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alybrighteyes's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
Amelia Westlake is a lesbian Pretty in Pink. The book is marketed as two girls who were the most unlikely duo fighting the sexual harassment by a school coach and other injustices done by their school’s teachers and administrators. What this book really is though is two girls learning that the people and institutions around them are more than the stereotypes and the preconceived notions the girls have. Truly a Pretty in Pink story, prom included.
That being said I found the characters in this book to be very flat. Harriet was the preppy good-two-shoes, EXCEPT… Will was the artistic, politically in the know, rebel, EXCEPT… Neither of the characters really got any backstory for WHY they were the way they were, other than Harriet being from a rich family and Will being from the “wrong side of the tracks”. It made it seem like they were less characters and more pawn in the author’s intent to show that a person is more than the stereotype seen at first glance by starting as a stereotype and then the author adding in bits to make them more into characters. Which is suppose in a book all about proving stereotyping wrong, isn’t the worst thing, but it’s also a bit ironic. The adults in the book I found particularly flat, which while it worked for a book where the teens and their relationships was the whole point, I was left wanting more.
All in all, I found this book to be pretty ok. I fully admit I was not looking forward to reading this book. I read it for work, and it is definitely not something I’d gravitate towards on my own. The writing was really where this book fell flat for me. When I was taking my halfway point notes to compose my review, I couldn’t even remember Harriet’s name. I also had trouble tracking which character’s perspective I was reading, as their voices sounded fairly similar, just with different levels of sass. There is also quite a few pop culture references that won't age particularly well. That criticism aside, Pretty in Pink is one of my favorite movies of all time and it was very intriguing to me to see that basic plot taken and applied to an Australian private school once I got into it and realized what the book was truly about. How Amelia Westlake spiraled into something beyond what either girl could have ever imagined when they teamed up on a (hard to believe) whim was one of my favorite parts of the book. The scene in the auditorium at the end brought joy to my heart. This wasn’t a “must finish in one sitting” book for me, but it was one that I could happily sit and just read, and wasn’t dreading picking back up when I set it down.
Amelia Westlake is a lesbian Pretty in Pink. The book is marketed as two girls who were the most unlikely duo fighting the sexual harassment by a school coach and other injustices done by their school’s teachers and administrators. What this book really is though is two girls learning that the people and institutions around them are more than the stereotypes and the preconceived notions the girls have. Truly a Pretty in Pink story, prom included.
That being said I found the characters in this book to be very flat. Harriet was the preppy good-two-shoes, EXCEPT… Will was the artistic, politically in the know, rebel, EXCEPT… Neither of the characters really got any backstory for WHY they were the way they were, other than Harriet being from a rich family and Will being from the “wrong side of the tracks”. It made it seem like they were less characters and more pawn in the author’s intent to show that a person is more than the stereotype seen at first glance by starting as a stereotype and then the author adding in bits to make them more into characters. Which is suppose in a book all about proving stereotyping wrong, isn’t the worst thing, but it’s also a bit ironic. The adults in the book I found particularly flat, which while it worked for a book where the teens and their relationships was the whole point, I was left wanting more.
All in all, I found this book to be pretty ok. I fully admit I was not looking forward to reading this book. I read it for work, and it is definitely not something I’d gravitate towards on my own. The writing was really where this book fell flat for me. When I was taking my halfway point notes to compose my review, I couldn’t even remember Harriet’s name. I also had trouble tracking which character’s perspective I was reading, as their voices sounded fairly similar, just with different levels of sass. There is also quite a few pop culture references that won't age particularly well. That criticism aside, Pretty in Pink is one of my favorite movies of all time and it was very intriguing to me to see that basic plot taken and applied to an Australian private school once I got into it and realized what the book was truly about. How Amelia Westlake spiraled into something beyond what either girl could have ever imagined when they teamed up on a (hard to believe) whim was one of my favorite parts of the book. The scene in the auditorium at the end brought joy to my heart. This wasn’t a “must finish in one sitting” book for me, but it was one that I could happily sit and just read, and wasn’t dreading picking back up when I set it down.
lilyraila232's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book!! It's heartwarming, with the right amount of conflict to keep you guessing what's going to happen next. It's the first book in a while that I've really enjoyed, and if your a higherschooler who goes to a private school that you don't like very much (me), I definitely recommend giving this a shot.
jojobear_'s review against another edition
5.0
i loved this book. the romance was so cute and it dealt with some hard topics in such an interesting way. i had such a fun time reading this would def recommend!
aelynreads's review against another edition
3.0
There's a lot to love with this one. There's great lesbian representation; an interesting private school setting, complete with sexist and prejudiced teachers; and an underground rebellion with high stakes.
My main criticism is that I didn't connect with the characters. Most of the characters are teenagers and awful people. Will thinks she knows best and treats her friends awfully; Harriet is privileged, ignorant and naive; Nat is an awful friend and cold-hearted; Edie is self-absorbed and manipulative. I don't dislike awful characters - I really love complex characters who you love despite their flaws - but we're not given any reasons to root for these guys. They're flawed with no redeeming qualities. And because I couldn't connect with the characters, I wasn't engaged in the romance or the story and it ended up being an average read.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book and I loved the themes of prejudice and justice, but I thought the characters were lacking, which let the book down.
My main criticism is that I didn't connect with the characters. Most of the characters are teenagers and awful people. Will thinks she knows best and treats her friends awfully; Harriet is privileged, ignorant and naive; Nat is an awful friend and cold-hearted; Edie is self-absorbed and manipulative. I don't dislike awful characters - I really love complex characters who you love despite their flaws - but we're not given any reasons to root for these guys. They're flawed with no redeeming qualities. And because I couldn't connect with the characters, I wasn't engaged in the romance or the story and it ended up being an average read.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book and I loved the themes of prejudice and justice, but I thought the characters were lacking, which let the book down.
afictionreality's review against another edition
4.0
Overview
Amelia Westlake Was Never Here is a book about two girls trying to fight against the sexists, misogynistic, homophobic and all over discrimination ways of their private school. Two girls who are complete opposites come together and though faced with opposing forces they try to bring down the schools old way and pave way for a new era.
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the plot of the story and what the two girls were trying to do. Though they face challenges throughout the book, they ultimately don't give up. Will and Harriet are two different people but they come together creating Amelia Westlake and try to take down their schools discriminatory ways. The romance in this book is a slow burn romance and it was cute to see it evolve over the course of the book.
Characters
Will Everhart. Will is really the only person who tries to take action against what the school is doing and really sees how the school is run long before Amelia Westlake comes along. Will is a social and political activist and she's a very outspoken person and this often gets her in trouble with the principle of the school as well as the faculty. I liked Will as a character and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. Out of all the characters I felt like she was the most well-shaped character and most dimensional one. We learn about a fear she has that plays into how she lives her life and how it keeps her from doing something.
Harriet Price. Harriet Price is an overachiever, go getter, and all around a perfect student. But then Will enters her life and sort of shakes it up. We see a sort of change in Harriet and I definitely think it's for the better. In the beginning, Harriet sort of refuses to believe what is going on within Rosemead school. Though she still helps Will with fighting the injustice of their school, it was a nice character growth to see Harriet come to terms with her school and how the faculty treat the students. But overall I didn't fully love Harriet as a character. She didn't feel well-developed and dimensioned compared to Will. We don't really learn about her family life besides how her mother acts toward Harriet having a girlfriend but we don't even get much from that. Harriet is also a sort of bland character and we don't really get to see her personality I feel like.
Overall I felt like the only really formed character was Will. Everyone else sort of fell flat and were one dimensional.
Plot
I really loved the plot of this book. Two girls fighting against the injustices of their school, sign me up! I loved all the clever ways "Amelia Westlake" decided to bring to light the injustices going on in the school. The romance in this was a slow burn romance and it was nice seeing it being played out. The ending was a little frustrating in my opinion but I thought it ended on a good note. The school in this book is very frustrating because I understand that it is this elite private school and they don't want anything to ruin the image of the school. But what I can't understand it how it can sweep the things that happen in the school under the rug and not do anything about it and it was frustrating to see that happen. And I understand that having the principal sweep things under the rug is part of the plot but it was still quite frustrating to read about.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book and I found myself not wanting to put it down. Its a good book about teens fighting against all these very real issues and it left me feeling a little inspired. The romance was slow burn and was cute to see grow and happen. I defiantly think this a book everyone should add to their TBR!
Amelia Westlake Was Never Here is a book about two girls trying to fight against the sexists, misogynistic, homophobic and all over discrimination ways of their private school. Two girls who are complete opposites come together and though faced with opposing forces they try to bring down the schools old way and pave way for a new era.
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the plot of the story and what the two girls were trying to do. Though they face challenges throughout the book, they ultimately don't give up. Will and Harriet are two different people but they come together creating Amelia Westlake and try to take down their schools discriminatory ways. The romance in this book is a slow burn romance and it was cute to see it evolve over the course of the book.
Characters
Will Everhart. Will is really the only person who tries to take action against what the school is doing and really sees how the school is run long before Amelia Westlake comes along. Will is a social and political activist and she's a very outspoken person and this often gets her in trouble with the principle of the school as well as the faculty. I liked Will as a character and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. Out of all the characters I felt like she was the most well-shaped character and most dimensional one. We learn about a fear she has that plays into how she lives her life and how it keeps her from doing something.
Harriet Price. Harriet Price is an overachiever, go getter, and all around a perfect student. But then Will enters her life and sort of shakes it up. We see a sort of change in Harriet and I definitely think it's for the better. In the beginning, Harriet sort of refuses to believe what is going on within Rosemead school. Though she still helps Will with fighting the injustice of their school, it was a nice character growth to see Harriet come to terms with her school and how the faculty treat the students. But overall I didn't fully love Harriet as a character. She didn't feel well-developed and dimensioned compared to Will. We don't really learn about her family life besides how her mother acts toward Harriet having a girlfriend but we don't even get much from that. Harriet is also a sort of bland character and we don't really get to see her personality I feel like.
Overall I felt like the only really formed character was Will. Everyone else sort of fell flat and were one dimensional.
Plot
I really loved the plot of this book. Two girls fighting against the injustices of their school, sign me up! I loved all the clever ways "Amelia Westlake" decided to bring to light the injustices going on in the school. The romance in this was a slow burn romance and it was nice seeing it being played out. The ending was a little frustrating in my opinion but I thought it ended on a good note. The school in this book is very frustrating because I understand that it is this elite private school and they don't want anything to ruin the image of the school. But what I can't understand it how it can sweep the things that happen in the school under the rug and not do anything about it and it was frustrating to see that happen. And I understand that having the principal sweep things under the rug is part of the plot but it was still quite frustrating to read about.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book and I found myself not wanting to put it down. Its a good book about teens fighting against all these very real issues and it left me feeling a little inspired. The romance was slow burn and was cute to see grow and happen. I defiantly think this a book everyone should add to their TBR!
godlizza's review against another edition
4.0
Where has this book been all my life? I knew going into it that it was gay but not that it was Australian! Big plus.
For real though, this book was great. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, Will and Harriet are both fun, flawed characters and I loved their relationship, and all the pranks of Amelia Westlake were great. Way more ballsy than anything I ever pulled in my private school days lol. This book takes care to talk about feminism in interactional ways. I think a lot of people will be put off by characters not challenging racist comments from their peers in the beginning but the book doesn't let them get away with it. Nat was great for that. And it really just shows how Will, and especially Harriet, evolve.
The only complaint I have is that there wasn't a whole lot of subtlety when it came to some side characters. We know right off the bat that Harriet's girlfriend is a butt and are just waiting for that situation to implode. Similarly with her mum. But it's minor so I'll let it slide.
Erin Gough, you are on my radar.
For real though, this book was great. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, Will and Harriet are both fun, flawed characters and I loved their relationship, and all the pranks of Amelia Westlake were great. Way more ballsy than anything I ever pulled in my private school days lol. This book takes care to talk about feminism in interactional ways. I think a lot of people will be put off by characters not challenging racist comments from their peers in the beginning but the book doesn't let them get away with it. Nat was great for that. And it really just shows how Will, and especially Harriet, evolve.
The only complaint I have is that there wasn't a whole lot of subtlety when it came to some side characters. We know right off the bat that Harriet's girlfriend is a butt and are just waiting for that situation to implode. Similarly with her mum. But it's minor so I'll let it slide.
Erin Gough, you are on my radar.
jacksonstorm's review
funny
lighthearted
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
4.75