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sk24's review against another edition
4.0
This review and more: Sharing Inspired Kreations
I love, love, love the concept of this story. From the first page of Jodi Picoult’s note, I was incredibly intrigued and excited to start my journey through this novel. Just the story behind the story is intriguing: high school daughter of bestselling author comes up with unique and creative storyline and so mother and daughter spend hours upon hours over weekends and holidays writing the book together. Fantastic! I love it!
Immediately, I notice that this book has colours in it – something you don’t see very often in non-children’s books. As I delved deeper into the book, I saw that the colours continue and – omg! – the chapters are colour-coded! Call me a nerd, but I love to colour-code things. So, of course, this excites me right away. It’s also just fun to see coloured text in a book. I find myself very excited to be reading this book for these very silly reasons. 😛
Throughout the book, there are also illustrated pages and little illustrated images beside some of the text. The ones beside the text I found a bit distracting and took away from the book a bit (and I think maybe these are a bit overkill with already having the full illustrated pages, plus the colours – maybe a bit too much?). However, it definitely adds a unique quality to the book. We don’t normally see any of these things in our every day reading.
I find the chapters of the actual fairytale story irrelevant. I like the idea of including them in the book – a story within a story – but I can’t help but wish they weren’t there when reading. Whenever I’m reading one of these chapters, I’m itching to get it over with so I can continue the book’s main storyline.
The main story was great. A very unique concept and written well. I’m glad Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha van Leer, decided to create this novel together. They did a good job.
The romance in this book is easy to get on board with. However, it is a bit cheesy at times and it wasn’t the kind of romance that gave me feels. Of course, I was rooting for the couple to find a way to be together, but it didn’t take me much farther than that.
I’m interested in checking out the companion novel, Off the Page. I’m also curious to see if Samantha van Leer will follow in her mother’s footsteps and pursue a career as a novelist. We shall see…
I love, love, love the concept of this story. From the first page of Jodi Picoult’s note, I was incredibly intrigued and excited to start my journey through this novel. Just the story behind the story is intriguing: high school daughter of bestselling author comes up with unique and creative storyline and so mother and daughter spend hours upon hours over weekends and holidays writing the book together. Fantastic! I love it!
Immediately, I notice that this book has colours in it – something you don’t see very often in non-children’s books. As I delved deeper into the book, I saw that the colours continue and – omg! – the chapters are colour-coded! Call me a nerd, but I love to colour-code things. So, of course, this excites me right away. It’s also just fun to see coloured text in a book. I find myself very excited to be reading this book for these very silly reasons. 😛
Throughout the book, there are also illustrated pages and little illustrated images beside some of the text. The ones beside the text I found a bit distracting and took away from the book a bit (and I think maybe these are a bit overkill with already having the full illustrated pages, plus the colours – maybe a bit too much?). However, it definitely adds a unique quality to the book. We don’t normally see any of these things in our every day reading.
I find the chapters of the actual fairytale story irrelevant. I like the idea of including them in the book – a story within a story – but I can’t help but wish they weren’t there when reading. Whenever I’m reading one of these chapters, I’m itching to get it over with so I can continue the book’s main storyline.
The main story was great. A very unique concept and written well. I’m glad Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha van Leer, decided to create this novel together. They did a good job.
The romance in this book is easy to get on board with. However, it is a bit cheesy at times and it wasn’t the kind of romance that gave me feels. Of course, I was rooting for the couple to find a way to be together, but it didn’t take me much farther than that.
I’m interested in checking out the companion novel, Off the Page. I’m also curious to see if Samantha van Leer will follow in her mother’s footsteps and pursue a career as a novelist. We shall see…
spauffwrites's review against another edition
3.0
This was a cute YA fairytale that didn’t turn out the way I expected. This biggest conflict is getting Oliver out of the book, and I was expecting there would be more about what happens to him once he’s no longer fictional. For a while, I thought he might have been a real person trapped in the book by another character or the author herself, but he really is just a fairy tale prince. The main female character, Delilah falls prey to the tropes of a lot of YA heroines — a little clumsy and awkward, unpopular girl in school, missing a father, etc. — but she’s funny. The underlying fairytale would make an excellent kids book.
renreads394's review against another edition
4.0
This book kept me entertained from the very beginning. I loved seeing the characters in the storybook actually become people and not just characters in their story.
Now, as much as this book entertained me, there were some flaws. There were just too many times the characters went back to their drawing board to find another solution, probably 10 or more, and the main character does not have much depth. But Oliver and his storybook friends made the adventure great. Also, their world has some flaws in their system but I learned to overlook the flaws.
Now, as much as this book entertained me, there were some flaws. There were just too many times the characters went back to their drawing board to find another solution, probably 10 or more, and the main character does not have much depth. But Oliver and his storybook friends made the adventure great. Also, their world has some flaws in their system but I learned to overlook the flaws.
lynds_13's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
kristamarshae's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting take on books in general. kept me interested the whole time.
yungokssss's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know if I will make a review about this because this book pissed me off so much.
Biggies: pointless MC - cries all the time. You can totally tell when the teen is writing. The use of "hard-core feminists" is totally wrong and I doubt whoever wrote it (the teen prob) doesn't know her vocab. HOW CAN THIS BOOK BE ROMANTIC???
Don't comment and say "This isn't a review!" It's not. It's just a tirade of terrible things. Would not recommend to anyone.
Biggies: pointless MC - cries all the time. You can totally tell when the teen is writing. The use of "hard-core feminists" is totally wrong and I doubt whoever wrote it (the teen prob) doesn't know her vocab. HOW CAN THIS BOOK BE ROMANTIC???
Don't comment and say "This isn't a review!" It's not. It's just a tirade of terrible things. Would not recommend to anyone.
forever_day's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 2.5
The Good? A very easy read, I read it on holiday in one evening. Very cute and has some really pretty illustrations.
The Bad? The ending felt a bit Deus Ex Machina. (Spoilers, but, honestly, read the synopsis and you can tell how it ends). A boy they've just met sacrificies his ENTIRE LIFE because he looks like the prince and the basic gist of his reasoning is 'my mom would prefer you as her son and I just wanna play video games'. Even if you're in the throes of teenage angst I highly doubt you'd want some stranger taking your place while you essentially opt out of life. Especially for someone you met THE DAY BEFORE.
Also I've kinda got to the point where I'm a bit bored of the 'instant-soulmate-true-love-one-and-only-actually-perfect-insta-my-forever' kind of love (but that could equally be a positive for someone. There was definitely a stage in my life where it would have been).
The Ugly? Erm, nothing really. Some light smoochin' between the main characters.
The Good? A very easy read, I read it on holiday in one evening. Very cute and has some really pretty illustrations.
The Bad? The ending felt a bit Deus Ex Machina. (Spoilers, but, honestly, read the synopsis and you can tell how it ends). A boy they've just met sacrificies his ENTIRE LIFE because he looks like the prince and the basic gist of his reasoning is 'my mom would prefer you as her son and I just wanna play video games'. Even if you're in the throes of teenage angst I highly doubt you'd want some stranger taking your place while you essentially opt out of life. Especially for someone you met THE DAY BEFORE.
Also I've kinda got to the point where I'm a bit bored of the 'instant-soulmate-true-love-one-and-only-actually-perfect-insta-my-forever' kind of love (but that could equally be a positive for someone. There was definitely a stage in my life where it would have been).
The Ugly? Erm, nothing really. Some light smoochin' between the main characters.
onlywildthoughts's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I really liked the idea but the writing was so childish and the insta love was way too crazy. It was fast paste but nothing much was happening. Overall, I would say it was okay but I won't read the sequel.
I really liked the idea but the writing was so childish and the insta love was way too crazy. It was fast paste but nothing much was happening. Overall, I would say it was okay but I won't read the sequel.
authorsavannahjames's review against another edition
5.0
I think it’s every bookworm’s dream to have the fictional person they are in love with love them back. I have dreamt countless times for my fictional boyfriends to speak to me and tell me they love me too, so this book was SOO relatable. I love this book so much.
Read: 2 times
Read: 2 times