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A review by elwirax
Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth
challenging
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
*3.5/5
Rep: Lesbian MC, Polish-Irish lesbian LI
TW: alcoholism, child neglect
PROS:
Aideen was a really likeable character she's witty and therefore her narrative was easy and enjoyable to get through. She also significantly grew as a character throughout the book and stood up for herself which was great.
Teacher- student dynamic was a bit unrealistic ( as in I can't imagine a teacher actually speaking that way to a student) but honestly, I quite enjoyed Ms Devlin's dry sense of humour. The way she interacted with Aideen was quite refreshing from the typical YA book.
I really liked the friendship dynamic in this book. Aideen went from having one close friend to a wee group of friends. It was really sweet seeing her bond with Kavi and Maebh. (Kavi was an absolutely delightful character and Meabh really grew on me over the course of the book.)
I really appreciated the exploration of toxic friendships and standing up to someone you consider a close friend. I know that's not always an easy thing to do but it was done quite well.
This book dealt with a lot of heavy topics such as alcoholism, child neglect, poverty and the pressures of living up to people's expectations. The author did a great job of addressing and dealing with these issues.
CONS:
While I thought the the romance was sweet I wasn't entirely convinced by the relationship between Meabh and Aideen.
A lot of the things that happened just didn't feel realistic enough (for a contemporary book) but this is definitely just a nit pick.
Overall, I though "Not my Problem" was an enjoyable and quick read. It had a nice wee amount of fluff but still had characters dealing with their own struggles and issues. I also very much appreciated the slang as I tend to use a lot of it myself, therefore I felt more immersed in the book.
Rep: Lesbian MC, Polish-Irish lesbian LI
TW: alcoholism, child neglect
PROS:
Aideen was a really likeable character she's witty and therefore her narrative was easy and enjoyable to get through. She also significantly grew as a character throughout the book and stood up for herself which was great.
Teacher- student dynamic was a bit unrealistic ( as in I can't imagine a teacher actually speaking that way to a student) but honestly, I quite enjoyed Ms Devlin's dry sense of humour. The way she interacted with Aideen was quite refreshing from the typical YA book.
I really liked the friendship dynamic in this book. Aideen went from having one close friend to a wee group of friends. It was really sweet seeing her bond with Kavi and Maebh. (Kavi was an absolutely delightful character and Meabh really grew on me over the course of the book.)
I really appreciated the exploration of toxic friendships and standing up to someone you consider a close friend. I know that's not always an easy thing to do but it was done quite well.
This book dealt with a lot of heavy topics such as alcoholism, child neglect, poverty and the pressures of living up to people's expectations. The author did a great job of addressing and dealing with these issues.
CONS:
While I thought the the romance was sweet I wasn't entirely convinced by the relationship between Meabh and Aideen.
A lot of the things that happened just didn't feel realistic enough (for a contemporary book) but this is definitely just a nit pick.
Overall, I though "Not my Problem" was an enjoyable and quick read. It had a nice wee amount of fluff but still had characters dealing with their own struggles and issues. I also very much appreciated the slang as I tend to use a lot of it myself, therefore I felt more immersed in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Alcoholism