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A review by booksteastories
Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
To be fair, the tagline isn't wrong -- it was unputdownable. That, however, does not mean it was good.
Listen, I understand that the entire point of the book is about tackling internalised queerphobia. I am aware. That does not mean that it makes Luna's quest to lose her virginity any less ridiculous. You are telling me that a girl who supposedly lives in this day and age has to ask her friend how gay sex works? It just doesn't make sense.
Luna was okay, her journey throughout the book was interesting to see when she wasn't being irritating. Luna's lack of motivation to perhaps, I don't know, do more research was annoying to me. It did feel like she was being purposefully dense to what people around her where trying to say as for the sake of plot progression, but she was fine.
The side characters were great, actually. I liked them. They were more interesting as a whole and I often found myself looking forward to scenes where they'd appear. Greenwald builds them up through small remarks about their habits that I greatly enjoyed. I particularly loved Romy.
The romances here were well written too. I found myself invested in how things would turn out between the various people involved. The portrayal of Luna's feelings for them was also touching.
My favourite elements of this book were all of the aspects of the film industry. It was fascinating to read about and I highly enjoyed Luna's in depth knowledge of movies.
Overall, a pretty good book. Luna's ridiculousness is quite tolerable and the plot is well written.
Listen, I understand that the entire point of the book is about tackling internalised queerphobia. I am aware. That does not mean that it makes Luna's quest to lose her virginity any less ridiculous. You are telling me that a girl who supposedly lives in this day and age has to ask her friend how gay sex works? It just doesn't make sense.
Luna was okay, her journey throughout the book was interesting to see when she wasn't being irritating. Luna's lack of motivation to perhaps, I don't know, do more research was annoying to me. It did feel like she was being purposefully dense to what people around her where trying to say as for the sake of plot progression, but she was fine.
The side characters were great, actually. I liked them. They were more interesting as a whole and I often found myself looking forward to scenes where they'd appear. Greenwald builds them up through small remarks about their habits that I greatly enjoyed. I particularly loved Romy.
The romances here were well written too. I found myself invested in how things would turn out between the various people involved. The portrayal of Luna's feelings for them was also touching.
My favourite elements of this book were all of the aspects of the film industry. It was fascinating to read about and I highly enjoyed Luna's in depth knowledge of movies.
Overall, a pretty good book. Luna's ridiculousness is quite tolerable and the plot is well written.