A review by c45p1n
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

ORIGINAL RATE: 3.5
NEW RATE: 4 (im giving this 4 stars bc kf how much i loved reading it and how much it resonated witb me. NOT because its a 5-star-worthy plot or writing.)
This whole review is going to be one big fat spoiler so, word to the wise, i guess.

[irritated groaning] ok. This book started off cheesy and cliche (it ended that way too but also very upsetting), Josh was fun, Kris was elusive, the dual POVs gave so much whiplash tbh. They were hot and cold. Time was not a factor in this book--quite the opposite.
And because i can't express what I want to say into sentences, I'm making a pro/con list.

PROS:
  • Sloan<333 RR: she was a meh character, same with brandon. didnt really feel as much impact from them
  • josh in the beginning and the end period. Josh.
  • free of a lot of the typical stigma around infertility/menstruation
  • WHEN JOSH WAS LISTING WAYS OF HOW HE KNEW HER OH MY GOD
  • sloan again<3 bc i love sloan<33
  • whenever there was a sliver of healthy romance those scenes were so cute
  • stuntman mike
  • JOSH MAKING THE BINDER FOR KRIS AND LIKE THAT SCENE
  • kristen's vows
  • it was an exciting read, very fun--albeit frustrating--but after the initial giddiness of it all wore off and I finished the book it was really... just... not, good. It kinda left you with a bittersweet feeling (more bitter than sweet on my part tbh)

CONS:
  • MISCOMMUNICATION AT EVERY TURN
  • Josh in the middle of the book  RR: i actyally thought josh was an amazing character throughout EXCEPT the moment right after vegas where he was a douche and jumped to conclusions
  • kristen. the. entire, fucking time. Especially after the karaoke night, the phone call from vegas night, and every other night after that RR: i do think kristen wasnt the best character, but i did understand where she was coming from and her logic. it was just an awful execution/portrayal
  • BRANDONS FUCKING DEATH. WHY THE FUCK. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKITY FUCK FUCK FUKC WHAT THE FUCK
  • they were so obviously in love with each other the entire time it was painful literally why
  • tyler and seafood
  • LITERALLY THE MISSCOMUNICATION 
  • kristen's vows
  • kris not coming clean to josh after she said she loved him. what the fuck. like i get it's a personal thing but admitting you love him TO HIM and then constantly pushing him away and ignoring him and ghosting him (only to show up at his work, or his house a week later) is selfish. especially if it makes him think he's the problem when you knew damn well he wasn't
  • KRIS WAS SO HYPOCRITICAL THE ENTIRE TIME LIKE "i'm not settling for tyler. i love tyler" (which we all knew wasn't entirely true) and then telling josh to "move on, screw other women, date other women. don't settle for me" bullcrap. AND THEN SLOAN FINALLY WHACKED SOME FREAKING SENSE INTO HER WHILE SHE WAS FRICKN MOURNING 
  • EVELYN. she didn't deserve the epilogue scene. RR: THIS THIS THIS. THIS. THIS. THIS. SHE DOES NOT DESERVE ANY TYPE OF REDEMPTION. 
  • why the fuck did
    Brandon
    die??? what was the point of that? I was genuinely so upset they died. 
  • all the poc were written off???? or given very gross/womanizer and minimal lines???? there was no diversity for them or at all in this book??
  • why am i giving this book 4 stars?? 
  • it was a lot of rinse/reuse/recycle throughout the entire book. The characters only had one thought, one argument point, one problem. Every argument circled back to the "I love you, I wanna be with you" and the entire time Kristen was just really immature and inconsiderate and rude. 
    • the same things were happening the entire time and provided no sense of change or dynamic. 

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