A review by lore_1703
Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Overall: This book leaves me with some ‘what ifs’. There were a couple of amazing storylines and cute moments between the mmc & fmc, which made me enjoy this book. Other times I questioned the actions and motives of the main characters. The 13 reasons why vibe is strong with this one. I do enjoy a bit more dark or angsty high school story but this one was just not it for me. 

Reasons to bump this up your TBR: This book is for you if you don’t mind reading an angsty high school romance book. The love aspect of the story is enjoyable and I did like the honesty between the main characters. There was no miscommunication for example, which is a huge plus for me. 

Knox is a great mmc. He’s in my opinion a golden retriever boy wearing the ‘bad boy’ mask. He is very patient towards Ava and gives her all the respect and empathy she needs. 

Reasons to bump this down your TBR: With the title Dear Ava I expected many more letters and secret admirer cuteness. I would have loved to see more poems or texts where Ava and her secret-love interest talk, trust each other and feed their friendship. 

Some of the dialogue between Ava and Knox feels very ‘young’. 

The ending and epilogues felt rushed. The story is  slow paced and the tempo picks up a bit too much in the last 15% of the book. One epilogue would have been enough for me. 


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