A review by booksabrewin
Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

4.0

Mishra had it all. He had a band he loved, a loving sister, and a stable home life even after his mother walked out on him at a young age. He also had his best friend and pen pal, Ryen, that he wrote to on a regular basis for over seven years. He bared his soul to his friend and shared everything from heated arguments over mundane things to lyrics to songs he wrote. But by a twist of fate he ran into her at a party and while she didn't know who he was, he knew who he was coming face to face with. It was that same night that changed everything for the both of them.

Ryen doesn't know why Mishra stopped writing her but she feels a void in her heart that was never there before. She had a sister who hated her for always having Ryen as a tag-along and a mother who was too busy to really notice what was happening in her life. All she had was Mishra to keep her on the straight and narrow. Without him she had to seek out alternative ways to fill the loneliness. By becoming one of the popular bullies she detested. It was only when a new student, Masen, shows up to challenge her that she starts to realize that popularity may not be all it's cracked up to be when you lose yourself in the process.

Ryen and Mishra were equal parts adorable and frustrating. Ryen just wanted to belong and standout while Mishra just wanted to disappear and be unnoticed. I thought Ryen's need for popularity was relatable but at the same time infuriating. I didn't like seeing her succumb to peer pressure and start being a bully to easy targets. It was interesting to see the internal struggle she had when she did though. It made me wonder if that holds true with a lot of bullies. Are they just doing it to try to hold onto some reputation and feel guilty about it or do they actually enjoy it?

Mishra was an ass a lot of the time but he had a reason to be. He was dealing with some tragic shit and was not doing well with it. He pulled away from Ryen to try to heal but it only ended up hurting them both. He should have leaned on her for support but then again, that wouldn't do much for a bully-ish romance would it? I think as far as a main male lead he was appropriate. I think if he had had a bit more of a reason to dislike Ryen than just the fact that she was so different from his pen pal it would have been a little more believable but it was still really well done.

Penelope Douglas's writing style is top tier for me. The way she puts forth a story sucks you in and refuses to let go until the very last page turn. I was in this world watching Ryen and Mishra and their struggles. I was there when Ryen was hurting and there when Mishra came to terms with his feelings. I felt the anger, sadness, loneliness, pain, and love just flow off the pages and into my heart. This author is one to look out for because if she writes anything darker, the book hangover will be real.