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A review by questingnotcoasting
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I had high hopes for this but unfortunately it didn't live up to them.
I thought the premise was sweet and I love the blue tones but I just felt like it needed more story and character development for me to really get into it. I wanted to see more moments of connection between Hector and Ari and also because Ari was pretty unlikable at times, I found it hard to root for their relationship. The dialogue was a bit expositional and I didn’t feel like the characters' conflicts were resolved by the end. Maybe my expectations were too high because I'd seen it on so many "books to read if you love Heartstopper" lists. I can see why they're compared but this didn't tick any of the Heartstopper boxes for me.
I thought the premise was sweet and I love the blue tones but I just felt like it needed more story and character development for me to really get into it. I wanted to see more moments of connection between Hector and Ari and also because Ari was pretty unlikable at times, I found it hard to root for their relationship. The dialogue was a bit expositional and I didn’t feel like the characters' conflicts were resolved by the end. Maybe my expectations were too high because I'd seen it on so many "books to read if you love Heartstopper" lists. I can see why they're compared but this didn't tick any of the Heartstopper boxes for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying