Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Apr 04, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, ya-contemporary, siblings, romance, high-school, glbt, contemporary, awesome-guy

Actual rating: 3.5

He proceeded to do some moves I can only assume are part of a war dance in some lost tribe of the Amazon. There were a mysterious number of elbows involved, and a face that was probably meant to be sexy but looked more pained.

Some things are universal, and a horrible dance partner is one to which we can all relate ^_^

This book was all sorts of adorable. This is what I look for in an YA contemporary. Light romance, adorableness to the extreme, silly and realistic teenagers, Actual rating: 3.5

He proceeded to do some moves I can only assume are part of a war dance in some lost tribe of the Amazon. There were a mysterious number of elbows involved, and a face that was probably meant to be sexy but looked more pained.

Some things are universal, and a horrible dance partner is one to which we can all relate ^_^

This book was all sorts of adorable. This is what I look for in an YA contemporary. Light romance, adorableness to the extreme, silly and realistic teenagers, and a very likeable narrator.

No slut shaming. No love triangle (despite the premise), and really, just cuteness all around. My only complaint is with the Head/Tails alternate scenario premise. Why? What was the point? It's an YA contemporary, let's leave it at one single possible timeline, ok? This isn't a choose-your-own-adventure book. The alternate scenario is just pointless.

The Summary: Heart LaCoeur has a horrible name, ok? Let's get that out in the open. It means "Heart the Heart." It's Prom time, and she's got no time for that nonsense, no sirree. Heart is going to prom with a group of her friends, guys and gals. They call themselves the "No Drama Prom-a" crew.

So Heart's set to chill with her pals. She's got an awesome vintage dress. And it's going to be just great!

Until Heart gets more on her plate than she planned. For one thing, her brother volunteered Heart as his friend's prom date without her consent.

“Eh.” He shrugged and swallowed the last of his pizza. “Anyway, he already had tickets to prom, so I said you’d go with him.”

And to make it even messier...

Ryan beckoned me closer with a jerking head motion. “Listen...I was wondering...would you want to go to prom with me? As friends.”

WELL, FUCK. Heart doesn't want any of this. She tries to turn them both down, but there are problems.

“So...” He drew an elaborate, invisible design with his finger on the lab table. “Just pick someone and be done with it.”
“It’s not that easy.”

Seriously, it's not that easy. For one thing, Troy is the most pathetic, broken-down jock in the world. He just got dumped by his girlfriend, hence why he needs a date, and he's more teddy bear than tough guy. How can you turn down someone who looks like this?!

“If you don’t want to, that’s cool.” Troy looked down, and I swear to God, I thought he was going to start crying. Ginormous, six-foot-four, two-hundred-and-fifty-pound Troy Rafferty was going to break down in the french fry line.
“That’s cool,” Troy said softly. “Sorry to bother you.” He started to lumber away, and my heart crumpled.

NOOOOOOO. You'd have to have a heart of ice to turn him down.

So Heart goes to turn her friend Ryan down, only it doesn't quite work out either.

He smiled and laughed nervously. “I just feel like I should be honest with you,” he said. “I didn’t want you to think that I was asking you because...that we...that I...” He took a frustrated breath and let it out in a short huff. “I’m gay.”

*HOWLS WITH LAUGHTER*

So now Heart's stuck between a downtrodden, depressed teddy bear of a jock, and a gay guy who wants her to be his beard. NOW do you see her problem?

So Heart tosses a coin. Heads or Tails. Heads, Troy wins. Tails, Ryan wins. And thus, we get to watch Prom Night unfold in both scenarios. There will be torn dresses, drunken kisses, terrible dancing (Hint: gay guys are terrible dancers, too).

There will be horrible kissing experiences, designed to incite jealousy in an ex-girlfriend.

There was nowhere to turn when he laid a wet, alcohol-soaked kiss on me.
His tongue was like a fish flopping on a dock in my mouth, but hot instead of cold.

There will be relationship counseling.

“Ugh, maybe you are gay after all.” I crossed my arms.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you’re into sports and you hate dancing, but now here you are giving me relationship advice.”
“You have way too many stereotypes in your head.”

And maybe Heart will realize who she should have gone with all along.

He laughed. “You’re having...thoughts?”
“And feelings. Damn it. Feelings! This is not on my agenda.”

Heart: Yeah, she's got a crappy name, and a crappy mother. Don't hold it against her. Heart feels like a realistic teenager. She is normal. She is not "quirky" or strange, she's got a sarcastic sense of humor sometimes, she tends to get snarky, and her internal dialogue gets to be kind of silly sometimes. The point is that Heart never pissed me off. Like this internal monologue about the utter horribleness of her name, Heart.

Sometimes, people ask me what it’s like to be named Heart, but how am I supposed to answer that? I mean, how would you answer if a fish popped out of a lake and asked you what it was like to breathe oxygen? Apart from freaking out that a fish was talking to you, of course. You don’t know what it’s like to breathe anything else. You’d probably be like, “I don’t know. It’s okay, I guess. What’s it like to breathe water, Talking Fish?”

I would understand if you found her annoying, but I thought she was pretty cute.

Despite her name, Heart is a skeptic. She's not a skeptic in the sense of I WILL NEVER EVER EVER LOVE AGAIN BECAUSE MY MOTHER ABANDONED ME AS A CHILD. No. Heart is a skeptic in the sense that she believes in romance, she believes in love, but she is willing to take it slow. She is pragmatic. Rational. She is not a believer in fate.

“I don’t believe in fate.” It was automatic. My response since I’d decided not to let my maternal genetics and my porn-star name choose my future for me.
“Why not?”
“I don’t like the idea that I can’t control the outcome of something. Your choices should be the only influence in your own life.”

She is a NORMAL girl. She loves her friends, she is kind-hearted. Heart knows that a beautiful girl can be kind, too. She never, ever slut shames, and she calls out bad behavior when she sees it.

“Did you see the way Olivia went off? God, that girl would do anything for attention.”
“I know, she’s so pathetic.”
“I can’t believe she even got nominated for prom court.”
“It’s just because she’s going out with Austin.”
“Seriously.”
I wasn’t exactly buddy-buddy with Olivia, but my ears got hot with embarrassment and anger listening to them dissect her.

From confronting a bunch of mean-girls in the bathroom, to talking to her brother's beauty-queen friends. She never, ever judges someone for her looks. She defends the beautiful girls when she hears them being trashed behind their backs, and doesn't expect any rewards for it.

I had a feeling they’d both heard plenty of gossip about themselves over the last four years. You don’t get to be a senior looking like custom-ordered perfection without earning a little jealousy along the way.

Heart really did win over my heart.

The Other Characters: What made this book so fun to read was the fact that the teenagers feel like real people. These boys and girls could have been my friends when I was in high school. They joke around with each other, boys and girls can be friends without drama, they're a group of mixed boys and girls who just have a lot of fun with each other. They like each other, they laugh with each other, they have fun! And I had a lot of fun with them. They do silly things, they play lighthearted pranks on each other, they do dumb things. Nothing is ever outrageous.

This book really defies the steoretype that all pretty girls are bitches. There are numerous beautiful girls in the book, cheerleaders, prom queens. They may be beautiful, but they are portrayed as people, too. They're just normal girls who just happen to look pretty. There is never an attempt to hate them or to slut shame them. I love that about this book.

The Romance: There is only one romantic interest in this book, and it is predictable as heck. That's not to say it's not sweet. It's the friends-into-lovers trope, and it is so light and well-built, that I found it to be completely understandable. I rooted for the two. I wanted them to be together. I wanted to see them get past their misunderstandings, and I cheered for Heart when she got pissed off and told off the boy of her dreams because he was kind of an asshole.

“Uh-uh. I had no idea how you felt about me. None. And you know whose fault that is? Yours. If you wanted to ask me to prom, you should have frigging asked me. You don’t get to whine about it just because somebody else had the balls to do what you didn’t. I’m done apologizing to you.” I poked him in the chest. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Get over yourself.”

I love Heart's slightly cynical attitude. She's not one of those I-believe-in-soulmates people. She doesn't want to rush into things, and that's just fine with me.

“And you have to promise we’ll take it slow.”
“How slow?”
Blanking, all I could think of was my mother. I blurted out, “Well, like, let’s not have kids anytime soon, okay?”

...more

flag 107 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2013 Melanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, e-arc, romance, contemporary, swoony-guys, not-bad-at-all, young-adult, 2014-favourites, grinned-like-a-fool, wishlist

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

It is a universal truth that a person cannot run in clogs, but that didn't stop me from trying.

If you love banter, this book is for you. If you love cute romances, this book is for you. If you love fluffy contemporaries, this book was written for you. Ask Again Later is one of the best light contemporaries I've ever read. Also read in over 2 hours, so I guess that shows just how unputdownable this was. Just writing this review makes me want to go and grab out See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

It is a universal truth that a person cannot run in clogs, but that didn't stop me from trying.

If you love banter, this book is for you. If you love cute romances, this book is for you. If you love fluffy contemporaries, this book was written for you. Ask Again Later is one of the best light contemporaries I've ever read. Also read in over 2 hours, so I guess that shows just how unputdownable this was. Just writing this review makes me want to go and grab out my kindle out to re-read it.

I'm just a high school student with a list for Broadway musicals and an unhealthy relationship with The Big Book of Baby Names. My copy is dog-eared, highlighted and Sharpied into complete submission. I've got less than a year to go until I can match my butt down to the courthouse and choose my very own name for the rest of my life.

The main character, Heart immediately presents a good impression to us readers with her snarky and vibrant attitude. She maintained this personality throughout the entire book and it was an absolute pleasure to have her as the lead. She made a rule when she was young to never get into a relationship--after her mother ditched her and her father when she was born. So when prom comes around the corner and two people unexpectedly ask her out, she has no idea who to choose. Besides, her original plan was to go with her friends--the No Drama Prom-a group. Ask Again Later was not what I had expected, in the best ways. I love how the author did not follow the typical path of multi-reality stories. That being said, this is not a sci-fi novel. Simply put, Heart can't choose to go with either the jock or the theatre nerd so we end up seeing both sides and how they slowly meld together in the end.

Ask Again Later has the perfect mix of romance, friendship and humour. It's not necessarily the type of humour that has you cackling on the floor but it will keep you grinning the entire time. I also love how the author doesn't make Heart a "special" person because her odd name. Schroeder, who is part of the No Drama Prom-a group doesn't call Heart by her real name, instead, he calls her by internal organs such as Lung, which was pretty entertaining. The two, along with the rest of the No Drama Prom-a group have the best banter. THE. BEST. And as a last add on to show how awesome this book was: there's a gay character who was not at all stereotyped. One of my favourite characters, in fact.

Everything was pretty much spot on for this book, though I'd like to mention my problem with Heart's brother, Phil. I get that the author purposely made him a douchebag, but he ruined my mood every time he opened his mouth. He constantly manipulates Heart into doing things she has no intention of doing. Things that only benefit him and his friends. For example, forcing her to go to prom with his recently dumped friend, Troy, as a pity date. He treated Heart like absolute trash and probably is one the the worst siblings in YA fiction that I've encountered. Here's an example of how shitty Phil is when Troy was drunk and kissed Heart:

"You're completely overreacting. It was just a kiss."
"But I didn't want to be him to do it."
"Don't be such a baby."
"I'm not being a baby! I'm saying I want to go home."
"Stop freaking out. You're going to ruin prom."
"I'm going to ruin it? Are you kidding me?"
"Heart. It was a kiss. Deal." I curled my fingers into tight fists, barely feeling the bite of my own nails into my palms. "Don't you even care what I want? I'm your sister."
"Yeah, and Troy's my friend."

JERK. ASS. DOUCHE. DESERVES TO DIE.

Aside from the atrocity of Heart's jerk face brother, Ask Again later was a compelling read with plenty of charm and amusement. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

~Thank you HarperTeen for sending me this copy!~

...more

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2014 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fans of Miranda Kenneally and/or Kasie West

Shelves: covergasm, holy-shit-that-ending, light-and-cute, swoony-book-boys, oh-the-fluff, predictable, arc

Check out our interview with Liz Czukas about her other novel, Top Ten Clues You're Clueless! Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Ask Again Later! Open to US residents only.

3.5 stars

After all the early reviews I've seen raving about how adorable this one was, I just had to see for myself! Indeed, that adorable cover's a plus. I should get a physical copy for my collection once it's out, huh?

The story revolves around Heart--whose name I actually like--a girl who planned to go to ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: on-my-shelves, yabc-reviews, arc, favorites-contemps, favorites-humor, the-adorbs, i-will-go-down-with-this-ship, owned-print-copy

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars, but I loved every minute

Dear friends, I want to push this book on you if you love fluffy things. And banter. And ships. And adorableness. If you do not like those things, you should probably turn around because you would hate this book. However, those of you who are like me, YOU WANT THIS. Ask Again Later is the sort of fluffy, slow burning, bantery goodness of which I will never tire.

Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions. ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2013 Jasprit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: out-2014, arc-galley, read-in-2014, contemporary, ya, romance

4.5 stars

Ask Again Later was exactly the cute fun read that I was in the mood for, I admit after seeing the cover, I thought that this book would be a bit young for me, but this was not the case at all.

Heart is asked to prom by two guys, (well actually one, as Heart’s brother Phil forces his friend Troy on her, who has been dumped by his girlfriend just before prom). Heart’s really a decent girl and doesn’t want to let either guy down, so decides that a coin toss will help her to decide who she 4.5 stars

Ask Again Later was exactly the cute fun read that I was in the mood for, I admit after seeing the cover, I thought that this book would be a bit young for me, but this was not the case at all.

Heart is asked to prom by two guys, (well actually one, as Heart’s brother Phil forces his friend Troy on her, who has been dumped by his girlfriend just before prom). Heart’s really a decent girl and doesn’t want to let either guy down, so decides that a coin toss will help her to decide who she should go with. The way that the story went from this point onwards I was a bit confused about at first, but I soon came to realise was cleverly done. Each chapter gave us an insight into how Heart’s date would have turned out if she went to prom with either guy. So we’re treated to alternative chapters of Heart’s prom night with Ryan and Troy. I have to say I immensely enjoyed these alternative chapters, it was clear from the very beginning who Heart should have gone with to prom, but still it was fun watching the night unravel before us.

There were a great set of characters that were each brilliant in bringing something different to this story. Normally when there are such a huge number of secondary characters, it can be hard to recall who everyone is, but for me this was not the case at all. I had many laugh out loud moments with these characters although at times there was one character (view spoiler)who I wanted to knock some sense into at times. However Ask Again Later couldn’t have been this fun quirky little book without these different personalities.

Although the story was written into two separate nights; Heart’s prom night with Troy, and prom night with Ryan, the blending of the events from one night into the other was done wonderfully. I didn’t find this aspect repetitive at all, but appreciated seeing it from another whole perspective (Phil’s friends or Heart’s friends). Heart’s night was full with chaos in both possible scenarios, however much more in Troy as Heart’s potential prom date. I did at times really feel for Heart in this perspective, as she was roped in on making Troy feel better and was guilt trapped into attending prom with Troy in the first place and then every time she did want to enjoy prom with her friends, her brother Phil would go and put a dampener on things. But through this Heart went to show how much of a great character she was, from being knocked to the ground, having a table thrown at her and going to prom with guys she wouldn’t have gone for, she showed just how selfless she was.

Although there were many wonderful characters in this book two stood out the most for me; Heart and Schroeder (how awesome is this nickname, not only did his nickname have me sighing, but he was just such an amazing character). Poor Heart was clueless to what was going on, but I loved the build up from both perspectives to the ending that we were given.

Whenever you need a quick fun pick me up, which will cause many snort laughing moments and consequent death glares from people sitting next to you on your journey to work, I highly recommend giving Ask Again Later a go, it definitely surpassed all my expectations.
...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2014 Elaine rated it really liked it

Shelves: debut-reads, favourites, 2014-reads, brain-candy, contemporary, made-me-lol, romance, kindle, young-adult, author-crush

7% in

30% in

60% in

80% in

end of the book

...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Mar 04, 2014 Louisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 2014-read, 2014-favourites, awesome-heroines, so-much-cute, swoon-worthy-book-boyfriends

This gif should more or less encapsulate the cuteness of this book:

YES. YOU GOT THAT RIGHT. Sometimes you read a YA contemporary... and to be honest a fair number of them don't "change your life" or are even particularly substantial, but sometimes that one book just clicks.

The protagonist's name is Heart LaCoeur. She can't choose between a just-dumped jock and a gay boy, both of whom ask her to prom after she's already made No-Drama Prom-a plans, for her date. In come the alternate story lines ( ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2014 Faye, la Patata rated it it was ok

...meh.

I hoped I'd like it but I didn't :( Predictable, trying hard, has annoying characters, and with the parallel style thing that just didn't work on me. I'm sorry .-. ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jul 14, 2013 Danielle (Love at First Page) rated it really liked it

Shelves: brain-candy, contemporary, favorites-young-adult, laugh-out-loud, read-in-2014, so-otp-it-hurts, genre-young-adult, own-kindle-book

4-4.5 stars

Ask Again Later is the type of book that I just love to read; it’s pure enjoyment from the first page to the last. I was grinning like a fool so much I was worried it would become a permanent facial expression. The narration, the group dynamics, the antics, and the blunders all combine to make one hilarious, heartwarming, and super fun debut by Liz Czukas. It’s not just a glorious romp fest, though; I was fully invested in these characters and cared about them as if they were my own f 4-4.5 stars

Ask Again Later is the type of book that I just love to read; it’s pure enjoyment from the first page to the last. I was grinning like a fool so much I was worried it would become a permanent facial expression. The narration, the group dynamics, the antics, and the blunders all combine to make one hilarious, heartwarming, and super fun debut by Liz Czukas. It’s not just a glorious romp fest, though; I was fully invested in these characters and cared about them as if they were my own friends. It’s fluff with Heart (heh). It should also be noted that the author told me on Twitter she hates love triangles, too, which immediately put her on my will-always-read list. So basically this felt like one huge win for me.

The plot starts out straightforward enough: Heart LaCoeur, a junior in high school and our narrator, has plans to go to prom with her theater friends as a group. They dub themselves the “No Drama Prom-a”, vowing to avoid any and all prom clichés. Just two weeks before prom, and the unthinkable happens: Heart gets asked by not one, but two guys to the dance. One is Ryan, a member of the theater’s tech crew and a somewhat-friend. The other is her older brother’s best friend, Troy, who recently got dumped by his girlfriend. Heart is torn not only by the fact that she never wanted to go with a date, but also because now she has to hurt the feelings of one of the two boys. To help her decide, she puts it into the hands of fate and flips a coin: heads for Troy and tails for Ryan. The book then starts to alternate chapters between what would happen if the coin lands on heads or if it lands on tails.

The writing and plotting are really spectacular. Sometimes I would get tripped up trying to keep track of the two different “realities” and remembering what scenes took place when, especially in regards to the romantic bits, but ultimately that doesn’t matter. Although different shenanigans ensue in each, or they’re seen from a different vantage point, the plots steadily begin to intertwine and converge until they mold into one at the end. I thought this setup was brilliant and oh so romantic: no matter which way the coin fell, things would work out all the same and just fine for our dear Heart(s). Although avoiding drama was Heart’s goal, it’s never meant to be when it comes to prom. There’s a wardrobe mishap, fixed shoddily by duct tape; fake cockroaches that lead to near drowning; exposed condoms; a serial-killer-turned-prom-delivery van; girl fights; boy fights; and, most importantly, a kidnapping involving two unsuspecting people and a trunk (it’s much sexier than it sounds).

None of these antics would have been nearly as hilarious if not told from Heart’s witty point-of-view. She is an absolute riot: down-to-earth, sarcastic, and an excellent commentator on everything going on around her. She is such an easy character to love, as are her supporting cast of theater friends. Their dynamic of easygoing banter and fierce loyalty is one of the best aspects of the book; they are a tight-knit group with years of history and inside jokes among them. Between the two dates, her more successful one is with Ryan, who makes a confession early on in the book. He turned out to be one of my favorite characters, giving Heart the push she needs at the end to figure out her romantic dilemma. With Ryan, the two of them actually join up with her No Drama Prom-a crew, but with Troy, she’s forced to go with her brother’s group of friends: the jocks and cheerleaders. Needless to say, her observations are hilarious if not always kind, but there’s dimension to those characters as well.

Toward the end of the night, the two realities become more and more tangled, until they meet in the middle and become one. The driving force behind this is the romance and bringing our two lovebirds together. As you’ve already figured out, there’s no love triangle in this book, and her love interest is surprising because he’s not either of her two dates. His name is Chase, but she calls him Schroeder due to the fact that he plays the piano and looks like the character from Peanuts. Adorable, right? He calls her names like Lung and Kidney to tease her about her name. Even more adorable, right? Because Heart’s mom had her and her brother at a young age and then abandoned them, she has had a no dating rule her whole life, not wanting to make the same mistakes. It’s not exactly logical thinking, and thankfully she has some good friends to point this out. Heart and Chase make such a cute pair, with their flirtatious dialogue and slow-burn transition from friends to more. Poor Chase didn’t have it easy, watching Heart with her date(s), but when he finally mans up and when she finally comes to her senses the sparks really fly. The last few pages of the book are pretty much the best kissing scenes ever.

If you couldn’t already tell, I love this book to pieces and cannot wait for Liz Czukas’ next, Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless. If it has the same sort of entertaining dialogue, witty banter, cute romance, and adorable friendships, I know I’ll be just as smitten. More and more I’m gravitating toward these lighthearted contemporary romances that make me happy for days afterward. In fact, I’m still smiling about Ask Again Later.

This review can also be found at Love at First Page. ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Jun 18, 2013 Gillian rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-i-own, bookish-boyfriends, contemporary, rep, cuter-than-puppies, favorites, feelsy-feels, lolz, premise-is-perfection, romance-to-root-for

4.5 stars

Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs

Rating: Adorably, swoony, witty fun! Fluff reading at its best.

Oh, this book was JUST what the doctor ordered. After a string of alternately grim and/or disappointing reads, I really needed to cleanse my readerly palate with something fresh and adorable that would make me giggle. Ask Again Later had all that an more, because I didn't merely giggle--I chokelaughed. And it wasn't just adorable--it was painfully, cuter-than-puppies adorable. I want to ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 06, 2015 lily ☁️ rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Lovers of light, fluffy, well-written romantic contemporary fiction

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, tolino, best-romance, reviewed, impressions, to-reread

Ask Again Later is one of the cutest, most adorable young adult romance novels I’ve read in a long time.

Well-written, funny, and charming, it sweeps you off your feet, and puts a smile on your face all the way through—occasionally accompanied by jumping up and down and squealing around in excitement. This book had me chuckling more than once, and grinning so much I could actually feel my cheeks afterwards.

The main character Heart is extremely easy to like; she’s fun and down-to-earth, and I coul ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2014 ~Tina~ rated it really liked it

Recommended to ~Tina~ by: Sam

Shelves: read-2014, favorites, young-adult, contemporary

Truthfully, when I first saw this book, I looked at that cover and wasn't instantly dazzled. I'm a cover-crazz kinda gal and if a cover doesn't get my attention off the bat, then I usually don't bother with it. But! when a goodreads friend (waves to Sam) gave this a wonderful review and talked about how funny it was, I decided to give it a go since I need funny in my life and I'm so glad I did because, Ask Again Later was the real deal. Clever banter, awesome zingers, sweet friendships and an ad Truthfully, when I first saw this book, I looked at that cover and wasn't instantly dazzled. I'm a cover-crazz kinda gal and if a cover doesn't get my attention off the bat, then I usually don't bother with it. But! when a goodreads friend (waves to Sam) gave this a wonderful review and talked about how funny it was, I decided to give it a go since I need funny in my life and I'm so glad I did because, Ask Again Later was the real deal. Clever banter, awesome zingers, sweet friendships and an adorable romance. Truly, a fun-filled escape.

Ask Again Later, is the kind of story that makes your heart happy and puts one of those stupid plastered smiles on your face the entire time your reading. The writing is effortless, smooth and quite smart. What a brilliant and refreshing concept idea to have a girl who doesn't date be put on the spot for two good-intention prom invites. Heart doesn't know what to do and decides to leave it up to fate, or in this case, a Chuck E. Cheese token. But fate is a mischievous beast and our tender Heart will be in for one helluva night filled with hilarious disasters, epically entertaining comedy and finally some insightful discoveries. Watching Heart have to endure everything and anything that came her way was such a hoot and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her go through the 'what could happen' for both of her respective prom offers. One was obviously the better choice while the other was the prom from hell, which was both parts sad and hilarious. But no matter how Heart's night is going with both Tyler and his group and Ryan with the No Drama Prom-a Crew, it's where Heart ends up that makes it so incredibly worth it.

My favourite thing about this book is all of the amazingly awesome characters. They were all so funny and just fun to be with.
Being inside Heart's head was a complete joy. She's sassy and sweet and all kinds of scared. She's the kind of character who doesn't like confrontations, gets manipulated easily by her brother and has commitment issues, but despite some of her flaws I like that she felt real and easy to connect with. But what I thought was so cool about her the most was that no matter what the night threw at her (which was a lot) she took it all surprisingly well and made the most of a bad situation. I liked that she just went with it, head up and just dealt with it. Kudos for Heart.
I also really loved all of Heart's friends, they are all a perfect mix of good times, tough love and endless support. While the romance in this is both sweet and frustrating. Despite what's implied there isn't a love triangle in this one, but I really did love both guys. Ryan is a sweetie-pie and I love how much of a friend he turned out to be when Heart needed it the most. But Schroeder/Chase is a different story and I couldn't help feel a tad conflicted with him. Most of the time he's charming and funny and I adored their banter and the use of witty nicknames, but then we have moody-Schroeder who quite frankly was a pain in the ass. Communication is the key to every friendship and/or relationship but I'm not sure Chase got the memo. Honesty people, it works.
While I really did love all of these characters, the only one I had an issue was with Phil. I'm a huge sucker for great brother/sister and family bonds in my books and was slightly disappointed that wasn't the case here. Phil was such.a.asshat. Period. Or well, at least he was in one version of the night, on the flip side I guess he was okay, but I can't help wishing he was written differently.
I really loved that ending. It felt like a warm fuzzy blanket after being stuck out in the cold for hours. Prefect and adorable.

Basically, I had a lot of fun with this book. It's funny and warm and sweet and cute as hell and the perfect book when your in need for something light and wonderful. A feel good, fun-filled read. Can't wait till Czukas next book, but this time there wont be any hesitation! ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 01, 2014 Kimi (Geeky Chiquitas) rated it it was ok

Originally posted at Geeky Chiquitas

Reviewed by: Kimi

Actual rating: 1.5 stars

Ask Again Later is about a girl named Heart LaCoeur who has vowed to never date, as she does not want to turn out like her mother (who got pregnant at 18 and left her kids). Prom is coming up and Heart has already made plans with her No Prom-A Drama friends when two boys, Ryan, the theater geek and Troy, the jock who is her brother's best friend, ask her out to prom. Now Heart is torn between the two, and to solve her d ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2013 Jeann (Happy Indulgence) rated it liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, review-copy, young-adult, ya-contemporary

This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Actual Rating: 3.5

Ask Again Later was the fluffy contemporary I was looking for to fill in between the heavier books. It was entertaining, funny and completely adorable, featuring a quirky, clumsy character called Heart. Heart is a quirky, lovable and entertaining girl who really knows how to make you laugh. She even has a strange 'no dating' rule so she wouldn't end up like her mother. Along with her clumsiness and awkwardne This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Actual Rating: 3.5

Ask Again Later was the fluffy contemporary I was looking for to fill in between the heavier books. It was entertaining, funny and completely adorable, featuring a quirky, clumsy character called Heart. Heart is a quirky, lovable and entertaining girl who really knows how to make you laugh. She even has a strange 'no dating' rule so she wouldn't end up like her mother. Along with her clumsiness and awkwardness, she says some pretty hilarious things throughout. It's cute how she's completely blind to the fact about the guy that has feelings for her.

Split into two different scenarios, Heart gets asked to prom by two guys. Troy, her brother's friend who needs a pity date after recently breaking up with his girlfriend. Or Ryan, the theatre guy who needs a cover for being gay. Although she already had plans to attend with her friends, the No Drama Prom-A, she decides that she needs to go with one of these days, and she flips heads or tails. I was consistently confused with the two different scenarios, especially when concurrent events would occur, but in the end, it didn't really matter as everything led to the same outcome.

Dear God, whatever I did to offend you, I'm deeply sorry. Please accept my apology and deliver me from this prom-themed purgatory.

Heads: Heart in this scenario seemed to attract all the bad things. When she goes to the prom with Troy, she gets elbowed in the face, gets water knocked all over her dress, splits her dress up the back, smashes her phone against the window. The universe just seemed to be against her here, and it didn't help how her brother Phil was a jerk to her the whole time. I'm pretty sure if my brother's friend tried to kiss me he'd have something to say about it but nope, Phil just egged him on.

Tails: Heart clearly had lots of fun here, with plenty of entertaining banter with Ryan and even her friends taking her and her 'date' in. Some of the clumsiness still occurs, but not as much. I'm not sure why she couldn't just ditch her brother's friends when she wasn't having fun in the first scenario, but Heart is more loyal than her brother deserves.

Many of the characters are entertaining and quirky, like Ryan who was a great friend, while others are totally cliche, like the jocks and the popular girls that are her brother's friends. There were some parts where I rolled my eyes, with the teenage antics and high school boys being totally immature with the pranking each other, getting drunk and fighting over a girl. Other parts were completely adorable, like Heart with the guy she ends up with (even though it wasn't half obvious from the start) and her friends looking out for her and never abandoning her.

I did have the problem with how Heart wouldn't shut up about Ryan being gay though. She urges him to come out because "you're not the only gay person at our school." Ryan has entrusted her with a secret because he's not ready to tell the whole world yet, and she doesn't have the authority to make that decision for him.

Ask Again Later is the perfect fluffy, cute contemporary romance to pick up when you're in the mood for something lighter. It's not without it's flaws, but I was able to overlook them and enjoy the book for what it was - a fluffy in-between read.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 02, 2013 Celine rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, reviewed

This review and more can also be found at The Book Shimmy.
_________________

Fun, fun, fun! Lately I've been reading a lot of heavier/more serious books, and I needed a break. I needed somethinf cutesy and fun and fluffy. Ask Again Later is the perfect book for that. It was just so incredibly FUN to read, and it's been a while since I've felt like that!

Now, I know some people thought this, so let me make this clear: Ask Again Later is NOTHING like Pivot Point. Clear? Good. So, if it's not like Piv ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 27, 2014 Reyes rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya

2.5 Stars

Heart plans to have a drama-free prom with her friends, but just two weeks before the actual prom her friend Ryan asks her to be his date, and at the same time her brother kindly volunteers her to go with his just-dumped friend Troy - and just like that, we have a prom nightmare.
The story is told as two alternate dates: in one Heart decided to go to prom with Ryan, and in the other one she goes with Troy. This was interesting for the first half of the book, but then some stuff in the d ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 12, 2015 Allison rated it liked it

Shelves: coming-of-age, contemporary, fiction, high-school, no-sex, stupid-character-names, young-adult

2.5 stars!

I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. I think someone who has a higher tolerance for weak characters may like it more, but Heart just let everyone walk all over her and it made me crazy.

The plot line is really interesting. Heart has 2 options for prom and the author writes as if both realities are occurring simultaneously. But it just wasn't interesting enough and Heart wasn't an engaging enough heroine for me to stay absorbed in the book. I read this chapter by chapter unt ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2013 Rosaline (Rosaline's Rolls & Scrolls) rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-and-a-half-stars, like-the-heroine, you-are-funny, read-in-2014, first-person-narrative, contemporary, reviewed

Very cute and adorable with a likable MC. Read it for laughs and a delightful and bubbly evening.

...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Mar 28, 2014 Biena (The Library Mistress) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy, 2014

Crossposted at The Library Mistress

Aside from the really pretty cover, what made me read this book is PROM. I don't know why, but I've always liked stories about the Junior-Senior Prom. Well, maybe because it is that one dreamy night where everyone is licensed to be pretty if not gorgeous, where no one will think you're extravagant because you're wearing couture and dancing crazy in couture at that, or perhaps, I just know that it is definitely a moment to remember. I was lucky I got to experien Crossposted at The Library Mistress

Aside from the really pretty cover, what made me read this book is PROM. I don't know why, but I've always liked stories about the Junior-Senior Prom. Well, maybe because it is that one dreamy night where everyone is licensed to be pretty if not gorgeous, where no one will think you're extravagant because you're wearing couture and dancing crazy in couture at that, or perhaps, I just know that it is definitely a moment to remember. I was lucky I got to experience this most coveted dance, ~~only once though because our school admin is just too kind come Senior year they don't even want us to have a graduation ball~~ and I can say I still can remember it to date and like Heart, my friends and I also went together, or at least in my case that plan carried out well.

When I was a little girl, back before I realized that romance was like a field of land mines, I always thought it would be this magical, romantic night where I'd be princess at my own personal ball, and I'd dance with the love of my life, and stars would shine down on us as we kissed.

Ask Again Later is the story of the feisty and witty Heart La'Coeur who is down with a dilemma of choosing a date for Prom between two guys she is not romantically involved with when she and her friends already planned to go to prom together, thus the group name – No Prom-a Drama (which I find really sad and corny, I cringe everytime it was mentioned!). She wanted to just go out with a group since she doesn't want to be in any kind of relationship at all. For Heart, it is reasonable not to date anyone for her not to follow suit to what their mother did, left her along with her father and big brother Phil when the going gets tough.

Crushes are the best part of liking someone, and they are completely safe. You get all the benefits of fantasizing about someone but not of the he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not drama.

Everyone who has been reading Chick Lit and Young Adult titles will definitely find this predictable and not at all exciting until the moment Heart flipped a coin to help her decide which guy she will be going to prom with. The next chapters are totally something new. Here you are presented with two alternate realities, what will happen if Heart goes out with Ryan or if she goes to prom with Troy.

I don't like the idea that I can't control the outcome of something. Your choices should be the only influence in your own life.

Two stories. Two outlines. Or is it the author can't just pick which story to pursue? Nonetheless, I think it's brilliant. Heart is a character one can easily like and relate to, her level of being annoying is tolerable and understandable. However, it is clearly stated that she just don't want to be with Troy at all. Haha. Another thing I didn't like is, it has two alternate realities with two prom dates but it is clear to everyone who she really likes! Plus, I mean, what's the point of having two storylines if you will just combine them both by the end anyway. Yes, that head and tails chapter is dizziness OVERLOAD, I tell you.

Sometimes it's the small victories the keep a person going.

I am surprised that I actually am giving this four stars when from the start, I'm convinced that this will only have three stars from me. Maybe it was the sweet ending, or the way it is predictable but still gave me that giddy feeling. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2014 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

I was going through a rough day when I decided to pick up Ask Again Later. I was angry, sad and just wanted a book to make me feel like there are good things out there. Ask Again Later was the ultimate perfect book to get me out of my sour mood because it managed to bring out a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it. If I had to briefly describe Ask Again Later, I would say that it's Pivot Point with a prom!

We meet Heart, who is an adorable and entirely loveable young girl who gets as ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 06, 2013 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2014, romance, young-adult, netgalley-edelweiss, r2r-complete

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
Heart is going to prom with her friends, until her friend Ryan asks her (and has a very specific reason why they should go as friends), and then her brother tells her she has to go with his friend who just got dumped.
Heart can’t decide which offer to take up, so she flips a coin – Heads she goes with Troy, Tails she goes with Ryan.
Then we get two stories – Prom with Troy an ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 09, 2014 J. Greene rated it really liked it

This book was absolutely adorable--it had all the makings of a good contemporary, it was all light and airy and it made me feel good. The romance was perfectly timed even if a little predictable but most of the time you can see these kinds of things coming--this book was no different. But, I enjoyed it. I liked watching it all like a spectator.

The thing that made this book was the whole "heads or tails", alternating beginnings, endings, happenings, Basically our MC, Heart, is asked to the prom b ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Aug 20, 2014 Sophia Sardothien rated it it was ok

Shelves: hate-hate-hate, contemporary, romance

Yeah next time I should really look at what the synopsis has written. THE ENTIRE BOOK IS ABOUT ONE PROM OMFG I MIGHT AS WELL DIE. It wasn't only that that annoyed me, I did not connect to the characters as I hope I did :( I basically feel like all of their personality is flat which its a big deal since its contemporary hello? XD I'm not saying this book is bad or anything I'm just saying it's not one for me :/ ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2014 Wendy Darling rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014-publication, march, harpercollins, young-adult, read-2014, paranormal-general, realistic-fiction

Cute...but not quite as cute (or substantial) as it could have been. I also never really understood the point of the two realities, being that the (view spoiler) one was so absolutely uninteresting and (view spoiler). I liked the narrative voice, though, so I would try another book by this author down the road. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 26, 2013 Brittany S. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemp-realistic-ya, sci-fi, ya, netgalley-edelweiss, all-the-swoons, currently-own-fc, favorites, best-of-2014, time-travel-alt-universe, signed

Edited 2/1/14: bumping this rating up because I just thought it was so darn cute.
egalley approved by HarperTeen via Edelweiss
SO cute! I loved so so so much about this book! The characters were fantastic and I felt like Heart in so many ways. Schroeder was totally an amalgam of so many of my crushes and man, I wish I had a crew like No Drama Prom-a because I was that girl with the friends but not the boyfriends.

The only place it got sticky for me was all of the "stereotypical" prom stuff, just b Edited 2/1/14: bumping this rating up because I just thought it was so darn cute.
egalley approved by HarperTeen via Edelweiss
SO cute! I loved so so so much about this book! The characters were fantastic and I felt like Heart in so many ways. Schroeder was totally an amalgam of so many of my crushes and man, I wish I had a crew like No Drama Prom-a because I was that girl with the friends but not the boyfriends.

The only place it got sticky for me was all of the "stereotypical" prom stuff, just because you know.. My aversion to jocks & cheerleaders nowadays and those stereotypical characters.

Loved the two story lines, loved how it wrapped up! Definitely The Trouble With Flirting meets Just Like Fate.

Full review originally see on The Book Addict's Guide 2/10/14:
ASK AGAIN LATER was adorable and just the book I needed! The story opens with Heart (and yes, that is her real name and she hates it) weighing her prom options. It being their junior year and none of them really dating anyone (except a couple), they decide to all go together, forming a crew called the No Drama Prom-a crew, a group I really wish I had had in high school! The book follows one story line until it’s time for Heart to decide on her new options for Prom: Her classmate in French, fellow theater nerd, and friend Ryan and her brother’s best friend and jock Troy who had just gotten dumped. Heart feels so torn and doesn’t want to hurt either guy so after her friend’s Magic 8 Ball continues to give unhelpful answers (hence our title “Ask Again Later”), Heart flips a coin and the two story lines split into how Prom night goes with Ryan and how Prom night goes with Troy.

The concept was very reminiscent of JUST LIKE FATE by Suzanne Young and Cat Patrick or PIVOT POINT by Kaise West which was a big bonus for me because I truly enjoyed both of these and how they played out! It’s a sort of parallel universe without actually experiencing both, keeping it contemporary and not paranormal or sci-fi. We flip flop between heads and tails, seeing both sides of the coin (as you will) and how things go terribly wrong and awesomely right in each respective scenario. In each path, Heart learns a lot about herself and also in respect to her family and her relationship with her friends. Oh yeah…. And a ROMANTIC relationship which constantly filled me with butterflies and totally reminded me of my own high school experiences.

ASK AGAIN LATER felt very true and loyal to legitimate high school experiences (or at least the ones I had)! With a few exceptions where we lean towards the stereotypical “popular kids” like Troy the jock and other cheerleader/dance team/beauty queen girls in the jock Prom group, reading ASK AGAIN LATER really felt like it hit home with me. I loved Heart’s relationship with her friends and seeing the theater nerds because while I wasn’t a full-on drama person, I did a couple plays and musicals in high school and we had our own niche of musical & choir nerds so I can totally relate to that! It was so much fun to see and watch how relaxed they were with each other. I adore nerdy friendships and I loved seeing a solid group of friends who weren’t afraid to be silly and were truly comfortable with who they were around each other. I often tire of the catty girl friendships so this was so refreshing and truly enjoyable to read!

I’m not normally one to pick up books about Prom because too often I feel like I don’t connect with them or I’m easily turned off because dance scenes often lead to a drama-filled plot. Liz Czukas totally nailed this Prom-themed book though because although there was drama, I never felt weighed down or turned off by it. Yes, bad things happened to Heart. Yes, hearts were broken. Yes, tears were shed… But Heart has her friends to back her up and spend the night with, even if she doesn’t go solo with the No Drama Prom-a group and true to their motto, they make valiant attempts to make the best of each negative situation that comes their way. Heart finds herself in some truly compromising situations but her friends are always there to lend her support and she’s able to rely on them when she needs it most!

Okay NOW NOW NOW let’s talk about the most adorable romance! I personally think it’s adorable because this was about 90% of my dating (aka non-dating) life. Imediately, I latched onto Schroeder. His real name is Chase but instead of calling Heart by her real name, he instead calls her various internal organs like kidney and lung to be funny and Heart in turn calls him Schroeder playing on the fact that he resembles the Peanuts character and is a whiz at the piano. Ummm, ADORABLE. Okay, that may seem immature to some and totally not adorable, but that teasing is totally my kind of flirting and just somehow really just GETS me. Since the first time I met Schroeder, I was already rooting for Heart and him to get together. Throughout the book, the back and forth between Heart and Schroeder just totally tugged on my heartstrings and their friendship, their banter, and their feelings for each other were absolutely my favorite parts of ASK AGAIN LATER.

I actually double-checked my review just to make sure I covered all of my favorite points because there were really no parts of this book that I didn’t enjoy and you NEED to know about all of them. I had expected to like ASK AGAIN LATER, but I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with the characters and really connect with this story as much as I did. It’s a lovely contemporary novel that focuses not only on the romance but also on the friendships, compassion for others, and not letting the negative get you down. I really hope others love this book as much as I did!!
...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2020 Samantha (WLABB) rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, contemporary, romance

This was exactly what I needed. Something fun and super cute. I liked the way Czukas handled the alternate timelines. The way she alternated between "heads" and "tails" and highlighted the similarities in both timelines worked well for me, and I was so happy to see Heart come to terms with one of her biggest fears.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2013 Jenni Arndt rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-ebook

Holy cuteness overload, Batman! I went into Liz Czukas’ debut novel, Ask Again Later, with some pretty high expectations after seeing some love for it from friends of mine. The novel delivered in every way I could have expected it to and then some. This is good ol’ teen drama, fluffy fun!

As soon as we meet our MC Heart her personality starts to bleed off the page. We meet her in a rant about how much she hates her name which leads her into some weird ramblings about talking fish and what it’s l Holy cuteness overload, Batman! I went into Liz Czukas’ debut novel, Ask Again Later, with some pretty high expectations after seeing some love for it from friends of mine. The novel delivered in every way I could have expected it to and then some. This is good ol’ teen drama, fluffy fun!

As soon as we meet our MC Heart her personality starts to bleed off the page. We meet her in a rant about how much she hates her name which leads her into some weird ramblings about talking fish and what it’s like to breathe air/water. I knew from page one that I loved this girl. She was snarky, honest and downright hilarious. Sure she could be a bit oblivious at times but that just made her even more endearing! She’s faced with quite a predicament when her plans to go to the prom with a group of friends are interrupted by her getting asked to go by not one, but two guys. So, not only do we get a fascinating character at the heart of the story (haha see what I did there? Because her name is Heart *snickers*) but we get a whole cast of characters in her friends that become people we care about and who have their own little stories going on. I really loved Ryan and even came to be a fan of Heart’s brother’s girlfriend, Tara, who is the popular girl at school.

One of the coolest things about this novel is the way in which it is told. It’s given to us in 3 parts, in part 1 we meet our cast of characters and are presented with Heart’s predicament regarding prom night. At the tail end of that part we see her flip a coin to make the decision about who she should say yes to. Here’s where part 2 starts, we see how her night will play out whichever way the coin lands. The chapters in part 2 alternate between heads and tails chapters, heads being her going with her brother’s recently dumped friend, Troy, and tails is her going with the tech guy from drama, Ryan. I loved the way that the two stories were so tightly bonded to each other. You would see some of the same happenings in both view points but they would happen in a completely different way and have different results on Heart’s night. There were also instances where she gets weird sensations of deja vu which was really cool because deja vu is just super weird to begin with but here it made so much sense!

All of this leads up to part 3 in which we see that no matter how her night went she still ends up at the same place and that what this really is about is the romance. Heart had closed herself off to being in relationships because her mother had abandoned her family and we see Heart begin to get past that and open up. I was a huge fan of how the romance played out in this story and I had a serious case of the swoonies through most of it. Filled with equal parts hilarity and awkward teenage romance; Ask Again Later is the perfect kind of fluffy read. What makes the story is our MC Heart, she is magnificently sarcastic and so blunt that it sometimes takes you off guard. Definitely pick this one up when you can!

--

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 31, 2013 eileen rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

Check out more of my reviews at Singing and Reading in the Rain!

Due to my recent hunger for a cute contemporary to bring me to a different carefree world, I loved Ask Again Later. There was a certain flippancy about the whole thing, and combined with how much parallel universes appeal to me. Liz Czukas has a talent for handling the two universes, overlapping prom events effortlessly and avoiding redundancy with those overlaps. After Heart was asked to prom twice by two different people, she was Check out more of my reviews at Singing and Reading in the Rain!

Due to my recent hunger for a cute contemporary to bring me to a different carefree world, I loved Ask Again Later. There was a certain flippancy about the whole thing, and combined with how much parallel universes appeal to me. Liz Czukas has a talent for handling the two universes, overlapping prom events effortlessly and avoiding redundancy with those overlaps. After Heart was asked to prom twice by two different people, she was torn between who she planned to take, even though both didn’t view her romantically. One was her brother Phil’s best friend Troy, who had been recently been dumped by her girlfriend, making Heart a pity date. The other one was one of her theatre geek friends, who only wanted to go with her as friends. Heart decided to settle the matter by flipping a coin, and then lived both prom nights until they overlapped into one specific scene. I loved how awkward her prom experience was, from a care package she received from her aunt, her multiple mishaps, and the differences in her two nights, despite the same general events.

My least favorite character was by far Heart’s brother Phil. First, he forced his best friend onto her, completely disregarding her feelings towards what was going on. Second, when she was having a bad prom night and wanted to go home, Phil basically told Heart to stop acting like a baby and to suck it up. Third, he made her to go to a party in the limo with him even though she was feeling hesitant and wanted to go to the party with her friends. What kind of jerk brother manipulates his own sister like that? It also infuriated me that the choice where Heart chose to go with the theatre geek was by far the better choice, and she wouldn’t have been conflicted if it were not for Phil’s epic douchery. However, Heart kept defending him and other characters were fabricating excuses at his expense to explain for his behavior.

I felt a connection to Heart as soon as I was introduced to her and her snarky attitude. She had a sarcastic joke for everything, and the way she could make light of any and every awkward situation was a trait to admire. If there was any indication of this quality, it was in her inner dialogue, how she commented on everything that happened to her. Inner dialogue is always a perfect opportunity to build one’s character and personality, like how hilarious or serious they can be. Another character I found to be hilarious through dialogue and how we saw him through Heart’s eyes was Schroeder. Whenever he was mentioned, I felt a small joyful pang in my chest at his presence. It was obvious from the beginning his opinion of Heart, but how he handled the situations they were put in were heartwarming.

An adorable debut, Liz Czukas brings snark and romance, ridiculousness and parallel universes, and wraps them into a pretty package that will make readers everywhere laugh and cherish Heart’s bumbling yet memorable prom story. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2014 Brandi Kosiner rated it really liked it

3.5
I wanted to read Ask Again Later because it sounded like a cute read and I like the premise of being able to live out both flips of the coin and see what changes and how it effects her. I was glad to see it on Edelweiss for review and I have a good run with Harper Teen.
It came through with the cute and fun. Heart, the main character is easy to like and she learns how to stand up for herself in this one, we get to see the heads side where she goes with Troy, and tails with Ryan. I liked the 3.5
I wanted to read Ask Again Later because it sounded like a cute read and I like the premise of being able to live out both flips of the coin and see what changes and how it effects her. I was glad to see it on Edelweiss for review and I have a good run with Harper Teen.
It came through with the cute and fun. Heart, the main character is easy to like and she learns how to stand up for herself in this one, we get to see the heads side where she goes with Troy, and tails with Ryan. I liked the banter between her and Ryan, and things that he helps her to see. Ryan has a reason why he asked her, and that he doesn't make for a long term relationship, and I like how his story was handled. But I didn't find a whole lot that made me like Troy. I know that his heart was broken and all, but still. Also there was an interesting relationship between Heart and her brother.
But all along I was pulling for Chase, or Schroeder, a long time friend who calls her by random body parts and she calls him that because of the piano player. It was obvious to me, but not to Heart that he liked her, and it was interesting what drew them together in both flips of the coin. He is shy, a drama nerd, and head over heels for Heart, which endears me to him.
I do love the premise of fate and how different choices have different effects. I also liked that in both of the sides of the coins, certain things happened, like they were inevitable, that life will sometimes just get you a certain way and not much can change it.
I liked her circle of friends but none of them really stood out to me. They supported her and brought her truth when she needed it, but I think their personalities could have been more fleshed out and they could have played a better role in it.
I flew through this one, and it was just what I needed. A cute and fun story, with some pretty epic bad prom moments that made me cringe or giggle, sometimes both. While I liked it while reading, I couldn't rate it higher because there was nothing that made this story unforgettable, or something that made a bigger impact on me. Sure I liked the romance in the end, but besides sweet, witty and being right for Heart.
I wasn't sure how the ending was going to work out, but I think that it came to the best ending in my opinion and got there in a way that I didn't suspect. It gave a definite conclusion and the happy ending that I was searching for.

Bottom Line: Cute read about a coin flip to decide who should be her prom date and the sweet boy in the background that isn't head or tails, but perfect for Heart. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 24, 2014 Mehsi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: away-laughing-on-a-fast-camel, cover-love, romance, warning-english-books, 5-twinkling-stars

Wow Liz Czukas is really climbing the ladder of becoming one of my favourite artists! I loved/adored her previous book and this one gives me the same feelings.

The main character is wonderful, though I felt sorry for her. What kind of parent names her kid Heart LaCouer. I can imagine that she wants to change it whenever she can, I would do the same thing.
Heart is a wonderful friend and a person who takes care of people. However I wished she was a bit stronger against her brother (who was a total ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
Crazy for Young A...: Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas → Start Date: April 1, 2014	4	12	Apr 04, 2014 04:39PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Ask Again Later (ARC) by Liz Czukas - Starting 20th January 2014	10	26	Jan 21, 2014 05:57AM

See a Problem?

Preview — Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Ask Again Later

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Liz Czukas

Books by Liz Czukas

Related Articles

Trivia About Ask Again Later

Quotes from Ask Again Later

See a Problem?

Preview — Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Ask Again Later

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Liz Czukas

Books by Liz Czukas

Related Articles

Trivia About Ask Again Later

Quotes from Ask Again Later

new topic
Discuss This Book