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A review by mlvreads
Gena/Finn by Kat Helgeson, Hannah Moskowitz
2.0
WTF was that?
I am honestly confused.
Okay, I usually wait a little bit and maybe write up a review for my blog first, but I am about to get so spoiler-y, so this will just have to do, okay?
For starters, I had heard of this book in passing but was never exactly interested in reading it until I saw it land on the list of Best Books of 2016 (so far) on Book Riot. When I learned that the story was told completely through emails and blog posts and texts, I was ready for a quick read about a fast fangirl friendship that just might be turning into something more. And I was really enjoying it until...
It was interesting that Gena was a "child star" who left the scene for very serious reasons (like, paranoid schizophrenia, which doesn't get touched on nearly as much as it possibly should, because hi that's SERIOUS) and just so happened to know one of the main actors (Zack/Jake) of her favorite show because they had worked together in the past. They get back in touch and jokingly call each other big bro and lil sis, but I will admit I was getting weird vibes there. It was cool that she was going to be on the show...but still...
And then they had to throw THE FUCKING FIRE IN? They had to injure cast members and KILL a few of them, including her former co-star/friend of the show. This character DIED. It just HAPPENED. And it was like, woah, why did this shit get so serious? After that happens, Gena understandably is shaken up. She hasn't been taking her meds (which we know from documents and emails and stuff, but why actually talk about that DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE WAS TERRIFIED OF GOING OFF OF THEM????). She was in a fire-related accident (scary because she used to SEE FIRES THAT WEREN'T REALLY THERE). An important figure in both her real life and fan life has died. DIED. It's all a bunch of crazy crap. And then she starts writing this poetry that genuinely had me confused about the state of her relationship with Zack (was there some sort of inappropriate behavior going on in the past? she was only nine? I'm so confused?) and interchanging his name with his character name (which kind of makes sense because two versions of him died in her eyes) and mixed it in with one of her best friends who she might have had a sexual relationship with and occasionally toss in the name of her ex who really didn't need to be in it at all? I read a review on here where the woman said she didn't even try to read into the poetry, and that was smart because I was reading it too hard and getting way too confused.
The main thing is, this was supposed to be a book about Gena, Finn, and their relationship and what it would mean. It seems that Gena would consider herself bisexual and she knows how she feels about Finn. Finn is confused: she has a boyfriend who just might become her future husband, she is older and is figuring out what adulthood just might mean. We could've explored that. We could've looked into their relationship, whether it became romantic or just stayed intense (friendships, especially new ones, often do remind me of bright, burning romances and take on many different forms) or they maybe moved on eventually. I think that's what all of us readers wanted. Instead, Finn and her boyfriend Charlie became parent-like figures for Gena. I mean...WTF? I get that you care about each other, that you spent time together, that you do love each other and that it happened way too freakin' fast but I MEAN. That's where you went? You went to this route where Finn is almost motherly? I don't know, guys. They could've done more. A great opportunity to explore the complexities of love and friendship and falling for someone you didn't expect to fall for, and it just went off the rails.
I know that's all rambly, but whatever, I am just so frustrated.
I am keeping it at 2 stars because I did enjoy this book in the beginning. I liked the language and the humor. It just went somewhere it never really needed to go and I really didn't see the point of it all. I'm just confused instead. What a bummer.
I am honestly confused.
Okay, I usually wait a little bit and maybe write up a review for my blog first, but I am about to get so spoiler-y, so this will just have to do, okay?
For starters, I had heard of this book in passing but was never exactly interested in reading it until I saw it land on the list of Best Books of 2016 (so far) on Book Riot. When I learned that the story was told completely through emails and blog posts and texts, I was ready for a quick read about a fast fangirl friendship that just might be turning into something more. And I was really enjoying it until...
Spoiler
It was interesting that Gena was a "child star" who left the scene for very serious reasons (like, paranoid schizophrenia, which doesn't get touched on nearly as much as it possibly should, because hi that's SERIOUS) and just so happened to know one of the main actors (Zack/Jake) of her favorite show because they had worked together in the past. They get back in touch and jokingly call each other big bro and lil sis, but I will admit I was getting weird vibes there. It was cool that she was going to be on the show...but still...
And then they had to throw THE FUCKING FIRE IN? They had to injure cast members and KILL a few of them, including her former co-star/friend of the show. This character DIED. It just HAPPENED. And it was like, woah, why did this shit get so serious? After that happens, Gena understandably is shaken up. She hasn't been taking her meds (which we know from documents and emails and stuff, but why actually talk about that DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE WAS TERRIFIED OF GOING OFF OF THEM????). She was in a fire-related accident (scary because she used to SEE FIRES THAT WEREN'T REALLY THERE). An important figure in both her real life and fan life has died. DIED. It's all a bunch of crazy crap. And then she starts writing this poetry that genuinely had me confused about the state of her relationship with Zack (was there some sort of inappropriate behavior going on in the past? she was only nine? I'm so confused?) and interchanging his name with his character name (which kind of makes sense because two versions of him died in her eyes) and mixed it in with one of her best friends who she might have had a sexual relationship with and occasionally toss in the name of her ex who really didn't need to be in it at all? I read a review on here where the woman said she didn't even try to read into the poetry, and that was smart because I was reading it too hard and getting way too confused.
The main thing is, this was supposed to be a book about Gena, Finn, and their relationship and what it would mean. It seems that Gena would consider herself bisexual and she knows how she feels about Finn. Finn is confused: she has a boyfriend who just might become her future husband, she is older and is figuring out what adulthood just might mean. We could've explored that. We could've looked into their relationship, whether it became romantic or just stayed intense (friendships, especially new ones, often do remind me of bright, burning romances and take on many different forms) or they maybe moved on eventually. I think that's what all of us readers wanted. Instead, Finn and her boyfriend Charlie became parent-like figures for Gena. I mean...WTF? I get that you care about each other, that you spent time together, that you do love each other and that it happened way too freakin' fast but I MEAN. That's where you went? You went to this route where Finn is almost motherly? I don't know, guys. They could've done more. A great opportunity to explore the complexities of love and friendship and falling for someone you didn't expect to fall for, and it just went off the rails.
I know that's all rambly, but whatever, I am just so frustrated.
I am keeping it at 2 stars because I did enjoy this book in the beginning. I liked the language and the humor. It just went somewhere it never really needed to go and I really didn't see the point of it all. I'm just confused instead. What a bummer.