Remember a month or so ago, when I told you all about the treasure trove of unused reviews I had found tucked away into the nooks and crannies of my Drafts folder? Well, they weren't exactly the end of the stack... in fact, far from it!
So, I grouped together a few of those drafts that just so happened to follow a common theme: love stories. Sure, I've only gotten into romance novels recently, but I've had my past with cutesy contemporary YA and NA happily ever afters, too! While they certainly aren't the kinds of things I'd feel prompted to pick up nowadays, it feels a shame to leave them languishing in the dark of Drafts... so, I've decided to share some of them with you.
And besides, it doesn't look like the bad weather is letting up around Washington anytime soon. Might as well find something sunshiny to keep you optimistic while the world around you is thawing!
Leah on the Offbeat, Becky Albertalli
I'm a fan of Albertalli's other books, but unfortunately, I came away fairly underwhelmed. The excitement I had over revisiting Leah as a character was dashed a little bit by the fact that she is incredibly cynical, sarcastic, and angsty, which is not always a great character frame to inhabit as a firsthand narrator. It was hard to get invested in some of her troubles, especially those between her and her mom, when it felt like her attitude went a large ways in causing them. While I did appreciate some of her attributes, like her fierce protection of her friends, her enthusiasm for drumming and art, and the relatable relationship she had with her weight (curvy main characters, represent!), they were often washed away by her constant snarking and pessimism.
Honestly, my favorite parts of the novel as a whole were often the ones that featured - shocker! - Simon and Bram.
Now Me: Unfortunately, the more I think of this secondary installment for the Creekwood fan base, the more disappointment I feel at its outcome. I liked Albertalli's other YA foray, The Upside of Unrequited, a lot more, and it had a curvy main character as well. I'd probably opt to reread that selection, rather than this one.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Maurene Goo
An unexpected and fun YA contemporary romance with plenty of hijinks and hilarity to stretch the bounds of what your average high school experience looks like, without sacrificing any of the awkward charm. Cheerfully steering clear of the typical high school stereotypes, by swapping out the teen rom-com rulebook for one of her own, Goo creates a unique cast of characters unlike any you've ever met before... outside of a K-Drama, that is. While I don't think I knew anyone in high school quite as high-achieving as Desi Lee before, I think I probably would have liked her: she reminded me of Sarah Strohmeyer's whip-smart heroines from Smart Girls Get What They Want.
Now Me: Everything about this book - from the doodles on the cover, to our quirky main character - were absolutely cute and fun. Goo has another popular YA book out, and another one arriving this summer... maybe it would be fun to take a step back into the mindset of a romantic high schooler again?
Public Relations, Katie Heaney
This book was a fun, quick read, that ultimately resembled bad fan fiction a little too strongly for me to fully engage with the plot.
The attempts at obscuring the inspiration for Archie Fox, the love interest, were almost comically half-hearted, and it kind of made the whole thing come off as a Tumblr "imagine" rather than a fully edited and published novel. That, coupled with a less-than-inspirational heroine, and an unconvincing romantic buildup, rendered the entire thing more suitable for YA shelves than NA. If I was looking for a good celebrity-and-normal-person romance, I'd probably reread something like Meg Cabot's Teen Idol instead.
Also, this book will absolutely not age well. From frequent mentions of real-life celebrities, to strong social media reliance, to the amount of times the food-ordering service Seamless was mentioned, this book will have exhausted any of its cultural collateral within five years.
Now Me: Same with Leah on the Offbeat, my opinions of this book have only gotten stronger with time. The litany of narrative issues, coupled with inconstant stereotyping, and the poorly obscured real-life source material, make this one more closely resemble something you'd find on Tumblr than in the real world.
What kinds of past reads have you been thinking about lately? Got anything buried in your Drafts folder? Let me know, in the comments below!
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