What do you think?
Rate this book
Someone to Love
Constantly in the spotlight thanks to her politician father's rising star, Olivia Blakely feels the pressure to be perfect. As the youngest girl in her class, she tries hard to keep up and to seem mature to the older boy she's crushing on, even as she catches his eye. But the need to look good on camera and at school soon grows into an all-consuming struggle with bulimia.
As Liv works toward her goal of gaining early admission to art school, including taking part in an upcoming student show, her life spirals out of control. Swept up in demands to do more than she's ready for, to always look perfect and to succeed, Liv doesn't know who she is anymore. It will take nearly losing her best friend and even her life for Liv to learn that loving herself is far more important than earning the world's approval.
As Liv works toward her goal of gaining early admission to art school, including taking part in an upcoming student show, her life spirals out of control. Swept up in demands to do more than she's ready for, to always look perfect and to succeed, Liv doesn't know who she is anymore. It will take nearly losing her best friend and even her life for Liv to learn that loving herself is far more important than earning the world's approval.
393 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2018
82 people are currently reading
4079 people want to read
About the author
Melissa de la Cruz
187 books15.9k followersMelissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
October 29, 2017
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to HQ and NetGalley.)
This was a YA contemporary story about a politician’s daughter with bulimia.
I felt quite sorry for Liv in this as she seemed to have so much going on, and seemed to be completely self-destructing as the book went along.
The storyline in this was about Liv’s life struggling with her eating disorder, and trying to live up to her parent’s expectations of her. She struggled with her bulimia, she struggled with self-harm, and she struggled with her relationships with her family, friends, and love interest. I did think that the author did a good job of representing someone with an eating disorder, but I also found it quite difficult to get into the story.
The ending to this was okay, and I was pleased that Liv was finally getting some help.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
6 out of 10
This was a YA contemporary story about a politician’s daughter with bulimia.
I felt quite sorry for Liv in this as she seemed to have so much going on, and seemed to be completely self-destructing as the book went along.
The storyline in this was about Liv’s life struggling with her eating disorder, and trying to live up to her parent’s expectations of her. She struggled with her bulimia, she struggled with self-harm, and she struggled with her relationships with her family, friends, and love interest. I did think that the author did a good job of representing someone with an eating disorder, but I also found it quite difficult to get into the story.
The ending to this was okay, and I was pleased that Liv was finally getting some help.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
6 out of 10
January 4, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger Warning for scenes involving self-harm, underage drinking, and the topic of eating disorders, specifically bulimia.
My previous experience with Melissa De la Cruz was reading "The Witches of East End" and this book is certainly not dealing in magic. Rather, Cruz's character, Liv is a high school student with a talent for art, but a very low self esteem. Her parents are distracted by her father's political race for governor and her older brothers have their own adult worries. Neither they nor her best friends, Sam and Antonia notice Liv's descent into an eating disorder. Determined to make it with the "in crowd" and snag one of the hot teen actors that attends her school, Liv will do anything to finally be pretty.
I noticed at the end of her book, Cruz dedicates the story to those who she knows that have suffered from this disorder. Although as a reader, it was sometimes hard to connect with Liv and in the beginning of the story, I just felt she was so very shallow. But then I came to understand that because of her self perception, Liv truly was unable to stop herself from continuing to purge her body. On the other hand, I felt the end was rather rushed to resolution and while there were glimmers of emotion from Liv's family members, I find it hard to believe that a young woman would only spend a few days in hospital after battling bulimia for almost two years. Mind you, I do love the last sentence of the story about how Liv needs to love herself before dating again .
Trigger Warning for scenes involving self-harm, underage drinking, and the topic of eating disorders, specifically bulimia.
My previous experience with Melissa De la Cruz was reading "The Witches of East End" and this book is certainly not dealing in magic. Rather, Cruz's character, Liv is a high school student with a talent for art, but a very low self esteem. Her parents are distracted by her father's political race for governor and her older brothers have their own adult worries. Neither they nor her best friends, Sam and Antonia notice Liv's descent into an eating disorder. Determined to make it with the "in crowd" and snag one of the hot teen actors that attends her school, Liv will do anything to finally be pretty.
I noticed at the end of her book, Cruz dedicates the story to those who she knows that have suffered from this disorder. Although as a reader, it was sometimes hard to connect with Liv and in the beginning of the story, I just felt she was so very shallow. But then I came to understand that because of her self perception, Liv truly was unable to stop herself from continuing to purge her body. On the other hand, I felt the end was rather rushed to resolution and while there were glimmers of emotion from Liv's family members, I find it hard to believe that a young woman would only spend a few days in hospital after battling bulimia for almost two years. Mind you, I do love the last sentence of the story about how Liv needs to love herself before dating again .
September 6, 2019
What stood out to me:
So heart-breaking that a lovely, smart teenage girl saw only fat and ugliness when she looked in the mirror. The dad’s political aspirations were certainly a contributing factor to his daughters’ lack of self-esteem, which led to her eating disorder.
Red Flags:
The main character is bulemic and goes to extreme lengths to hide her condition. She also graphically cuts herself deliberately when depressed. Underage age drinking is prevalent, and some of the language used is quite vulgar. This is a book that involves very heavy issues; I would not recommend it even to Y.A. readers without adult guidance.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 133)-“My thoughts loop through my head, overwhelming me. It’s all your fault. You’re a terrible person. It’s just hard to not ever live up to your own expectations, to see your flaws so clearly.”
(Pg. 353)-“ The smaller a girl is, the more visible she is to the world. The more she makes herself disappear, the more she matters. It’s all a trick.”
So heart-breaking that a lovely, smart teenage girl saw only fat and ugliness when she looked in the mirror. The dad’s political aspirations were certainly a contributing factor to his daughters’ lack of self-esteem, which led to her eating disorder.
Red Flags:
The main character is bulemic and goes to extreme lengths to hide her condition. She also graphically cuts herself deliberately when depressed. Underage age drinking is prevalent, and some of the language used is quite vulgar. This is a book that involves very heavy issues; I would not recommend it even to Y.A. readers without adult guidance.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 133)-“My thoughts loop through my head, overwhelming me. It’s all your fault. You’re a terrible person. It’s just hard to not ever live up to your own expectations, to see your flaws so clearly.”
(Pg. 353)-“ The smaller a girl is, the more visible she is to the world. The more she makes herself disappear, the more she matters. It’s all a trick.”
January 7, 2018
GRADE: D
1.5 STARS
High school junior Olivia wilts under the pressure of her family’s high expectations and her father’s gubernatorial campaign. Bulimic, a heavy drinker and a cutter, finally dating her crush Zach isn’t the dream she had imagined. Liv is on the outs with her best friends and spiraling out of control.
I very much enjoyed Melissa de la Cruz’s SOMETHING IN BETWEEN, but struggled through SOMEONE TO LOVE. The premise of a politician’s daughter striving for perfection sounded intriguing, I was surprised at de la Cruz’s boring plot execution. Olivia wasn’t particularly likable. A social climber treated her real friends poorly while trying to achieve her relationship goals. Although Liv was hurting, I was well into the second half of the book before I felt much sympathy for her.
The characters were one dimensional and the plot predictable. The best part of SOMEONE TO LOVE was that Olivia finally embraced recovery, although her linear recovery with perfect support from her previously unsupportive family was unrealistic for most sufferers of Liv’s problems.
1.5 STARS
High school junior Olivia wilts under the pressure of her family’s high expectations and her father’s gubernatorial campaign. Bulimic, a heavy drinker and a cutter, finally dating her crush Zach isn’t the dream she had imagined. Liv is on the outs with her best friends and spiraling out of control.
I very much enjoyed Melissa de la Cruz’s SOMETHING IN BETWEEN, but struggled through SOMEONE TO LOVE. The premise of a politician’s daughter striving for perfection sounded intriguing, I was surprised at de la Cruz’s boring plot execution. Olivia wasn’t particularly likable. A social climber treated her real friends poorly while trying to achieve her relationship goals. Although Liv was hurting, I was well into the second half of the book before I felt much sympathy for her.
The characters were one dimensional and the plot predictable. The best part of SOMEONE TO LOVE was that Olivia finally embraced recovery, although her linear recovery with perfect support from her previously unsupportive family was unrealistic for most sufferers of Liv’s problems.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2021
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Someone to Love by Melissa de la Cruz is a YA novel that digs deep into the issues surrounding bulimia. While there is some enlightening information contained in this book that will educate its readers about a serious and often ignored topic, there are too many other topics that this book also attempts to address, which seems to detract from the original theme. The main character is one that can be empathized with, but she is not one that I found to be particularly enjoyable. This book contains scenes of self-harm, so I will caution anyone who is triggered by this topic.
When I first came across this book, I was really intrigued by the fact that it address an eating disorder. This seems to be a topic that has gone by the wayside in YA to make room for other relevant issues of our times. It is a theme that, unfortunately, will always be important to learn about, as it affects so many individuals in our society. While I am not versed on all of the details and signs of bulimia, Melissa de la Cruz absolutely offers her readers lots of insight in recognizing someone who may be suffering from this disorder, and the inner and outer struggles they face. I found this aspect of Someone to Love to be very educational.
As I was reading this book, it felt like there were too many other issues attempting to be addressed at the same time as the main theme of bulimia. The other topics seemed to make appearances, yet there was no resolution or any sort of deeper understanding brought into the story. Some examples of these other topics are immigration, slut-shaming, alcoholism, and coming out. I feel as though the novel would have progressed a lot smoother and felt less jumbled if it had stuck to the main issue at hand. Yes, these other topics are important, however they just seemed thrown into the story and were not really resolved or dealt with at all.
Olivia is a character who is absolutely under a great deal of pressure. This aspect of her personality is one that the reader can understand and even empathize with. However, the whiny nature of this character just becomes a bit too much. Creating a character, such as Olivia, is difficult for sure, as there have to be some qualities that the reader doesn’t like or approve of. I have had experience reading other books that have a main character who is dislikable, however as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the character has some redeeming qualities and as the issues are worked out, the character becomes one that is admirable. I did not find myself feeling this way about Olivia at all.
Someone to Love is a book that addresses an issue that is not seen very often in YA and de la Cruz has provided her readers with a great wealth of information on the issues surrounding bulimia. It would have been more enjoyable to read this book if it had stuck to its main purpose and not go off in tangents to add in other hot topics. There may have been more opportunities to give the character of Olivia some redemption for the reader as well.
Someone to Love by Melissa de la Cruz is a YA novel that digs deep into the issues surrounding bulimia. While there is some enlightening information contained in this book that will educate its readers about a serious and often ignored topic, there are too many other topics that this book also attempts to address, which seems to detract from the original theme. The main character is one that can be empathized with, but she is not one that I found to be particularly enjoyable. This book contains scenes of self-harm, so I will caution anyone who is triggered by this topic.
When I first came across this book, I was really intrigued by the fact that it address an eating disorder. This seems to be a topic that has gone by the wayside in YA to make room for other relevant issues of our times. It is a theme that, unfortunately, will always be important to learn about, as it affects so many individuals in our society. While I am not versed on all of the details and signs of bulimia, Melissa de la Cruz absolutely offers her readers lots of insight in recognizing someone who may be suffering from this disorder, and the inner and outer struggles they face. I found this aspect of Someone to Love to be very educational.
As I was reading this book, it felt like there were too many other issues attempting to be addressed at the same time as the main theme of bulimia. The other topics seemed to make appearances, yet there was no resolution or any sort of deeper understanding brought into the story. Some examples of these other topics are immigration, slut-shaming, alcoholism, and coming out. I feel as though the novel would have progressed a lot smoother and felt less jumbled if it had stuck to the main issue at hand. Yes, these other topics are important, however they just seemed thrown into the story and were not really resolved or dealt with at all.
Olivia is a character who is absolutely under a great deal of pressure. This aspect of her personality is one that the reader can understand and even empathize with. However, the whiny nature of this character just becomes a bit too much. Creating a character, such as Olivia, is difficult for sure, as there have to be some qualities that the reader doesn’t like or approve of. I have had experience reading other books that have a main character who is dislikable, however as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the character has some redeeming qualities and as the issues are worked out, the character becomes one that is admirable. I did not find myself feeling this way about Olivia at all.
Someone to Love is a book that addresses an issue that is not seen very often in YA and de la Cruz has provided her readers with a great wealth of information on the issues surrounding bulimia. It would have been more enjoyable to read this book if it had stuck to its main purpose and not go off in tangents to add in other hot topics. There may have been more opportunities to give the character of Olivia some redemption for the reader as well.
January 28, 2018
I absolutely love Melissa de la Cruz and her writing. So when I saw this book was new this year (and month) AND it was available at my library.. well you don't have to tell me twice. I clicked the "reserve" button way too quickly.
Someone to Love's cover is freaking beautiful that I just wanted to kiss the book when I picked it up. I didn't actually do that because I probably would've freaked out the librarians who were watching me..
Now this book is about Olivia, aka Liv, who is the daughter of a Politician. However, she is not only that but she is just a teenager dealing with bulimia. Liv is dealing with a very common problem because most teens are dealing with bulimia, anorexia, etc. I like that she was dealing with something so realistic that teens who are/aren't dealing with the same situation can still relate to her. It doesn't have to be them going through what she is - no, it could be someone they know or just go to school with.
Overall, I really liked Liv. I think it probably has to deal with the fact that when I was younger someone said something to me about my weight and I sort of stopped eating for two weeks. Once my sister found out she told my dad and I was sort of put on watch - where they would sit me down for every meal and watch me eat everything on my plate. Looking back it wasn't the smartest idea to just stop eating but it was like I had blinders on. After a day or two, I didn't even realize I wasn't eating anything. Of course now that never happens - I love food way too much to just stop eating.
I completely related to Liv throughout the entire book and I was so happy that I finally got to read it. I loved everything about it and I'm kind of sad that it's over. I can't wait to read the next book written by Melissa.
Someone to Love's cover is freaking beautiful that I just wanted to kiss the book when I picked it up. I didn't actually do that because I probably would've freaked out the librarians who were watching me..
Now this book is about Olivia, aka Liv, who is the daughter of a Politician. However, she is not only that but she is just a teenager dealing with bulimia. Liv is dealing with a very common problem because most teens are dealing with bulimia, anorexia, etc. I like that she was dealing with something so realistic that teens who are/aren't dealing with the same situation can still relate to her. It doesn't have to be them going through what she is - no, it could be someone they know or just go to school with.
Overall, I really liked Liv. I think it probably has to deal with the fact that when I was younger someone said something to me about my weight and I sort of stopped eating for two weeks. Once my sister found out she told my dad and I was sort of put on watch - where they would sit me down for every meal and watch me eat everything on my plate. Looking back it wasn't the smartest idea to just stop eating but it was like I had blinders on. After a day or two, I didn't even realize I wasn't eating anything. Of course now that never happens - I love food way too much to just stop eating.
I completely related to Liv throughout the entire book and I was so happy that I finally got to read it. I loved everything about it and I'm kind of sad that it's over. I can't wait to read the next book written by Melissa.
January 7, 2018
To see review with gifs click here.
Note, originally I two starred this, but upon reflection I can't justify the extra star. This book is just too much.
Warning, this book is trigger inducing if you suffer from body dysmorphia, have an eating disorder, experienced sexual assault, and have committed self harm you might want to avoid this book. Because the book goes into in great detail, and God knows I could see it as trigger inducing. Even though I haven’t personally suffered from any of these things, this book made me uncomfortable. True, it did not make me as uncomfortable as I was a 15 Year Old Blimp (which pretty much gave you even more detailed instructions than this book on how to binge and purge-yeah, I remember reading that as a 12 year old and being marginally freaked out) but it’s still bad.
Going into this, I was more than a little weary. My more recent track record with de la Cruz’s books hasn’t been pleasant (to the point where I think my fondness for Bluebloods is merely driven by Nostalgia goggles) and honestly I was sort of relieved this one wasn’t worse than I expected (then again, you can’t get much lower than that sad Pride and Prejudice retelling).
However, just not being that God awful, didn’t make me love this book by any means. In fact, it’s all kinds of awful. But it’s readable since it’s not name dropping some fashion designer every other pages. Because really Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe really topped it with all of the Kate Spade pajamas the MC wore.
I’ll start out with my biggest grievances with this book the multiple sexual assaults that the MC experiences. Several people make unwanted advances to Liv throughout the book, and she is slut slammed for it (one of those shamers being her asshole Paul Ryan Wannabe father, no less). Even after the overdramatic climax– of this book the being assaulted is never really addressed. It should’ve been. It was one of the many underlying causes Liv had that was causing her to binge and purge. The fact that this is never addressed left me feeling disgusted. It seemed like de la Cruz merely had Liv grabbed and groped as a plot point, and it just made me mad.
Book Hulk mad.
Honestly, the binging and purging, the binge drinking, and the random cutting were all plot points too you want me to get honest about it. The book shows that Liv’s under a lot of stress, but one meltdown and her life seemingly gets back together.
That’s not how it works.
An eating disorder, just like alcoholism, and self harm is something you’re going to deal with the rest of your life. You’re not going to get instantly better and be in a “good place” there’s lots of ups and downs and this book does not address it. We don’t get to see Liv struggle at the rehab center when she has to gain weight. We don’t see how she reacts to stress post rehab. She’s just fine and dandy, and that’s not how it is in real life. I get that de la Cruz might’ve wanted to end this on an uplifting note, but honestly it could’ve ended as uplifting with a little more realism.
Though to be fair, the entire book lacked realism. Which brings me to my next issue the Paul Ryan Wannabe Dad.
Maybe it’s because I REALLY hate Paul Ryan (dude, I and any other American with a somewhat functioning brain can through your shitty tax plan and we know you’re gunning for Medicaid and Social Security cuts, you pathetic Trump kissing asshole) but I kept associating him with the dad character throughout the book and in turn it made me hate him (the dad character not Ryan) even more than I probably should. Though to be fair, de la Cruz made him utterly despicable when he went off on his daughter for purposely getting herself an eating disorder because it was going to mess up his campaign for governor.
Seriously, anyone who has an eating disorder is not going to get it on purpose. Personally, I would never vote for someone like Colin Blakey. It perplexes me how he’s even in fictional office-oh, wait…look who we have as POTUS in real life.
Note, if you’re not that political and getting annoyed with these digressive rants about the currently controlled GOP congress and POTUS right now. Sorry, but not sorry. It’s relevant to the book and will be coming up a lot throughout the review. Here’s why. Maybe in 2012 I would’ve argued that Colin Blakey was a caricature at best. But I can’t now, because I totally could see a certain orange asshole writing a Tweet about how bulimia is a choice.
I swear…
Anyways, besides these things it bothered me how much in detail that de la Cruz went into how to purge. Look, I get that it’s easy to find out how to force yourself to purge but I really don’t like seeing it in such detail in a book when I know that there’s some impressionable 12 year old who’s probably going to read it and get as freaked out as I did when I read I was a 15 Year Old Blimp. To be sure, I don’t think this book was as bad as that one, but it did go into detail and while the side effects of the disorder were mentioned they didn’t go into such detail as they should’ve.
Seriously, the most we hear about the MC’s side effects from binging is brief mention that read more or less like a Wikipedia article.
The self harm bits were even more ridiculous and were more or less an after thought.
I understand that de la Cruz was trying to write about a very sensitive and important issue, but it really did read like a melodrama after school special than anything else. It probably didn’t help that I didn’t connect to any of the characters.
If I felt any emotion towards any of the characters it was hate. The Paul Ryan wannabe and the One Direction Wannabe/ Pervert boyfriend, and the pervert who randomly groped Liv I hated. I also hated Liv’s best friend, Antonia.
We were told she was a good friend, but pretty much every time she and Liv hung out she’d ditch Liv and Liv was just suppose to be okay with it. That’s not how good friendships work, de la Cruz. Oh, and wait, said friend gets pissy at Liv when she’s assaulted because she didn’t stay to help her out with her date…
Yeah, shitty friend.
Healthy relationships were really something that this book failed at. The Paul Ryan wannabe dad is a prime example of this. All the characters in this book are doing everything to make HIM happy and not giving any consequences to anyone else. He has an aide that is outright mentally abusive towards his daughter, but Liv is suppose to deal because her dad needs to win the race.
Note, the last thing I want for the state of California is a Paul Ryan Wannabe. Just saying…
It doesn’t extend to just the father though. Liv’s mother forces her daughter to go to a shrink’s office, without telling her the therapy session is for her and literally ambushes her there when Liv was suppose to be there for the mother’s emotional support.
I’m actually surprise that the shrink was okay with that. You don’t ambush someone like that in such a fragile mental state. Especially not like that, and then tell them that you’ll be disappointed in them if they don’t continue mommy daughter shrink time. That’s just asking for a dumpster fire.
God, these people.
The older brothers are shit douches too. One is a former addict and knows his sister is binging and let’s the behavior go on for months before telling the stupid mother. The other brother has relationship issues with his girlfriend (note the other brother was the LI in de la Cruz’s Something In Between).
Oh, and there’s Liv’s other best friend/future love interest who is so bland that the only thing I know about him is he likes science, has a dead brother, and has surfer hair.
I really can’t compute…
Given the plot of this one, I thought this book would be very character driven. Eating disorders and self harm are complex issues and I felt like this book cheapened them to add “dramatics”. Like in all of de la Cruz’s books there is a ridiculous sense of privilege about the book. Though, in this particular book I think reality might’ve been suspended since I can’t see the cast of a CW show partying with high schoolers. I also can’t see the speaker of the house ditching his position to become governor, or that more attention and scrutiny will apply to the family for running for governor when they’re already the speaker’s kids.
But whatever.
Like I said this one is trigger inducing. I think something with this material could be gut wrenching. But I wasn’t bawling after reading this, instead it was one of those books I threw into the give away box. Only thing is, I sort of would feel guilty about donating this one to charity since I feel like there are a lot of things about this book that could cause potential harm.
Note, originally I two starred this, but upon reflection I can't justify the extra star. This book is just too much.
Warning, this book is trigger inducing if you suffer from body dysmorphia, have an eating disorder, experienced sexual assault, and have committed self harm you might want to avoid this book. Because the book goes into in great detail, and God knows I could see it as trigger inducing. Even though I haven’t personally suffered from any of these things, this book made me uncomfortable. True, it did not make me as uncomfortable as I was a 15 Year Old Blimp (which pretty much gave you even more detailed instructions than this book on how to binge and purge-yeah, I remember reading that as a 12 year old and being marginally freaked out) but it’s still bad.
Going into this, I was more than a little weary. My more recent track record with de la Cruz’s books hasn’t been pleasant (to the point where I think my fondness for Bluebloods is merely driven by Nostalgia goggles) and honestly I was sort of relieved this one wasn’t worse than I expected (then again, you can’t get much lower than that sad Pride and Prejudice retelling).
However, just not being that God awful, didn’t make me love this book by any means. In fact, it’s all kinds of awful. But it’s readable since it’s not name dropping some fashion designer every other pages. Because really Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe really topped it with all of the Kate Spade pajamas the MC wore.
I’ll start out with my biggest grievances with this book the multiple sexual assaults that the MC experiences. Several people make unwanted advances to Liv throughout the book, and she is slut slammed for it (one of those shamers being her asshole Paul Ryan Wannabe father, no less). Even after the overdramatic climax– of this book the being assaulted is never really addressed. It should’ve been. It was one of the many underlying causes Liv had that was causing her to binge and purge. The fact that this is never addressed left me feeling disgusted. It seemed like de la Cruz merely had Liv grabbed and groped as a plot point, and it just made me mad.
Book Hulk mad.
Honestly, the binging and purging, the binge drinking, and the random cutting were all plot points too you want me to get honest about it. The book shows that Liv’s under a lot of stress, but one meltdown and her life seemingly gets back together.
That’s not how it works.
An eating disorder, just like alcoholism, and self harm is something you’re going to deal with the rest of your life. You’re not going to get instantly better and be in a “good place” there’s lots of ups and downs and this book does not address it. We don’t get to see Liv struggle at the rehab center when she has to gain weight. We don’t see how she reacts to stress post rehab. She’s just fine and dandy, and that’s not how it is in real life. I get that de la Cruz might’ve wanted to end this on an uplifting note, but honestly it could’ve ended as uplifting with a little more realism.
Though to be fair, the entire book lacked realism. Which brings me to my next issue the Paul Ryan Wannabe Dad.
Maybe it’s because I REALLY hate Paul Ryan (dude, I and any other American with a somewhat functioning brain can through your shitty tax plan and we know you’re gunning for Medicaid and Social Security cuts, you pathetic Trump kissing asshole) but I kept associating him with the dad character throughout the book and in turn it made me hate him (the dad character not Ryan) even more than I probably should. Though to be fair, de la Cruz made him utterly despicable when he went off on his daughter for purposely getting herself an eating disorder because it was going to mess up his campaign for governor.
Seriously, anyone who has an eating disorder is not going to get it on purpose. Personally, I would never vote for someone like Colin Blakey. It perplexes me how he’s even in fictional office-oh, wait…look who we have as POTUS in real life.
Note, if you’re not that political and getting annoyed with these digressive rants about the currently controlled GOP congress and POTUS right now. Sorry, but not sorry. It’s relevant to the book and will be coming up a lot throughout the review. Here’s why. Maybe in 2012 I would’ve argued that Colin Blakey was a caricature at best. But I can’t now, because I totally could see a certain orange asshole writing a Tweet about how bulimia is a choice.
I swear…
Anyways, besides these things it bothered me how much in detail that de la Cruz went into how to purge. Look, I get that it’s easy to find out how to force yourself to purge but I really don’t like seeing it in such detail in a book when I know that there’s some impressionable 12 year old who’s probably going to read it and get as freaked out as I did when I read I was a 15 Year Old Blimp. To be sure, I don’t think this book was as bad as that one, but it did go into detail and while the side effects of the disorder were mentioned they didn’t go into such detail as they should’ve.
Seriously, the most we hear about the MC’s side effects from binging is brief mention that read more or less like a Wikipedia article.
The self harm bits were even more ridiculous and were more or less an after thought.
I understand that de la Cruz was trying to write about a very sensitive and important issue, but it really did read like a melodrama after school special than anything else. It probably didn’t help that I didn’t connect to any of the characters.
If I felt any emotion towards any of the characters it was hate. The Paul Ryan wannabe and the One Direction Wannabe/ Pervert boyfriend, and the pervert who randomly groped Liv I hated. I also hated Liv’s best friend, Antonia.
We were told she was a good friend, but pretty much every time she and Liv hung out she’d ditch Liv and Liv was just suppose to be okay with it. That’s not how good friendships work, de la Cruz. Oh, and wait, said friend gets pissy at Liv when she’s assaulted because she didn’t stay to help her out with her date…
Yeah, shitty friend.
Healthy relationships were really something that this book failed at. The Paul Ryan wannabe dad is a prime example of this. All the characters in this book are doing everything to make HIM happy and not giving any consequences to anyone else. He has an aide that is outright mentally abusive towards his daughter, but Liv is suppose to deal because her dad needs to win the race.
Note, the last thing I want for the state of California is a Paul Ryan Wannabe. Just saying…
It doesn’t extend to just the father though. Liv’s mother forces her daughter to go to a shrink’s office, without telling her the therapy session is for her and literally ambushes her there when Liv was suppose to be there for the mother’s emotional support.
I’m actually surprise that the shrink was okay with that. You don’t ambush someone like that in such a fragile mental state. Especially not like that, and then tell them that you’ll be disappointed in them if they don’t continue mommy daughter shrink time. That’s just asking for a dumpster fire.
God, these people.
The older brothers are shit douches too. One is a former addict and knows his sister is binging and let’s the behavior go on for months before telling the stupid mother. The other brother has relationship issues with his girlfriend (note the other brother was the LI in de la Cruz’s Something In Between).
Oh, and there’s Liv’s other best friend/future love interest who is so bland that the only thing I know about him is he likes science, has a dead brother, and has surfer hair.
I really can’t compute…
Given the plot of this one, I thought this book would be very character driven. Eating disorders and self harm are complex issues and I felt like this book cheapened them to add “dramatics”. Like in all of de la Cruz’s books there is a ridiculous sense of privilege about the book. Though, in this particular book I think reality might’ve been suspended since I can’t see the cast of a CW show partying with high schoolers. I also can’t see the speaker of the house ditching his position to become governor, or that more attention and scrutiny will apply to the family for running for governor when they’re already the speaker’s kids.
But whatever.
Like I said this one is trigger inducing. I think something with this material could be gut wrenching. But I wasn’t bawling after reading this, instead it was one of those books I threw into the give away box. Only thing is, I sort of would feel guilty about donating this one to charity since I feel like there are a lot of things about this book that could cause potential harm.
January 12, 2019
I recently finished listening to Someone to Love by Melissa De La Cruz. I am a huge fan of her books and I felt like I went through this audiobook pretty fast. I made it my commute audiobook and then last weekend I listened to several hours at home. I will say there could be a lot of triggers in this book as it covers sensitive topics such as eating disorders.
SPOILERS AHEAD
This book focuses on Liv a teenage girl, the daughter of a politician, and someone who is being pressured to be perfect and get it all right. However, Liv has a secret eating disorder and her life is in chaos a lot of the time. She has two best friends, one of whom it seems like she may be more than friends with someday but that day has not come yet. Mostly due to Liv and her stubborn behaviors and because she likes another guy at her school, an actor. Liv’s story is a crazy ride (I really do not want to give her whole journey away) but I will say the story follows her eating disorder journey and where her bottom is or her fallout point. I really enjoyed the story of Liv and understood what she went through. I think this is an important story to tell and share, I think a lot of people especially teenagers struggle with eating disorders or body issues in general and Liv’s story tells an amazing story about someone who is going through that. Someone who is trying to survive all the pressure of being a student and a teen and a daughter. I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. I would definitely read it again and anything else by Melissa De La Cruz.
SPOILERS AHEAD
This book focuses on Liv a teenage girl, the daughter of a politician, and someone who is being pressured to be perfect and get it all right. However, Liv has a secret eating disorder and her life is in chaos a lot of the time. She has two best friends, one of whom it seems like she may be more than friends with someday but that day has not come yet. Mostly due to Liv and her stubborn behaviors and because she likes another guy at her school, an actor. Liv’s story is a crazy ride (I really do not want to give her whole journey away) but I will say the story follows her eating disorder journey and where her bottom is or her fallout point. I really enjoyed the story of Liv and understood what she went through. I think this is an important story to tell and share, I think a lot of people especially teenagers struggle with eating disorders or body issues in general and Liv’s story tells an amazing story about someone who is going through that. Someone who is trying to survive all the pressure of being a student and a teen and a daughter. I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. I would definitely read it again and anything else by Melissa De La Cruz.
January 17, 2018
Rating: 3.5/5
Review to come!
Review to come!
April 8, 2018
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
I wanted to fall madly in love with this book...but alas I couldn't. I have been reading Melissa de la Cruz since she published her Blue Blood Series, way back in the day. So I thought this book would be a slam dunk but the topic of an eating disorder is dangerous water to tread in. The reason is, as someone who once struggled with one, I find authors have a hard time accurately portraying the internal struggles and it usually ends quickly with things wrapped up in a nice little bow.
That same thing happened here, Liv is struggling with her bulimia and the story constantly discusses how she counts calories, but then she frequently drinks to take the edge off her hunger. In my disorder and recovery, we count those as empty calories, alcohol isn't calorie free. Liv just didn't go there for me as a character, while she seemed to go through the motions and struggles in her eating disorder, she isn't there emotionally. I wanted to be in her mind and feel the melt down, the disappoint, and the guilt but she never reaches that emotional level where we connected.
I feel that this might largely be in part to the fact that if you have never had an eating disorder, you simply don't understand it. But also the fact that there were so many micro-stories and characters in the plot line that it over shadowed Liv's story. Liv is in high school in all AP classes but she hardly ever does homework. Liv is struggling to get to her goal weight, but I don't even know how tall she is until the end of the story...honestly, how can I know if a weight is extreme or not, 100 pounds on someone who is 5' tall versus 6' tall is very different.
Its the little things like this that leave me feeling disconnected. While the story wasn't bad, it was simply meh. The ending was way too quick, I wanted to hear her therapy session, I wanted to see her eating, and there was not a single mention of purging after people find out about her bulimia. This was extremely disappointing, Melissa could have been the movement to normalize these sorts of things but she glides over them. In the end, I finished the read but its not something I will ever pick up again...and I can't say I would recommend it either.
I wanted to fall madly in love with this book...but alas I couldn't. I have been reading Melissa de la Cruz since she published her Blue Blood Series, way back in the day. So I thought this book would be a slam dunk but the topic of an eating disorder is dangerous water to tread in. The reason is, as someone who once struggled with one, I find authors have a hard time accurately portraying the internal struggles and it usually ends quickly with things wrapped up in a nice little bow.
That same thing happened here, Liv is struggling with her bulimia and the story constantly discusses how she counts calories, but then she frequently drinks to take the edge off her hunger. In my disorder and recovery, we count those as empty calories, alcohol isn't calorie free. Liv just didn't go there for me as a character, while she seemed to go through the motions and struggles in her eating disorder, she isn't there emotionally. I wanted to be in her mind and feel the melt down, the disappoint, and the guilt but she never reaches that emotional level where we connected.
I feel that this might largely be in part to the fact that if you have never had an eating disorder, you simply don't understand it. But also the fact that there were so many micro-stories and characters in the plot line that it over shadowed Liv's story. Liv is in high school in all AP classes but she hardly ever does homework. Liv is struggling to get to her goal weight, but I don't even know how tall she is until the end of the story...honestly, how can I know if a weight is extreme or not, 100 pounds on someone who is 5' tall versus 6' tall is very different.
Its the little things like this that leave me feeling disconnected. While the story wasn't bad, it was simply meh. The ending was way too quick, I wanted to hear her therapy session, I wanted to see her eating, and there was not a single mention of purging after people find out about her bulimia. This was extremely disappointing, Melissa could have been the movement to normalize these sorts of things but she glides over them. In the end, I finished the read but its not something I will ever pick up again...and I can't say I would recommend it either.
December 4, 2017
This was an okay book about a girl with bulemia who finds herself in the public spotlight when her dad decides to run for governor.
The story was paced a little slowly but it rattled along okay and I guess it shed some light on topics that are relevant, like constantly feeling compared to other girls, self-harm, parental pressure and eating disorders. There were some aspects of the book that didn't feel so relevant, though. Like the problems Olivia has with being in the public spotlight (can't see that being a major issue for 99.9%of the population) or being super-rich (yeah .....) or having a famous boyfriend.
Just as a bit of background, I've never had an eating disorder so I can't speak from first-hand experience, but something about this story felt a bit off, like it didn't quite ring true. I think it was the way she seemed to recover from her bulimia so quickly at the end. I may not know much about eating disorders, but I do know it's not like tonsillitis. You can't just take a pill and get better. It takes months and years of therapy and support. I think the author was trying to do a really brave and worthy thing in writing about this, and I'm not saying that every story has to be like an own-voices thing, but it still has to have authenticity and some of the description of Olivia's bulimia just felt a bit ... functional.
I really liked Sam in this story, but Olivia was a bit bland and naive. Zack was utterly charmless and I was zero-surprised when he turned out to be an arsehole. I wasn't a massive fan of Antonia either - she really pressured Olivia.
The writing felt a bit tell-don't-show. Like this paragraph here:
I love being around Antonia. She makes me feel so alive.
Don't tell me these things - show me.
There were two characters from one of the author's previous books included in this story. They weren't integral to the plot of this book and they didn't really have a proper story arc of their own, so it felt like they were just shoehorned in because the author wanted to catch up with them again.
All in all, not a winner for me.
The story was paced a little slowly but it rattled along okay and I guess it shed some light on topics that are relevant, like constantly feeling compared to other girls, self-harm, parental pressure and eating disorders. There were some aspects of the book that didn't feel so relevant, though. Like the problems Olivia has with being in the public spotlight (can't see that being a major issue for 99.9%of the population) or being super-rich (yeah .....) or having a famous boyfriend.
Just as a bit of background, I've never had an eating disorder so I can't speak from first-hand experience, but something about this story felt a bit off, like it didn't quite ring true. I think it was the way she seemed to recover from her bulimia so quickly at the end. I may not know much about eating disorders, but I do know it's not like tonsillitis. You can't just take a pill and get better. It takes months and years of therapy and support. I think the author was trying to do a really brave and worthy thing in writing about this, and I'm not saying that every story has to be like an own-voices thing, but it still has to have authenticity and some of the description of Olivia's bulimia just felt a bit ... functional.
I really liked Sam in this story, but Olivia was a bit bland and naive. Zack was utterly charmless and I was zero-surprised when he turned out to be an arsehole. I wasn't a massive fan of Antonia either - she really pressured Olivia.
The writing felt a bit tell-don't-show. Like this paragraph here:
I love being around Antonia. She makes me feel so alive.
Don't tell me these things - show me.
There were two characters from one of the author's previous books included in this story. They weren't integral to the plot of this book and they didn't really have a proper story arc of their own, so it felt like they were just shoehorned in because the author wanted to catch up with them again.
All in all, not a winner for me.
Read
December 30, 2017Disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley
DNF @ 20%
I'm not really feeling this one at the moment. I'm in a bit of a slump recently, especially when it comes to contemporary. I may or may not go back to it later.
DNF @ 20%
I'm not really feeling this one at the moment. I'm in a bit of a slump recently, especially when it comes to contemporary. I may or may not go back to it later.
March 24, 2019
Ughhh. I know what it's like to struggle with an eating disorder, depression and self-doubt. It's not that the main character didn't have real problems, but geez, this was 400 pages of ANGST. I just had no desire to root for her. The misunderstandings with friends and people who treat her like jerks and stressful politics weren't necessarily badly represented, but because they're all happening to a girl who spends endless pages whining about how everyone is too good for her and she's a failure, it's hard to actually feel sorry for her. Even the ED itself felt very stereotyped to me, and seemed to be blamed on a few truly AWFUL things said to the main character which kind of made it sound like mental illness has an obvious cause and was her brother & ex-boyfriend's "fault".
Also, ALL the YA tropes rolled into one, none of them done amazingly well.
Also, ALL the YA tropes rolled into one, none of them done amazingly well.
March 17, 2018
I'm not sure this was entirely successful. Seemed like just too much thrown into the story and some of the plot points didn't have the depth or wrap up they deserved.
April 15, 2018
This novel did such a poor job of addressing sexual assault. Very disappointing. Plus in the end, the main character was able to 'fix' her eating disorder and binge drinking so easily.
December 25, 2017
Trigger Warning: Self-harm, eating disorders
I'm not really big into contemporary, but this book was a welcome surprise. I received it in the mail, let it sit on my counter for a few days so I could finish another book, then picked this one up.
At first I really thought I wasn't going to be able to get into it. It seemed so cliche, the main character, Liv, seemed too shallow.
Fast-forward to a couple hours later: still in the same spot, still in the same position on the couch. Devouring this book.
While I'm aware of eating disorders, I know I'm not knowledgeable enough to speak on them. Cruz invited me into a whole new and horrifying world of bulimia, and left me with more knowledge than I had before reading.
It hurts me to know there are people out there suffering with this. It hurts me even more to know that I can't be there to help everyone, and that people fall victim to this horrible disease every day thinking that they're all alone in this world. This world is heavy and painful, and I wish it were a softer place for everyone so no one would have to deal with these things in their lives.
I really like the theme of Olivia being an artist in her tightly-wound political family. The opening to the chapters included inspirational quotes by famous painters like Gogh or Kahlo. The chapters are short and easy to get through, so it spurs you on from one to the other.
I feel like this is a book I should share with people who have really self-deprecating thoughts or mental illnesses, as it was a story of hope and wisdom to me that I really, thoroughly enjoyed.
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are of my own and are not swayed by any outside factors.
I'm not really big into contemporary, but this book was a welcome surprise. I received it in the mail, let it sit on my counter for a few days so I could finish another book, then picked this one up.
At first I really thought I wasn't going to be able to get into it. It seemed so cliche, the main character, Liv, seemed too shallow.
Fast-forward to a couple hours later: still in the same spot, still in the same position on the couch. Devouring this book.
While I'm aware of eating disorders, I know I'm not knowledgeable enough to speak on them. Cruz invited me into a whole new and horrifying world of bulimia, and left me with more knowledge than I had before reading.
It hurts me to know there are people out there suffering with this. It hurts me even more to know that I can't be there to help everyone, and that people fall victim to this horrible disease every day thinking that they're all alone in this world. This world is heavy and painful, and I wish it were a softer place for everyone so no one would have to deal with these things in their lives.
I really like the theme of Olivia being an artist in her tightly-wound political family. The opening to the chapters included inspirational quotes by famous painters like Gogh or Kahlo. The chapters are short and easy to get through, so it spurs you on from one to the other.
I feel like this is a book I should share with people who have really self-deprecating thoughts or mental illnesses, as it was a story of hope and wisdom to me that I really, thoroughly enjoyed.
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are of my own and are not swayed by any outside factors.
May 31, 2018
First book that I have ever read on this topic. I mean the fact that bulimia is front and center was a different experience for me. I felt uncomfortable during some scenes *trigger warning for self harm*
I felt horrible for Olivia. I mean the fact that a past boyfriend told her that she was fat when she was 120 pounds was heartbreaking. Since the breakup, she set her goal weight to be under 100 pounds with whatever means necessary. She was getting worse throughout the book. She went from making herself sick to harming herself with a blade just to feel pain.
Melissa de la Cruz did a nice job with this story line. It has been awhile since I have read a book by her and this book did not disappoint! I felt like this story could be an every day girl and that it happens in the real world in our society. I could relate to multiple aspects of this book even though I have not dealt with bulimia or self harm in my personal life. The only problem that I had was with the wide open ending but I also enjoyed how the book ended in a way so I had mixed feelings.
I felt horrible for Olivia. I mean the fact that a past boyfriend told her that she was fat when she was 120 pounds was heartbreaking. Since the breakup, she set her goal weight to be under 100 pounds with whatever means necessary. She was getting worse throughout the book. She went from making herself sick to harming herself with a blade just to feel pain.
Melissa de la Cruz did a nice job with this story line. It has been awhile since I have read a book by her and this book did not disappoint! I felt like this story could be an every day girl and that it happens in the real world in our society. I could relate to multiple aspects of this book even though I have not dealt with bulimia or self harm in my personal life. The only problem that I had was with the wide open ending but I also enjoyed how the book ended in a way so I had mixed feelings.
February 5, 2018
I really disliked this book and I should have stopped reading after the first few chapters but I figured I would give it a real good chance and I hate quitting books. First of all there are lots of triggers like eating disorders, bulimia, depression, anxiety and cutting. It really wasn't the content that bothered me it was the characters especially Olivia and her major flaws. I know I have never had to deal with those issues so I can't really sympathize with her but I just really found her annoying. I was hoping that the story line would redeem itself but it just never did. I just kept hoping to be done.
The one line that resonated and really stuck with me was that the skinnier/smaller a female is the more she is visible to society. Unfortunately I think this is very true and I know what its like to feel invisible at times.
The one line that resonated and really stuck with me was that the skinnier/smaller a female is the more she is visible to society. Unfortunately I think this is very true and I know what its like to feel invisible at times.
October 7, 2018
This book was incredibly powerful and moving.
The ideas that Melissa draws out throughout the story, combined with the dynamic stream-of-consciousness narration by the protagonist, propels the emotional and stirring impact of this novel upon it’s readers. I am truly captivated by this novel - it is raw and unafraid of exposing the truth behind these (sometimes sadly idealised) topics.
If you’re looking for a contemporary novel with something a bit extra, that leaves you further enlightened, reach for this book!
The ideas that Melissa draws out throughout the story, combined with the dynamic stream-of-consciousness narration by the protagonist, propels the emotional and stirring impact of this novel upon it’s readers. I am truly captivated by this novel - it is raw and unafraid of exposing the truth behind these (sometimes sadly idealised) topics.
If you’re looking for a contemporary novel with something a bit extra, that leaves you further enlightened, reach for this book!
June 11, 2019
Reading this was hard. Not because of the length of it, or because it was badly written but because it dealt with topics that hit home a little close. Apart from the triggering aspect, I think the way the story flowed made sense and I loved that at the end it was all not fixed by a friggin love interest.
February 17, 2018
Melissa de la Cruz strikes once again
I missed the fact that this was even coming out, and have heard nothing about it, but this is an incredible book.
A strong story combined with poetic and artistic language leaves a big impact after having read this...
Trigger warnings for eating disorders, sexual harassment, self-harm and an overall self-hating and self-destructive thought-process
I missed the fact that this was even coming out, and have heard nothing about it, but this is an incredible book.
A strong story combined with poetic and artistic language leaves a big impact after having read this...
Trigger warnings for eating disorders, sexual harassment, self-harm and an overall self-hating and self-destructive thought-process
August 25, 2019
This book was heartbreaking throughout and heartwarming toward the very end. At the start of this book, we found out that Olivia 'Liv' Blakely was the daughter of a politician. In this book, Liv was struggling. Liv wants to make sure she looks good in front of the camera because she and her family would be making important public appearances because her father was running for governor. She wanted to make sure she helps an image to herself, to her suddenly new friends and her "maybe-boyfriend". Liv was a bubbly, young, talented girl who made "perfect image" her life. This bubbly Liv people see was faded on the inside by a rather nasty inner voice. She became bulimic and went on long runs and would cut herself when she didn't want to throw up or something bad had happened to punish herself. The blurb on the book states;
"I HATE MIRRORS. GLASS IS DANGEROUS. WONDOWS ARE DANGEROUS. ANYTHING THAT REFLECTS ME BACK AT MYSELF IS A THREAT"
By the end of the book, she has her old friends back by her side and is fighting her bulimia with some help of doctors, therapists and psychiatrist. She made an epic recovery.
I enjoyed reading this book because it was about the real struggles with teenage life and what really happens behind the scenes to some of the teenage girls and sometimes boys around the world. It tought me to believe in myself and everyone around me and to help anyone who needed help.
Again great read, and recommend to anyone who's up for a challenge of reading such a book
- Charlotte.S
"I HATE MIRRORS. GLASS IS DANGEROUS. WONDOWS ARE DANGEROUS. ANYTHING THAT REFLECTS ME BACK AT MYSELF IS A THREAT"
By the end of the book, she has her old friends back by her side and is fighting her bulimia with some help of doctors, therapists and psychiatrist. She made an epic recovery.
I enjoyed reading this book because it was about the real struggles with teenage life and what really happens behind the scenes to some of the teenage girls and sometimes boys around the world. It tought me to believe in myself and everyone around me and to help anyone who needed help.
Again great read, and recommend to anyone who's up for a challenge of reading such a book
- Charlotte.S
December 15, 2017
Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
I can't decide whether this book deserves 3 or 4 stars so 3.5 it is!
I can't decide whether this book deserves 3 or 4 stars so 3.5 it is!
February 14, 2018
Read this book at the perfect time in my life to truly appreciate all the beautiful and magical lessons within. SO thankful for another one of Melissa de la Cruz's books.
September 12, 2023
Nope. Maybe if I was 25 years younger, but this one was definitely not for me.
January 7, 2018
This book has the potential to be incredibly triggering to those that have suffered or are suffering with either an eating disorder or self-harm - please read it knowing your own limits. I myself have been in recovery for just over five years now and I found some parts left me drawing my breath, and needing to just walk away from it.
Going solely on Someone to Love, as my first book by Melissa de la Cruz, I can honestly say that I don’t plan on reading any of her other books anytime soon. I hear so many people rave about her but this book, aside from the harrowing subject matter which isn’t addressed nearly enough in YA novels, was just okay... at a push.
I don’t want to talk about the triggering aspects too much but I did find myself feeling extremely sympathetic to Liv, even if her character irritated me to no end. The fact that people, including her parents, knew about her eating disorder and just brushed it off as a teenage girl phase, pretty much, made me want to reach into the book and smack them. You just don’t do that to your child. And don’t even get me started about the comment made by the psychiatrist at the end - “I was a more violent cutter” - just no. I’m so annoyed and upset that Melissa de la Cruz and her team thought this was a good thing to put in a book, if I’m being perfectly honest. Self harm, or any health issue (be it psychological or physical), is not a competition and this remark, to me, is just dangerous. Sure, Dr Eleanor is attempting to connect with her patient but any doctor wouldn’t risk being sued for malpractice just to create a rapport.
Even as a survivor of the issues plaguing Liv in this book, I couldn’t help but feel it was wholly unrealistic at the end. Yes, you can accept treatment and acknowledge you have a problem but things don’t get better at the click of your fingers.
In short, everybody in this book angered me at one point or another, and I’m not sure that I would be chomping at the bit to recommend it to others when they request books about this sort of subject matter in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Going solely on Someone to Love, as my first book by Melissa de la Cruz, I can honestly say that I don’t plan on reading any of her other books anytime soon. I hear so many people rave about her but this book, aside from the harrowing subject matter which isn’t addressed nearly enough in YA novels, was just okay... at a push.
I don’t want to talk about the triggering aspects too much but I did find myself feeling extremely sympathetic to Liv, even if her character irritated me to no end. The fact that people, including her parents, knew about her eating disorder and just brushed it off as a teenage girl phase, pretty much, made me want to reach into the book and smack them. You just don’t do that to your child. And don’t even get me started about the comment made by the psychiatrist at the end - “I was a more violent cutter” - just no. I’m so annoyed and upset that Melissa de la Cruz and her team thought this was a good thing to put in a book, if I’m being perfectly honest. Self harm, or any health issue (be it psychological or physical), is not a competition and this remark, to me, is just dangerous. Sure, Dr Eleanor is attempting to connect with her patient but any doctor wouldn’t risk being sued for malpractice just to create a rapport.
Even as a survivor of the issues plaguing Liv in this book, I couldn’t help but feel it was wholly unrealistic at the end. Yes, you can accept treatment and acknowledge you have a problem but things don’t get better at the click of your fingers.
In short, everybody in this book angered me at one point or another, and I’m not sure that I would be chomping at the bit to recommend it to others when they request books about this sort of subject matter in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 11, 2018
I was surprised at the low rating for this one. De la Cruz is a good author. But after reading it, I have to say I can see why. I like the premise. But it seemed this book could have used some tighter editing. I'm pretty sure I even saw a typo because the sentence didn't make sense the way it's printed. But mostly it needed to be tighter in the narrative. Olivia would have the same thoughts over and over again. One page she'd say so-and-so was doing this. And then basically say the same thing on the next page. Olivia is hard to like at times. I think that's true for someone with an eating disorder, they can be difficult. But it still made it tough to really connect with her. I feel like the storyline about the pressure of being a politician's daughter could have been deepened. Olivia never really had any consequences for her actions.
This book reminded me why I don't really like platonic boy/girl best friendships in YA. They almost always are secretly pining for each other. This is pretty obvious but it plays out very annoyingly. Besides Sam, the bestie, all the other guys are terrible. It didn't feel super authentic but then again, maybe that's LA.
Plor lines got dropped and picked up randomly. I think there were like a few chapters where Bulimia wasn't even mentioned and then she was like, oh, I'm still doing that.
But there were some good scenes of her pain and anguish. She was a super talented painter, like a genius pretty much. The ending was way too pat for how bad her condition was.
I think this is a book to check out if you're interested in reading all the YA eating disorder books. Otherwise, you can take it or leave it.
This book reminded me why I don't really like platonic boy/girl best friendships in YA. They almost always are secretly pining for each other. This is pretty obvious but it plays out very annoyingly. Besides Sam, the bestie, all the other guys are terrible. It didn't feel super authentic but then again, maybe that's LA.
Plor lines got dropped and picked up randomly. I think there were like a few chapters where Bulimia wasn't even mentioned and then she was like, oh, I'm still doing that.
But there were some good scenes of her pain and anguish. She was a super talented painter, like a genius pretty much. The ending was way too pat for how bad her condition was.
I think this is a book to check out if you're interested in reading all the YA eating disorder books. Otherwise, you can take it or leave it.
February 14, 2018
I have a love / hate relationship with this book. On the one hand I really loved it, but on the other hand I can understand how problematic this is and can be detrimental for people suffering from eating disorders, self harm and associated mental health conditions. I'd approach this one with caution.
See my spoilery thoughts:
All in all, I enjoyed the subject matter and plot. Just thought it could be handled a lot better. Take my review with a grain of salt as I have not experienced an eating disorder, saying that I live with a mental health condition and can empathise with the themes presented in this book.
See my spoilery thoughts:
All in all, I enjoyed the subject matter and plot. Just thought it could be handled a lot better. Take my review with a grain of salt as I have not experienced an eating disorder, saying that I live with a mental health condition and can empathise with the themes presented in this book.
October 3, 2017
A moving but timely novel about a subject unfortunately very close to a lot of young women's hearts, eating disorders.
Olivia is the daughter of a politician and suffers from pressure from all sides - family, friends, school, relationships. Although her life is a little more glamorous than most of the readers will be, the struggles she deals with are ones which are almost universal to teenagers these days. I loved her friendships, especially with Antonia, and think this book will be very relatable for a lot of young people.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
Olivia is the daughter of a politician and suffers from pressure from all sides - family, friends, school, relationships. Although her life is a little more glamorous than most of the readers will be, the struggles she deals with are ones which are almost universal to teenagers these days. I loved her friendships, especially with Antonia, and think this book will be very relatable for a lot of young people.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
January 27, 2018
DNF. A book that is in turns fluffy and melodramatic about a very serious subject. I didn’t find this book triggering as much as I just found it bad. (I have read many books with EDs in them, as I found it very healing in recovery to walk alongside other fictional girls who were recovering.) It didn’t feel authentic. I struggled with EDs from tweendom through my mid-twenties and this was not authentic to me. I’ve talked to plenty of other women about their ED experiences as well and I’d like to believe I am fairly good at recognizing what an authentic ED book looks like. Wintergirls, Paperweight, Believearexic, and What I Lost are all excellent books with believable characters grappling with EDs. Please read one of those instead of this. None of the characters in this book were likeable, and Liv was unbelievably awkward and annoying. I think there is a way to do “poor little rich girl” well, but this isn’t it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews