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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
There is a lot to enjoy about this book - its honest look at how things are not always so black-and-white and how there are two sides to every story, even the end of a friendship. I liked the main character and related to her quest to repair herself after being broken, and I appreciated that the focus was on friendship and not romance. That said, romance still did manage to creep its way in, in a way that I felt distracted from what I was far more invested in - and I was a bit put off by what I felt were a lot of conveniences towards the end. Still, this was a good book that I felt was better than your traditional YA fair, though I do think the characters sometimes lapsed into the unrealistic John Green realm (an all too familiar and disappointing trope of the genre).
Amazing book. The protagonist wasn't the most likable for me, but she grew on me the more that I read!
This book was flat out amazing. I felt like I knew the characters and even the supporting characters. The events that occurred were believable and I didn't feel like any holes were left in the story. What a beautiful novel. Maybe it's because I have gone through painful endings with friendships but I could 100% relate and felt the rollercoaster of emotions the author brought about.
This book give me so much emotions that it's absurd.
This is about a girl whose mistake torn down her own World, she blamed fate and herself, but by the end she learned that it's up to her to move along.
This is about a perfectionist protagonist learning that people and life isn't perfect, and "I want to love the people I love with my eyes wide open."
This is about a friendship where both parties are at fault for its downfall. Both girls in the titular lost friendship are at fault here, Cleo can be cruel and Layla can be ignorant. I don't hate either of them completely, because I can see both of their reasoning, but at times I want to smack each of them on the head.
I don't know how much I like the main character Cleo, she can be petty and vengeful and cruel and doing terrible things to people who only want to be there for her. However, I think she's not supposed to be likable or flawless, she need to take responsibility for destroying her own friendship, so she can learn to be better in the future. I am frustrated at her and can never fully forgive her, because I see my worst self in her, yet I also want to have the courage to move on like her.
I love how other literatures are used to illustrate the situation of Cleo. Most prominently Mary from the Secret Garden and Macbeth (and Lady Macbeth) from Macbeth. It adds some interesting flavor for any Shakespeare fan.
Sloane and her friends are cruel and unforgivable, but Cleo shouldn't have done the thing she did to her. I wish someone in Cleo's new life can condemn her a little more for what she did to Sloane, but I can't say Sloane don't deserve it, she's reminding me of someone from my past that can't even bear speaking of.
My favorite character is definitely Sydney, she's such a wholesome friend and I wish everyone have a Sydney in their life. She's definitely the catalyst for Cleo to open up,she's forgiving and understanding. She's there for Cleo even when Cleo is being shitty to her. Willa is also amazing once she joined the squad. I'd say Sydney, Willa and Cleo's friendship is my favorite part of this book. Especially the quote "I choose them everyday, and they choose me back" (srry paraphrasing) makes me tear up so bad.
Cleo might not be the best person in the world and she made mistakes that destroyed her life, and maybe she deserves to lose the friendship with Layla. But she still earned her second chance of moving on.
Their friendship might never go back to what it used to be, but the ending scene shows me a brighter future for Layla and Cleo as they go on their separate ways.
Maybe just like them, I can finally forgive myself and move on too.
This is about a girl whose mistake torn down her own World, she blamed fate and herself, but by the end she learned that it's up to her to move along.
This is about a perfectionist protagonist learning that people and life isn't perfect, and "I want to love the people I love with my eyes wide open."
This is about a friendship where both parties are at fault for its downfall. Both girls in the titular lost friendship are at fault here, Cleo can be cruel and Layla can be ignorant. I don't hate either of them completely, because I can see both of their reasoning, but at times I want to smack each of them on the head.
I don't know how much I like the main character Cleo, she can be petty and vengeful and cruel and doing terrible things to people who only want to be there for her. However, I think she's not supposed to be likable or flawless, she need to take responsibility for destroying her own friendship, so she can learn to be better in the future. I am frustrated at her and can never fully forgive her, because I see my worst self in her, yet I also want to have the courage to move on like her.
I love how other literatures are used to illustrate the situation of Cleo. Most prominently Mary from the Secret Garden and Macbeth (and Lady Macbeth) from Macbeth. It adds some interesting flavor for any Shakespeare fan.
Sloane and her friends are cruel and unforgivable, but Cleo shouldn't have done the thing she did to her. I wish someone in Cleo's new life can condemn her a little more for what she did to Sloane, but I can't say Sloane don't deserve it, she's reminding me of someone from my past that can't even bear speaking of.
My favorite character is definitely Sydney, she's such a wholesome friend and I wish everyone have a Sydney in their life. She's definitely the catalyst for Cleo to open up,she's forgiving and understanding. She's there for Cleo even when Cleo is being shitty to her. Willa is also amazing once she joined the squad. I'd say Sydney, Willa and Cleo's friendship is my favorite part of this book. Especially the quote "I choose them everyday, and they choose me back" (srry paraphrasing) makes me tear up so bad.
Cleo might not be the best person in the world and she made mistakes that destroyed her life, and maybe she deserves to lose the friendship with Layla. But she still earned her second chance of moving on.
Their friendship might never go back to what it used to be, but the ending scene shows me a brighter future for Layla and Cleo as they go on their separate ways.
Maybe just like them, I can finally forgive myself and move on too.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Ableism, Mental illness
We have all lost friends, or struggled through friendships, at one time or another. This book felt so real and raw with those emotions and experiences.
Maybe I'm not understanding something but I could not get into this for the life of me. While reading this, I grew extremely irritated when seeing how C wanted Dom so badly the entire book that she let her friendship dissipate. She was then so upset when Layla went to go hang out with other people even though C was chasing after bro. Like, come on.
I get it's hard when people change, but watching a petty kid get angry about this was just stupid imo. Obviously, that kind of thing hurts everyone, but painting C as the victim (especially following her revenge plot) was a bit infuriating.
I get it's hard when people change, but watching a petty kid get angry about this was just stupid imo. Obviously, that kind of thing hurts everyone, but painting C as the victim (especially following her revenge plot) was a bit infuriating.
No one ever talks about how heartbreaking it is to lose a friend. But, I believe that this book captures it perfectly. Friend breakups are just as bad and heartbreaking than a breakup with a significant other. In this book, Cleo experience those feelings. Cleo and Layla were best friends since they were little but when they reach high school, of course things change and Layla started hanging with a different group of girls and you can pretty much guess what happens to their friendship after that and needless to say, it gets ugly and their friendship deteriorates. That's what I love about this book, it shows the good, bad and ugly of not Cleo and Layla but the people in their lives too. Not everyone and everything is perfect and holding people up to that standard will only hurt you in the end and that's what Cleo had to learn. Great read! ❤
I loved this - the realness of it, the painful exploration of what it means to lose a best friend, the ways we learn to see people differently and understand ourselves more. Plus, Shakespeare! Love it.
ok...y'all lied to me. i read countless reviews about how the main focus of this novel WASN'T romance. did we read the same book? I mean....yes there was also the friendship story line but I would say it was about 50/50.
anyway, that's not what the 3 stars are for. i absolutely love the idea of this story - breaking up with friend is something i think everyone can relate to. i definitely understead cleo's jealousy and loneliness after everything that has happened between her and layla.
execution keeps me from rating this any higher. maybe i just haven't been around teenage girls for awhile but i have a hard time believing these girls actually treat each other this poorly. i had a hard time suspending my disbelief during the dialogue between many of the characters.
anyway, that's not what the 3 stars are for. i absolutely love the idea of this story - breaking up with friend is something i think everyone can relate to. i definitely understead cleo's jealousy and loneliness after everything that has happened between her and layla.
execution keeps me from rating this any higher. maybe i just haven't been around teenage girls for awhile but i have a hard time believing these girls actually treat each other this poorly. i had a hard time suspending my disbelief during the dialogue between many of the characters.