A review by madilowe
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales, Cale Dietrich

funny hopeful 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

3.25

One Direction: the book. It's an okay read, and I think I would've enjoyed it more if I hadn't picked it up immediately following a 5 star read. It's one of the first books I've read that really made me feel myself growing out of YA - not something I ever thought was possible, but here we are. There are definitely still bangers in that category I'll read and enjoy, but I think five years ago, I would've felt way differently about the book. 

The dual perspective might actually do the whole thing a bit of a disservice. It gets difficult to feel with the characters, and I think with teenage angst, you kind of need to be situated firmly in the teenager's point of view, or it starts to feel a little half-baked. Even as a ride-or-die Directioner, this book didn't manage to get at the middle-school-me who still lives somewhere below the surface (and it's not a hard thing to do; the video diaries still get me.) It's not quite cheesy enough to be loved for the cheese factor, but not easily taken seriously, either. 

That said, it was fun, and I think 15-17 would probably be a sweet spot that could enjoy this book really easily. 
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