A review by talya_
First & Then by Emma Mills

2.0

The book was very slow-paced in a way that wasn't rushed, which I guess is a good thing, but it also crawled at a snails pace which led to inevitable boredom. The characters were all dull and blah, and I think that could have been different if the writing were better. Everything was just so detached and emotionless because there was a lot more telling than showing. We don't see that Devon had a crush on Cas-- she has to tell us. We don't see when she begins to like Ezra, because we're told that too. And it comes out of nowhere. We don't see true friendship with any of the characters in the book because their interactions are fleeting and almost meaningless. It's to the point where you can't decide if Devon has no friends or has a lot of them.
The romance lacked chemistry something fierce. It was the flattest romance I've ever read about. No sparks, no feelings, no nothing. It literally comes out of nowhere...one day they're talking about college schools and the next, Ezra's asking Devon to homecoming in the most awkward way possible. And she says yes way too quickly especially as she's supposedly crushing on Cas? I don't know, but her feelings for these guys really bothered me because we don't see any of them, we're only told of them occasionally...so how are we supposed to believe her feelings if she can't even show them? This bothered me throughout the whole book, and it's a shame cuz the book probably could've been a lot better.