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blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
Such a fun, sexy, important read. Distinctive voices, spot-on dialogue, and Vanessa's journey of self-realization and self-acceptance were just beautiful. I hope queer teen girls everywhere find this book.
elusivesue's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
shadyeglenn's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shaunnah511's review against another edition
4.0
3 stars for the Josh portions, 4 stars for the Vanessa portions = 3.5 stars total rounded up
Okay. So I really enjoyed the Vanessa sections of this story. She was great. Watching her fall in love and go through her struggles, both career and relationship-wise was great. I loved her as a character and looked forward to reading in her POV.
I liked Josh and his sections less. He was a bit boring and his type of character is a bit overdone. I wanted more Van. I liked that Josh had character growth and played off of Van's character though.
The story as a whole was really sweet, and I look forward to reading more by this author (particularly her f/f romances)!
Okay. So I really enjoyed the Vanessa sections of this story. She was great. Watching her fall in love and go through her struggles, both career and relationship-wise was great. I loved her as a character and looked forward to reading in her POV.
I liked Josh and his sections less. He was a bit boring and his type of character is a bit overdone. I wanted more Van. I liked that Josh had character growth and played off of Van's character though.
The story as a whole was really sweet, and I look forward to reading more by this author (particularly her f/f romances)!
kaylakaotik's review against another edition
5.0
I liked Behind the Scenes, but Under the Lights was so much better!
This book is rather unique in the sense that we're getting two points of view, but Josh isn't Vanessa's love interest. It might seem strange when you think about it, but it's not. It actually works well. Josh and Vanessa's stories intertwine and make total sense together.
Josh and Vanessa are really awesome. It was cool seeing them in Behind the Scenes, but sooo much better when the story focuses on them. They are such interesting characters (more so than Ally, honestly). Josh was great! I love his attitude and his witty dialogue is full of so much win. And Vanessa is pretty amazing, too. I loved her F/F romance. It was incredibly swoon-worthy!
Overall, definitely a great book!
* This book was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
This book is rather unique in the sense that we're getting two points of view, but Josh isn't Vanessa's love interest. It might seem strange when you think about it, but it's not. It actually works well. Josh and Vanessa's stories intertwine and make total sense together.
Josh and Vanessa are really awesome. It was cool seeing them in Behind the Scenes, but sooo much better when the story focuses on them. They are such interesting characters (more so than Ally, honestly). Josh was great! I love his attitude and his witty dialogue is full of so much win. And Vanessa is pretty amazing, too. I loved her F/F romance. It was incredibly swoon-worthy!
Overall, definitely a great book!
* This book was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
clem_mathieu's review against another edition
4.0
Under the Lights was much a much more entertaining read to me than it's prequel. Vanessa's journey to discover who she really wants to be was relatable and I loved getting to know her better as she got to know herself better. I didn't realize this dual POV didn't follow the two parties of a future couple when I started and I didn't care that much for Josh's story even if I liked the character. I think if this book focused solely on Vanessa, we would've been more satisfying. Overall, a great book about figuring who you are and owning it.
becloseau's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
amberrae00's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Under the Lights is an adorable, heartwarming contemporary that brings out all the warm fuzzies while still dealing with a lot of deep, important issues.
This is a book about two girls who fall in love, but it is so much more than just a love story. It deals with the struggle of being a minority that is in the public eye, and how to find the courage to be yourself in a society that wants you to conform to its ideas of perfection.
Luckily, this book managed to avoid the hitch that books about this subject matter often fall into of ending up sounding more like a public service announcement and less like an actual story. I was engaged in the story and I enjoyed the fluffy, romantic parts and the friendship parts just as much as the parts that dealt with the major issues.
I did have a few issues with this book but these issues didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book. I felt that Josh at times fell into the classic bad boy trope, but Adler really managed to turn that trope around towards the end of the book. I also never felt a super close attachment to the characters. I did like them, but if they had died or something, I wouldn't have been overly upset.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It deals with a lot of important issues, and I think that this is something that everyone should try to experience in order to broaden your horizons.
Under the Lights is an adorable, heartwarming contemporary that brings out all the warm fuzzies while still dealing with a lot of deep, important issues.
This is a book about two girls who fall in love, but it is so much more than just a love story. It deals with the struggle of being a minority that is in the public eye, and how to find the courage to be yourself in a society that wants you to conform to its ideas of perfection.
Luckily, this book managed to avoid the hitch that books about this subject matter often fall into of ending up sounding more like a public service announcement and less like an actual story. I was engaged in the story and I enjoyed the fluffy, romantic parts and the friendship parts just as much as the parts that dealt with the major issues.
I did have a few issues with this book but these issues didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book. I felt that Josh at times fell into the classic bad boy trope, but Adler really managed to turn that trope around towards the end of the book. I also never felt a super close attachment to the characters. I did like them, but if they had died or something, I wouldn't have been overly upset.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It deals with a lot of important issues, and I think that this is something that everyone should try to experience in order to broaden your horizons.
emmascc's review against another edition
4.0
i absolutely loved this, mostly because vanessa and bri. it took me a while to warm up to josh's perspective and for him to grow up a little. i may be in love with vanessa and bri's relationshio,