Status Updates From Finding Laila

Uhm, that prologue? I didn't really give a shit about the characters, but that's a crappy way to end a book (for more than one reason).

And jeez, her best friend dies and Laila is still only thinking about herself. "Because I am Laila Nixon and I’m going to be okay."

such a pointless epilogue (and book, if I'm honest).

As I continue stating more information and statistics about assisted suicide, I can tell that Joey is impressed with what I have come up with.

Sounds to me like she's mostly presenting statistics. Not sure if I count finding statistics is impressive in itself.

I’m not so stupid to believe I’m the only one who sees him as the sexy, brooding artist—everyone sees it.

And yet, I've seen no sign of this "brooding" of his. None. Zilch. I've been told he is brooding, but never been shown it.

My problems with this book: it doesn't feel genuine. Not at all. It doesn't feel authentic either. The characters are forced and it feels like they are "filling a quota" so to say. The writing is all telling, no showing. Hate the heroine. No major plot. I think that's it.

Yet another reason I love these guys: Braxton tells them something that has ruined friendships and families because people can’t handle it—but here are my guys…being themselves.

Good job not being bigoted assholes, really, quite an accomplishment.

Okay: about the last update. It's not that a character is gay that bothers me, it's that he's gay because otherwise he'd have no defining characteristic (if you can call a sexual orientation that). He's supposedly one of the main characters, but up until know the reader has only been told about him, and he's barely in the story, so now when he has to come out he's suddenly important again.

"I’m telling you that I’m gay.”

Yeah, this book is kinda pissing me off. Not because he's gay, but rather how it is dealt with in the book.

Could Laila be more of a spoiled brat? So her parents aren't her biological parents and she accuses them of, now that she's eighteen, kicking her to the curb? All they did was tell her the truth. I can see it's a heavy thing to learn, but she's acting as if they're her kidnappers or something.

Laila: get over yourself.

“You don’t just go around telling a girl what she does or doesn’t feel. You let her decide if she’s ready to say these things.”

Coming from the girl who told her friend he's gay, that he knows that, right?

While all the other girls around are clawing and beating each other to be noticed, you are happy to stay in the background away from the spotlight—unseen.

"All other girls"

What is with all these books with no plots lately? And when I say that, I mean character driven books that have characters with no personality or struggles (internal or external).

"She knew before me that I was falling for you, but when I realized it, we’d already decided that none of us were going to take a chance at ruining our cool group.”

except that earlier in the story, you said you agreed to that if you couldn't have her, you didn't want any of the other guys to have her either. So...

Cole, I have made an effort with every single one of the girls you guys have brought around. For whatever reason, it never works.

Given what I've read about Laila, and the fact that she's the only constant here, my guess it's all her fault.

I don't like people spreading rumors, but if I had to choose before Laila and any girl at her school? Laila would be the last on my list to befriend.

Gotta love teachers who are passionate about what they teach, even if it’s the most uninteresting subject ever.

She did not just say that about physics, right? RIGHT? Why give me more reasons to dislike this girl?

Laila's disdain for women, is like in most books I've read lately, saddening.

"You’re intimidating as hell! You do realize you’re pretty much the perfect girl, right?”

Can we have some male heroes that aren't non-characters? You know, something with a personality apart from telling the heroine how perfect she is. No? Fine then.

“It’s always been you, Lai.”

“Haden, you’re gay,” I inform him as if he doesn’t already know this.

Oh, a poor straight white girl telling another person about their sexual orientation as if they didn't already knew it, like she knows them better than they do.

brb, gonna go throw something, like the book, out the window.

“Yeah, you’re a girl. But you aren’t like other girls.”

And my interest in Haden disappeared in a second. Wonder why.

I prefer the violent, raunchy, and offensive movies to romance any day of the week.

Guess what, a lot of other girls do that too. Shocking, I know.

“No guy wants a damsel,” Joey said the first time we watched it. I felt like I was in How to Be a Girl 101 and Joey was my personal instructor.

A girl taking lessons from a guy on how to be a girl. It never gets boring.

They make me feel feminine, but not weak.


The two are not mutually exclusive!, she yelled from the rooftops.

Haden hasn’t dated anyone since we started high school and I’ve wondered if there’s a chance he’s gay.

Someone (male) isn't dating and the first conclusion is that he's gay? WTF IS UP WITH PEOPLE/THIS GIRL?

I have confided things to him that no girl would ever share with someone of the opposite sex.

Why not? Because you, our already special little snowflake, who is sooo different from the other girls, have done it? And why wouldn't they share it? THIS GIRL.

Not even 5% and so far all I know about the characters, I've been told, not shown. Not a good sign.

I’ve always spoken too soon when I feel things are unfair—voicing much more opinion than necessary.

Unfair? Now it's unfair for teacher to have pop quizzes? This girl...

“What? It’s not like she’s a real girl. She’s not even wearing a dress,” the black-haired boy said and pointed at me.

She's a five year old girl, how much more of a "girl" can she get?