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adrenabereading's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Domestic abuse
kiwi_00's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book has a special place in my heart alongside Wash Day Diaries and Confessions Of An Alleged Good Girl. I felt seen as the writers of these books showed strong sisterhoods or described things that are universal to being a Black girl/woman. (I would also recommend Odd Girls Out, a webcomic on the Webtoon Naver site/ app for more fiction on sisterhood and teenage girl friendships).
Things I liked
Things I liked
- The pacing throughout the book was almost perfect- not too fast but not too slow either.
- The description of Briarcliff Prep, Preston Academy and the professors really helped to make me feel absorbed in the book. It made me wonder what it would be like to have HBCUs or a HBBS in the UK.
- There were multiple things that Avi was focused on - Her friends,
Quincy , her sister, her grades and the school newspaper and all the drama that came with it. It helped to flesh out her character and make her seem more real. - The emphasis of sisterhood regardless if it was a blood relation or not. I loved the friendships in the story.
- The boarding school setting- Shout out to younger me being obsessed with the Mallory Towers series.
Things I did not like
- The ending- Too many things happen behind the scenes and are mentioned in passing when I think that making the book a bit longer would have helped. For example
When Moe blames Avi for not telling anyone about Belle being in an abusive relationship , I would have liked to see them have an actual conversation about it where he apologises to her. Same issues forBelle and Nevaeh rekindling their friendship and Quincy and Avi's last conversation which just felt unfinished . - Moe- I'm aware that he was written like this on purpose as a chance to have critique/commentary on how Black men tapping into patriarchy harms and endangers Black women who often have to protect each other from that and other forms of white supremacy. That being said, I hated the way he kept trying to impose himself as an authority figure in Avi's life especially in situations where she could and should exercise her own autonomy. For example
even though their dad had given Avi permission to date Quincy, Moe kept butting in to tell her that he didn't approve and initially was not going to allow her to date Quincy or telling her that she shouldn't dress the way she does . The way he acted throughout the book is very indicative of how Black men (and other who agree with Black patriarchy) try to police and remove autonomy from Black girls and women under the guise of protecting them especially from other men but when it is time to stand ten toes down, put his money where his mouth is or to walk the walk, he didn't do any protecting. Alarm bells should have started going off in his head, when Avi kept repeatedlysaying that she did not like Logan .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
kimiloughlin's review against another edition
5.0
Both a super fun private boarding school story and a powerful look at toxic and abusive relationships in people you love.
lilmollyjo0301's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
amayaethomas's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kendal_reads's review
emotional
funny
tense
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
martin27's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-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
3.75
I will readily admit that I was not necessarily the target audience for this book. That didn’t keep me from seeing myself in Avi and from feeling invited to experience her world. The author has succeeded in created a setting that feels like a second home for both the characters and the audience, and the love, heartbreak, and stresses of teenage life are accurately and honestly depicted.
Plot-wise, it’s very straight forward. Avi goes to school. Avi meets a mean girl. Avi meets a boy. I wouldn’t call this a flaw; it’s not meant to be the most thought-provoking book ever. It’s ultimately about the bond between Avi and her sister Belle, which is by far the most complex and interesting relationship in the book.
Some of the side characters do come off a bit flat. They fall into tropes fairly often (Moe is the over-protective brother, Zazie is the good vibes photographer, Paisli is a nosy preteen using TikTok, etc.), but they aren’t boring. They just all come across as side characters in Avi’s story. Of all the side characters, Rhyon and Quincy seem to be the strongest in my opinion, but Rhyon’s arc is completed quite a bit before the book ends, and Quincy’s arc felt very smooth until the very end of the book, where things just cut off. The author introduces a lot of names early in the book that rarely come back (for example, Rhyon’s roommate, who I had completely forgotten about by the book’s end when she is finally mentioned again and I had to try and remember what I was supposed to know about her).
A solid read, especially for teenagers, and it does address several important topics in a way that felt realistic and didn’t romanticize or sugarcoat any of them.
Plot-wise, it’s very straight forward. Avi goes to school. Avi meets a mean girl. Avi meets a boy. I wouldn’t call this a flaw; it’s not meant to be the most thought-provoking book ever. It’s ultimately about the bond between Avi and her sister Belle, which is by far the most complex and interesting relationship in the book.
Some of the side characters do come off a bit flat. They fall into tropes fairly often (Moe is the over-protective brother, Zazie is the good vibes photographer, Paisli is a nosy preteen using TikTok, etc.), but they aren’t boring. They just all come across as side characters in Avi’s story. Of all the side characters, Rhyon and Quincy seem to be the strongest in my opinion, but Rhyon’s arc is completed quite a bit before the book ends, and Quincy’s arc felt very smooth until the very end of the book, where things just cut off. The author introduces a lot of names early in the book that rarely come back (for example, Rhyon’s roommate, who I had completely forgotten about by the book’s end when she is finally mentioned again and I had to try and remember what I was supposed to know about her).
A solid read, especially for teenagers, and it does address several important topics in a way that felt realistic and didn’t romanticize or sugarcoat any of them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking
eeliyah's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75