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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I like books with the stories of many characters. Maybe it's more of my distracted mind which actually appreciates less details and more of the big events. I appreciated the window into 5 lives of high schoolers who may or may not interact with each other much over their high school careers. The growth of each is believable.
I do have many students who would not be able to follow the story because of the sudden jumping from character to character. My own daughter didn't finish because she couldn't remember who was who in the story. I wouldn't give it to a struggling reader, but it is a good pick for a YA reading audience. There are mentions of sex, keep that in mind when recommending.
I do have many students who would not be able to follow the story because of the sudden jumping from character to character. My own daughter didn't finish because she couldn't remember who was who in the story. I wouldn't give it to a struggling reader, but it is a good pick for a YA reading audience. There are mentions of sex, keep that in mind when recommending.
Overall, I thought this book was okay. I think it was decent but I also think it could have been a LOT better. I didn't feel attached to any of the characters because all we knew about them was the superficial or the pure facts. There wasn't any bonding between reader and character.
It's a good idea but I think it was too sporadic and it makes sense since it spanned four years. I almost wish it had been more involved and instead been a four-part mini series or something. We could have grown with the characters instead of feeling like they were strangers even at the end.
It's a good idea but I think it was too sporadic and it makes sense since it spanned four years. I almost wish it had been more involved and instead been a four-part mini series or something. We could have grown with the characters instead of feeling like they were strangers even at the end.
Things I love:
1. YA lit
2. Stories about disparate people coming together
3. YA lit about disparate teenagers coming together
I really liked this book. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it. I liked that we weren't told everything about everyone. You had to piece some things together. Being gay wasn't an Issue. Having sex wasn't an Issue. A minor character (not one of the 5) getting pregnant wasn't an Issue. It was just high schoolers being high schoolers. You know, being dumb and falling in love and just being teenagers. So yeah, I really liked this book.
A conversation I liked between Whitney and Jake:
"'...Hey, I wish we had hung out more in high school. Why didn't we?''
'I was hiding,' Jake said thoughtfully.
'Me too.'
'You?"'
'In my own way.'
Hearing that made Jake wonder if they'd all been in hiding, if he hadn't been the only one who'd felt alone for so much of high school."
1. YA lit
2. Stories about disparate people coming together
3. YA lit about disparate teenagers coming together
I really liked this book. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it. I liked that we weren't told everything about everyone. You had to piece some things together. Being gay wasn't an Issue. Having sex wasn't an Issue. A minor character (not one of the 5) getting pregnant wasn't an Issue. It was just high schoolers being high schoolers. You know, being dumb and falling in love and just being teenagers. So yeah, I really liked this book.
A conversation I liked between Whitney and Jake:
"'...Hey, I wish we had hung out more in high school. Why didn't we?''
'I was hiding,' Jake said thoughtfully.
'Me too.'
'You?"'
'In my own way.'
Hearing that made Jake wonder if they'd all been in hiding, if he hadn't been the only one who'd felt alone for so much of high school."
Interesting and enjoyable stories about how five different students survived high school and how their lives interconnected and changed.
I wish there was more focus on certain times in their lives. I liked getting the whole four years but the constant dipping in and out over months really threw off my connection to the characters.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought the concept was good but it happened way too quickly. I couldn’t connect to the characters because every time I was starting to, the story shifted to another character or jumped to the next month. It was rather jarring and I felt like I missed out on some real character development. I think this story could have been way better if it had been a series with 4 separate books, one for each year. But overall it was a nice book and I’m glad I read it.
I know exactly why I couldn't get through this book the first time I tried; nothing's really changed except it's summer and I had the time to indulge my curiousity as to whether it would get better. (It doesn't.)
Every single one of the POV characters seemed to have the exact same personality and beliefs, though I'll grant limited credit for casual diversity (one biracial, one gay, one probably bisexual main; still pretty heteronormative, though, and no major ethnic representation). None of them seemed to change much over the course of the book, except for becoming more self-righteous and gaining the usual life experience in tragedies: divorce, death, and general drama. Clichés everywhere — this would make a perfect mainstream high school movie, including everyone having sex and drinking as early as sophomore year — and wholly predictable "twists." Overall,
it dragged and I'm relieved to be done with it.
Every single one of the POV characters seemed to have the exact same personality and beliefs, though I'll grant limited credit for casual diversity (one biracial, one gay, one probably bisexual main; still pretty heteronormative, though, and no major ethnic representation). None of them seemed to change much over the course of the book, except for becoming more self-righteous and gaining the usual life experience in tragedies: divorce, death, and general drama. Clichés everywhere — this would make a perfect mainstream high school movie, including everyone having sex and drinking as early as sophomore year — and wholly predictable "twists." Overall,
it dragged and I'm relieved to be done with it.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this book was pretty good, however the blurb of it made it sound much more interesting than it actually was, imo. though it was interesting how each person played a role (whether it be minor or major), played a role in the other people's lives, if that makes sense. since it's a story about a group of teens written from each of their perspectives.
I really wanted to give it 3 1/2 stars. I loved this book, except the ending tied things up a little too neatly. The format of the book was super cool - with each month of the four years of high school represented for each of the five main characters. It kept me turning pages, because just as you were getting excited for one plot line, someone else's really good storyline pops up, and you know you have to keep going to find out what happens to everyone!