No Rating, because I only more or less skipped through the second half and haven't read the first half at all and I don't intend to in the future. This is just not my type of story! I doubt that the book would get even 2 stars from me. Some people might like such a book but I'm definitely one of them. And I will state why. So beware of possible SPOILERS, but you should think about reading them, because I believe that a lot of people might have similar problems with the story as I did.
So I read the blurb and it sounded nice and interesting enough to give this a try through Kindle Unlimited. And yes, I'm more than happy that I didn't bought a copy of the e-book. I already hat a feeling that the story might not be what I like so I skipped forward to the 50% mark (or something like that). Okay, I admit it, I search for some keywords because I wanted to know what Zoey did that got her on the list as "biggest slut" (which happens in of the last chapters so the blurb is really spoiler-ish!) and with "handjob" and "blowjob" I got the right keywords. And oh my, I was VERY surprised how the story turned out. After "Ella's Twisted Senior Year" by Amy Sparling which had some nice steamy YA-appropriate make-out scenes (with nothing more than kissing) I didn't expect "When Zoey Fell Too Far" to include multiple handjobs and blowjobs. That alone wouldn't have bothered me, the language in those scenes wasn't very explicit and I read adult books as well, so generally I wouldn't have been shocked but I was. I was shocked about the WAY those were included in the story. And it just didn't felt right.
Although I never actually read that part from reading the blurb and the second part I understand that Zoey landed on that list as biggest prude, probably because she didn't do something that douchebag who made the list wanted. But that's not important. She landed on that list and it hurt her so much that she wanted to change. Become bold and... stupid. Because that's what she became. Giving handjobs and blowjobs obviously doesn't make you more self-confident, more popular or whatever. It just makes you a girl who gives handjobs and blowjobs. Nothing wrong with that if that's what said girls wants, but that's not the case! And that shocked me! A lot!
So I started the story with Zoey sitting in a car with an asshole who was NOT the hero, while he took her hand and was giving himself a handjob, with Zoeys hand. She felt DISGUSTED afterwards. DISGUSTED, she said so herself! She scrubbed her hand after it happened and definitely didn't feel good about it, because it just happened. He surprised her . A dick move from his side but that's not what shocked me it was the fact the she CONTINUED giving him handjobs. Although she didn't really wanted it and felt bad about it. Yes, he was a dick. He used her weakness to make her do it. He knew how to play her and push the right buttons. And because she didn't wanted to a prude anymore she let him. Some people might say he was a douche and nothing is her fault, but I don't think so. Yes, he KNEW what he did and used her, but she continued to do it. And there was more than one occasion where she saw his true nature. Like the time when she was sexting with him. Something that didn't really exist when I was a teenager 10 years ago. So he sent her dick pictures of him and she pictures in her underwear. After she learned that he sent those pictures around to other classmates she sent him ANOTHER picture. Naked with her arms covering her breasts. Why? I mean she was intelligent enough to not sent a full nude why didn't she stopped texting him? Because she was weak and he used her, but I wanted her to grow! And then he persuaded her to give him a blowjob. Multiple times, although she felt bad about that too! And she gave another douche a blowjob too. And he was not the hero as well! And aside from the fact that Zoey didn't feel comfortable about the things she did, that bothered me too. I was happy that Jonah didn't judge her, he was so sweet! I wished he would've been in another story... In love stories I just don't want the hero/heroine to do things like that after the developed feelings... and that was the case here! And additionally angered me that Zoey was persuaded or pushed to give those last blowjobs while she was drunk. Those guys knew exactly what they did and that they used Zoey. She was capable of deciding and probably could have said no, but because they knew how to play Zoeys weakness to their own benefit she did in the end although she initially didn't wanted to. But it was WRONG of those assholes to use her like that, especially since she was drunk! She was a victim, multiple times. A victim to her own inscurities and a victim to guys who used it against her. But her character never developed and grew to become a stronger person. I wanted her to say "No" to them and stand behind her decision. I wanted her to speak her mind. And I was even more shocked that I never felt like it was addressed that way. Jonah did say that what those guys did was unacceptable and wrong but I would have liked Amy Sparling to focus on that more!
Yes, I know what Zoey experienced might be how it is for some teens nowadays (the pressure, ...) but I couldn't understand Zoey. I couldn't connect to her story. I would have been on that list as a big prude, I didn't drank, smoked or took drugs of any kind (and I still don't) and while in school I never had a boyfriend (who would with such stupid and immature guys? XD). But in contrast to Zoey it wouldn't have bothered me to be on such a list because I was self-confident about myself (at least when it came to those decisions). I was shy, but I was simply me and happy the way I was, I wanted to be that way!, whereas Zoey was insecure and weak. And I never felt like she showed a growth throughout the story. It never felt like she changed and grew stronger! She never really learned from her mistakes which really bothered me a lot. It's nothing wrong with being insecure but I wanted her to step above those stupid douchebags but that never happened.
So yeah, I didn't like the story... and the end didn't satisfied me at all. So I couldn't recommend this book, although some people might like it because it might be realistic for some readers. It wasn't reality for me while I was a teenager so I couldn't connect to Zoey and her story. And I didn't like that she was giving "sexual favors" to guys who weren't the hero. It's just something I don't like in romances in general. I'm okay with kissing but nothing more. ;-)