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Happy Messy Scary Love: A Story of Summer Lies, Online Love, and Finding the Courage to Be Yourself
As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see. This sweet and funny summertime romance is perfect for fans of Love and Gelato and The Unexpected Everything.
267 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2019
27 people are currently reading
2418 people want to read
About the author
Leah Konen
14 books870 followersLeah Konen is the author of The Last Room on the Left, Keep Your Friends Close, You Should Have Told Me, The Perfect Escape, All the Broken People, and several young adult novels, including Love and Other Train Wrecks and The Romantics. Her books have been featured in Vogue, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, Reader’s Digest and The NY Post, among others. She lives in Brooklyn and the Catskills with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
April 19, 2021
There's something about secret one-pals who meet in real life. Truly. It's probably the hopeless romantic in me.
When Olivia's reddit friend and fellow horror-movie connoisseur sends her a selfie and asks for one in return, has two thoughts: oh no, he's cute and I have a giant pimple on my chin. So instead of sending him a photo of herself, she decides to send him one of her best friend, Katie. There's no harm! Until she shows up at her summer job and meets the other new employee, Jake - who just so happens to be the very same boy who sent her his selfie over reddit.
I might've be able to rate the book a little higher if Konen didn't wrote the characters as 18 year olds, recent high-school graduates. But, since they are apparently 18, I'm docking points for how downright silly the MC is.
She makes some dumb mistakes. Like, truly, scratching-my-head-huh mistakes, including but not limited to: not telling Jake she's the one he's been messaging, continuing to forge an entirely new personality so Jake won't put two and two together and realize she's his internet pen-pal, lying to him every step of their friendship, having her best friend Katie pretend to be her internet persona because Jake runs into her and recognizes Katie from the photo Olivia sent.. and that's just the beginning.
If you've been reading my reviews, you know that needless miscommunication and stupid MCs are some of my biggest YA pet peeves (well, it's a pet peeve in any genre, but it's particularly pervasive in Young Adult). And, unfortunately, Happy Messy Scary Love is riddled with childish decisions and dishonestly. Olivia didn't read like a legal adult - she acted and treated others like she was closer to 15. Even her insecurities, which are the main reason for her lies - and which I had as well, at her age - felt like weak justification for the ongoing and nonsensical drama.
Katie was probably the only character I liked. She was also the only one I felt was really that flushed out, which is saying something, considering she's in maybe half the novel. She was there for her best friend, no questions asked. She spent her whole visit with Olivia pretending to be Olivia in front of Jake, so as not to expose her lies. And she did it with a smile on her face, despite going through some things in her own life, things Olivia barely asked about even though she could see Katie was upset. Katie was the kind of best friend I wish I'd had in high school. Olivia, not so much.
Jake was a fine love interest. Definitely my type in real life - lanky, tall, kinda nerdy, but so charming - and he definitely deserved better. I was surprised
All in all, a pretty short book, not the worst thing I've ever read but pretty weak compared to some of the better YA books I've read, especially lately. 2.5 stars rounded up!
When Olivia's reddit friend and fellow horror-movie connoisseur sends her a selfie and asks for one in return, has two thoughts: oh no, he's cute and I have a giant pimple on my chin. So instead of sending him a photo of herself, she decides to send him one of her best friend, Katie. There's no harm! Until she shows up at her summer job and meets the other new employee, Jake - who just so happens to be the very same boy who sent her his selfie over reddit.
I might've be able to rate the book a little higher if Konen didn't wrote the characters as 18 year olds, recent high-school graduates. But, since they are apparently 18, I'm docking points for how downright silly the MC is.
She makes some dumb mistakes. Like, truly, scratching-my-head-huh mistakes, including but not limited to: not telling Jake she's the one he's been messaging, continuing to forge an entirely new personality so Jake won't put two and two together and realize she's his internet pen-pal, lying to him every step of their friendship, having her best friend Katie pretend to be her internet persona because Jake runs into her and recognizes Katie from the photo Olivia sent.. and that's just the beginning.
If you've been reading my reviews, you know that needless miscommunication and stupid MCs are some of my biggest YA pet peeves (well, it's a pet peeve in any genre, but it's particularly pervasive in Young Adult). And, unfortunately, Happy Messy Scary Love is riddled with childish decisions and dishonestly. Olivia didn't read like a legal adult - she acted and treated others like she was closer to 15. Even her insecurities, which are the main reason for her lies - and which I had as well, at her age - felt like weak justification for the ongoing and nonsensical drama.
Katie was probably the only character I liked. She was also the only one I felt was really that flushed out, which is saying something, considering she's in maybe half the novel. She was there for her best friend, no questions asked. She spent her whole visit with Olivia pretending to be Olivia in front of Jake, so as not to expose her lies. And she did it with a smile on her face, despite going through some things in her own life, things Olivia barely asked about even though she could see Katie was upset. Katie was the kind of best friend I wish I'd had in high school. Olivia, not so much.
Jake was a fine love interest. Definitely my type in real life - lanky, tall, kinda nerdy, but so charming - and he definitely deserved better. I was surprised
All in all, a pretty short book, not the worst thing I've ever read but pretty weak compared to some of the better YA books I've read, especially lately. 2.5 stars rounded up!
Read
January 30, 2019Mini review:
Trigger warning: None till the point I read.
DNF
I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have read the authors previous book and was excited to dive into this! Unfortunately I didn’t like it.
I liked the writing but soon found out that’s all I liked. I didn’t care for the main character or her friends. As I read on I lost interest.
Still recommend.
Trigger warning: None till the point I read.
DNF
I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have read the authors previous book and was excited to dive into this! Unfortunately I didn’t like it.
I liked the writing but soon found out that’s all I liked. I didn’t care for the main character or her friends. As I read on I lost interest.
Still recommend.
May 13, 2019
After self-sabotaging her application for a student film writing program at NYU, Olivia accepted that her summer would be spent in her family's mountain abode watching Netflix. But, in an effort to push her out of her comfort zone, her mother secured Olivia a position at a zip-line park, and who to her wondrous eyes should appear? Elm, her online crush, who she never expected to meet in a million years. From there, things got really complicated.
I am not going to pretend that the plot was original. We have seen this before. Girl meets boy online, when it comes time to exchange photos, girl sends a fake one. This lie spawns more and more lies, to cover up the prior lies, until the messy referenced in the book's title, becomes a reality.
Watching Olivia dig herself deeper and deeper into this mess was pretty much like watching one a those horror films she and Jake enjoyed so much. I audibly admonished her and energetically shook my head in an effort to discourage her from making more and more bad decisions, but Olivia had to make the mistakes in order to have her moment of reckoning. She had to hit rock bottom in order to come to terms with her fear of failure and rejection, and her negative thoughts about herself. I found that part very relatable, and feel that a lot people have felt some sort of self doubt at one time or another.
Other things I enjoyed:
• Jake! - He was a precious, sweet cinnamon roll of a boy. He was adorable and also a little nerdy, but he owned it.
• The setting - I grew up in Brooklyn and was familiar with all the places referenced int he book. So, it was fun to be back in the neighborhood. I have also spent time in the Catskills, and Konen did a great job re-selling the beauty of the mountain town to me.
• Horror movies - Both Jake and Olivia were HUGE fans of horror, and I liked all the discussions and movie mentions. I also found it amusing that Olivia was writing a screenplay for a film called "The Bad Decisions Handbook", while she was making so many bad decisions.
• The Zip-lining family - The whole incorporation of the zip-line park added an extra element of fun, but then Konen also stuffed the place with some quirky side characters, who I enjoyed meeting.
• The romance - Jake and Olivia were adorable together. There was a lot of awkward, but in the cutest way possible. There was also this major, sort of, grand gesture towards the end, which put a huge smile on my face.
Overall: Though the concept wasn't groundbreaking, I had fun watching Olivia trying to get herself out the super-tangled web she wove, and seeing her experience a lot of personal growth along the way.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
I am not going to pretend that the plot was original. We have seen this before. Girl meets boy online, when it comes time to exchange photos, girl sends a fake one. This lie spawns more and more lies, to cover up the prior lies, until the messy referenced in the book's title, becomes a reality.
Watching Olivia dig herself deeper and deeper into this mess was pretty much like watching one a those horror films she and Jake enjoyed so much. I audibly admonished her and energetically shook my head in an effort to discourage her from making more and more bad decisions, but Olivia had to make the mistakes in order to have her moment of reckoning. She had to hit rock bottom in order to come to terms with her fear of failure and rejection, and her negative thoughts about herself. I found that part very relatable, and feel that a lot people have felt some sort of self doubt at one time or another.
Other things I enjoyed:
• Jake! - He was a precious, sweet cinnamon roll of a boy. He was adorable and also a little nerdy, but he owned it.
• The setting - I grew up in Brooklyn and was familiar with all the places referenced int he book. So, it was fun to be back in the neighborhood. I have also spent time in the Catskills, and Konen did a great job re-selling the beauty of the mountain town to me.
• Horror movies - Both Jake and Olivia were HUGE fans of horror, and I liked all the discussions and movie mentions. I also found it amusing that Olivia was writing a screenplay for a film called "The Bad Decisions Handbook", while she was making so many bad decisions.
• The Zip-lining family - The whole incorporation of the zip-line park added an extra element of fun, but then Konen also stuffed the place with some quirky side characters, who I enjoyed meeting.
• The romance - Jake and Olivia were adorable together. There was a lot of awkward, but in the cutest way possible. There was also this major, sort of, grand gesture towards the end, which put a huge smile on my face.
Overall: Though the concept wasn't groundbreaking, I had fun watching Olivia trying to get herself out the super-tangled web she wove, and seeing her experience a lot of personal growth along the way.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
May 20, 2019
So this is the first book by this author that I've read. I know now that I'll have to keep trying more of her books in the future, and maybe go back and try some of her past stories. First off I totally connected with this main characters awkwardness. I get it so much! There was a lot that happened in this, and so much to keep me turning the pages quickly. I also totally clicked with her obsession with horror movies, and I really want to know if the one that Elm-Jake recommended, The Haunting of Sophia Blaine, is a real movie. I can't find it anywhere unfortunately. Of course while I think she had a perfect way to get out of sending the wrong picture, much earlier than she did, I know that was part of the drama of the whole story. A great summer read, and I can't wait to read more by this author in the future!
This review first appeared on Lisa Loves Literature.
This review first appeared on Lisa Loves Literature.
May 25, 2019
My Rating: 2/5
I received a copy from Raincoast Books in exchange for a honest review.
To be honest, I'm quite over 'catfishing' plot line because it's morally wrong and I can't get over that. I just think characters are too despicable once they commit that wrong of lying to people about their appearances and their identities.
The only reason why this book wasn't an one-star read is because I found myself connecting with Olivia a lot of the times. Not the catfishing bit because that's not cute and will never be cute but the whole 'I feel like I'm falling behind in life' and 'I am a failure' vibe she goes through after being rejected from the coveted NYU screenwriting summer program. I think readers can relate to this theme because HOT GOSH how many books filled with perfect characters with perfect grades and admissions to Ivey colleges do we need? We are not perfect. We fail sometimes. We fail a lot. And it's okay and we need characters that are like this in YA so people like me who was struggling a lot with my own personal 'failures' feel better to know that it's okay to fail.
The book was overall alright in the end. Elm was such a boy next door type of character that you cannot but fall in love with him. He's just this lanky boy who makes dad jokes and watches horror movies in his spare time. What a freaking cutie. And Olivia, aside from her catfishing ways and worrying over her lies unraveling to the point that she forgets her friends, is a pretty likable character too.
MY RECOMMENDATION
Guys, if you can't handle catfishing, PASS THIS ONE. If you're alright with it then you will have no issue loving this one.
May 23, 2019
this was so cute and also, addicting. review to come <3 I've said this before and I'll say it again: making separate reviews for goodreads and the blog? how about no. therefore here is my blog review
June 24, 2021
Actual rating: 3.5/5
A cheesy romantic comedy that can be slow paced but too short for its own good. Happy Messy Scary Love has all the elements any teen would want in a young adult novel with the added romance, passion for horror films, and overcoming one's fears.
The themes in the novel were relatable, which is essential for every coming of age novel: insecurities, a fear for failure, fear of rejection, and procrastination (just to name a few). In find myself relating to the main character (except the catfishing part). This is a YA novel that many people can personally relate to.
My only issue was that the romance wasn't given enough time to develop in an organic way. Instead, it felt very much like "insta-love." Additionally, characters can seem kind of flat. It was also difficult to get into the story at first because of the slow pacing and the juvenile conversations. Granted, it's a YA novel so 'juvenile' shouldn't be an issue at all. I just had to bring this up for those readers who think that this may be an issue.
Even if this had been the case, I liked the friendships and the family supporting the main character in this book. It also reminded me of other feel good YA novels, books from Jenn Bennett and Morgan Matson comes to mind.
*Huge thanks to the publisher for approving my request to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A cheesy romantic comedy that can be slow paced but too short for its own good. Happy Messy Scary Love has all the elements any teen would want in a young adult novel with the added romance, passion for horror films, and overcoming one's fears.
The themes in the novel were relatable, which is essential for every coming of age novel: insecurities, a fear for failure, fear of rejection, and procrastination (just to name a few). In find myself relating to the main character (except the catfishing part). This is a YA novel that many people can personally relate to.
My only issue was that the romance wasn't given enough time to develop in an organic way. Instead, it felt very much like "insta-love." Additionally, characters can seem kind of flat. It was also difficult to get into the story at first because of the slow pacing and the juvenile conversations. Granted, it's a YA novel so 'juvenile' shouldn't be an issue at all. I just had to bring this up for those readers who think that this may be an issue.
Even if this had been the case, I liked the friendships and the family supporting the main character in this book. It also reminded me of other feel good YA novels, books from Jenn Bennett and Morgan Matson comes to mind.
*Huge thanks to the publisher for approving my request to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 18, 2020
One of those books where you know what’s going to happen but the writing is engaging enough to keep you in it until the end. I especially appreciated all of the film and writing references.
May 2, 2019
Received a copy from the publisher for review.
This was such a fun YA contemporary romance. Great 1 hour summer read. It's sweet, comical and summer-filled. The writing was easy to fall in to. I loved the conversations on horror movies. I loved the location and setting of the novel. The characters were all awesome.
Olivia is a horror-nerd and aspiring screenwriter. She has a huge passion for it, but she allows fear to grip her. Instead of spending her summer in NY, she's spending it in the mountains. Olivia is quirky in so many ways, deals with self-esteem issues and allows fear to stop her dreams. However, she is funny and passionate. I loved seeing her get out of her comfort-zone in the mountains, her get back into writing and taking a chance on romance.
Jake is a horror-nerd who's hot. He is sweet, kind, caring and very helpful. Jake was such an amazing character. I loved seeing him be vulnerable with Olivia. I loved seeing him work and talk about horror films. Jake was a good guy.
The romance was so stinking cute! They met online and then coincidentally met in person. There connection, both online and in person, was instantaneous. They clicked on such a great level. I loved seeing them "live" this double romance. Seeing it crash, burn and then rebuild was beautiful! Totally loved it!
Olivia's mom was a bit harsh even though she had good intentions. Her dad was awesome. I loved her aunt Chrissy - she cracked me up! Katie, Olivia's best-friend, was cool too. I enjoyed seeing the family and friendship dynamics and how they fed into Olivia's romance.
Totally would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, cute read.
This was such a fun YA contemporary romance. Great 1 hour summer read. It's sweet, comical and summer-filled. The writing was easy to fall in to. I loved the conversations on horror movies. I loved the location and setting of the novel. The characters were all awesome.
Olivia is a horror-nerd and aspiring screenwriter. She has a huge passion for it, but she allows fear to grip her. Instead of spending her summer in NY, she's spending it in the mountains. Olivia is quirky in so many ways, deals with self-esteem issues and allows fear to stop her dreams. However, she is funny and passionate. I loved seeing her get out of her comfort-zone in the mountains, her get back into writing and taking a chance on romance.
Jake is a horror-nerd who's hot. He is sweet, kind, caring and very helpful. Jake was such an amazing character. I loved seeing him be vulnerable with Olivia. I loved seeing him work and talk about horror films. Jake was a good guy.
The romance was so stinking cute! They met online and then coincidentally met in person. There connection, both online and in person, was instantaneous. They clicked on such a great level. I loved seeing them "live" this double romance. Seeing it crash, burn and then rebuild was beautiful! Totally loved it!
Olivia's mom was a bit harsh even though she had good intentions. Her dad was awesome. I loved her aunt Chrissy - she cracked me up! Katie, Olivia's best-friend, was cool too. I enjoyed seeing the family and friendship dynamics and how they fed into Olivia's romance.
Totally would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, cute read.
August 22, 2019
Actual Rating: 2.5
Although this book isn’t actually horror, I think I would’ve had more fun reading it if I was a horror fan. There were so many references that I didn’t get. Because of that, this book bored me, and I was excited to finally finish it.
The thing that bothered me most was how the main character just wants overcome horror cliches with her screenplay, yet she succumbed to them in her own life. It was a pretty boring book and not much went on.
It DID make me wish I could go zip lining, but none of my family would do that with me☹️😂 And it did have its good moments. I liked it whenever Jake and Olivia were alone. The ending was cringe-worthy, but sweet.
I guess I’d recommend this to someone more versed in horror movies who also likes a sweet romance. I know, it’s a weird combination, but the author made it work a bit.
Although this book isn’t actually horror, I think I would’ve had more fun reading it if I was a horror fan. There were so many references that I didn’t get. Because of that, this book bored me, and I was excited to finally finish it.
The thing that bothered me most was how the main character just wants overcome horror cliches with her screenplay, yet she succumbed to them in her own life. It was a pretty boring book and not much went on.
It DID make me wish I could go zip lining, but none of my family would do that with me☹️😂 And it did have its good moments. I liked it whenever Jake and Olivia were alone. The ending was cringe-worthy, but sweet.
I guess I’d recommend this to someone more versed in horror movies who also likes a sweet romance. I know, it’s a weird combination, but the author made it work a bit.
June 4, 2019
After an intense rising action, the climax and resolution was just meh.
August 27, 2019
3.5 super cute stars!
July 16, 2019
HMSL is one hellava cute book. The fact that Olivia finds herself sending a photo of her best friend t the cute guy she's been talking to online instead of her own, made my heart bleed. Because, I, too, have done something similar. Except my situation was more extreme and lasted for about 4 years.
Anywho!
The comedy and quirkiness of the two main characters made me laugh and smile. This book, or ebook, came across my phone randomly and I decided to give it a try. Anything with "catfishing" always grabs my attention. Give it a go!
Anywho!
The comedy and quirkiness of the two main characters made me laugh and smile. This book, or ebook, came across my phone randomly and I decided to give it a try. Anything with "catfishing" always grabs my attention. Give it a go!
May 6, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Happy Messy Scary Love by Leah Konen in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes used in this review are from the ARC & may not match up with the final copy.
Happy Messy Scary Love had me feelin' some type of way. Olivia reminds me so much of well.. me. Minus the lies, the scandal & all that jazz. Our main character wants to be a horror screenwriter -- she has the chance to do a screenwriting program at NYU, but waited until the last minute to write out an example of work & basically sabotaged herself ever getting in. Hello, it me?????
Honestly though, I let fear rule me all of the time; to the point, that I never take that leap of faith & instead of just facing the possible rejection, I just.. don't.. do it. Happy Messy Scary Love is very inspirational with this factor & thanks to this book, I found myself searching for horror anthologies to enter! Wish me luck.
That's not the main premise of Happy Messy Scary Love; just the part that really stuck out to me, because hashtag relatable.
There are a lot of parts that bothered me in Happy Messy Scary Love; primarily the lies & deceit. The entire time I found myself shouting, just tell him already! Which is basically how I felt watching the entire Gossip Girl series, but that's a different story. Did y'all know that if you didn't lie -- life is, like, better? You don't have to keep up with any fabricated tales & no one gets mad in the end? It's wild. However, I knew what I signed up for when I signed up for it, so really -- who's fault is this?
What I really enjoyed was the ~horror~ aspects of Happy Messy Scary Love. This book is fun for those who enjoy their horror references & this is the exact reason as to why I requested a copy of this book. Olivia is obsessed with horror (which is probably obvious, seeing as she wants to be a horror screenwriter), so horror plays a lot into this story. There are references to so many films: Get Out, Psycho, It Follows, Carrie, Nightmare on Elm Street, the list goes on. Anytime a movie was mentioned, I'd get so giddy. My horror senses were tingling throughout. Even the chapter titles played onto horror film titles?!@!@! # This book had me seriously geeked.
The characters, romance & all that jazz was fine. It was just your typical quick contemporary read & nothing really stuck out to me besides, as mentioned a few times, the horror references. Olivia faces the same type of conflict as any other protagonist in this genre, making me feel that this read may be forgettable in a couple of weeks.
I really liked that Happy Messy Scary Love is perfect for so many different people: those who want a nice, fun, fluffy read & those who are horror nerds & wants to squeal over the genre. It definitely wasn't a waste of time, I just don't think this is a book I would decide to read for a second time.
Starting over is only for movies, after all.
Happy Messy Scary Love had me feelin' some type of way. Olivia reminds me so much of well.. me. Minus the lies, the scandal & all that jazz. Our main character wants to be a horror screenwriter -- she has the chance to do a screenwriting program at NYU, but waited until the last minute to write out an example of work & basically sabotaged herself ever getting in. Hello, it me?????
It's not that I didn't want to write. It's more that I didn't want to write anything bad. So I spent a lot of time doing research -- er, watching horror movies.
Honestly though, I let fear rule me all of the time; to the point, that I never take that leap of faith & instead of just facing the possible rejection, I just.. don't.. do it. Happy Messy Scary Love is very inspirational with this factor & thanks to this book, I found myself searching for horror anthologies to enter! Wish me luck.
That's not the main premise of Happy Messy Scary Love; just the part that really stuck out to me, because hashtag relatable.
There are a lot of parts that bothered me in Happy Messy Scary Love; primarily the lies & deceit. The entire time I found myself shouting, just tell him already! Which is basically how I felt watching the entire Gossip Girl series, but that's a different story. Did y'all know that if you didn't lie -- life is, like, better? You don't have to keep up with any fabricated tales & no one gets mad in the end? It's wild. However, I knew what I signed up for when I signed up for it, so really -- who's fault is this?
What I really enjoyed was the ~horror~ aspects of Happy Messy Scary Love. This book is fun for those who enjoy their horror references & this is the exact reason as to why I requested a copy of this book. Olivia is obsessed with horror (which is probably obvious, seeing as she wants to be a horror screenwriter), so horror plays a lot into this story. There are references to so many films: Get Out, Psycho, It Follows, Carrie, Nightmare on Elm Street, the list goes on. Anytime a movie was mentioned, I'd get so giddy. My horror senses were tingling throughout. Even the chapter titles played onto horror film titles?!@!@! # This book had me seriously geeked.
The characters, romance & all that jazz was fine. It was just your typical quick contemporary read & nothing really stuck out to me besides, as mentioned a few times, the horror references. Olivia faces the same type of conflict as any other protagonist in this genre, making me feel that this read may be forgettable in a couple of weeks.
I really liked that Happy Messy Scary Love is perfect for so many different people: those who want a nice, fun, fluffy read & those who are horror nerds & wants to squeal over the genre. It definitely wasn't a waste of time, I just don't think this is a book I would decide to read for a second time.
May 12, 2019
3.5/5 Stars
Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. The opinions in my review are my own.
What an adorable book this was. When I read the synopsis and found out that the main character and her love interest are horror movie aficionados, I knew I had to read this! I mean, how cool is that? Definitely up my alley to say the least.
I liked Olivia and her character growth. She went from being a procrastinating, self-conscious horror movie nerd to being a confident, go-getter screenwriter. I liked that she learned from her mistakes and didn't let them stand in her way in the end. She learned more about herself and her friendships throughout the story. I liked Jake's character a lot but his character was not as developed at Olivia's character. I wanted to get to know him a little more deeply. Katie's character was refreshing. I liked her friendship with Olivia and how she was willing to be there for her friend despite her own problems. I liked that Olivia's family was supportive and down to earth. I also thought that Olivia's coworkers were great. Every character had their place and purpose.
The plot of the story was cute and in the end, it touched upon some deeper things. The story flowed really well. I admit that the book was rather short, but the plot didn't suffer for it. There could have been some more scenes or things added into the story to thicken things up, but overall I enjoyed the plot and the way that things played out.
The romance was sweet but it also felt too juvenile to me at times. Yes, I understand that this is a YA book so the romance can land in many places on the romantic spectrum. And yes, this is a slow-burn romance in a way, but even slow-burn romances have a little more action. I am not saying that I expected or even wanted Olivia and Jake to get hot and heavy, but I think that I just expected a little more than what I got. They definitely had the chemistry down as well as the playful banter.
Overall, this is a fun and quick read that focuses on honesty, with oneself and with others, and the challenges that one can face when dissecting their self-image. There are wonderful representations of family and friendship. This is a lovely story with wonderful storytelling and an adorable premise.
More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction
Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. The opinions in my review are my own.
What an adorable book this was. When I read the synopsis and found out that the main character and her love interest are horror movie aficionados, I knew I had to read this! I mean, how cool is that? Definitely up my alley to say the least.
I liked Olivia and her character growth. She went from being a procrastinating, self-conscious horror movie nerd to being a confident, go-getter screenwriter. I liked that she learned from her mistakes and didn't let them stand in her way in the end. She learned more about herself and her friendships throughout the story. I liked Jake's character a lot but his character was not as developed at Olivia's character. I wanted to get to know him a little more deeply. Katie's character was refreshing. I liked her friendship with Olivia and how she was willing to be there for her friend despite her own problems. I liked that Olivia's family was supportive and down to earth. I also thought that Olivia's coworkers were great. Every character had their place and purpose.
The plot of the story was cute and in the end, it touched upon some deeper things. The story flowed really well. I admit that the book was rather short, but the plot didn't suffer for it. There could have been some more scenes or things added into the story to thicken things up, but overall I enjoyed the plot and the way that things played out.
The romance was sweet but it also felt too juvenile to me at times. Yes, I understand that this is a YA book so the romance can land in many places on the romantic spectrum. And yes, this is a slow-burn romance in a way, but even slow-burn romances have a little more action. I am not saying that I expected or even wanted Olivia and Jake to get hot and heavy, but I think that I just expected a little more than what I got. They definitely had the chemistry down as well as the playful banter.
Overall, this is a fun and quick read that focuses on honesty, with oneself and with others, and the challenges that one can face when dissecting their self-image. There are wonderful representations of family and friendship. This is a lovely story with wonderful storytelling and an adorable premise.
More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction
May 14, 2019
I am so excited I get to post my review on this YA Contemporary’s Book Birthday!!
This book was so much fun! It gave me Scream All Night vibes with all the horror film references! Olivia’s dream is to become a screenwriter for horror films and getting to talk to her friend Elm online about all things horror makes her excited for each new day.
Olivia starts a new job at a zip-lining company her mom’s friend owns after she bombs the biggest writing project opportunity she’s ever had. Now she’s stuck spending the summer out in the middle of nowhere, working in an environment she soon realizes just might be the perfect setting to write her screenplay. Then things start to change when she realizes the guy she thought she’d never meet happens to be in the same place she is and instead of telling him the truth about her true identity the lies begin.
I really enjoyed Olivia and Elm’s online relationship where they can fangirl/fanboy about all their favorite horror movies. Once Olivia realizes she’ll be seeing him in real life every day, and she doesn’t tell him the truth right away, she finds herself digging a deeper and deeper hole that she can’t get out of, and a part of her is starting to love the Olivia she’s become when she’s with the real Elm.
Just when you think things can’t get worse her friend shows up unannounced all the secrets Olivia’s been keeping from Elm come crumbling down and she’s left wondering if she’ll ever be able to dig herself out.
This book tackles friendship, love, and finding yourself. I enjoyed this adorable YA Contemporary. I did get frustrated at times with how long, and how deep, the lies went for a good portion of the book but I can’t say if that was a good thing or a bad thing because it did make me feel lots of emotions about the situation.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“Never forget, Olivia. This is only your Death Becomes Her moment. This is only one step of your story”
“And I remind myself that putting a few words on a page is far less scary than catapulting through the air.”
“Like my fear, my self-sabotaging bullshit, my old neuroses — well, they can go jump off their own cliff and not securely hooked up to a zip line either.”
“When it comes to romance, sometimes right and wrong isn’t always so black and white.”
“…we don’t always phrase things well about the people we love and care about…”
“Worse than any character in any horror movie…”
This book was so much fun! It gave me Scream All Night vibes with all the horror film references! Olivia’s dream is to become a screenwriter for horror films and getting to talk to her friend Elm online about all things horror makes her excited for each new day.
Olivia starts a new job at a zip-lining company her mom’s friend owns after she bombs the biggest writing project opportunity she’s ever had. Now she’s stuck spending the summer out in the middle of nowhere, working in an environment she soon realizes just might be the perfect setting to write her screenplay. Then things start to change when she realizes the guy she thought she’d never meet happens to be in the same place she is and instead of telling him the truth about her true identity the lies begin.
I really enjoyed Olivia and Elm’s online relationship where they can fangirl/fanboy about all their favorite horror movies. Once Olivia realizes she’ll be seeing him in real life every day, and she doesn’t tell him the truth right away, she finds herself digging a deeper and deeper hole that she can’t get out of, and a part of her is starting to love the Olivia she’s become when she’s with the real Elm.
Just when you think things can’t get worse her friend shows up unannounced all the secrets Olivia’s been keeping from Elm come crumbling down and she’s left wondering if she’ll ever be able to dig herself out.
This book tackles friendship, love, and finding yourself. I enjoyed this adorable YA Contemporary. I did get frustrated at times with how long, and how deep, the lies went for a good portion of the book but I can’t say if that was a good thing or a bad thing because it did make me feel lots of emotions about the situation.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“Never forget, Olivia. This is only your Death Becomes Her moment. This is only one step of your story”
“And I remind myself that putting a few words on a page is far less scary than catapulting through the air.”
“Like my fear, my self-sabotaging bullshit, my old neuroses — well, they can go jump off their own cliff and not securely hooked up to a zip line either.”
“When it comes to romance, sometimes right and wrong isn’t always so black and white.”
“…we don’t always phrase things well about the people we love and care about…”
“Worse than any character in any horror movie…”
May 11, 2019
Happy Messy Scary Love is a contemporary for many readers. Not only does is give us the normal contemporary feels, fandoms, romance and the part I loved the most: overcoming fears! Add some horror movies and that just about describes this book.
Even though I'm not much of a horror fan, I knew most of the movies that were mentioned in the story (the bigger ones anyways). I could still relate to loving something as much as Jake and Olivia do. It's great to have someone share your love of something like this and it's a great thing to bond over. The bonding starts online and these days that's rather common.
Olivia's summer didn't start off amazing, not only did she not get into the writing program at NYU, she's being forced to work at a ziplining place and hates heights. I loved how much we got to know about Olivia. She loves the idea of writing a screenplay, but just can't get herself to do it. Fear of failing is a big thing for her and I think many people will be able to relate.
Her summer turns out to be amazing though. She ends up trying ziplining and it isn't as bad as she thought, she makes new friends and is actually able to write a screenplay. It's not perfect, but she did it! I loved reading about her accomplishing these things. Sometimes putting yourself out there does pay off.
Of course overcoming fears isn't the only aspect of this book. As we read in the summary, Jake ends up being Elm, the person she's been talking to online about everything that has to do with horror movies. While I didn't completely care for all the lying and secrets (it went on a bit too long), I did enjoy watching them get to know eachother. Even though Olivia knew more than she let on. Jake is really sweet and I really enjoyed him while reading this story.
Happy Messy Scary Love is a fast and fun story that's a perfect summer read. Horror fans will be happy, but really anybody that's crazy over a certain fandom will be able to relate. On top of friendship and romance, there is also a family aspect in this story that I really enjoyed! This definitely won't be my last Leah Konen book!
Even though I'm not much of a horror fan, I knew most of the movies that were mentioned in the story (the bigger ones anyways). I could still relate to loving something as much as Jake and Olivia do. It's great to have someone share your love of something like this and it's a great thing to bond over. The bonding starts online and these days that's rather common.
Olivia's summer didn't start off amazing, not only did she not get into the writing program at NYU, she's being forced to work at a ziplining place and hates heights. I loved how much we got to know about Olivia. She loves the idea of writing a screenplay, but just can't get herself to do it. Fear of failing is a big thing for her and I think many people will be able to relate.
Her summer turns out to be amazing though. She ends up trying ziplining and it isn't as bad as she thought, she makes new friends and is actually able to write a screenplay. It's not perfect, but she did it! I loved reading about her accomplishing these things. Sometimes putting yourself out there does pay off.
Of course overcoming fears isn't the only aspect of this book. As we read in the summary, Jake ends up being Elm, the person she's been talking to online about everything that has to do with horror movies. While I didn't completely care for all the lying and secrets (it went on a bit too long), I did enjoy watching them get to know eachother. Even though Olivia knew more than she let on. Jake is really sweet and I really enjoyed him while reading this story.
Happy Messy Scary Love is a fast and fun story that's a perfect summer read. Horror fans will be happy, but really anybody that's crazy over a certain fandom will be able to relate. On top of friendship and romance, there is also a family aspect in this story that I really enjoyed! This definitely won't be my last Leah Konen book!
May 20, 2019
A very fun YA romance, this is perfect for fans of the genre. It's more like a 3+.
After not writing a movie script for an application and spending her whole time talking with her internet friend Elm, Olivia's plans for summer are gone now she's sabotaged herself out of the filmmaker course in NYU. Her mother then sends her to work at the small town they're staying, where she meets Jake. Who happens to be Elm. Who happens to think the photo of Olivia's best friend is Olivia and has no idea he's really talking to his internet friend. The situation only gets worse as Olivia is unable to tell the truth the closer they get in real life.
Olivia's situation is all too familiar to anyone. She borderline-crushes on her best friend Katie, who she calls the manager of her life and seems to have everything Olivia doesn't. While she faces a writer's block she meets Elm online and the two connect all too well until he asks for a picture and Katie's is the one he gets. Olivia lacks that much in self-esteem. Of course it wasn't supposed to make a difference until they end up meeting in person, but she still can't come out to him. I don't know if I'd have the nerves to let it snowball like that, but her internal conflicts are undoubtedly relatable to teenagers and even to me. Who doesn't compare themselves to someone close, right? I think that was the best part of this story, how real it seems.
There are also lots of horror films references but since I'm not a fan (at all), I can't say if it'll entice those. What I do tell you is that it was interesting to learn about it and it wasn't too much to a point it becomes a school book or something. I think the writer knew the exact amount she could include to make it real horror was her hobby.
There are also side characters and it's a pity there wouldn't be room to learn about everyone because they did seem interesting. On the other hand, I feel the important ones acquired depth enough, especially Katie. There's a lesson there for anyone reading.
So why didn't I rate it higher? There's nothing actually wrong. This was quick and pleasant to read. But there isn't enough to get it more. It's a good YA but it's just like any other good YA. It'll surely be great for fans but I don't think it'll go beyond that.
Which doesn't change anything. If you like contemporary YA including romance, this is a read you shouldn't miss this summer.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
After not writing a movie script for an application and spending her whole time talking with her internet friend Elm, Olivia's plans for summer are gone now she's sabotaged herself out of the filmmaker course in NYU. Her mother then sends her to work at the small town they're staying, where she meets Jake. Who happens to be Elm. Who happens to think the photo of Olivia's best friend is Olivia and has no idea he's really talking to his internet friend. The situation only gets worse as Olivia is unable to tell the truth the closer they get in real life.
Olivia's situation is all too familiar to anyone. She borderline-crushes on her best friend Katie, who she calls the manager of her life and seems to have everything Olivia doesn't. While she faces a writer's block she meets Elm online and the two connect all too well until he asks for a picture and Katie's is the one he gets. Olivia lacks that much in self-esteem. Of course it wasn't supposed to make a difference until they end up meeting in person, but she still can't come out to him. I don't know if I'd have the nerves to let it snowball like that, but her internal conflicts are undoubtedly relatable to teenagers and even to me. Who doesn't compare themselves to someone close, right? I think that was the best part of this story, how real it seems.
There are also lots of horror films references but since I'm not a fan (at all), I can't say if it'll entice those. What I do tell you is that it was interesting to learn about it and it wasn't too much to a point it becomes a school book or something. I think the writer knew the exact amount she could include to make it real horror was her hobby.
There are also side characters and it's a pity there wouldn't be room to learn about everyone because they did seem interesting. On the other hand, I feel the important ones acquired depth enough, especially Katie. There's a lesson there for anyone reading.
So why didn't I rate it higher? There's nothing actually wrong. This was quick and pleasant to read. But there isn't enough to get it more. It's a good YA but it's just like any other good YA. It'll surely be great for fans but I don't think it'll go beyond that.
Which doesn't change anything. If you like contemporary YA including romance, this is a read you shouldn't miss this summer.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
May 19, 2019
More like 3.5. It was cute— adorably cute, but completely unbelievable and about 50 pages too long. Also, ughhh Katie, the BFF,... I didn’t like her at all, at all.
I want to start by saying Happy Messy Scary Love was an adorable book and I really enjoyed reading it. It was written in a way that brought me in and got me invested in the story, however unbelievable that story was...
If I didn't stop and actively think about it, it was easy to just fall in with the characters and the inevitable downfall of Olivia's "plan". I'm a thinker though, so I did eventually pause and note the fact that this scenario was pretty far-fetched. We're supposed to believe that Olivia, who lives in Brooklyn, meets a guy from North Carolina on Reddit-- and they both coincidentally end up in the Catskills working at the same outdoor zip-line tour company, without either of them knowing beforehand. The world is not that small.
Also, instead of just TELLING Jake that she is the girl he's been chatting with (which is what EVERYONE ON PLANET EARTH WOULD DO), she pretends she doesn't know him and starts pretending to be someone different in real life in order to differentiate herself from her online self. It was just head-shaking behavior.
Putting that out of my head, the romance was cute. Olivia and Jake had real chemistry (online and in real life), and I loved how aware Olivia was of it. She was self-conscious, obviously, but she wasn't one of those people who have zero awareness about a connection they are making with someone.
The thing is, I've read this book before. And yeah, I like reading books like these every now and again-- but I want the story to be different in some sort of way from the other stories. I didn't find that here. That also takes the surprise-factor out of it, because I knew how this was going to go.
By the time the best friend, Katie, shows up to help push along the big blow-up, I was thinking it was time to wrap this book up. It kind of goes on a little too long where the characters go on and on about horror movies (sometimes out loud and sometimes in their heads) because they literally have nothing else to do but wait for this lie to come out. Speaking of BFF Katie-- I HATED her. Maybe it's just me, but OMFG this girl was awful and the book kept telling me she was wonderful. Just no.
Maybe if they were working somewhere that pertained to horror movies, the coincidence would make sense. Maybe if Olivia didn't try to pretend she didn't like horror and be a different person, I would've been more on board with the lie. Maybe if the story was somehow different from all the other "You've Got Mail" retellings. I have a lot of maybes here, but somehow I still really enjoyed reading this book?!?!?
OVERALL: It's cute, it's light, it's fun. It's been done before. I've read this exact book before with different characters and settings. Luckily it was written in a way that allowed me to fall into it without being too bored or annoyed, but I still don't think that makes up for an unbelievable/unoriginal story. I do recommend it due to it being completely readable and fun, but if you're into YA Contemporary Romance, be ready for déjà vu.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books
I want to start by saying Happy Messy Scary Love was an adorable book and I really enjoyed reading it. It was written in a way that brought me in and got me invested in the story, however unbelievable that story was...
If I didn't stop and actively think about it, it was easy to just fall in with the characters and the inevitable downfall of Olivia's "plan". I'm a thinker though, so I did eventually pause and note the fact that this scenario was pretty far-fetched. We're supposed to believe that Olivia, who lives in Brooklyn, meets a guy from North Carolina on Reddit-- and they both coincidentally end up in the Catskills working at the same outdoor zip-line tour company, without either of them knowing beforehand. The world is not that small.
Also, instead of just TELLING Jake that she is the girl he's been chatting with (which is what EVERYONE ON PLANET EARTH WOULD DO), she pretends she doesn't know him and starts pretending to be someone different in real life in order to differentiate herself from her online self. It was just head-shaking behavior.
Putting that out of my head, the romance was cute. Olivia and Jake had real chemistry (online and in real life), and I loved how aware Olivia was of it. She was self-conscious, obviously, but she wasn't one of those people who have zero awareness about a connection they are making with someone.
The thing is, I've read this book before. And yeah, I like reading books like these every now and again-- but I want the story to be different in some sort of way from the other stories. I didn't find that here. That also takes the surprise-factor out of it, because I knew how this was going to go.
By the time the best friend, Katie, shows up to help push along the big blow-up, I was thinking it was time to wrap this book up. It kind of goes on a little too long where the characters go on and on about horror movies (sometimes out loud and sometimes in their heads) because they literally have nothing else to do but wait for this lie to come out. Speaking of BFF Katie-- I HATED her. Maybe it's just me, but OMFG this girl was awful and the book kept telling me she was wonderful. Just no.
Maybe if they were working somewhere that pertained to horror movies, the coincidence would make sense. Maybe if Olivia didn't try to pretend she didn't like horror and be a different person, I would've been more on board with the lie. Maybe if the story was somehow different from all the other "You've Got Mail" retellings. I have a lot of maybes here, but somehow I still really enjoyed reading this book?!?!?
OVERALL: It's cute, it's light, it's fun. It's been done before. I've read this exact book before with different characters and settings. Luckily it was written in a way that allowed me to fall into it without being too bored or annoyed, but I still don't think that makes up for an unbelievable/unoriginal story. I do recommend it due to it being completely readable and fun, but if you're into YA Contemporary Romance, be ready for déjà vu.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books
June 25, 2019
I have some very hot and cold feelings about this book.
At one end is that i did indeed have to force myself to finish it. But the other end, i did relate to a few things.
The whole plot is based upon, a lie, that just turn bigger by each page and its just so ridiculous that i wanna beat the mc and ask what do you see it going on to, other than being a big fat disaster?
I kinda did relate to her not being able to believe in herself, but than she constantly let her self be bullied by people around her and turned the shitty things into excuses by telling herself how she wasn't good enough.
Idkw the cat fishing plots even exist they are disgusting, demeaning and a huge violation of privacy. It just didn't sit well for me.
I would like to say it might to well for younger reader. But they shouldn't be reading this toxic ness anyway since they might think this behavior is right.
And the main character still doesn't get much self believe and love for herself by the end which is sad! Because love yourself honey!
Anyway yeah didnt sit well with me.
1.5 *
At one end is that i did indeed have to force myself to finish it. But the other end, i did relate to a few things.
The whole plot is based upon, a lie, that just turn bigger by each page and its just so ridiculous that i wanna beat the mc and ask what do you see it going on to, other than being a big fat disaster?
I kinda did relate to her not being able to believe in herself, but than she constantly let her self be bullied by people around her and turned the shitty things into excuses by telling herself how she wasn't good enough.
Idkw the cat fishing plots even exist they are disgusting, demeaning and a huge violation of privacy. It just didn't sit well for me.
I would like to say it might to well for younger reader. But they shouldn't be reading this toxic ness anyway since they might think this behavior is right.
And the main character still doesn't get much self believe and love for herself by the end which is sad! Because love yourself honey!
Anyway yeah didnt sit well with me.
1.5 *
May 12, 2019
Happy Messy Scary Love is one of those cute rom-coms that you pack for a day at the beach. It’s got a lot of humor (mainly the adorkable dialogue between Olivia and Jake) and heart.
When I picked up this book I was quickly immersed in the story. I’m not a fan of horror movies, but I loved that Olivia was, because that made her unique and interesting. She often made movie reference jokes and was all around quirky and fun, and I could totally see myself being friends with someone like her.
Jake was awkward and totally nerdy, which after brooding bad boys, is my favorite book-boyfriend type, so I had a little crush on him.
I was able to read Happy Messy Scary Love in one day, because the characters were so interesting, and the dialogue humorous and fun. The whole story just flowed so well, that before I knew it, I was at the last page.
I’m definitely planning on reading more contemporary books by Leah Konen in the future.
When I picked up this book I was quickly immersed in the story. I’m not a fan of horror movies, but I loved that Olivia was, because that made her unique and interesting. She often made movie reference jokes and was all around quirky and fun, and I could totally see myself being friends with someone like her.
Jake was awkward and totally nerdy, which after brooding bad boys, is my favorite book-boyfriend type, so I had a little crush on him.
I was able to read Happy Messy Scary Love in one day, because the characters were so interesting, and the dialogue humorous and fun. The whole story just flowed so well, that before I knew it, I was at the last page.
I’m definitely planning on reading more contemporary books by Leah Konen in the future.
February 28, 2019
Olivia fancies Elm a budget horror movie creator but sends him a picture of her friend Katie thinking they'll never meet...
However as her plans to go to NYU over summer fail after she doesn't submit her screenplay on time, her mum forces her to work at a zip line adventure course where she meets Jake and a whole twist of a tale starts...
With awkward dinners, parties, learning new skills, making new friends and memories, to almost losing your friends this book is a rollercoaster of events as the pair truly get to know each other despite their first encounter which was via technology not face to face. It was a fun read and a good will they won't they about whether they would get together or not!
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
However as her plans to go to NYU over summer fail after she doesn't submit her screenplay on time, her mum forces her to work at a zip line adventure course where she meets Jake and a whole twist of a tale starts...
With awkward dinners, parties, learning new skills, making new friends and memories, to almost losing your friends this book is a rollercoaster of events as the pair truly get to know each other despite their first encounter which was via technology not face to face. It was a fun read and a good will they won't they about whether they would get together or not!
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
June 24, 2019
For other reviews and more, please visit my blog: What's She Reading?
TL;DR – So many lies that were easily avoidable and are just not going to end well for anyone involved.
I’m just going to start by saying that I felt like I was too old for this book. There were so many times when I was face palming at Olivia’s poor choices. Now, part of the problem is that this is a book so you KNOW certain things are going to happen. Ordinarily, I might not have had much of a problem with Olivia sending a picture of her friend Katie to Elm, but since this is a book you know that she and Elm WILL meet in real life and that Katie WILL also show up at some point. The same applies to other decisions made throughout the book.
The characters were just okay for me. I didn’t find Olivia to be a super sympathetic main character (perhaps because of all of her poor choices) and Jake wasn’t really a compelling love interest. Their relationship would have been a lot more fun if Jake knew that Olivia was Carrie from the beginning, but then of course we wouldn’t have had a story. Olivia’s parents/aunt were kind of non-characters? I mean, they were there and every once in a while would play a role, but honestly they could’ve been any nondescript adult character. Same with the other employees at the ziplining company–they could’ve all just been “generic summer camp employees”. Katie at times was a really great and supportive friend for Olivia, but then at other times she was TERRIBLE. I wasn’t convinced by their friendship–they both seemed pretty selfish and I don’t actually see how their friendship works.
The plot wasn’t wholly original, like I said, there were many things that you KNEW were going to happen. So while this book was still a ticking time bomb (waiting for all of Olivia’s lies to catch up with her) the book still lacked suspense. You KNOW that Jake is going to find out everything and waiting for the “when” isn’t super suspenseful. One thing I didn’t like is that there was no acknowledgement of how Jake might feel being torn between two girls (Carrie and Olivia). Even though the reader knows they’re the same person, he doesn’t, so I feel like that should have played into it more. Like, he should have had more conflict hanging out with Olivia or he should have been pulling away from Carrie or something like that. Also, it’s ridiculous that Olivia based many of her screenplay characters on her coworkers and then sent it to Jake expecting him not to recognize anyone? Like, come on.
Overall, this book was just pretty meh for me. It took me a lot longer to get through it than it should have. I liked the setting and the overall premise was fine, but don’t be expecting any surprises, because there are none.
Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TL;DR – So many lies that were easily avoidable and are just not going to end well for anyone involved.
I’m just going to start by saying that I felt like I was too old for this book. There were so many times when I was face palming at Olivia’s poor choices. Now, part of the problem is that this is a book so you KNOW certain things are going to happen. Ordinarily, I might not have had much of a problem with Olivia sending a picture of her friend Katie to Elm, but since this is a book you know that she and Elm WILL meet in real life and that Katie WILL also show up at some point. The same applies to other decisions made throughout the book.
The characters were just okay for me. I didn’t find Olivia to be a super sympathetic main character (perhaps because of all of her poor choices) and Jake wasn’t really a compelling love interest. Their relationship would have been a lot more fun if Jake knew that Olivia was Carrie from the beginning, but then of course we wouldn’t have had a story. Olivia’s parents/aunt were kind of non-characters? I mean, they were there and every once in a while would play a role, but honestly they could’ve been any nondescript adult character. Same with the other employees at the ziplining company–they could’ve all just been “generic summer camp employees”. Katie at times was a really great and supportive friend for Olivia, but then at other times she was TERRIBLE. I wasn’t convinced by their friendship–they both seemed pretty selfish and I don’t actually see how their friendship works.
The plot wasn’t wholly original, like I said, there were many things that you KNEW were going to happen. So while this book was still a ticking time bomb (waiting for all of Olivia’s lies to catch up with her) the book still lacked suspense. You KNOW that Jake is going to find out everything and waiting for the “when” isn’t super suspenseful. One thing I didn’t like is that there was no acknowledgement of how Jake might feel being torn between two girls (Carrie and Olivia). Even though the reader knows they’re the same person, he doesn’t, so I feel like that should have played into it more. Like, he should have had more conflict hanging out with Olivia or he should have been pulling away from Carrie or something like that. Also, it’s ridiculous that Olivia based many of her screenplay characters on her coworkers and then sent it to Jake expecting him not to recognize anyone? Like, come on.
Overall, this book was just pretty meh for me. It took me a lot longer to get through it than it should have. I liked the setting and the overall premise was fine, but don’t be expecting any surprises, because there are none.
Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
dnf
May 26, 2019Content Warnings up til 16%
DNF at 16% I am not up for reading about a parent forcing a kid to do something that means confronting her phobia for an entire summer. It's engaging and well written otherwise, but I cannot with this particular plotline.
DNF at 16% I am not up for reading about a parent forcing a kid to do something that means confronting her phobia for an entire summer. It's engaging and well written otherwise, but I cannot with this particular plotline.
May 11, 2019
From the title and synopsis, you can already deduce that this is not going to be an original tale. Olivia, a closeted horror lover and coming out screenwriter is stuck in a circle of self-sabotage until she becomes close to a boy who she may or not have lied to about what she looked like.
The themes of insecurities, failure, and procrastination are something that has varied methods of being dealt with as according to everyone, and the way each of these themes was depicted in the story is something I relate to. For example, after an unfortunate event, Olivia began to deal with her failure by constantly sabotaging herself, so that way it would hurt less if she ever actually tried and failed. The failure she is dealing with is the type that constantly eats at you. It sleeps and awakes when you do. Reminding you every step you take that you will never accomplish ...dragging you down until you feel as though there is no other way up. I related on a deep and personal level with Olivia on this, and I believe many others will as well.
It is difficult to get into this story because of its very thin plotline which was not-so engaging, and usually when a plot is not good the characters should make up for it, but unfortunately, like the plot, the characters were also flat and boring. I did not feel very much for any of them. All in all characters, yes, are tools to be used to explain or tell a story but if people's hearts do not beat with the character's then a character will remain just that...a character. Readers have to be able to humanize the characters they read, to cry and laugh with the characters allowing them to not just sympathize but empathize with characters. What I'm trying to say is, if one of the characters in this story were to drop dead, I wouldn't even blink an eye and kept reading.
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The themes of insecurities, failure, and procrastination are something that has varied methods of being dealt with as according to everyone, and the way each of these themes was depicted in the story is something I relate to. For example, after an unfortunate event, Olivia began to deal with her failure by constantly sabotaging herself, so that way it would hurt less if she ever actually tried and failed. The failure she is dealing with is the type that constantly eats at you. It sleeps and awakes when you do. Reminding you every step you take that you will never accomplish ...dragging you down until you feel as though there is no other way up. I related on a deep and personal level with Olivia on this, and I believe many others will as well.
It is difficult to get into this story because of its very thin plotline which was not-so engaging, and usually when a plot is not good the characters should make up for it, but unfortunately, like the plot, the characters were also flat and boring. I did not feel very much for any of them. All in all characters, yes, are tools to be used to explain or tell a story but if people's hearts do not beat with the character's then a character will remain just that...a character. Readers have to be able to humanize the characters they read, to cry and laugh with the characters allowing them to not just sympathize but empathize with characters. What I'm trying to say is, if one of the characters in this story were to drop dead, I wouldn't even blink an eye and kept reading.
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May 27, 2019
This review and many others can also be found at Musings of a (Book) Girl.
Happy Messy Scary Love had so much potential, but it didn’t live up to any of it for me. For the most part, the plot was great and I enjoyed the story that was taking place. I just wish the execution had been better. Leah Konen’s dialogue was incredibly repetitive. It felt like the characters were having the same conversations over and over again which left them often not saying much to propel the story forward.
Olivia and Jake, the two main characters, were extremely likable. I didn’t always agree with the decisions they made but I was able to understand the why behind their actions. At the beginning of the book we are introduced to quite a few of Olivia’s friends, but by the end, most of them had disappeared. I really wish they had been a bigger part of the story. The one friend of Olivia’s that stuck around, Katie, was horrible. She came off as rude the entire book and didn’t treat Olivia kindly at all.
One of the things I liked most about this book was the humor! It was right up my alley and had me smiling often. There were also bits of the screenplay Olivia was writing in between some of the chapters and I loved reading those. I only remember there being maybe three or four of them? When I think of how many chapters there were I definitely wish there had been more of the screenplay shown.
Overall, this was a quick read that is great for a lazy summer afternoon. If anybody were to ask me about it I certainly wouldn’t discourage them from picking it up and giving it a go. In this instance, it seems more of an it’s not you it’s me scenario. I just don’t think Leah Konen’s writing style mixes well with who I am as a reader, and that’s okay!
TL;DR: Great humor and likable main characters make this a quick read for a lazy summer afternoon. The writing style wasn’t for me, but hopefully, it’s for you!
A physical ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Happy Messy Scary Love had so much potential, but it didn’t live up to any of it for me. For the most part, the plot was great and I enjoyed the story that was taking place. I just wish the execution had been better. Leah Konen’s dialogue was incredibly repetitive. It felt like the characters were having the same conversations over and over again which left them often not saying much to propel the story forward.
Olivia and Jake, the two main characters, were extremely likable. I didn’t always agree with the decisions they made but I was able to understand the why behind their actions. At the beginning of the book we are introduced to quite a few of Olivia’s friends, but by the end, most of them had disappeared. I really wish they had been a bigger part of the story. The one friend of Olivia’s that stuck around, Katie, was horrible. She came off as rude the entire book and didn’t treat Olivia kindly at all.
One of the things I liked most about this book was the humor! It was right up my alley and had me smiling often. There were also bits of the screenplay Olivia was writing in between some of the chapters and I loved reading those. I only remember there being maybe three or four of them? When I think of how many chapters there were I definitely wish there had been more of the screenplay shown.
Overall, this was a quick read that is great for a lazy summer afternoon. If anybody were to ask me about it I certainly wouldn’t discourage them from picking it up and giving it a go. In this instance, it seems more of an it’s not you it’s me scenario. I just don’t think Leah Konen’s writing style mixes well with who I am as a reader, and that’s okay!
TL;DR: Great humor and likable main characters make this a quick read for a lazy summer afternoon. The writing style wasn’t for me, but hopefully, it’s for you!
A physical ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2019
Apparently this was the third book by this author that I've read. For some reason I thought it was two. That being said this was a lot better than The Romantics. In this book Olivia lies about her identity to Jake. This of course causes a lot of problems since they work together. This book is a good example of how badly this can go. Normally the behavior of Olivia would piss me off but she did learn an important lesson.
October 15, 2019
This book was ok. Started off real strong but as the book progressed I found myself extremely bored. Ehh wasn’t really a fan. Basically the plot of this book was the same as the movie Sierra Burgess is a loser. Although if you’re a horror film fan you would probably enjoy all the horror references.
*2.5 ⭐️ *
*2.5 ⭐️ *
April 27, 2023
Cute, but I can’t stand the whole “MC digs themselves into a bigger and bigger hole via a pileup of meaningless lies.”
It was so promising at first with the “meet online then run into each other in real life” thing, too. But I was getting annoyed with Olivia, so it took me a long time to get through this one even though it’s so short😅
It was so promising at first with the “meet online then run into each other in real life” thing, too. But I was getting annoyed with Olivia, so it took me a long time to get through this one even though it’s so short😅
May 18, 2019
Ive read " happy messy scary love " the idea was so good and i enjoyed it but i wanted more romance ,, i gave it 3.5 out of 5
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