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cosmossol's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, even if it took me a really long time to finish, but that if because i was on a reading slump for most of the year and didn´t want to pick up anything. So this book is about a group of college students, that live with each other their first year of university and the shenanigans that come with figuring yourself and all that jazz.
I really loved the representation that it has, and the characterazation of the characters was very good and belivable for the most part.
In the end i just gave it 4 stars but overall I really enjoyed it.
I really loved the representation that it has, and the characterazation of the characters was very good and belivable for the most part.
In the end i just gave it 4 stars but overall I really enjoyed it.
janaybrazier's review
4.0
Let's start with the book cover. I love the colour. It just screams summertime to me.
It was this beautiful orange that caught my eye when I first came across it online.
I also love the font used for the title. I'm also not usually a fan of covers that use photographs but I think it works with this one. I know it's not all about the cover but it's also nice to appreciate it when a book has a cover as lovely as this one.
The storyline was a really interesting one for me. I liked the idea of reading a story about a group of characters at university. I have a university degree but I studied from home with the Open University, so I didn't get the full experience the way these girls did.
I think this is a fun story, great for university students to read.
Because this book is set at university, it does come with a small-print message on the back cover saying 'for older readers'. I definitely agree with this and I think anyone of college/university age is the best audience for this. They are the ones who are going to relate to the experiences and the plot the most.
There are five female characters that this book focuses on: Ella, Issey, Liane, Lou, Paige. It was a lot of people to keep track of and I did find myself becoming a bit confused as to who was who at times. I had to flick back through the book to remind myself of who was having which problem. The only one I really remembered was Ella had a brother.
I think I remembered more about Ella and connected with her the most because she was the character who was most like me.
My favourite characters were Ella, because of the above, Nick and Ella's brother, Dylan. My favourite scene (mild spoiler) in the whole book was when Dylan turned up, just because of how the other girls reacted to him.
I loved the flow of this story and the tempo at which everything occurred. I really liked how the chapters were split up further, into months, to make the time frame clearer.
Keris Stainton has such an addictive writing style.
I've only read two books by her but both times I have devoured the whole thing very quickly. The writing just has a great feeling about it, with a good pace that makes you just keep reading and reading. It's very hard to put down.
This was a pretty fun read, with so much going on, and a lot of themes were covered.
If you are starting university this autumn, or if you're already there, then I think you'll enjoy this book.
Or if you are looking for a book that focuses on friendship, relationships, romance, LGBTQ+, family, financial problems, education... Like I said, there are a lot of themes that are appealing to a lot of people so I definitely recommend this book.
It was this beautiful orange that caught my eye when I first came across it online.
I also love the font used for the title. I'm also not usually a fan of covers that use photographs but I think it works with this one. I know it's not all about the cover but it's also nice to appreciate it when a book has a cover as lovely as this one.
The storyline was a really interesting one for me. I liked the idea of reading a story about a group of characters at university. I have a university degree but I studied from home with the Open University, so I didn't get the full experience the way these girls did.
I think this is a fun story, great for university students to read.
Because this book is set at university, it does come with a small-print message on the back cover saying 'for older readers'. I definitely agree with this and I think anyone of college/university age is the best audience for this. They are the ones who are going to relate to the experiences and the plot the most.
There are five female characters that this book focuses on: Ella, Issey, Liane, Lou, Paige. It was a lot of people to keep track of and I did find myself becoming a bit confused as to who was who at times. I had to flick back through the book to remind myself of who was having which problem. The only one I really remembered was Ella had a brother.
I think I remembered more about Ella and connected with her the most because she was the character who was most like me.
My favourite characters were Ella, because of the above, Nick and Ella's brother, Dylan. My favourite scene (mild spoiler) in the whole book was when Dylan turned up, just because of how the other girls reacted to him.
I loved the flow of this story and the tempo at which everything occurred. I really liked how the chapters were split up further, into months, to make the time frame clearer.
Keris Stainton has such an addictive writing style.
I've only read two books by her but both times I have devoured the whole thing very quickly. The writing just has a great feeling about it, with a good pace that makes you just keep reading and reading. It's very hard to put down.
This was a pretty fun read, with so much going on, and a lot of themes were covered.
If you are starting university this autumn, or if you're already there, then I think you'll enjoy this book.
Or if you are looking for a book that focuses on friendship, relationships, romance, LGBTQ+, family, financial problems, education... Like I said, there are a lot of themes that are appealing to a lot of people so I definitely recommend this book.
ruby_roo's review
5.0
This is such a fun book! Lots of British humour, diversity, body positivity, and heart.
shiv91's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Found it quite boring but did like the women supporting women and strong friendships.
tasha5492's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.0
hollyp23's review
4.0
This novel is about five girls in their second year of university who have a list of men to date in order to disregard relationships and focus on their studies, however unsurprisingly this is not how the story unfolds.
Keris Stainton has written a novel that is short, but packs in a lot. I found it difficult to put this book down and found myself attached to the characters - even swooning over one in particular...
The friendships between the girls and the relationships they have are both realistic and relatable and a core reason why this book is so enjoyable. There was also a number of topics dealt with in a respectable manner in merely 300 pages, this including sexuality, financial struggles of university and harassment.
The only problem being that it sometimes was hard to follow all of the plot strands with each individual character and I found myself rereading segments in order to identify whose perspective was being explored. Although once I had grasped each individual story line and personality this problem receded.
It's lovely to find a well written and enjoyable YA novel set during university; one I would highly recommend.
Keris Stainton has written a novel that is short, but packs in a lot. I found it difficult to put this book down and found myself attached to the characters - even swooning over one in particular...
The friendships between the girls and the relationships they have are both realistic and relatable and a core reason why this book is so enjoyable. There was also a number of topics dealt with in a respectable manner in merely 300 pages, this including sexuality, financial struggles of university and harassment.
The only problem being that it sometimes was hard to follow all of the plot strands with each individual character and I found myself rereading segments in order to identify whose perspective was being explored. Although once I had grasped each individual story line and personality this problem receded.
It's lovely to find a well written and enjoyable YA novel set during university; one I would highly recommend.
rvdc's review
4.0
Such a fun read. The right amount of drama and scandal. Realistic portrayal of uni life. Sex positive with great representation.
aruna_dhi's review
funny
hopeful
4.0
This is the perfect book for the new adult genre. Set during the cast's second year of university it really captures what it's like to be navigating this new social circumstance, whilst juggling your university work. The cast is really diverse and relatable, with each of them facing very realistic issues that young women at University face. The relationships between the girls in the house are written remarkably well, showing the ups and downs of living in a house with a group of people who might not have been friends in a different circumstance.
This book is really easy to read, and it's very hard to put down once you pick it up! Not only is there good LGBTQ+ representation, but it is amazing to see such a sex positive, female driven book. This is the first book I've read by Keris Stainton, but I am keen to read more of her work, and hope to enjoy it as much as I have this one!
This book is really easy to read, and it's very hard to put down once you pick it up! Not only is there good LGBTQ+ representation, but it is amazing to see such a sex positive, female driven book. This is the first book I've read by Keris Stainton, but I am keen to read more of her work, and hope to enjoy it as much as I have this one!