Scan barcode
kadyofbooks's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was a bit of a weird one for me. I liked the first maybe third to half better than the rest. It kinda lures one in with the expectation of a w/w romantic relationship which I think I would've liked even if the characters have a 4 years age gap (which isn't much when you're in your twenties but when you're 18 and just starting off college it might be a bit much to my liking) in that part but the dynamics between the three characters we follow in the later part just weirds me out a bit. That Finn chooses to marry her boyfriend and kinda thinks of Gena as a daughter(?) was just plain weird when we see her in the first part before the drama happens... I liked that the book was told through emails, texts and other writings. That made it more enjoyable to me and multifaceted (since we got to read from more than just one perspective). Overall this story was enjoyable just didn't deliver on what I thought it would...
notlikethebeer's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this, the relationship between Gena and Finn was beautiful and the way it was written, through the social media exchanges, was refreshing and well-written. It had the potential to cover a lot of different issues, but I wish it had put a name to more of them- particularly the codependency that emerged at the end, and the gorgeous potential relationship between Gena/Finn. Both of these were present, but I wish there had been more naming and discussing of these! Also, it did kind of conflate polyamoury with cheating through the way Finn handled things, which was icky. Overall though I utterly adored this!
abbyreads8's review against another edition
3.0
Albeit a bit hesitant at first, I was excited to delve into the fangirl world of Gena/Finn and was certainly not disappointed. This story follows high school senior Gena and twenty-something Finn as they connect on an online fan-fiction forum for their favorite telephone show, Up Below. I was immediately drawn in by the very realistic relationship created between the two-- the honesty they shared and the unique nature of an online friendship.
That being said, I was a bit thrown off by a curveball thrown into the plot. I will not go too in-depth because of spoilers, but I was not a fan of the sudden shift as a whole. That being said, I found the writing to be consistently stellar, tackling the truths of identity and trauma in a beautiful light.
3.5 STARS!
That being said, I was a bit thrown off by a curveball thrown into the plot. I will not go too in-depth because of spoilers, but I was not a fan of the sudden shift as a whole. That being said, I found the writing to be consistently stellar, tackling the truths of identity and trauma in a beautiful light.
3.5 STARS!
amyreadsbooks917's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This book, this book, this book… I’ll put it this way, this is the first book in a looong time that I’ve had to physically put down and walk out of the room because I couldn’t handle it. I have a complete love/hate relationship with this book because of how it made me feel. And, upon reflection, it felt more like emotional manipulation than actual cathartic emotional response, so. I still don’t fully know how I feel. :)
I will say that this is THE BEST and most accurate text/blog/email book I’ve ever read. The voices of the characters are perfect in this format, and it felt like I was truly reading something written by real people in a real fandom. It was just spot on. I also loved the small plot twists and character reveals in the first half of the book. I felt very attached to Gena and Finn.
On the back of the book, Adele Griffin says “I had such a huge fondness for Gena and Finn that I think about them still. You will, too.” I think this perfectly summarizes how I felt about them.
Things I didn’t love (I don’t know how to say any of this stuff without spoiling everything, so… everything after this is a spoiler):
— THE SHIFT IN TONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK. It took me off guard and made me mad. The “plot twist” was totally realistic and fit well, but I just didn’t want to read about that.
— I don’t think the authors have ever been through major grief? Or if they have then the pacing of their writing was off? Something about it felt a little glossy but I can’t put my finger on it. Possibly how Gena did a 180 from shock and despair into a “well here’s how I processed everything. Here’s the answer.” type of a tone so quickly?
— The “romance” or “we’re more than friends” feelings were not very well explained? I didn’t pick up any romantic feelings from the characters until they were in the middle of fighting about feelings and then all of that also got brushed under the rug. It may have just been because of the format of the book since we didn’t really get to see many of the characters’ interior thoughts unless they were talking to one another about them.
This book, this book, this book… I’ll put it this way, this is the first book in a looong time that I’ve had to physically put down and walk out of the room because I couldn’t handle it. I have a complete love/hate relationship with this book because of how it made me feel. And, upon reflection, it felt more like emotional manipulation than actual cathartic emotional response, so. I still don’t fully know how I feel. :)
I will say that this is THE BEST and most accurate text/blog/email book I’ve ever read. The voices of the characters are perfect in this format, and it felt like I was truly reading something written by real people in a real fandom. It was just spot on. I also loved the small plot twists and character reveals in the first half of the book. I felt very attached to Gena and Finn.
On the back of the book, Adele Griffin says “I had such a huge fondness for Gena and Finn that I think about them still. You will, too.” I think this perfectly summarizes how I felt about them.
Things I didn’t love (I don’t know how to say any of this stuff without spoiling everything, so… everything after this is a spoiler):
Spoiler
— THE SHIFT IN TONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK. It took me off guard and made me mad. The “plot twist” was totally realistic and fit well, but I just didn’t want to read about that.
— I don’t think the authors have ever been through major grief? Or if they have then the pacing of their writing was off? Something about it felt a little glossy but I can’t put my finger on it. Possibly how Gena did a 180 from shock and despair into a “well here’s how I processed everything. Here’s the answer.” type of a tone so quickly?
— The “romance” or “we’re more than friends” feelings were not very well explained? I didn’t pick up any romantic feelings from the characters until they were in the middle of fighting about feelings and then all of that also got brushed under the rug. It may have just been because of the format of the book since we didn’t really get to see many of the characters’ interior thoughts unless they were talking to one another about them.
biblialex's review against another edition
4.0
Well that was a surprisingly intense couple of hours.
jahanam's review against another edition
5.0
I feel so many emotions right now. This was so wonderful and beautiful.
The character development, okay? IN 280 PAGES! And not just with the two protagonists but also with Charlie. I loved them all together. This is was shipping is all about.
Gena and Finn felt about Up Below like I felt for supernatural and Harry Potter and I could relate to them so much. The community you love and hate at the same time and how actors and characters become one sometime. AAGH SO MANY FEELINGS! The Author captured that so well.
This was such a short read, but it was also so great. I loved it so much. I wanna read it again right now. I want to read more, want to know what else is going to happen to these two (/three).
The character development, okay? IN 280 PAGES! And not just with the two protagonists but also with Charlie. I loved them all together. This is was shipping is all about.
Gena and Finn felt about Up Below like I felt for supernatural and Harry Potter and I could relate to them so much. The community you love and hate at the same time and how actors and characters become one sometime. AAGH SO MANY FEELINGS! The Author captured that so well.
This was such a short read, but it was also so great. I loved it so much. I wanna read it again right now. I want to read more, want to know what else is going to happen to these two (/three).
vampar's review against another edition
4.0
OMG the feels. Still digesting. will come back to this later.
pikasqueaks's review against another edition
This has some great depictions of friendship and how the lines can start to blur with certain people, with romantic love and friend love, with sexuality and confusion, and how the endings we want aren't always the endings we get.
I loathe ~fandom~ and grow irritated by even just the mention of it, but the way it's portrayed in here is a lot less grating than it's been in certain other books. There's a level of authenticity in it that doesn't turn things into a goopy, theater kid mess of ~randomness~ and ~quirky~ whatever, while still remaining interesting and true-to-life.
The ending is what really made the book for me, and the kind of disappointment and frustration of having to live the life you've chosen, rather than the temporary thing you want.
I loathe ~fandom~ and grow irritated by even just the mention of it, but the way it's portrayed in here is a lot less grating than it's been in certain other books. There's a level of authenticity in it that doesn't turn things into a goopy, theater kid mess of ~randomness~ and ~quirky~ whatever, while still remaining interesting and true-to-life.
The ending is what really made the book for me, and the kind of disappointment and frustration of having to live the life you've chosen, rather than the temporary thing you want.
peruseproject's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book!
Honestly this book opened as super relatable (follows a friendship that started online through love of a mutual fandom) and then it ended SUPER DEEP.
very impressed.
Honestly this book opened as super relatable (follows a friendship that started online through love of a mutual fandom) and then it ended SUPER DEEP.
very impressed.