Scan barcode
A review by n_asyikin_
Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
A romance centred around the filming-industry set about unravelling the mystery relating to a recently-passed famous Hollywood actor. The MC, Emi, was a young set designer extraordinaire, set upon solving that mystery. Details relating to set design & film production was quite interesting. But unfortunately, that was the extent of my interest.
I get that the book centred around the filming-industry, but I felt that the plot was not grounded in the characters; sometimes, it appeared like reading unrelated "fillers" about the characters that did nothing to the story. Perhaps, if the story was structured in a more introspective manner, being more character-driven, that might make it more cohesive or suitable with what I thought it was aimed to be, especially as everything was told via Emi when the mystery (i.e. main plot) wasn't really about her (it was Ava's).
Unfortunately, I thought the story was lacking direction (in both plot & characterization). Though to be fair, it improved half-way through. That being said, the improvement was more touch and go.
I also found the heavy dialogue, & mostly oversimplified (i.e. direct without depth) narration to be dull. The characters failed to capture my interest; most seemed like a caricature of a person instead of a "real" person, if that makes any sense? I felt like I was being informed instead of being shown who they were; and that wouldn't be a problem if the 1st-person (Emi's) narration was expanded more than the rather surface-level quips, or that the author provided better contexts for the conversations they shared. Often, I found the sudden change between scenes jarring; they were rarely any build-up to the settings/scenes.
At times, I thought, the narration was driven solely by Emi's self-interest. She rarely expanded on what she observed & had the tendency to insert herself into somebody else's story. Typically, seeing how your life connects to others wasn't problematic; my issue was that she didn't seemed to be that invested in others. It was almost self-indulgent (on Emi's part). To be fair, 10% to the ending, Emi did realise this; it was too short to make any significant changes, unfortunately. Honestly, I thought Emi's self-indulgence made the romance felt disingenous as her admiration for Ava was rather shallow: either due to her beauty, or the fact that she was the grand daughter of a famous actor. At the end, as Emi herself admitted, I didn't really know much about Ava.
I do note that perhaps this book is just not up to my personal taste. Maybe I expected too much from such a young cast of characters. Though, to be fair, my qualms laid in the almost absolute attenuation given on our MC; I liked the side-characters, if only I could have more insights into who they were as Emi's narration tend to be rather direct & lacking insightful observations/views.
I think if you're looking for a light read with a rather direct plotline emphasizing on simple personification, you might enjoy this contemporary romance. But for someone who enjoyed insightful characterization & more developed plotline, this isn't for you.
I get that the book centred around the filming-industry, but I felt that the plot was not grounded in the characters; sometimes, it appeared like reading unrelated "fillers" about the characters that did nothing to the story. Perhaps, if the story was structured in a more introspective manner, being more character-driven, that might make it more cohesive or suitable with what I thought it was aimed to be, especially as everything was told via Emi when the mystery (i.e. main plot) wasn't really about her (it was Ava's).
Unfortunately, I thought the story was lacking direction (in both plot & characterization). Though to be fair, it improved half-way through. That being said, the improvement was more touch and go.
I also found the heavy dialogue, & mostly oversimplified (i.e. direct without depth) narration to be dull. The characters failed to capture my interest; most seemed like a caricature of a person instead of a "real" person, if that makes any sense? I felt like I was being informed instead of being shown who they were; and that wouldn't be a problem if the 1st-person (Emi's) narration was expanded more than the rather surface-level quips, or that the author provided better contexts for the conversations they shared. Often, I found the sudden change between scenes jarring; they were rarely any build-up to the settings/scenes.
At times, I thought, the narration was driven solely by Emi's self-interest. She rarely expanded on what she observed & had the tendency to insert herself into somebody else's story. Typically, seeing how your life connects to others wasn't problematic; my issue was that she didn't seemed to be that invested in others. It was almost self-indulgent (on Emi's part). To be fair, 10% to the ending, Emi did realise this; it was too short to make any significant changes, unfortunately. Honestly, I thought Emi's self-indulgence made the romance felt disingenous as her admiration for Ava was rather shallow:
I do note that perhaps this book is just not up to my personal taste. Maybe I expected too much from such a young cast of characters. Though, to be fair, my qualms laid in the almost absolute attenuation given on our MC; I liked the side-characters, if only I could have more insights into who they were as Emi's narration tend to be rather direct & lacking insightful observations/views.
I think if you're looking for a light read with a rather direct plotline emphasizing on simple personification, you might enjoy this contemporary romance. But for someone who enjoyed insightful characterization & more developed plotline, this isn't for you.