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A review by colleen_corleone
Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
It was fine. It's a middling teen romance, but I appreciate the black cast.
It was almost indistinguishable from the majority of teen romances.
I personally hated the inclusion of the eating disorder behavior. The only time Ariel indulges in it is when 2 people who are mean to her infer she's fat. They don't even have to say it or belabor the point and she's off on a binge.
It bugs me because the way it's portrayed does not feel authentic to my experience. Ariel's internal monologue is not representative of someone recovering from binge eating. It's mentioned as a thing she used to do, and then we get a single instance of her binging and it doesn't affect her mental state at all before or after. If it wasn't first person, I'd have been more lenient.
I'm not a fan of Trey. His mood swings and attitude were annoying a lot of the time.
I can't relate to: Boy has a shitty gf of 2 years. He hits on this other chick and near cheats a few times, but he's a good dude who loves his girl. Sure? But no.
Being the ONLY person who couldn't believe Blair would hurt another person is just peak dumbass to me.
Ariel's self esteem bugged me a lot. Other than her weight, there was no mention of or explanation for her poor opinion of herself. Why does the opinion of a girl she doesn't even like and knows is a jerk on purpose matter? Literally everyone else in her life bends over backwards to show her love and support. It's weird.
Saving the bookstore stuff was fine. It was cute. Not particularly moving, because you know the outcome.
Overall it was a quick read. We need more representation in stories and this does that. If I hadn't read dozens of similar stories by now, this would have been awesome.
It was almost indistinguishable from the majority of teen romances.
I personally hated the inclusion of the eating disorder behavior. The only time Ariel indulges in it is when 2 people who are mean to her infer she's fat. They don't even have to say it or belabor the point and she's off on a binge.
It bugs me because the way it's portrayed does not feel authentic to my experience. Ariel's internal monologue is not representative of someone recovering from binge eating. It's mentioned as a thing she used to do, and then we get a single instance of her binging and it doesn't affect her mental state at all before or after. If it wasn't first person, I'd have been more lenient.
I'm not a fan of Trey. His mood swings and attitude were annoying a lot of the time.
I can't relate to: Boy has a shitty gf of 2 years. He hits on this other chick and near cheats a few times, but he's a good dude who loves his girl. Sure? But no.
Ariel's self esteem bugged me a lot. Other than her weight, there was no mention of or explanation for her poor opinion of herself. Why does the opinion of a girl she doesn't even like and knows is a jerk on purpose matter? Literally everyone else in her life bends over backwards to show her love and support. It's weird.
Saving the bookstore stuff was fine. It was cute. Not particularly moving, because you know the outcome.
Overall it was a quick read. We need more representation in stories and this does that. If I hadn't read dozens of similar stories by now, this would have been awesome.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Body shaming, and Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
There's a single, brief but detailed scene of binge eating. Mentions of previously binging.