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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I personally found this book to be extremely relatable and something I wish I read in high school. I, too, was type A student who always got good grades, never got in trouble, and had this moral superiority about it. Questioning the rigid line of right and wrong is quintessential to growing up and is captured well with the Mary’s abundance of “I don’t know”s.
I enjoyed how the coming out was not riddled with shame. Yes it was confusing, but so is everything to Mary at this stage in life. It was an important aspect of the book but not THE book. Even the repressed queer memories at a church camp were deeply relatable to me personally. Overall, I felt deeply seen as a tightly wound teen who seriously could have benefited from an experiment like Mary’s.
I enjoyed how the coming out was not riddled with shame. Yes it was confusing, but so is everything to Mary at this stage in life. It was an important aspect of the book but not THE book. Even the repressed queer memories at a church camp were deeply relatable to me personally. Overall, I felt deeply seen as a tightly wound teen who seriously could have benefited from an experiment like Mary’s.
A young adult coming into oneself story. I did like the exploration beyond just sexuality - looking at what motivates and drives us.
This was one of those books i took off the library shelf cause it sounded good and then ended up being disappointed with. I wasn’t really a fan of how this book just started off with Mary instantly giving up but it did remind me of my own struggles with school a lot and how sometimes just not doing assignments isn’t the end of the world. Also the fact that there were no clear chapters was throwing me off. I read the whole thing in about 3 hours because I did get rather hooked but I can’t see myself recommending this to anyone.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've been savoring this book over the last month. I've convinced people to read it. They finished it before I did, but I still held on to the slow burn, the anticipation. I was immediately hooked by the summary and the idea: a "perfect" student who slowly starts to let go of their perfections, who "stops trying" and starts living. As an educator, I spend a lot of time thinking about the classroom experience and what I teach, and I would say a great deal of that is also thinking about my students and their culture, the culture of our school, what it means to be young and to be a learner today. But this book helped expand my thinking some. And the twist? The oh so sweet awesome twist that happens? Yeah, I didn't see that coming. And for someone like me who talks the game of not really caring about "spoilers" and being spoiler proof. I think just like the narrator I too would have been knocked sideways by such a revelation, and it makes me so happy I couldn't anticipate, couldn't see it coming. Top 5 books I've read in 2022 without a doubt, and surely will be a favorite for years to come.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I originally picked this up because I was hoping it would be a YA version of My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh and at first it was exactly like that and really funny. Unfortunately, as the book went on the premise of the novel changed. I saw someone on this site say in their review of the book that they wish the author had focused more on Mary's mental health and I totally agree. Instead they chose to focus on her sexuality which was great, but not exactly what I was looking for.
4.5 stars
this book reached into my high school brain and took the plot from my own thoughts. it kind of reminded me of a ya version of exciting times
this book reached into my high school brain and took the plot from my own thoughts. it kind of reminded me of a ya version of exciting times
I really enjoyed this book because the main protagonist, Mary, is around the same age as me and a student in highschool and it was very easy to connect and understand what she was thinking about. I enjoyed how the author used a mix of character vs self and character vs society conflict to demonstrate how peer pressure and self pressure can affect ones actions. I really loved watching Mary understanding how to become more herself as well as learning new things about herself. In the end, I really enjoyed this book because I was able to connect with the thoughts that go through a teenagers mind.
3.5 - A YA coming of age and coming out story about Mary, a teen girl who is feeling overwhelmed with the pressures to achieve in school and life and decides to stop trying so hard. I loved that it was told from the first person perspective and we get to see Mary's inner thoughts and anxieties. Recommended for fans of The perks of being a wallflower or Not my problem. Great on audio and really great mental health rep.