Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Racism, Gaslighting
I really loved the relationships in this book, not just the romantic one but the strong platonic friendship and familial relationships.
Winnie's relationship with Kara and Winston and Sam are just so beautiful and sweet. They're so closely bonded and she loves them so fiercely and it's wonderful!
I also really enjoyed the dialogue about being fat in society and how it affects how you move through the world and how difficult it is to be confident in a fat body in our society. This is a book I genuinely wish I had when I was growing up
Winnie's relationship with Kara and Winston and Sam are just so beautiful and sweet. They're so closely bonded and she loves them so fiercely and it's wonderful!
I also really enjoyed the dialogue about being fat in society and how it affects how you move through the world and how difficult it is to be confident in a fat body in our society. This is a book I genuinely wish I had when I was growing up
Unfortunate I'm not going to finish reading this one. While I am a fan of how strong of a character Winnie is that is about the only thing I seem to be enjoying. The organization for this book really is lacking which means that I'm not really able to connect to the story or the characters.
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
fast-paced
If It Makes You Happy has been recommended to me numerous times by book Twitter who frequently feature it for its a-spec representation and "happy" plot. Personally, I found both of those things to be a bit disappointing.
First off, Winnie's ungirlfriend Kara certainly reads as a-spec but it's not confirmed in the text. I had a lot of issues with Kara as a character. As someone who identifies as a-spec, I was a bit uncomfortable with her being portrayed so negatively. In many ways, it felt to me like Kara was one of the primary villains of the story. She absolutely makes some big mistakes that she should be held accountable, but I was disappointed to find what felt like a primarily negative instance of a-spec rather than the affirming character I was hoping for. There's nothing in the text that does anything to indicate that Kara's sexuality is wrong but she falls into so many of the negative stereotypes of a-spec people that this representation really bummed me out.
My other big hang-up with the book was definitely due to expectations not aligning with reality. This book has been recommended to me as a "happy, carefree" book and I would absolutely say it's not. Despite the cute, small town setting, the majority of this book is filled with conflict. There's sibling drama, ungirlfriend fighting, cute boy angst and disagreements, and lots and lots of family fighting. Some of the lessons that Winnie learned through these conflicts were really important but I found the amount of heavy plot points really made this book a tough read at times. I would've loved a bit more levity in between the conflict.
If, like me, you're intrigued by this for the a-spec representation, I would strongly point you elsewhere.
C/W:racism, some queerphobia, unexpected severe asthma attack, negative remarks about a character's weight, manipulative behavior by a family member
First off, Winnie's ungirlfriend Kara certainly reads as a-spec but it's not confirmed in the text. I had a lot of issues with Kara as a character. As someone who identifies as a-spec, I was a bit uncomfortable with her being portrayed so negatively. In many ways, it felt to me like Kara was one of the primary villains of the story. She absolutely makes some big mistakes that she should be held accountable, but I was disappointed to find what felt like a primarily negative instance of a-spec rather than the affirming character I was hoping for. There's nothing in the text that does anything to indicate that Kara's sexuality is wrong but she falls into so many of the negative stereotypes of a-spec people that this representation really bummed me out.
My other big hang-up with the book was definitely due to expectations not aligning with reality. This book has been recommended to me as a "happy, carefree" book and I would absolutely say it's not. Despite the cute, small town setting, the majority of this book is filled with conflict. There's sibling drama, ungirlfriend fighting, cute boy angst and disagreements, and lots and lots of family fighting. Some of the lessons that Winnie learned through these conflicts were really important but I found the amount of heavy plot points really made this book a tough read at times. I would've loved a bit more levity in between the conflict.
If, like me, you're intrigued by this for the a-spec representation, I would strongly point you elsewhere.
C/W:
it's kind of plotless (which made me take a long time to read it) but it was worth it because: i ADORED winnie, i adored winnie and kara's queer-platonic relationship, and i ADORED dallas and winnie. it's well-written, though i didn't like the use of 'gentlethems'! i liked it <3 3.3 ★
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
I spent most of the book being super confused about who characters were and why they were making certain choices, and I feel kind of let down? I think the premise of a couple of the plot threads wasn't established very well. The book was trying to be Gilmore Girls, I think, but the thing with TV is that it's easier to launch viewers into an active world than it is with a book, since you have to more clearly establish descriptions and make characters clearer.