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A review by mcdermottcecelia
Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
What a fun read! Sophie Gonzales's Never Ever Getting Back Together is a YA version of The Bachelor except all the contestants are the show lead's exes and two of them start to fall for one another in their plot for revenge. This book follows Maya and Skye as they journey onto a new reality show where they must date their ex-boyfriend Jordy and see if the spark can be rekindled as contestants are removed each week. Maya and Skye start off the novel in a hateful relationship as Maya accuses Skye of dating Jordy while they were still together, which Skye vehemently denies. As the girls work to unravel what really happened, they start on a quest for revenge against Jordy and end up getting more than they bargained for. It's a quick, fun read for those who enjoy reality shows and younger audiences looking for a quick read.
While I really enjoyed this book in the second half, it's not without some critique. The pacing in this book was very inconsistent, with some sections getting pages among pages of details for minor conversations and other key points getting glossed over in a handful of lines. There was little focus on the dates with Jordy themselves and arguably too much attention on repetitive conversations plotting revenge. It was definitely character-driven more so than plot, but I know some readers prefer that style more anyways. While it was very focused on Maya and Skye, it was difficult to really connect with any of the outside characters, and I think Maya and Skye could've been more fully developed too. Since the plot didn't feel like the main focus and I struggled to connect with the characters early on, the beginning half of the novel felt rather slow at times. It definitely picked up in the latter, but I considered DNF'ing before I got to that point. I really loved the concept for this novel and I'm still glad I read it, but this book did end up falling a little short for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While I really enjoyed this book in the second half, it's not without some critique. The pacing in this book was very inconsistent, with some sections getting pages among pages of details for minor conversations and other key points getting glossed over in a handful of lines. There was little focus on the dates with Jordy themselves and arguably too much attention on repetitive conversations plotting revenge. It was definitely character-driven more so than plot, but I know some readers prefer that style more anyways. While it was very focused on Maya and Skye, it was difficult to really connect with any of the outside characters, and I think Maya and Skye could've been more fully developed too. Since the plot didn't feel like the main focus and I struggled to connect with the characters early on, the beginning half of the novel felt rather slow at times. It definitely picked up in the latter, but I considered DNF'ing before I got to that point. I really loved the concept for this novel and I'm still glad I read it, but this book did end up falling a little short for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.