I understand writing a flawed teenage character. If I had been the protagonist in a book when i was in high school, I am pretty positive that my book would bomb. I was horrible, wimpy and a dorky lost kid. I was so stupid.
So I'm not passing on this one because the kid in the book is shaming a girl for not smiling (she would be SO MUCH PRETTIER) or because he said that same girl would be more attractive if she "tried harder", or that the male character complains that all of the girls in his school are "average looking". I can even take a breath and understand that slut shaming at that age is quite common. It isn't RIGHT, but it is realistic.
It makes me not care for the book, or the character, but not every novel is going to be spun-sugar nice.
What made me stop this book at 13%, and then give it a LOW RATING was that the main character is an attempt rapist. Here is what he has to say about what happened to the relationship with his ex:
"It was stupid, I know that. I was stupid. I know that too. I think Diana liked me quite a bit and the thing is I liked her too - a lot. But it was the whole sex thing. I wanted it - she didn't. At least not as fast as I did. Which would have been okay if she hadn't already had sex with two other guys."
What the FUCK. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. A girl can't wait to have sex if she already had previous partners. Look at that line: "Which would have been okay if..." Mt stomach is so upset right now. How DARE you deem it okay when a girl can and can't wait to have sex. HOW DARE YOU.
Let's continue:
Diana tells him that she has had sex before. His monologue:
"I was all like cool, I'm fine with being number three as long as it's real freaking soon. And that was the problem. Diana, the two-times non-virgin, wasn't on the same page when it came to just how far we would go."
Let me just step back before I break something. So now this girl is more of an identity that a living, breathing person.
When he tries something with her, she removes his hand and flat out tells him "I'm just not ready."
So why doesn't she want to just have sex with him?
"It was too fast both of those times. I wasn't ready then either but I let it happen and I wished after I hadn't. I don't want to feel like that again, okay?"
How awesome is it that the girl is honest with her thoughts on sex. She didn't say "never", she wanted to take her time, have some control, learn from past mistakes.
And his is how she was rewarded by the MAIN FUCKING CHARACTER OF THE NOVEL:
"But like a jerk I kept trying, and talking, and trying some more. Not just that night but a lot of nights. Mostly I was just really pissed that I was still a virgin and she wasn't."
Okay, I figure that this point, some people are thinking, "That sucks, but can you really define him as a rapist?"
I was pissed off when I was reading the above, but this broke me.
"I tried every ploy I could think of." He keeps TRYING TO PUSH HER TO HAVE SEX. He isn't a jerk, he is trying to rape his girlfriend.
And here is the really REALLY screwed up part. He broke up with her, said some things to make her feel "crappy". He places the blame on her. And this boy is wanting to get back with her. He wants to date her again. He keeps trying to figure out how to date her, even though she treats him with earned disdain.
He is a criminal. I don't even care about reading the book to see if he turns out "a better person". I am honestly afraid that he might win her back at the end, and I couldn't handle that.
I can't STAND male POV because all I hear about is sex, lack of sex, and the hotness of the girls. Attempted rape is just a "mean" thing, and not a crime.
Male privilege, right here, folks.