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The Way You Make Me Feel
An NPR Best Book of 2018A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of 2018A We Need Diverse Books 2018 Must-ReadA TAYSHAS 2019 Reading List BookA California Book Award FinalistFrom the author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love, a laugh-out-loud story of love, new friendships, and one unique food truck.
Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn't so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind? With Maurene Goo's signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.
Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn't so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind? With Maurene Goo's signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2018
292 people are currently reading
15690 people want to read
About the author
Maurene Goo
25 books1,610 followersMaurene Goo is the critically acclaimed author of young adult novels, including I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE and THROWBACK. She's also written for Marvel's Silk series and lives and writes in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,800 reviews
March 10, 2022
First of all, how gorgeous is this cover? Second, this was genuinely one of the most heartwarming novels I have read in a very long time, and I hope that every YA contemporary fan will pick it up and give it a shot!
First of all, Clara is absolutely hilarious. She’s so awkward, and cynical, and weird, and her sense of humor is so similar to the way mine was at that age that I immediately clicked with her. She’s horribly sarcastic, to the point of obnoxiousness, because she doesn’t want to get hurt by the world around her, and that was a big part of my outlook on the world at that age, too.
Not only was her sarcasm so fun to read for me, but she’s constantly making these quips with quiet, tongue-in-cheek commentary on the current sociopolitical climate, as well as race issues and discriminatory struggles going on in the US, that I found myself more than once laughing as I nodded along to the points she made. Honestly, I could go on for a while about how much I just loved Clara all on her own.
Hamlet, the Chinese teen who runs the coffee shop beside one of Clara’s father’s food truck stops, is so genuine and caring that it’s hard not to appreciate his character. He’s a little bit intense and insta-lovey, but the fact that Clara keeps a level head on her shoulders managed to balance it out for me. I honestly enjoyed the romance, more than anything, for how mature it was. For example, in most YA contemporaries, the love interest opening doors for another girl is going to be painted as sketchy, but in this book, Clara outright acknowledges the fact that she loves how polite he is (and the fact that “he would do it for a man, too” is icing on the gender-role-slaying cake).
Next, enter Rose, who is the other half of one of the best enemies-to-besties friendships I have ever seen in any book. Things start off super volatile and I was worried it would be girl-on-girl hate all the way through, but they actually quickly find their rhythm, learn that neither girl is what they appear to be on the surface, and become the cutest little set of friends. Rose also provides a fantastic bit of talk regarding how tough it is to be a black woman in a world where she is always expected to look and act perfect, as well as how exhausting it can be to be the child of prominent community leaders and activists.
One of the best things about this book, though, was the descriptions of food: positively mouthwatering! My stomach grumbled so many times while reading, between the descriptions of the amazing foods the KoBra sold, as well as the dishes that Hamlet’s grandmother created. Not only are the food descriptions on point, but so are the descriptions of LA. This book reads at times like a love song to Los Angeles, and it made me want to visit so badly I could barely stand myself.
The last positive I want to touch on is Adrian, Clara’s father, who was worth five stars all on his own. He’s hilarious, loving, protective without being overbearing, and has been stuck raising Clara on his own her entire life while her mother travels the world as a social media influencer. He’s flawed and human, and makes mistakes, but their relationship is so adorable and precious. It’s one of the healthiest and happiest parent/child relationships I’ve ever seen in YA, and it had me shamelessly crying for pages on end in the last few chapters!
I do have a few minor complaints: the writing could use a little bit further refining in the dialogue (as it is sometimes slightly stilted and awkward), and I sometimes had a hard time believing that certain activities in the book were legal. There’s also a scene in which Clara is allowed to get extremely drunk and videos are posted on the internet of her, by adults, and there is never any sort of recourse for the adults contributing to her underage drunkenness and public foolishness. I don’t have a problem with underage drinking in books, but I do have a problem with it going unaddressed, and I’m hoping maybe that’s something that will be wrapped up a little bit more cleanly in the finished copy.
All in all, though, this was such a fun read—I give it a solid 4.5 stars (rounding up, because I must have loved it to gush this much about it!) and have already pre-ordered my finished copy and can’t wait to add it to my shelf. ♥
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
I hated when my dad gendered the stupid truck. To retaliate, I called my boobs Brock and Chad, which my dad hated with equal fervor.
First of all, Clara is absolutely hilarious. She’s so awkward, and cynical, and weird, and her sense of humor is so similar to the way mine was at that age that I immediately clicked with her. She’s horribly sarcastic, to the point of obnoxiousness, because she doesn’t want to get hurt by the world around her, and that was a big part of my outlook on the world at that age, too.
I looked at Rose. “Let her tell the story. She’s really unbiased, like Fox News.”
Not only was her sarcasm so fun to read for me, but she’s constantly making these quips with quiet, tongue-in-cheek commentary on the current sociopolitical climate, as well as race issues and discriminatory struggles going on in the US, that I found myself more than once laughing as I nodded along to the points she made. Honestly, I could go on for a while about how much I just loved Clara all on her own.
Upon closer inspection, the Labrador was very good-looking. Not my type at all—I usually fell for guys who looked a little malnourished and tortured.
Hamlet, the Chinese teen who runs the coffee shop beside one of Clara’s father’s food truck stops, is so genuine and caring that it’s hard not to appreciate his character. He’s a little bit intense and insta-lovey, but the fact that Clara keeps a level head on her shoulders managed to balance it out for me. I honestly enjoyed the romance, more than anything, for how mature it was. For example, in most YA contemporaries, the love interest opening doors for another girl is going to be painted as sketchy, but in this book, Clara outright acknowledges the fact that she loves how polite he is (and the fact that “he would do it for a man, too” is icing on the gender-role-slaying cake).
“The first woman president has to happen in my lifetime, or I’m going to light this entire planet on fire.”
Next, enter Rose, who is the other half of one of the best enemies-to-besties friendships I have ever seen in any book. Things start off super volatile and I was worried it would be girl-on-girl hate all the way through, but they actually quickly find their rhythm, learn that neither girl is what they appear to be on the surface, and become the cutest little set of friends. Rose also provides a fantastic bit of talk regarding how tough it is to be a black woman in a world where she is always expected to look and act perfect, as well as how exhausting it can be to be the child of prominent community leaders and activists.
Sometimes teenagers really scared the crap out of hipsters. It was like their tenuous hold on “cool” was exposed around the truly young.
One of the best things about this book, though, was the descriptions of food: positively mouthwatering! My stomach grumbled so many times while reading, between the descriptions of the amazing foods the KoBra sold, as well as the dishes that Hamlet’s grandmother created. Not only are the food descriptions on point, but so are the descriptions of LA. This book reads at times like a love song to Los Angeles, and it made me want to visit so badly I could barely stand myself.
I realized right then—how disappointed you could be when you were all in with someone. When you cared so deeply. How your heart could break, so precisely and quickly.
The last positive I want to touch on is Adrian, Clara’s father, who was worth five stars all on his own. He’s hilarious, loving, protective without being overbearing, and has been stuck raising Clara on his own her entire life while her mother travels the world as a social media influencer. He’s flawed and human, and makes mistakes, but their relationship is so adorable and precious. It’s one of the healthiest and happiest parent/child relationships I’ve ever seen in YA, and it had me shamelessly crying for pages on end in the last few chapters!
“How is that legal? What has this country come to? Oh, better not let in refugees, but sure, hey, let a minor fly to Central America!”
I do have a few minor complaints: the writing could use a little bit further refining in the dialogue (as it is sometimes slightly stilted and awkward), and I sometimes had a hard time believing that certain activities in the book were legal. There’s also a scene in which Clara is allowed to get extremely drunk and videos are posted on the internet of her, by adults, and there is never any sort of recourse for the adults contributing to her underage drunkenness and public foolishness. I don’t have a problem with underage drinking in books, but I do have a problem with it going unaddressed, and I’m hoping maybe that’s something that will be wrapped up a little bit more cleanly in the finished copy.
All in all, though, this was such a fun read—I give it a solid 4.5 stars (rounding up, because I must have loved it to gush this much about it!) and have already pre-ordered my finished copy and can’t wait to add it to my shelf. ♥
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
imma-just-nope-the-fuck-out-of-here
December 15, 2020no. absolutely not.
thank you to norah for bringing this up:
as someone who does, in fact, care, whether their food is prepared in pork or not, i find it incredibly revolting that an author would put this in a book, especially when they're clearly aware of what they're talking about.
please work harder to respect other people's religions and ideas, because this sort of shit is not okay. the disregard for other people's beliefs is horrendous. i don't care if you put it in because "the character is like that" or something. it was hurtful and it was wrong.
thank you to norah for bringing this up:
Suddenly, Rose was all up in my space. “Did you cook pork in this pan beforehand?”this is disgusting. i'm not standing for this crap.
“Yep.”
“Clara! You can’t do that! Some vegetarians are really picky about that! And pork is actually forbidden by some religions and cultures.”
I watched the eggplant sizzle in the oil, bubbles popping. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. They’ll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork.”
Rose gasped. “Clara, I’m serious!”
“I know you are, and I don’t care.” I grabbed a bunch of scallions and chopped them. Aggressively. “If I had to use a new pan for every freaking vegetarian order, I’d be behind and washing pans constantly.”
as someone who does, in fact, care, whether their food is prepared in pork or not, i find it incredibly revolting that an author would put this in a book, especially when they're clearly aware of what they're talking about.
please work harder to respect other people's religions and ideas, because this sort of shit is not okay. the disregard for other people's beliefs is horrendous. i don't care if you put it in because "the character is like that" or something. it was hurtful and it was wrong.
February 26, 2020
*takes deep breath* I LIKED THIS SO MUCH.
I RARELY LIKE CONTEMPORARIES (EVEN THOUGH I READ A TON OF THEM), BUT I LIKED THIS SO MUCH.
I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH ““““OVERLY HONEST”””” (read: asshole) PROTAGONISTS, EVEN WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, BUT I LIKED THIS SO MUCH.
I AM EXTREMELY PICKY ABOUT ROMANCES, BUT I LIKED THIS SO MUCH.
ICYMI: I liked this so much.
I did not expect to, really, but I did.
Lucky me!
This wasn’t a profound or life-changing read, but it was fluffy and sweet and fun and I promptly added the author’s other books to my to-read list because I always like fluffy/sweet/fun.
Well, not always like. See above. But you get what I mean.
Bottom line: YAY!
---------
IT WORKED.
HOW DID I LIKE THIS SO MUCH.
SINCE WHEN DO I LIKE THINGS.
review to come / 4 stars
---------
i'm not asking for much from this book, just that it heal my soul and end my reading slump and help with my reading challenge and finally bring joy into my life
you know. the usual stuff.
I RARELY LIKE CONTEMPORARIES (EVEN THOUGH I READ A TON OF THEM), BUT I LIKED THIS SO MUCH.
I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH ““““OVERLY HONEST”””” (read: asshole) PROTAGONISTS, EVEN WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, BUT I LIKED THIS SO MUCH.
I AM EXTREMELY PICKY ABOUT ROMANCES, BUT I LIKED THIS SO MUCH.
ICYMI: I liked this so much.
I did not expect to, really, but I did.
Lucky me!
This wasn’t a profound or life-changing read, but it was fluffy and sweet and fun and I promptly added the author’s other books to my to-read list because I always like fluffy/sweet/fun.
Well, not always like. See above. But you get what I mean.
Bottom line: YAY!
---------
IT WORKED.
HOW DID I LIKE THIS SO MUCH.
SINCE WHEN DO I LIKE THINGS.
review to come / 4 stars
---------
i'm not asking for much from this book, just that it heal my soul and end my reading slump and help with my reading challenge and finally bring joy into my life
you know. the usual stuff.
stay-away-from-this-author
December 15, 2020I don't usually put authors on the "stay away from them" list UNLESS there is a pretty good reason
And I was excited to read books by this author BUT then one review mentioned this scene from the book:
Suddenly, Rose was all up in my space. “Did you cook pork in this pan beforehand?”
“Yep.”
“Clara! You can’t do that! Some vegetarians are really picky about that! And pork is actually forbidden by some religions and cultures.”
I watched the eggplant sizzle in the oil, bubbles popping. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. They’ll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork.”
Rose gasped. “Clara, I’m serious!”
“I know you are, and I don’t care.” I grabbed a bunch of scallions and chopped them. Aggressively. “If I had to use a new pan for every freaking vegetarian order, I’d be behind and washing pans constantly.”
I never thought I could be triggered by a scene that I haven't even read yet BUT now here we are
Listen I am NOT vegetarian BUT I don't consume beef
And it does matter to me if something was cooked in beef fat
I would never consume it
Now this author KNEW that pork is not consumed by some religions
She KNEW it would hurt sentiments
She STILL wrote it
I don't know if the MC feels any remorse abt her actions BUT that's a really bad action that the character committed
not respecting other peoples choices is just awful
I don't know...but I am not even able to form words
I am sorry if this is review is all over the place but I never thought someone would KNOWINGLY do that
This utter disregard for peoples sentiment is not only disrespectful BUT also disgusting
Look..I am Hindu and I have friends from different religions and cultures
When there was "lunchtime" it was a tradition to share our tiffins with one another
Now here's a thing..some of my friends were PURE vegetarian
We would have DIFFERENT tiffins just so that those friends could eat from our tiffin too
And once another friend of mine realized I don't consume beef..she made sure to bring a tiffin that had never carried beef in it
Idk if I am making any sense
What I mean to say is that if 10-year-old school kids had the common human decency to respect each other religions...I am sure this author should too
I am never reading this book
And this is the review from where I learned abt this scene
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And I was excited to read books by this author BUT then one review mentioned this scene from the book:
Suddenly, Rose was all up in my space. “Did you cook pork in this pan beforehand?”
“Yep.”
“Clara! You can’t do that! Some vegetarians are really picky about that! And pork is actually forbidden by some religions and cultures.”
I watched the eggplant sizzle in the oil, bubbles popping. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. They’ll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork.”
Rose gasped. “Clara, I’m serious!”
“I know you are, and I don’t care.” I grabbed a bunch of scallions and chopped them. Aggressively. “If I had to use a new pan for every freaking vegetarian order, I’d be behind and washing pans constantly.”
I never thought I could be triggered by a scene that I haven't even read yet BUT now here we are
Listen I am NOT vegetarian BUT I don't consume beef
And it does matter to me if something was cooked in beef fat
I would never consume it
Now this author KNEW that pork is not consumed by some religions
She KNEW it would hurt sentiments
She STILL wrote it
I don't know if the MC feels any remorse abt her actions BUT that's a really bad action that the character committed
not respecting other peoples choices is just awful
I don't know...but I am not even able to form words
I am sorry if this is review is all over the place but I never thought someone would KNOWINGLY do that
This utter disregard for peoples sentiment is not only disrespectful BUT also disgusting
Look..I am Hindu and I have friends from different religions and cultures
When there was "lunchtime" it was a tradition to share our tiffins with one another
Now here's a thing..some of my friends were PURE vegetarian
We would have DIFFERENT tiffins just so that those friends could eat from our tiffin too
And once another friend of mine realized I don't consume beef..she made sure to bring a tiffin that had never carried beef in it
Idk if I am making any sense
What I mean to say is that if 10-year-old school kids had the common human decency to respect each other religions...I am sure this author should too
I am never reading this book
And this is the review from where I learned abt this scene
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 16, 2018
tw// absolutely disgusting and ignorant misuse of pork
Adding the mentioned scene in spoilers.
You know what? I pushed myself. I pushed myself at barely 5% hoping the heroine would start behaving like a proper human. I pushed myself at 10% hoping that that the heroine would start treating people the way they deserve. I pushed myself at this disgusting scene that is the reason for my trigger warning because I liked Maurene Goo's other book and I was hoping this behaviour will be discussed. Nope. Nopity nope. The heroine... just never apologizes or acknowledges her ignorance. And even then, I pushed till 50% when the actual story line picked up and the characters got a bit more developed. And it makes me sad. If it wasn't for the fact that Clara absolutely not only doesn't apologize or owns to her mistakes but she doesn't even think she's wrong, this would've been a nice, summery, family drama-enemies to friends-selfdevelopment novel I'd very much enjoy.
God... I... I wanted to throw up. I literally almost started crying while reading this. About 50% of my friends are Muslims. Most of my family is Muslim. Even my roommate is Muslim. To think that any one of them could've picked up this book and blindly -Yes, blindly, because most top reviews of this book are not mentioning it (props to those who spoke up)- encounter this foolery. This ignorance.
Also... you know what? This would've been better if Rose and Clara ended up together. There, I said it. Hamlet wasn't even a proper character. :(
pre-reading thoughts: LOOK AT THAT COVER WOW
Adding the mentioned scene in spoilers.
You know what? I pushed myself. I pushed myself at barely 5% hoping the heroine would start behaving like a proper human. I pushed myself at 10% hoping that that the heroine would start treating people the way they deserve. I pushed myself at this disgusting scene that is the reason for my trigger warning because I liked Maurene Goo's other book and I was hoping this behaviour will be discussed. Nope. Nopity nope. The heroine... just never apologizes or acknowledges her ignorance. And even then, I pushed till 50% when the actual story line picked up and the characters got a bit more developed. And it makes me sad. If it wasn't for the fact that Clara absolutely not only doesn't apologize or owns to her mistakes but she doesn't even think she's wrong, this would've been a nice, summery, family drama-enemies to friends-selfdevelopment novel I'd very much enjoy.
God... I... I wanted to throw up. I literally almost started crying while reading this. About 50% of my friends are Muslims. Most of my family is Muslim. Even my roommate is Muslim. To think that any one of them could've picked up this book and blindly -Yes, blindly, because most top reviews of this book are not mentioning it (props to those who spoke up)- encounter this foolery. This ignorance.
Also... you know what? This would've been better if Rose and Clara ended up together. There, I said it. Hamlet wasn't even a proper character. :(
pre-reading thoughts: LOOK AT THAT COVER WOW
no-thanks
June 18, 2018you can be as diverse as you like but if you’re going to be ignorant towards a religion mmm no
bye
bye
December 27, 2020
(sometime in 2017): I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT BUT THE COVER IS SO WONDERFUL AND THE MODEL IS ASIAN AND I WANT IT NOOOWWWWW omg
(after finishing): this book is a love letter to LA and so much more I'M SO EMO. i literally cried while reading it; it was so unexpectedly emotional and beautiful. definitely one of my favorites of the year/ever. BRB CRYING.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
(after finishing): this book is a love letter to LA and so much more I'M SO EMO. i literally cried while reading it; it was so unexpectedly emotional and beautiful. definitely one of my favorites of the year/ever. BRB CRYING.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
July 22, 2018
3 1/2
This was just a light, adorable read! I loved the food truck aspect as well!!
This was just a light, adorable read! I loved the food truck aspect as well!!
July 26, 2018
Okay, I have a confession to make: The main reason why I couldn't enjoy this book was because the humor was totally lost on me. I know so many other people found this book to be really funny, and it kind of makes me sad that I didn't. At all.Maybe this means I'm mature? MUAHAHA who am I kidding!?
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
♥ The heroine annoyed the heck out of me. I honestly can't believe Clara's just around my age. She made me feel really old and all grown up which I'm not at all. She was spoiled, bratty, and cocky as heck. I know she's branded as a prankster and is meant to be a little immature, but I rolled my eyes so hard at her jokes--they were all just flat-out weird.
In said heroine's defense, Clara did realize her bitchiness at some point in the novel. She did grow, but I still found her to be immature by the end of the book. Baby steps, I know.
♥ The writing style and plot were really juvenile. To make this clear: I love making sarcastic comments just as much as the next person; laughing is great. But this book took jokes and pranks way too far, to the point where they crossed the boundary from funny to WTF just happened. It just wasn't for me.
♥ I wasn't a fan of the main hero, Hamlet. Or his romance with the heroine. See, Hamlet was sweet and adorable, but he just wasn't fleshed out enough for me. He felt a bit one-dimensional, like all he could do was tricks with a sign board and get coffee. His attraction to Clara also happened really fast, which, we all know, I am not a fan of.
WHAT I LIKED
♥ The family dynamics were fabulous! I loved Clara's dad. I definitely got the Asian feel from him, and he was just really charming as a whole. I loved how much he and Clara clearly loved each other (although it took Clara a while), and how they did things with each other in mind. I'll admit, I did cry at the end from all the family lovin'
♥ The friendship aspect was realistic. Do you ever get the feeling that you're just not as close to your other friends anymore when you find new ones? Clara does. And it's fine with her. Things like this totally happen in real life, and I'm so glad this book shows that it's okay.
♥ FOOD TRUCK CULTURE--HELLO! I did mention how I think books with POC rep need to talk about food, and The Way You Make Me Feel succeeded in that with flying colors. I loved learning about how food truck businesses work, plus it was fun to read about Clara's dad's foodish creations! *mouth waters*
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Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
♥ The heroine annoyed the heck out of me. I honestly can't believe Clara's just around my age. She made me feel really old and all grown up which I'm not at all. She was spoiled, bratty, and cocky as heck. I know she's branded as a prankster and is meant to be a little immature, but I rolled my eyes so hard at her jokes--they were all just flat-out weird.
In said heroine's defense, Clara did realize her bitchiness at some point in the novel. She did grow, but I still found her to be immature by the end of the book. Baby steps, I know.
♥ The writing style and plot were really juvenile. To make this clear: I love making sarcastic comments just as much as the next person; laughing is great. But this book took jokes and pranks way too far, to the point where they crossed the boundary from funny to WTF just happened. It just wasn't for me.
♥ I wasn't a fan of the main hero, Hamlet. Or his romance with the heroine. See, Hamlet was sweet and adorable, but he just wasn't fleshed out enough for me. He felt a bit one-dimensional, like all he could do was tricks with a sign board and get coffee. His attraction to Clara also happened really fast, which, we all know, I am not a fan of.
WHAT I LIKED
♥ The family dynamics were fabulous! I loved Clara's dad. I definitely got the Asian feel from him, and he was just really charming as a whole. I loved how much he and Clara clearly loved each other (although it took Clara a while), and how they did things with each other in mind. I'll admit, I did cry at the end from all the family lovin'
♥ The friendship aspect was realistic. Do you ever get the feeling that you're just not as close to your other friends anymore when you find new ones? Clara does. And it's fine with her. Things like this totally happen in real life, and I'm so glad this book shows that it's okay.
♥ FOOD TRUCK CULTURE--HELLO! I did mention how I think books with POC rep need to talk about food, and The Way You Make Me Feel succeeded in that with flying colors. I loved learning about how food truck businesses work, plus it was fun to read about Clara's dad's foodish creations! *mouth waters*
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Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
-
More reviews and bookish madness:
Book Blog | Twitter | Bookstagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin'
May 13, 2019
(bangs fists on glass) THIS COULD’VE EASILY BEEN GAY! the whole enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope bw rose and clara was RIGHT there, miss maureen goo. but no, you just had to add in that unnecessary straight romance. the chemistry between rose and clara was, like, off the charts. fuck that hamlet guy.
i WILL be speaking to my lawyer about this 😤
i WILL be speaking to my lawyer about this 😤
never-ever
January 7, 2020I'M DISGUSTED 😡🤧
I read one of the author's books and decided to check out her other works. This one actually sounded good, until I saw Norah's review.
This book revolves around a food truck and here's a scene -
Suddenly, Rose was all up in my space. “Did you cook pork in this pan beforehand?”
“Yep.”
“Clara! You can’t do that! Some vegetarians are really picky about that! And pork is actually forbidden by some religions and cultures.”
I watched the eggplant sizzle in the oil, bubbles popping. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. They’ll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork.”
Rose gasped. “Clara, I’m serious!”
“I know you are, and I don’t care.” I grabbed a bunch of scallions and chopped them. Aggressively. “If I had to use a new pan for every freaking vegetarian order, I’d be behind and washing pans constantly.”
Pork is forbidden for us Muslims, and just reading that simple exchange has made me question my entire existence. The author actually did know that this could be hurtful, but guess what? SHE CHOSE TO BE IGNORANT. I can't begin to put to words how hurt I feel right now.
What's the point of being diverse and all that when you can't respect the sentiments of another religion or culture??
Goes straight to my never-read-again author-list. I'm even tempted to lower my rating for the other book.
I read one of the author's books and decided to check out her other works. This one actually sounded good, until I saw Norah's review.
This book revolves around a food truck and here's a scene -
Suddenly, Rose was all up in my space. “Did you cook pork in this pan beforehand?”
“Yep.”
“Clara! You can’t do that! Some vegetarians are really picky about that! And pork is actually forbidden by some religions and cultures.”
I watched the eggplant sizzle in the oil, bubbles popping. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. They’ll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork.”
Rose gasped. “Clara, I’m serious!”
“I know you are, and I don’t care.” I grabbed a bunch of scallions and chopped them. Aggressively. “If I had to use a new pan for every freaking vegetarian order, I’d be behind and washing pans constantly.”
Pork is forbidden for us Muslims, and just reading that simple exchange has made me question my entire existence. The author actually did know that this could be hurtful, but guess what? SHE CHOSE TO BE IGNORANT. I can't begin to put to words how hurt I feel right now.
What's the point of being diverse and all that when you can't respect the sentiments of another religion or culture??
Goes straight to my never-read-again author-list. I'm even tempted to lower my rating for the other book.
May 8, 2018
this is such a perfect summer read! i adored the characters and the story. clara, our main character, is refreshing in her brashness and confidence. one thing that i love about this book is that it shows a totally different type of asian american family that’s more relaxed as opposed to worrying about achievements. in fact, that’s really not part of the story at all! i loved clara’s dad too! i loved that he was supportive and kind and never fell into that icky toxic dad trope of protecting his daughter’s virtue. overall, it’s a fantastic contemporary that i’ll be recommending a ton in the future!
March 4, 2019
This was so cute! I didn't love it as much as I Believe In A Thing Called Love, but it was still a fun contemporary. It'd be a perfect summer read. Despite my tendency to rebelliously love the YA absent parent trope, I really loved Clara's dad. Maurene Goo has a way of writing dad characters that I would literally die for. Clara's mom didn't receive the reprimanding that I wished she'd get in the story, but I think I was just projecting what I would've done. I loved that the book focused on the friendship between Clara and Rose, but the romance fell a little flat for me (I was secretly hoping the romance was going to be between Clara and Rose).
April 16, 2018
I got sucked in by that cover and the synopsis and couldn’t wait to get to it.
I liked Clara. She’s quite an interesting character. She’s snarky and maybe a little rude, but there’s a lot of potential. I really enjoyed reading her grow from a bratty teenager to someone who knows themselves a bit better and is ready to make changes. Rose and Hamlet were the perfect complements for Clara and the scenes with the three of them together were fun. Hands down, Clara’s dad Adrian was the best.
Plot wise it spanned a summer and left me wanting more. I enjoyed the use of the cramped quarters of a food truck to make the girls learn to get along and a lot of this felt like a love letter to LA. I’m now dreaming of my own taco walko.
Overall, it was a quick read with characters I found myself rooting for right from the beginning. I will absolutely be checking out Maureen’s other books.
**Huge thanks to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for providing the arc free of charge**
I liked Clara. She’s quite an interesting character. She’s snarky and maybe a little rude, but there’s a lot of potential. I really enjoyed reading her grow from a bratty teenager to someone who knows themselves a bit better and is ready to make changes. Rose and Hamlet were the perfect complements for Clara and the scenes with the three of them together were fun. Hands down, Clara’s dad Adrian was the best.
Plot wise it spanned a summer and left me wanting more. I enjoyed the use of the cramped quarters of a food truck to make the girls learn to get along and a lot of this felt like a love letter to LA. I’m now dreaming of my own taco walko.
Overall, it was a quick read with characters I found myself rooting for right from the beginning. I will absolutely be checking out Maureen’s other books.
**Huge thanks to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for providing the arc free of charge**
July 9, 2021
(3.5 ⭐️)
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙈𝙚 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡 is a fun YA rom-com comedy about two high school students Rose and Clara. The girls have considerable differences in their ethnicity and upbringing, leading to issues of personalities disparities. Rose is African-American, strict, and hardworking from a well-known family. Clara, meanwhile, is a freer-minded Korean American raised by a single dad. In any case, the flamboyant character of Clara is far from the perfectionist Rose.
Following a disastrous onstage fight in a prom, the girls worked closely in Clara's dad's food truck for the penitence of their misconduct. The exciting aspects of the story begin when the girls form a sense of friendship during the job.
The characters and story are well developed and, at the same time, reflect the cultural context surrounding Los Angeles. There are various heritages and ethnicities with the characters mentioned in the stories, making the story attractive and expressive. Humor, candor, and melodramatic moments filled most of the novel, fitting for a light and fun summertime read.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙈𝙚 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡 is a fun YA rom-com comedy about two high school students Rose and Clara. The girls have considerable differences in their ethnicity and upbringing, leading to issues of personalities disparities. Rose is African-American, strict, and hardworking from a well-known family. Clara, meanwhile, is a freer-minded Korean American raised by a single dad. In any case, the flamboyant character of Clara is far from the perfectionist Rose.
Following a disastrous onstage fight in a prom, the girls worked closely in Clara's dad's food truck for the penitence of their misconduct. The exciting aspects of the story begin when the girls form a sense of friendship during the job.
The characters and story are well developed and, at the same time, reflect the cultural context surrounding Los Angeles. There are various heritages and ethnicities with the characters mentioned in the stories, making the story attractive and expressive. Humor, candor, and melodramatic moments filled most of the novel, fitting for a light and fun summertime read.
April 8, 2023
It's time for a reread of one of my fav contemporaries 🤍
March 13, 2019
In a way that one expects, this is a cute, summer read featuring a cute romance and a feathery light plotline and execution to read through all in one sitting. However, this book delivered way more than I expected from the way this book is marketed. It's got the cute premise that resembles the TATBILB series, and the Korean background and diversity, which is of course always nice to see. It's great to see cute and happy books like these with POC main characters and background characters be so well loved. But this book was way more emotional than I expected, the story delivered for me, in a way that defies the fact I normally would never rate a book of this calibre so highly. But I really ended up enjoying this book and connecting with it and being super invested in the characters. Basically every character is a POC, the utter lack of white people was so refreshing.
At the beginning of the book, it seemed like this would be a story about a spunky back-talking girl who gets into mischief with her dude friends and shits on other girls while simultaneously sits back, being complacent in her friends' misogyny. That was my first impression, anyway. But first chapters are most certainly deceiving. That's not what this book is in the slightest.
Firstly, Clara's narration is enjoyable, not in the quirky 'I'm such a trouble maker hehe I'm an asshole to everybody just because I can cuz it's cute' archetype I assumed at first. She acts like this sometimes, but there's a present theme in this book about walls, barriers, she only acts this way since it's easier being a jokester than thinking about her feelings she doesn't want to think about. She shows a lot of character development throughout the story, which is one of the main reasons I enjoyed and was so invested in this book. Clara is super relatable, poking fun at the dumb stuff men do like any self-respecting teen girl should be recognizing. She's not complacent in the dumb stuff her guy friends are doing, later on in the story we see that she's less willing to engage in their antics as she used to be.
On that note, I liked that there was a healthy relationship between a gay guy and a straight guy, literally being best friends, and no conflicts or serious conversations come from it. Although this was mostly just background character happenings, the story keeps this dynamic light and refreshing. The story knows when to be light and funny and when to be heartwarming and serious. This book is certainly a healthy mix of both.
I also loved the relationship between Clara and her dad, and the absence of one of her parents. As a child of separated parents and one underperformative one, I could relate to this quite well.
And god, Hamlet is such a sweet boy. I adore him, protect him.
If you're looking for a fun, hilarious summer read, but not an achingly boring one that's mostly just dialogue that thinks the romance saves the entire book without any actual plot progression, than this book is a must read for you.
At the beginning of the book, it seemed like this would be a story about a spunky back-talking girl who gets into mischief with her dude friends and shits on other girls while simultaneously sits back, being complacent in her friends' misogyny. That was my first impression, anyway. But first chapters are most certainly deceiving. That's not what this book is in the slightest.
Firstly, Clara's narration is enjoyable, not in the quirky 'I'm such a trouble maker hehe I'm an asshole to everybody just because I can cuz it's cute' archetype I assumed at first. She acts like this sometimes, but there's a present theme in this book about walls, barriers, she only acts this way since it's easier being a jokester than thinking about her feelings she doesn't want to think about. She shows a lot of character development throughout the story, which is one of the main reasons I enjoyed and was so invested in this book. Clara is super relatable, poking fun at the dumb stuff men do like any self-respecting teen girl should be recognizing. She's not complacent in the dumb stuff her guy friends are doing, later on in the story we see that she's less willing to engage in their antics as she used to be.
On that note, I liked that there was a healthy relationship between a gay guy and a straight guy, literally being best friends, and no conflicts or serious conversations come from it. Although this was mostly just background character happenings, the story keeps this dynamic light and refreshing. The story knows when to be light and funny and when to be heartwarming and serious. This book is certainly a healthy mix of both.
I also loved the relationship between Clara and her dad, and the absence of one of her parents. As a child of separated parents and one underperformative one, I could relate to this quite well.
And god, Hamlet is such a sweet boy. I adore him, protect him.
If you're looking for a fun, hilarious summer read, but not an achingly boring one that's mostly just dialogue that thinks the romance saves the entire book without any actual plot progression, than this book is a must read for you.
September 19, 2020
Wow. I mean… wow. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but it was definitely not this.
FULL SPOILERY REVIEW IN MY BLOG: http://abookandateacup.blogspot.com/2...
FULL SPOILERY REVIEW IN MY BLOG: http://abookandateacup.blogspot.com/2...
March 28, 2018
I loved every INCH of this book. It's sweet and funny and full of pranks and pure joy. Clara has such a clear, distinct voice; there's no other character is YA lit like her right now, and I absolutely couldn't get enough.
This book has real depth too - why we hold things at arms length and why caring about this is so hard.
PICK UP THIS BOOK. You won't regret.
Very highly recommended.
This book has real depth too - why we hold things at arms length and why caring about this is so hard.
PICK UP THIS BOOK. You won't regret.
Very highly recommended.
Read
February 2, 2018There are no white people in this story, first and foremost.
Second: this is a really fun and funny read about friendships, about leaning into your real emotions, into family and love, and into finding your first true love (even if you're not able to say you love them). Totally a feel-good read, and I loved how much Clara learned over the course of one summer. She lives with her dad who is young, yearns to see her young "influencer" mother, and then discovers how much of a badass her dad has been her whole life while her mother has been exceptionally self-indulgent.
I loved the way Clara and Rose's friendship emerges, and Hamlet is such a great love interest.
Many readers will find Clara obnoxious and hard to like, but that's precisely why she's such a great character. She's totally flawed and challenging and her opposites to Rose -- a black girl who herself claims never to have had a friend, let alone a female friend -- make their relationship so damn realistic.
Also, food trucks. You'll want to read this alongside FINDING YVONNE (food life in LA, too!) and THE SUMME OF JORDI PEREZ (burgers in LA!).
Second: this is a really fun and funny read about friendships, about leaning into your real emotions, into family and love, and into finding your first true love (even if you're not able to say you love them). Totally a feel-good read, and I loved how much Clara learned over the course of one summer. She lives with her dad who is young, yearns to see her young "influencer" mother, and then discovers how much of a badass her dad has been her whole life while her mother has been exceptionally self-indulgent.
I loved the way Clara and Rose's friendship emerges, and Hamlet is such a great love interest.
Many readers will find Clara obnoxious and hard to like, but that's precisely why she's such a great character. She's totally flawed and challenging and her opposites to Rose -- a black girl who herself claims never to have had a friend, let alone a female friend -- make their relationship so damn realistic.
Also, food trucks. You'll want to read this alongside FINDING YVONNE (food life in LA, too!) and THE SUMME OF JORDI PEREZ (burgers in LA!).
April 13, 2018
In this huge city, there were three people in this truck who mattered a lot to me. I’d protect that little part of the universe for as long as possible.
This book was so adorable? Think of the sweetest ice cream you’ve ever tasted and had some chocolate on top of it, that’s how sweet. It just made me feel really happy and hopeful, I don’t know why, but reading about Clara made smile so much and I loved every second of it.
This story is about nearly 17-year-old Korean-American Clara, self-proclaimed clown of her high school. But one prank taken too far and her summer is turned from a trip to Tulum with her mom to working at her Korean-Brazilian dad’s truck. With her “archnemesis”, Rose. Not exactly what she had in mind. She also didn’t have in mind to get herself a boyfriend, but things happen.
I think Clara is a very interesting character. She’s a morally grey character in a Contemporary YA book which was surprising but very refreshing. She seems selfish at first which honestly can be very infuriating but you learn what’s hiding behind this façade. She’s someone who is so deeply afraid of being let down that she keeps people at arm length. Even her dad. She was a character I found myself relating to, I understood her fear, her quickness to react over dramatically… I just got her. She was a softie trying to act all tough and making people believe that she doesn’t care when she actually does.
I loved how this book focuses on relationships. Why did you expect from the title, honestly? This book is about creating real, deep, and lasting friendships. Reading about Clara slowly but surely opening up to Rose, someone she’d considered as awful for so long, it just made me happy? Clara is a very personal person, she doesn’t have many friends, and when she does they don't exactly talk about deep stuff. She finds herself outgrowing their old friendship and creating new ones. I loved how Rose is capable of bringing out the best in Clara, she shows her that being competitive and confident isn’t bad, that loving your family shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of. Rose is a precious human being. I also really really liked Hamlet, Clara’s love interest. Hamlet was born in Beijing from two Chinese parents but moved to LA when he was still a child. Hamlet is such a pure character. He says what he means, he doesn’t try to hide his feelings, he’s honest and open, and genuinely good. He’s a soft boy and as most people know, I made it my life long goal to protect soft boys. Clara and Hamlet are polar opposites and yet they work so well together? They’re just amazing together, and I love them. It’s also about Clara’s relationship with her dad, this dad who raised her on his own when he was only 18. This story is Clara realising how much her father loves her and did everything he could to make her the happiest human being to ever exist.
This book is also about being proud of your culture. Clara’s dad, Adrian, is Korean-Brazilian and that’s something he’s extremely proud of. He owns a Korean-Brazilian food truck, he creates new recipes that mix these two cultures together and that’s his way to show his pride. He came to LA to have a better life, to make something out of it, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t remember where he comes from and that he won’t show everybody how amazing his dual culture is.
Overall, this book was extremely adorable but dealt with important subjects. I was pleasantly surprised because although I had liked Maurene’s previous book, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, there were some things I hadn’t liked about it, some things I wish had better done better. But this one really touched my heart.
4.25
Thank you so much Farrar, Straus & Giroux Book for Young Readers for providing me a physical arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so adorable? Think of the sweetest ice cream you’ve ever tasted and had some chocolate on top of it, that’s how sweet. It just made me feel really happy and hopeful, I don’t know why, but reading about Clara made smile so much and I loved every second of it.
This story is about nearly 17-year-old Korean-American Clara, self-proclaimed clown of her high school. But one prank taken too far and her summer is turned from a trip to Tulum with her mom to working at her Korean-Brazilian dad’s truck. With her “archnemesis”, Rose. Not exactly what she had in mind. She also didn’t have in mind to get herself a boyfriend, but things happen.
I think Clara is a very interesting character. She’s a morally grey character in a Contemporary YA book which was surprising but very refreshing. She seems selfish at first which honestly can be very infuriating but you learn what’s hiding behind this façade. She’s someone who is so deeply afraid of being let down that she keeps people at arm length. Even her dad. She was a character I found myself relating to, I understood her fear, her quickness to react over dramatically… I just got her. She was a softie trying to act all tough and making people believe that she doesn’t care when she actually does.
I loved how this book focuses on relationships. Why did you expect from the title, honestly? This book is about creating real, deep, and lasting friendships. Reading about Clara slowly but surely opening up to Rose, someone she’d considered as awful for so long, it just made me happy? Clara is a very personal person, she doesn’t have many friends, and when she does they don't exactly talk about deep stuff. She finds herself outgrowing their old friendship and creating new ones. I loved how Rose is capable of bringing out the best in Clara, she shows her that being competitive and confident isn’t bad, that loving your family shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of. Rose is a precious human being. I also really really liked Hamlet, Clara’s love interest. Hamlet was born in Beijing from two Chinese parents but moved to LA when he was still a child. Hamlet is such a pure character. He says what he means, he doesn’t try to hide his feelings, he’s honest and open, and genuinely good. He’s a soft boy and as most people know, I made it my life long goal to protect soft boys. Clara and Hamlet are polar opposites and yet they work so well together? They’re just amazing together, and I love them. It’s also about Clara’s relationship with her dad, this dad who raised her on his own when he was only 18. This story is Clara realising how much her father loves her and did everything he could to make her the happiest human being to ever exist.
This book is also about being proud of your culture. Clara’s dad, Adrian, is Korean-Brazilian and that’s something he’s extremely proud of. He owns a Korean-Brazilian food truck, he creates new recipes that mix these two cultures together and that’s his way to show his pride. He came to LA to have a better life, to make something out of it, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t remember where he comes from and that he won’t show everybody how amazing his dual culture is.
Overall, this book was extremely adorable but dealt with important subjects. I was pleasantly surprised because although I had liked Maurene’s previous book, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, there were some things I hadn’t liked about it, some things I wish had better done better. But this one really touched my heart.
4.25
Thank you so much Farrar, Straus & Giroux Book for Young Readers for providing me a physical arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2018
THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL is friendship, first love, father-daughter relationships and FOOD all wrapped up in a fast-paced and smart (and sometimes sassy) multicultural story in LA. I loved everything about this one and highly recommend it to fans of romantic comedies! And don't miss Goo's last book ~ I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE ~ I adored that one as well!
March 15, 2019
Listen. Nobody is more disappointed than me. I saw the adorably cute cover, with a Asian model on it looking fabulous!!, I heard great things about it, I saw that there was food involved (always a plus), and I was super excited. But alas, I really, really, really didn't like this book.
The premise of this book is absolutely adorable! It's about two girls, mortal enemies really, who end up spending the summer working together in a Korean-Brazilian food truck. There are strong themes of family, since Clara's parents aren't together and have a weird relationship, friendships, and even a super cute sign spinning Chinese boy! There is so much descriptions of mouth watering food, Koran and Brazilian inspired since Clara's dad is ethnically Korean but grew up in Brazil and now lives in the US (in LA no less!), and food is always a perk.
Unfortunately, the characters do not make me equally happy as the premise. Namely: Clara. I hated her with a burning passion. Clara is entitled, whiny, selfish, egocentric, and cruel. As I started reading this book, I started realizing that I really hated her, and that made it basically impossible for me to like this book. I noticed a lot of reviews have said that they love Clara because she's funny and sarcastic. Unfortunately, I didn't think her jokes were funny at all, but rather downright cruel. Here are a few lovely examples:
--The book opens with her making a complete joke out of prom, becoming prom queen, pouring fake blood on herself, and basically setting the gym on fire. She thinks this is hilarious, but I mean...just because you think prom is stupid doesn't mean you have to ruin it for anyone else! I would be seriously freaked out if I saw someone covered in blood, fake or otherwise, and people spend hundreds of dollars on prom only to have it ruined by this.
--Clara is "mortal enemies" with Rose, a very studious academically inclined student, because she's...studious and academically inclined? She relentlessly mocks her for things such as studying biology during the summer, taking notes, asking questions when she's being taught about her work. Honestly, I'm a total nerd myself and related to Rose most of anyone in this book, and I've been mocked like that, so I basically personally hated Clara. She also mocks Rose for watching what she eats because she's a dancer and needs to stay healthy, says lovely things like "ask Rose. She's unbiased, like Fox News," apparently organized a flash mob at Rose's dance show, and orders her around at work even though they're equals with the same job.
--She's incredibly insensitive to other people, and even other religions! At one point, she starts cooking a vegetarian meal in a pan that was cross contaminated with pork. When Rose tells her that she shouldn't because some people can't eat that for religious reasons, Clara says: "What they don't know won't hurt them. They'll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork." I think this should speak for itself on how horrible she is. She also further bullies Rose for being uptight.
--She's constantly being mean to random people. At one point, her friend accidentally knocks over a woman's hat, and the woman snaps at him. This prompts Clara to make fun of her and throw leaves into her hat because she "deserves it." Maybe the woman wasn't the nicest, but there's no reason to stoop to her level! Besides, you never know what she's going through: maybe she's having a really terrible day and was rude this once even though she's typically a great person; does she still deserve to be bullied then?
Anyways, those are just a small selection of the many reasons that I hate Clara. Now, keep in mind that this book is sort of about a flawed, unlikable character becoming a better person over the summer, as she and Clara go from enemies to friends. The thing is, she improves a little, but she's still very unlikable by the end, so there's certainly not enough growth to make me like her. And worst of all is that she never apologizes. She never apologizes to Clara for bullying her, apologizes about being terribly insensitive to other religions. She becomes better, but never seems to accept and take blame for being terrible before. And I really didn't want this monster to get a happy ending.
As I said, I really liked Rose. I related to her a lot, and I liked watching her and Clara's relationship develop over the summer, or at least I liked seeing her get a friend (even if I wasn't so happy it was Clara the terrible). I think the relationship between these two girls was definitely the best part of the book.
The love interest, Hamlet, was basically a cardboard cutout. I really can't say what any good traits of his are besides being able to make good coffee and spin a cardboard sign well. He was really flat, and for a book called The Way You Make Me Feel there was shockingly little romance. Honestly, this book would definitely have been better if the romance was between Clara and Rose instead of Hamlet, or if there was no romance at all, and it was solely about the friendship between the girls.
At least, the one redeeming point for this book was the diversity! Clara and her parents are Korean, and they grew up in Brazil, Hamlet is Chinese, and Rose is black. There were some wonderful Asian moments and culture things thrown in there that I could definitely relate to and I really loved seeing in a book!
1.5 stars
The premise of this book is absolutely adorable! It's about two girls, mortal enemies really, who end up spending the summer working together in a Korean-Brazilian food truck. There are strong themes of family, since Clara's parents aren't together and have a weird relationship, friendships, and even a super cute sign spinning Chinese boy! There is so much descriptions of mouth watering food, Koran and Brazilian inspired since Clara's dad is ethnically Korean but grew up in Brazil and now lives in the US (in LA no less!), and food is always a perk.
Unfortunately, the characters do not make me equally happy as the premise. Namely: Clara. I hated her with a burning passion. Clara is entitled, whiny, selfish, egocentric, and cruel. As I started reading this book, I started realizing that I really hated her, and that made it basically impossible for me to like this book. I noticed a lot of reviews have said that they love Clara because she's funny and sarcastic. Unfortunately, I didn't think her jokes were funny at all, but rather downright cruel. Here are a few lovely examples:
--The book opens with her making a complete joke out of prom, becoming prom queen, pouring fake blood on herself, and basically setting the gym on fire. She thinks this is hilarious, but I mean...just because you think prom is stupid doesn't mean you have to ruin it for anyone else! I would be seriously freaked out if I saw someone covered in blood, fake or otherwise, and people spend hundreds of dollars on prom only to have it ruined by this.
--Clara is "mortal enemies" with Rose, a very studious academically inclined student, because she's...studious and academically inclined? She relentlessly mocks her for things such as studying biology during the summer, taking notes, asking questions when she's being taught about her work. Honestly, I'm a total nerd myself and related to Rose most of anyone in this book, and I've been mocked like that, so I basically personally hated Clara. She also mocks Rose for watching what she eats because she's a dancer and needs to stay healthy, says lovely things like "ask Rose. She's unbiased, like Fox News," apparently organized a flash mob at Rose's dance show, and orders her around at work even though they're equals with the same job.
--She's incredibly insensitive to other people, and even other religions! At one point, she starts cooking a vegetarian meal in a pan that was cross contaminated with pork. When Rose tells her that she shouldn't because some people can't eat that for religious reasons, Clara says: "What they don't know won't hurt them. They'll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork." I think this should speak for itself on how horrible she is. She also further bullies Rose for being uptight.
--She's constantly being mean to random people. At one point, her friend accidentally knocks over a woman's hat, and the woman snaps at him. This prompts Clara to make fun of her and throw leaves into her hat because she "deserves it." Maybe the woman wasn't the nicest, but there's no reason to stoop to her level! Besides, you never know what she's going through: maybe she's having a really terrible day and was rude this once even though she's typically a great person; does she still deserve to be bullied then?
Anyways, those are just a small selection of the many reasons that I hate Clara. Now, keep in mind that this book is sort of about a flawed, unlikable character becoming a better person over the summer, as she and Clara go from enemies to friends. The thing is, she improves a little, but she's still very unlikable by the end, so there's certainly not enough growth to make me like her. And worst of all is that she never apologizes. She never apologizes to Clara for bullying her, apologizes about being terribly insensitive to other religions. She becomes better, but never seems to accept and take blame for being terrible before. And I really didn't want this monster to get a happy ending.
As I said, I really liked Rose. I related to her a lot, and I liked watching her and Clara's relationship develop over the summer, or at least I liked seeing her get a friend (even if I wasn't so happy it was Clara the terrible). I think the relationship between these two girls was definitely the best part of the book.
The love interest, Hamlet, was basically a cardboard cutout. I really can't say what any good traits of his are besides being able to make good coffee and spin a cardboard sign well. He was really flat, and for a book called The Way You Make Me Feel there was shockingly little romance. Honestly, this book would definitely have been better if the romance was between Clara and Rose instead of Hamlet, or if there was no romance at all, and it was solely about the friendship between the girls.
At least, the one redeeming point for this book was the diversity! Clara and her parents are Korean, and they grew up in Brazil, Hamlet is Chinese, and Rose is black. There were some wonderful Asian moments and culture things thrown in there that I could definitely relate to and I really loved seeing in a book!
1.5 stars
July 24, 2018
Oh wow. Where to even begin? This book was a trainwreck from start to finish. I’ve had this author on my to-read list for a while (mainly because of the gorgeous covers of her books) but I think it’s safe to say this reading experience has put me off reading any more from her.
The Way You Make Me Feel follows Clara Shin, a teen prankster. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck with a classmate she hates.
The majority of the problems I have with The Way You Make Me Feel can be traced back to Goo’s protagonist, Clara. From the start, Clara is an unlikable narrator. She’s selfish, rude and insincere. And this could have been a great thing, if it had been deliberate. The problem is that although the reader is clearly supposed to have warmed to Clara by the end of the book, she doesn’t grow up at all. She doesn’t learn how to behave appropriately with other people and she continues to show an astounding lack of self-awareness. Towards the end of the book, when she’s supposedly matured, her dad finds out that she entered his business into a competition without telling him. When he’s not automatically thrilled by the idea of all the extra work she’s given him she throws a strop and flies off to Mexico. And only comes back because she’s not having a brilliant time. Not, you know, because she realised she was acting like an entitled brat. Worse, she is given NO repercussions for her actions. Earlier on in the book, when Clara can’t even manage a single day’s work, her dad’s idea of a punishment is to not let her go to work with him for a few days. She’s not even grounded, she just gets the silent treatment and a nice break from the punishment she was originally given, which she uses to hang out with her friends. And somehow… this works?
Almost as bad as the characterisation is the romance. While working in her dad’s food truck, Clara meets a cute guy who works in a coffee shop. Of course, despite Clara being rude and obnoxious and barely deigning to interact with him, he finds her funny and charming and falls head over heels in love with her. Oh, did I mention that he’s loaded? A sample of the ridiculousness of the mega-hot-and-mega-rich-boyfriend: At one point, the main character and her friends are invited to a water park by her billionaire boyfriend, and they have the entire park to themselves. And he’s paid workers to wait at the entrance to every single ride. Despite only inviting 5 people. Another sample of the ridiculousness of the mega-hot-and-mega-rich boyfriend: his name is Hamlet. Seriously.
The only thing this book has going for it is the diversity - none of the main characters are white. However, given that the majority of the characters are either awful or pushovers who let Clara treat them awfully, I’m not sure that’s such a good thing in this case.
Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing a copy of The Way You Make Me Feel. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Rating: 1 star | ★✰✰✰✰
Review originally posted to Paperback'd Reviews
The Way You Make Me Feel follows Clara Shin, a teen prankster. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck with a classmate she hates.
The majority of the problems I have with The Way You Make Me Feel can be traced back to Goo’s protagonist, Clara. From the start, Clara is an unlikable narrator. She’s selfish, rude and insincere. And this could have been a great thing, if it had been deliberate. The problem is that although the reader is clearly supposed to have warmed to Clara by the end of the book, she doesn’t grow up at all. She doesn’t learn how to behave appropriately with other people and she continues to show an astounding lack of self-awareness. Towards the end of the book, when she’s supposedly matured, her dad finds out that she entered his business into a competition without telling him. When he’s not automatically thrilled by the idea of all the extra work she’s given him she throws a strop and flies off to Mexico. And only comes back because she’s not having a brilliant time. Not, you know, because she realised she was acting like an entitled brat. Worse, she is given NO repercussions for her actions. Earlier on in the book, when Clara can’t even manage a single day’s work, her dad’s idea of a punishment is to not let her go to work with him for a few days. She’s not even grounded, she just gets the silent treatment and a nice break from the punishment she was originally given, which she uses to hang out with her friends. And somehow… this works?
Almost as bad as the characterisation is the romance. While working in her dad’s food truck, Clara meets a cute guy who works in a coffee shop. Of course, despite Clara being rude and obnoxious and barely deigning to interact with him, he finds her funny and charming and falls head over heels in love with her. Oh, did I mention that he’s loaded? A sample of the ridiculousness of the mega-hot-and-mega-rich-boyfriend: At one point, the main character and her friends are invited to a water park by her billionaire boyfriend, and they have the entire park to themselves. And he’s paid workers to wait at the entrance to every single ride. Despite only inviting 5 people. Another sample of the ridiculousness of the mega-hot-and-mega-rich boyfriend: his name is Hamlet. Seriously.
The only thing this book has going for it is the diversity - none of the main characters are white. However, given that the majority of the characters are either awful or pushovers who let Clara treat them awfully, I’m not sure that’s such a good thing in this case.
Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing a copy of The Way You Make Me Feel. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Rating: 1 star | ★✰✰✰✰
Review originally posted to Paperback'd Reviews
March 27, 2022
This book was so fun and heart-warming. :)
May 7, 2018
The Way You Make Me Feel is one of the best YA contemporary romances I've ever read. It had everything I want from this genre: memorable characters, developed romantic and non-romantic relationships, diversity, a fresh premise and atmosphere.
It's been a while since I've read a book that made me smile so much, and it was exactly what I needed. It's a light read - I finished it in less than two days - and a well-written one.
What makes this book stand out are the characters. Clara Shin is a rebellious, flawed teenager who is always getting into trouble. At the beginning of the story, she's very immature and irresponsible, which could have been irritating, but it wasn't: I understood her, and I loved her narration as much as I loved her development. Clara's character arc was really interesting, especially because it wasn't tied to the romance - it was mostly about Clara's relationship with her family and her friendship with Rose, an overachieving black ballerina who is her "enemy" at the start of the book. Clara and Rose are forced to work together in a food truck, the KoBra, and I loved their scenes.
The romance was also really cute - every conversation between Clara and Hamlet made me smile, and there was an emphasis on consent, which was great. The only thing that could have made this book better would have been an f/f romance between Clara and Rose; I couldn't help but feel like there was some wasted potential for a hate-to-love romance.
Clara's dad, Adrian Shin, is a single dad, the owner of the KoBra truck and one of the best dads in YA. There's miscommunication, but him and Clara truly want the best for each other. This is one of the few contemporary books I've found in which the character's family, their frienships and their romantic relationship are as well-rounded.
I also could visualize the setting perfectly. This book is set in LA, and I've read many books set there, but few of them made me feel as if I were there with the main character. The food descriptions were as good - Clara works in a truck which sells Korean-Brazilian food (Adrian was born in Brazil from a Korean family, Clara was born in the US), there was a food truck competition, and I'm hungry now.
There was only one scene I truly didn't like - the one in which Clara texts triggering photos to her trypophobic dad on purpose. Yes, we're supposed to think Clara is immature, but this is... so not ok it should have been brought up again later. This kind of behavior can have ugly consequences; phobias are not a joke.
It's been a while since I've read a book that made me smile so much, and it was exactly what I needed. It's a light read - I finished it in less than two days - and a well-written one.
What makes this book stand out are the characters. Clara Shin is a rebellious, flawed teenager who is always getting into trouble. At the beginning of the story, she's very immature and irresponsible, which could have been irritating, but it wasn't: I understood her, and I loved her narration as much as I loved her development. Clara's character arc was really interesting, especially because it wasn't tied to the romance - it was mostly about Clara's relationship with her family and her friendship with Rose, an overachieving black ballerina who is her "enemy" at the start of the book. Clara and Rose are forced to work together in a food truck, the KoBra, and I loved their scenes.
The romance was also really cute - every conversation between Clara and Hamlet made me smile, and there was an emphasis on consent, which was great. The only thing that could have made this book better would have been an f/f romance between Clara and Rose; I couldn't help but feel like there was some wasted potential for a hate-to-love romance.
Clara's dad, Adrian Shin, is a single dad, the owner of the KoBra truck and one of the best dads in YA. There's miscommunication, but him and Clara truly want the best for each other. This is one of the few contemporary books I've found in which the character's family, their frienships and their romantic relationship are as well-rounded.
I also could visualize the setting perfectly. This book is set in LA, and I've read many books set there, but few of them made me feel as if I were there with the main character. The food descriptions were as good - Clara works in a truck which sells Korean-Brazilian food (Adrian was born in Brazil from a Korean family, Clara was born in the US), there was a food truck competition, and I'm hungry now.
There was only one scene I truly didn't like - the one in which Clara texts triggering photos to her trypophobic dad on purpose. Yes, we're supposed to think Clara is immature, but this is... so not ok it should have been brought up again later. This kind of behavior can have ugly consequences; phobias are not a joke.
April 11, 2020
E MAIS UMA VEZ MAURENE GOO FAZ TUDO! Que leitura divertida!
Breve sinopse: Quando uma brincadeira sai dos limites, Clara fica de castigo e precisa trabalhar no food truck do pai durante o verão.
Esse é um livro estilo nada-de-muito-ruim-acontece e deixou meu coração quentinho. Ele tem muitos pontos positivos! Segue a lista:
- Protagonista coreano-americana;
- Pai solteiro brasileiro;
- Food truck de comida coreana e brasileira;
- Mãe influencer de viagens brasileira;
- Dilemas familiares;
- Amizades inesperadas e genuínas;
- Diálogos divertido;
- Interesse romântico chinês;
- Preocupações legítimas de adolescentes;
- Protagonista que sabe o que quer (mas às vezes precisa amadurecer).
Adorei como a amizade entre as garotas evoluiu e também como os personagens falavam algumas coisas em português vez ou outra.
Não é O Livro Que Vai Mudar Sua Vida, mas é uma leitura leve, divertida e cheia de representatividade para te fazer esquecer dos problemas da vida. Muuuuuito bom <3
Breve sinopse: Quando uma brincadeira sai dos limites, Clara fica de castigo e precisa trabalhar no food truck do pai durante o verão.
Esse é um livro estilo nada-de-muito-ruim-acontece e deixou meu coração quentinho. Ele tem muitos pontos positivos! Segue a lista:
- Protagonista coreano-americana;
- Pai solteiro brasileiro;
- Food truck de comida coreana e brasileira;
- Mãe influencer de viagens brasileira;
- Dilemas familiares;
- Amizades inesperadas e genuínas;
- Diálogos divertido;
- Interesse romântico chinês;
- Preocupações legítimas de adolescentes;
- Protagonista que sabe o que quer (mas às vezes precisa amadurecer).
Adorei como a amizade entre as garotas evoluiu e também como os personagens falavam algumas coisas em português vez ou outra.
Não é O Livro Que Vai Mudar Sua Vida, mas é uma leitura leve, divertida e cheia de representatividade para te fazer esquecer dos problemas da vida. Muuuuuito bom <3
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September 30, 2018Oh, that was delightful. (And amen to everyone who gave the heads-up that it has the hottest YA dad ever.) I'm so happy Goo's on the rom com-a-year track and I hope she never stops. This was fun and hilarious and sweet and no, I didn't always like Clara (A+ to Rose for the verbal lashing about cooking vegetarian stuff in a pan that had pork), but I did root for her and I definitely rooted for Rose, Hamlet, and, of course, Pai <3 God, that just made me so happy. What a feel-good read <3
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May 6, 2021yeah, let's not.
I know everyone has seen this by now, but I figured I should make my opinion clear: NOPE. Fuck this kind of intentional ignorance and fuck people being insensitive about restrictions.
I know everyone has seen this by now, but I figured I should make my opinion clear: NOPE. Fuck this kind of intentional ignorance and fuck people being insensitive about restrictions.
Suddenly, Rose was all up in my space. “Did you cook pork in this pan beforehand?”
“Yep.”
“Clara! You can’t do that! Some vegetarians are really picky about that! And pork is actually forbidden by some religions and cultures.”
I watched the eggplant sizzle in the oil, bubbles popping. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. They’ll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork.”
Rose gasped. “Clara, I’m serious!”
“I know you are, and I don’t care.” I grabbed a bunch of scallions and chopped them. Aggressively. “If I had to use a new pan for every freaking vegetarian order, I’d be behind and washing pans constantly.”
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