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A review by hatterell
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an easy to read and quick YA contemporary that I picked up due to wanting to read more LGBT fiction this year.
Although this is primarily pitched as a summer romance (which it is), the strongest part of the book was Smyth's depiction of family. Saoirse's family situation, while not one that I've read before, felt accessible and realistic. I don't know if I've read anything where dementia features so heavily, and I'm pretty sure I've never read a book where a young person has a parent in a care home. I'd love to read Smyth's next book to see if the family representation is as successful.
The romantic storyline was a little more juvenile than the family one, but I thought Saoirse was a realistic 17 year old and I liked Ruby and the other characters from Saoirse's school. I also liked the normalisation of not wanting to go to uni, or taking some time out before you do - most of Saoirse's peers take a gap year to work or support their families. I wasn't overly invested in the romance, but it was sweet with lots of cutesy scenes, and I like how the book tackled learning to communicate with a partner.
Although this is primarily pitched as a summer romance (which it is), the strongest part of the book was Smyth's depiction of family. Saoirse's family situation, while not one that I've read before, felt accessible and realistic. I don't know if I've read anything where dementia features so heavily, and I'm pretty sure I've never read a book where a young person has a parent in a care home. I'd love to read Smyth's next book to see if the family representation is as successful.
The romantic storyline was a little more juvenile than the family one, but I thought Saoirse was a realistic 17 year old and I liked Ruby and the other characters from Saoirse's school. I also liked the normalisation of not wanting to go to uni, or taking some time out before you do - most of Saoirse's peers take a gap year to work or support their families. I wasn't overly invested in the romance, but it was sweet with lots of cutesy scenes, and I like how the book tackled learning to communicate with a partner.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Grief and Mental illness