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A review by whatcandicereads
Love & Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura
3.0
Contains spoilers***
Romantic comedies aren’t typically my “thing” but author, Misa Sugiura, has a way of turning stories into easy, flowing reads (Yes, this is your official suggestion to read Sugiura’s earlier work of fiction, “It’s Not Like It’s a Secret”). Following main character, Nozomi, who spends the summer in San Francisco with a desire to reinvent her life, the book explores a fake dating scenario which seems to be a common plot line of many recent YA novels and teen-centered television shows. A fake relationship that begins as a ploy to make an ex jealous - things don’t go as planned, feelings get hurt, main character ends up with the allegedly unexpected partner.
Things I loved: the style of writing, the succinct messages within each chapter, the inclusion of Asian characters and other queer women of color at the center of the plot. This was an intentional choice that is often an afterthought in other books.
Things I didn’t love: the fake relationship storyline is starting to feel overplayed. Despite reading pages and pages, the reader never really learns much about the main character except for the fact that she’s a hopeless romantic. The plot line felt pretty predictable, particularly the ending.
Overall, 3 stars because it truly wasn’t a bad book - far from it in fact. Maybe it’s just not the right book for me. But hey, that’s what happens when you’re a 25 year olds reading YA fiction right?
Romantic comedies aren’t typically my “thing” but author, Misa Sugiura, has a way of turning stories into easy, flowing reads (Yes, this is your official suggestion to read Sugiura’s earlier work of fiction, “It’s Not Like It’s a Secret”). Following main character, Nozomi, who spends the summer in San Francisco with a desire to reinvent her life, the book explores a fake dating scenario which seems to be a common plot line of many recent YA novels and teen-centered television shows. A fake relationship that begins as a ploy to make an ex jealous - things don’t go as planned, feelings get hurt, main character ends up with the allegedly unexpected partner.
Things I loved: the style of writing, the succinct messages within each chapter, the inclusion of Asian characters and other queer women of color at the center of the plot. This was an intentional choice that is often an afterthought in other books.
Things I didn’t love: the fake relationship storyline is starting to feel overplayed. Despite reading pages and pages, the reader never really learns much about the main character except for the fact that she’s a hopeless romantic. The plot line felt pretty predictable, particularly the ending.
Overall, 3 stars because it truly wasn’t a bad book - far from it in fact. Maybe it’s just not the right book for me. But hey, that’s what happens when you’re a 25 year olds reading YA fiction right?