YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

This seems interesting!

25% (view spoiler)[ Poor Sam, things are getting too hard for him. I loved Penny's fiction writing class. It was inspiring. (hide spoiler)]

55% (view spoiler)[ Oh gosh, they are so adorable. It was cute how they both were over-thinking about their appearances. I like Celeste a lot. She's an older one of Jude. (hide spoiler)]

75% (view spoiler)[ What happened to Penny was horrible. Poor girl. I loved how Sam was by her side. Just listening helps a lot. I love how things are progressing slow instead of Insta-romance. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ It was a good read! I loved how Celeste and Penny resolved their differences at the end. Sam's mom totally doesn't deserve such a cinnamon roll like him. The confession was so cute! (hide spoiler)]

15%

(view spoiler)[ Mallory is very annoying. I think she and Penny will butt heads a lot (hide spoiler)]

Joining in on this!

26% (view spoiler)[ So far I'm not really impressed. I feel like it definitely has the potential to be cute and contemporary, but the writing keeps throwing me off. There's so many lines that are so damn weird or don't make sense because of all this lingo and I don't understand?? I really liked the writing teacher. I definitely like Sam- I love that he's not afraid to show emotion and he likes baking!! I don't trust Lorraine. I wonder if Sam really is the father and why tf did she back out of her appointment at PP!?! Girl take care of your body! (hide spoiler)]

52% (view spoiler)[ Still on the fence with this book. Plus, cheetos and nutella is fucking disgusting, no thank you. I really love Sam, but Penny is just kinda meg for me. I don't like the animosity between Mallory and Penny--it's stupid and has no point? It seems like nothing is happening, but the text threads are cute. I also don't get why Penny can't get along with her mom. (hide spoiler)]

75% (view spoiler)[ I really like Andy as a character. I hope we get to see more of his and Penny's friendship! Also I knew Lorraine couldn't really be pregnant!! I feel for Sam, what he went through was horrible and he deserves time to grieve. If not for the baby, but the idea of it. And Penny was raped! wtf did not see that coming (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Okay that ending was cute. I'm glad Penny and her mom finally reconciled but I wish it had more page time. And that Jude was able to work out the whole Penny/Sam thing with each of them. I'm glad Sam told Lorraine to go fuck herself as well (hide spoiler)]

22%
(view spoiler)[I really want to like this but I just can't like Penny. So far she is super hypercritical. She got super offended when Mallory was being racist towards Asians, which is understandable and Mallory sucks. But she then within the same page, is being extremely racist (I don't think racist is the right word but something close to it) against Australians. She calls them something like off brand British people. Like okayyy then.

She also thinks that Sam has a high chance of being gay because his cup is small and he "elegantly" crosses his legs. Like okay Penny fuck off.

I think I could like Sam, I don't know as much about him as I could. But dannggg, the baby thing. (hide spoiler)]

36%
(view spoiler)[Okay, there is just so much dramaaa. But I am loving the book. It feels nice to read. I adore Sam. Penny kind of gets on my last nerve. But she hasn't been so bad the last couple 'chapters.' But oh my gosh, their texting is so cuteeee. Reminds me of me and my bf. I love it! (hide spoiler)]

Andrea wrote: "26% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I bet she is faking the pregnancy somehow. She refuses to go see a doctor about it. I think she might just be manipulating Sam. Also I think the book is cute and good, except when Penny is the PoV she is just so judgey. But she seems to be getting better I think? (hide spoiler)]

Ari ☾ wrote: "36%
[spoilers removed]"

SAMMMMMMMMMM <3

59%
(view spoiler)[UGHHH, MY HEART IS DYING. SAMMM. Poor Sam. I am still unsure what happened with Lorraine. Did she fake it or did she have an abortion?
P.S. I still think she faked it because when they went out she was having alcohol.
(hide spoiler)]

Ari ☾ wrote: "59%
[spoilers removed]..."

It should be explained at some point...

Finishing
(view spoiler)[Oh jeez, that ending of the book was cute!! I love Sam and Penny together. But when they are apart I really am annoyed with Penny. She was so judgey and rude. She still held that in the end, but not as bad. She really developed as a character. I appreciate that. And Sammm, MUST PROTECT SMOL SAM AT ALL COSTS. I thought it was super good how they talked or tried to talk to their mothers about their issues with them. (hide spoiler)]

Starting now :)

(view spoiler)[ Image of Rain, I like it! I wish he was my brother lol (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ Penny is annoying me so far. SHE is being a racist by thinking that everyone is a racist towards her. She has issues. She doesn't like anyone and expects to be liked with her attitude. (hide spoiler)]

Ari ☾ wrote: "22%
I really want to like this but I just can't like Penny. So far she is super hypercritical. She got super offended when Mallory was being racist towards Asians, which is understandable and Mallo..."

I don't think you'll see this but...(view spoiler)[ She's annoying me as well, and yeah she's a hypocrite, and a JUDGIE one! (hide spoiler)]

Glad she realized that she is a racist lol

(view spoiler)[OMG how judgie is this girl??!!! calling people gay just because pf the way he sits or the cup that he drinks from? WTF! who the hell is this hypocritical bitch? (hide spoiler)]

who the hell is she?? seriously!!
(view spoiler)[ She expected to watch the Avengers after they broke up? like wtf? (hide spoiler)]

10% (view spoiler)[ I really like Sam, but I'm not so sure about Penny yet... I'm not really a fan of Mallory and Jude either. But then again, I'm not very far in!

Although, I did think that this: "To Penny, Australians felt like off-brand, bizarro British people." Was really weird. Where did that come from??? (hide spoiler)]

40% (view spoiler)[ I like Jude a lot more now, but Mallory just kind of vanished from the story, so I dunno about her... The texts are so cute! I'm concerned about Sam though, he's in a difficult situation. Penny still gets on my nerves a little, but she's really cute with Sam! (hide spoiler)]

80% (view spoiler)[ I really like the trio now, they are super cute!! But I really think that Penny should tell them about Sam, Jude especially. I think it will be weird when she finds out later, especially if it's not because Penny told her, and I'm betting it won't be. (hide spoiler)]

Edit: 81% (view spoiler)[ 30 seconds after that update it happened!!! NOOOOOOO! (hide spoiler)]

Finished: Overall I really liked this one, it was quite cute! (view spoiler)[ It ended so suddenly though! And I don't see how Penny could be so oblivious at the ending. IT was so clear what he meant but she just didn't get it. PENNY!!! But overall, a really great read! (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[ This was a pure torture. She was so judgy and rude towards her mother. I really did not like her character AT ALL. Sam was a good guy I liked him. I liked Jude a lot, I wish she was the main female character and not Penny >.< Overall, even the audiobook did not make it go faster. such a drag. (hide spoiler)]

Giving this a shot!

Well since I didn't get this in for July, Ill read it now for Aug!

Joining :)

Chapters 1-10
(view spoiler)[ I kind of get now why the title is Emergency Contact. Seems like Sam will keep in touch with Penny for emergencies such as his panic attack maybe?
Not much has happened in this book so far relationship-wise but I think it's starting off well enough. Lorraine being pregnant was a surprising beginning to the book! (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 11-20
(view spoiler)[ Not much to say about these chapters. Penny and Sam are texting each other and that's really it. I know that the texting parts are the meat of the story, but they're not as fun to read as I thought they'd be. If the book keeps going on like this I'll probably end up giving it only 3 stars. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 21-43
(view spoiler)[So nothing's really happened since chapter 20 except for Penny and Sam are together now I think? They kissed at least. I hope they actually start dating so that there's some progression in the story. I'm not fond of Lorraine, but I'm guessing that's how the reader is supposed to feel about her. The ending better be good because there hasn't been much action so far. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[Well, that ending was meh. It was predictable and I ended up not liking any of the characters that much. And Penny isn't a very good writer imo. Again, the texting was boring and I didn't care about the main characters' relationship. Hopefully someone enjoyed this book more than I did. (hide spoiler)]

Finally starting! Finally!

Chapter 1-15 (view spoiler)[ I love this book! I want her to be with Sam! She seems to come out of her shell the most with him. I feel bad for him, stuck in love with Liar... Honestly for the first few chapters I couldnt remember her name as anything other than Liar...lol (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16-25 (view spoiler)[ I don't know why Penny dislikes her mother so much, I mean yea I get it she is a bit embarrasing but she loves her that much is evident. Much better than what I know about Sam's mom right now. Why hasn't Liar updated Sam about the baby!!! She is pissing me off!(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 26-fin (view spoiler)[ That was by far the cutest thing I have read this week! I loved it. I am happy that Penny and her mom could make up at least a little, I am happy that Celeste stood up for herself at least for that one little time. I do wish that there was more to the Sam and Penny relationship, Id read a book 2!(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Astrid wrote: "Finished
[spoilers removed]"

I did! I did! I thought it was so cute! I agree about the ending though.

@Rae I totally agree with you about Penny's attitude towards her mother being annoying. I'm glad that you enjoyed the book!

I've started this one!

10% (view spoiler)[ Celeste would be tough to have as a mother, she seems like she is more keen to be cool with everyone then motherly. But that’s my first assumption with how she was with that girl’s dad! (hide spoiler)]

40% (view spoiler)[ I wondered how the two stories would intertwine. I’m glad they have finally run into each other and it’s all happening. It’s crazy about Lorraine cheating on Sam, but then she might be pregnant with his baby! (hide spoiler)]

74% (view spoiler)[ wow that’s so bad what Bobby did to penny, after her saying no so many times. It’s so wrong how she felt she just had to deal with it after that. (hide spoiler)]

Date changed ☺

93% (view spoiler)[ so Sam’s mum has depression. There are so many different things in this book, it’s good. It’s sad how she is angry with him for reporting her fraudulent as she was using his name to get credit cards! (hide spoiler)]