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miss__manga__'s review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-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
2.25
This should have been something I loved. I have anxiety, have struggled with terrible acne, hell, my name even begins with an N! And yet I hated this book.
Natalie was very relatable, but this book should have been half the size it was. Her anxiety and complaining and whinging and utter lack of communication made this such a difficult slog to get through. Good editing would have fixed this - rather than coming off as anxious, Natalie came off as someone who was consistently making herself the victim, and refusing to take action for herself. She also refused to understand that there is a difference in people's experience: she was so black and white in either "you're at 0" or "you're a complete expert", and would then mope about being at 0 without taking action to start moving in the direction she wanted to go in. If you made it a drinking game, take a shot every time Natalia complains about her acne, you'd probably need to go to the hospital.
A lot of issues are mentioned (pressure of university, studying at school, feminism etc) and yet there were so many topics none of them really got discussed.
Everyone except Alex felt too young for their age. These kids go through a lot - but a lot of it is caused by themselves, and they end the book in an uncertain place and more upset / anxious / unsure than they did at the start of the book. There was no reason for a lot of the drama so it didn't feel believable (who ruins Christmas day by telling their daughter their getting divorced and have known for close to a year?). Even Natalie ending up with Alex - it was simply because he was there.
This book takes place over a few weeks, but felt so long, but nothing really happened? Characters were very one dimensional. It was all very forgettable.
I did like the way the narrator read the book. She did a good job and I would have dnf'd otherwise.
Natalie was very relatable, but this book should have been half the size it was. Her anxiety and complaining and whinging and utter lack of communication made this such a difficult slog to get through. Good editing would have fixed this - rather than coming off as anxious, Natalie came off as someone who was consistently making herself the victim, and refusing to take action for herself. She also refused to understand that there is a difference in people's experience: she was so black and white in either "you're at 0" or "you're a complete expert", and would then mope about being at 0 without taking action to start moving in the direction she wanted to go in. If you made it a drinking game, take a shot every time Natalia complains about her acne, you'd probably need to go to the hospital.
A lot of issues are mentioned (pressure of university, studying at school, feminism etc) and yet there were so many topics none of them really got discussed.
Everyone except Alex felt too young for their age. These kids go through a lot - but a lot of it is caused by themselves, and they end the book in an uncertain place and more upset / anxious / unsure than they did at the start of the book. There was no reason for a lot of the drama so it didn't feel believable (who ruins Christmas day by telling their daughter their getting divorced and have known for close to a year?). Even Natalie ending up with Alex - it was simply because he was there.
This book takes place over a few weeks, but felt so long, but nothing really happened? Characters were very one dimensional. It was all very forgettable.
I did like the way the narrator read the book. She did a good job and I would have dnf'd otherwise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Alcohol, and Medical trauma
Minor: Vomit, Sexual content, and Drug use
spearly's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
- 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
5.0
But when people say you’ve got to love yourself first, they never explain how, exactly, you get past people screaming ‘gross bitch’, how you get past feeling like your best days are only your best days because you’re managing to hide the bad bits, how you feel desirable if no one has ever desired you.
Is this a romance? Sure. But more than anything, this is a poignant story about a girl with deep insecurities and self-doubt, navigating through her first kind-of-maybe relationship with her best friend's brother, all while her parents are going through a divorce.
I ugly cried. I don't think I've ever read a protagonist that felt so similar to myself. I understood Natalie so deeply, I cried for her, with her, and knew her pain and doubt and lack of self worth as surely as I've known my own. During the chapters with her parents, I was getting flashbacks to my own parents separation, which happened when I was 15. To be honest, it feels like Kenwood took a page out of my diary, as if she'd had a glimpse into my life and saw something there worth writing about.
I loved every single character. Natalie, her parents, her friends, Alex. The relationships felt so authentic to me, and everyone was fleshed out, especially Natalie's parents. They reminded me so much of my own. Their chapters were probably the one's I got the most emotional at.
I know this book won't be for everyone. I only wish it had been around when I was in high school. Maybe I would felt a little less alone. (god, that's sappy and kinda sad. All this to say, it was a lovely novel and I will probably be thinking about it for a while.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, and Drug use
Minor: Sexism
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