I read this book as a part of my #judgeabookbyitscover reading challenge. I go to the clearance section of my local book store and pick one out based entirely on the front cover. Unfortunately I liked the cover of the book more than the contents. The following is what I said on my blog about it.Sounds pretty good and it was kind of what I expected the book to be about by looking at the cover. Sadly I liked the cover of the book more than the contents.I really didn't connect with Harper. I found her annoying. If I can't connect with the main character I have a hard time with the story. Nick also annoying. Nick is older than Harper but just as immature.Another thing that I didn't care for was the fact that the author created dialogue for real life celebrities. I guess it may be a pet peeve for me but I'd almost prefer that the author name drop them and not give them a voice.I agree with most of the reviews that have been left on Goodreads. I recommend skipping this one. The story is a good story, if a little on the shallow side--there's a bit of pretentious music lover/hip girl vibe to it that I found grating. The protagonist, Harper, is a little bit too much of a Mary Sue. Her flaws are too easily forgivable; she is at times, a bit of a wet blanket, and her reactions are too predictable, and ultimately, her growth as a person feels a little too hipster, and a little too spoiled brat. Too many current bands and musicians name-checked throughout. But that's a problem throughout the book; it struggles to find real relevance or drama, and while I liked the characters and found it an easy, enjoyable read, it ultimately fell flat. The characters were dynamic, but shallow, one-dimensional, and too often never go beyond stereotypes. There was no real, honest conflict, no real drama, and all of Harper's growth through this adventure feels contrived, too mechanical, too juvenile.Other problems with the story were largely mechanical, largely continuity and revisions that should have been made, but weren't caught. The way that suddenly, toward the end of the book, the first person narrative, which has unfolded with a strictly linear flow, is broken by the narrator skipping ahead, saying, "Much later I heard it as..." She mentions Nick being vegetarian, but later, he eats a corn dog. Ultimately, though, the book felt disingenuous, much like the character, who is supposed to be a tough punk, NJ girl, and who always comes off a bit too poseur. As for the relationship story--half the problem with the entire arc of the book is that she feels far too naive and childish, like a teenager with her first crush. Overall, while I enjoyed the story, I found it awfully hard to believe.
Do You like book Falling Is Like This (2010)?
Yearned for me from this ending! Not too happy with it. This is the author's first book....
—najah
A very quick read - it was a bit unrealistic, but it was a good beach read.
—mish
