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sashasdorogaya's review
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own and not influenced by this review copy.
The story begins when Brynn finds her mom cheating on her dad and is internally conflicted about whether she should tell her dad or not. When she does, she’s tired of all the drama, all while helping her friend Nina get through a breakup. Soon after she finds out that her other friend, Val, is Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty. Throughout this, Val tries to set Brynn up with different guys because according to Val, Brynn needs to “find and believe in love”. But this doesn’t distract her from Val’s boyfriend, Adam.
This is a story that has great potential in so many ways as we get to see Brynn develop as a character, an intervention of Greek gods and goddesses in teenage romance and family struggles. The characters weren’t as mature as I expected them to be in terms of dealing with their problems but still interesting.
However, the entire Val/Aphrodite concept was rushed and random in my opinion. Val could’ve been given a role of matchmaker instead of an outright goddess. Everyone just accepted she was an ancient goddess and it was very downplayed considering she could do so much more than set Brynn up on dates.
The story begins when Brynn finds her mom cheating on her dad and is internally conflicted about whether she should tell her dad or not. When she does, she’s tired of all the drama, all while helping her friend Nina get through a breakup. Soon after she finds out that her other friend, Val, is Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty. Throughout this, Val tries to set Brynn up with different guys because according to Val, Brynn needs to “find and believe in love”. But this doesn’t distract her from Val’s boyfriend, Adam.
This is a story that has great potential in so many ways as we get to see Brynn develop as a character, an intervention of Greek gods and goddesses in teenage romance and family struggles. The characters weren’t as mature as I expected them to be in terms of dealing with their problems but still interesting.
However, the entire Val/Aphrodite concept was rushed and random in my opinion. Val could’ve been given a role of matchmaker instead of an outright goddess. Everyone just accepted she was an ancient goddess and it was very downplayed considering she could do so much more than set Brynn up on dates.
nadiacoleccionista's review
3.0
I have to thank the publisher and Netgalley very much for this copy of the book
giadaleggeg's review
3.0
thanks to Net-Galley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange to an honest review.
3.5 stars
Brynn Stark after discovering her mother cheating on her father does not want to know about love, too bad that one of her best friends is Aphrodite the goddess of love. I was immediately intrigued by the plot and all in all I found it a very pleasant read, many characters I admit were difficult to bear but only because they were very well written in my opinion.
#NeverSayNever #NetGalley
3.5 stars
Brynn Stark after discovering her mother cheating on her father does not want to know about love, too bad that one of her best friends is Aphrodite the goddess of love. I was immediately intrigued by the plot and all in all I found it a very pleasant read, many characters I admit were difficult to bear but only because they were very well written in my opinion.
#NeverSayNever #NetGalley
ghostie_reads's review
2.5
Never Say Never shows how love can take different forms, drives home the point that sometimes divine intervention is a good thing. Brynn has decided that love isn't for her. After walking in on her mom in a very compromising position with a man that is 100% not her dad, Brynn comes to the conclusion that it's just not a realistic or worthwhile way to spend her time.
The bombshells don't stop coming, it seems. When Brynn shares this revelation with her friend Val, Val reveals that she's actually the Greek goddess of Love -- Aphrodite. Aphrodite swears to Brynn that she can prove why love is worth believing in. Unfortunately, Brynn finds herself falling for the one person who is really off limits, Aphrodite's boyfriend, Ben. Brynn's journey centers around her decision to either live the life Aphrodite is encouraging her to or to take fate into her own hands and risk it all for a shot at happiness.
I really enjoyed this retelling, as it felt unique. The way that Brynn and Aphrodite, in particular, were written was really excellent. I also loved the coexistence of religions in this book, it didn't feel like one belief system was getting preferential treatment. I think that Manzano does a really interesting job of creating characters that readers love to hate (or, well, strongly dislike). This book is definitely worth a read, especially if you enjoy mythology and modern retellings.
Overall rating: 2.5/5 (rounded to 3)
Never Say Never is now available for purchase. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Justine Manzano's website!
I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The bombshells don't stop coming, it seems. When Brynn shares this revelation with her friend Val, Val reveals that she's actually the Greek goddess of Love -- Aphrodite. Aphrodite swears to Brynn that she can prove why love is worth believing in. Unfortunately, Brynn finds herself falling for the one person who is really off limits, Aphrodite's boyfriend, Ben. Brynn's journey centers around her decision to either live the life Aphrodite is encouraging her to or to take fate into her own hands and risk it all for a shot at happiness.
I really enjoyed this retelling, as it felt unique. The way that Brynn and Aphrodite, in particular, were written was really excellent. I also loved the coexistence of religions in this book, it didn't feel like one belief system was getting preferential treatment. I think that Manzano does a really interesting job of creating characters that readers love to hate (or, well, strongly dislike). This book is definitely worth a read, especially if you enjoy mythology and modern retellings.
Overall rating: 2.5/5 (rounded to 3)
Never Say Never is now available for purchase. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Justine Manzano's website!
I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
bookwormbullet's review
3.0
Thank you so much to Sword and Silk Books for providing me with an ARC for an exchange of an honest review.
The concept of this book was pretty interesting. It has been a while since I had read books with themes of greek mythology set in a modern setting, so I was interested to pick this book up. However, although the concept from the book’s description sounded cool, I think the execution could have been better. The greek mythology aspect felt a little detached from the rest of the story, mainly through the way Val was portrayed as Aphrodite. She felt less like the goddess of love and more like a teenager who had suddenly been dumped with these godly responsibilities. I also didn’t appreciate Brynn’s character all that much because she definitely was a “I’m not like other girls” type of character, which I’m not really a fan of. She constantly would compare her clothes and appearance to those of girls like Val and although I know what the author was trying to convey with these sentiments, sometimes it can come off as unintentionally misogynistic. I thought we left those types of characters back in 2014 :(
Like other readers have mentioned, this book felt weirdly out of place in the sense that I couldn’t exactly tell what year the book’s events were supposed to take place? Some of the language that the characters used felt a little outdated and Brynn and her friends weren’t necessarily partaking in activities that current teenagers partake in so I wasn’t able to relate to them in that sense as well. I think a little clarification about when this book takes place would have been helpful.
Overall this book reads like a typical YA contemporary romance. I think with a little more development with the fantasy aspect, this book could have been a great read!
The concept of this book was pretty interesting. It has been a while since I had read books with themes of greek mythology set in a modern setting, so I was interested to pick this book up. However, although the concept from the book’s description sounded cool, I think the execution could have been better. The greek mythology aspect felt a little detached from the rest of the story, mainly through the way Val was portrayed as Aphrodite. She felt less like the goddess of love and more like a teenager who had suddenly been dumped with these godly responsibilities. I also didn’t appreciate Brynn’s character all that much because she definitely was a “I’m not like other girls” type of character, which I’m not really a fan of. She constantly would compare her clothes and appearance to those of girls like Val and although I know what the author was trying to convey with these sentiments, sometimes it can come off as unintentionally misogynistic. I thought we left those types of characters back in 2014 :(
Like other readers have mentioned, this book felt weirdly out of place in the sense that I couldn’t exactly tell what year the book’s events were supposed to take place? Some of the language that the characters used felt a little outdated and Brynn and her friends weren’t necessarily partaking in activities that current teenagers partake in so I wasn’t able to relate to them in that sense as well. I think a little clarification about when this book takes place would have been helpful.
Overall this book reads like a typical YA contemporary romance. I think with a little more development with the fantasy aspect, this book could have been a great read!
bookingwithjanelle's review
3.0
I liked the premise of the book, but there were some aspects of it that I couldn't quite follow. This coming of age story was really relatable to me in a lot of ways. Not everyone is this picture perfect, cheerleader popular girl and we don't need to be.
I also understand the hardships & emotional rollercoaster that a teen can go through while they are discovering themselves and potentially fall in love while watching other love story fall apart. I think the book would have stood on its own without the "twist" of Aphrodite as a foster kid. It felt a little disjointed to me and not necessary.
•••••
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I also understand the hardships & emotional rollercoaster that a teen can go through while they are discovering themselves and potentially fall in love while watching other love story fall apart. I think the book would have stood on its own without the "twist" of Aphrodite as a foster kid. It felt a little disjointed to me and not necessary.
•••••
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
procrastinatewithreading's review
3.0
Brynn has sworn off love after watching her BFF’s on-again, off-again relationship end (again) and her parents' marriage turn from bad to awful. Brynn is happy to remain on the outside and disbelieve in true love, until her friend, Val, turns out to be Aphrodite. Val makes it her mission to find Brynn true love while Brynn continues to navigate life with family, friends, and falling in love all on her own.
This book has an interesting plot idea and a believable cast of characters. Adding the Greek goddess of Love to a high school opens the door for drama and mayhem that is over the top and well-intentioned (the Gods always liked to help humans, right?). The pacing was fast and the story moved along quickly. A solid message throughout the book is that Brynn and her BFF Nina are soul mates- they are each other’s people. As other characters entered the story they were included in the friend group, but Brynn and Nina maintained their bond. The characters communicated with each other and showed strong relationships within their group.
Unfortunately the book was superficial. Brynn is the standard under-appreciated, not-your-average girl. The characters received HEAs but it didn’t necessarily feel like they were earned by growing and developing. The over-the-top drama was fun at times and at other times it was cringe-worthy (comparing the actions of Brynn to the actions of Brynn’s mother is a bit much given that one is in high school and the other is a grown person, or a HS student harassing Brynn throughout).
Thanks to @NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for my honest review.
CW: parent death from cancer (off page), cheating, divorce, life-threatening asthma
#neversaynever #netgalley #TeensandYA
This book has an interesting plot idea and a believable cast of characters. Adding the Greek goddess of Love to a high school opens the door for drama and mayhem that is over the top and well-intentioned (the Gods always liked to help humans, right?). The pacing was fast and the story moved along quickly. A solid message throughout the book is that Brynn and her BFF Nina are soul mates- they are each other’s people. As other characters entered the story they were included in the friend group, but Brynn and Nina maintained their bond. The characters communicated with each other and showed strong relationships within their group.
Unfortunately the book was superficial. Brynn is the standard under-appreciated, not-your-average girl. The characters received HEAs but it didn’t necessarily feel like they were earned by growing and developing. The over-the-top drama was fun at times and at other times it was cringe-worthy (comparing the actions of Brynn to the actions of Brynn’s mother is a bit much given that one is in high school and the other is a grown person, or a HS student harassing Brynn throughout).
Thanks to @NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for my honest review.
CW: parent death from cancer (off page), cheating, divorce, life-threatening asthma
#neversaynever #netgalley #TeensandYA
meganreadsx12's review
5.0
I may be biased but I've read multiple drafts of this book and I'm super excited for this cute book to be in the world!
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