Scan barcode
rocknrollbibliophile's reviews
202 reviews
Just Friends by Saxon James
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist by Sophie Gonzales
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.75
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for a review.
I love fan fiction.
I love the unrealistic nonsense that can happen in fan fiction.
I love the way people can conjure up such ridiculous scenarios.
This book really made me think about all the fan fiction I've read, and what kind of hilarity and mayhem would ensue if one were to play out in real life.
The way Ivy slowly realises that sometimes what you write about doesn't translate too well to reality is very funny. I feel like I could just tell how exasperated she was, inadvertently with herself, and the secondhand embarrassment from her imagined scenarios playing out in real life, in front of witnesses.
So many elements in this book about what it's like to be such a passionate fan were very real for me. I remember my first convention, and the excitement around the whole experience. I remember bonding with like minded people for the first time, and the unbreakable connections and relationships that evolved because of that shared interest. I remember that feeling of real acceptance for the first time, no judgement, just pure acceptance.
On the other side, I also remember my first friendship ending because she moved on while I didn't. Unlike Ivy and Mack, we've never made up.
I am always so impressed with Sophie's writing, but particularly when the relationship is so fragile. I love that Ivy and Mack made up in such a way that showed they both still really cared for each other, even after falling out. I really enjoyed the teenage self discovery in this book and the dual timeline flickering between past and present so the reader gets an even deeper look at how when you're a teenager everything is a big deal, and nobody is coping well with it.
For me, being so embedded in fan culture, the relationship kind of took a back seat. I loved how they developed their relationship, but I definitely related more to being a head over heels fan of something, and how it consumes your whole life.
My favourite quote has got to be, "I want him to know I'm one of his rational, loyal, thoughtful fans, not an obsessive, impulsive, fame-hungry one." because, as I regularly say to one of my favourite musicians, every time we meet "I'm not a creepy stalker, I'm a regular stalker" so that one sentence in particular had me laughing ridiculously to myself on the bus.
I really am not a creepy stalker, we just happen to share quite a lot of mutual friends. I like to reiterate the point so that he really knows for sure, haha.