A review by bhavya_reads
I Kissed Alice by Anna Birch

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

 
"People will never stop asking for things. If I want to spend my life as an artist, I’ll spend my life creating what other people expect of me."


~ Rating- 2.5 stars ~

Content/ Trigger Warnings- Anxiety, Depression, Alcohol consumption, Recreational Drug Use, Bullying, Financial Issues & Bankruptcy

Note- I have tried to include all the content warnings that I noticed, but there is no guarantee that I haven’t missed something.

-Mention of some these in the review-


"Hate is a complicated word. Some people believe hating is wishing death on someone. Others think it’s three-minutes-in-a-dark-broom-closet away from True Love™. If this is the case, I don’t hate Rhodes Ingram at all: I don’t hate her, and I would rather die myself than be alone with her anywhere. But, oh, it feels good to say it: I hate Rhodes Ingram. I hate Rhodes Ingram. I. HATE. RHODES. INGRAM."


I Kissed Alice, by Anna Birch was a book I picked up on a whim, not expecting anything much out of the story. I thought it would be a cute sapphic enemies to lovers romance about two artists; and it was in a way, but it also wasn't. It was somewhere in between. I'm keeping this review brief, as I have around 80 more reviews to write.


"Have I given up on myself? Surely, if I just made my craft more of a priority, I’d get back in the swing of it, right?"


Rhodes and Iliana are writing a webcomic online, where they are best friends, and maybe even something more. But in real life they hate each other, despite their mutual best friend Sarah's wishes. Will they find out who they are, and will they be able to leave their history behind?


"Her face has been etched on the surface of my heart for as long as I’ve known her, and I don’t think I’m ever going to know where hate ended and want began—because is there really that much of a difference? Does it matter what I call the way I feel about her, as long as I know she’s flavored most of my thoughts?"


➼The plot of I Kissed Alice is very typical YA, but unlike most YA it focuses on themes that are often ignored. My main complaint with it was the wasted potential, because while it touched on stuff like bulling, drugs and toxic friendships, it doesn't quite expand on them properly. It felt a mix between 'trying to hard' and 'not trying to hard', which made the end result fall flat. I wish we got a bit more on the familial relations each of the MC's had with their family, and a bit more on their individual friendships with Sarah. The book seemed like bad attempt at wanting to implement more series topics and have a fluffy romance.

➼The writing of the book was pretty decent. There was nothing exceptional about it, but it wasn't bad either. I liked the writing for the most part.

➼The characters are alright. I liked Rhodes a lot more than Iliana, as I felt a disconnect with Iliana's character. I'm not entirely sure why I couldn't connect to her, but I believe its due to the fact that there was so much unnecessary drama that Iliana added. Things could have gone a lot smoother if she talked things through with other people. She always viewed herself as a victim, and never thought about whether she played any role in all the doom that came her way.

➼I also would have liked if Sarah's character was explored a bit more, and we understood things from her side as well. While I got why Iliana and Sarah are friends, I wanted some good moments between Sarah and Rhodes. They 'grew close' as they were roommates, but we don't see that. Their friendship felt superficial, and since the premise is based on both of the MC's mutual friendship for Sarah, a bit more exploration on that would have been great.

➼Despite that though, I though these characters and their relations with each other was a pretty good portrayal of teenagers. Most YA books show teenagers as this incredibly annoying set of children, or bland carbon cutouts with no personality. I Kissed Alice was a lot more true to how teenagers are, and I liked that.

➼I appreciated the fact that the characters were quite unlikable people, and not these 'goody-goody' people who do everything right. Even though I couldn't relate to either of them, as my personality is quote different from theirs, I did like them a lot.

➼I don't have any strong opinions on the romance . It was a sweet relationship, but they have lots of issues they need to deal with. There was also a lot of unnecessary miscommunication which could have been avoided if the characters sucked up their ego and talked< to each other. I get why it happened, but it was annoying to read nevertheless, as a person who hates miscommunication of any kind.


"Iliana, friend and rival. Lover and enemy."


Overall, I enjoyed I Kissed Alice, despite its flaws. I'd recommend it if this interests you, but would advise to check content warnings before reading.


"Hearts are fickle things. Hate is complicated."


Review written & uploaded on 16th March 2022.

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DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite

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This was fun! Review to come. 
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