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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
dnf for this book. I just couldn't take the whining anymore.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
Giving this one 4 stars because I snort-laughed my way through it, but I can't give it 5 because of the way Michael exasperatedly pressuring Mia to have sex (ok well, if not now, then when? You don't know? When WILL you know? Let's discuss this once a month until I wear you down. Ok FINE, every 3 months. It better happen before the decade's over though or I'm out.) was just presented as a reasonable matter of course. Now, this is not a book about Age Gap Crimes. The age difference between these characters is 3 years — both are teenagers — which is not unusual or particularly egregious. Still though, 15 is YOUNG, and I also could not help but remember some conversations with my own high school boyfriend where I felt like his physical expectations were suffocating me, and having grown up the way I did, I felt like I was not allowed to say no. Grown-up me felt a lot of protective empathy for Mia in this subplot and, as much as I generally like Michael and am rooting for them, the vibes were off this time.
Something else that stuck out to me from this one: there is a minor subplot wherein Mia and her friends gleefully fantasize abouthazing a new student, Perin, whose gender is ambiguous. This all comes to a head when a teacher mistakenly misgenders Perin, emboldening Mia's arch nemesis Lana to start slinging slurs at her. Mia steps in to defend Perin, and subsequently absorbs her into her own friend group. When this subplot was introduced, I was initially a bit taken aback — yes, it was 2005, the YA I read as a teen seems somehow edgier than what's being published now, but I generally read Mia and her friends as being pretty accepting and open-minded about personal expression. In the end I felt sad for Perin that although she was finally accepted into a diverse group of friends, this didn't happen until the ~mystery~ of her gender was solved. It was as if Mia needed Lana's cruelty to provide a foil and remind her of her own personal values and you know what, maybe she did. And maybe that's not entirely unrealistic! And while Mia and her friends can sometimes be misguided or make questionable decisions, I think they are characters who want to be good people who learn from their mistakes and try to make the world a better, more inclusive place, so I am hoping for good things for Perin and other future weird kids who may appear later in the series.
Something else that stuck out to me from this one: there is a minor subplot wherein Mia and her friends gleefully fantasize about
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this one better than the fifth, although I'm not too big a fan of how Michael handled the whole 'being ready to do it' thing. The three month re-evaluation is dumb and unnecessarily stressful. I wish he allowed Mia to go with the flow, and told her he will wait for her and she doesn't have to worry about it, as a good boyfriend would say. Anyway, I'm wondering how Lily will take the presidency issue? I'm kind of looking forward to an actual big fight between them, something that lasts more than a book and has actual stakes. Guess we'll see! Also, love Perin's addition to the friend group! She sounds nice, can't wait to read more about her and her personality.
3.5 stars. I continue to not like Lily because she does things without asking anybody. She nominates Mia for class president without asking. And she's really doing this so SHE can be president. That's not how things work. Mia agonizes about boys and sex and is so immature about it sometimes. I should have counted the number of times she said 'doing it' because it got old really fast. But still, I am hooked on the story as a whole and will keep going!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Can’t wait to read the next one!
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reading the series back as an adult is strange. Its probably relatable for teens (i wasnt a teen interested in sex so im not really sure), but as an adult the age difference, the pressure to have sex and the almost-stereotypical way its handled is disappointing.