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Never Kiss Your Roommate
Welcome to Seven Hills, the world’s most exclusive boarding school.
But watch your back because lurking on the anonymous Chitter Chatter Blog is The Watcher—who can’t wait to reveal all the latest secrets around campus.
The latest objects of The Watcher’s affection?
Straight-off-the-train besties Evelyn and Seth.
It doesn’t take long for Evelyn to realize she is inexplicably drawn to her gorgeous and stand-offish roommate, Noelle. Meanwhile Seth has eyes - and some serious heart palpitations - for budding thespian and school flirt Jasper.
Just as things start to heat up, The Watcher strikes.
Will the secrets revealed turn their happily ever afters into happily never afters?
But watch your back because lurking on the anonymous Chitter Chatter Blog is The Watcher—who can’t wait to reveal all the latest secrets around campus.
The latest objects of The Watcher’s affection?
Straight-off-the-train besties Evelyn and Seth.
It doesn’t take long for Evelyn to realize she is inexplicably drawn to her gorgeous and stand-offish roommate, Noelle. Meanwhile Seth has eyes - and some serious heart palpitations - for budding thespian and school flirt Jasper.
Just as things start to heat up, The Watcher strikes.
Will the secrets revealed turn their happily ever afters into happily never afters?
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2021
210 people are currently reading
9665 people want to read
About the author
Philline Harms
6 books250 followersPhilline Harms is a writer of queer contemporary YA romances. When she’s not working on a novel, she can be found analysing her friends' birth charts, drinking her body weight in tea, or crafting obscurely specific Spotify playlists—sometimes simultaneously. Living in Germany, she is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
May 28, 2021
*Thank you Wattpad Books and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I wanted to like this book but could not get over the racist character depictions and confused attempts at three different genres.
To start off with our main characters: Evelyn is the true main character and Seth is our forgotten secondary main character that doesn't get nearly as much focus or development as Evelyn, making his story and perspective feel last minute and useless.
This book only has white people with the exception of basketball-playing, cigarette-smoking, overly aggressive, rude, oversexualized, violent, rowdy black girl and love interest to Evelyn, Noelle. The headmaster who we see in a few paragraphs is also black and then that's it. The scary black girl and the pure, innocent, bookish white girl fall in love and it made me very angry and uncomfortable from start to finish.
The author could've taken a moment to acknowledge how the student body's perception of Noelle was influenced by racism in how she seems to be the one non-white student in the entire school but no- it was just a vague exaggerated misunderstanding rooted in Noelle's constant "bad girl" behavior. Noelle's blackness in the context of oppression and being a minority is brought up a whole two times in throwaway lines that lead to zero conversation about it.
This book also tried to be a rom-com, a mystery (a mystery that was easy to solve within the first couple of chapters, by the way), and a thriller and none of it blended naturally.
The depictions of French and Italian people also felt very cartoonish.
Overall, I'm left very confused as to what I was supposed to take away from this story.
I wanted to like this book but could not get over the racist character depictions and confused attempts at three different genres.
To start off with our main characters: Evelyn is the true main character and Seth is our forgotten secondary main character that doesn't get nearly as much focus or development as Evelyn, making his story and perspective feel last minute and useless.
This book only has white people with the exception of basketball-playing, cigarette-smoking, overly aggressive, rude, oversexualized, violent, rowdy black girl and love interest to Evelyn, Noelle. The headmaster who we see in a few paragraphs is also black and then that's it. The scary black girl and the pure, innocent, bookish white girl fall in love and it made me very angry and uncomfortable from start to finish.
The author could've taken a moment to acknowledge how the student body's perception of Noelle was influenced by racism in how she seems to be the one non-white student in the entire school but no- it was just a vague exaggerated misunderstanding rooted in Noelle's constant "bad girl" behavior. Noelle's blackness in the context of oppression and being a minority is brought up a whole two times in throwaway lines that lead to zero conversation about it.
This book also tried to be a rom-com, a mystery (a mystery that was easy to solve within the first couple of chapters, by the way), and a thriller and none of it blended naturally.
The depictions of French and Italian people also felt very cartoonish.
Overall, I'm left very confused as to what I was supposed to take away from this story.
February 2, 2021
I wrote this book and I’m super proud of how it turned out!! :)
Although I would mainly describe this novel as a queer, ownvoices comfort book, there are some heavier and potentially triggering themes that I’d like to list here.
Content warning for:
-Abusive relationship (off-page)
-Blood
-Bullying/cyberbullying
-Divorce
-Homophobia (off-page)
-Kidnapping
-Outing (off-page)
-Panic attack
-Sex scene (fade to black)
-Sexual assault (off-page)
-Swearing
-Trauma
-Underage drinking
-Violence
Please take care of yourselves and enjoy!! Much love, Philline x
Although I would mainly describe this novel as a queer, ownvoices comfort book, there are some heavier and potentially triggering themes that I’d like to list here.
Content warning for:
-Abusive relationship (off-page)
-Blood
-Bullying/cyberbullying
-Divorce
-Homophobia (off-page)
-Kidnapping
-Outing (off-page)
-Panic attack
-Sex scene (fade to black)
-Sexual assault (off-page)
-Swearing
-Trauma
-Underage drinking
-Violence
Please take care of yourselves and enjoy!! Much love, Philline x
June 10, 2021
Never Kiss Your Roommate is the perfect comfort read. With loveable characters, the sweetest romances and writing easy to sink into, it’s a wonderful story to get lost in. Harms’ talent shines through her characters whose distinct voices and personalities make you feel like you’re talking to a friend and whose relationships you can’t help but root for. Never Kiss Your Roommate is corny and full of clichés in the best way possible and an absolute joy to read.
This is not a book to pick up for the plot which was admittedly a bit over the top and all over the place at times but the strength of the characters rendered that inconsequential. These characters and their relationships were impossible not to root for and empathise with, even coupled by the overdramatics. They just had some quality that I can’t quite put my finger on that makes them feel alive and tangible and I fell for them early on. The relationships, both romantic and platonic were so believable and had such great chemistry that I was immediately invested and ate up every little interaction.
And that’s not to say the plot was terrible – I really enjoyed it, particularly relating to the romances. I did feel that the Chitter Chatter blog could have played a more significant role as it didn’t really come into play until later on and never seemed to be the Big Bad it was suggested to be. The plot acted mainly as a vehicle for character and relationship development and did so effectively while remaining entertaining and easy to follow, if a touch predictable and over the top. What I did find was particularly well done was the look at sexuality, particularly for Evelyn, our main character. She arrives at Seven Hills terrified of being out and struggling to accept herself following previous negative experiences and watching as she slowly learned to accept herself and grow confident in her identity was just incredible. This is such an authentic, relatable experience and I think it’s going to mean the world to some readers – I know it would have for me had I picked this book up a year ago.
If you, too, were active on Wattpad a few years ago (and maybe even now?) you will recognise many aspects and tropes this book employs, from secret pasts, teaching your crush how to punch (who actually tucks their thumb in??) and an unbelievably dramatic climax scene. I personally found this return to a structure I was so familiar with really comforting and fun to read and I imagine many others will feel the same, whether they’re familiar with the structure or not. However, I know that this book will divide readers, as some find it all too much and unrealistic and must admit that there were points where I felt this too.
As much as I enjoyed this one, I do have to mention that the representation of Noelle's character as the only prominent character of colour felt problematic at times. Her character falls into a number of stereotypes, such as the over sexualised, mean Black girl. This coupled with a lack of other characters of colour was rather disappointing. Although throughout the book we discover that she is more than these stereotypes, I would have appreciated seeing more done to combat them and address their racist nature and the other students' willingness to fit her into these stereotypes and write her off this way.
Never Kiss Your Roommate is at once nostalgic and refreshing, taking a well loved structure and filling it with queer characters and a touching look at sexuality, coming out and self acceptance. I mean this in the best possible way when I say that this book reads like fanfiction – lovingly crafted characters and expert trope usage written with reader satisfaction and joy as the main goal. This book isn’t going to be for everyone but if you, too, are a lover of clichés and slightly ridiculous romances then I think you’ll adore Never Kiss Your Roommate.
Want to know more of my thoughts? Check out this reading vlog!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
This is not a book to pick up for the plot which was admittedly a bit over the top and all over the place at times but the strength of the characters rendered that inconsequential. These characters and their relationships were impossible not to root for and empathise with, even coupled by the overdramatics. They just had some quality that I can’t quite put my finger on that makes them feel alive and tangible and I fell for them early on. The relationships, both romantic and platonic were so believable and had such great chemistry that I was immediately invested and ate up every little interaction.
And that’s not to say the plot was terrible – I really enjoyed it, particularly relating to the romances. I did feel that the Chitter Chatter blog could have played a more significant role as it didn’t really come into play until later on and never seemed to be the Big Bad it was suggested to be. The plot acted mainly as a vehicle for character and relationship development and did so effectively while remaining entertaining and easy to follow, if a touch predictable and over the top. What I did find was particularly well done was the look at sexuality, particularly for Evelyn, our main character. She arrives at Seven Hills terrified of being out and struggling to accept herself following previous negative experiences and watching as she slowly learned to accept herself and grow confident in her identity was just incredible. This is such an authentic, relatable experience and I think it’s going to mean the world to some readers – I know it would have for me had I picked this book up a year ago.
If you, too, were active on Wattpad a few years ago (and maybe even now?) you will recognise many aspects and tropes this book employs, from secret pasts, teaching your crush how to punch (who actually tucks their thumb in??) and an unbelievably dramatic climax scene. I personally found this return to a structure I was so familiar with really comforting and fun to read and I imagine many others will feel the same, whether they’re familiar with the structure or not. However, I know that this book will divide readers, as some find it all too much and unrealistic and must admit that there were points where I felt this too.
As much as I enjoyed this one, I do have to mention that the representation of Noelle's character as the only prominent character of colour felt problematic at times. Her character falls into a number of stereotypes, such as the over sexualised, mean Black girl. This coupled with a lack of other characters of colour was rather disappointing. Although throughout the book we discover that she is more than these stereotypes, I would have appreciated seeing more done to combat them and address their racist nature and the other students' willingness to fit her into these stereotypes and write her off this way.
Never Kiss Your Roommate is at once nostalgic and refreshing, taking a well loved structure and filling it with queer characters and a touching look at sexuality, coming out and self acceptance. I mean this in the best possible way when I say that this book reads like fanfiction – lovingly crafted characters and expert trope usage written with reader satisfaction and joy as the main goal. This book isn’t going to be for everyone but if you, too, are a lover of clichés and slightly ridiculous romances then I think you’ll adore Never Kiss Your Roommate.
Want to know more of my thoughts? Check out this reading vlog!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
June 2, 2021
Editing my review after reviewers of color have expressed their opinions on the representation in this book.
I recommend reading some of the reviews here by POC on this topic (check the 1 & 2 star reviews, you’ll find them), as my opinion as a white person does not hold the same weight in these conversations.
This book wasn’t great to begin with, but after hearing from POC voices on this matter, I cannot in good conscious recommend this book.
(I have also removed all posts recommending or mentioning this book in any form, as this does not reflect my true opinions)
I recommend reading some of the reviews here by POC on this topic (check the 1 & 2 star reviews, you’ll find them), as my opinion as a white person does not hold the same weight in these conversations.
This book wasn’t great to begin with, but after hearing from POC voices on this matter, I cannot in good conscious recommend this book.
(I have also removed all posts recommending or mentioning this book in any form, as this does not reflect my true opinions)
June 2, 2021
↠ 1 star
While Seven Hills boarding school may be advertised as a place for only the best and brightest students, the real person holding all the cards is The Watcher, the anonymous person running Chitter Chatter, a blog created for exposing all the secrets and drama on campus. New Students Evelyn and Seth arrive fresh off the train for the semester utterly unprepared for the realities of life away from home and form a fast friendship as they are flung headfirst into the melee. Evelyn herself quickly encounters drama of her own with her distant roommate Noelle, who seems determined to keep her at arm's length. As the school year progresses the person behind Chitter Chatter becomes even more cutthroat, threatening new relationships and those trying to escape the past.
At first glance Never Kiss Your Roommate seems to have all the characteristics of a good contemporary, with strong characters, compelling romances, and a gossip girl inspired storyline. The plot summary attracted my attention enough to submit a request for an early copy through NetGalley, and while I thought the premise was executed fairly well, there were severe issues that upon reflection make me unwilling to recommend it or promote it any further. I am of course talking about the characterization of Noelle, the love interest and roommate of Evelyn. Not only is Noelle described throughout the book as being aggressive and rude, she was constantly oversexualized and the center of many negative stereotypes associated specifically with Black women. There was definitely the potential for this to be a look into a Black student’s experience attending a predominantly white boarding school, but instead, it was just incredibly harmful representation on the author's part. With the differing opinions surrounding the character later being revealed as rumors, and never reexamined, that was even more clear. From the glaring stereotypes to the racist depictions and character backgrounds, this book was just all-around a huge problem. The small parts of the story that I did enjoy, like the friendships and queer characters, were let down by the decision to represent the character of Noelle in such a way. Many reviewers of color have already touched on this book in more depth and I encourage everyone to seek those out to learn more. The negative parts of this book are rather blatant and definitely aren't worth even sparing this a read for the queer representation.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Trigger Warnings: blood, violence, bullying, homophobia, kidnapping, outing (off-page), panic attacks, trauma, alcohol consumption, sexual assault (off-page).
While Seven Hills boarding school may be advertised as a place for only the best and brightest students, the real person holding all the cards is The Watcher, the anonymous person running Chitter Chatter, a blog created for exposing all the secrets and drama on campus. New Students Evelyn and Seth arrive fresh off the train for the semester utterly unprepared for the realities of life away from home and form a fast friendship as they are flung headfirst into the melee. Evelyn herself quickly encounters drama of her own with her distant roommate Noelle, who seems determined to keep her at arm's length. As the school year progresses the person behind Chitter Chatter becomes even more cutthroat, threatening new relationships and those trying to escape the past.
At first glance Never Kiss Your Roommate seems to have all the characteristics of a good contemporary, with strong characters, compelling romances, and a gossip girl inspired storyline. The plot summary attracted my attention enough to submit a request for an early copy through NetGalley, and while I thought the premise was executed fairly well, there were severe issues that upon reflection make me unwilling to recommend it or promote it any further. I am of course talking about the characterization of Noelle, the love interest and roommate of Evelyn. Not only is Noelle described throughout the book as being aggressive and rude, she was constantly oversexualized and the center of many negative stereotypes associated specifically with Black women. There was definitely the potential for this to be a look into a Black student’s experience attending a predominantly white boarding school, but instead, it was just incredibly harmful representation on the author's part. With the differing opinions surrounding the character later being revealed as rumors, and never reexamined, that was even more clear. From the glaring stereotypes to the racist depictions and character backgrounds, this book was just all-around a huge problem. The small parts of the story that I did enjoy, like the friendships and queer characters, were let down by the decision to represent the character of Noelle in such a way. Many reviewers of color have already touched on this book in more depth and I encourage everyone to seek those out to learn more. The negative parts of this book are rather blatant and definitely aren't worth even sparing this a read for the queer representation.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Trigger Warnings: blood, violence, bullying, homophobia, kidnapping, outing (off-page), panic attacks, trauma, alcohol consumption, sexual assault (off-page).
June 1, 2021
Editing this review as many fellow POC have pointed out how this book is racist and falls into many stereotypes.
There is a total of 1 black character in the whole school other than the headmistress that is seen once. This could've been a great opportunity to show how this effects her throughout the novel. She is categorized as a "mean bully" type character, who plays basketball, and has an absent father, so do with that what you will.
The overall plot line was fine I suppose but nothing special. Throughout about 4/5 of the book was very predictable. The last 20℅ was odd since it just picked up rapidly for no reason. The companion mlm romance wasn't fleshed out much at all, making the secondary mc not needed.
There's plenty of other reviews that go through some of the things that I said more in detail so I suggest looking for those as well.
Overall, I definitely don't recommend this. Please don't read it.
There is a total of 1 black character in the whole school other than the headmistress that is seen once. This could've been a great opportunity to show how this effects her throughout the novel. She is categorized as a "mean bully" type character, who plays basketball, and has an absent father, so do with that what you will.
The overall plot line was fine I suppose but nothing special. Throughout about 4/5 of the book was very predictable. The last 20℅ was odd since it just picked up rapidly for no reason. The companion mlm romance wasn't fleshed out much at all, making the secondary mc not needed.
There's plenty of other reviews that go through some of the things that I said more in detail so I suggest looking for those as well.
Overall, I definitely don't recommend this. Please don't read it.
May 30, 2021
white gays stop being racist challenge !!
Read
May 31, 2021I was so excited to have received this ARC through Netgalley and will not be reading it. I have heard from many of my mutual friends and friends that this book is racist and plays into a lot of harmful stereotypes. One of the main characters is black and she is the only black girl besides the headmaster we get to see once. She is also the “mean bully” who is mean for no reason, but once she meets/falls in love with the white girl, people like her.
May 7, 2021
This book was good. I really enjoyed Never Kiss Your Roommate, and it's even more impressive given how young the writer is!
This book follows the dual narrators of Evelyn and Seth as they are both starting at a new school in England after respective disasters in their personal lives a their old schools. They become fast friends, and once at school they find new things they will have to deal with, like jerk roommates and unavailable hearthrobes.
I actually really liked the dual point of view in this book. Usually when books have dual POV, it is both main characters gearing up to be in a relationship with each other. But that isn't the case here. This book tells very intertwined but separate stories and love interests in the two main characters. And I really liked how that worked. It gave an even bigger perspective on all of the characters involved as well as the setting. To be honest, as a lesbian I was a tad more emotionally invested in Evelyn's story than Seth's but I really enjoyed both.
Jasper and Noelle are really great love interests respectively- but especially Noelle. She always carried this air of mystery about her and kept you wanting to learn more about this enigmatic roommate of Evelyn's. And once they open up to each other about more of their lives they become so adorable. They so fawn over each other and they made me very happy to read. It's odd to think of the love interests in books as the secondary characters, I tend to think of them as mains- but with the interesting format of this book- that's how it goes.
I also really liked the setting of this book boarding school in England. It gave me a Hogwarts vibe except with more technology and less transphobia.
What I didn't love about the book was the huge tonal shift the book took regarding the final conflict. I guess in hindsight you could see it foreshadowed, with the mystery and self defense elements weaved in from earlier in the story, but once the events happened I felt a cute story start to go pretty sideways. I did still enjoy the story but it was pretty jarring. There was also a bit of miscommunication but it is what it is.
I did like this book overall. It was a fun and cute story and told in a interesting manner. 3.75/5
Thank you to Wattpad and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book follows the dual narrators of Evelyn and Seth as they are both starting at a new school in England after respective disasters in their personal lives a their old schools. They become fast friends, and once at school they find new things they will have to deal with, like jerk roommates and unavailable hearthrobes.
I actually really liked the dual point of view in this book. Usually when books have dual POV, it is both main characters gearing up to be in a relationship with each other. But that isn't the case here. This book tells very intertwined but separate stories and love interests in the two main characters. And I really liked how that worked. It gave an even bigger perspective on all of the characters involved as well as the setting. To be honest, as a lesbian I was a tad more emotionally invested in Evelyn's story than Seth's but I really enjoyed both.
Jasper and Noelle are really great love interests respectively- but especially Noelle. She always carried this air of mystery about her and kept you wanting to learn more about this enigmatic roommate of Evelyn's. And once they open up to each other about more of their lives they become so adorable. They so fawn over each other and they made me very happy to read. It's odd to think of the love interests in books as the secondary characters, I tend to think of them as mains- but with the interesting format of this book- that's how it goes.
I also really liked the setting of this book boarding school in England. It gave me a Hogwarts vibe except with more technology and less transphobia.
What I didn't love about the book was the huge tonal shift the book took regarding the final conflict. I guess in hindsight you could see it foreshadowed, with the mystery and self defense elements weaved in from earlier in the story, but once the events happened I felt a cute story start to go pretty sideways. I did still enjoy the story but it was pretty jarring. There was also a bit of miscommunication but it is what it is.
I did like this book overall. It was a fun and cute story and told in a interesting manner. 3.75/5
Thank you to Wattpad and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
March 21, 2021
“that you, no matter who you are, are not alone, no matter how hopeless things might seem sometimes. that whatever makes you different isn’t something you need to be ashamed of, but something to be embraced, to be celebrated.”
➳ thank you to wattpad books for a free arc of never kiss your roommate in exchange for an honest review.
never kiss your roommate is the story of evelyn and seth: two new students at seven hills boarding school who become friends right away. both of them are queer, and both of them soon meet noelle and jasper: the standoffish roommate of evelyn and the popular theatre kid, respectively (beautifully also both queer). seven hills also has an anonymous gossip blog that’s ready to reveal any secret “the watcher” can find.
what could go wrong? or rather, what could possibly go right?
while not every book about queer characters needs to be written by a queer person, there is something so comforting about a queer book written by a queer person.
because having an ownvoices queer book feels like an arm around your shoulders. a shared knowing look across the room. a hand in yours giving a reassuring squeeze. it says “i know what it’s like. i’ve been there. i’m gonna be there for you while you go through it.” no matter what “it” is.
this book is a two-for-one in terms of queer romance and (my favorite thing) wlw-mlm friendship. and each paring is full of so much heart. the care between the characters—in the friendships and the romantic relationships—is so beautiful. there is space given to keep relationships quiet because someone isn’t ready to be out. there is support given in decisions to come out to parents. there is reclamation of fairytales to be “really fucking gay.” and there is comfort in finding friends who are unapologetically queer and then realizing: you’re not alone and you have never been alone.
this book was really an ode to queer teens (written by a queer teen!! young writers!! are!! wow!!) and full of heart. but beneath it is a couple threads of mystery that really take you on a turn (the ending gets wild y’all).
some critiques:
-while character and plot driven, i do think there was room to build the school a little more. i didn’t understand the rules or even the structure. and also felt like there were really only a few characters that were fully fleshed out.
-the book originally was on wattpad and it does have some wattpad-y elements to it. but like. i went into the book knowing this so i was able to adjust the lens i was reading it with.
however:
-(spoiler alert) this has a moment of “i didn’t know you wore glasses” which is one of my favorite overly specific tropes ever so any critique is automatically cancelled out
May 31, 2021
I saw the cover for this book on NetGalley and was immediately interested (I mean, wlw boarding school romance? Yes!). However, once I saw that it was published by Wattpad Books- and originally a Wattpad story at that- I was hesitant. I have not had a great experience with Wattpad. I hate to judge entire genres of stories based on stereotypes- for instance, I have read some great fanfiction. Seeing that something is associated with Wattpad, though, always gives me pause. I decided to push through any prejudice and request the ARC anyway. After all, not all Wattpad stories are bad. Right?
I should have trusted my initial instincts with this one.
Never Kiss Your Roommate can only be described as shallow. The characters are incredibly two-dimensional: we have the innocent book nerd, the mean basketball player (who is also Black, which rubbed me the wrong way. I'm white and cannot speak on racism whatsoever, but having the Black girl be a mean basketball player felt... not good), the shy boy who likes detective novels and is magically great with electronics, and the flirty French boy. Jasper, who was from France, was such a caricature. He would randomly throw in French words into the conversation in a way that felt very unnatural. There was also an Italian man who ran a pizza shop and... well, you get the idea.
The two POV characters, Evelyn and Seth, become best friends instantly. The romance in this book was also too sudden for me. One minute Noelle, Evelyn's roommate and love interest, is at her throat, and the next she's comforting Evelyn after she has a nightmare. I regret saying that they reminded me of Simon and Baz. Simon and Baz were roommates as well, yes, but they had build-up. Tension. Chemistry. Things that Evelyn and Noelle did not.
Seth and Jasper, our other couple, bored me as well. Seth got noticeably less POV chapters than Evelyn, which did not help with the build-up to his relationship with Jasper. They fell in 'love' much too quickly and we barely saw any progression in their relationship. Some stupid drama was thrown in that could have been solved with a two minute conversation, but of course nothing is that easy.
This book also tried to throw in a mystery, but failed spectacularly. The Gossip Girl rip-off website that the school had was just ridiculous, and I guessed who was behind it from the get-go. This plot was thrown into the last 70% or so of the book and was resolved in the dumbest way possible.
There was also a random kidnapping thrown in near the end, in true Wattpad fashion. At that point, I was just laughing. I felt like I was 12 again reading Victorious fan fiction on FF.Net. Even some of the dialogue and sentence structure reminded me of bad fan fiction. And this is a published work!
Never Kiss Your Roommate tries to be a cute romance novel that tackles important themes such as sexual assault and internalized homophobia. The keyword here is tries. While these themes are incredibly important, this book does not handle them- or its characters- with as much depth as they deserve.
Thank you very much to the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC.
I should have trusted my initial instincts with this one.
Never Kiss Your Roommate can only be described as shallow. The characters are incredibly two-dimensional: we have the innocent book nerd, the mean basketball player (who is also Black, which rubbed me the wrong way. I'm white and cannot speak on racism whatsoever, but having the Black girl be a mean basketball player felt... not good), the shy boy who likes detective novels and is magically great with electronics, and the flirty French boy. Jasper, who was from France, was such a caricature. He would randomly throw in French words into the conversation in a way that felt very unnatural. There was also an Italian man who ran a pizza shop and... well, you get the idea.
The two POV characters, Evelyn and Seth, become best friends instantly. The romance in this book was also too sudden for me. One minute Noelle, Evelyn's roommate and love interest, is at her throat, and the next she's comforting Evelyn after she has a nightmare. I regret saying that they reminded me of Simon and Baz. Simon and Baz were roommates as well, yes, but they had build-up. Tension. Chemistry. Things that Evelyn and Noelle did not.
Seth and Jasper, our other couple, bored me as well. Seth got noticeably less POV chapters than Evelyn, which did not help with the build-up to his relationship with Jasper. They fell in 'love' much too quickly and we barely saw any progression in their relationship. Some stupid drama was thrown in that could have been solved with a two minute conversation, but of course nothing is that easy.
This book also tried to throw in a mystery, but failed spectacularly. The Gossip Girl rip-off website that the school had was just ridiculous, and I guessed who was behind it from the get-go. This plot was thrown into the last 70% or so of the book and was resolved in the dumbest way possible.
There was also a random kidnapping thrown in near the end, in true Wattpad fashion. At that point, I was just laughing. I felt like I was 12 again reading Victorious fan fiction on FF.Net. Even some of the dialogue and sentence structure reminded me of bad fan fiction. And this is a published work!
Never Kiss Your Roommate tries to be a cute romance novel that tackles important themes such as sexual assault and internalized homophobia. The keyword here is tries. While these themes are incredibly important, this book does not handle them- or its characters- with as much depth as they deserve.
Thank you very much to the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC.
January 29, 2021
I am the first to be surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.
An English boarding school (Great Hall, Common Room and all of that, I am dying) + a beautiful but difficult roommate + major Gossip Girl vibes = the ship has sailed.
⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵
Discovering that Seth (Evelyn's new best friend) was a second narrator surprised me a little. I probably judged too much the book by the cover and thought it was entirely focused on Evelyn and Noelle. But in the end, I liked the story between Seth and Jasper so much that I just went with the flow.
The story is absolutely adorable, I loved the growing love interest between Evelyn and Noelle, a textbook enemies-to-lovers, so if you like this kind of stories you can't miss this novel.
The ending was definitely the part that convinced me the least because it kind of came out of nowhere, I must admit, but I was already so invested in the story that once again I just went with the flow. It was a very enjoyable reading and a great debut novel.
An English boarding school (Great Hall, Common Room and all of that, I am dying) + a beautiful but difficult roommate + major Gossip Girl vibes = the ship has sailed.
⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵
Discovering that Seth (Evelyn's new best friend) was a second narrator surprised me a little. I probably judged too much the book by the cover and thought it was entirely focused on Evelyn and Noelle. But in the end, I liked the story between Seth and Jasper so much that I just went with the flow.
The story is absolutely adorable, I loved the growing love interest between Evelyn and Noelle, a textbook enemies-to-lovers, so if you like this kind of stories you can't miss this novel.
The ending was definitely the part that convinced me the least because it kind of came out of nowhere, I must admit, but I was already so invested in the story that once again I just went with the flow. It was a very enjoyable reading and a great debut novel.
April 8, 2021
LOVED this adorable queer YA romance!
Noelle and Evelyn gave me all the feels!! The feelings of having a crush, the butterflies in your stomach and swooning- glorious! I feel like it was authentically portrayed, and it touched on issues of staying in the closet and fear of coming out. I love the respect and support Noelle and Evelyn had for each other, even before they were going out.
I also love that they started dating and we actually got to see dates!! Queer dates and queer kisses and more that faded to black and it was magical!! Loved the queer rep, including Evelyn's friends Seth and Jasper. I loved them as well, but kind of wish the whole book had only been from Evelyn's perspective? Have the chapters from Seth's perspective was a little jarring and I feel like we could have had their story through Evelyn's eyes. Also, the truth of a character's past felt a bit dark for this book? And the climactic ending when that dark past catches up to the present also felt a bit dark.
Content warnings: homophobic bullying in the past, forced outing, brief description of past abusive relationship with rape, kidnapping, brief violence
Overall I super loved the main relationship in all it's beautiful ups and downs, the queer rep was phenomenal, and I would recommend it to all my YA romance lovers, while being aware of the content warnings.
Thank you Wattpad books for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Noelle and Evelyn gave me all the feels!! The feelings of having a crush, the butterflies in your stomach and swooning- glorious! I feel like it was authentically portrayed, and it touched on issues of staying in the closet and fear of coming out. I love the respect and support Noelle and Evelyn had for each other, even before they were going out.
I also love that they started dating and we actually got to see dates!! Queer dates and queer kisses and more that faded to black and it was magical!! Loved the queer rep, including Evelyn's friends Seth and Jasper. I loved them as well, but kind of wish the whole book had only been from Evelyn's perspective? Have the chapters from Seth's perspective was a little jarring and I feel like we could have had their story through Evelyn's eyes. Also, the truth of a character's past felt a bit dark for this book? And the climactic ending when that dark past catches up to the present also felt a bit dark.
Content warnings: homophobic bullying in the past, forced outing, brief description of past abusive relationship with rape, kidnapping, brief violence
Overall I super loved the main relationship in all it's beautiful ups and downs, the queer rep was phenomenal, and I would recommend it to all my YA romance lovers, while being aware of the content warnings.
Thank you Wattpad books for this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2021
Trigger Warnings: sexual content, bullying, kidnapping, assault, homophobia, panic attacks/disorders
*.·:·.☽✧ 3 stars ✧☾.·:·.*
"Never Kiss Your Roommate" tells the story of mainly Evelyn and Seth through their two perspectives, but two other characters (Noelle and Jasper) have significant roles as well. Evelyn and Seth meet on a train to a prestigious boarding school, and both have their own reasons for being sent there. Then Evelyn arrives and meets her broody and rude roommate, Noelle, who wants nothing to do with her. And Seth now has a messy roommate, but Jasper, his charismatic and confident peer, brightens up any negatives attached to attending Seven Hills. Yet as Evelyn, Seth, Noelle, and Jasper become closer, trouble soon arises because of the anonymous Chitter Chatter Blog.
While I did enjoy seeing this premise executed, it seemed like the story was mainly character-driven because there weren't huge problems, and the reader is just following their everyday activities with other characters. Yet towards the end of the book, the conflict really sets itself in, and the plot takes more control. I did see very minuscule problems arise throughout the novel, but they aren't the main conflict that's shown in the synopsis.
And yet one of the many reasons as to why I rated this novel somewhat highly was because of the characters.
Evelyn was a very sweet and caring character. She showed lots of compassion towards not only her friends, but also other people around her. This trait was very prevalent in her relationship with Noelle, which really evened out Noelle's bitterness. But I will say that Evelyn is naive at times and doesn't always think things through. Yet when I was reading about her past struggles with her sexuality, it was so touching and felt very sincere. I think because of that reason, I was able to connect with her character a lot more than I initially would.
Noelle was a very bitter and rude person in the beginning, but I enjoyed seeing her character being fleshed out. I'd argue that Noelle had the most development out of all the characters because her character truly flipped after spending time with Evelyn. Noelle had a pretty mysterious backstory that intrigued me until the end since there were little pieces of her history sprinkled throughout the story.
Seth had a dry sense of humor and was my favorite character. I loved reading the story from his perspective, and I was so invested in his backstory. I liked how the story shed light on Seth's issues without portraying him as a villain. But I do wish that there was more of Seth's perspective because there wasn't much of that.
That main point leads me into Jasper's character. I liked jasper a lot because he was very snarky and charismatic, yet I'd argue that he had the smallest presence in the story out of Evelyn, Noelle, and Seth. And for that reason, I can barely describe his character because I felt like I didn't know much about him.
Look, I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation present in this story. We had 2 bisexual main characters, a lesbian mc, a pansexual mc, and other queer side characters. And Noelle was dyslexic, so I was excited to see that included in the story. I really enjoyed seeing pretty diverse characters throughout the story because I don't see that very often.
Now while that was something that truly made me admire the story, there were some problems in this novel as well.
The writing and plot were all over the place. The writing wasn't horrible, but it was a bit clunky and unfinished in some places. And as I briefly mentioned before, the plot doesn't really include the Chitter Chatter Blog conflict until the end. But I had a problem with that because when I was about 75% through the novel, a drastic event happened and the story turned into a mystery/thriller/suspense type of novel instead of a fluffy romance. I mainly had a problem with this because it really made the story take a dark turn that I believe was unbelievable, unrealistic, and most importantly, unnecessary.
And while I did appreciate the dual POVs, as I briefly stated before, I think that Seth should have had more chapters from his perspective. I feel like I only had a glimpse into his interactions with the other characters (mainly Jasper), and because of that, I learned even less about Jasper's character than I did Seth's. Not to say I didn't enjoy Evelyn's POV (because I did), but I just think that there could have either been more of the story in Seth's perspective, or his POV chapters should have just been cut all together. The latter seems like it would add less depth to the story, so I'm sticking with my opinion that Seth should have had more chapters in his perspective.
Because the problems I had with "Never Kiss Your Roommate" over weighed the things I liked about this story, I gave this novel a 3-star rating. I would still highly recommend this novel to someone who wants a story with diverse characters and doesn't mind a most character-driven plot, but I don't think I would read this again.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this title.
Blog Review
*.·:·.☽✧ 3 stars ✧☾.·:·.*
"Never Kiss Your Roommate" tells the story of mainly Evelyn and Seth through their two perspectives, but two other characters (Noelle and Jasper) have significant roles as well. Evelyn and Seth meet on a train to a prestigious boarding school, and both have their own reasons for being sent there. Then Evelyn arrives and meets her broody and rude roommate, Noelle, who wants nothing to do with her. And Seth now has a messy roommate, but Jasper, his charismatic and confident peer, brightens up any negatives attached to attending Seven Hills. Yet as Evelyn, Seth, Noelle, and Jasper become closer, trouble soon arises because of the anonymous Chitter Chatter Blog.
While I did enjoy seeing this premise executed, it seemed like the story was mainly character-driven because there weren't huge problems, and the reader is just following their everyday activities with other characters. Yet towards the end of the book, the conflict really sets itself in, and the plot takes more control. I did see very minuscule problems arise throughout the novel, but they aren't the main conflict that's shown in the synopsis.
And yet one of the many reasons as to why I rated this novel somewhat highly was because of the characters.
Evelyn was a very sweet and caring character. She showed lots of compassion towards not only her friends, but also other people around her. This trait was very prevalent in her relationship with Noelle, which really evened out Noelle's bitterness. But I will say that Evelyn is naive at times and doesn't always think things through. Yet when I was reading about her past struggles with her sexuality, it was so touching and felt very sincere. I think because of that reason, I was able to connect with her character a lot more than I initially would.
Noelle was a very bitter and rude person in the beginning, but I enjoyed seeing her character being fleshed out. I'd argue that Noelle had the most development out of all the characters because her character truly flipped after spending time with Evelyn. Noelle had a pretty mysterious backstory that intrigued me until the end since there were little pieces of her history sprinkled throughout the story.
Seth had a dry sense of humor and was my favorite character. I loved reading the story from his perspective, and I was so invested in his backstory. I liked how the story shed light on Seth's issues without portraying him as a villain. But I do wish that there was more of Seth's perspective because there wasn't much of that.
That main point leads me into Jasper's character. I liked jasper a lot because he was very snarky and charismatic, yet I'd argue that he had the smallest presence in the story out of Evelyn, Noelle, and Seth. And for that reason, I can barely describe his character because I felt like I didn't know much about him.
Look, I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation present in this story. We had 2 bisexual main characters, a lesbian mc, a pansexual mc, and other queer side characters. And Noelle was dyslexic, so I was excited to see that included in the story. I really enjoyed seeing pretty diverse characters throughout the story because I don't see that very often.
Now while that was something that truly made me admire the story, there were some problems in this novel as well.
The writing and plot were all over the place. The writing wasn't horrible, but it was a bit clunky and unfinished in some places. And as I briefly mentioned before, the plot doesn't really include the Chitter Chatter Blog conflict until the end. But I had a problem with that because when I was about 75% through the novel, a drastic event happened and the story turned into a mystery/thriller/suspense type of novel instead of a fluffy romance. I mainly had a problem with this because it really made the story take a dark turn that I believe was unbelievable, unrealistic, and most importantly, unnecessary.
And while I did appreciate the dual POVs, as I briefly stated before, I think that Seth should have had more chapters from his perspective. I feel like I only had a glimpse into his interactions with the other characters (mainly Jasper), and because of that, I learned even less about Jasper's character than I did Seth's. Not to say I didn't enjoy Evelyn's POV (because I did), but I just think that there could have either been more of the story in Seth's perspective, or his POV chapters should have just been cut all together. The latter seems like it would add less depth to the story, so I'm sticking with my opinion that Seth should have had more chapters in his perspective.
Because the problems I had with "Never Kiss Your Roommate" over weighed the things I liked about this story, I gave this novel a 3-star rating. I would still highly recommend this novel to someone who wants a story with diverse characters and doesn't mind a most character-driven plot, but I don't think I would read this again.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this title.
Blog Review
April 28, 2021
“I still don’t really get it though. What do you like so much about reading?”Oh. My. Goodness. This book. I'm on Cloud Nine after finishing it. It was so unapologetically Queer and beautiful. And it was fun to read about the book's journey from the Wattpad website to becoming published in the acknowledgments section.
I thought about it for a moment, my chin propped in one hand. “I don’t know, I . . . I like that it’s an escape. And I like that in almost every story, there’s a lesson to be learned, you know? There have been books that have completely altered the way I see the world, like, through fiction, I’ve come a little bit closer to understanding reality.”
Never Kiss Your Roommate is a boarding school story full of Queer friendship and Queer romance. That's literally the book. Besides the minor Law and Order SVU side plot. It was kind of dark after all the fluff. But, unfortunately, terrible things do happen in reality. Hopefully, the author meant for it to be viewed that way and that they didn't use Queer pain for the drama.
In a sudden moment of clarity, I thought if I could have shown my younger self any glimpse into the future it would have been this one; I would have wiped her tears away, kissed her on the forehead, and told her Look how much better it’ll get. You’ll find people you won’t have to hide from, and you’ll fall in love. With her, and with yourself too. Just hold on a little longer.
I CAN NOT wait to buy a physical copy of this book in June. I laughed and cried so much while reading. I already want to reread it.
TW:
***Thank you so much to Wattpad Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an early review copy.***
January 23, 2023
There was a lot to like about this book and its main characters, yet the book was so flawed in the end that it went from being a solid four stars in the first half to a dismal two stars in the second half.
Lots of issues including LGBTQI, cyberbullying, obsessive relationships, kidnapping and parental trauma. The two main characters, Evelyn and Seth, who share narrating duties throughout, meet on their first day arriving at an exclusive boarding school somewhere in England. Both finally end up in relationships with the two main secondary characters, Noelle and Jasper. The build up with their relationships are the best part of the book, with a school play written and directed by Jasper about non traditional relationships, was really good, but the entire book fell off after that and did not know what kind of a book it was. Mystery, thriller, whatever, it just did not work very well.
Three stars in the end, too bad as much of the book was far better.
Lots of issues including LGBTQI, cyberbullying, obsessive relationships, kidnapping and parental trauma. The two main characters, Evelyn and Seth, who share narrating duties throughout, meet on their first day arriving at an exclusive boarding school somewhere in England. Both finally end up in relationships with the two main secondary characters, Noelle and Jasper. The build up with their relationships are the best part of the book, with a school play written and directed by Jasper about non traditional relationships, was really good, but the entire book fell off after that and did not know what kind of a book it was. Mystery, thriller, whatever, it just did not work very well.
Three stars in the end, too bad as much of the book was far better.
May 31, 2021
Edit: Lowering my rating and removing my review after POC readers explained the harmful stereotypes surrounding the only black (correct me if I'm wrong, I read this a few months ago and can't remember if her race was specified) character in this novel. I did have a decent experience while reading but I won't be promoting it on any social media.
March 9, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for providing this arc for me.
This was a delightfully fluffy and cute sapphic novel set in an English boarding school that's a castle. It also features a very prominent mlm romance side by side with our main sapphic couple. There's also a mystery subplot sprinkled within it about a mystery web blogger who exposes the students' secret and something sinister lurking from the love interest's past.
I just have to say how much I love the relationships and friendships in this novel. Evelyn and Seth's friendship is so wholesome, supportive and natural that it became one of my favorite parts of the novel. The theme of a queer found fami friend group that Evelyn, Noelle, Jasper and Seth made up also warms my heart. I related to and liked every one of the characters. They all have their own struggles due to their individual pasts but how they stick together and support for one another is just so sweet and warm to read about.
The ending was surprisingly making my heart pump. The mystery aspect is a good touch and I didn't expect the climax to be so tension filled and action pact. Such a good surprise.
Evelyn and Noelle is honestly sapphic relationship goals. I was in a book slump where I just needed to read something cutesy, feel-good and sapphic, which this book delivered and more! Thank you author for this sweet journey that made my heart swell.
This was a delightfully fluffy and cute sapphic novel set in an English boarding school that's a castle. It also features a very prominent mlm romance side by side with our main sapphic couple. There's also a mystery subplot sprinkled within it about a mystery web blogger who exposes the students' secret and something sinister lurking from the love interest's past.
I just have to say how much I love the relationships and friendships in this novel. Evelyn and Seth's friendship is so wholesome, supportive and natural that it became one of my favorite parts of the novel. The theme of a queer found fami friend group that Evelyn, Noelle, Jasper and Seth made up also warms my heart. I related to and liked every one of the characters. They all have their own struggles due to their individual pasts but how they stick together and support for one another is just so sweet and warm to read about.
The ending was surprisingly making my heart pump. The mystery aspect is a good touch and I didn't expect the climax to be so tension filled and action pact. Such a good surprise.
Evelyn and Noelle is honestly sapphic relationship goals. I was in a book slump where I just needed to read something cutesy, feel-good and sapphic, which this book delivered and more! Thank you author for this sweet journey that made my heart swell.
May 26, 2021
ARC provided by NetGalley
this book very pleasantly surprised me, not only did you get one cute queer story you get two. luckily not only were the relationships adorable, the characters were extremely lovable and had diversity and intricate backstories.
in this dual pov story, we follow two girls, noelle and evelyn, who both are attending a private school and become roommates when evelyn arrives. noelle is the resident bad girl whilst evelyn comes off as a naive schoolgirl. both of these girls were extremely interesting characters and seeing the way these characters came together was fantastic as a reader.
in the other pov we follow these girls best friends, seth and jasper, these boys slowly fall into love through a series of interactions and seeing them work on the play together was so adorable plus the way they supported each other was amazing.
overall these both were compelling stories and the only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was the conflict as I found it a bit over dramatic but it did build character. this was still a fantastic read i would 100 percent reccomended to anyone looking for a book that radiates rom com vibes.
this book very pleasantly surprised me, not only did you get one cute queer story you get two. luckily not only were the relationships adorable, the characters were extremely lovable and had diversity and intricate backstories.
in this dual pov story, we follow two girls, noelle and evelyn, who both are attending a private school and become roommates when evelyn arrives. noelle is the resident bad girl whilst evelyn comes off as a naive schoolgirl. both of these girls were extremely interesting characters and seeing the way these characters came together was fantastic as a reader.
in the other pov we follow these girls best friends, seth and jasper, these boys slowly fall into love through a series of interactions and seeing them work on the play together was so adorable plus the way they supported each other was amazing.
overall these both were compelling stories and the only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was the conflict as I found it a bit over dramatic but it did build character. this was still a fantastic read i would 100 percent reccomended to anyone looking for a book that radiates rom com vibes.
April 30, 2021
Content warnings at end of review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for the arc of this book!
When Evelyn and and Seth meet on a train while reluctantly heading to the boarding school they've both been sent to, they instantly know they are going to be friends. What they don't know is that they will build memories and friendships they'll never forget while there, fall in love (but not with each other because Evelyn is definitely a lesbian), learn more about themselves and unveil multiple mysteries about the school.
I was immediately connected to these two nerdy, adorable, queer characters! Between Evelyn's love of classic books and escapism, and Seth's thirst for solving mysteries and dry sense of humor, I knew I would be in for a ride. Then we met Noelle and Jasper, two breathtakingly gorgeous and popular kids at the school with soft underbellies and secret nerdiness, and I was like...yup, this is love.
This book is so funny at times. I loved how sardonic Seth was and his jokes about being queer were absolutely perfect. I loved how upfront this book was with queerness and otherness and that it wasn't afraid to get right in your face with labels!
About 70% into the book it took a turn from more of a contemporary romance to more of an actiony/mystery/thriller and I'm not sure I really vibed with that turn. The situations the characters found themselves in started feeling kind of contrived and rushed, and the last chunk of the book didn't feel as polished and natural as the rest.
That being said, I am happy with the way this book wrapped up and I will not forget it!
Pub Date: June 1, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying and Homophobia
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for the arc of this book!
When Evelyn and and Seth meet on a train while reluctantly heading to the boarding school they've both been sent to, they instantly know they are going to be friends. What they don't know is that they will build memories and friendships they'll never forget while there, fall in love (but not with each other because Evelyn is definitely a lesbian), learn more about themselves and unveil multiple mysteries about the school.
I was immediately connected to these two nerdy, adorable, queer characters! Between Evelyn's love of classic books and escapism, and Seth's thirst for solving mysteries and dry sense of humor, I knew I would be in for a ride. Then we met Noelle and Jasper, two breathtakingly gorgeous and popular kids at the school with soft underbellies and secret nerdiness, and I was like...yup, this is love.
This book is so funny at times. I loved how sardonic Seth was and his jokes about being queer were absolutely perfect. I loved how upfront this book was with queerness and otherness and that it wasn't afraid to get right in your face with labels!
About 70% into the book it took a turn from more of a contemporary romance to more of an actiony/mystery/thriller and I'm not sure I really vibed with that turn. The situations the characters found themselves in started feeling kind of contrived and rushed, and the last chunk of the book didn't feel as polished and natural as the rest.
That being said, I am happy with the way this book wrapped up and I will not forget it!
Pub Date: June 1, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying and Homophobia
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
August 6, 2021
This is very much a queer fantasy story. Indeed, Seven Hills is pretty much a queer Hogwarts, though accidentally rather than intentionally (i.e. all the queer students just happen to enroll here rather than invitations going out by whatever the queer equivalent of owls would be). Also, there's no magic (except for the magic of being gay—sorry, I couldn't help myself. And no, I have no idea what that means). So it's a place where you have tons of queer representation with many characters being "out" and a wide-open dating/gossip pool.
There are two main viewpoint characters, though Seth is kind of an afterthought. So mainly it's Evelyn. Evelyn went through a horrible experience in her home district where she was outed maliciously and then ostracized. So she's more than a bit skittish. The story is very much her finding her way to claiming her queer identity and learning to find strength in who she is. As such, it's an in-community-focused story, targeted at queer acceptance and it wasn't a surprise when the author included a note hoping it'd be a welcoming place for other queer kids, letting them know that they are seen and appreciated. I think it does pretty well at doing that.
Unfortunately, the plot is messy beyond reason and it warps the characters in very poor ways. Like, Seth and his boyfriend have a messy dark moment that was as much manufactured by the author as it was by the villain. Indeed, all of the ending drama is manipulation central and rather painful. So first, Seth is made stupid to confront the villain without telling anyone or planning for what they might do in retaliation. Then his boyfriend is made stupid to believe the dumbest thing possible about the boy he adores. Then Noelle is made stupid to comply with the scary, dangerous villain (right, two villains, this second one coming completely out of the blue, though there are vague hints about it along the way). And then everybody does things that shouldn't have worked, but do because that's how the plot had to manufacture reconciliation, realizations, and catalyze growth arcs. Oh, and I think some laws of physics are violated in there somewhere (I clocked some cops approaching light speed at one point and I'm pretty sure that's against the speed limit).
So this is three stars for characters that were interesting and a queer-acceptance story that, while preaching to the choir (queior?), did well enough that it has a good chance of reaching people who might find comfort and identity in its pages.
A note about the author: Philline Harms is very young to have produced something as good as this is. Yes, I went over a ton of weaknesses in the plot. And the overall story is rather surface when all is said. But it's an amazing achievement for one so young. My rating doesn't reflect this acknowledgement at all (I didn't rate up just because I'm amazed a teen wrote it). So I want to express my appreciation for it and I hope the author continues to mature as she produces more work.
A note about controversy: Working against the author writing anything ever again is an outcry about Noelle. Noelle is specifically black and Harms wasn't careful in investing this detail with the weight it needed. So while the queer rep is strong, the POC rep is not. Personally, I'm inclined to give her the kudos for trying. But I'm a white guy so that carries exactly zero weight. Or possibly negative weight. It'd make me sad if she were to internalize that and give up writing as a result. It'd be a shame and we'd lose a potentially very powerful writer if that happens. I hate to see marginalized groups eat their own just because someone doesn't get it perfectly right first try. In software development, we have a saying that "the perfect is the enemy of the good" and this is an illustration of that in action, I think.
A note about Steamy: Noelle and Evelyn end up having sex and it's explicit enough that I'm tagging this as steamy. It is baaarely that much because it pulls back pretty quick. So this is the lightest possible steam and I thought it was exactly perfect for the story to handle it that way.
There are two main viewpoint characters, though Seth is kind of an afterthought. So mainly it's Evelyn. Evelyn went through a horrible experience in her home district where she was outed maliciously and then ostracized. So she's more than a bit skittish. The story is very much her finding her way to claiming her queer identity and learning to find strength in who she is. As such, it's an in-community-focused story, targeted at queer acceptance and it wasn't a surprise when the author included a note hoping it'd be a welcoming place for other queer kids, letting them know that they are seen and appreciated. I think it does pretty well at doing that.
Unfortunately, the plot is messy beyond reason and it warps the characters in very poor ways. Like, Seth and his boyfriend have a messy dark moment that was as much manufactured by the author as it was by the villain. Indeed, all of the ending drama is manipulation central and rather painful. So first, Seth is made stupid to confront the villain without telling anyone or planning for what they might do in retaliation. Then his boyfriend is made stupid to believe the dumbest thing possible about the boy he adores. Then Noelle is made stupid to comply with the scary, dangerous villain (right, two villains, this second one coming completely out of the blue, though there are vague hints about it along the way). And then everybody does things that shouldn't have worked, but do because that's how the plot had to manufacture reconciliation, realizations, and catalyze growth arcs. Oh, and I think some laws of physics are violated in there somewhere (I clocked some cops approaching light speed at one point and I'm pretty sure that's against the speed limit).
So this is three stars for characters that were interesting and a queer-acceptance story that, while preaching to the choir (queior?), did well enough that it has a good chance of reaching people who might find comfort and identity in its pages.
A note about the author: Philline Harms is very young to have produced something as good as this is. Yes, I went over a ton of weaknesses in the plot. And the overall story is rather surface when all is said. But it's an amazing achievement for one so young. My rating doesn't reflect this acknowledgement at all (I didn't rate up just because I'm amazed a teen wrote it). So I want to express my appreciation for it and I hope the author continues to mature as she produces more work.
A note about controversy: Working against the author writing anything ever again is an outcry about Noelle. Noelle is specifically black and Harms wasn't careful in investing this detail with the weight it needed. So while the queer rep is strong, the POC rep is not. Personally, I'm inclined to give her the kudos for trying. But I'm a white guy so that carries exactly zero weight. Or possibly negative weight. It'd make me sad if she were to internalize that and give up writing as a result. It'd be a shame and we'd lose a potentially very powerful writer if that happens. I hate to see marginalized groups eat their own just because someone doesn't get it perfectly right first try. In software development, we have a saying that "the perfect is the enemy of the good" and this is an illustration of that in action, I think.
A note about Steamy: Noelle and Evelyn end up having sex and it's explicit enough that I'm tagging this as steamy. It is baaarely that much because it pulls back pretty quick. So this is the lightest possible steam and I thought it was exactly perfect for the story to handle it that way.
May 24, 2021
I picked up this book for three reasons: it’s set in an English boarding school (attending one was my childhood dream), someone said that it was the book for people who feel let down by a certain author of a book about a wizard boy in a magic school, and because I did in fact kiss my roommate. Oh, and it’s super queer. After reading it: it’s got magic castle vibes without the magic, but it makes up for that with wonderful friendships and a great enemies to lovers romance.
When Eve and Seth meet on their train ride to boarding school they become fast friends, bonding over their love of the same Agatha Christie novel. They help each other navigate starting a new school senior year, difficult roommates, and their queer crushes. There’s an air of mystery but the mystery itself is mostly dormant until the last quarter or so of the book.
I was curious about the choice to follow both Eve and Seth’s perspective but focus much more on Eve, both in number of chapters from her point of view and marketing (even the cover leads you to believe it’s only a wlw romance). Later on, I found out this book was originally published on Wattpad and can see how this uneven structure came about—and I’m not saying I don’t like it, just that it’s an interesting narrative choice. I very much enjoyed reading this novel! It reminded me a bit of Sources Say by Lori Goldstein and Carry on by Rainbow Rowell.
I was provided with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for my unbiased review.
📚 Rep: #wlw #queer #bi #lesbian #mlm
⚠️ TW: alcohol use, kidnapping, homophobia; mentions bullying, sexual assault, dating abuse
When Eve and Seth meet on their train ride to boarding school they become fast friends, bonding over their love of the same Agatha Christie novel. They help each other navigate starting a new school senior year, difficult roommates, and their queer crushes. There’s an air of mystery but the mystery itself is mostly dormant until the last quarter or so of the book.
I was curious about the choice to follow both Eve and Seth’s perspective but focus much more on Eve, both in number of chapters from her point of view and marketing (even the cover leads you to believe it’s only a wlw romance). Later on, I found out this book was originally published on Wattpad and can see how this uneven structure came about—and I’m not saying I don’t like it, just that it’s an interesting narrative choice. I very much enjoyed reading this novel! It reminded me a bit of Sources Say by Lori Goldstein and Carry on by Rainbow Rowell.
I was provided with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for my unbiased review.
📚 Rep: #wlw #queer #bi #lesbian #mlm
⚠️ TW: alcohol use, kidnapping, homophobia; mentions bullying, sexual assault, dating abuse
July 5, 2021
So it’s obvious by the ratings and just the general energy surrounding this book that there was either A) no sensitivity readers of color for this book and/or B) no ARCs given to POC because I don’t see anyone talking about the blatant stereotypes and racist portrayal of Noelle. The one Black girl at a predominantly white school being the mean bully with an absentee father, that plays basketball, and needs an innocent white girl to come show her she can be better is just not it. The overall plot line was okay if not super predictable, but my biggest issue is the obvious lack of research on the author’s part and the editors and publishers for allowing yet another book with harmful representation to hit the shelves. Yes, it’s disappointing but unfortunately, I can’t say I’m surprised.
June 28, 2021
Of four major characters, writing three as white squishy babies and then the only Black character as mean, aggressive, and hyper-promiscuous is a really, really bad take.
The Good
– The bare bones of the concept are good
– Attempt at mental health rep
– Some moments of genuine humour
The Bad
– The choice to portray the main Black character as excessively mean and promiscuous
– Characters' "voices" are chaotic and cringey
– Seth's anxiety dream sounds fake AF
– It's not about anything, you know?
– Allllll the telling over showing
Story—★★☆☆☆
Evelyn and Seth are both new students at the posh boarding school, Seven Hills. Seven Hills's most notorious feature is the ridiculously named Chitter Chatter, a gossip blog about the students. Evelyn develops a crush on her unfriendly roommate, Noelle, whose aggressive personality drove off every other roommate. Seth develops a crush on Noelle's best friend, Jasper. They all get to know each other better and hangout.
Never Kiss Your Roommate's biggest problem is its structural issue. Between the set-up and the ridiculously dramatic turn near the end, there's a meandering middle section taking up about 70% of the book, and this middle section is basically cuddles and sharing deep, dark (mediocre) secrets. The sequence of events could easily be switched around or replaced entirely, to no ill effect, and honestly? That sequence of events is largely forgettable. This book will be 99% gone from my brain in less than three days.
However, I don't think Harms is without talent or that Roommate is a complete failure. Roommate certainly has good bones: a story about new student recovering from trauma falling in love with her mysterious and abrasive roommate is brimming with potential. Harms also has an excellent eye for turning out enjoyable interactions between characters.
There's also the setting, which was... big time meh. Harms' descriptions were generic: take out place names, and Roommate could be set almost anywhere.
Characters—★★☆☆☆
Never Kiss Your Roommate has two main point of view characters—Evelyn and Seth—and two main supporting characters—Jasper and Noelle. Evelyn, Seth, and Jasper are all kind of the same bland-nice, do-no-wrong type characters, except Harms spiced Jasper up with a bad French accent. Noelle is ALSO secretly one of these characters underneath her "meanest person ever" exterior. If I deleted their the names (and the bad French accent), I would not be able to tell them apart. They are essentially all the same character with a different bit of trauma assigned to them (necessary so they can spill their deep dark secrets and cuddle when sad.) They're empathetic in the sort of way you can't hate something because it's technically never done anything wrong besides be irredeemably boring.
Maybe I'm cranky, but when it comes to what the characters have endured, I found everyone but Noelle to honestly be a bit spoiled. I'm a bit sympathetic for Evelyn because being bullied sucks, but also, it was only a few fucking months. Seth's emo because his parents have been on the verge of divorce for a decade. Jasper's ex cheated on him. Maybe if they were more compelling characters, I'd feel a bit more for them. Mostly, I want them to pack up their milquetoast issues and take them far away from me. (Also, why is the Black character the only one who's gone through something actually REALLY HORRIBLE?)
Honestly, I found "The Watcher" character who runs the blog to be the most interesting character. They were genuinely complex and emotionally compelling, even if some of their stunts were cringeworthy. Unfortunately, their secret identity is also REALLY OBVIOUS.
Also, some characters, like Seth's roommate, who are 100% useless and could be cut completely.
Writing Style—★★★☆☆ (2.75 Stars)
Never Kiss Your Roommate is narrated by Evelyn and Seth in first person, past tense.
I cannot even begin to describe whatever (weirdness) is happening our protagonists' "voices"/Harms' style. It's stylistically similar to what you'll find a mediocre North American book, except Harms has thrown in a bunch of British phrases. I'm unsure if Harms is an American (or Canadian?) trying to sound British, or worse: a Brit who's read too much bad American literature and now sounds entirely fake. Regardless, it's a mess. Roommate is much too long for what scant plot it contains, characters slip into long and unnecessary inner monologues, every single thing is made obvious, character traits are awkwardly stated instead: it's a big telling over showing mess. Harms uses only weak and filter words, an abundance of adverbs and when it came to the narration, the only distinguishing feature between Evelyn and Seth is that Seth uses more forced-sounding British terms.
I do think, however, that Harms did a really great job with conversations. The flow of conversations in general was solid and Harms truly funny interactions between characters.
Themes and Representation—★★☆☆☆
Evelyn is a lesbian; Jasper is pansexual; Noelle and Seth are bisexual; Amelia is unspecified sapphic, implied to be a lesbian.
Seth has an anxiety disorder; Jasper has panic attacks related to claustrophobia; both Evelyn and Noelle struggle with nightmares.
Noelle is Black; Mrs. Whitworth, the headmistress, is Black; Sammy, Jasper's fling early on, is described as having dark skin and dark curls.
The thing is, and this is such a big thing: of the core four characters, Evelyn, Seth, and Jasper are white, and they're portrayed as friendly and sweet. While Noelle, Black and bisexual, is portrayed as mean, aggressive, and promiscuous. Even if she's secretly a "giant softie" underneath, this is still a choice Harms made, and it's really messed up.
Overall—★★☆☆☆
Recommended For...
Readers who really, really want f/f or m/m YA romances set in British boarding schools.
The Good
– The bare bones of the concept are good
– Attempt at mental health rep
– Some moments of genuine humour
The Bad
– The choice to portray the main Black character as excessively mean and promiscuous
– Characters' "voices" are chaotic and cringey
– Seth's anxiety dream sounds fake AF
– It's not about anything, you know?
– Allllll the telling over showing
Story—★★☆☆☆
Evelyn and Seth are both new students at the posh boarding school, Seven Hills. Seven Hills's most notorious feature is the ridiculously named Chitter Chatter, a gossip blog about the students. Evelyn develops a crush on her unfriendly roommate, Noelle, whose aggressive personality drove off every other roommate. Seth develops a crush on Noelle's best friend, Jasper. They all get to know each other better and hangout.
Never Kiss Your Roommate's biggest problem is its structural issue. Between the set-up and the ridiculously dramatic turn near the end, there's a meandering middle section taking up about 70% of the book, and this middle section is basically cuddles and sharing deep, dark (mediocre) secrets. The sequence of events could easily be switched around or replaced entirely, to no ill effect, and honestly? That sequence of events is largely forgettable. This book will be 99% gone from my brain in less than three days.
However, I don't think Harms is without talent or that Roommate is a complete failure. Roommate certainly has good bones: a story about new student recovering from trauma falling in love with her mysterious and abrasive roommate is brimming with potential. Harms also has an excellent eye for turning out enjoyable interactions between characters.
There's also the setting, which was... big time meh. Harms' descriptions were generic: take out place names, and Roommate could be set almost anywhere.
Characters—★★☆☆☆
Never Kiss Your Roommate has two main point of view characters—Evelyn and Seth—and two main supporting characters—Jasper and Noelle. Evelyn, Seth, and Jasper are all kind of the same bland-nice, do-no-wrong type characters, except Harms spiced Jasper up with a bad French accent. Noelle is ALSO secretly one of these characters underneath her "meanest person ever" exterior. If I deleted their the names (and the bad French accent), I would not be able to tell them apart. They are essentially all the same character with a different bit of trauma assigned to them (necessary so they can spill their deep dark secrets and cuddle when sad.) They're empathetic in the sort of way you can't hate something because it's technically never done anything wrong besides be irredeemably boring.
Maybe I'm cranky, but when it comes to what the characters have endured, I found everyone but Noelle to honestly be a bit spoiled. I'm a bit sympathetic for Evelyn because being bullied sucks, but also, it was only a few fucking months. Seth's emo because his parents have been on the verge of divorce for a decade. Jasper's ex cheated on him. Maybe if they were more compelling characters, I'd feel a bit more for them. Mostly, I want them to pack up their milquetoast issues and take them far away from me. (Also, why is the Black character the only one who's gone through something actually REALLY HORRIBLE?)
Honestly, I found "The Watcher" character who runs the blog to be the most interesting character. They were genuinely complex and emotionally compelling, even if some of their stunts were cringeworthy. Unfortunately, their secret identity is also REALLY OBVIOUS.
Also, some characters, like Seth's roommate, who are 100% useless and could be cut completely.
Writing Style—★★★☆☆ (2.75 Stars)
Never Kiss Your Roommate is narrated by Evelyn and Seth in first person, past tense.
I cannot even begin to describe whatever (weirdness) is happening our protagonists' "voices"/Harms' style. It's stylistically similar to what you'll find a mediocre North American book, except Harms has thrown in a bunch of British phrases. I'm unsure if Harms is an American (or Canadian?) trying to sound British, or worse: a Brit who's read too much bad American literature and now sounds entirely fake. Regardless, it's a mess. Roommate is much too long for what scant plot it contains, characters slip into long and unnecessary inner monologues, every single thing is made obvious, character traits are awkwardly stated instead: it's a big telling over showing mess. Harms uses only weak and filter words, an abundance of adverbs and when it came to the narration, the only distinguishing feature between Evelyn and Seth is that Seth uses more forced-sounding British terms.
I do think, however, that Harms did a really great job with conversations. The flow of conversations in general was solid and Harms truly funny interactions between characters.
Themes and Representation—★★☆☆☆
Evelyn is a lesbian; Jasper is pansexual; Noelle and Seth are bisexual; Amelia is unspecified sapphic, implied to be a lesbian.
Seth has an anxiety disorder; Jasper has panic attacks related to claustrophobia; both Evelyn and Noelle struggle with nightmares.
Noelle is Black; Mrs. Whitworth, the headmistress, is Black; Sammy, Jasper's fling early on, is described as having dark skin and dark curls.
The thing is, and this is such a big thing: of the core four characters, Evelyn, Seth, and Jasper are white, and they're portrayed as friendly and sweet. While Noelle, Black and bisexual, is portrayed as mean, aggressive, and promiscuous. Even if she's secretly a "giant softie" underneath, this is still a choice Harms made, and it's really messed up.
Overall—★★☆☆☆
Recommended For...
Readers who really, really want f/f or m/m YA romances set in British boarding schools.
Want to read
January 9, 2021this sounds like sapphic gossip girl and i’m so here for it
May 27, 2021
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. The title of this book was honestly what grabbed my attention first and the summary sounded interesting enough that I requested it and was lucky enough to get it. This book was better than I expected, for the most part.
This is a YA book that takes place at a boarding school and is told between two perspectives (about an 85/15 split or so, maybe). Most of the book is told from Evelyn’s point of view. She’s new to this school, joining after some issues arose at her previous school. She finds herself roommates with Noelle. Noelle is a basketball player and is very abrupt. She’s not considered one of the nicer people in the school, but eventually her and Evelyn grow closer to one another. Seth is your other narrator. He is also new to the school and is insta-friends with Evelyn after a chance meeting on the train. He has to deal with some personal issues while also developing a crush on Jasper, Noelle’s best friend and school flirt.
I was a bit wary of this book at first. I have a few preconceived ideas when I hear the word Wattpad and I do have some wariness to teenagers writing books. This book isn’t that bad. The writing is pretty good and does a good job at developing a scenery without over-focusing on it. The dialogue was pretty good as well.
I really liked the characters in this book, and I wasn’t initially sure if I was going to. Evelyn is a sweetheart who seems to want the best for others and tries to help those that she can. Noelle is rude and standoffish, but she reveals a sweet side to herself as time goes on. Jasper has doubts about certain things, but he’s fun and flirty. Seth is a bit of a cynic, but he also has nice sarcasm and wit, and it makes things fun. The four of them together develop an interesting dynamic that makes it fun to read.
I only had a couple of main issues with this book. One issue is that the last quarter or so of the book just didn’t feel right and well-developed for the story. It felt a bit out of left field. Not completely since there were hints that there was more going on with Noelle than we were being shown, but I just think it could have been left out or more integrated into the story in order to make it better.
My other issue is that I wish there were more time for development between the characters. There is a decent amount of time, but I wish there were more with Noelle warming up to Evelyn and them growing closer. In that same vein, I wish the time split between the protagonists was either more even or cut completely. I would have liked more about Seth and Jasper, whether it be more in the same book or a sequel book that would have had the two grow and develop together.
I enjoyed this book much more than I had expected to. It’s interesting enough if you like YA, but the ending does throw in some drama that didn’t feel necessary. I thought it was a solid read though. I don’t know if I’ll ever re-read the book, but I also won’t harshly criticize it.
This appears to be a debut novel by this author (if I’m wrong someone please correct me). With that in mind, and keeping in mind that the author is 19, this is a good book. If I see another book by this author, I’ll probably check it out.
This is a YA book that takes place at a boarding school and is told between two perspectives (about an 85/15 split or so, maybe). Most of the book is told from Evelyn’s point of view. She’s new to this school, joining after some issues arose at her previous school. She finds herself roommates with Noelle. Noelle is a basketball player and is very abrupt. She’s not considered one of the nicer people in the school, but eventually her and Evelyn grow closer to one another. Seth is your other narrator. He is also new to the school and is insta-friends with Evelyn after a chance meeting on the train. He has to deal with some personal issues while also developing a crush on Jasper, Noelle’s best friend and school flirt.
I was a bit wary of this book at first. I have a few preconceived ideas when I hear the word Wattpad and I do have some wariness to teenagers writing books. This book isn’t that bad. The writing is pretty good and does a good job at developing a scenery without over-focusing on it. The dialogue was pretty good as well.
I really liked the characters in this book, and I wasn’t initially sure if I was going to. Evelyn is a sweetheart who seems to want the best for others and tries to help those that she can. Noelle is rude and standoffish, but she reveals a sweet side to herself as time goes on. Jasper has doubts about certain things, but he’s fun and flirty. Seth is a bit of a cynic, but he also has nice sarcasm and wit, and it makes things fun. The four of them together develop an interesting dynamic that makes it fun to read.
I only had a couple of main issues with this book. One issue is that the last quarter or so of the book just didn’t feel right and well-developed for the story. It felt a bit out of left field. Not completely since there were hints that there was more going on with Noelle than we were being shown, but I just think it could have been left out or more integrated into the story in order to make it better.
My other issue is that I wish there were more time for development between the characters. There is a decent amount of time, but I wish there were more with Noelle warming up to Evelyn and them growing closer. In that same vein, I wish the time split between the protagonists was either more even or cut completely. I would have liked more about Seth and Jasper, whether it be more in the same book or a sequel book that would have had the two grow and develop together.
I enjoyed this book much more than I had expected to. It’s interesting enough if you like YA, but the ending does throw in some drama that didn’t feel necessary. I thought it was a solid read though. I don’t know if I’ll ever re-read the book, but I also won’t harshly criticize it.
This appears to be a debut novel by this author (if I’m wrong someone please correct me). With that in mind, and keeping in mind that the author is 19, this is a good book. If I see another book by this author, I’ll probably check it out.
May 21, 2021
This was the queer, boarding school, gossip girl-like, story of my dreams. I fell in love with each of the characters instantly. I loved so many little details, the varying queer identities, the co-ed sports teams, the incredibly accepting and supportive adults, so much more. So incredible, definitely recommend.
March 12, 2021
This story is a sweet and soft ode to the queer and questioning kids. It will tug at the heartstrings of anyone who’s struggled to find or understand themselves. It’s relatable to anyone who’s ever had parents who fought and fought, and when they didn’t fight there was deafening silence. Mostly it’s a story of growing up and realizing that while it may be hard now, a happy ending is always on the horizon.
I really loved our main characters Evelyn and Seth. Both new at Seven Hills boarding school they find themselves arriving at the same time, bonding over their love of a shared favorite book! They seemed to fit together so well from the start and their friendship was so cute to watch unfold and flourish. I wasn’t expecting a duel POV in this book, but I like that we follow both of them as they navigate being new additions at Seven Hills.
Noelle and Jasper are our other friend duo. While they both have distinct and different personalities, they are the epitome of opposites attract. Noelle, a basketball star, who has the reputation for being rather cold and distant, and Jasper, a theatre kid who is popular and sociable, have such a pure and honest friendship. Their differences never made me doubt how good of friends they are. Noelle may act aloof but as her shell is slowly cracked by Evelyn we see that there’s more to her behind the tough façade she puts on.
Reading Noelle and Evelyn together in this book was honestly just the sweetest thing. Winding up as roommates, it started out kind of rocky but slowly we see both of them help each other come to terms with things that had been troubling them, and grow closer in the process. It was heartwarming to read the way Evelyn described Noelle. She latched on to all the best qualities of her she could, even when Noelle didn’t give her much opportunity at first, until finally she got to see the whole picture, the true Noelle that had been hiding away. There is star gazing, hand holding, sweet kisses, makeovers, and so many other beautiful moments between these two.
I loved how simple the story was to follow but at times I would be LITERALLY BLOWN AWAY by certain passages or sentences. There so many amazing metaphors in this book, I often reread them several times because I was just so captivated by how she described what these characters were feeling. Such as this from Seth’s POV:
I tried to focus on the way the paint tinted the water blue as he swirled the brush, a tornado trapped inside a glass, not on the fact that his arm brushed against mine in the process, making my insides feel similar; a tornado trapped inside a boy.
I thought about that last sentence for the rest of the chapter, it was that compelling. We’ve all had those feelings of butterflies, but sometimes butterflies isn’t even enough to describe it. A tornado? 🌪 sounds about right.
To end this review, if I had to recommend this story to anyone I honestly believe this would be an amazing and appropriate book for a teenage audience in the LGBTQIA community to read. I wish some of my friends would have had this kind of story to read while growing up! I know for a fact it would have helped them immensely just to read characters they could related too.
━━ ⋇ ━━━
↳ Big thanks to net galley, wattpad books, and philline harms for the eARC I received!
I really loved our main characters Evelyn and Seth. Both new at Seven Hills boarding school they find themselves arriving at the same time, bonding over their love of a shared favorite book! They seemed to fit together so well from the start and their friendship was so cute to watch unfold and flourish. I wasn’t expecting a duel POV in this book, but I like that we follow both of them as they navigate being new additions at Seven Hills.
Noelle and Jasper are our other friend duo. While they both have distinct and different personalities, they are the epitome of opposites attract. Noelle, a basketball star, who has the reputation for being rather cold and distant, and Jasper, a theatre kid who is popular and sociable, have such a pure and honest friendship. Their differences never made me doubt how good of friends they are. Noelle may act aloof but as her shell is slowly cracked by Evelyn we see that there’s more to her behind the tough façade she puts on.
Reading Noelle and Evelyn together in this book was honestly just the sweetest thing. Winding up as roommates, it started out kind of rocky but slowly we see both of them help each other come to terms with things that had been troubling them, and grow closer in the process. It was heartwarming to read the way Evelyn described Noelle. She latched on to all the best qualities of her she could, even when Noelle didn’t give her much opportunity at first, until finally she got to see the whole picture, the true Noelle that had been hiding away. There is star gazing, hand holding, sweet kisses, makeovers, and so many other beautiful moments between these two.
I loved how simple the story was to follow but at times I would be LITERALLY BLOWN AWAY by certain passages or sentences. There so many amazing metaphors in this book, I often reread them several times because I was just so captivated by how she described what these characters were feeling. Such as this from Seth’s POV:
I tried to focus on the way the paint tinted the water blue as he swirled the brush, a tornado trapped inside a glass, not on the fact that his arm brushed against mine in the process, making my insides feel similar; a tornado trapped inside a boy.
I thought about that last sentence for the rest of the chapter, it was that compelling. We’ve all had those feelings of butterflies, but sometimes butterflies isn’t even enough to describe it. A tornado? 🌪 sounds about right.
To end this review, if I had to recommend this story to anyone I honestly believe this would be an amazing and appropriate book for a teenage audience in the LGBTQIA community to read. I wish some of my friends would have had this kind of story to read while growing up! I know for a fact it would have helped them immensely just to read characters they could related too.
━━ ⋇ ━━━
↳ Big thanks to net galley, wattpad books, and philline harms for the eARC I received!
March 25, 2021
ACTUAL: 4.5 stars
* Thank you Wattpad Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review *
RTC
* Thank you Wattpad Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review *
RTC
Want to read
May 19, 2021Yay!! Another declined ARC.
Fuck you Netgally🥰🥰
Fuck you Netgally🥰🥰
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