This is a non-typical YA(?) romance book. I write the "?" because even though the characters are 18 and the storyline is compatible with the YA genre, there are descriptive sex scenes from the MMC’s (male main character's) point of view that made me think of the characters more as 20- or 21-year-olds, and I also feel like the target audience is probably closer to people in their early 20s because of it.
What was typical: animal shapeshifters, romance tropes, grumpy x sunshine dynamic, high school setting, bully-to-lover arc, school life, teenage angst.
What was not typical: male protagonist, reversed roles (badass, mean girl vs. unpopular, sensitive boy), some descriptive sex scenes - and yet despite having open-door steam, the story focused more on the emotional bond and romantic connection between the characters instead of just pure lust (which is obviously a big part of an adolescent's life), so kudos for that.
What I liked most about the book was exactly this: even though there were steamy parts, the focus remained on the emotional side of the relationship, emphasizing how important communication is - a message that’s both valuable and fantastic for a young reader picking up a romance book today. There was also a lot of self-reflection, and the MMC behaved and thought in a remarkably mature way. He was also the more romantically inclined one of the two, which I appreciated because it was a nice twist on typical gender roles.
There were also no cliché tropes like miscommunication, love triangles, or other overused drama elements (which I personally don’t enjoy). I emphasize this because I’ve read plenty of romance books with 25+ year-old characters acting far more immature than the 18-year-old male protagonist of this book. The teenage angst was really well done, I felt like I was 18 again while reading it.
My favorite chapter was definitely the ones where Joseph first transformed into his wolf form. That whole scene was beautifully and dramatically written. The two following chapters, told from their wolf bodies’s point of view, were also among my favorites. I appreciated how the shapeshifters lived in peace together with non-shapeshifters in this world.
Oh and I also really appreciated the very short chapters, let's not forget to mention it! For me, they made it easier to stay focused and keep up the momentum while reading.
The book used dual POV, though not in equal measure. It was mostly from the MMC's perspective. I understand that, due to the book’s message it was "necessary" to include the other's perspective occasionally, but it still felt a little off and broke the structural flow of the narrative, which I didn’t like much.
Another thing: the side characters were not developed at all, not a single one in my opinion. It was clear that they were only present to fulfill specific roles that served the main characters and the story beats. They felt flat and insignificant, and it was very obvious that they were there only to highlight or reinforce the main characters’ traits and behavior.
And speaking of characters, as for the main characters - while I liked the reversed roles, at times I felt it was a bit too much. No 18-year-old boy is constantly that sensitive without ever showing anger or frustration, and no 18-year-old girl is always that tough, like she’s running on pure testosterone. I think there could have been a better balance between those extremes.
The ending also felt a bit clumsy, it wrapped up too quickly and too idyllically. I understand it was meant to be a HEA (happily-ever-after), but it was overly perfect. Considering the book’s length, there would have been space for a more complete resolution. For example, what happened to Charlotte’s father? That plotline was dropped completely. Charlotte just suddenly moved in with Joseph's family (literally from one minute to another) and everyone was fine with it, no questions asked. What the heck?
And then the epilogue… in my opinion, that was a bit too much. It came off as cringe and over-the-top. We get it that they became the power couple at school, we don’t need three pages describing them smugly parading down the hallway like some sort of mob. I felt it unnecessary together with the "pack thing" at the very end. It felt like the author suddenly realised he didn't mention enough details about the Spiders click and wanted to show that they indeed had their own rituals and all.
All in all, while I had some issues with the pacing and the underdeveloped side characters, Charlotte’s Reject was still a great romance novel with fantastically rich world-building and, most importantly, a meaningful and timely message about romantic relationships.
Oh, and the cover is really awesome! I liked it a lot.