isabelthearcher's reviews
167 reviews

This was so cute I loved it so much. I hate how I've stayed away from it for so long just because it was a graphic novel. The text, and the art style was so cute and relatable and I couldn't put this book down !! I need to read the sequel next, I'm desperate.

2nd Read: February 2021
2.5 stars
The bad aspects weight out the few things I enjoyed about this book

Pros:
Family dynamics and the development of growing up, not living with your family anymore - relatable issues. John Ambrose McClaren, yeah he was perfect and LJ treated him like trash and I want to give him a hug. She should have chosen him in the end. Stormy, what an iconic character, giving the best life advice and also being a bad b even in a nursing home. Sex and consent talk !!!! Yes !!!! So, so important to see in a YA fluffy romance, people need to be educated to talk about these things from a young age!

“All this? It’s a privilege to worship at this temple, do you understand my meaning? Not just any young fool can approach the throne. Remember my words, Lara Jean. You decide who, how far and how often, if ever.” - Stormy

Cons:
There was no plot.
I understand it's the second book in a series and the reveal that Peter and Lara Jean are together is super fun, blah blah blah. However, if you want me to read a 300+ page book and the only points are that

Spoiler

‘Daddy’ is finding a date, Gen has a ‘big secret’ and McClaren is back in town…. Oh and the Belleview USO party or something

- I NEED MORE!!!

The constant Gen babbling in Lara Jean’s head.
I fully understand the point that Gen has in the story, an ex-best friend and girlfriend. An antagonist to Peter and LJ’s relationship, comparing yourself to other people - relatable issues for a teen relationship I get it. However she is so two-dimensional and Lara Jean has to think about her every five seconds. LJ might as well be in love with Gen for all this talk, and honestly this book makes me want to puke at another sight of a straight relationship. Gen’s secret is revealed to be that

Spoiler

her Dad is cheating with a younger girl and she’s still mad at Lara Jean for kissing Peter in like seventh grade or something??? Ok fine but being mad for what five years? Having family issues sucks but is that it?

There’s nothing else to Gen’s character or personality or just anything?? Yeah Gen deserves better characterisation if I’m honest. FINALLY at the end of the book Lara Jean says something about it was her fault for constantly bringing up Gen and I’m like gurl I’ve been in your head for 600 pages, tell me something I don’t know.
“It’s only then that I realise: Peter wasn’t the one who needed to get over Genevieve. It was me. All this time with Peter, I’ve been comparing myself to her, all the ways I don’t measure up. All the ways our relationship pales next to theirs. I’m the one who couldn’t let her go. I’m the one who didn’t give us a chance.”

Referring to the past, all the time.
Lara Jean is always reminiscing about her past to the point where it seems the author has given her such little backstory that this one summer where they had their first ‘boy / girl’ party has influenced the rest of her life. Most of the major plot points literally come from this random game of spin the bottle:

Spoiler

McClaren started to like LJ, Gen saw Peter and LJ kissing, it was actually Peter’s first kiss because he made a lie about his first, it was also LJ’s first kiss, Gen’s awfully jealous personality.

In my personal life, I don’t bring up an event that happened five years ago every five seconds with people around me and in my head. It’s so childish in a way? I’m not sure how to describe it as just annoying.

Weird off-putting themes of ‘feminism’
From the start of the book when LJ approaches Peter to give him the letter, he alludes it’s her fault as he was waiting for her to call him because “It’s called playing hard to get.” There is also lots of possessive behaviour exhibited from Peter, especially when LJ’s around other guys. I do think that line is dangerous from abusive to aww he’s jealous and YA author’s need to be careful of the influence that a fictional romance can have. Furthermore Stormy is also sprouting advice and warning to LJ and anytime Stormy says something about womanhood Lara Jean’s like ‘oMg I dIdN’T rEaLiSe YoU wErE a FeMiNiSt!’ It infuriates me so much, like shut up I’m sorry. By respecting your own body you don’t need to label it with ‘i’M a FeMiNiSt” obviously there are different sides of opinions of feminism. But this book takes feminism as anything to do with being an individual woman, and this really puts me off the book. Maybe I’m taking too critical of an eye to this book, however it did leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Cringe Factor.
It’s a 2015 read, I should expect it from a fluffy romance contemporary. But even with the first book, I didn’t curl up in a ball from embarrassment that much. Just so many things of this book were just like ahbsbhadhgdsa no.
“He’s jealous! The very thought of it warms me up like hot soup.”

“‘What are you doing?’ I whisper.
‘Building the anticipation.’
Quickly I say, ‘Let’s just kiss.’”

And the LAST LINE of the book was:
“And then I’m in his arms and we’re hugging and kissing, and we’re both shaking, because we both know - this is the night we become real.”
More like in a real-good relationship, because they don’t do ‘it’.

1st Read: September - October 2019
3 Stars
I enjoyed this book as a cute contemporary romance. After just reading Eleanor and Park, I got rather bored at the end because of the lack of chemistry between Lara Jean, Gen, Peter and John. I thought the end wrapped up waaayyyy to fast and everyone doubted LJ just because she felt unsure. A bit of a disappointing book. Overall, fun to read, but nothing literary spectacular about it either.

"I didn't believe it was possible to hide a woman's beauty. I thought women were gorgeous no matter what they wore, and I didn't think they owe anyone an explanation for their sartorial choices. Different women felt comfortable in different outfits. They were all beautiful"

This was such a stunning book. It really expressed some of the main issues we have in society whilst also having such a supportive and wholesome romance that has given me such a hangover from book romances haha!

"It was my hair and it was my face and it was my body and it was my fucking business what I wanted to do with it."

I absolutely ADORED Shirin. She was such a strong and independent woman introduced to us. However, throughout the book we delved into her layers and realised that it was mostly a facade she had put on. This broke my heart and it just made me feel so sorry for her.
Breakdancing was such a cool aspect to put into the story, so I would never be bored with just following the relationships throughout.

"Just try to be happy," Jacobi finally said to me. "Your happiness is the one thing these assholes can't stand."

Even though this book was fiction, I think a lot of people should read it and find facts about our problems with our society, because it is a huge issue! Shirin, is one of many children and adults who experience this day to day. Being a white female, I know I might come across sexism, but nothing to the multitude that these characters and real people experience.
This book was raw and it needs to be heard.

This was an excellent read, full of gut wrenching descriptions, emotions and love. It’s a story about self acceptance, identity, family, home, abuse and much more. It’s a book in verse, of which I’m finding much more novels that I love in this format. It helps to remind me how little words some books need on a page to get across the message.

I loved the premise of this book, focusing on the relationship between losing good memories but keeping bad ones. There were only a few characters, but we got to know them so well, but also I still have so many questions hanging.

The ending was succinct and worked well with the story. It left me satisfied seeing the progress that Allison had in coming to terms with the abuse that she received as a young child. It’s a great story for anyone to read, I would highly recommend it. I’m also going to pick up some of Sarah Crossan’s other works like Moonrise very soon.

“I suppose when it’s too painful to stay,
that is when we leave.

Because it isn’t true that love hurts.
It doesn’t always.

Love doesn’t always have to hurt.”

*4.5 stars

Angie Thomas is an excellent author as this book was a testament to her ability to immerse yourself in a world completely different to yours.
The character arcs were stunning, with some characters getting more development than I’d really ever seen. The plot was there however mainly driven by the character arcs. The balance worked really well and I loved the first person perspective of Maverick.
Seeing characters from the Hate you Give was bittersweet but also heartwarming to see their childhoods and such.
Furthermore the police brutality, the strong themes, and lgbtq+ representation made this book really strong and mean something. The gangs and their dynamic and also what it’s like to be an african american with the justice system. An excellent book and it makes me want to reread THUG :)

Overall this was a solid 3 stars. The plot was relatively fast paced, the characters were bearable and there was some good imagery that I enjoyed reading. Even with watching the movie beforehand, I found Cam and Daniel to be quite dry. It reminded me of Twilight, there was a lot of angst and that was fun to read about. However it falls short of Twilight because there was no sexual or romantic chemistry until the very end when it felt rushed and weird.

Part of this is due to Luce’s narration, I found her ok. She tends to wring a cloth dry when explaining and describing things. I think a lot of her rambling could have been cut out. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy her as a character, I just think she isn’t very well fleshed out and so I can’t relate with her even through fiction.

I would have definitely enjoyed this book probably more when I was younger, as the language and themes tend to be quite simple. I did also like how Christian mythology of angels was used in the plot line. However this book was just missing things. I cannot put a name on what exactly those things are, but they have a profound effect on my enjoyment of the novel. I won’t read the next books in the series because I would start to hate read and there’s no point in that.

Personally… Maybe just because I’m in Team Jacob, I was also a Team Cam in this book. Daniel Grigori treated Luce like a pile of dogshit until the very end when she had revealed everything about him. Which, may I say, is enormously obvious to the reader by the Prologue and hints dropped throughout the text. Luce is so clueless, which could be fun to read about, however it’s to too much of an extent when I started questioning whether Luce even had a brain to begin with.

2nd Read: June 2021
5 Stars
This was an extraordinary book. Once you get over not having any speech marks you can really get into it. The characters are so well fleshed out and the descriptions of emotions are unlike any other book. You get inside of Marianne and Connell’s heads so deeply to the point that you can understand their reactions. I was gutted every time there was miscommunication or someone felt upset. I felt as though I was with these characters even in the really intimate moments. This book was amazing and I want everyone to read it. And if you didn’t like it the first time, please, please try again - I’m living proof!

1st Read: November-December 2020
3 Stars
Shame to say that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. However I think that’s due to how little attention I payed to the book and the sporadic times I would read it. Also I picked up the book having watched the TV show, which is incredible. I loved the atmosphere and all the different places in the show and that didn’t come across in the book. Normal people is heavily character driven which I think with no expectations I would have enjoyed. Sadly my preconceived notions was the downfall of this book.

can jace be real plz

This was such a touching story. The whole way in which this was written was extraordinary, I loved the way that everything was linked and Eddie was such a likeable character. The whole feeling of time in this story makes a lifetime seem short yet really long. It gives you so many feelings and also a very interesting point of view on heaven and where you go after you die. For me this was a 5 stars, I could read it in one sitting which meant for a short enjoyable read and I knew what was going on all the time. Without reading it all together it might have been quite hard to get into the story, for the storyline is very intricately linked. This was an incredible novel, I would really recommend.