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A review by intrastellars
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
2.0
2.5/5 - Well, that was... something *nervous laughter*. Honestly, this is one of those books that makes me wonder if I'm reading the same thing as everyone else. I jumped into the first few pages ready for the explosion of fluff and the bittersweet taste of teen spirit. And I got both! Which would've been palatable if it wasn't drenched in so much, well, angst . I know, it all comes as part of the package, but... seriously? There was just way too many problems and not enough caring from my side.
I'm not going to lie: I did not like Isla, and Josh just wasn't doing it for me. Together they were a tad better, but not by much. She just didn't seem at all to me like a real person; I mean, there's just no way that this gorgeous, smart, red-headed girl had only one friend before Boy comes barreling into her life. Also, why, oh why, was she described like she was some socially incompetent teenager when she literally instigated most of the conversations with Josh first? Why did her timidness only show when it was convenient ? Believe me when I say that readers are constantly reminded that Isla is not a real girl, and that Perkins tries to make up for that fact by riddling her with insecurities to make her oh-so-relatable. Only, it has the reverse effect and had me tearing my hair out every time Isla busted out the "my life sucks everything sucks nobody loves me" line.
And Josh, oh poor, handsome Josh. Josh, who literally digs himself into the deepest ditch possible and expects Isla to pull him back out. Josh, who has everything he has ever wanted in his life, except of course the girl he supposedly fell in love with from the moment he saw her reading a comic book because, and I quote, a "supersmart hot girl who reads comic books?". As if it's the most novel thing ever, like there is no way in seven hells that hot nerdy girls who read are a thing. Josh, who literally dates Isla for one month, proceeds to plan the rest of their lives together, and basically puts her on a pedestal, singing songs of love and devotion like she's some sort of goddess. Don't forget how he guilt trips Isla into getting back with him, and no, it doesn't matter that Isla loves him back. He literally gave her a memoir of how depressed and lonely and incomplete he'd be without her, and drew out all his little fantasies about their future as if she had no choice in it whatsoever . Oh, but don't get me wrong. She's just so speshurr and is his unique little snowflake. He's just a terribly misunderstood boy and nobody sees past his handsome hipster artist demeanor.
No, just no. There's only so much teen angst I can handle in one sitting, and this was just too much.
Okay, so despite that huge rant, this novel had it's good points, however sparse they were. Were there moments that made me laugh out loud? Yes. Were there moments that made me squeal like a little girl? Yes, yes there was. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough. Isla and the Happily Ever After didn't have that spark that it's predecessors had, and in all it's rights, is just another "Boy Meets Girl" story.
I'm not going to lie: I did not like Isla, and Josh just wasn't doing it for me. Together they were a tad better, but not by much. She just didn't seem at all to me like a real person; I mean, there's just no way that this gorgeous, smart, red-headed girl had only one friend before Boy comes barreling into her life. Also, why, oh why, was she described like she was some socially incompetent teenager when she literally instigated most of the conversations with Josh first? Why did her timidness only show when it was convenient ? Believe me when I say that readers are constantly reminded that Isla is not a real girl, and that Perkins tries to make up for that fact by riddling her with insecurities to make her oh-so-relatable. Only, it has the reverse effect and had me tearing my hair out every time Isla busted out the "my life sucks everything sucks nobody loves me" line.
And Josh, oh poor, handsome Josh. Josh, who literally digs himself into the deepest ditch possible and expects Isla to pull him back out. Josh, who has everything he has ever wanted in his life, except of course the girl he supposedly fell in love with from the moment he saw her reading a comic book because, and I quote, a "supersmart hot girl who reads comic books?". As if it's the most novel thing ever, like there is no way in seven hells that hot nerdy girls who read are a thing. Josh, who literally dates Isla for one month, proceeds to plan the rest of their lives together, and basically puts her on a pedestal, singing songs of love and devotion like she's some sort of goddess. Don't forget how he guilt trips Isla into getting back with him, and no, it doesn't matter that Isla loves him back. He literally gave her a memoir of how depressed and lonely and incomplete he'd be without her, and drew out all his little fantasies about their future as if she had no choice in it whatsoever . Oh, but don't get me wrong. She's just so speshurr and is his unique little snowflake. He's just a terribly misunderstood boy and nobody sees past his handsome hipster artist demeanor.
No, just no. There's only so much teen angst I can handle in one sitting, and this was just too much.
Okay, so despite that huge rant, this novel had it's good points, however sparse they were. Were there moments that made me laugh out loud? Yes. Were there moments that made me squeal like a little girl? Yes, yes there was. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough. Isla and the Happily Ever After didn't have that spark that it's predecessors had, and in all it's rights, is just another "Boy Meets Girl" story.