Reviews

Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao

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birdwatcher04's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

annie1017's review against another edition

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1.0

Yikes. There is a lot of dialogue and most of it is really really bad

ajacobs590's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-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

4.5

If I had to pick the theme of this book I would say female empowerment! When Zoe leaves the fashion industry for the tech industry she learns how different these worlds are. Throughout this book you see Zoe find her voice and to stand up for what she believes in.

I really connected with this book as well. Zoe deals with issues that many women deal with in both society and the workplace. She is even told that women are emotionally and their word isn't as strong as a man's. I'm glad that she fights through that and shows what women can do! Coming into her new role and having her coworkers think less of her because she knows fashion and not tech. Then she ends up really showing how she can thrive with her work.

This book dealt with real issues that happen in the workplace. There is also a trigger warning at the beginning of the book because there is some conversations about sexual harassment in this book. So please be mindful of that when picking up this book.

I felt like the characters were wonderfully written. I did get frustrated with Cassie and Bjorn. They were so focused on Zoe's raise that they made it seem like nothing else could be wrong in her job. That made Zoe feel isolated and they she couldn't talk about issues she was facing. She was able to find someone to talk about everything but in the meantime she felt alone.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I think it is worth the read and as a woman it makes you realize you aren't alone with the world wants to make you small and fit into a box.

Content Warnings

sophiearaujo's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

This was cute if very straightforward

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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challenging funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I'm still figuring out what I think of this one. There were aspects that I liked reading but... Definitely quite a few things I really didn't like.

Gonna think on it a bit.

notcheryne's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

lizanneyoung's review against another edition

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4.0

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love Zoe’s personality and confidence. Even when she feels small, she’s still so sure of herself underneath all the doubt. She’s unashamed to be herself, especially when it comes to her fashion choices, and really strives not to let anyone get her down. Does it always work out that way? No, but she repeatedly bounces back in a way that is encouraging and provides a bit of optimism for anyone.

Her struggles are incredibly realistic. Trying to figure out if friendships were there because of the convenience of working together or because they are all genuinely connected is a struggle I think everyone goes through at some point. Watching Zoe navigate that, in addition to trying to fit into a new group of coworkers that has questionable boundaries at best and making a new friend, is a pleasant change of pace from what I usually read. You want to root for her to find people that she’s on the same page with, but empathize with her struggles in doing so. Her imposter syndrome is real and relatable and it’s great to see how she handles it.

After reading the author’s note, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I pegged pretty quickly how it would drop, it was just a matter of when. I’m really glad it didn’t play out how I expected and that justice was served, in my opinion.

If you spent too much time constantly rewatching Legally Blonde as a child (and maybe still as an adult), you shouldn’t sleep on Valley Verified. It’s the same vibe of a woman who’s a fish out of water, but quickly adapts to her new surroundings and thrives under pressure, despite what she’s put through.