tamtasticbooks 's review for:

You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh

4.5

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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If Jackie Khalilieh writes it, I'm gonna eat it up. She is quickly becoming a favorite YA writer of mine, especially now that I've read You Started It! YSI is the story of Jamie trying to get her boyfriend Ben back after he dumps her. Lucky for her, she accidentally smashes up newcomer Axel's bike, and gets herself involved in a fun fake dating situation that will hopefully grab Ben's attention. But, you know, Axel's kind of a bit more fun than Ben ever was.
 
I enjoyed Jamie's character, even though she was hard to handle sometimes. She is stubborn, has some family issues that she needs to work through, sometimes full of herself, is going through adolescence hard, just got dumped, and has IBS. She felt like a real person, flawed and frustrating, but real, and learning and trying. She does go through a lot of growth by the end and I was proud of her! Axel is a perfect little tootie and I loved his character.
 
In conclusion, loved. I really love Khalilieh's writing style and the things she chooses to put in her books. (Mini spoiler) Girl gets trapped in an elevator while trying to tackle her fear of elevators? Relatable, happened to me my freshman year of college. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for the e-ARC!