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A review by allygator
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
3.0
I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this, in exchange for an honest review. This review will be honest, and honestly I don't think it was a good as I wanted it to be.
This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't as incredible as the hype surrounding it says it is. Thinking back on it, the beginning of the book rubbed me the wrong way, and those problems stuck with me through the whole reading experience.
The Things that Messed with Me:
-- In one of the first flashbacks, we're introduced to all the Outer Banks side characters. Instead of introducing their personalities, though, the author chooses to introduce them with their names and races/ethnicities. It felt like she was running through a diversity checklist, especially because those things were never mentioned again.
-- Also in regards to the last point, a Latina(?) is introduced. Instead of just saying this character is Hispanic, the author says that shes maybe-white, maybe-Latina. As a Latina, this pissed me off. If you're trying to say your book is diverse, at least don't skirt around your one Hispanic character and discount them by saying they might be white.
-- The whole what do you call a not boyfriend, not girlfriend thing bothered me. The author settled on nonbinary friend, which just is clunky and not good. There are so many better words to describe a nonbinary person who's dating someone else (partner, date, significant other come to my mind).
-- Chase just.... happened to fall in love with Lara this year? He never expressed interest in her, but all of a sudden he was all over her. It doesn't make sense.
-- Every. Single. Problem. Could have been solved by simple, easy communication. I got really frustrated.
This is not to say that the book is bad. Slightly problematic, yes. But I did genuinely enjoy a lot of it. I just may not be a romance-novel person because I couldn't get behind the love triangle, and the romance just wasn't that great for me. I didn't dislike it, but I definitely won't be rereading it, and I wouldn't recommend it for a friend looking for a bi-centric romance.
This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't as incredible as the hype surrounding it says it is. Thinking back on it, the beginning of the book rubbed me the wrong way, and those problems stuck with me through the whole reading experience.
The Things that Messed with Me:
-- In one of the first flashbacks, we're introduced to all the Outer Banks side characters. Instead of introducing their personalities, though, the author chooses to introduce them with their names and races/ethnicities. It felt like she was running through a diversity checklist, especially because those things were never mentioned again.
-- Also in regards to the last point, a Latina(?) is introduced. Instead of just saying this character is Hispanic, the author says that shes maybe-white, maybe-Latina. As a Latina, this pissed me off. If you're trying to say your book is diverse, at least don't skirt around your one Hispanic character and discount them by saying they might be white.
-- The whole what do you call a not boyfriend, not girlfriend thing bothered me. The author settled on nonbinary friend, which just is clunky and not good. There are so many better words to describe a nonbinary person who's dating someone else (partner, date, significant other come to my mind).
-- Chase just.... happened to fall in love with Lara this year? He never expressed interest in her, but all of a sudden he was all over her. It doesn't make sense.
-- Every. Single. Problem. Could have been solved by simple, easy communication. I got really frustrated.
This is not to say that the book is bad. Slightly problematic, yes. But I did genuinely enjoy a lot of it. I just may not be a romance-novel person because I couldn't get behind the love triangle, and the romance just wasn't that great for me. I didn't dislike it, but I definitely won't be rereading it, and I wouldn't recommend it for a friend looking for a bi-centric romance.