A review by klavoie89
Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

I really wanted to like this book but it unfortunately did not live up to my hopes. 

My biggest issue was that inspite of having some important topics, it felt like they were handled carelessly. For example, Merritt is recovering from addiction which included limiting her alcohol intake yet they constantly met at a bar, went to a THC-infused dinner (and didn’t leave immediately), etc. Another example - there was references to being bisexual, being in fluid relationships, and being in polyamorous relationships. Given that this was an otherwise traditional heteronormative romance story, it felt performative mentioning the various relationships without going into different elements (e.g., Niko exploring his sexuality). 

I also wish the various relationships were  better built out. Niko and Merritt went from immature flirting to sharing deep personal truths with nothing in between. Meanwhile, Olivia and Merritt’s relationship never made sense - yes Olivia had her own issues to work through but she was consistently incredibly harsh towards Merritt and Merritt just accepted it. 

Thank you to Ava Wilder, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.