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A review by owlwaysbookish
Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash
2.0
Fluffy, predictable and an easy read. But then...it got very creepy and ngl freaked me out a bit but that's not the reason for 2 stars.
This book follows Mariam who she and Caleb decided to break up due to college and the distance. Mariam is heartbroken and can't seem to get over him. She decides to try this online dating virtual reality thing, you have VR dates, idek. She has three potential matches one of them is Caleb, wow, shocker and she chooses him. She basically catfishes him and tries to get him to re-fall in love with her. She uses a fake avatar, no photos and hides and distorts some information about herself. All of that was sketchy and just not cool.
Something I did like were the friendships here and a representation of college life and how hard it can actually be. Mariam makes friends with her roomie and her girlfriend, they watch old films together, bond and do typical New Yorker stuff. Mariam also has a job at the gym and she makes friends with Jeremy, the dude who was 98% her match with the VR. They all get to know each other and becomes this really awesome group. Mariam seems to talk about herself a lot and her issues, it's really cool to see her realises his half way through the book and develop as a character. She starts asking more questions about her friends, really getting to know them and taking time away from all the Caleb drama.
Meanwhile she is also reconnecting with her high school friend Rosie who said she changed when she and Caleb got together like friends were no longer important to her so she and Rosie drifted and lost touch. It was nice to see them come back together and shared meaningful talks about college, the future and how it's okay to decide that what you thought you wanted to do you don't actually want to do.
Something I thought was interesting is when Caleb is told Mariam is catfishing him, he does get mad they have distance and things start working with Jeremy. He tells her he likes her and there are so many moments full of tensions that could easily lead to something but don't as he understands she still has feelings for Caleb. Caleb and Mariam do get back together, they talk all the time, use the online dating thing and Mariam is still there for her friends. She discovers she wants to go into work helping people and making a difference in social work, Caleb basically says she is too optimistic and sensitive and it won't be a good job for her and Mariam actually feels that she is this way in spite of everything that has happened she chooses to be this way (ngl all that hit pretty hard). He doesn't really support or understand her choices. Mariam kind of gets the idea that something isn't right in their relationship and realises Caleb was right from the start to call things off.
It is later revealed that Jeremy went on a date with virtual Mariam so so weird and the VR dating thing is purposely messing up peoples irl dates and chances at love so they date virtually instead. Wow. SUPER CREEPY. Little freaked out as that could actually be possible though omg.
In the end Mariam gives the girl from the band she likes the okay to date Jeremy while she works on herself. Mariam is happy being single and does her own thing. Jeremy goes to Italy like he wanted but he and the band girl split. A while later Jeremy and Mariam get together because of course and they're both ready for something more this time. CUTEEE.
I did enjoy the representation in this from being Muslim, mexican and wlw very nice additions.
This book was average, nothing special about it and I won't remember it, I enjoyed it, like the development and of course was predictable. CREEPY. Wow.
This book follows Mariam who she and Caleb decided to break up due to college and the distance. Mariam is heartbroken and can't seem to get over him. She decides to try this online dating virtual reality thing, you have VR dates, idek. She has three potential matches one of them is Caleb, wow, shocker and she chooses him. She basically catfishes him and tries to get him to re-fall in love with her. She uses a fake avatar, no photos and hides and distorts some information about herself. All of that was sketchy and just not cool.
Something I did like were the friendships here and a representation of college life and how hard it can actually be. Mariam makes friends with her roomie and her girlfriend, they watch old films together, bond and do typical New Yorker stuff. Mariam also has a job at the gym and she makes friends with Jeremy, the dude who was 98% her match with the VR. They all get to know each other and becomes this really awesome group. Mariam seems to talk about herself a lot and her issues, it's really cool to see her realises his half way through the book and develop as a character. She starts asking more questions about her friends, really getting to know them and taking time away from all the Caleb drama.
Meanwhile she is also reconnecting with her high school friend Rosie who said she changed when she and Caleb got together like friends were no longer important to her so she and Rosie drifted and lost touch. It was nice to see them come back together and shared meaningful talks about college, the future and how it's okay to decide that what you thought you wanted to do you don't actually want to do.
Something I thought was interesting is when Caleb is told Mariam is catfishing him, he does get mad they have distance and things start working with Jeremy. He tells her he likes her and there are so many moments full of tensions that could easily lead to something but don't as he understands she still has feelings for Caleb. Caleb and Mariam do get back together, they talk all the time, use the online dating thing and Mariam is still there for her friends. She discovers she wants to go into work helping people and making a difference in social work, Caleb basically says she is too optimistic and sensitive and it won't be a good job for her and Mariam actually feels that she is this way in spite of everything that has happened she chooses to be this way (ngl all that hit pretty hard). He doesn't really support or understand her choices. Mariam kind of gets the idea that something isn't right in their relationship and realises Caleb was right from the start to call things off.
It is later revealed that Jeremy went on a date with virtual Mariam so so weird and the VR dating thing is purposely messing up peoples irl dates and chances at love so they date virtually instead. Wow. SUPER CREEPY. Little freaked out as that could actually be possible though omg.
In the end Mariam gives the girl from the band she likes the okay to date Jeremy while she works on herself. Mariam is happy being single and does her own thing. Jeremy goes to Italy like he wanted but he and the band girl split. A while later Jeremy and Mariam get together because of course and they're both ready for something more this time. CUTEEE.
I did enjoy the representation in this from being Muslim, mexican and wlw very nice additions.
This book was average, nothing special about it and I won't remember it, I enjoyed it, like the development and of course was predictable. CREEPY. Wow.