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A review by aelynreads
Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough
3.0
There's a lot to love with this one. There's great lesbian representation; an interesting private school setting, complete with sexist and prejudiced teachers; and an underground rebellion with high stakes.
My main criticism is that I didn't connect with the characters. Most of the characters are teenagers and awful people. Will thinks she knows best and treats her friends awfully; Harriet is privileged, ignorant and naive; Nat is an awful friend and cold-hearted; Edie is self-absorbed and manipulative. I don't dislike awful characters - I really love complex characters who you love despite their flaws - but we're not given any reasons to root for these guys. They're flawed with no redeeming qualities. And because I couldn't connect with the characters, I wasn't engaged in the romance or the story and it ended up being an average read.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book and I loved the themes of prejudice and justice, but I thought the characters were lacking, which let the book down.
My main criticism is that I didn't connect with the characters. Most of the characters are teenagers and awful people. Will thinks she knows best and treats her friends awfully; Harriet is privileged, ignorant and naive; Nat is an awful friend and cold-hearted; Edie is self-absorbed and manipulative. I don't dislike awful characters - I really love complex characters who you love despite their flaws - but we're not given any reasons to root for these guys. They're flawed with no redeeming qualities. And because I couldn't connect with the characters, I wasn't engaged in the romance or the story and it ended up being an average read.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book and I loved the themes of prejudice and justice, but I thought the characters were lacking, which let the book down.