I have mixed feelings about this book. There were definitely good things that I liked about it, but I have some complaints as well.
First, the good. I think this storyline is needed in the world today, showing that social media and teenage parties can have long-lasting consequences. That something that seems innocent in the moment can actually be very serious. I also thought the characters were mostly likable, including the three main perspectives, Nina, Tom, and Lyla. It was a quick read that kept me engaged throughout, and there were some twists along the way that did surprise me.
However, I feel like the author wanted to make a point about too many topics, social media, materialism, privilege, racism, suicide, drinking, marriage/divorce, morals. This made the storyline somewhat disjointed, and I think if it would have been slimmed down a little to a few issues, specifically the main ones of social media and these privileged kids, it would have been a more enjoyable story. Specifically I wish the Kirk and Nina storyline had been left out completely, because I feel like the audience this book should be for is teenagers, to see that actions have consequences, and yet that storyline makes a more adult book. So I'm really not sure what audience this book was aimed at, because I feel like adults are less likely to connect with the social media/teenage drinking storyline, but teenagers won't really connect with Nina and Kirk's storyline.
I also felt like most of the characters, especially side characters, were kind of cliche. No one is that one-dimensional, and I especially felt this way about Kirk's character. It never showed his side of the story, and Kirk was always portrayed as a shallow rich guy that no one truly liked. I feel like exploring more of his personality and his good side, even if his general persona was the same, would just have given more depth to the story. Kirk is the main one that had this cliche problem, but I even feel that Tom's anger, Lyla's teenage dialogue, Beau and Finch's actions, Beatriz's party-girl attitude, and all of Nina's friends were cliche as well. Nina is the only character who felt really realistic throughout the whole thing.
My last complaint is that I didn't really like the ending. I think because the author was trying to cram so many "big issues" into this book, she went one way with the storyline that made less sense than where it looked like she was going with it. As a result the actual ending fit more into a cliche characterization of one character in particular, when another direction with the story, where we thought it was going for most of the book, actually made more sense. This is vague, but I'm trying to describe it in a way that isn't spoilers.
And one other small thing, not exactly a complaint about the story, just an observation, is that this book will become dated very quickly. It talks about Snapchat, Uber, Trump, Luke Bryan, and other things that no one will relate to in 10 years.
This was not a bad book in any way. Just average to me. The storyline was good and as I said before, very relevant and needed in today's world of social media. But there were a few problems that brought my rating down, although the characters and writing style were good enough that I'd still be interested in this author's books again.
First, the good. I think this storyline is needed in the world today, showing that social media and teenage parties can have long-lasting consequences. That something that seems innocent in the moment can actually be very serious. I also thought the characters were mostly likable, including the three main perspectives, Nina, Tom, and Lyla. It was a quick read that kept me engaged throughout, and there were some twists along the way that did surprise me.
However, I feel like the author wanted to make a point about too many topics, social media, materialism, privilege, racism, suicide, drinking, marriage/divorce, morals. This made the storyline somewhat disjointed, and I think if it would have been slimmed down a little to a few issues, specifically the main ones of social media and these privileged kids, it would have been a more enjoyable story. Specifically I wish the Kirk and Nina storyline had been left out completely, because I feel like the audience this book should be for is teenagers, to see that actions have consequences, and yet that storyline makes a more adult book. So I'm really not sure what audience this book was aimed at, because I feel like adults are less likely to connect with the social media/teenage drinking storyline, but teenagers won't really connect with Nina and Kirk's storyline.
I also felt like most of the characters, especially side characters, were kind of cliche. No one is that one-dimensional, and I especially felt this way about Kirk's character. It never showed his side of the story, and Kirk was always portrayed as a shallow rich guy that no one truly liked. I feel like exploring more of his personality and his good side, even if his general persona was the same, would just have given more depth to the story. Kirk is the main one that had this cliche problem, but I even feel that Tom's anger, Lyla's teenage dialogue, Beau and Finch's actions, Beatriz's party-girl attitude, and all of Nina's friends were cliche as well. Nina is the only character who felt really realistic throughout the whole thing.
My last complaint is that I didn't really like the ending. I think because the author was trying to cram so many "big issues" into this book, she went one way with the storyline that made less sense than where it looked like she was going with it. As a result the actual ending fit more into a cliche characterization of one character in particular, when another direction with the story, where we thought it was going for most of the book, actually made more sense. This is vague, but I'm trying to describe it in a way that isn't spoilers.
And one other small thing, not exactly a complaint about the story, just an observation, is that this book will become dated very quickly. It talks about Snapchat, Uber, Trump, Luke Bryan, and other things that no one will relate to in 10 years.
This was not a bad book in any way. Just average to me. The storyline was good and as I said before, very relevant and needed in today's world of social media. But there were a few problems that brought my rating down, although the characters and writing style were good enough that I'd still be interested in this author's books again.