I won this book as an uncorrected ARC in a giveaway.
I really had fun reading this book! It is similar in themes to To All The Boys I've Loved Before, which I also super enjoyed. It's the classic hate to love story and is lighthearted and easy. The writing style is engaging and simple, making it a quick read.
I liked each of the characters as well, which doesn't always happen. It took me a long time to decide which guy I was rooting for, so I don't think I could have been disappointed either way (the end was what I was rooting for, so yay!). Aubrey is a typical high-school girl: not in the "in" crowd, but content with where she is. She has her solid best friend who is almost unbelievably perfect; it's nice when she has some flaws pop up. Holland is a fun and carefree "other," and Webster is a great counter to each of those.
The biggest "struggle" I had was the Bayes' theorem lectures. I didn't understand those sections, didn't enjoy those sections, so skimmed those sections. And I didn't miss much from not paying that part any mind. I understand that that is what fully drives the plot onward, so that's why it's important, but you don't have to understand all that Aubrey does to understand the reaction of her actions.
I also want to mention that this is marketed as a Young Adult fiction, and I disagreed with that. I think YA generally points to teenagers, high schoolers, mainly, and that makes sense to a certain extent. This is written about high schoolers, but the content is much more mature than a high schooler. This is what bumped the book to a four star rating instead of a five. I enjoyed it enough to give it five stars, but I wouldn't want any high schooler reading this book. There is a lot of underage drinking and sexual behavior, written explicitly.
I also think Aubrey, as a character, isn't one whom high schoolers should be modeling themselves after. She is very negative and cynical and never truly grows from that. It would have been nice to seem some change, or even building a relationship of sorts with a guidance counselor, especially as she's considering schools and dealing with a messy home life. Because this is directed at teenagers, it's important to show that Aubrey is finding help she needs from mature sources. Never does she get that from a parent, a teacher, or any kind of adult. It's important to show high schoolers who they can turn to when they have relationship issues, family life issues, and any other kind of issues. I wish we would have gotten that from this book.
I'd love to see Netflix make this a movie! Can't wait for it to be published in March!
