How It Ends by Catherine Lo Genre: YA Contemporary Publication Date: June 7, 2016 Format: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy off Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011H55HUO/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Summary from Amazon: There are two sides to every story. It’s friends-at-first-sight for Jessie and Annie, proving the old adage that opposites attract. Shy, anxious Jessie would give anything to have Annie’s beauty and confidence. And Annie thinks Jessie has the perfect life, with her close-knit family and killer grades. They're BFFs . . . until suddenly they're not. Told through alternating points of view, How It Ends is the story of a friendship from first meeting to breakup, set against a tumultuous sophomore year of bullying, boys, and backstabbing. Catherine Lo makes her debut with an honest, nuanced tale about the intricacies of female friendship. My thoughts: This book does contain strong language so be aware before you read it. I didn’t find it to be too much and it added just enough to the book.
At first I thought that the book was be a novel that would be on the more fluffy side, but no, it was not at all like that. It was the complete opposite of a light and fluffy read. I really felt bad for Jessie. I really connected with her because of her situations; being an introvert and not having many friends. I didn’t like Annie very much. Her character made me question how schools teach certain subjects. I mean, she managed to get knocked up because she decided not to use protection. How dumb do you have to be? I understand why Annie was mad at her stepmother; she did try to take over the family and it seemed to her like her father replaced her mother. But the problem I had with that was that Annie didn’t even give her stepmother a chance. Annie’s stepsister also tried to bond with Annie but she did rat Annie out at the end so I do get why there was tension there. The book is written in alternating points of view; starting off with Jessie and then going on to Annie’s point of view. It was very easy to see who was talking within the chapters. This book was written in a different way than other books that are similar in concept. Both girls had their own personal problems but I didn’t think that they were each very good friends to each other. Annie was a little back stabbing to Jessie; because the number 1 rule about friendship is supporting each other through it and Annie didn’t support her at all. The book deals with 2 very big issues relating to drugs, depression, friendship, and sex; some of which can be very controversial. I think many YA books nowadays are talking more about these issues but How It Ends outlines these topic in a new light. The book really captures the many layers of a friendship between 2 girls. With girls, the moods can easily change; sometimes almost instantly and who you thought you could trust turns into someone you cannot and sometimes, you can lose a lot of yourself in there.It really captured the essence of the typical high school life. The reader can really connect with at least one of the characters in the book. It has that emotional connection that you don’t usually feel in other books. The book itself isn’t that long but it starts off so fast paced and you’re just flipping pages to find out what happens next. It’s the perfect balance between boring and rushed. Catherine Lo did an amazing job with the writing of the book and I’m seriously surprised that this was her debut novel. I can’t wait to see what other books we will see from her in the future and can’t wait to read and review them as well. I loved how the cover looked like there were different layers to it. The masking tape seemed to pop off the page and the tear was integrated into the cover so well. Overall, I give the book a 7/10 (which rounds up to a 4/5 stars). The book is definitely a book aimed for more mature readers because it deals with more serious topics, such as teenage pregnancies and illegal drug usage. I recommend the book to people who liked Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park. Personally, I have not read Eleanor and Park yet but from what I’ve heard, both books are similar in certain aspects. This book is truly a touching story about a new friendship forming and then tragically getting torn apart. So have you read this book yet? Let me know what you thought about the review and if you have/will read the book. As always, you can find me on Twitter @BrookeEvans2001 and Instagram @thecozylittlebooknook where we can talk about anything and everything bookish :) ~Brooke
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About me!Brooke's a high schooler who loves to read all sorts of books. She's happy to be able to share all the books she's reading with all of y'all. Archives
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