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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity, Racism
Minor: Car accident
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got the best surprise when I realized this book is set in Toronto, and that part of the action takes place at Wonderland, as well as other fun spots around Toronto. This was a fun and nostalgic romp, and it made my heart happy!
Khalileh set out to show Arab culture against stereotypes, and she nailed it! I really enjoyed the meet cute between high school students Jamie & Axel and their subsequent plan to make Jamie's ex jealous. This book shares a positive message for teens to embrace their true selves, with Jamie as an example as she overcomes her fears and anxiety.
I would definitely recommend it for tweens and young teens and especially those who may suffer similar bouts of anxiety like Jamie.
Khalileh set out to show Arab culture against stereotypes, and she nailed it! I really enjoyed the meet cute between high school students Jamie & Axel and their subsequent plan to make Jamie's ex jealous. This book shares a positive message for teens to embrace their true selves, with Jamie as an example as she overcomes her fears and anxiety.
I would definitely recommend it for tweens and young teens and especially those who may suffer similar bouts of anxiety like Jamie.
This was such a fun story that follows Jamie Taher-Foster as she enters senior year. She has all these expectations of how her senior year is supposed to go and Ben, long time boyfriend, really throws a wrench in it by breaking up with her. Jamie was incredibly relatable as she grows up and figures out that her worth is not defined by her relationship, connecting with her heritage, and getting to understanding her mom and her choices. All things that are huge in a teenager's mind. Jamie and Axel's dynamic is just so fun and exactly what I would call puppy love in the best way. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.
4.75 / 5 stars
Honestly, this would have been a 5 star EASILY if it wasn't for the wild overuse of recent Gen Z/alpha slang (if i have to read 'delulu' or 'yaaaas queen' one more time in a published book i might spontaneously combust), BUT other than that this was SO solid. I read it in ONE sitting, and this is perhaps the best execution of the cocky, self-assured teenage boy that ive ever seen. It usually weirds me out but Axel was GENUINELY charming and I love Jamie so much (and see so much of myself in her)
Also, it goes without saying, but FREE PALESTINE!!
Honestly, this would have been a 5 star EASILY if it wasn't for the wild overuse of recent Gen Z/alpha slang (if i have to read 'delulu' or 'yaaaas queen' one more time in a published book i might spontaneously combust), BUT other than that this was SO solid. I read it in ONE sitting, and this is perhaps the best execution of the cocky, self-assured teenage boy that ive ever seen. It usually weirds me out but Axel was GENUINELY charming and I love Jamie so much (and see so much of myself in her)
Also, it goes without saying, but FREE PALESTINE!!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If Jackie Khalilieh writes it, I'm gonna eat it up. She is quickly becoming a favorite YA writer of mine, especially now that I've read You Started It! YSI is the story of Jamie trying to get her boyfriend Ben back after he dumps her. Lucky for her, she accidentally smashes up newcomer Axel's bike, and gets herself involved in a fun fake dating situation that will hopefully grab Ben's attention. But, you know, Axel's kind of a bit more fun than Ben ever was.
I enjoyed Jamie's character, even though she was hard to handle sometimes. She is stubborn, has some family issues that she needs to work through, sometimes full of herself, is going through adolescence hard, just got dumped, and has IBS. She felt like a real person, flawed and frustrating, but real, and learning and trying. She does go through a lot of growth by the end and I was proud of her! Axel is a perfect little tootie and I loved his character.
In conclusion, loved. I really love Khalilieh's writing style and the things she chooses to put in her books. (Mini spoiler) Girl gets trapped in an elevator while trying to tackle her fear of elevators? Relatable, happened to me my freshman year of college.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for the e-ARC!
I enjoyed Jamie's character, even though she was hard to handle sometimes. She is stubborn, has some family issues that she needs to work through, sometimes full of herself, is going through adolescence hard, just got dumped, and has IBS. She felt like a real person, flawed and frustrating, but real, and learning and trying. She does go through a lot of growth by the end and I was proud of her! Axel is a perfect little tootie and I loved his character.
In conclusion, loved. I really love Khalilieh's writing style and the things she chooses to put in her books. (Mini spoiler) Girl gets trapped in an elevator while trying to tackle her fear of elevators? Relatable, happened to me my freshman year of college.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for the e-ARC!
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 🌟
In "You Started It" Jamie gets dumped by her long term boyfriend, Ben, right before their senior year. In order to win him back, she starts fake dating the new boy in town, Axel. While they go through her detailed plans to get Ben back, Axel and Jamie grow closer despite being literal opposites. But you know what they say, opposites attract!
This was a cute YA, angsty, rom-com that had great anxiety rep that expresses itself in physical symptoms. It was messy and frustrating, just like being a teenager!
Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
In "You Started It" Jamie gets dumped by her long term boyfriend, Ben, right before their senior year. In order to win him back, she starts fake dating the new boy in town, Axel. While they go through her detailed plans to get Ben back, Axel and Jamie grow closer despite being literal opposites. But you know what they say, opposites attract!
This was a cute YA, angsty, rom-com that had great anxiety rep that expresses itself in physical symptoms. It was messy and frustrating, just like being a teenager!
Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You Started It is a cute story that still broaches deeper topics with a lot of tact. You get all the beautiful bubbly moments but also emotional ones and it makes it such a fascinating story.
Read if you like:
Fake dating
Bucket list
Arab rep
Anxiety rep
High-school setting
I did read this one in 2 days, which for me is super fast. I did get a bit of mixed feelings though while reading because I couldn't seem to put it down but at the same time I was angry at a lot of things that were happening. So even though the story was keeping me invested, there are some things that got on my nerves if it makes sense.
The first thing was that I can't say I was a big fan of any characters except my sweet golden retriever boy Axel. In my eyes he was absolutely perfect, and I adored him from start to finish. So really, he did have this whole book on his shoulder for me. I would have loved to get his POV, it would have probably helped me a bit because Jamie was a hard one to love sometimes even though I enjoyed some sides of her.
I so loved the Toronto setting! I rarely read books with a setup near where I live (near like 9 hours away but for Canada it's near okay), and I loved knowing about everything that was mentioned. Even if it was the Leafs losing yet another game, I could definitely relate to it all HAHAHA.
I particularly enjoyed the fake dating part. The way it all started was so funny, and I loved the moments between Axel and Jamie. It was great to see how Axel was able to get her out of her little bubble while always being so respectful and open about her anxiety and all. Which brings me to the fact that the anxiety representation was spot on. It was relatable, and I truly liked seeing how Jamie was navigating it and all. Well done.
While Jamie is a teenager and I needed to put myself back to that time a bit to try and understand some of her actions, it was hard for me to get on with how she treated Axel. I get that she was stuck on Ben, it was her first love and safe space and all, but after a while it doesn't excuse how she was treating Axel. I would have wished she acted better A LOT of times. The evolution was too slow for me and I hate seeing characters I like being poorly treated like that so it got frustrating to be honest.
The ending was pretty satisfying though on all sides. I loved the new friendships, the way our main characters talked through things and got to a good place together. It was a nice and hopeful end to this story.
Last thing I'll say is I sometimes had trouble with the timing in this story, like it would say weeks went by multiple times... but suddenly it was only Halloween, and it made no sense to me. I also loved that Jamie was a book lover but because we didn't actually hear about her enjoying books or anything relating to her actually reading, it really felt like a forced thing to me, and I wasn't a fan.
Overall still a super fun one with awesome representations, super cute scenes, quirky characters and if you enjoy young adult books you'll want to read it.
Thanks to the author, TundraBooks and ColoredPagesBookTour for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Read if you like:
Fake dating
Bucket list
Arab rep
Anxiety rep
High-school setting
I did read this one in 2 days, which for me is super fast. I did get a bit of mixed feelings though while reading because I couldn't seem to put it down but at the same time I was angry at a lot of things that were happening. So even though the story was keeping me invested, there are some things that got on my nerves if it makes sense.
The first thing was that I can't say I was a big fan of any characters except my sweet golden retriever boy Axel. In my eyes he was absolutely perfect, and I adored him from start to finish. So really, he did have this whole book on his shoulder for me. I would have loved to get his POV, it would have probably helped me a bit because Jamie was a hard one to love sometimes even though I enjoyed some sides of her.
I so loved the Toronto setting! I rarely read books with a setup near where I live (near like 9 hours away but for Canada it's near okay), and I loved knowing about everything that was mentioned. Even if it was the Leafs losing yet another game, I could definitely relate to it all HAHAHA.
I particularly enjoyed the fake dating part. The way it all started was so funny, and I loved the moments between Axel and Jamie. It was great to see how Axel was able to get her out of her little bubble while always being so respectful and open about her anxiety and all. Which brings me to the fact that the anxiety representation was spot on. It was relatable, and I truly liked seeing how Jamie was navigating it and all. Well done.
While Jamie is a teenager and I needed to put myself back to that time a bit to try and understand some of her actions, it was hard for me to get on with how she treated Axel. I get that she was stuck on Ben, it was her first love and safe space and all, but after a while it doesn't excuse how she was treating Axel. I would have wished she acted better A LOT of times. The evolution was too slow for me and I hate seeing characters I like being poorly treated like that so it got frustrating to be honest.
The ending was pretty satisfying though on all sides. I loved the new friendships, the way our main characters talked through things and got to a good place together. It was a nice and hopeful end to this story.
Last thing I'll say is I sometimes had trouble with the timing in this story, like it would say weeks went by multiple times... but suddenly it was only Halloween, and it made no sense to me. I also loved that Jamie was a book lover but because we didn't actually hear about her enjoying books or anything relating to her actually reading, it really felt like a forced thing to me, and I wasn't a fan.
Overall still a super fun one with awesome representations, super cute scenes, quirky characters and if you enjoy young adult books you'll want to read it.
Thanks to the author, TundraBooks and ColoredPagesBookTour for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
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