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A review by alibookedup
Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow I was surprised I gave this 5 stars because the beginning and middle felt a bit slow for me (I was leaning towards 3.5/4 stars. Don't get me wrong there was a good slow burn, but something about it made it subpar. Maybe because Ellie fell in love with Jack so fast and it was hard to personally relate to that. However, the last 25% of the book was so so so good and really brought everything all together.
It was super cute and queer. I wish it didn't have to be another girly girl meets a butch lesbian, but I didn't think it was overly focused on Jack being butch. Just FYI that is not to say I don't love the different LGBTQIA rep when having butch lesbians, it's just a common queer trope that I feel gets overplayed to play more into heteronormativity. The characters and their relationships were well-rounded and written. I loved Ellie and Jack's banter and how Jack was so loud and just stomped around. It was a really funny thing to imagine compared to anxiety-ridden Ellie.
I ended up falling in love with all the surrounding characters too from Andrew to Dylan to the grandmas to Kathertine and Ari (Alan Kim-Prescott and Linds however can suck a huge fat one).
It was also good to see the main protagonist struggling with failure and the fear of failure. I think it's something we all go through to some extent in one way or another. There was good character development in finally having Ellie realize she is failing herself and working to become healthier and happier. Additionally, it was nice to see her messy relationship with her parents, specifically her mother, and that even after standing up for herself the relationship doesn't just get fixed.
Definitely a great queer read for the holiday season but also whenever you want!
It was super cute and queer. I wish it didn't have to be another girly girl meets a butch lesbian, but I didn't think it was overly focused on Jack being butch. Just FYI that is not to say I don't love the different LGBTQIA rep when having butch lesbians, it's just a common queer trope that I feel gets overplayed to play more into heteronormativity. The characters and their relationships were well-rounded and written. I loved Ellie and Jack's banter and how Jack was so loud and just stomped around. It was a really funny thing to imagine compared to anxiety-ridden Ellie.
I ended up falling in love with all the surrounding characters too from Andrew to Dylan to the grandmas to Kathertine and Ari (Alan Kim-Prescott and Linds however can suck a huge fat one).
It was also good to see the main protagonist struggling with failure and the fear of failure. I think it's something we all go through to some extent in one way or another. There was good character development in finally having Ellie realize she is failing herself and working to become healthier and happier. Additionally, it was nice to see her messy relationship with her parents, specifically her mother, and that even after standing up for herself the relationship doesn't just get fixed.
Definitely a great queer read for the holiday season but also whenever you want!