Reviews

Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough

gladiolys's review

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

dhishfish's review against another edition

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5.0

Aaaaaahh i absolutely love Amelia Westlake!! This book was such a captivating story and I just love the plot and the way our two main characters dealt with all the problematic things in their school. It's such a great, feministy fast read that's super enjoyable.

jackiehorne's review against another edition

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Thought this would be more engaging than it was; more light humor than deep character construction and biting feminist questioning of school rules. I'd recommend [b:The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks|1629601|The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks|E. Lockhart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1313980820l/1629601._SY75_.jpg|1623714]E Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks if you want a deeper look (albeit not with queer characters) at feminist issues in a school setting.

boeufer's review against another edition

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2.5

Mostly enjoyable read, but most aspects of the book felt a bit shallow and surface level - characters, romance, the points it was trying to make, etc.

ysary's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I finished this book in one day. It's a sweet and funny YA about fighting back against classisim and private schools with a sapphic romance subplot. 

whatxesaid's review against another edition

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funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

reillyharr82's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

essjay1's review against another edition

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2.0

An easy to read YA novel, the plot is predictable but some of the stunts are great. Harriet, Will & Natasha are easy to like - if only school was this interesting.

jesskvan's review against another edition

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4.0

I didn’t know anything about this book before I started reading it (thought the cover looked cool in the window of a book shop), and when I did I wasn’t super keen on reading a novel set in a Sydney private high school. But I’m glad I continued because it surprised me and was quite good. Writing was good and I liked the story. Could have fleshed it out a little more; felt a bit sparse, but I still liked it.

sapphicurse's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was a sweet high school read.
As someone who attended a private girls school in Australia, a lot of this felt very familiar and it was really fun seeing that world being upended. I would have loved reading it when I was still in school!
It's a teen book so some of the dialogue is a bit on-the-nose but I appreciate Gough's effort to represent her points explicitly.
Like, I cannot express enough how great the queer representation is in this book!! The two main characters are lesbians! It's written on the page! Lesbian!!!! No washing-out because they're teens and don't know yet. LESBIAN, BABEY!
This book did sexuality so so well for a YA contemporary and my heart is so full ❣️