A review by gothicmoon
Bloom by Kevin Panetta

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really loved Ari's emotional journey. His lack of direction, passion, and connection resonated deeply with me. I also think his and Hector's character designs were very cute <3 I enjoyed how easily woven into their characters and actions. One sees how easy it is to integrate different cultures seamlessly and unproblematically.

The only things that keep this novel from a 5 star rating is the dropped/forgotten plot of Cameron's toxicity (toxic friends are just as impacting and difficult to leave as romantic partners) and Ari's struggles with his dad, who to me rang as lowkey narcissistic and controlling. The ending in general is just not as slow and satisfying as the rest of the story, either. 

What keep this book from 4 stars is the toxicity of Ari. He gets upset at Hector for
visiting his family, gets upset at Hector for coming back early, blames him for a fire and gets him fired.... what?!
That's not very healthy! 
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