Scan barcode
A review by kells_
This Time It's Real by Ann Liang
5.0
It's fucking 4 am and I just finished this. I'm devastated. Review to come cuz WTF AHHHH (THE GOOD WTF NOT THE BAD)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(after a 10 hr sleep...) Yk what I think really makes a good book? When it makes you feel something, when it makes you feel strong emotions. I guess that doesn't apply to the shitty books that make you feel disgusted and pissed though. I think it's been awhile since I really fangirled over a book like this while reading it. I think it's been awhile since a book rlly tugged on my heartstrings like this.
Picture this: me reading this on my laptop way past midnight, constantly taking deep breaths, clenching my fingers, covering my mouth, smiling hard like an idiot, trying to keep quiet to not wake up my parents, making annotations and keyboard jamming, rereading certain parts multiple times, text screaming to my friends in our group chat at like 2am when they don't even have a clue abt this book
It's shocking even to myself that I'm giving a book book (that's not a manga or collection of poetry) 5 stars. Ik what I dislike. I'm not someone who gives 5s to a book book easily! But I seriously devoured this book and now that I've finished it I feel empty inside like??? Ann Liang?? Ann how could u do this to me??? I don't want to make this review too long so I'm gonna try to encapsulate things simply.
EXTREMELY ADORABLE, GREAT CHARACTERIZATION, ADDRESSES IDENTITY ISSUES, GOOD REPRESENTATION OF CHINESE CULTURE, LOVE THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES, GREAT PROGRESSION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP (I felt like we were on the journey w them and it made sense), SQUEAL-WORTHY MOMENTS, CAZ + ELIZA FTW oops... I don't think that was that simple...
Idk how I'm gonna get over this. Absolutely devastated. I even changed my phone lockscreen to one of the bonus lockscreens Ann put on her website for this book (it was formerly a picture of my bias/fav member of skz so that's how yk it's serious). I'm even listening to the book's spotify playlist while writing this.
Just FUCKING READ THIS YALL. (link below is to the author's website with her bonus content for this book!)
https://www.annliang.com/this-time-its-real
Song I think would suit this story: phobia by skz :)
The figure of you facing the wavering sky
Can I get a little closer to you today?
But somehow I’m anxious, afraid of you getting farther away
Ah, I’m usually not like this though
The thoughts inside my head are all tangled
It’s too much, I can’t think of anything else
Don’t know why I’m like this
Even when I act like nothing’s wrong
My heart’s racing like it’s about to burst
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(after a 10 hr sleep...) Yk what I think really makes a good book? When it makes you feel something, when it makes you feel strong emotions. I guess that doesn't apply to the shitty books that make you feel disgusted and pissed though. I think it's been awhile since I really fangirled over a book like this while reading it. I think it's been awhile since a book rlly tugged on my heartstrings like this.
Picture this: me reading this on my laptop way past midnight, constantly taking deep breaths, clenching my fingers, covering my mouth, smiling hard like an idiot, trying to keep quiet to not wake up my parents, making annotations and keyboard jamming, rereading certain parts multiple times, text screaming to my friends in our group chat at like 2am when they don't even have a clue abt this book
It's shocking even to myself that I'm giving a book book (that's not a manga or collection of poetry) 5 stars. Ik what I dislike. I'm not someone who gives 5s to a book book easily! But I seriously devoured this book and now that I've finished it I feel empty inside like??? Ann Liang?? Ann how could u do this to me??? I don't want to make this review too long so I'm gonna try to encapsulate things simply.
EXTREMELY ADORABLE, GREAT CHARACTERIZATION, ADDRESSES IDENTITY ISSUES, GOOD REPRESENTATION OF CHINESE CULTURE, LOVE THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES, GREAT PROGRESSION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP (I felt like we were on the journey w them and it made sense), SQUEAL-WORTHY MOMENTS, CAZ + ELIZA FTW oops... I don't think that was that simple...
Idk how I'm gonna get over this. Absolutely devastated. I even changed my phone lockscreen to one of the bonus lockscreens Ann put on her website for this book (it was formerly a picture of my bias/fav member of skz so that's how yk it's serious). I'm even listening to the book's spotify playlist while writing this.
Just FUCKING READ THIS YALL. (link below is to the author's website with her bonus content for this book!)
https://www.annliang.com/this-time-its-real
Song I think would suit this story: phobia by skz :)
The figure of you facing the wavering sky
Can I get a little closer to you today?
But somehow I’m anxious, afraid of you getting farther away
Ah, I’m usually not like this though
The thoughts inside my head are all tangled
It’s too much, I can’t think of anything else
Don’t know why I’m like this
Even when I act like nothing’s wrong
My heart’s racing like it’s about to burst