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iveydocx's reviews
96 reviews
If you're going to write commentary on how privileged prep school kids are, maybe try not bashing your readers over the head with it. I get it's YA and I'm no longer 14. But even at 14 I think I would've been able to figure it out.
Also, slut-shaming, victim-shaming, NoT LiKe OtHeR gIrLs galore. Nell is unlikeable, which is fine, but she didn't earn her "redemption". Which sucks because she could have been SUCH a compelling character. I'm a sucker for deeply flawed characters. But not someone like Nell who literally has no redeeming quality about her. Jackson also sucked. He was supposed to be loveable????? I must have missed that.
But what do I know. I guess I'm just like other girls.
Anyway. Reading this book was like watching a train wreck. Was this review all over the place? Sorry. So was this book.
Also, slut-shaming, victim-shaming, NoT LiKe OtHeR gIrLs galore. Nell is unlikeable, which is fine, but she didn't earn her "redemption". Which sucks because she could have been SUCH a compelling character. I'm a sucker for deeply flawed characters. But not someone like Nell who literally has no redeeming quality about her. Jackson also sucked. He was supposed to be loveable????? I must have missed that.
But what do I know. I guess I'm just like other girls.
Anyway. Reading this book was like watching a train wreck. Was this review all over the place? Sorry. So was this book.
Fans of Sarah Dessan will enjoy this book. There's nothing inherently problematic about it; it's contemporary YA and a nice light romance for those who are looking for it. Nothing stood out to me, including the characters and the plot. A solid 3/5 for me.
I loved everything about this book. There are very few historical fiction stories I've enjoyed. McQueen distills our history into a compelling tale about two kids who want to be just kids while the world defines them otherwise.
3.5/5 stars. A fresh take on YA Mystery that combines our classic tropes. I knocked off a star because the characters were pretty flat to me in terms of personality and quirks--something that really stood out because the four MCs are all narrators but they sound the same. It wasn't as plot twisty as I hoped it would be. Overall a decent read that gets the job done, but probably not something I'd reread.
Oh my God, okay. I read this in one day and I love it so much. I've been craving an authentic, unapologetic YA book and this hits the mark. The writing isn't flowery or anything but personally I really like that. This is also casually diverse without being token diverse, which I love, and this definitely feels very "slice of life" edging on "literary." A great comp title for the general vibe of this book is "The Half Of It."
I just. Man. I'm floored. I think I'll need to do a full review of this, because I loved this book.
I just. Man. I'm floored. I think I'll need to do a full review of this, because I loved this book.
I received a copy of the eARC of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For fans of RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE comes BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, a boyxboy rom com that takes a delightful spin on classically heteronormative tropes of fake dating and sort-of-enemies-to-lovers. Unashamed queer characters and a lively sense of humor really pushed this book into the "would read again" territory for me.
This is my first taste of Hall's writing, and it didn't disappoint! Luc is the first person narrator, and I found his voice to be compelling, witty, self-deprecating, and reflective of millennial humor. I particularly loved Luc & Oliver's text messages: they sounded authentic and I almost wish there had been more of their text messaging exchanges. I loved that Hall didn't shy away from romance tropes. Queer people deserve to indulge in tropes, too.
I LOVED Luc's character. He was so insecure and deeply flawed and impulsive in ways that I could absolutely relate. I do think Hall could've done more with the emotional depth explored between each of the characters as moments of tension due to interpersonal relations are resolved rather quickly and glossed over, hence why I'm giving this book four stars instead of five. Overall, this is a great addition to LGBTQ+ romancecs and sure to be a hit.
Some other (disorganized) notes:
- The one critique I'd have is that Luc's voice didn't quite fit in with the adult rom com shelf for me. It teetered closer to NA and maybe even older YA. However, I still adore Luc and it's really refreshing to hear a first-person rom com rather than the typical third.
- I prefer non-explicit sex scenes (RWWB is the most explicit I'll typically feel comfortable with) so I didn't have a problem that BM glossed over the sexy details. However, if you're looking for steamy sex scenes, you won't find that here.
- If you're "conservative" aka not someone who indulges in "socially woke Twitter" or whatever, you probably won't like this book. Which is fine. There's some dialogue relating to being "woke" that some people find off-putting, the same people who found RWWB's progressive elements off-putting. This book may not be for you.
Over all, I loved BM as an escapist fiction I could indulge in despite the chaotic current events around me. I look forward to purchasing a copy once the title is released.
For fans of RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE comes BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, a boyxboy rom com that takes a delightful spin on classically heteronormative tropes of fake dating and sort-of-enemies-to-lovers. Unashamed queer characters and a lively sense of humor really pushed this book into the "would read again" territory for me.
This is my first taste of Hall's writing, and it didn't disappoint! Luc is the first person narrator, and I found his voice to be compelling, witty, self-deprecating, and reflective of millennial humor. I particularly loved Luc & Oliver's text messages: they sounded authentic and I almost wish there had been more of their text messaging exchanges. I loved that Hall didn't shy away from romance tropes. Queer people deserve to indulge in tropes, too.
I LOVED Luc's character. He was so insecure and deeply flawed and impulsive in ways that I could absolutely relate. I do think Hall could've done more with the emotional depth explored between each of the characters as moments of tension due to interpersonal relations are resolved rather quickly and glossed over, hence why I'm giving this book four stars instead of five. Overall, this is a great addition to LGBTQ+ romancecs and sure to be a hit.
Some other (disorganized) notes:
- The one critique I'd have is that Luc's voice didn't quite fit in with the adult rom com shelf for me. It teetered closer to NA and maybe even older YA. However, I still adore Luc and it's really refreshing to hear a first-person rom com rather than the typical third.
- I prefer non-explicit sex scenes (RWWB is the most explicit I'll typically feel comfortable with) so I didn't have a problem that BM glossed over the sexy details. However, if you're looking for steamy sex scenes, you won't find that here.
- If you're "conservative" aka not someone who indulges in "socially woke Twitter" or whatever, you probably won't like this book. Which is fine. There's some dialogue relating to being "woke" that some people find off-putting, the same people who found RWWB's progressive elements off-putting. This book may not be for you.
Over all, I loved BM as an escapist fiction I could indulge in despite the chaotic current events around me. I look forward to purchasing a copy once the title is released.
not a huge romance reader but this was cute! I've been historically turned off by the romance genre because of the whole glorification of toxic relationships that stigmatizes the genre, but wholesome relationships with mutual respect and communication?????? I can get on board with that.
Nothing "stood out" to me wildly aside from the fact that: 1. the FMC, Chloe Brown, is Black, and 2. the FMC, Chloe Brown, has a chronic illness. The romance genre IMO is severely lacking in diversity, but "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" is among some of the pioneers in diversifying the romance market. Honestly, I was less attached to Red than I was to Chloe. Red's "dimension" didn't feel quite earned in a sense that it was told to the readers to explain why he reacted a certain way. I would've much preferred to see it unfold before my eyes, like it does for Chloe.
Generally I'd rate a book like this 3.5/5, but that's likely because I'm not a huge romance genre fan, so I'm willing to bump it up to a 4/5 to be fair. Because if I think about it, if I really loved the romance genre, I'd probably adore this book more than as someone who doesn't love romance that much. Overall, it was a quick, easy read and I appreciate it. I'll still be reading on in the series.
Nothing "stood out" to me wildly aside from the fact that: 1. the FMC, Chloe Brown, is Black, and 2. the FMC, Chloe Brown, has a chronic illness. The romance genre IMO is severely lacking in diversity, but "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" is among some of the pioneers in diversifying the romance market. Honestly, I was less attached to Red than I was to Chloe. Red's "dimension" didn't feel quite earned in a sense that it was told to the readers to explain why he reacted a certain way. I would've much preferred to see it unfold before my eyes, like it does for Chloe.
Generally I'd rate a book like this 3.5/5, but that's likely because I'm not a huge romance genre fan, so I'm willing to bump it up to a 4/5 to be fair. Because if I think about it, if I really loved the romance genre, I'd probably adore this book more than as someone who doesn't love romance that much. Overall, it was a quick, easy read and I appreciate it. I'll still be reading on in the series.