reaofsunshine28's reviews
27 reviews

If you’re looking for a romance story, this ain’t it. Put the book down and find something fluffy. If you’re looking for something tragically real, this IS it. This story isn’t meant to make you swoon or root for them. You are a bystander like Wavy’s teachers or her cousins or one of the misfits that run in her parents’ crowd. You know something is up. You don’t know if you should say something because at least someone is looking out for that little girl, right? At least someone loves Wavonna. As complicated and at times inappropriate as it may be. You could say this is Lolita set in a Midwest meth backdrop, but Kellen isn’t the perverted Humbert. He does genuinely care for Wavy, and he is troubled by his own conflicting feelings for her too. They both know what they have isn’t conventional or proper or legal. But it’s theirs. And they both spent a whole lifetime of uncertainty, of not having anything. If you lived in a similar location in which this book is set, you may know your own personal Wavy and Kellen. This book lives up to its title; ugly and beautiful all at once.

What can be said about this book that hasn’t already been said by countless others? If you like old Hollywood in any form, read this. If you like rooting for the anti hero, read this. If you like second chance romance, read this. Evelyn Hugo is one of the world’s biggest stars in both this fictional verse and the real world. Celia St. James is flawed and from your dreams. Harry Cameron deserved the world. And Monique Grant is just as stunning of an author as Taylor Jenkins Reid herself.

Couldn’t finish it. Wanted to, but couldn’t. I’m giving two stars because the premise was promising, and the overall mystery was solid but this book was *so dumb.* So glad I paid less than ten dollars for this book, but it was barely worth that. Spoiled it for myself but what the hell was that ending? It could’ve been a clever callback to Anne’s breakdown with her bullies if the writing was good, but alas. Every strong suit this book has is tackled by the mediocre writing style, the amateur angles that no wonder Marco is a stupid criminal and how everyone else is a one dimensional dummy. You want to feel bad for Anne but there’s nothing unique about her. Skip this book if you see it on the shelf.

I would say this book lives up to the hype. McQuiston has that magic touch; they know how to reel you in, what tropes to use, craft the perfect lines (“I love him on purpose,” and “America, he is my choice” are rather iconic), etcetera. Is it cliche? Yes. Is it a little laughable how unlikely a situation like this would go down in real life? Also yes. But it is nice to have hope, especially as a queer reader, that someday something like this *could* happen. Admittedly, I finally broke down and read this because I heard the movie was coming out but now after finishing the book, I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead due to a lot of the differences that were made for the silver screen. It’s understandable how this book propelled McQuiston as a household name.

Oh, what to say about this book. To say this book made me believe in love again would be hyperbole but it’s the only way I can sum up how I feel about it. I was doubtful of how masterful Casey McQuiston’s writing was after reading Red, White & Royal Blue but this book converted me. I get the hype now. Jane and August being queer icons of their generations, colliding, becoming different people, realizing the people they could be all along, together, is unreal. I know I’ll never meet a sexy 70’s butch on an electrically cursed train but god, do I want to now. If you are queer and have community, you will recognize the side characters; they are so relatable and fun and real. If you are queer without community, this book provides you hope that you eventually will. The romance is fun, intriguing, mysterious, and the storyline is a headscratcher until it’s a heartbreaker that heals you by the end. It’s wonderful. It’s everything.

This book is so much more than a love story. Surface level, if that’s what you desire, you will be satisfied. But if you’re brave like Ari to dive in and take the plunge, you’ll get to understand the nuances of generational trauma, how it affects every family member and it’s painful ripple effects. You will understand how men are socialized/raised to hold their emotions in a certain way, how surprising it is when they are as bold and honest as Dante & the Quintana family. And you will want to hold every main character in this book (even Legs!) and cry with them and promise them it’s okay.

Oh, what a book. I could go on about how beautifully, relatably damaged Shane and Eva are, how witty and on brand Audre is for a child of her generation, how this book immerses itself perfectly between modern pop culture and the culture of the past (just like Eva and Shane do with their writing), but now, that would spoil it for the rest of you! Read this book. There are some sensitive topics, but they are *real.* Shane and Eva are real. Yes, there is a myriad of cliches strewn across this painful, wonderful, funny, bittersweet second chance romance, but come on. Every good story has cliches.

Now, where’s the movie adaption with Quinta Brunson and Lakeith Stanfield?

I only finished this book because it was like a rollercoaster and *not* in a good way. You’re strapped in and can’t get off til you’re freed. Alex Volkov is like Edward Cullen & Christian Grey were one guy, fused together or whatever. Ava is tolerable and fine, but the writing does not do her justice. Skip it. I don’t know how this author made a whole entire series with *four* books; you can’t just slap tropes on a wall, string them together like a murder board, throw in some explicit scenes and call it a book. Also, my AO3 private bookmarks are *actual* freaky sex. God, straight people are exhausting.

While not a bad book, it isn’t necessarily what I would call good either. I personally prefer my mysteries fast paced, and this one dragged. On. Miserably. Without spoiling it, all the ‘big reveals’ weren’t all that big. I wouldn’t call it predictable but it wasn’t surprising either. If there was a more professional word for ‘mid’, I would apply it here. I can see why someone would enjoy this book but it was a grueling process for me to finish. Also, for any American readers, you’ll have to use some brainpower or Google to translate some of the Brit slang. Not exactly winning me over with Ruth Ware for this book, but who knows?