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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Supposed to be a 4 stars but them calling each other "baby" really made me…. lol
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is very conflicting for me. On the one hand, I did enjoy it and was absolutely invested. I was crying literally throughout the whole book… I loved the characters although it definitely felt a little extra and unrealistic and I REALLY struggled with the ages… like, wow (more on that to come). The ending especially felt way too cleanly wrapped, especially considering what happened. And the epilogue?? Wtf was that? I would’ve really liked to see some true growth and depth in this character instead of just… well… an “easy-out” we’ll say.
Now, This is just my personal opinion, but I wasn’t really onboard with the happy-go-lucky, I’m-not-afraid-of-dying, I’m-just-happy-to-be-here-now, 17 yo girl… I feel like this book heroicized dying way too much. Poppy was soooo not like the other girls. And these kinds of portrayals of dying as this brave thing and how the most beautiful souls die young just felt exploitative and self serving. to portray the dying/death of a child as this “beautiful” thing that is okay because it makes us feel better if it’s beautiful and okay..
Maybe, idk, dying teenagers don’t want to die? Maybe it’s the scariest, darkest thing anyone could possibly imagine? Maybe it’s not some beautiful, whimsical experience? Idk, everyone handles death differently and in waves of pain and despair, but I just feel like these kinds of portrayals only serve to ease the discomfort of those who are not dying… perhaps it could be argued that this is a natural part of life to try to remove fear and pain from the fear of eternity, in order to heal and push through.
A little less nuanced — In the first half of the book, there was a lot of really random slut shaming that really came out of nowhere and was a bit jarring. and we had an intimate partner violence moment, great thank you and we moved on like that didn’t happen.
Lots of erotica, a bit smutty and ridiculously sappy and honestly I am not here to yuck anyone’s yum. I think adults can hopefully read books like this and separate fantasy from reality. I think ADULTS can handle inappropriately handled themes and situations in literature with a more critical and logical lens…
BUT… AAAAAALLL OF THAT ASIDE, that’s all fine, whatever. I have honestly come to expect this kind of mediocrity from our current book industry/culture. And sometimes, we all need something a little simple. There’s no shame in reading simple books about simple topics. I love a good, sappy romance and cry sesh as much as the next girl. My real problems are much darker. I would have been able to get over ALL OF THIS, but for one thing…
This book isn’t about adults and it’s not written for adults.
This is a book about CHILDREN and is marketed TO CHILDREN. First of all, we are reading a literal romance with really no other plot, character or story beyond the romance, about CHILDREN. We’re talking romance (possessive, “heart-bursting” romance as young as 8 years old albeit briefly and less eroticized) to 15 when they’re having very eroticized and descriptive experiences including sneaking into one another’s rooms (apparently every single night since they were 12) and, yes, sex up until our characters are 17.
I find it frankly really weird that an adult woman sat down and wrote this entire book about 15-17 year olds making out “deeply and passionately” non-stop and having sex and thought, “yeah, no, this is a good idea. This is a normal thing for a grown woman to spend time thinking about.”
Like, why???? Why not just make your characters of age (this could have easily been college or post-college; mid twenties) if you’re going to write VERY adult material OR maybe if you’re going to make a YA book for and about teenagers, maybe DONT make it basically a smut book?
This book is literally marketed and sold as YA and is deemed suitable for audiences 14+… by the publisher !!!😬 if you can read this book, with all these themes ive mentioned and trust there is much more where that came from and then say with a straight face that this book is suitable for 14 year olds… I’m sorry that’s a bit twisted. I’m very concerned 😅
And if anyone really thinks that I’m making this weird by reading it this way, just know that There’s a difference between writing about young love and relationships as kids/children and writing erotica about them. There are plenty of great YA books that feature young love and are suitable for young readers, but this definitely crosses the line into smut/erotica territory in the way the love is described in its INTENSITY and FREQUENCY throughout the story.
I’m sorry, yeah it’s weird.
Now, This is just my personal opinion, but I wasn’t really onboard with the happy-go-lucky, I’m-not-afraid-of-dying, I’m-just-happy-to-be-here-now, 17 yo girl… I feel like this book heroicized dying way too much. Poppy was soooo not like the other girls. And these kinds of portrayals of dying as this brave thing and how the most beautiful souls die young just felt exploitative and self serving. to portray the dying/death of a child as this “beautiful” thing that is okay because it makes us feel better if it’s beautiful and okay..
Maybe, idk, dying teenagers don’t want to die? Maybe it’s the scariest, darkest thing anyone could possibly imagine? Maybe it’s not some beautiful, whimsical experience? Idk, everyone handles death differently and in waves of pain and despair, but I just feel like these kinds of portrayals only serve to ease the discomfort of those who are not dying… perhaps it could be argued that this is a natural part of life to try to remove fear and pain from the fear of eternity, in order to heal and push through.
A little less nuanced — In the first half of the book, there was a lot of really random slut shaming that really came out of nowhere and was a bit jarring. and we had an intimate partner violence moment, great thank you and we moved on like that didn’t happen.
Lots of erotica, a bit smutty and ridiculously sappy and honestly I am not here to yuck anyone’s yum. I think adults can hopefully read books like this and separate fantasy from reality. I think ADULTS can handle inappropriately handled themes and situations in literature with a more critical and logical lens…
BUT… AAAAAALLL OF THAT ASIDE, that’s all fine, whatever. I have honestly come to expect this kind of mediocrity from our current book industry/culture. And sometimes, we all need something a little simple. There’s no shame in reading simple books about simple topics. I love a good, sappy romance and cry sesh as much as the next girl. My real problems are much darker. I would have been able to get over ALL OF THIS, but for one thing…
This book isn’t about adults and it’s not written for adults.
This is a book about CHILDREN and is marketed TO CHILDREN. First of all, we are reading a literal romance with really no other plot, character or story beyond the romance, about CHILDREN. We’re talking romance (possessive, “heart-bursting” romance as young as 8 years old albeit briefly and less eroticized) to 15 when they’re having very eroticized and descriptive experiences including sneaking into one another’s rooms (apparently every single night since they were 12) and, yes, sex up until our characters are 17.
I find it frankly really weird that an adult woman sat down and wrote this entire book about 15-17 year olds making out “deeply and passionately” non-stop and having sex and thought, “yeah, no, this is a good idea. This is a normal thing for a grown woman to spend time thinking about.”
Like, why???? Why not just make your characters of age (this could have easily been college or post-college; mid twenties) if you’re going to write VERY adult material OR maybe if you’re going to make a YA book for and about teenagers, maybe DONT make it basically a smut book?
This book is literally marketed and sold as YA and is deemed suitable for audiences 14+… by the publisher !!!😬 if you can read this book, with all these themes ive mentioned and trust there is much more where that came from and then say with a straight face that this book is suitable for 14 year olds… I’m sorry that’s a bit twisted. I’m very concerned 😅
And if anyone really thinks that I’m making this weird by reading it this way, just know that There’s a difference between writing about young love and relationships as kids/children and writing erotica about them. There are plenty of great YA books that feature young love and are suitable for young readers, but this definitely crosses the line into smut/erotica territory in the way the love is described in its INTENSITY and FREQUENCY throughout the story.
I’m sorry, yeah it’s weird.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
This book made me feel the same way I felt the first time I saw A Walk to Remember as a pre-teen. Definitely YA, but well written YA.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death
I hated this and I also bawled my eyes out on a plane reading this so do with that what you will.
It was okay and felt sappy in a bad way, unlike other romance books where I get butterflies or kick my feet like a teenage girl when I see some cute interactions, this just went downhill and felt sooo.. dramatic. Like what 8 year olds do you see acting that sappy?? Then he gave me an ick by the constant slut shaming (“she was unique in a town full of carbon copy bimbos”) and does he only like poppy because she’s different and quirky?? Hello??”she wasn’t like the other girls” That feels so cliche. I came in expecting a cute romance and I got heavy baggage. I don’t even understand why the other girls didn’t like her, she was described as beautiful several times and they described her hobby in orchestra as weird, like what’s weird about that??
This book has left me broken…I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this was unrealistic and gross. it felt like it was written by a 13-year-old. just no pls. all their conversations were about the same stuff. if the protagonist’s personality is “girl with chronic illness”, there’s not enough character development
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
emotional
sad
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