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If I Fix You
Some things are easy to fix...but are some meant to stay broken?
When sixteen-year-old Jill Whitaker's mom walks out--with a sticky note as a goodbye--only Jill knows the real reason she's gone. But how can she tell her father? Jill can hardly believe the truth herself.
Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things--cars, relationships, romances, people--is all broken up. It used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don't even talk.
With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars--on the inside and out--that he thinks don't show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can't fix anyone's life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start...
When sixteen-year-old Jill Whitaker's mom walks out--with a sticky note as a goodbye--only Jill knows the real reason she's gone. But how can she tell her father? Jill can hardly believe the truth herself.
Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things--cars, relationships, romances, people--is all broken up. It used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don't even talk.
With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars--on the inside and out--that he thinks don't show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can't fix anyone's life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start...
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2016
213 people are currently reading
9331 people want to read
About the author
Abigail Johnson
8 books950 followersAbigail Johnson was born in Pennsylvania. When she was twelve, her family traded in snowstorms for year-round summers and moved to Arizona. Abigail chronicled the entire cross-country road trip in a purple spiral-bound notebook that she still has, and has been writing ever since. She became a tetraplegic after breaking her neck in a car accident when she was seventeen, but hasn’t let that stop her from bodysurfing in Mexico, writing and directing a high-school production of Cinderella, and riding roller coasters every chance she gets. She is the author of several young adult novels including If I Fix You and Every Other Weekend.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 537 reviews
May 19, 2017
WELL..... that was....... !!! 
So here I am, a week after I read If I Fix You. And I'm still thinking about it. This story was great, in so many aspects. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued and it’s a debut novel. Which I love even more.
Well, let just say I wasn't expecting to feel so affected by this story.
The Jill and her father’s relationship was outstanding and heart crushing. I felt so deeply for the father. The things he did to keep everything afloat and his daughter happy. Was beautiful and endearing.
I was also extremely proud of Jill. She's a character that I really love. I felt like I knew her and her hardships. She was strong minded, goodwill, and loving. Even with all the hardships that she was dealt with, she acted like a grown-up and dealt with the situations.
The relationship between Jill and Daniel. Was pretty intense and steamy. I loved how the whole thing between them worked out. My heart BROKE for Daniel. For the life that he was dealt. I really, really want to say more BUT... If I do, I will spoil the plot. I just hope that Abigail Johnson sees this review and knows. That I need her to write another book on the story of you know who “wink, wink”.
If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson. Is a great book with a light and airy writing style. That's perfect for everyone. With great advice on friendship, romance, and parent abandonment. It's a great realistic fiction story, in which you can take away great life lessons.
So here I am, a week after I read If I Fix You. And I'm still thinking about it. This story was great, in so many aspects. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued and it’s a debut novel. Which I love even more.
Well, let just say I wasn't expecting to feel so affected by this story.
The Jill and her father’s relationship was outstanding and heart crushing. I felt so deeply for the father. The things he did to keep everything afloat and his daughter happy. Was beautiful and endearing.
I was also extremely proud of Jill. She's a character that I really love. I felt like I knew her and her hardships. She was strong minded, goodwill, and loving. Even with all the hardships that she was dealt with, she acted like a grown-up and dealt with the situations.
The relationship between Jill and Daniel. Was pretty intense and steamy. I loved how the whole thing between them worked out. My heart BROKE for Daniel. For the life that he was dealt. I really, really want to say more BUT... If I do, I will spoil the plot. I just hope that Abigail Johnson sees this review and knows. That I need her to write another book on the story of you know who “wink, wink”.
If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson. Is a great book with a light and airy writing style. That's perfect for everyone. With great advice on friendship, romance, and parent abandonment. It's a great realistic fiction story, in which you can take away great life lessons.
July 15, 2017
جیلِ شانزده ساله توی یه خانواده پر از سر و صدای دعوا بزرگ شده و اکثر دعواها هم از طرف مادرش شروع میشه. جیل از بچگی همراه پدرش به تعمیرگاه رفته و حالا شاگرد مکانیک اون به حساب میاد؛ اون عاشق کارشه و از "تعمیر کردن" ماشین ها لذت میبره.
جریان از اینجا شروع میشه که یک روز جیل به خونه میره و مادرش رو همراه دوست پسرش میبینه، و با صحنه ای که هیچ دختری دوست نداره ببینه مواجه میشه.
فردای اون شب، مادر جیل بدون هیچ توضیحی خونه رو ترک میکنه و دیگه تماسی نمیگیره. جیل از جریان اون شب چیزی به پدرش نمیگه، و اونها هیچکدوم درباره این موضوع باهم صحبت نمیکنند.
داستان از بخشش میگه، از تصمیم جیل برای بخشیدن یا ترک کردن دوست قدیمی و یار همیشگیش بعد از مواجه شدن با اون صحنه. داستان از مادر خودخواهی میگه که باور کردنش ممکن نیست. داستان از پسری میگه که بارها و بارها از پدرش و برای دفاع از مادرش کتک خورده و حالا هزار تکه س، و جیل کنارش میتونه راحت تر از حال خودش و وضعیتش بگه.
از شب های روی پشت بام میخونیم... از نگاه کردن به آسمون پر ستاره و تعمیر کردن همدیگه.
جیل دلش میخواد تموم آدم های شکسته ی اطرافش رو به هم بچسبونه، دوست داره قطعات شکسته شون رو تعمیر کنه و با شنیدن صدای موتور سالم آدم ها به وجد بیاد.
ولی گاهی پیش میاد که در تعمیر کردن همدیگه موفق نباشیم. گاهی پیش میاد که تمام تلاشمون رو بکنیم اما موتور آدم روبرومون راه نیفته. گاهی پیش میاد که باید رهاش کرد... که باید بهش فرصت داد تا خودش دوباره سر پا بشه. چون ما آدم ها ماشین نیستیم، چون ما آدم ها بلدیم بلند بشیم و راه بیفتیم، ادامه بدیم.
تیر 96
جریان از اینجا شروع میشه که یک روز جیل به خونه میره و مادرش رو همراه دوست پسرش میبینه، و با صحنه ای که هیچ دختری دوست نداره ببینه مواجه میشه.
فردای اون شب، مادر جیل بدون هیچ توضیحی خونه رو ترک میکنه و دیگه تماسی نمیگیره. جیل از جریان اون شب چیزی به پدرش نمیگه، و اونها هیچکدوم درباره این موضوع باهم صحبت نمیکنند.
داستان از بخشش میگه، از تصمیم جیل برای بخشیدن یا ترک کردن دوست قدیمی و یار همیشگیش بعد از مواجه شدن با اون صحنه. داستان از مادر خودخواهی میگه که باور کردنش ممکن نیست. داستان از پسری میگه که بارها و بارها از پدرش و برای دفاع از مادرش کتک خورده و حالا هزار تکه س، و جیل کنارش میتونه راحت تر از حال خودش و وضعیتش بگه.
از شب های روی پشت بام میخونیم... از نگاه کردن به آسمون پر ستاره و تعمیر کردن همدیگه.
جیل دلش میخواد تموم آدم های شکسته ی اطرافش رو به هم بچسبونه، دوست داره قطعات شکسته شون رو تعمیر کنه و با شنیدن صدای موتور سالم آدم ها به وجد بیاد.
ولی گاهی پیش میاد که در تعمیر کردن همدیگه موفق نباشیم. گاهی پیش میاد که تمام تلاشمون رو بکنیم اما موتور آدم روبرومون راه نیفته. گاهی پیش میاد که باید رهاش کرد... که باید بهش فرصت داد تا خودش دوباره سر پا بشه. چون ما آدم ها ماشین نیستیم، چون ما آدم ها بلدیم بلند بشیم و راه بیفتیم، ادامه بدیم.
Help him. Help Daniel. Fix them both, and me, and Dad, and Mom. Fix everything. The impossibility of any one of those tasks hit hard as I stared at the boy I used to think I’d love forever.
تیر 96
November 9, 2016
Some books I simply love!
Emotional, intriguing, romantic, tender, with a dose of sarcasm.. it had everything I wanted and more. Full review (hopefully) soon.
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Final rating 4.5 stars. I loved the fact that the synopsis makes you think this might be a cliché story, but the pages inside tell a different one.
Emotional, intriguing, romantic, tender, with a dose of sarcasm.. it had everything I wanted and more. Full review (hopefully) soon.
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Final rating 4.5 stars. I loved the fact that the synopsis makes you think this might be a cliché story, but the pages inside tell a different one.
August 24, 2017
I don't know how I missed this book when it was first published but I discovered it a few days ago and picked it up on a whim. I started reading it and literally couldn't stop. I absolutely loved every second I spent reading this book. It is everything I love about contemporary YA fiction and so much more. Perfection. Amazing. If you enjoy complicated, emotionally-involved, contemporary romance then you need to read this book.
If I Fix You is beautifully complex and layered. I loved the characters. I loved the intense emotions - hate, love, anger, fear. Everything leaps off the page. The characters are awesome - not all nice, mind you, there are some pretty evil characters, but each is layered and detailed and very believable. This book is unbelievably heartbreaking. And yet, the situations are far too awful and messy to be anything but believable; similar to the horror so many people face in their lives. But despite this, If I Fix You is ultimately uplifting and hopeful.
I loved how this book is in-your-face about the horrible details of domestic abuse and family relationship breakdown, but keeps it clean with other content so I can promote this book for a variety of readers.
Jill is an incredible character. She is strong and sure of herself, comfortable within her own skin. She is a mechanic, with grease under nails and a love of cars. She runs miles in the mornings before dawn because her best-friend asks her to, she likes spending time with her dad and she hates the rift her mother has created within their family.
There are so many things I loved about this story. I especially loved the time Jill spends with her new neighbour, Daniel. I loved how they are both experiencing family relationship breakdown that is shaking their worlds. I loved how each of their situations is valued, neither compared or devalued against the other. I love that the book made room both their stories.
And the romance. Sigh. Brilliant. Again, complex and detailed and worthy of a place within this story. There is so much in this book and yet nothing is brushed over or shallow. Each part has its place and given its due.
Oh, something else I love? The ending. And the beginning. The beginning doesn't start too soon and the end gives the perfect resolution to everything. Basically, I loved this book.
With one novel, Abigail Johnson has made her way onto my list of authors whose novels are automatically put on my must-read list. I highly recommend If I Fix You.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library.
If I Fix You is beautifully complex and layered. I loved the characters. I loved the intense emotions - hate, love, anger, fear. Everything leaps off the page. The characters are awesome - not all nice, mind you, there are some pretty evil characters, but each is layered and detailed and very believable. This book is unbelievably heartbreaking. And yet, the situations are far too awful and messy to be anything but believable; similar to the horror so many people face in their lives. But despite this, If I Fix You is ultimately uplifting and hopeful.
I loved how this book is in-your-face about the horrible details of domestic abuse and family relationship breakdown, but keeps it clean with other content so I can promote this book for a variety of readers.
Jill is an incredible character. She is strong and sure of herself, comfortable within her own skin. She is a mechanic, with grease under nails and a love of cars. She runs miles in the mornings before dawn because her best-friend asks her to, she likes spending time with her dad and she hates the rift her mother has created within their family.
There are so many things I loved about this story. I especially loved the time Jill spends with her new neighbour, Daniel. I loved how they are both experiencing family relationship breakdown that is shaking their worlds. I loved how each of their situations is valued, neither compared or devalued against the other. I love that the book made room both their stories.
And the romance. Sigh. Brilliant. Again, complex and detailed and worthy of a place within this story. There is so much in this book and yet nothing is brushed over or shallow. Each part has its place and given its due.
Oh, something else I love? The ending. And the beginning. The beginning doesn't start too soon and the end gives the perfect resolution to everything. Basically, I loved this book.
With one novel, Abigail Johnson has made her way onto my list of authors whose novels are automatically put on my must-read list. I highly recommend If I Fix You.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library.
August 6, 2016
I don't fucking know honestly. I didn't really like this most of the time but there were some nice parts. The father-daughter relationship was great but the romance (basically up until the last few chapters) was not my favorite. Also too much cheesiness and angst simultaneously. Pass.
---- FULL REVIEW BELOW, but this is where spoilers are because I need them, okay??
God I have so many thoughts on this book and no idea where to begin. I feel incredibly conflicted because there are some things I really loved about this book. But, unfortunately, there were MANY more things I was not a fan of. AT ALL. It definitely left a lot to be desired and way more angst than expected. Overall, ugh.
THE GOOD
*Main character who works on cars with her dad.
I loved the father-daughter dynamics in this story. If all of the rest of the things in my "bad" section didn't exist, this relationship alone would have made this a much higher-rated book. Jill works on cars with her dad nonstop in his shop. They have a really good relationship that was awesome to read about. Her mom left them after some THINGS went down that I won't spoil. They had to try to move on and live their lives without her, which wasn't easy, but they always had each other. I've always been close to my dad so I just love these kinds of relationships in books.
*No filter when it was needed.
I know it's never a great idea for a teen to mouth off at their parent, but I was rooting so hard for Jill when certain things happened. I LOVED when she told her mom off! I don't think she was out of line with all of the things she said. Her mom was incredibly selfish when she left and did nothing to apologize for how she behaved. That conversation made me so angry I was literally gritting my teeth while reading.
THE BAD
*Terrible romantic prospects. Just... terrible.
Basically there's the childhood best friend, Sean, who seriously fucked up recently. Then, a new mysterious older boy, Daniel, moves in next door. I just didn't enjoy either one of these guys for a variety of reasons. About Sean: He was trying to hook up with her mom! Or at the very least flirting with her mom very inappropriately. Aka, a main reason her mom left. I just didn't like the way he jerked Jill around throughout the book and she just let him. Of course, all of that changes at the end when we learned what really went down. BUT, all of that throughout made it impossible for me to ship them! I was angry at her and him the entire time, so I never liked him until the last 5 chapters or something. About Daniel: He's 21 years old. She's not even 17 yet. He gets drunk, which she's never even witnessed a person do in her life apparently, and kisses her. It's her first fucking kiss! It's not only gross because he's drunk but because he's just so much older than her! I'm supposed to ship this??? I get that he becomes a non-issue after a while but I just didn't see the appeal at all. So yeah. As usual, I could understand the "reasons" for the love triangle and why she was interested in both boys, but I wanted no part in either one of them. Also, this kind of thing is incredibly annoying:
Boy: *calls repeatedly to make up after fight*
Girl: *ignores until he stops calling*
Girl: What's wrong with you? You haven't talked to me in a week are we ever gonna be okay again????
I can't with this. You can't get mad at someone for not talking to you when YOU ignored them for a week... while they were trying to get in touch with you. I don't get it.
*Too much angst and cheese for my liking.
It felt like a New Adult book without the fun sex scenes. I don't like angsty books or ones with too much drama, and this one had it up the wazoo. I appreciated the different aspects of her life (the boys, her relationships with her parents, etc.) for the most part. I just feel like there was a lot going on and I was constantly angry while reading. On top of the angst/drama, there was too much cheesiness in some of the dialogue. Some things that Daniel said to her made my eyes roll so far back into my head it was unreal. "I forgot I was angry just by looking at you" - yeah you're right, that's how life works.
*Frankly I just didn't care much.
Despite having very strong reactions while reading, I didn't care what was going to happen most of the time. I wanted to finish because I was fairly certain that there'd be one or two twisty things, which made me kind of curious, but that's really it. I was right because I was pretty interested by the end; a few things managed to surprise me and I actually LIKED some of it.
---- FULL REVIEW BELOW, but this is where spoilers are because I need them, okay??
God I have so many thoughts on this book and no idea where to begin. I feel incredibly conflicted because there are some things I really loved about this book. But, unfortunately, there were MANY more things I was not a fan of. AT ALL. It definitely left a lot to be desired and way more angst than expected. Overall, ugh.
THE GOOD
*Main character who works on cars with her dad.
I loved the father-daughter dynamics in this story. If all of the rest of the things in my "bad" section didn't exist, this relationship alone would have made this a much higher-rated book. Jill works on cars with her dad nonstop in his shop. They have a really good relationship that was awesome to read about. Her mom left them after some THINGS went down that I won't spoil. They had to try to move on and live their lives without her, which wasn't easy, but they always had each other. I've always been close to my dad so I just love these kinds of relationships in books.
*No filter when it was needed.
I know it's never a great idea for a teen to mouth off at their parent, but I was rooting so hard for Jill when certain things happened. I LOVED when she told her mom off! I don't think she was out of line with all of the things she said. Her mom was incredibly selfish when she left and did nothing to apologize for how she behaved. That conversation made me so angry I was literally gritting my teeth while reading.
THE BAD
*Terrible romantic prospects. Just... terrible.
Basically there's the childhood best friend, Sean, who seriously fucked up recently. Then, a new mysterious older boy, Daniel, moves in next door. I just didn't enjoy either one of these guys for a variety of reasons. About Sean: He was trying to hook up with her mom! Or at the very least flirting with her mom very inappropriately. Aka, a main reason her mom left. I just didn't like the way he jerked Jill around throughout the book and she just let him. Of course, all of that changes at the end when we learned what really went down. BUT, all of that throughout made it impossible for me to ship them! I was angry at her and him the entire time, so I never liked him until the last 5 chapters or something. About Daniel: He's 21 years old. She's not even 17 yet. He gets drunk, which she's never even witnessed a person do in her life apparently, and kisses her. It's her first fucking kiss! It's not only gross because he's drunk but because he's just so much older than her! I'm supposed to ship this??? I get that he becomes a non-issue after a while but I just didn't see the appeal at all. So yeah. As usual, I could understand the "reasons" for the love triangle and why she was interested in both boys, but I wanted no part in either one of them. Also, this kind of thing is incredibly annoying:
Boy: *calls repeatedly to make up after fight*
Girl: *ignores until he stops calling*
Girl: What's wrong with you? You haven't talked to me in a week are we ever gonna be okay again????
I can't with this. You can't get mad at someone for not talking to you when YOU ignored them for a week... while they were trying to get in touch with you. I don't get it.
*Too much angst and cheese for my liking.
It felt like a New Adult book without the fun sex scenes. I don't like angsty books or ones with too much drama, and this one had it up the wazoo. I appreciated the different aspects of her life (the boys, her relationships with her parents, etc.) for the most part. I just feel like there was a lot going on and I was constantly angry while reading. On top of the angst/drama, there was too much cheesiness in some of the dialogue. Some things that Daniel said to her made my eyes roll so far back into my head it was unreal. "I forgot I was angry just by looking at you" - yeah you're right, that's how life works.
*Frankly I just didn't care much.
Despite having very strong reactions while reading, I didn't care what was going to happen most of the time. I wanted to finish because I was fairly certain that there'd be one or two twisty things, which made me kind of curious, but that's really it. I was right because I was pretty interested by the end; a few things managed to surprise me and I actually LIKED some of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2016
I'm in love and I want more. Standalone or not. Abigail created such a wonderful story and I honestly cannot wait to see what she does next! Full review at Gabriella M Reads.
July 16, 2018
the writing just absolutely ruined this for me
I can't tell if this book would've been a better book if it had had better writing, but as it stands, it was not a particularly good book. There's no way of getting around it: the writing was melodramatic as hell. I don't really have any quotes to show you what I mean by "melodramatic" (frankly I didn't care enough about this book to highlight any for this review), so you'll have to take my word for it. It was a really trite, tired, recycled kind of writing, and it just made the book feel interchangeable with any other subpar YA contemporary out there. Aside from that, I found the characters to be pretty flimsy and forgettable. Also, one of the 16-year-old main character's love interests was a 21-year-old guy and just...why? Both characters acknowledged that it was inappropriate for them to be in a relationship, but I was just so creeped out by the weird sexual tension all the same. Like why even include the potential of a relationship between a minor and a 21-year-old guy? Why include him in this book in the first place? It irritated me, and I have no idea why the author decided that would be a good idea.
Anyway, I didn't like this book very much. You win some, you lose some.
I can't tell if this book would've been a better book if it had had better writing, but as it stands, it was not a particularly good book. There's no way of getting around it: the writing was melodramatic as hell. I don't really have any quotes to show you what I mean by "melodramatic" (frankly I didn't care enough about this book to highlight any for this review), so you'll have to take my word for it. It was a really trite, tired, recycled kind of writing, and it just made the book feel interchangeable with any other subpar YA contemporary out there. Aside from that, I found the characters to be pretty flimsy and forgettable. Also, one of the 16-year-old main character's love interests was a 21-year-old guy and just...why? Both characters acknowledged that it was inappropriate for them to be in a relationship, but I was just so creeped out by the weird sexual tension all the same. Like why even include the potential of a relationship between a minor and a 21-year-old guy? Why include him in this book in the first place? It irritated me, and I have no idea why the author decided that would be a good idea.
Anyway, I didn't like this book very much. You win some, you lose some.
November 6, 2018
If I Fix You es una historia profunda, con muchas reflexiones en las que Jill nos abre su mente y su corazón. Cuando ella se derrumba, nosotros lo sentimos en el pecho, y cuando es feliz o mínimo disfruta de un buen día, también sentimos un calorcito agradable. Es uno de esos libros que consiguen atraparte dentro de sus vivencias, pensamientos, sentimientos, y reflexiones.
(...)
Jill está sufriendo muchísimo y es doloroso y precioso al mismo tiempo estar en su mente. Yo creo que ella está completamente rota pero nunca deja de buscar curarse. No se entrega al odio o a la rabia durante mucho tiempo, cosa que me encanta pues bastante daño le han hecho ya otros.
>> MI RESEÑA AQUI:
http://mayuamoraprimeravista.blogspot...
😗
(...)
Jill está sufriendo muchísimo y es doloroso y precioso al mismo tiempo estar en su mente. Yo creo que ella está completamente rota pero nunca deja de buscar curarse. No se entrega al odio o a la rabia durante mucho tiempo, cosa que me encanta pues bastante daño le han hecho ya otros.
>> MI RESEÑA AQUI:
http://mayuamoraprimeravista.blogspot...
😗
June 12, 2017
Wow. This wasn't AT ALL what I expected. You know, with this book you'll read the blurb and you'll think you know what you'll get but trust me, what you're thinking is WRONG. This was so unbelievably real. And surprising and heartbreaking and oh my God I cannot believe how great this book was!! Please, if you're considering reading this, don't read too many reviews especially spoilery ones. Just go into it blind and let the story surprise you. Loved loved loved this!!
February 13, 2016
Abigail is my CP so I was lucky to get an early read. I love this story so much and can't wait for everyone to get their hands on it.
June 20, 2017
Have you ever wished you could un-see something that you've seen?
Book Title: If I Fix You
Author: Abigail Johnson
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Setting: Arizona
Source: Kindle eBook (Library)
⇝Book Theme Song⇜ (this link will take you to my tumblr post with video) ♫Inner Demons by Julia Brennan --Sometimes, I'm not sure how I stumble upon the songs that I do…when I seen the cover page for this I was like, wow, that matches the cover's color scheme perfectly. Then I listened to the words and...with it's soulful inflection and meaningful lyrics…it's just about perfect. **If you watch this video, and you can tell me what is on this girl's head, I'm dying to know…♫
⇝My Thoughts⇜
Jill has seen something that she can't stop thinking about, no matter how hard she tries. No matter how much she wishes she didn't have to see it…she did. This story is her journey, during one very hot Arizona summer, she tries to come to terms with what she saw.
If I Fix You deals with some complex issues, including abuse and adultery, but it's told in an inspiring way, that makes you realize you have to hold on to the ones you love the most; and maybe even give some of them a second chance to prove themselves to you.
⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜
Plot: 4.2/5
Main Characters: 4.5/5
Secondary Characters: 4.5/5
The Feels: 4.2/5
Addictiveness: 4.2/5
Theme or Tone: 4.5/5
Flow (Writing Style): 4/5
Backdrop (World Building): 5/5
Book Cover: 4/5 Mostly good, but I don't think she ever wore a hoodie. It was Arizona in the Summer, after all.
Ending: 4/5 Cliffhanger: Nope.
Will I read more from this Author? I would, especially if it was you-know-who's (if you've read it, then you would know) story.
Book Title: If I Fix You
Author: Abigail Johnson
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Setting: Arizona
Source: Kindle eBook (Library)
⇝Book Theme Song⇜ (this link will take you to my tumblr post with video) ♫Inner Demons by Julia Brennan --Sometimes, I'm not sure how I stumble upon the songs that I do…when I seen the cover page for this I was like, wow, that matches the cover's color scheme perfectly. Then I listened to the words and...with it's soulful inflection and meaningful lyrics…it's just about perfect. **If you watch this video, and you can tell me what is on this girl's head, I'm dying to know…♫
⇝⇝⇝OVERALL RATING 4.3/5✧STARS✧A✧⇜⇜⇜
⇝My Thoughts⇜
Jill has seen something that she can't stop thinking about, no matter how hard she tries. No matter how much she wishes she didn't have to see it…she did. This story is her journey, during one very hot Arizona summer, she tries to come to terms with what she saw.
If I Fix You deals with some complex issues, including abuse and adultery, but it's told in an inspiring way, that makes you realize you have to hold on to the ones you love the most; and maybe even give some of them a second chance to prove themselves to you.
⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜
Plot: 4.2/5
Main Characters: 4.5/5
Secondary Characters: 4.5/5
The Feels: 4.2/5
Addictiveness: 4.2/5
Theme or Tone: 4.5/5
Flow (Writing Style): 4/5
Backdrop (World Building): 5/5
Book Cover: 4/5 Mostly good, but I don't think she ever wore a hoodie. It was Arizona in the Summer, after all.
Ending: 4/5 Cliffhanger: Nope.
Will I read more from this Author? I would, especially if it was you-know-who's (if you've read it, then you would know) story.
March 24, 2019
A well drawn love triangle is a complicated thing to pull off. This book has one of the most emotionally complicated (and well crafted) love triangles that I've ever encountered which made it near impossible to put down. I grew to quickly care about teenaged, auto-mechanic-whiz Jill and her compelling love interests - intense, closed-off neighbor Daniel and long-time friend/crush Sean, all three characters caught up in the devastating fallout caused by both Jill's and Daniel's seriously troubled mothers (and both of these women's heart-wrenching abuse, betrayals and narcissism). The romantic/sexual tension was especially well crafted (and YA appropriate - a difficult balance that author Johnson pulled off smolderingly well) and the dialogue was smart, witty and heartfelt (some of the best dialogue I've encountered in the Contemporary YA genre). What I enjoyed the most? Right up until the end, I could not guess how this love triangle would resolve (another difficult feat - so bravo, Abigail Johnson). Looks like I've found another favorite author (diving into her book, THE FIRST TO KNOW, next) - highly recommended.
November 14, 2016
DNF at 38%
Okay, first things first. I hate this kind of books, the kind that trick you, that you can't tell how bad they are until it's too late and you've already wasted time on them, precious time that could have been given to a much more deserving book.
The MC, Jil is works as a mechanic in her dad's shop, that sounded very interesting and different from the norm of YA. I hoped for a passionate girl, feisty and not the usual cheery, cheesy type. To be honest, Jil was not like that, but she wasn't something else either, she has the personality of a pineapple. No personality.
I didn't get any vibes. I read quite a lot, went through her mom leaving her, her fighting and making up with her best friend/crush- and her meeting a new guy and I swear there was no emotion, NOTHING. There was a lot of drama without the actuall feelings that accompany it.
As for the Love Interest?? You're kidding right? No chemistry whatsoever. Not between her and Sean or her and Daniel.
Anyways, off to find something better.
Okay, first things first. I hate this kind of books, the kind that trick you, that you can't tell how bad they are until it's too late and you've already wasted time on them, precious time that could have been given to a much more deserving book.
The MC, Jil is works as a mechanic in her dad's shop, that sounded very interesting and different from the norm of YA. I hoped for a passionate girl, feisty and not the usual cheery, cheesy type. To be honest, Jil was not like that, but she wasn't something else either, she has the personality of a pineapple. No personality.
I didn't get any vibes. I read quite a lot, went through her mom leaving her, her fighting and making up with her best friend/crush- and her meeting a new guy and I swear there was no emotion, NOTHING. There was a lot of drama without the actuall feelings that accompany it.
As for the Love Interest?? You're kidding right? No chemistry whatsoever. Not between her and Sean or her and Daniel.
Anyways, off to find something better.
April 29, 2017
Wow so when I started reading this book I wasn't ready for the emotional roller coaster I was about to be apart of. I have to say I really enjoyed it. I did get a bit emotional at times and even found myself tearing up at times because there were scenes that were very intense.
So the story is about a girl, Jill, whose Mom ended up walking out on her and her Dad. This took a huge toll on her to the point where she was drifting from her two closest friends. Then she catches her neighbors fighting and she decides she's going to try to fix their relationship since that's what she's good out. However things don't end up working out as she wanted. She slowly realizes she needs to fix the problems in her life before she can help other people.
I did feel this story was a bit slow at first but man things ended up getting intense pretty quickly and I quickly found myself not wanting to put this book down. I had to know what was going to happen. This book completely surprised me. This is a great debut book. I know the author has another book coming out later this and I can't wait to read it.
So the story is about a girl, Jill, whose Mom ended up walking out on her and her Dad. This took a huge toll on her to the point where she was drifting from her two closest friends. Then she catches her neighbors fighting and she decides she's going to try to fix their relationship since that's what she's good out. However things don't end up working out as she wanted. She slowly realizes she needs to fix the problems in her life before she can help other people.
I did feel this story was a bit slow at first but man things ended up getting intense pretty quickly and I quickly found myself not wanting to put this book down. I had to know what was going to happen. This book completely surprised me. This is a great debut book. I know the author has another book coming out later this and I can't wait to read it.
October 7, 2016
If I Fix You comes out on October 25, 2016; you may
pre-order
the book on BOOK DEPOSITORY, AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLES.
Review type: Breakdowns and quick whips
*** An ARC (advanced reading copy) of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ***
If I Fix You has a promising premise. It follows the story of 16-year old Jill whose going through some tough times with her dad after her mom leaves them. What I liked about this book was the raw emotions coming off of Jill. It’s painful and it’s exactly what I would feel if one of my parents left out of nowhere. Another thing I liked about it was Jill’s relationship with her dad. The father-daughter relationship greatly strengthened as the story progressed. It’s actually quite refreshing to read, because you don’t see a lot of good father-daughter relationships in YA books these days. I admire Abigail Johnson for her writing style. It’s fresh and easy to get into. This is definitely a quick read, and an okay one at that. Yeah, it’s an okay one, because this book is getting a 2 star from me.
Again, it was an okay read. But there were elements here that didn’t exactly click well with me. I’m not sure if it’s just me, and my high expectations for contemporary romance (or zero expectations, really) – but this book just didn’t feel right up my alley.
First thing’s first: What the actual heck with Jill and Sean? I mean, I get that Jill used to be in love with Sean and hey, people don’t fall out of love overnight; but Jill honestly could have been smarter than what she was in the book. Sean did something absolutely horrific; probably traumatic that has done a lot of damage to someone like Jill who already had torn-up parents. If I were Jill, I don’t give a flying duck if Sean apologizes or goes on his knees begging to “fix” whatever the hell he wanted to “fix”. This is just absolutely wrong. I understand Jill and Sean have been friends for a long time, and that Jill cannot help but go weak (because duh, she’s in love with him) for Sean – but what Sean did was just downright unforgivable; no matter how convincing Sean would explain what truly happened. I don’t know. I just felt like Jill didn’t have any backbone when it came to Sean, which just sounds ridiculous on my end. And it annoys me to no end how she’s still uncomfortable seeing Sean with another girl. First off, you weren’t even together in the first place. And secondly, you literally have no rights over him? So what gives you the right to deliberately pull him away from a girl that isn’t you, Jill? Honestly, girl, be smart, stop being ridiculous, stay the hell away from Sean and grow a backbone.
Another thing: The age gap between Jill and Daniel. I mean, honestly, I’m not against loving who you want to love. But there’s just something about a 16 year-old girl and a 21 year-old guy being in a relationship that just tips me off. I don’t know, just the general idea of it is uncomfortable and weird; and I did not expect that from a book that I had a lot of hope for. I mean, these two gifs will sum it up what I feel about this endeavor:
Overall, I really wanted to like it. I really did. I liked Jill’s character development, I mean; if I pretended her thoughts of Sean didn’t exist. She knows how to pull herself back up, which is good for her, really. Jill and Daniel’s relationship was great. A lot of angst and feels rolling around in the sand somewhere in there; but their age gap honestly just personally bothers me. I think that downed my initial rating to it, apart from Jill’s literal no-backbone when it comes to Sean. I absolutely enjoyed Abigail Johnson’s writing style, but personally, the way she executed Jill in some corners here and there just didn’t do it for me. I might try to read more from her should she pursue writing more books, but I hope it won’t be as off as this book was for me.
Review type: Breakdowns and quick whips
*** An ARC (advanced reading copy) of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ***
If I Fix You has a promising premise. It follows the story of 16-year old Jill whose going through some tough times with her dad after her mom leaves them. What I liked about this book was the raw emotions coming off of Jill. It’s painful and it’s exactly what I would feel if one of my parents left out of nowhere. Another thing I liked about it was Jill’s relationship with her dad. The father-daughter relationship greatly strengthened as the story progressed. It’s actually quite refreshing to read, because you don’t see a lot of good father-daughter relationships in YA books these days. I admire Abigail Johnson for her writing style. It’s fresh and easy to get into. This is definitely a quick read, and an okay one at that. Yeah, it’s an okay one, because this book is getting a 2 star from me.
Again, it was an okay read. But there were elements here that didn’t exactly click well with me. I’m not sure if it’s just me, and my high expectations for contemporary romance (or zero expectations, really) – but this book just didn’t feel right up my alley.
First thing’s first: What the actual heck with Jill and Sean? I mean, I get that Jill used to be in love with Sean and hey, people don’t fall out of love overnight; but Jill honestly could have been smarter than what she was in the book. Sean did something absolutely horrific; probably traumatic that has done a lot of damage to someone like Jill who already had torn-up parents. If I were Jill, I don’t give a flying duck if Sean apologizes or goes on his knees begging to “fix” whatever the hell he wanted to “fix”. This is just absolutely wrong. I understand Jill and Sean have been friends for a long time, and that Jill cannot help but go weak (because duh, she’s in love with him) for Sean – but what Sean did was just downright unforgivable; no matter how convincing Sean would explain what truly happened. I don’t know. I just felt like Jill didn’t have any backbone when it came to Sean, which just sounds ridiculous on my end. And it annoys me to no end how she’s still uncomfortable seeing Sean with another girl. First off, you weren’t even together in the first place. And secondly, you literally have no rights over him? So what gives you the right to deliberately pull him away from a girl that isn’t you, Jill? Honestly, girl, be smart, stop being ridiculous, stay the hell away from Sean and grow a backbone.
Another thing: The age gap between Jill and Daniel. I mean, honestly, I’m not against loving who you want to love. But there’s just something about a 16 year-old girl and a 21 year-old guy being in a relationship that just tips me off. I don’t know, just the general idea of it is uncomfortable and weird; and I did not expect that from a book that I had a lot of hope for. I mean, these two gifs will sum it up what I feel about this endeavor:
Overall, I really wanted to like it. I really did. I liked Jill’s character development, I mean; if I pretended her thoughts of Sean didn’t exist. She knows how to pull herself back up, which is good for her, really. Jill and Daniel’s relationship was great. A lot of angst and feels rolling around in the sand somewhere in there; but their age gap honestly just personally bothers me. I think that downed my initial rating to it, apart from Jill’s literal no-backbone when it comes to Sean. I absolutely enjoyed Abigail Johnson’s writing style, but personally, the way she executed Jill in some corners here and there just didn’t do it for me. I might try to read more from her should she pursue writing more books, but I hope it won’t be as off as this book was for me.
October 9, 2019
Two sad kids with at least one terrible parent each bond over having terrible parents in this strangely engaging YA novel about sixteen-year-old Jill, her two best-friends, and the age-inappropriate boy — handsome, and dangerous, and so, so broken — who moves in next door to her.
Weirdly unpredictable, the story moves easily in the head of our much-beset Jill. There is romance, violence, melodrama and an occasional flash of humour, and Jill’s mechanical expertise, as she assists in her father’s garage (not the terrible parent, in her case), wordlessly makes her one of those Not Like Every Other Girl girls that so populate YA fiction, and a good thing, too.
The book does deal with some big themes, most of them abuse-based, and while one troubling sexual harrassment storyline is significantly underplayed, and not at all properly dealt with (which it surely would have been, had the genders of the people involved been reversed), it must be said that, for the most part, these important topics are dealt with both candidly and with sensitivity.
Why I bought this, I can’t really say. It just… called to me, somehow? I think it was the title. We all like to think we can fix, that we can help. No one really fixes anyone here, though, they just listen, and show they care.
And maybe that’s the point.
Weirdly unpredictable, the story moves easily in the head of our much-beset Jill. There is romance, violence, melodrama and an occasional flash of humour, and Jill’s mechanical expertise, as she assists in her father’s garage (not the terrible parent, in her case), wordlessly makes her one of those Not Like Every Other Girl girls that so populate YA fiction, and a good thing, too.
The book does deal with some big themes, most of them abuse-based, and while one troubling sexual harrassment storyline is significantly underplayed, and not at all properly dealt with (which it surely would have been, had the genders of the people involved been reversed), it must be said that, for the most part, these important topics are dealt with both candidly and with sensitivity.
Why I bought this, I can’t really say. It just… called to me, somehow? I think it was the title. We all like to think we can fix, that we can help. No one really fixes anyone here, though, they just listen, and show they care.
And maybe that’s the point.
March 6, 2020
2.5 STARS
So glad to have read Every Other Weekend before reading this one, because I would have likely never read this author again if this had been my first book. I liked the family drama aspect, but the romance was odd and completely unnecessary. Sean was such a turd, and I found him completely unredeemable. I adored Daniel and cared much more about his story than anything else.
I would say skip this one and try Every Other Weekend instead.
So glad to have read Every Other Weekend before reading this one, because I would have likely never read this author again if this had been my first book. I liked the family drama aspect, but the romance was odd and completely unnecessary. Sean was such a turd, and I found him completely unredeemable. I adored Daniel and cared much more about his story than anything else.
I would say skip this one and try Every Other Weekend instead.
July 1, 2017
If I Fix You totally took me by surprise (both with how much I ended up liking it and in the direction the story took). It felt messy and real and I couldn't put it down. Really excited for Abigail Johnson's sophomore novel The First To Know which is out November of this year.
September 13, 2017
Hace unos meses que tengo este libro en la estantería, en cuanto lo vi en las novedades de la editorial me llamó la atención, tanto por su portada como por su sinopsis, pero debido a algunas reseñas que leí, al final lo fui posponiendo.
Las opiniones que vi decían que trataba temas duros, que tenía una parte de importante de drama y eso me asustó, porque yo prefiero lecturas mucho más amables y no que me entristezcan, por lo menos la mayoría del tiempo. Me costó lanzarme, pero al final le di una oportunidad.
Por suerte, ha sido todo lo que me esperaba cuando lo vi por primera vez. Sí, hay temas difíciles, pero no es un libro dramático o excesivamente triste, no deja esa sensación tras leerlo, así que si eso os preocupa, podéis estar tranquil@s.
Me ha gustado mucho, ha cumplido todas mis expectativas. Cuenta con una ambientación muy interesante. Por una parte, nos vamos a Arizona y las descripciones del calor nos transportan allí, y por otra la protagonista, Jill, tiene una afición poco común, y es que le encanta la mecánica. Su padre tiene un taller y ella trabaja allí y que en esta ocasión sea la chica y no el chico quien sabe más de coches me ha gustado mucho. Es un tema que está bien, no se trata de manera excesiva, pero sí se habla de coches, de los diferentes modelos y problemas mecánicos que tienen, hay algo de investigación detrás.
Y después están los personajes. Todos están muy bien caracterizados, desde los principales a los secundarios, todos tienen algo detrás. Es como si cada uno de los personajes nos mostrase que cada uno lucha contra sus propias preocupaciones, sus propios problemas, aunque a veces no sean muy evidentes.
Jill me ha caído bien, es bastante normal, no es una de estas protagonistas de carácter muy fuerte, no es la popular, tiene su punto y creo que es una novela de personajes, porque lo que vemos es cómo van superando los diferentes obstáculos que tienen en su vida, como resuelven los conflictos que surgen. Jill tiene un problema familiar en casa y eso es lo que la llevará a conectar tan bien con su nuevo vecino, porque se entienden, aunque sus problemas estén a diferentes niveles.
Se trata la amistad, el amor paterno-filial, el romance, la decepción, el perdón... Vemos, entre otras cosas, como Jill va superando ciertas cosas, paso a paso, como toma decisiones, a veces mejores y otras peores, yo diría que en ese sentido es bastante humano.
No puedo decir más que me ha gustado. ¿Por qué no le doy 5 estrellas? Creo que podría haber dado un poquito más de sí, me ha gustado tal y como es, pero es una historia más bien ligera, buena, pero no de las que emocionan muchísimo, aunque está muy bien porque yo diría que consigue lo que pretende.
La edición cuenta con una portada preciosa aunque el texto necesita una pequeña revisión, hay algunos fallos, no son muchos, pero están ahí.
En conclusión, puedo decir que ha estado a la altura de lo que esperaba. Ha sido exactamente lo que la portada y la sinopsis me evocaron, una lectura ágil, centrada en los personajes, con un tono young adult que me ha gustado mucho, que trabaja la amistad, el perdón, los conflictos, el crecimiento personal, etc... pero que no deja de tener momentos alegres, de pandilla, de tensión, también. Una novela con un estilo que yo disfruto mucho. ¿La recomiendo? Por supuesto y ojalá se publiquen más novelas de esta autora porque me ha gustado mucho su estilo y su manera de construir a los personajes.
Las opiniones que vi decían que trataba temas duros, que tenía una parte de importante de drama y eso me asustó, porque yo prefiero lecturas mucho más amables y no que me entristezcan, por lo menos la mayoría del tiempo. Me costó lanzarme, pero al final le di una oportunidad.
Por suerte, ha sido todo lo que me esperaba cuando lo vi por primera vez. Sí, hay temas difíciles, pero no es un libro dramático o excesivamente triste, no deja esa sensación tras leerlo, así que si eso os preocupa, podéis estar tranquil@s.
Me ha gustado mucho, ha cumplido todas mis expectativas. Cuenta con una ambientación muy interesante. Por una parte, nos vamos a Arizona y las descripciones del calor nos transportan allí, y por otra la protagonista, Jill, tiene una afición poco común, y es que le encanta la mecánica. Su padre tiene un taller y ella trabaja allí y que en esta ocasión sea la chica y no el chico quien sabe más de coches me ha gustado mucho. Es un tema que está bien, no se trata de manera excesiva, pero sí se habla de coches, de los diferentes modelos y problemas mecánicos que tienen, hay algo de investigación detrás.
Y después están los personajes. Todos están muy bien caracterizados, desde los principales a los secundarios, todos tienen algo detrás. Es como si cada uno de los personajes nos mostrase que cada uno lucha contra sus propias preocupaciones, sus propios problemas, aunque a veces no sean muy evidentes.
Jill me ha caído bien, es bastante normal, no es una de estas protagonistas de carácter muy fuerte, no es la popular, tiene su punto y creo que es una novela de personajes, porque lo que vemos es cómo van superando los diferentes obstáculos que tienen en su vida, como resuelven los conflictos que surgen. Jill tiene un problema familiar en casa y eso es lo que la llevará a conectar tan bien con su nuevo vecino, porque se entienden, aunque sus problemas estén a diferentes niveles.
Se trata la amistad, el amor paterno-filial, el romance, la decepción, el perdón... Vemos, entre otras cosas, como Jill va superando ciertas cosas, paso a paso, como toma decisiones, a veces mejores y otras peores, yo diría que en ese sentido es bastante humano.
No puedo decir más que me ha gustado. ¿Por qué no le doy 5 estrellas? Creo que podría haber dado un poquito más de sí, me ha gustado tal y como es, pero es una historia más bien ligera, buena, pero no de las que emocionan muchísimo, aunque está muy bien porque yo diría que consigue lo que pretende.
La edición cuenta con una portada preciosa aunque el texto necesita una pequeña revisión, hay algunos fallos, no son muchos, pero están ahí.
En conclusión, puedo decir que ha estado a la altura de lo que esperaba. Ha sido exactamente lo que la portada y la sinopsis me evocaron, una lectura ágil, centrada en los personajes, con un tono young adult que me ha gustado mucho, que trabaja la amistad, el perdón, los conflictos, el crecimiento personal, etc... pero que no deja de tener momentos alegres, de pandilla, de tensión, también. Una novela con un estilo que yo disfruto mucho. ¿La recomiendo? Por supuesto y ojalá se publiquen más novelas de esta autora porque me ha gustado mucho su estilo y su manera de construir a los personajes.
October 23, 2016
I went into this book with really no expectations. I had never heard of this one but I had an ARC from when I went to ALA this summer, so I decided to give it a try and ended up not being able to put it down.
When Jill's mom walks out on their family claiming to be suffocated by them, Jill and her father are left broken. Jill knows why her mom really left and knows that she could never tell her father, no matter how much it's killing her. Spending her summer working at her dad's garage doing what she loves, Jill uses the garage as an escape from her longtime best friend and crush who has done the unforgivable to her. Jill is trying to keep it together, so when a new guy moves in next door, Jill finds someone else to focus on and someone to open up to like she never has before.
Like I said, I had no idea what I was in for when I picked this book up. The thing that really intrigued me about this book was the fact that Jill worked in her dad's garage. I absolutely loved her relationship with her dad and how much she loved working with him on cars. So many things in this book tested the relationship between Jill and her dad, which was so heartbreaking to me because they were really all each other had left. I was definitely intrigued by Daniel, the new boy who moved in next door just when Jill was feeling completely alone. Daniel had problems of his own and I loved the unique relationship that grew between Daniel and Jill. There was an age difference and I normally hate it when the guy is a lot older than the 16 year old girl, but their age difference didn't bother me because it was done so tastefully. They were both very aware of their age difference and just found solace in each other due to the fact that they were both feeling alone with their family troubles.
While this book did have a romance, I don't think I would classify this as a romance. There was so much more substance to the friendships and family relationships in this book that it wasn't just about who Jill would end up with. And even though there were two guys who she was kind of into, it wasn't at all your typical love triangle. I loved how much Jill really needed the relationship she formed with Daniel while her relationship with Sean was up in the air and trying to mend itself. Jill was in a really tough spot and she just needed someone to just be there with her in her time of understanding her mom and watching her dad fall apart.
Overall, I absolutely loved If I Fix You. With such complex relationships and a real look at what it means to be a family and a friend, Jill goes through a summer of just trying to fix herself and understand the relationships she has always depended on. If you want a complex book that deals with family, love, and friendship, you have to pick up this book.
When Jill's mom walks out on their family claiming to be suffocated by them, Jill and her father are left broken. Jill knows why her mom really left and knows that she could never tell her father, no matter how much it's killing her. Spending her summer working at her dad's garage doing what she loves, Jill uses the garage as an escape from her longtime best friend and crush who has done the unforgivable to her. Jill is trying to keep it together, so when a new guy moves in next door, Jill finds someone else to focus on and someone to open up to like she never has before.
Like I said, I had no idea what I was in for when I picked this book up. The thing that really intrigued me about this book was the fact that Jill worked in her dad's garage. I absolutely loved her relationship with her dad and how much she loved working with him on cars. So many things in this book tested the relationship between Jill and her dad, which was so heartbreaking to me because they were really all each other had left. I was definitely intrigued by Daniel, the new boy who moved in next door just when Jill was feeling completely alone. Daniel had problems of his own and I loved the unique relationship that grew between Daniel and Jill. There was an age difference and I normally hate it when the guy is a lot older than the 16 year old girl, but their age difference didn't bother me because it was done so tastefully. They were both very aware of their age difference and just found solace in each other due to the fact that they were both feeling alone with their family troubles.
While this book did have a romance, I don't think I would classify this as a romance. There was so much more substance to the friendships and family relationships in this book that it wasn't just about who Jill would end up with. And even though there were two guys who she was kind of into, it wasn't at all your typical love triangle. I loved how much Jill really needed the relationship she formed with Daniel while her relationship with Sean was up in the air and trying to mend itself. Jill was in a really tough spot and she just needed someone to just be there with her in her time of understanding her mom and watching her dad fall apart.
Overall, I absolutely loved If I Fix You. With such complex relationships and a real look at what it means to be a family and a friend, Jill goes through a summer of just trying to fix herself and understand the relationships she has always depended on. If you want a complex book that deals with family, love, and friendship, you have to pick up this book.
February 14, 2018
If I Fix You es un libro que desde que salió he deseado leerlo y hace unos meses mis padres me lo regalaron por mis buenas notas. Como habréis notado tenía muchas expectativas con este libro y debo deciros que la historia me ha encantado pero he encontrado un fallo durante la lectura. Lo primero que me llamó la atención, como siempre me suele pasar, fue la portada. La combinación de los colores con el fondo, la hace muy vistosa y llamativa.
Nada más leer la sinopsis supe que sería un libro para mí, contiene todo lo que me gusta; Drama, Amor💖, Engaños... La trama me ha enganchado tanto que no he podido parar de leer, ha conseguido sacarme de mi bloqueo lector y lo he disfrutado muchísimo. En el libro nos encontramos con un triángulo amoroso que te engañará, ya que te dan a entender una cosa pero puede ir de otra manera. La pareja que hacen Sean y Jill la verdad es muy especial, son amigos desde la infancia y Sean ha conseguido mi corazón. Os preguntareis que como digo eso si Sean causo tanto daño a Jill, eso tendréis que descubrirlo vosotros/as. La relación con Daniel es más complicada de lo que parece y me hubiera gustado que la autora la hubiera desarrollado con más profundidad.
La autora ha conseguido llevarnos por un camino para luego decir: "No mejor vamos por otro". Te pone algunas situaciones que más adelante te darás cuenta de que has estado equivocado/a durante toda la lectura. No creas lo primero que digan estos personajes, saben esconder los secretos muy bien.
Conforme van saliendo a la luz esos secretos, te quedaras con la boca abierta. La situación de Daniel es una de ellas, esconde sus cicatrices hasta que no puede más y salen a la luz. He odiado tanto el personaje de la madre que me parece muy ruin todo lo que hace para que su hija vuelva con ella, perdona, no me creo su papel de "madre".
El libro tiene en total cuarenta y seis capítulos de unas diez páginas cada uno, se leen tan rápido que sin darte cuenta ya estarás pasando de capítulo. El tiempo en este libro pasa de forma desigual, porque a veces entre capítulos pueden pasar semanas y en otros apenas unas horas. Y ahora viene la única parte que veo ❌negativa❌ del libro, la cantidad de erratas que te vas encontrando durante su lectura. Algunas me han obligado a detenerme y volver a releer la frase. Un libro que cuesta tanto dinero me parece fatal que no hayan cuidado adecuadamente su edición.
El libro, como ya he dicho, me ha gustado bastante. Pero ese detalle me ha fastidiado un poco la experiencia lectora, por eso le he puesto cuatro estrellas y no cinco como había pensado. La historia también tira de algún que otro cliché y del drama que no podía faltar,😂.
Nada más leer la sinopsis supe que sería un libro para mí, contiene todo lo que me gusta; Drama, Amor💖, Engaños... La trama me ha enganchado tanto que no he podido parar de leer, ha conseguido sacarme de mi bloqueo lector y lo he disfrutado muchísimo. En el libro nos encontramos con un triángulo amoroso que te engañará, ya que te dan a entender una cosa pero puede ir de otra manera. La pareja que hacen Sean y Jill la verdad es muy especial, son amigos desde la infancia y Sean ha conseguido mi corazón. Os preguntareis que como digo eso si Sean causo tanto daño a Jill, eso tendréis que descubrirlo vosotros/as. La relación con Daniel es más complicada de lo que parece y me hubiera gustado que la autora la hubiera desarrollado con más profundidad.
La autora ha conseguido llevarnos por un camino para luego decir: "No mejor vamos por otro". Te pone algunas situaciones que más adelante te darás cuenta de que has estado equivocado/a durante toda la lectura. No creas lo primero que digan estos personajes, saben esconder los secretos muy bien.
Conforme van saliendo a la luz esos secretos, te quedaras con la boca abierta. La situación de Daniel es una de ellas, esconde sus cicatrices hasta que no puede más y salen a la luz. He odiado tanto el personaje de la madre que me parece muy ruin todo lo que hace para que su hija vuelva con ella, perdona, no me creo su papel de "madre".
El libro tiene en total cuarenta y seis capítulos de unas diez páginas cada uno, se leen tan rápido que sin darte cuenta ya estarás pasando de capítulo. El tiempo en este libro pasa de forma desigual, porque a veces entre capítulos pueden pasar semanas y en otros apenas unas horas. Y ahora viene la única parte que veo ❌negativa❌ del libro, la cantidad de erratas que te vas encontrando durante su lectura. Algunas me han obligado a detenerme y volver a releer la frase. Un libro que cuesta tanto dinero me parece fatal que no hayan cuidado adecuadamente su edición.
El libro, como ya he dicho, me ha gustado bastante. Pero ese detalle me ha fastidiado un poco la experiencia lectora, por eso le he puesto cuatro estrellas y no cinco como había pensado. La historia también tira de algún que otro cliché y del drama que no podía faltar,😂.
November 29, 2016
Is it bad that I liked the relationship with Daniel more than I did her same-age "love?" I dunno. I just couldn't get over the mom thing. Even after
I liked the relationship she had with her dad a lot. I liked the relationship she had with her best friend. I even liked the relationship she had with her neighbor, who was too old for her, and should have felt inappropriate, but for some reason, didn't. But... I feel like he should have. So, I feel a bit confused on that point. Like, I get his purpose, but I also feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed their interactions as much as I did. Maybe I was supposed to feel that way, though? Because that's how Jill felt? :\
I enjoyed the book, but man...
I liked the relationship she had with her dad a lot. I liked the relationship she had with her best friend. I even liked the relationship she had with her neighbor, who was too old for her, and should have felt inappropriate, but for some reason, didn't. But... I feel like he should have. So, I feel a bit confused on that point. Like, I get his purpose, but I also feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed their interactions as much as I did. Maybe I was supposed to feel that way, though? Because that's how Jill felt? :\
I enjoyed the book, but man...
September 21, 2016
Beautifully written, compelling and complex. This debut YA gripped me from the very beginning, and then propelled me toward the ending as Johnson revealed new dimensions to her characters as pieces of their stories are uncovered. What starts out as a fairly straightforward story about a girl dealing with heartbreak--both relationship and family--quickly escalates into a deeply layered novel about identity, love, and letting go.
IF I FIX YOU is wonderfully nuanced and atmospheric. The dialogue is sharp-witted, and at times searingly poignant. Johnson brings her native Arizona to life in her descriptions, and the setting just drew me in on so many levels. I felt like I was right there with the main character, Jill, climbing her roof, or wall-walking and pool hopping. My favorite aspect of the novel, however, is Jill's resilliancy, and her determination to help other people in the face of her own pain.
A stirring debut, rich with emotional gems that help us examine what it means to heal, even if that means allowing some things to stay broken.
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
IF I FIX YOU is wonderfully nuanced and atmospheric. The dialogue is sharp-witted, and at times searingly poignant. Johnson brings her native Arizona to life in her descriptions, and the setting just drew me in on so many levels. I felt like I was right there with the main character, Jill, climbing her roof, or wall-walking and pool hopping. My favorite aspect of the novel, however, is Jill's resilliancy, and her determination to help other people in the face of her own pain.
A stirring debut, rich with emotional gems that help us examine what it means to heal, even if that means allowing some things to stay broken.
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2017
I was provided with an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 / 5 stars
Wow. Just wow. I originally intended on giving this book 3.5 stars, leaning on the 3-star side. But after thinking about it, I’m not sure why I wasn’t going to give it a higher rating except for the fact that I’m trying to be stingy/strict with my ratings. But I can find no glaring fault that should hold this book from getting the 4 stars. This was a freaking good book.
I went into this thinking that it was going to be another YA contemporary that hinted at real life drama but really focused on romance. And while it did have relationship drama, it didn’t have so much that it deterred from the more important other things happening in Jill’s life. And said relationship drama was so intertwined with everything else, that it felt natural and not irritating to be there. It was just more complex than that. Plus Jill is a 16 year old girl; of course she’s gonna be a bit boy crazy (even at arguably inappropriate moments).
All that being said about the absolute presence of relationship drama, this book remained grounded. Jill had so many other things going on (poor thing btw could NOT get a break!) that both she and the reader couldn’t really spend too much time thinking about the boys because freaking everything else was spinning out of control. But all of these things happening to Jill made sense timing-wise. It didn’t feel like a gimmick to have hit after hit come because things just kept happening and falling into place in the right pacing. It didn’t feel like drama for the sake of drama. It felt real, and it mattered and was not fluffy in any way. And that was actually nice.
Jill (our MC) was fully fleshed. You really get to know her thought process, insecurities, and preferences inside and out. She’s so broken, yet so strong, gah! It’s clear that she’s pretty mature for her age. And I wasn’t the only one who thought so… helloooo Daniel! But even her conversations with Daniel (next door neighbor guy) were very natural and the way they got along made me smile. They enjoyed each other’s company and it was easy for them to be around each other, which consequently made it easy for me to read their interactions and enjoy their joined company.
In fact the writing in general was just amazing. Written in a way that didn’t make it obvious that it was from the POV of a 16 yo. My favorite parts were the bits where Jill would describe her love for her father. The only thing that I think suffered were Claire and Sean’s characters, and Claire more than Sean. I don’t think this book spent enough time with Claire, which diminished how important I perceived her to be to Jill.
There were many parts of this book that I seriously did not see coming! And man was I emotionally invested! It just kept making me feel things! But I’m happy with the length of the novel, and the way everything was wrapped up.
A good contemporary story that didn’t focus too much on one thing; it had romance, family issues, identity crises, coming-of-age story, and a great tomboy MC. Would definitely recommend for fans of Sarah Dessen, Huntley Fitzpatrick, and Jennifer E. Smith.
4.5 / 5 stars
Wow. Just wow. I originally intended on giving this book 3.5 stars, leaning on the 3-star side. But after thinking about it, I’m not sure why I wasn’t going to give it a higher rating except for the fact that I’m trying to be stingy/strict with my ratings. But I can find no glaring fault that should hold this book from getting the 4 stars. This was a freaking good book.
I went into this thinking that it was going to be another YA contemporary that hinted at real life drama but really focused on romance. And while it did have relationship drama, it didn’t have so much that it deterred from the more important other things happening in Jill’s life. And said relationship drama was so intertwined with everything else, that it felt natural and not irritating to be there. It was just more complex than that. Plus Jill is a 16 year old girl; of course she’s gonna be a bit boy crazy (even at arguably inappropriate moments).
All that being said about the absolute presence of relationship drama, this book remained grounded. Jill had so many other things going on (poor thing btw could NOT get a break!) that both she and the reader couldn’t really spend too much time thinking about the boys because freaking everything else was spinning out of control. But all of these things happening to Jill made sense timing-wise. It didn’t feel like a gimmick to have hit after hit come because things just kept happening and falling into place in the right pacing. It didn’t feel like drama for the sake of drama. It felt real, and it mattered and was not fluffy in any way. And that was actually nice.
Jill (our MC) was fully fleshed. You really get to know her thought process, insecurities, and preferences inside and out. She’s so broken, yet so strong, gah! It’s clear that she’s pretty mature for her age. And I wasn’t the only one who thought so… helloooo Daniel! But even her conversations with Daniel (next door neighbor guy) were very natural and the way they got along made me smile. They enjoyed each other’s company and it was easy for them to be around each other, which consequently made it easy for me to read their interactions and enjoy their joined company.
In fact the writing in general was just amazing. Written in a way that didn’t make it obvious that it was from the POV of a 16 yo. My favorite parts were the bits where Jill would describe her love for her father. The only thing that I think suffered were Claire and Sean’s characters, and Claire more than Sean. I don’t think this book spent enough time with Claire, which diminished how important I perceived her to be to Jill.
There were many parts of this book that I seriously did not see coming! And man was I emotionally invested! It just kept making me feel things! But I’m happy with the length of the novel, and the way everything was wrapped up.
A good contemporary story that didn’t focus too much on one thing; it had romance, family issues, identity crises, coming-of-age story, and a great tomboy MC. Would definitely recommend for fans of Sarah Dessen, Huntley Fitzpatrick, and Jennifer E. Smith.
June 8, 2021
3/5
"¿Puedes sentir decepción por la pérdida de algo que solo ha empezado a titilar con la promesa de un principio?
Una lectura ligera sobre un trío amoroso. Había estado leyendo mucha fantasía últimamente así que necesitaba un descanso y encontré este libro.
En sí me gustó la historia, aunque no soy fan de los triángulos amorosos, siento que lo sobrellevaron muy bien y con un final que me dejó satisfecha.
Me gustó el ver cómo sobrellevaba la protagonista su dolor interno y cómo lo canalizaba, como cualquier adolescente, pero creo que tomó buenas decisiones.
Amé a Jill, su historia de familia me cautivó de cierta forma, su relación con su papá me fascinó, me hacía feliz leerlo. Pero como toda familia no es perfecta, estaba el tema con su mamá. Tal vez Jill la odiaba, y con justa razón, pero mi mente de 21 años me dice que también estábamos leyendo sobre una niña de 15 años (y digamos que a esa edad como que todo es enredado ajja). Sin embargo, amé a Jill, a sus amigos, a su familia, etc.
Creo que uno de los personajes que obviamente me gustó, fue Sean. Aunque al princio lo odiaba por lo que había echo (y por cómo lo describía Jill), al final el lector, al mismo tiempo de Jill, comienza a aclararse la mente sobre cómo sucedió en realidad. Tal vez Jill vio lo que quizo ver y que su menté la nubló. Esa parte me gustó mucho.
"Tarde o temprano, e imagino que más bien temprano, acabaríamos estrellándonos. Yo ya había empezado a prepararme para el impacto."
Pero creo que el personaje más interesante fue Daniel. El típico chico grande, con una historia familiar horrible y que la protagonista siendo mujer, quería o sentía el deber de arreglarlo. Cliché pero pasa.
"Abrí a medias la puerta, odiándonos a los dos por pensar que arreglándonos a él me arreglaría a mi."
Recomiendo este libro para una lectura ligera y entretenida. No es que conecté con los personajes ni nada, pero para mí, fue lindo de leer. El tema del perdón me gustó, siento qu el autora lo sobrellevó muy bien al final. Y a pesar de que se notaba igual que estábamos dentro de la cabeza de una niña de 15 años (me recordaba a mi en esos tiempo JJAJA el cómo me sentía y pensaba), tomó al final buenas decisiones con respecto al interés amoroso que me dejaron satisfecha.
"Me parecía muy injusto que algunas personas pudieran querer de forma tan constante y otras de forma arbitraria."
"¿Puedes sentir decepción por la pérdida de algo que solo ha empezado a titilar con la promesa de un principio?
Una lectura ligera sobre un trío amoroso. Había estado leyendo mucha fantasía últimamente así que necesitaba un descanso y encontré este libro.
En sí me gustó la historia, aunque no soy fan de los triángulos amorosos, siento que lo sobrellevaron muy bien y con un final que me dejó satisfecha.
Me gustó el ver cómo sobrellevaba la protagonista su dolor interno y cómo lo canalizaba, como cualquier adolescente, pero creo que tomó buenas decisiones.
Amé a Jill, su historia de familia me cautivó de cierta forma, su relación con su papá me fascinó, me hacía feliz leerlo. Pero como toda familia no es perfecta, estaba el tema con su mamá. Tal vez Jill la odiaba, y con justa razón, pero mi mente de 21 años me dice que también estábamos leyendo sobre una niña de 15 años (y digamos que a esa edad como que todo es enredado ajja). Sin embargo, amé a Jill, a sus amigos, a su familia, etc.
Creo que uno de los personajes que obviamente me gustó, fue Sean. Aunque al princio lo odiaba por lo que había echo (y por cómo lo describía Jill), al final el lector, al mismo tiempo de Jill, comienza a aclararse la mente sobre cómo sucedió en realidad. Tal vez Jill vio lo que quizo ver y que su menté la nubló. Esa parte me gustó mucho.
"Tarde o temprano, e imagino que más bien temprano, acabaríamos estrellándonos. Yo ya había empezado a prepararme para el impacto."
Pero creo que el personaje más interesante fue Daniel. El típico chico grande, con una historia familiar horrible y que la protagonista siendo mujer, quería o sentía el deber de arreglarlo. Cliché pero pasa.
"Abrí a medias la puerta, odiándonos a los dos por pensar que arreglándonos a él me arreglaría a mi."
Recomiendo este libro para una lectura ligera y entretenida. No es que conecté con los personajes ni nada, pero para mí, fue lindo de leer. El tema del perdón me gustó, siento qu el autora lo sobrellevó muy bien al final. Y a pesar de que se notaba igual que estábamos dentro de la cabeza de una niña de 15 años (me recordaba a mi en esos tiempo JJAJA el cómo me sentía y pensaba), tomó al final buenas decisiones con respecto al interés amoroso que me dejaron satisfecha.
"Me parecía muy injusto que algunas personas pudieran querer de forma tan constante y otras de forma arbitraria."
October 24, 2016
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Perfect for fans of teenage angst and love.
Opening Sentence: Mom left on a Tuesday.
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
When I was first told about If I Fix You, someone told me it was a coming of age story whose timeline was catapulted on a roller coaster. If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson is more than just a story. There was something between me, as the reader, and everything about this book – the story, the characters, and all the emotions that Abigail has made me feel. I have not connected to a story, or anyone, in such a meaningful way as I have with Abigail.
If I Fix You is about Jill Whitaker. Everything begins as Jill’s mom walks out, on a post-it no less, and upends her and her dad’s life. There are questions and reasons why Jill’s mom left, and some of those answers are kept secret with Jill. And while Jill has an aptness to fix things, her life isn’t something that she can manage to fix. Slowly, she attempts to move on and ease away the hurt, despite distractions, unfathomable dreams, and unreachable hope.
Jill is from a broken home, clinging to the little bit of happiness she has left. She has a real voice, showing real emotions. Jill has a damaged heart, hurting from everything between her mom, her dad, and even Sean. Her denial with life and penchant to lose herself with the cars is endearing and heartbreaking all at the same time. I have developed a soft heart for Jill. All I wanted to do was console her, but another part of me became her. I once had been heartbroken and lost my dreams, and those emotions rushed back as I read about Jill’s life.
It’s a real lesson to have to like what is on the outside as much as what is on the inside. Jill had to bring herself away from her inner turmoil to fix herself. While Jill stands to be a commandeering main character, Sean and Daniel steal the show. There is an unrequited love triangle here, and it wasn’t easy to read. Sean’s relationship and history with Jill was difficult to read. Johnson did such a great job making sure to grab your heart and just squeeze. Daniel is the guy next door who isn’t anything else but a broken boy that you’d want to fix. See? Heartstrings!
Johnson’s writing in If I Fix You makes me realize that in our very imperfect lives, we are not meant to be perfect, but instead we are meant to be whole. Jill’s problems, while they may not be exactly the same, can mimic any one of ours. Jill allows me to accept and love, taking me through the spectrum from broken to acceptance and then to contentment. I cried. I felt emotions. And while I didn’t relate to every single thing, Johnson made me feel like I did.
Abigail Johnson’s If I Fix You is perfect for fans of teenage angst and love. You will go from happy to sad and back again. You will begin this story and not want to stop. And best of all? You will become a fan of Abigail Johnson.
Notable Scene:
In the blink of an eye, Sean changed. The stiffness in his posture relaxed, the shape of his mouth lifted, even his eyes seemed to change. It wasn’t until that change washed over him that I realized how much he’d been holding back, how I’d been missing him even when I saw him almost every day. He flashed a dimple and held his arms open.
If I still loved him, in that moment, I’d have known exactly why.
“Sweaty hug on it?”
My eyes darted from his arms to his eyes and back again. He was asking me to accept more than a ride. A lot more. It was starting to feel like too much, but I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try.
I stepped into him, my cheek pressing against his damp T-shirt.
“Wow, you sweat a lot for a girl.”
My heart was steady as I smiled into Sean’s chest, silently thanking him for saying the exact right thing to keep the moment light and easy. When he seemed reluctant to let go, I stayed in his arms a second longer, relieved that hugging him didn’t hurt. Not much anyway.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin Teen provided me with a copy of If I Fix You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Perfect for fans of teenage angst and love.
Opening Sentence: Mom left on a Tuesday.
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
When I was first told about If I Fix You, someone told me it was a coming of age story whose timeline was catapulted on a roller coaster. If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson is more than just a story. There was something between me, as the reader, and everything about this book – the story, the characters, and all the emotions that Abigail has made me feel. I have not connected to a story, or anyone, in such a meaningful way as I have with Abigail.
If I Fix You is about Jill Whitaker. Everything begins as Jill’s mom walks out, on a post-it no less, and upends her and her dad’s life. There are questions and reasons why Jill’s mom left, and some of those answers are kept secret with Jill. And while Jill has an aptness to fix things, her life isn’t something that she can manage to fix. Slowly, she attempts to move on and ease away the hurt, despite distractions, unfathomable dreams, and unreachable hope.
Jill is from a broken home, clinging to the little bit of happiness she has left. She has a real voice, showing real emotions. Jill has a damaged heart, hurting from everything between her mom, her dad, and even Sean. Her denial with life and penchant to lose herself with the cars is endearing and heartbreaking all at the same time. I have developed a soft heart for Jill. All I wanted to do was console her, but another part of me became her. I once had been heartbroken and lost my dreams, and those emotions rushed back as I read about Jill’s life.
It’s a real lesson to have to like what is on the outside as much as what is on the inside. Jill had to bring herself away from her inner turmoil to fix herself. While Jill stands to be a commandeering main character, Sean and Daniel steal the show. There is an unrequited love triangle here, and it wasn’t easy to read. Sean’s relationship and history with Jill was difficult to read. Johnson did such a great job making sure to grab your heart and just squeeze. Daniel is the guy next door who isn’t anything else but a broken boy that you’d want to fix. See? Heartstrings!
Johnson’s writing in If I Fix You makes me realize that in our very imperfect lives, we are not meant to be perfect, but instead we are meant to be whole. Jill’s problems, while they may not be exactly the same, can mimic any one of ours. Jill allows me to accept and love, taking me through the spectrum from broken to acceptance and then to contentment. I cried. I felt emotions. And while I didn’t relate to every single thing, Johnson made me feel like I did.
Abigail Johnson’s If I Fix You is perfect for fans of teenage angst and love. You will go from happy to sad and back again. You will begin this story and not want to stop. And best of all? You will become a fan of Abigail Johnson.
Notable Scene:
In the blink of an eye, Sean changed. The stiffness in his posture relaxed, the shape of his mouth lifted, even his eyes seemed to change. It wasn’t until that change washed over him that I realized how much he’d been holding back, how I’d been missing him even when I saw him almost every day. He flashed a dimple and held his arms open.
If I still loved him, in that moment, I’d have known exactly why.
“Sweaty hug on it?”
My eyes darted from his arms to his eyes and back again. He was asking me to accept more than a ride. A lot more. It was starting to feel like too much, but I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try.
I stepped into him, my cheek pressing against his damp T-shirt.
“Wow, you sweat a lot for a girl.”
My heart was steady as I smiled into Sean’s chest, silently thanking him for saying the exact right thing to keep the moment light and easy. When he seemed reluctant to let go, I stayed in his arms a second longer, relieved that hugging him didn’t hurt. Not much anyway.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin Teen provided me with a copy of If I Fix You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
August 20, 2022
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This is my 2nd Johnson book, and it was another hit.
I loved all the messiness and the emotions she elicited from me. Just when I thought Jill's mother couldn't get any worse, she dropped a truth bomb on her, which I think was meant to annihilate Jill's world. The good news - Jill wasn't having it.
Things I loved:
• The relationship between Jill and her dad. It was really special.
• The friendship between Jill and Claire. Claire may have been little Mary optimism, but she supported Jill when she needed her most.
• So many damaged characters. Gah! There were a lot of beautifully broken people in this book, and it was a pleasure watching them mend.
• Cars. Yep. A lot of cool muscle car references in the story, and Jill's love for them was almost contagious.
• Johnson gave me plenty of closure, so I am most grateful for that.
Overall: An emotionally charged story, which solidified Johnson as an auto-read for me.
This is my 2nd Johnson book, and it was another hit.
I loved all the messiness and the emotions she elicited from me. Just when I thought Jill's mother couldn't get any worse, she dropped a truth bomb on her, which I think was meant to annihilate Jill's world. The good news - Jill wasn't having it.
Things I loved:
• The relationship between Jill and her dad. It was really special.
• The friendship between Jill and Claire. Claire may have been little Mary optimism, but she supported Jill when she needed her most.
• So many damaged characters. Gah! There were a lot of beautifully broken people in this book, and it was a pleasure watching them mend.
• Cars. Yep. A lot of cool muscle car references in the story, and Jill's love for them was almost contagious.
• Johnson gave me plenty of closure, so I am most grateful for that.
Overall: An emotionally charged story, which solidified Johnson as an auto-read for me.
arcs-to-review
November 9, 2016
April 23, 2018
RESEÑA COMPLETA ➜ https://goo.gl/o1ix3y
Jill es una chica de 16 años que ama tres cosas en la vida, a su padre, los coches y a Sean, su mejor amigo del que ha estado enamorada desde siempre. Sean es un pilar muy importante dentro de su vida pues es la persona que más la comprende y a quien puede recurrir cuando las cosas en casa se ponen feas, y es que Jill no sólo tiene que lidiar con un enamoramiento no correspondido y las cosas típicas de la adolescencia, sino que también tiene que sobrellevar a su madre, quien al parecer esta insatisfecha con su vida y sólo se dedica a pelear con su padre todo el tiempo. Ella siempre ha sabido que su madre es infeliz y ha tratado comprenderla, pero una noche la encuentra en una situación inexcusable al lado de Sean y el poco amor que Jill sentía por ella desapareció, al igual que su madre al día siguiente.
Jill no sabe cómo reaccionar al abandono de su madre pues una parte de ella se alegra de que saliera de sus vidas y que se llevara con ella las incesantes peleas pero por otro lado no puede dejar de extrañar a su madre. Además, esa noche no sólo perdió a su mamá, sino que también perdió a su mejor amigo y ahora no puede hablar con nadie, sobre todo porque su padre se niega aceptar la existencia de su madre. Pero justo cuando piensa que está sola y rota en el mundo, un nuevo vecino llega. Un vecino que está más roto que ella.
¿Puedes sentir la decepción por la pérdida de algo que sólo ha empezado a titilar con la promesa de un principio?
Debo comenzar esta reseña diciéndoles que lo primero que me llamó de este libro fue la portada, pero no pueden culparme porque es simplemente hermosa. Lo siguiente que captó mi atención fue la sinopsis, y esa que gracias a ella más o menos me imaginaba lo que iba a pasar entre la madre y Sean, pero mi lado morboso quería la confirmación de los hechos y sobre todo tenía muchas ganas de saber cómo iba a lidiar la protagonista con eso y debo decir que pese a que el libro no el mejor que he leído del género, si es un libro que me ha demostrado unos personajes muy reales.
Por ejemplo, Jill es un verdadero caos desde la noche anterior al abandono de su madre y es algo muy entendible después de todo lo que pasó. Creo que ni ella misma logra comprenderse en ningún momento y busca en donde sea un poco de comprensión que es lo que encuentra al lado de Daniel, el nuevo vecino quien tiene una historia peor que la suya. Daniel y Jill son dos piezas rotas que no terminan de encajar en ningún lado, ni siquiera entre ellos pero al menos se tienen para contarse sus penas sin el temor se ser juzgados.
Daniel por su parte ha sido a mi parecer el personaje más profundo de la historia y uno simplemente no puede quedar indiferente ante sus cicatrices externas y mucho menos a las internas
También tengo que mencionarles a la madre de Jill quien es una perfecta villana mucho peor que Lord Voldemort o la Reina Levana y es que ella es el ejemplo perfecto del egoísmo humano. De verdad que uno no puede dejar de odiarla en ningún momento y lo que la hace más aterradora es saber que hay gente así suelta en el mundo.
RESEÑA COMPLETA ➜ https://goo.gl/o1ix3y
March 6, 2024
I actually finished this book 2 days ago and my original rating was 4 stars, but after more thinking, I'm gonna give it 5. I know it's cringe to say, but....this teen romance book is not like other teen romance books 😂
First of all, the blurb makes you think the story is going one way, but in reality, it's much more complex and takes different turns till the end so you can't guess what's gonna happen. I am so glad none of my predictions came true because that means a) the story is much more realistic and unique b) the characters aren't dumb.
The characters in this story don't romanticize negative behavior, they don't gloss over problems, they don't avoid talking about serious issues, and there are no "if they just talked everything would be resolved" plot points...These characters felt like real people. Not only that, but the teens in this book (I think they are 16-17) are very mature (unlike the last book I read 😑) and they know exactly what the consequences are for their actions.
Jill has to be one of my favorite main characters in contemporary novels. She tries to take care of her father, she doesn't take crap from her horrible mother, she's a good friend, when she makes mistakes she apologises and tries to fix things, she knows what boundaries are and where to put them and most importantly, she thinks ahead and knows what will probably get her in trouble along the way.
I absolutely loved her relationship with her father. It was not all perfect, but they loved each other the best way they could. Also, her relationship with her best friend Claire was wonderful. They were so supportive of each other and helped each other deal with their problems. A friend like Claire, and Sean for that matter, is hard to find.
Sean was also a fascinating character. He's everything I said about Claire and Jill, and definitely in the minority when it comes to male characters. He's kind, supportive, and patient, he considers Claire and Jill his best friends and is constantly by their side. But not in that usual "protective macho guy" way, but like a normal friend. When reading about them, it never felt like reading about Jill + Sean the ex and then Claire. Or Claire + Jill BFF and a guy with them. They were a trio and they each gave an equal amount of support, time and love.
This was my 3rd Abigail Johnson book and you bet I'm gonna read everything she write from now on 😂
First of all, the blurb makes you think the story is going one way, but in reality, it's much more complex and takes different turns till the end so you can't guess what's gonna happen. I am so glad none of my predictions came true because that means a) the story is much more realistic and unique b) the characters aren't dumb.
The characters in this story don't romanticize negative behavior, they don't gloss over problems, they don't avoid talking about serious issues, and there are no "if they just talked everything would be resolved" plot points...These characters felt like real people. Not only that, but the teens in this book (I think they are 16-17) are very mature (unlike the last book I read 😑) and they know exactly what the consequences are for their actions.
Jill has to be one of my favorite main characters in contemporary novels. She tries to take care of her father, she doesn't take crap from her horrible mother, she's a good friend, when she makes mistakes she apologises and tries to fix things, she knows what boundaries are and where to put them and most importantly, she thinks ahead and knows what will probably get her in trouble along the way.
I absolutely loved her relationship with her father. It was not all perfect, but they loved each other the best way they could. Also, her relationship with her best friend Claire was wonderful. They were so supportive of each other and helped each other deal with their problems. A friend like Claire, and Sean for that matter, is hard to find.
Sean was also a fascinating character. He's everything I said about Claire and Jill, and definitely in the minority when it comes to male characters. He's kind, supportive, and patient, he considers Claire and Jill his best friends and is constantly by their side. But not in that usual "protective macho guy" way, but like a normal friend. When reading about them, it never felt like reading about Jill + Sean the ex and then Claire. Or Claire + Jill BFF and a guy with them. They were a trio and they each gave an equal amount of support, time and love.
This was my 3rd Abigail Johnson book and you bet I'm gonna read everything she write from now on 😂
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