her to go back to her annoying self instead of this cringefest. The mother even says that Beth surprised them and Beth replies with: "I surprised myself." BLEHHH
Another thing I just can't deal with, is her friendship with Scarlett. What an absolute trash best friend. From the very start you just feel how disconnected Scar is from Beth. How in the world those two even became best friends in the first place, is a question mark to me. Beth doesn't feel comfortable sharing with Scar that she doesn't hate the person who accidentally killed her sister, even though that should be something you can voice to your best friend. It was an accident after all, and Chase was being dehumanized the entire story by about every single character that popped up in the novel. But no, Scarlett continues to hate on Chase, even though Beth clearly tries to get it across that she doesn't feel any strong hate feelings towards the boy. I just hated how judgemental Scar was. At one point Beth stands up for Chase and she immediately sees how disgusted Scarlett looks - her best friends shoots her a disgusted look because she's standing up for someone she has absolutely nothing to do with.
Then you have Jeff, who has some severe issues that no one seems to pick up on except for the main character - of course. He used to be Rachel's boyfriend and when she passed away he moved to England for three years. Scarlett has a crush on Jeff and of course she's super jealous of Beth because Jeff gives her a lot of attention - because that's what best friends do. Eventually Scar and Jeff get together and all of a sudden Scar backstabs Beth because Jeff told her Beth is hanging out with drug dealers? Oh yeah, and they also suspect that Beth is seeing Chase, which is of course more than enough reason for Scar to disown Beth as a friend. She goes from being Beth's best friend to being her mortal enemy in one single chapter. She even publicly shames Beth at one point.
While reading all of this, I felt so angry and helpless because I wanted Beth to do something logical for once or to stand up for herself and for Chase. She waits until the end of the book to tell people that she is in fact seeing Chase and then the story just goes into speed mode and everything gets resolved in about two chapters. Jeff turns out to be an aggressive douche-bag (who guessed?) and Beth's parents realise that the car accident was something that could have happened to anyone and that Chase isn't at fault.
In the last chapter you get to know that Beth and Scarlett talked it out and that Scarlett felt soooo sorry. Why didn't we get an apology in the novel? Do we just have to accept that after reading about all of Scar's terrible behaviour that she is just forgiven? What about the other girls in Beth's friend group that didn't think twice before choosing Jeff and Scarlett's side? There are just so many things that made me very angry and I felt like I didn't get the closure I deserved after sitting through so many awfully mean dialogues.
I'm sorry. One Small Thing has an amazing premise and could have been great, but it just wasn't. The writing style was good and the story still read very quickly, but aside from that I can't say anything positive about it. I'm definitely going to give Erin Watt another chance when their next book comes out, because I feel like they can do so much better than this.
I'm really disappointed, because I liked some of their other work, but there was just too much going on here for me. I don't understand Beth, at all, and I feel like the messaging was really inconsistent. I didn't totally buy into the romance, I found the family relationships way way too exaggerated and unfair. I didn't find side characters I could latch onto, or just a general levity that I want from a contemporary romance. I want my contemporary romances to make me happy, not to be infuriating downers where I can't even root for the relationship.
Beth's sister died three years ago, and now her parents are crazy over-protective. She feels like she has to rebel out of their hold, so she goes to a party where she meets a boy, Chase, who it turns out has something to do with her sister's death.
Spoilers Discussion
Ugh. I do struggle with the whole being-in-love-with-your-sister's-killer thing. Especially because it was so insta-love. If it had been that they knew each other without knowing the context for a couple of weeks and built up a relationship that way, then I would understand. But this was a physical attraction, and sleeping together, followed by loving him forever.
And then the parents were ridiculous. I got whiplash: one day they'd be understanding if she acted like an adult, and the next day there were printing out her texts or removing her doors etc. It was just deeply unfair in a way that felt manipulative instead of powerful in any way.
I think that the Jeff thing was more of the stronger moments of the book. I did sort of see it coming when Jeff started to act so creepy-- it seemed like the perfect way to minimize some of Chase's fault in the matter. I like that it clarifies that the person really at fault is the person who made her run to begin with, and that all of Jeff's behavior was really, really over the line. It was almost even too textbook abusive.
And that was really all that was happening. That's the whole book. It's all parents and pining in an infuriating insta-love way and the friendships aren't very fun or even that convincing… I just couldn't get into it, neither protagonist was particularly funny. Also, I think that if the goal of a book is to get you to buy into a relationship between a girl and the boy who accidentally killed the girl's sister, then the book has to be damn sure that it can convince any reader that the relationship is a good and normal idea.
I may read some more of Erin Watt's work, but I think I will be a little more discerning when reading blurbs from their books in the future.
Fin!
Underwhelming: 70%
Beth's sister died three years ago, and now her parents are crazy over-protective. She feels like she has to rebel out of their hold, so she goes to a party where she meets a boy, Chase, who it turns out has something to do with her sister's death.
Spoilers Discussion
Ugh. I do struggle with the whole being-in-love-with-your-sister's-killer thing. Especially because it was so insta-love. If it had been that they knew each other without knowing the context for a couple of weeks and built up a relationship that way, then I would understand. But this was a physical attraction, and sleeping together, followed by loving him forever.
And then the parents were ridiculous. I got whiplash: one day they'd be understanding if she acted like an adult, and the next day there were printing out her texts or removing her doors etc. It was just deeply unfair in a way that felt manipulative instead of powerful in any way.
I think that the Jeff thing was more of the stronger moments of the book. I did sort of see it coming when Jeff started to act so creepy-- it seemed like the perfect way to minimize some of Chase's fault in the matter. I like that it clarifies that the person really at fault is the person who made her run to begin with, and that all of Jeff's behavior was really, really over the line. It was almost even too textbook abusive.
And that was really all that was happening. That's the whole book. It's all parents and pining in an infuriating insta-love way and the friendships aren't very fun or even that convincing… I just couldn't get into it, neither protagonist was particularly funny. Also, I think that if the goal of a book is to get you to buy into a relationship between a girl and the boy who accidentally killed the girl's sister, then the book has to be damn sure that it can convince any reader that the relationship is a good and normal idea.
I may read some more of Erin Watt's work, but I think I will be a little more discerning when reading blurbs from their books in the future.
Fin!
Underwhelming: 70%
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ORIGINAL POST: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-review-one-small-thing-by-erin-watt/
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
One Small Thing by Erin Watt caught my eye with the cover, but kept my attention with the intense subject matter, intriguing characters, and twists that kept me guessing.
One Small Thing follows the story of Beth as she enters her final year of high school. Most people would be looking forward to the final memories with friends and going off to college to start the next chapter. However, Beth is being smothered by overprotective parents who are still getting over the loss of their other daughter and think they are keeping her safe. Their safety causes her to act out, which brings her in contact with Chase. After a few interactions, Chase's true identity comes to light and Beth finds herself torn between wanting to hate him and her inability to. Like magnets, we constantly see life tug these two together, much to the disagreement of friends and family, and Beth is trying to juggle her feelings.
Beth is every teenager. She wants to enjoy her teenage years leading up to college, enjoys her job and volunteering, wants to spend time with friends and go to a few parties, but her parents are draining the fun out of her life. A few touchy decisions bring down the wrath of her dad and mom and seclude her, causing her to act out more. It's the story we've all seen in our own lives playing out on the pages. Watt gave us a character that we could relate to. I love how the story has intense emotions ranging from romantic moments to anger to sadness. The whole emotions spectrum is found in One Small Thing and I found myself feeling those emotions right along with Beth.
One Small Thing also takes on the taboo topic of sexual assault, which I found refreshing. This novel approached the subject in a respectful manner where as not to assume what others may feel about it, but show a scenario where it may play out and show the after effects of that situation. I love books that touch on topics that a lot of other books do not, as well as ones that need to be spotlighted. It also tied in a positive lesson every reader can implement into their own lives. I won't spoil it though!
Erin Watt wrote a gripping novel I couldn't put down. It is the perfect read for a long day on the beach or a quiet evening at home this summer. I am looking forward to more novels by Watt and will be picking up her previous novels soon. A must read!
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
One Small Thing by Erin Watt caught my eye with the cover, but kept my attention with the intense subject matter, intriguing characters, and twists that kept me guessing.
One Small Thing follows the story of Beth as she enters her final year of high school. Most people would be looking forward to the final memories with friends and going off to college to start the next chapter. However, Beth is being smothered by overprotective parents who are still getting over the loss of their other daughter and think they are keeping her safe. Their safety causes her to act out, which brings her in contact with Chase. After a few interactions, Chase's true identity comes to light and Beth finds herself torn between wanting to hate him and her inability to. Like magnets, we constantly see life tug these two together, much to the disagreement of friends and family, and Beth is trying to juggle her feelings.
Beth is every teenager. She wants to enjoy her teenage years leading up to college, enjoys her job and volunteering, wants to spend time with friends and go to a few parties, but her parents are draining the fun out of her life. A few touchy decisions bring down the wrath of her dad and mom and seclude her, causing her to act out more. It's the story we've all seen in our own lives playing out on the pages. Watt gave us a character that we could relate to. I love how the story has intense emotions ranging from romantic moments to anger to sadness. The whole emotions spectrum is found in One Small Thing and I found myself feeling those emotions right along with Beth.
One Small Thing also takes on the taboo topic of sexual assault, which I found refreshing. This novel approached the subject in a respectful manner where as not to assume what others may feel about it, but show a scenario where it may play out and show the after effects of that situation. I love books that touch on topics that a lot of other books do not, as well as ones that need to be spotlighted. It also tied in a positive lesson every reader can implement into their own lives. I won't spoil it though!
Erin Watt wrote a gripping novel I couldn't put down. It is the perfect read for a long day on the beach or a quiet evening at home this summer. I am looking forward to more novels by Watt and will be picking up her previous novels soon. A must read!
This book was so so so good! After reading The Royals, this wasn't what I expected from it, but this was so much more and maybe even better. The subjects that this book touched upon were definitely loaded and I think that the authors handled it so well. This story let me feel all kind of things, ranging from anger to happiness to being speechless. Both Chase and Beth really grew on me, I know that the story has ended, but I wouldn't mind reading more about them.
My gosh. This duo. They are my fave. This story was the best. And man oh man, do I LOVE CHASE. Such a quick, easy & fun read.
Definitely not the best work by Erin Watt there were things I really liked and things that just got on my nerves like how weak Beth was 90% of the time and I honestly felt like I was reading the same lines over and over again.
The whole book didn’t flow for me but I did love the chemistry between Beth and Chase it leaped off the pages I just wish a bit more had gone into this book
The whole book didn’t flow for me but I did love the chemistry between Beth and Chase it leaped off the pages I just wish a bit more had gone into this book
Een nieuw boek van Erin Watt moet ik lezen!
Het verhaal klopt, je kan goed meeleven met beide hoofdpersonen.
Meer geschikt voor meisjes van 14, 15 jaar dan De Royals.
Het verhaal klopt, je kan goed meeleven met beide hoofdpersonen.
Meer geschikt voor meisjes van 14, 15 jaar dan De Royals.
Beth lost her sister 3 years ago. It was a car accident. She’s been the “leftover” sister for the past three years. The whole town knows her as Rachel’s sister. The tragedy shook the whole town and her school. She’s tired of being the poor girl and that her parents can’t seem to move on. During summer break, she sneaks out one night after fighting with her parents. She goes to a party in another town. There she wants to be the unknown girl. She sets her eyes on one guy. And gets him.
Her parents find out about the party. Beth’s grounded, the dad takes away her car and phone, quits her job and volunteer service.
She’s glad when her senior year in high school starts. Her sisters boyfriend came back after being in England for two years after the accident.. But he’s not the only one back. She recognizes him as her hookup. But he’s connected to her in another way...
This was a very good story. I liked Beth and Chase, they were good for each other. The little twist was a good one. The ending was a bit crammed together and I had to read it twice to see if I read it right. But other than that, I enjoyed this book!
Thank you for the free ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.
Her parents find out about the party. Beth’s grounded, the dad takes away her car and phone, quits her job and volunteer service.
She’s glad when her senior year in high school starts. Her sisters boyfriend came back after being in England for two years after the accident.. But he’s not the only one back. She recognizes him as her hookup. But he’s connected to her in another way...
This was a very good story. I liked Beth and Chase, they were good for each other. The little twist was a good one. The ending was a bit crammed together and I had to read it twice to see if I read it right. But other than that, I enjoyed this book!
Thank you for the free ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.