HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH

Author: Amy Fellner Dominy

Year: 2020

Genre: Y/A Contemporary Fiction

Rate: 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Mai Senn knows Anthony Adams is no good for her - no matter how hard she might crush on him. She’s valedictorian; he’s a surf bum. She’s got plans, he’s got his art. Complete opposites in every way. Vinegar and baking soda, they once joked. A chemical reaction that bubbled.

Yeah, they bubbled. Maybe still do.

Good thing Anthony’s got the perfect plan: two weeks to prove just how not good they are together. Whoever can come up with the worst date—something the other will seriously hate, proving how incompatible they truly are—wins.

Like taking a snake-phobe to the Reptile House at the zoo (his idea).

Or a cooking class where they don’t even get to eat the food (her idea).

It’s all about the competition, and it’s meant to help them finally crush their crushes. But it wasn’t supposed to be so hot. Or so fun. And when Mai’s future becomes at stake, will she be able to do the right thing and quit Anthony forever?”

How to quit your crush is my first book by the author, and as standalone, I didn’t have any trouble understanding the story even without reading the previous one.

The story is sweet and lovely, perfect for those afternoons when you are looking for some relaxing time. Although the beginning is too slow, there is too much dump info about how the romance starts. The three first chapters are mostly flashbacks, and I think it would be nicer if the reader would have the chance to live the experience with the characters, instant of being told. Also, the sense of time seems odd, when the characters talk about the time passed it feels like it was years ago when it was just days or weeks. However around 15% into the story the plot is unfolded, and everything starts making sense.

I liked the sensitives topic explored in this story, both main characters are struggling with fit in, in their own way. One of them after the death of a parent and the other is trying to belong to the family who adopted her.

The sense of growing and the message to be yourself despite being different from what everyone is expecting of you is well done developed especially at the end of the story.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this book is Anthony. He supposes to have a touch of rebel status, but for me, he’s just funny and adorable, He’s just trying to hide the idea of missing so much his dad. On the other hand, I’m on the fence with Mai, she’s so judgemental and it was hard to feel sympathy for her because of that.  Her arc is really flat through the story, not showing any sign of growing, thankfully almost at the end she has her moment of revindication.

Overall, the story is well written, with a strong plot and great concept.  Once I got hooked, it was impossible to put it down until I was done with the last page.

Give it a try and you’ll not regret it.

100% recommended

Note: I received an ARC from Entangled Publishing, LLC. Through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another Note: Image was taken from www.goodreads.com

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER

BY: Sarah Dessen

Year: 2004

Genre: YA, Contemporary Fiction.

Rate: 3,5 stars⭐⭐⭐✨

“Don’t be afraid, Be alive.”

This is my fourth attempt with the author’s works and the first book I get to finish it without DNF.

There is something appealing about the narrative and the writing in Sarah Dessen’s books. She writes with so much passion and emotion, and maybe that was the reason I kept trying. People are right, there is wonder in her books. Actually, I never had a problem, following the story, to admire the writing or the plot.  

However, no matter how beautiful the narrative is, sometimes it is too much of on and on with the same topic. In this particular book, I found myself lost in a conversation after reading three pages of one thought about one single idea. Also, there are some repetitions, at first, I thought it was part of a character’s attribute, but then it was all over the story.   For example, I don’t think to repeat ‘you know’ it works the way it should. It’s a little distracting a least for me.

Another thing I have trouble to understand are the characters, after fourth tries, I found that there is so much unexplored potential in the characters, they could have been great, and in my opinion, they didn’t reach the point of to be likeable, or to care about them. I get it, a character needs to have flaws to be real, and more important to show how it grows in the story. But I’ve always thought that a character needs to be strong, to communicate their changes, and I didn’t find any of those qualities, in any of the protagonists or other characters I’ve read so far in any of the writer’s books, the low self-esteem, the silent, is too much to handle. Except for Kristy, in this story, she’s the new friend, the loyal, the hopeful, the crazy, the honest, the romantic, the optimistic, the soul. She’s everything that it should be spread among the characters in any kind of story. And she’s one of the reasons I keep reading and why this book is good.

Also, there is one situation that in this book, it didn’t work for me. It’s true, life and the world aren’t perfect, but they are moments of perfection. For example, if I need to buy a dress and I find one in the first store I enter, in my size, and it fits greats, that is what I call a moment of perfection, and it will make me happy, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I get it organization and chaos need a balance, but if a person is happy with organization, let them be. The problem for what I see, it isn’t about to be or no to be perfect, to like or not to like chaos, the thing here is to be happy whatever the way a person wants to be, and not just the way a protagonist says it should be.  And even when there are hints about ‘it’s okay to be yourself’ in the story, I think there is still something missing.

Anyway, I’m happy that I insisted on the Author. I knew that eventually, I’d find one that I’ll enjoy it, and I did. But I don’t think she’s the kind of author for me, maybe I’ll try again, maybe not. Still, I’m grateful for the experience. It was worth it.

Best phrase:

“This felt right Not just leaving, but how I was doing it. Without regret, without second guessing. And with Wes right there, holding the door open for me as I walk out into the light.”

Note: Photo was taken from www.google.com