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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
As sad as the ending was, I loved the chronic illness representation. Because some details just hit too close too home, and while my illnesses aren’t usually fatal, I felt an understanding with Emery.
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
now why do i think i'm the only one who didn't like and enjoy this one bit? Will society accept me?
I knew when I received a pack of tissues in the mail along with the book that I was most likely going to cry. But gosh, I had no idea I was going to be on the verge of tears the whole way through! I really loved Emery’s character and how much the author connected and related to her. I could tell the author wrote from her heart and I could literally feel the emotion. Emery was so strong and felt so realistic which is why I found this story to be so heartbreaking. If this story was only about Emery and her journey I think I would have loved it more. The reason for the lower score is because of Kaiden. I did not care for his character at all and I didn’t feel the love between Kaiden and Emery. My favorite trope is enemies to lovers but at a certain point the ‘enemy’ part can be taken too far. Kaiden was extremely selfish and bullied Emery for the majority of the book. He was coddled by his family and he got away with everything due to (a certain spoiler). I understand he was going through certain things but that doesn’t excuse his actions. He is 17 and is old enough to know better. My main issue is, when it came to Emery I felt such deep emotion but when it came to Kaiden & Emery together it felt so immature and took away from the main point of the story. However, it’s important to remember this is just my opinion. I would still recommend this story and I do believe the majority of people will enjoy it.
Thank you so much to the publisher for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you so much to the publisher for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Heart wrenching good!
Emery sees life differently she's only 19 and had lost her twin sister to a disease she has as well. This book is so well written you can feel the emotions come off the page. Each character is done in such a way we one is someone another needs in that moment. Grab the tissues this book will give you all the feels.
Emery sees life differently she's only 19 and had lost her twin sister to a disease she has as well. This book is so well written you can feel the emotions come off the page. Each character is done in such a way we one is someone another needs in that moment. Grab the tissues this book will give you all the feels.
Spoilers!!!
I didn’t even shed a tear. I really thought I was going to adore this book and fall head over heels for the romance but I was sadly disappointed. Emery was such a good main character, she was very likeable while still not being obnoxiously perfect but I didn’t feel very strongly about her and Kaiden’s relationship. The book started off with this deep, profound feeling when Em said her moms eyes turn gold when she cries and I was instantly hooked but the end was just such a let down. I am not someone who rarely cries in books. This should have most definitely made me cry but the execution towards the end of character relationships and sadness was lacking. Everyone was so quick to allow Em to just die when her mother was literally so emotionally traumatized from losing Logan that she was the reason Emery left in the first place. No “group” can just fix Mama to not want to do everything in her power to keep her last child alive. I also hated Rachel and the petty dynamic there. I loved that Emery never let it get to her but there should have been some resolution with school and that part of her life other than her finishing her junior year exams on her death bed in the hospital. Like who was Annabelle? This girl seemed like she should have been important but she wasn’t. What was the deal with Mr. Nichols other than being hot? There was so much that needed to be resolved in the end that wasn’t and that turned me off from the book emotionally, because in order for me to cry, and for the book to truly break me, there needed to be a gradual build up where I knew the end was coming but I still had hope. Emery was killed too quick for me to feel sad especially with how okay everyone else was.
On another note, the romance in this book was lacking. It needed much more time to be truly passionate and worth my investment. It wasn’t even enemies to lovers it was more of an undefined acquaintance to a friend in the end. The “I hate everyone but you trope” was very present but in the oddest of ways. Kaiden was so quick to accept Emery and just tell her everything where a slow burn of secrets would have made their connection deeper. Him taking her to the sycamore tree right away was too quick in my opinion because he truly didn’t know or trust her yet and he was bringing her to his special place. Also it was super weird that they were step siblings I know they’re not blood but still.
Overall, underwhelming but good.
I didn’t even shed a tear. I really thought I was going to adore this book and fall head over heels for the romance but I was sadly disappointed. Emery was such a good main character, she was very likeable while still not being obnoxiously perfect but I didn’t feel very strongly about her and Kaiden’s relationship. The book started off with this deep, profound feeling when Em said her moms eyes turn gold when she cries and I was instantly hooked but the end was just such a let down. I am not someone who rarely cries in books. This should have most definitely made me cry but the execution towards the end of character relationships and sadness was lacking. Everyone was so quick to allow Em to just die when her mother was literally so emotionally traumatized from losing Logan that she was the reason Emery left in the first place. No “group” can just fix Mama to not want to do everything in her power to keep her last child alive. I also hated Rachel and the petty dynamic there. I loved that Emery never let it get to her but there should have been some resolution with school and that part of her life other than her finishing her junior year exams on her death bed in the hospital. Like who was Annabelle? This girl seemed like she should have been important but she wasn’t. What was the deal with Mr. Nichols other than being hot? There was so much that needed to be resolved in the end that wasn’t and that turned me off from the book emotionally, because in order for me to cry, and for the book to truly break me, there needed to be a gradual build up where I knew the end was coming but I still had hope. Emery was killed too quick for me to feel sad especially with how okay everyone else was.
On another note, the romance in this book was lacking. It needed much more time to be truly passionate and worth my investment. It wasn’t even enemies to lovers it was more of an undefined acquaintance to a friend in the end. The “I hate everyone but you trope” was very present but in the oddest of ways. Kaiden was so quick to accept Emery and just tell her everything where a slow burn of secrets would have made their connection deeper. Him taking her to the sycamore tree right away was too quick in my opinion because he truly didn’t know or trust her yet and he was bringing her to his special place. Also it was super weird that they were step siblings I know they’re not blood but still.
Overall, underwhelming but good.
It is RARE for me to read a book and cry, but by the end of this, I was in tears. For all the emotions I felt and how impossible it was to put this down, this book truly deserves five stars!
Yes, Underneath the Sycamore Tree explores a relationship between step-siblings. It was the first thing friends told me when I got the book and while it’s easy to be weirded out, the circumstances Emery and Kaiden are in make the trope work (I promise)!! Beyond that, this story is so so so much more than the forbidden love. It’s about dealing with an invisible illness, overcoming the loss of people closet to you, finding a best friend and cherishing the small moments in life. The ending completely wrecked me in every way possible. I am going to be thinking of these characters for a long time.
Read if you like:
-Sad, emotional romances
-Chronic Illness rep
-Coming of age
-Forbidden love
-Small amounts of spice
-New adult books
-Family drama
Thank you so much Bloom Books for the final copy!!
Yes, Underneath the Sycamore Tree explores a relationship between step-siblings. It was the first thing friends told me when I got the book and while it’s easy to be weirded out, the circumstances Emery and Kaiden are in make the trope work (I promise)!! Beyond that, this story is so so so much more than the forbidden love. It’s about dealing with an invisible illness, overcoming the loss of people closet to you, finding a best friend and cherishing the small moments in life. The ending completely wrecked me in every way possible. I am going to be thinking of these characters for a long time.
Read if you like:
-Sad, emotional romances
-Chronic Illness rep
-Coming of age
-Forbidden love
-Small amounts of spice
-New adult books
-Family drama
Thank you so much Bloom Books for the final copy!!