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krissyslibrary's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
nosmallthing's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying and Cancer
Minor: Death of parent
inkyinsanity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The writing was compelling, the characters enjoyable, and the romance adorable. I'd describe the plot as Brenna Yovanoff's Paper Valentine meets Clueless. One member of a group of mean girls wants to change herself but is too afraid of her friends' reactions, but something gives her a chance to find her own interests and make new, nicer friends. Plus, she has OCD!
I seem to love that mean girl trope, and I definitely enjoyed reading about the teenage girl drama. (Much more preferable than living through it, or having to supervise it!)
Unfortunately, Sam's big reveal, which the book's summary calls, "...a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear,“ fell into the cliche that so many stories about mental health or chronic illness seem to fall into. If you regularly read or look for disability representation, you're probably familiar with the type: instead of being a story where a girl with OCD tries to break away from her toxic friend group, it became a story where a girl with toxic friends struggles with OCD. Except it isn't even a symptom of OCD that she turns out to be experiencing.
I saw the twist coming, and kudos to the author for foreshadowing it well. I just hate it.
If the big, climactic disaster had to be about Sam's mental health instead of her friends, which was certainly a strong enough plotline to stand on its own, I had imagined it would have to do with her current treatment regime no longer working, or someone finding out about her OCD/therapy and spilling the beans before Sam was ready, causing social issues at school and increasing her stress, perhaps leading to unsafe behavior on her part in an effort to be "normal.“ etc.
To add to things, after the big twist, the ending is wrapped up in a neat little bow where Sam suddenly has a near-perfect grip on her OCD. Another trope that people seem to love in stories, but that's rarely how it works in real life.
Taking the Hollywood-drama-trope copouts weakened the ending and moved the focus away from where I felt it was supposed to be: Sam's relationships with the people around her.
I really wanted to like this book all the way to the end. But while I can't speak for the OCD portrayal, I do not recommend this book to anyone looking for genuine, cathartic representation.
I know how I feel when I encounter this same trope in stories that do portray one of the illnesses I have, and it's not a good feeling.
Graphic: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying and Stalking
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, and Death of parent
Strong internalized ableism is present throughout the entire book.xmia_69's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
cheye13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really quite enjoying this for most of it, relishing in Sam figuring herself out and standing up for herself, building real friendships and exploring art and mental illness. The story takes a turn about 3/4 through that I wasn't really on board for. I didn't find it necessary and I'm not sure what it was supposed to do for the story. Otherwise, it was a really sweet coming of age story.
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism
anielabooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, and Cursing
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
maggmoo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
remib's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
ellebelle1724's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
lyla_wicks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
unnecessary and made me feel extremely uncomfortable), however i think there could have been a bit more depth for some of the side characters, like aj. some of the plot points in the book also just felt a bit cliché (which is to be expected in a ya novel), but the plot twist completely took me by surprise in the book, and i thought that the subtle build up to it was quite clever.
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent