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thewordslinger 's review for:
Sticks and Stones
by S. Massery, S.J. Sylvis
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oh this was not good.
When you start off hating the FMC in chapter 1, it doesn't bode well at all. Wren is NOT a likeable character at all. Especially in the first half of this story.
Girl what do you mean you're upset Stone doesn't want anything to do with you? What do you mean you're offended he's being mean to you? You STASHED DRUGS IN HIS CAR AND NEARLY RUINED IS LIFE. Bitch be so fucking for real right now.
Stone's not any better. He's belittled and bullied Wren since high school even before she planted drugs in his car, for her being skinny/underfed. His nickname for her, "sticks", comes from how stick thin her legs were. Throughout the book, even after they get together, she tells him multiple times not to call her that and he outright ignores her.
Outside of the abject dislike of both of these people (that never went away), this story had potential to be gritty and dark, and it failed.
I couldn't care less about the 'romance'. I use that term loosely, because it's all fuck, no feelings. I mean sure, yeah, there's lots of I hate yous and maybe a couple I love yous but I didn't care about any of it. They're both terrible characters in a kind of toxic relationship and neither of them really redeemed themselves for me so whatever.
I kept reading because of the darker elements. Wren's dad and the drugs and the danger she was in. And that ultimately let me down too.
We have to wait until the last 10% of the book to even see Jesse Davis show up, and then all the super high-stakes drama takes place over the course of about 3 and a half pages.
Listen. It was interesting. But there should have been WAY more of it. And there's a LOT that gets left out--like what happens to Stone's father, who apparently ended up in the hospital for some reason, maybe?
I dunno. This isn't the most terrible thing I've ever read. But I feel like it came off one of those story apps that advertise on tiktok-- you know the ones "My stepbrother the Alpha banished me from my pack at 17 blah blah..." ππ
If anybody cares I'm going to leave my chapter notes, but I didn't do a great job with them. I didn't hate the book enough to rant, and I didn't care enough to discuss plot points. Just meh.
My Half-assed Reader's Notes:Chapter 1: Oh no. I hate Wren. Purposefully putting drugs in Stone's truck under the guise of "his daddy's rich, he'll get off" is so fucking dumb. I know she's a kid in a bad situation. But could she not have just tossed it in the bushes or whatever the hell and NOT ruined a kid's life?Goddamn.
Chapter 2: I don't blame Stone at all for wanting NOTHING to do with Wren.
Chapter 3: Oh. Yuck. "I'm not a normal girl." Shut up.
Chapter 4: Ouch. Bro just referred to Nirvana as "the classics".
Chapter 5: How long is she gonna milk this woe is me I'm a poor homeless foster kid routine? Because it's only making me hate her more. She's actually mad that Stone has no sympathy for her situation? For real? After what she did to him?
Someone needs a reality check. He has EVERY right to loathe her for all eternity. She could have caused him his WHOLE LIFE doing what she did. And I still don't think it was at all necessary. Dropping the drugs on the ground or stashing them in a garbage can would have solved the problem and not put anybody's future in jeopardy. There's literally ZERO excuse for Wren doing what she did to Stone. None.
Chapter 6: Yeah, Stone's justified. But he's also an immature asshole.
Chapter 10: I really, really don't care about the bullying. The pranks are dumb. This whole situation is stupid. Why is there only one bed in this room. How is it Evan thought these two people who have hated each other openly for YEARS could share a room with a SINGLE BED in it? Like, nobody. NOBODY. Would think that's a good idea. Or at all feasible. If there'd been 2 beds in the room, fine. But oh no one-bed trope had to be a thing. It's just entirely unrealistic.
As much as Evan pretends to care about his foster sister (I say pretends, because he gets angry at Stone's antics but he's the one who put Wren in this situation in the first place), he couldn't have honestly thought this arrangement with Stone was a good idea. What did he expect these two people to do? SHARE the bed? HONESTLY?!
Chapter 13: Ooh. So Wren's gone all Breaking Bad for her dad in the past. Crazy.
Chapter 15: Okay, so there's 1 bed in this room they're sharing and now neither of them are staying in that room. This is stupid.
Chapter 16: It seems like the only way Wren has to 'fuck with' Stone is to be sexual with him. It's kind of weird. Especially because he's been out and out bullying her for the first third of this book.
Chapter 17: Does everyone know that Wren used to cook meth for her dad? Because if that really was a well known fact, SURELY nobody would let her study chemistry in college? I mean, surely she'd have some kind of record, even if she was a minor being forced by adults to do illegal shit, there'd be some kind of note SOMEWHERE that would prevent her from <s>even entering college to begin with</s> studying the ONE subject she'd need to perfect her drug-making talents?
This book is a whole mess.
Chapter 19: Am I the only one that finds it jarring to go from reading about the FMC having a nightmare/flashback of being raped at the age of 16 to a hot-ass smut scene between her and her present tense bully?
I can't be the only one, right?
I can't say I've ever woken up from a nightmare about my assault and been horny and sought relief with the first dude I see--so is this really a thing? Because I cannot FATHOM juxtaposing those two things back to back. Especially not with someone who I'm half certain actually loathes me. What the hell.
Chapter 26: I just realized I don't care about any of these people. No. That's a lie. I just realized I'm not going to grow into caring for any of these people at all. Damn.
Chapter 33: Okay, So while I don't care <i>at all</i> about Wren or Stone, I do kind of find the plot/darker elements of this story interesting. Or at the very least entertaining. I'm pretty sure the authors have bent the legalities of how these college kids find out information, but whatever. I didn't expect too much in the way of accuracy given how this story has been going.
I actually kind of wish there'd be MORE danger with these mysterious thug men if I'm honest. And more drama with Stone's lawyer father, too.
Chapter 35: Dooon't really understand why Wren's mad at Stone here. Because he didn't tell her about his dad being her father's lawyer? When he only just found out himself? And when he didn't attempt to keep it from her when he confronted his dad at his dad's party? Calling Stone a liar is a bit harsh, but DrAmA, right? π
This book falls into the same old stupid trap of Girl is in serious danger, and instead of staying with the safe option she gets all emotional and does the dumbest shit imaginable and runs off on her own.
Wren KNOWS her father is a free man. She KNOWS that there are thugs out looking for her, breaking into houses and beating the shit out of her old Social Worker. And yet she thinks it's a GRAND idea to go traipsing off into the woods by herself? Insists on being alone Because her foster brother and the MMC are apparently terrible horrible people for not telling her IMMEDIATELY that her dad was appealing his case.
Girl, I'm sorry. You deserve whatever hell is coming your way. You know better. You've been living this life literally YOUR WHOLE LIFE. You should already know that being with someone who cares about your safety but who may not tell you every little detail the instant they acquire the knowledge is better than just being alone where the real bad guys can grab you.
Get the fuck outta here.
Chapter 36: What exactly are these sophomore college kids going to do against hardened criminals? "We need to do something" Yeah, bro? What? You can't even drink yet (even though you have been this whole time, illegally).
Chapter 38: Oh shit. They took the dude. That's...unexpected.
Chapter 39: I dunno how good an idea it was to beat up and kidnap your rich lawyer's son, but sure, Jesse. Whatever you want.
Chapter 4o: Yessss I needed more of this! too bad all the good stuff is coming in at 10% from the end.
Chapter 42: I hope Stone's dad dies of guilt. We'll never know because we don't know what happened to him or why he ended up in the hospital.
Also there is NO WAY someone with a gut wound that required surgery would be scooping up a whole person and swinging them around a WEEK after getting out of the hospital. How do authors write this shit and not realize how stupid it sounds?
I can also probably bet that nobody suffering a stab wound to the gut that nicked an intestine and required surgery would be fucking ANYBODY a week later.
Y'all, be so ffr right now.
When you start off hating the FMC in chapter 1, it doesn't bode well at all. Wren is NOT a likeable character at all. Especially in the first half of this story.
Girl what do you mean you're upset Stone doesn't want anything to do with you? What do you mean you're offended he's being mean to you? You STASHED DRUGS IN HIS CAR AND NEARLY RUINED IS LIFE. Bitch be so fucking for real right now.
Stone's not any better. He's belittled and bullied Wren since high school even before she planted drugs in his car, for her being skinny/underfed. His nickname for her, "sticks", comes from how stick thin her legs were. Throughout the book, even after they get together, she tells him multiple times not to call her that and he outright ignores her.
Outside of the abject dislike of both of these people (that never went away), this story had potential to be gritty and dark, and it failed.
I couldn't care less about the 'romance'. I use that term loosely, because it's all fuck, no feelings. I mean sure, yeah, there's lots of I hate yous and maybe a couple I love yous but I didn't care about any of it. They're both terrible characters in a kind of toxic relationship and neither of them really redeemed themselves for me so whatever.
I kept reading because of the darker elements. Wren's dad and the drugs and the danger she was in. And that ultimately let me down too.
We have to wait until the last 10% of the book to even see Jesse Davis show up, and then all the super high-stakes drama takes place over the course of about 3 and a half pages.
Listen. It was interesting. But there should have been WAY more of it. And there's a LOT that gets left out--like what happens to Stone's father, who apparently ended up in the hospital for some reason, maybe?
I dunno. This isn't the most terrible thing I've ever read. But I feel like it came off one of those story apps that advertise on tiktok-- you know the ones "My stepbrother the Alpha banished me from my pack at 17 blah blah..." ππ
If anybody cares I'm going to leave my chapter notes, but I didn't do a great job with them. I didn't hate the book enough to rant, and I didn't care enough to discuss plot points. Just meh.
My Half-assed Reader's Notes:
Chapter 2: I don't blame Stone at all for wanting NOTHING to do with Wren.
Chapter 3: Oh. Yuck. "I'm not a normal girl." Shut up.
Chapter 4: Ouch. Bro just referred to Nirvana as "the classics".
Chapter 5: How long is she gonna milk this woe is me I'm a poor homeless foster kid routine? Because it's only making me hate her more. She's actually mad that Stone has no sympathy for her situation? For real? After what she did to him?
Someone needs a reality check. He has EVERY right to loathe her for all eternity. She could have caused him his WHOLE LIFE doing what she did. And I still don't think it was at all necessary. Dropping the drugs on the ground or stashing them in a garbage can would have solved the problem and not put anybody's future in jeopardy. There's literally ZERO excuse for Wren doing what she did to Stone. None.
Chapter 6: Yeah, Stone's justified. But he's also an immature asshole.
Chapter 10: I really, really don't care about the bullying. The pranks are dumb. This whole situation is stupid. Why is there only one bed in this room. How is it Evan thought these two people who have hated each other openly for YEARS could share a room with a SINGLE BED in it? Like, nobody. NOBODY. Would think that's a good idea. Or at all feasible. If there'd been 2 beds in the room, fine. But oh no one-bed trope had to be a thing. It's just entirely unrealistic.
As much as Evan pretends to care about his foster sister (I say pretends, because he gets angry at Stone's antics but he's the one who put Wren in this situation in the first place), he couldn't have honestly thought this arrangement with Stone was a good idea. What did he expect these two people to do? SHARE the bed? HONESTLY?!
Chapter 13: Ooh. So Wren's gone all Breaking Bad for her dad in the past. Crazy.
Chapter 15: Okay, so there's 1 bed in this room they're sharing and now neither of them are staying in that room. This is stupid.
Chapter 16: It seems like the only way Wren has to 'fuck with' Stone is to be sexual with him. It's kind of weird. Especially because he's been out and out bullying her for the first third of this book.
Chapter 17: Does everyone know that Wren used to cook meth for her dad? Because if that really was a well known fact, SURELY nobody would let her study chemistry in college? I mean, surely she'd have some kind of record, even if she was a minor being forced by adults to do illegal shit, there'd be some kind of note SOMEWHERE that would prevent her from <s>even entering college to begin with</s> studying the ONE subject she'd need to perfect her drug-making talents?
This book is a whole mess.
Chapter 19: Am I the only one that finds it jarring to go from reading about the FMC having a nightmare/flashback of being raped at the age of 16 to a hot-ass smut scene between her and her present tense bully?
I can't be the only one, right?
I can't say I've ever woken up from a nightmare about my assault and been horny and sought relief with the first dude I see--so is this really a thing? Because I cannot FATHOM juxtaposing those two things back to back. Especially not with someone who I'm half certain actually loathes me. What the hell.
Chapter 26: I just realized I don't care about any of these people. No. That's a lie. I just realized I'm not going to grow into caring for any of these people at all. Damn.
Chapter 33: Okay, So while I don't care <i>at all</i> about Wren or Stone, I do kind of find the plot/darker elements of this story interesting. Or at the very least entertaining. I'm pretty sure the authors have bent the legalities of how these college kids find out information, but whatever. I didn't expect too much in the way of accuracy given how this story has been going.
I actually kind of wish there'd be MORE danger with these mysterious thug men if I'm honest. And more drama with Stone's lawyer father, too.
Chapter 35: Dooon't really understand why Wren's mad at Stone here. Because he didn't tell her about his dad being her father's lawyer? When he only just found out himself? And when he didn't attempt to keep it from her when he confronted his dad at his dad's party? Calling Stone a liar is a bit harsh, but DrAmA, right? π
This book falls into the same old stupid trap of Girl is in serious danger, and instead of staying with the safe option she gets all emotional and does the dumbest shit imaginable and runs off on her own.
Wren KNOWS her father is a free man. She KNOWS that there are thugs out looking for her, breaking into houses and beating the shit out of her old Social Worker. And yet she thinks it's a GRAND idea to go traipsing off into the woods by herself? Insists on being alone Because her foster brother and the MMC are apparently terrible horrible people for not telling her IMMEDIATELY that her dad was appealing his case.
Girl, I'm sorry. You deserve whatever hell is coming your way. You know better. You've been living this life literally YOUR WHOLE LIFE. You should already know that being with someone who cares about your safety but who may not tell you every little detail the instant they acquire the knowledge is better than just being alone where the real bad guys can grab you.
Get the fuck outta here.
Chapter 36: What exactly are these sophomore college kids going to do against hardened criminals? "We need to do something" Yeah, bro? What? You can't even drink yet (even though you have been this whole time, illegally).
Chapter 38: Oh shit. They took the dude. That's...unexpected.
Chapter 39: I dunno how good an idea it was to beat up and kidnap your rich lawyer's son, but sure, Jesse. Whatever you want.
Chapter 4o: Yessss I needed more of this! too bad all the good stuff is coming in at 10% from the end.
Chapter 42: I hope Stone's dad dies of guilt. We'll never know because we don't know what happened to him or why he ended up in the hospital.
Also there is NO WAY someone with a gut wound that required surgery would be scooping up a whole person and swinging them around a WEEK after getting out of the hospital. How do authors write this shit and not realize how stupid it sounds?
I can also probably bet that nobody suffering a stab wound to the gut that nicked an intestine and required surgery would be fucking ANYBODY a week later.
Y'all, be so ffr right now.