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nightjar656 's review for:
Meet Cute Diary
by Emery Lee
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I typically try to read a book without looking at too many reviews, and then read other reviews before writing my own to see some other perspectives and think about things differently. That being said, I was really surprised by the negativity in the reviews on here. I think, more than anything, this book is a victim of bad marketing- it executes what it wants to well, but it found the wrong audience.
Anyway. Enough about the talk around the book. I really enjoyed this! I really love it when rom-coms do something a little subversive with the genre, and this was no exception. I thought Noah acted like a realistic teenager (I saw a lot of reviews saying he's unrealistically awful bc like. He's a teenager who's flawed in ways that make sense with what the book's set up. Idk) and I liked how the author really showed red flags in the relationship with Drew over time while gradually making Devin seem more and more like the right choice. A little detail I liked was how Drew was constantly pushing Noah's boundaries, while Devin was encouraging him outside of his comfort zone but e still really respected actual boundaries. Also!!!!! A character who uses neopronouns in a published book is awesome. I liked the writing style a lot and I thought the characterization was well done, it was a very showing-not-telling book and I felt like I got a good grasp of each character's personality.
I wouldn't say this book was perfect. The two biggest issues for me was that I thought some aspects were unrealistic to the point where it broke my suspension of disbelief, and also that I really hate the trope of where the main character in a rom com treats their best friend like shit and then they make up by the end. I thought that the trope wasn't as bad as normal bc the issues between Noah and Becca began before he met Drew, but at the same time I just find it frustrating. Still, that's more of a personal thing. I also wish we'd seen a little more of Brian- I think another scene with Noah and Brian could've benefited how fleshed-out their relationship is.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was high-quality and did what it attempted to do very well. I wouldn't recommend this if you want just a straight-up rom-com, but if you're looking for some good YA that explores trans issues and also subverts some classic rom-com tropes while having an excellent central romance, this could be the book for you!
Anyway. Enough about the talk around the book. I really enjoyed this! I really love it when rom-coms do something a little subversive with the genre, and this was no exception. I thought Noah acted like a realistic teenager (I saw a lot of reviews saying he's unrealistically awful bc like. He's a teenager who's flawed in ways that make sense with what the book's set up. Idk) and I liked how the author really showed red flags in the relationship with Drew over time while gradually making Devin seem more and more like the right choice. A little detail I liked was how Drew was constantly pushing Noah's boundaries, while Devin was encouraging him outside of his comfort zone but e still really respected actual boundaries. Also!!!!! A character who uses neopronouns in a published book is awesome. I liked the writing style a lot and I thought the characterization was well done, it was a very showing-not-telling book and I felt like I got a good grasp of each character's personality.
I wouldn't say this book was perfect. The two biggest issues for me was that I thought some aspects were unrealistic to the point where it broke my suspension of disbelief, and also that I really hate the trope of where the main character in a rom com treats their best friend like shit and then they make up by the end. I thought that the trope wasn't as bad as normal bc the issues between Noah and Becca began before he met Drew, but at the same time I just find it frustrating. Still, that's more of a personal thing. I also wish we'd seen a little more of Brian- I think another scene with Noah and Brian could've benefited how fleshed-out their relationship is.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was high-quality and did what it attempted to do very well. I wouldn't recommend this if you want just a straight-up rom-com, but if you're looking for some good YA that explores trans issues and also subverts some classic rom-com tropes while having an excellent central romance, this could be the book for you!