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chandasolara's Reviews (407)
Okay buckle up because I'm about to dive in. This does contain some spoilers, which I've blocked off, but I didn't think it was necessary to mark the whole review as a spoiler. Gimme a heads up if you disagree and I'll change it!
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Overall rating: 2.5/5 (I'm giving a generous 3* because a lot of this book gave me the ick and I think I'm in the minority here)
Content Warnings: fat phobia, workplace sexual harassment, codependency, emotional abuse (I'm probs forgetting some)
So I started this book because I wanted something light and fun to read after finishing a book about Chernobyl, and to some extent it did deliver. The witty banter was on point and the characters were likeable enough in their own right that I flew through the novel in a day. However, some things rubbed me the wrong way.
A lot of people have talked about the way that fat phobia comes into play in this book, both in Josh's boss' appearance and Josh's internalized fat phobia, so I'll skip the rant there. Same to the workplace sexual harassment note. My biggest problem after that was the relationship in general.
I just didn't ever fully believe the romance. Maybe I'm a skeptic, but it was just very rapid that everything changes. And I get that it was supposed to be a hookup and whathaveyou, so it was never necessarily going to be a slowburn, but it did strike me as a little odd how immediately and entirely Lucy was in the situationship after hating Josh. Granted, we come to learn that her hatred is rooted in
A lot of their relationship felt to me as though both of them were running away from their own problems by hooking up, and I just couldn't ever really see it lasting. I actually was kind of rooting for them to just hook up and be done with it because 1) it'd be hot and 2) I think it would have been more believable re: the plotline.
The one thing that bothered me most, I think, is the ending. It was rushed and not satisfactory at all. This huge job opportunity that we've read about throughout the whole book, which Lucy works her ass off for and is the biggest source of tension in their situationship is watered down to a singular page dismissal.
I don't know... it felt like a disservice to all the character development that we saw throughout the book.
The last thing I'll mention that totally and completed ripped me out of the book is the use of the R word in the love declaration at the end. This book was released in 2016. I've known that using the R word to describe anything is problematic since I was in grade school (circa 2000). How long are we going to keep having a discussion regarding the ableism present in comparing intellectual capacity to awkwardness in social situations? Social anxiety? Cool, let's address that! But don't call it something it's not. It turned me so far off that I nearly dropped the book right there and I was probably 99% complete. It's not cute. Be better.
Overall, despite my qualms, I didn't hate the book. I do think there are parts that could have been done better, but the characters were fun, the banter made me laugh out loud a couple times, and I did enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope because I'm a sucker for it. Definitely a quick read if you're looking for something light, but be mindful regarding triggers and topics that can be a bit squicky.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Overall rating: 2.5/5 (I'm giving a generous 3* because a lot of this book gave me the ick and I think I'm in the minority here)
Content Warnings: fat phobia, workplace sexual harassment, codependency, emotional abuse (I'm probs forgetting some)
So I started this book because I wanted something light and fun to read after finishing a book about Chernobyl, and to some extent it did deliver. The witty banter was on point and the characters were likeable enough in their own right that I flew through the novel in a day. However, some things rubbed me the wrong way.
A lot of people have talked about the way that fat phobia comes into play in this book, both in Josh's boss' appearance and Josh's internalized fat phobia, so I'll skip the rant there. Same to the workplace sexual harassment note. My biggest problem after that was the relationship in general.
I just didn't ever fully believe the romance. Maybe I'm a skeptic, but it was just very rapid that everything changes. And I get that it was supposed to be a hookup and whathaveyou, so it was never necessarily going to be a slowburn, but it did strike me as a little odd how immediately and entirely Lucy was in the situationship after hating Josh. Granted, we come to learn that her hatred is rooted in
Spoiler
the fact that he dismissed her when she wanted to be friends with him, but we went from her hating him, having a sex dream about him, and then she's running away to his house and literally sniffing him at every opportunity--and not even a cute, discreet sniff. I'm talking full-on nose in the chest, inhaling like a madwoman sniffs.A lot of their relationship felt to me as though both of them were running away from their own problems by hooking up, and I just couldn't ever really see it lasting. I actually was kind of rooting for them to just hook up and be done with it because 1) it'd be hot and 2) I think it would have been more believable re: the plotline.
The one thing that bothered me most, I think, is the ending. It was rushed and not satisfactory at all. This huge job opportunity that we've read about throughout the whole book, which Lucy works her ass off for and is the biggest source of tension in their situationship
Spoiler
(other than, y'know, Josh supposedly loving her all this time and the awkwardly aggressive "love triangle" that Josh cavemans out about),Spoiler
We never get to the presentation. Heck, we don't even know if Lucy gets the job. Instead, Josh quits, Lucy presumably gets the position, and we end happily ever after.I don't know... it felt like a disservice to all the character development that we saw throughout the book.
Spoiler
Personally, I would have preferred Josh to have his moment with his dad (because even though I enjoyed Lucy's dressing down of his dad, it felt almost performative to me) and then read Lucy kicking ass at the interview. Maybe then I wouldn't have been so squicked out by Josh just quitting so Lucy gets the position. But I'm also picky and really value actual girl power moments instead of a conciliatory victory against someone I view as an equal and a challenger. If I was Lucy, I'd have felt slighted--as though he thought he'd get the position and white knighted by quitting so he wouldn't take the opportunity from me.The last thing I'll mention that totally and completed ripped me out of the book is the use of the R word in the love declaration at the end. This book was released in 2016. I've known that using the R word to describe anything is problematic since I was in grade school (circa 2000). How long are we going to keep having a discussion regarding the ableism present in comparing intellectual capacity to awkwardness in social situations? Social anxiety? Cool, let's address that! But don't call it something it's not. It turned me so far off that I nearly dropped the book right there and I was probably 99% complete. It's not cute. Be better.
Overall, despite my qualms, I didn't hate the book. I do think there are parts that could have been done better, but the characters were fun, the banter made me laugh out loud a couple times, and I did enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope because I'm a sucker for it. Definitely a quick read if you're looking for something light, but be mindful regarding triggers and topics that can be a bit squicky.
Now THIS was exactly what I was looking for in a fun summer romance. My cheeks hurt from smiling. Also super here for spectrum representation; it’s nice to read a book that features people like you!
I have been on a romance kick recently (which is clear if you take a look at my history), and I'm not 100% sure why, but this one wasn't my favorite.
Holy sex, Batman. I'm not sure why I didn't expect that considering it's a giant part of the plot, but it threw me off. I think maybe because the progression of it just didn't feel... genuine? Like Stella went from I don't know, it felt almost like she was sexed out of major characteristics that define who she is as a person. I can't exactly put my fingers on why it felt that way other than that it just didn't feel in line with Stella as a character.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters, especially as we witnessed their growth throughout the story. The supporting characters were dynamic and funny, and I'm such a sucker for the "everyone knows they're in love with each other except the main characters" trope. Probably wouldn't reread, but I'm gonna try the Hoang's other works because I did enjoy her writing style.
Holy sex, Batman. I'm not sure why I didn't expect that considering it's a giant part of the plot, but it threw me off. I think maybe because the progression of it just didn't feel... genuine? Like Stella went from
Spoiler
hating it to going all in after just a couple nights.Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters, especially as we witnessed their growth throughout the story. The supporting characters were dynamic and funny, and I'm such a sucker for the "everyone knows they're in love with each other except the main characters" trope. Probably wouldn't reread, but I'm gonna try the Hoang's other works because I did enjoy her writing style.
DNF on page 67. 1 star to reflect that.
I didn't know going into this book that it was written by a Youtuber, so I didn't have really have any expectations to begin with (pls don't come for me, Daniel Howell stans). My biggest problem was that the author didn't seem to take it seriously, which, if I understand correctly, seems to be his trademarked style; again, I had neither seen nor heard of Dan Howell before picking up this book at random from the local library's shelves. The title appealed to me, and I'm a ho for a self-help book, but I think I learned my lesson here: please more books from psychologists and fewer from famous people with no credentials.
At some points, it also felt a bit self-indulgent and performative: "If I can get through x, y, and z, there's no excuse for you not to, either." It rarely accounts for extenuating circumstances and stations in life, and when it does, it seems to gloss over the large roles that social media, capitalism, and oppression of protected classes have contributed to continued deterioration in mental health. This may be addressed later in the novel, but I never made it there. Does Howell address how YouTube/social media impacts mental health and how he has benefitted from it?
My biggest qualm with the book is that self help books like this should have actionable advice, and this misses the mark. Although he does provide some solid advice (which tends to be the baseline you find most everywhere with mental health), other places were unclear and/or rephrased several times over without detailing how or why to implement the advice. The content seemed to vacillate between a memoir and surface-level mental health advice, and I think the author would have been better off focusing on it as a memoir instead.
Largely, I'd say this book is a decent introduction to basic concepts that you could find by Googling mental health, and it's presented in a conversational tone that is likely accessible to his intended audience (his social media followers ~<17), but it just didn't hit home for me.
I didn't know going into this book that it was written by a Youtuber, so I didn't have really have any expectations to begin with (pls don't come for me, Daniel Howell stans). My biggest problem was that the author didn't seem to take it seriously, which, if I understand correctly, seems to be his trademarked style; again, I had neither seen nor heard of Dan Howell before picking up this book at random from the local library's shelves. The title appealed to me, and I'm a ho for a self-help book, but I think I learned my lesson here: please more books from psychologists and fewer from famous people with no credentials.
At some points, it also felt a bit self-indulgent and performative: "If I can get through x, y, and z, there's no excuse for you not to, either." It rarely accounts for extenuating circumstances and stations in life, and when it does, it seems to gloss over the large roles that social media, capitalism, and oppression of protected classes have contributed to continued deterioration in mental health. This may be addressed later in the novel, but I never made it there. Does Howell address how YouTube/social media impacts mental health and how he has benefitted from it?
My biggest qualm with the book is that self help books like this should have actionable advice, and this misses the mark. Although he does provide some solid advice (which tends to be the baseline you find most everywhere with mental health), other places were unclear and/or rephrased several times over without detailing how or why to implement the advice. The content seemed to vacillate between a memoir and surface-level mental health advice, and I think the author would have been better off focusing on it as a memoir instead.
Largely, I'd say this book is a decent introduction to basic concepts that you could find by Googling mental health, and it's presented in a conversational tone that is likely accessible to his intended audience (his social media followers ~<17), but it just didn't hit home for me.
Of all of Hoang's books, I liked this one the best.
The previous two books in the series fell a little flat for me. I'm not sure why, but I just couldn't get into them. I hate to say that the characters felt a little two-dimensional, because they weren't, but they just weren't all that compelling to me as a reader.
Anna felt real, and that's likely because so much of her experience echoed Hoang's (as described in the author's note at the end). I felt her despair, her tenuous grasp on okay-ness that withered away each chapter. It was raw and real and painful to read, but it was compelling because Anna struggled like a real person does. She didn't find an easy answer to her depression; music wasn't a cure-all that fixed everything in a singular chapter. Nothing miraculously saved her, but she did put in the work to understand and advocate for herself.
I really enjoyed that this story wasn't entirely focused on the romance; it was just an added bonus, especially since we've seen Quan in both books earlier in the series. However, the one thing I didn't love is that Quan's story seemed to wrap up way too efficiently. I wanted to see him working through his setbacks, get in his head and figure out how but it seemed really predicated on his ability to help Anna through her personal struggles. Even the storyline with the business seemed really clear cut and easily wrapped up. Unfortunately, I think Quan was relegated to a side character despite that half the book was in his POV, which made me sad because I really liked him in previous books in the series.
Overall, a 3.5 star read, rounded up because I really enjoyed Anna in this story.
The previous two books in the series fell a little flat for me. I'm not sure why, but I just couldn't get into them. I hate to say that the characters felt a little two-dimensional, because they weren't, but they just weren't all that compelling to me as a reader.
Anna felt real, and that's likely because so much of her experience echoed Hoang's (as described in the author's note at the end). I felt her despair, her tenuous grasp on okay-ness that withered away each chapter. It was raw and real and painful to read, but it was compelling because Anna struggled like a real person does. She didn't find an easy answer to her depression; music wasn't a cure-all that fixed everything in a singular chapter.
Spoiler
She went to therapy; she fell into depression, over and over again, when she thought she was getting okay; and she actively worked to get better.I really enjoyed that this story wasn't entirely focused on the romance; it was just an added bonus, especially since we've seen Quan in both books earlier in the series. However, the one thing I didn't love is that Quan's story seemed to wrap up way too efficiently. I wanted to see him working through his setbacks, get in his head and figure out how
Spoiler
he overcame his negative self-image because of the surgery for his testicular cancerOverall, a 3.5 star read, rounded up because I really enjoyed Anna in this story.
“Words had always scared me. But once I felt free to read at my own speed, they became my friends.”
I can still remember when Mrs. Sprinkle, my second grade teacher, told me that it was okay that I read a bit slower. I loved to read, but I could never figure out why I struggled through Ds and Bs and had to reeeally concentrate on those letters, especially when reading aloud. It changed everything for me, and I still remember her encouragement today: "It doesn't matter how fast you go, as long as you don't stop trying."
A wonderful book reflecting on the author's journey with dyslexia and an important read for parents and children on persevering through the difficult path of reading with dyslexia. Especially pertinent in a society that values arbitrary measures of success in test scores and level of literary consumption. Will definitely be adding to my personal library!
I can still remember when Mrs. Sprinkle, my second grade teacher, told me that it was okay that I read a bit slower. I loved to read, but I could never figure out why I struggled through Ds and Bs and had to reeeally concentrate on those letters, especially when reading aloud. It changed everything for me, and I still remember her encouragement today: "It doesn't matter how fast you go, as long as you don't stop trying."
A wonderful book reflecting on the author's journey with dyslexia and an important read for parents and children on persevering through the difficult path of reading with dyslexia. Especially pertinent in a society that values arbitrary measures of success in test scores and level of literary consumption. Will definitely be adding to my personal library!