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Throttled (Dirty Air, #1)

by Lauren Asher (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in October 2024

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maddie said: " ⭐️⭐️

I really wanted to love Throttled, but unfortunately, it didn’t hit the mark for me. I ended up giving it 2 stars because it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

One of my main issues was Maya. She felt too perfect, and it made it hard for me ⭐️⭐️

I really wanted to love Throttled, but unfortunately, it didn’t hit the mark for me. I ended up giving it 2 stars because it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

One of my main issues was Maya. She felt too perfect, and it made it hard for me to truly root for her. I know characters with flaws are important, but Maya was so flawless in every way that it almost felt unnatural. I had trouble connecting with her because I couldn’t relate to her—she seemed to have everything together and never really had to face any real consequences for her actions simply because her brother was a race car driver. It made her feel more like a picture-perfect character rather than someone real and layered.

As for Noah, while he was clearly a talented racer, his portrayal in the races felt completely unrealistic. He came across as unbeatable, which made the competition feel almost irrelevant. Every time he was on the track, it was like there was no real tension or doubt that he would win. This made the racing scenes lose their excitement and made Noah’s character feel too perfect, as if he could do no wrong. It didn't allow for any growth or real challenges, and I found it hard to feel invested when the stakes didn’t seem high at all.

The relationship between Maya and Noah also felt off to me. I couldn’t really feel their chemistry, and their dynamic was more frustrating than swoon-worthy. Maya’s perfection combined with Noah’s unbeatable nature left the romance feeling one-dimensional and lacking in depth.

And the YouTube challenges? They just felt out of place and unrealistic. They were meant to add a fun element, but instead, they just came across as forced and distracting. Rather than enhancing the characters or the plot, they took away from it, making the book feel like it was trying too hard to be quirky.

Overall, Throttled didn’t live up to my expectations. Between the unrealistic portrayal of Noah, Maya’s perfection, and the forced plot elements, it just wasn’t a story I could get behind. I ended up disappointed and wishing it had been more. ...more "

Apr 13, 2025 06:21PM · see review

maddie’s Notes & Highlights

Book cover for Hopeless (Chestnut Springs, #5)

Hopeless (Chestnut Springs, #5) by Elsie Silver

3 highlights

“No chamomile tea. But you look like you could use a pick-me-up.” She slides a glass of Coca-Cola in front of me, not realizing that she’s the pick-me-up.

19 Jan · Flag

Matthew MacArthur

Is it diet or regular?

maddie’s Quotes

“I know you’re scared of losing control around me.” Her chin tips up as though she’s told me something that will make me back down. Run me off. It doesn’t. “No, I’m scared of you becoming something I can’t live without.”
― Elsie Silver, Hopeless

15 likes

“For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me.”
― M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains

tags: words

1935 likes

“I’m so fucking tired of pretending I’m not in love with you.”
― Becka Mack, Play With Me

1 likes

“You cannot be nothing when you are everything to someone else.”
― Lauren Roberts, Reckless

431 likes

“No chamomile tea. But you look like you could use a pick-me-up.” She slides a glass of Coca-Cola in front of me, not realizing that she’s the pick-me-up.”
― Elsie Silver, Hopeless

0 likes

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