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Again, but Better
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Shane has been doing college all wrong. Pre-med, stellar grades, and happy parents…sounds ideal—but Shane's made zero friends, goes home every weekend, and romance…what’s that?
Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. Time's a ticking, and she needs a change—there's nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroa ...more
Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. Time's a ticking, and she needs a change—there's nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroa ...more
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Hardcover, 373 pages
Published
May 7th 2019
by Wednesday Books
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This review was plagiarized!
So, here we are again. A booktuber writes a book and I receive an ARC of it.
And, yeah, it was bad.
Not a total trainwreck like Zenith, but still... Bad.
I have seen A LOT of people saying that they will love this book regardless if it's good or not because they love Christine and that's fine, do what you want. But it also means that I will be as brutally honest as I could be to even it out.
I believe that you should always judge a book based on the book and not the autho ...more

I knew I was going to love Again But Better well before I read it. The idea of a girl travelling to London to study abroad at her second chance at college to study what she wants, make new friends, and achieve her goals is all I could have wanted to read about as a teenager. I firmly believe that had I read this book at 17, it would be considered one of my favorite books of all time. For this reason, it gave me a unique sense of nostalgia, despite this being a totally new story to me, which had
...more

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me, which is fine.
Things I liked
The character's voice was distinctly different in the 2 respective timelines. While I originally found Shane far too naive, enthusiastic, and overdramatic for my liking as a twenty year old, the portions at age 26 made that choice more clear, as to establish maturity and character growth.
Great pacing! The trips to different countries and the balance of time spent at home, at work, at school, and out with friends kept things i ...more
Things I liked
The character's voice was distinctly different in the 2 respective timelines. While I originally found Shane far too naive, enthusiastic, and overdramatic for my liking as a twenty year old, the portions at age 26 made that choice more clear, as to establish maturity and character growth.
Great pacing! The trips to different countries and the balance of time spent at home, at work, at school, and out with friends kept things i ...more

THE MOST HEARTWARMING ROMANCE SET AGAINST WHIMSY COMEDY
What a debut! If you love to laugh out loud and feel a kinship to the main character, Christine does wonders with the funy awkward first love. She just gets it!!
I had such a wonderful time reading this heartwarming story about second chances. It encompasses the warmth of a 90s Meg Ryan movie with the setting of Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow. This is the kind of book that will keep you company on your summer vacation or be your best frie ...more
What a debut! If you love to laugh out loud and feel a kinship to the main character, Christine does wonders with the funy awkward first love. She just gets it!!
I had such a wonderful time reading this heartwarming story about second chances. It encompasses the warmth of a 90s Meg Ryan movie with the setting of Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow. This is the kind of book that will keep you company on your summer vacation or be your best frie ...more

“Can we start over?”
Writers are often told to write what you know. Even now, when I think of Shane Primaveri; I see Christine Riccio, I hear Christine Riccio, I feel like I fucking know Christine Riccio. So yes, she did write what she knew, because she wrote herself.

_______________
*cries in YA*
I was really hesitant to read this book, but I made an effort to read it independent of its booktube writer. I tried focusing on the story and stayed away from any reviews. It really did not ...more


Writers are often told to write what you know. Even now, when I think of Shane Primaveri; I see Christine Riccio, I hear Christine Riccio, I feel like I fucking know Christine Riccio. So yes, she did write what she knew, because she wrote herself.

_______________
*cries in YA*
I was really hesitant to read this book, but I made an effort to read it independent of its booktube writer. I tried focusing on the story and stayed away from any reviews. It really did not ...more

OKAY UPDATE; THIS COVER IS FUCKING AMAZING
Christine isn't my favourite Booktuber, but she basically single handedly started Booktube and that's pretty fucking awesome. And she's been working on this for years - even though we all KNOW because of her following she could of got it published ages ago. I totally respect the work & dedication that has obviously gone into this.
Plus I think the title is so catchy and fun ...more
Christine isn't my favourite Booktuber, but she basically single handedly started Booktube and that's pretty fucking awesome. And she's been working on this for years - even though we all KNOW because of her following she could of got it published ages ago. I totally respect the work & dedication that has obviously gone into this.
Plus I think the title is so catchy and fun ...more


ARC received via #arcsfortrade on Twitter!
“If you could go back and do London all over again, knowing everything you know now, would you do it?”
Friends, I wanted to love this so badly. So damn badly. Christine is not only the actual Queen of BookTube, she was one of the first channels I ever watched. She just seems so kind, and genuine, and I always feel like she radiates positive energy, and she was such a massive part of why I wanted to read Shadowhunters in the first place. But th ...more

I loved the writing style, but I really just could not get past all the cheating and girl on girl hate. I'm bummed as heck :c
I won an ARC of this book through a giveaway hosted by the publisher. ...more
I won an ARC of this book through a giveaway hosted by the publisher. ...more

oh dear. this story made me cringe so much, i now need to make an appointment with a chiropractor to work out the new tension in my shoulders.
to keep it brief, this book definitely tries way too hard. im not a fan of the writing - it has a low quality fan fiction vibe to it. im not a fan of the characters - shane is one of the most insufferably immature characters ive ever read. im not a fan of the overly used pop culture references - theres practically one on every page. i actually thought the ...more
to keep it brief, this book definitely tries way too hard. im not a fan of the writing - it has a low quality fan fiction vibe to it. im not a fan of the characters - shane is one of the most insufferably immature characters ive ever read. im not a fan of the overly used pop culture references - theres practically one on every page. i actually thought the ...more

Short review: "Again, but Better" should be written again...but better.
...more

"You're bolder than before."
*1.5 stars
I so desperately wanted to enjoy this book, you guys. But... it's a yikes from me, dawg.
Again, But Better is Christine Riccio's debut novel. I want to take a hot second to say that Christine (PolandBananasBooks on YouTube) has done incredible things for the online book community. I know that she's incredibly smart and talented. You can see it in brief spurts in Again, But Better... but sadly, she just missed the mark as a whole.
Again, But Better follows ...more
*1.5 stars
I so desperately wanted to enjoy this book, you guys. But... it's a yikes from me, dawg.
Again, But Better is Christine Riccio's debut novel. I want to take a hot second to say that Christine (PolandBananasBooks on YouTube) has done incredible things for the online book community. I know that she's incredibly smart and talented. You can see it in brief spurts in Again, But Better... but sadly, she just missed the mark as a whole.
Again, But Better follows ...more

OH nooooooooooo!!!! I’m screaming “NOOOOOOO”! And a final one in softer tone “Nooooo”!
I’m not working on my new song named”NOOOO” and I am just saying “Noooo” to everything about this book.
I didn’t even hate it because for hating something you have to be passionate about it but there is nothing could make me passionate about this book and I still cannot understand it took Goodreads nomination because I didn’t find anything remarkable to vote and award this book for its not so fantastic or captu ...more
I’m not working on my new song named”NOOOO” and I am just saying “Noooo” to everything about this book.
I didn’t even hate it because for hating something you have to be passionate about it but there is nothing could make me passionate about this book and I still cannot understand it took Goodreads nomination because I didn’t find anything remarkable to vote and award this book for its not so fantastic or captu ...more

Feb 21, 2019
Angelica
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
four-star,
romance,
a-good-pair,
stand-alone,
arc,
read-2019,
cover-love,
cool-tittle,
release-2019,
contemporary
Well, I'm officially impressed. not gonna lie, this was pretty good. I read it in two sittings and was unapologetically grinning like an idiot the entire time.
Rating: 3.75/5
Anyway, fangirling aside, let's get to this review! There were things about this that I absolutely loved with all my heart, and things I didn't quite love all that much and things I just plainly didn’t like.
This book is a combination of Fangirl (a book I hated), Anna and the French Kiss (a book I really liked), About Time ...more
Rating: 3.75/5
Anyway, fangirling aside, let's get to this review! There were things about this that I absolutely loved with all my heart, and things I didn't quite love all that much and things I just plainly didn’t like.
This book is a combination of Fangirl (a book I hated), Anna and the French Kiss (a book I really liked), About Time ...more

I'm really disappointed, i hadn't read a single review about this prior to reading it and wasn't expecting to dislike it as much as i do..
Full video review is here:
https://youtu.be/UYbIu28Noq8 ...more
Full video review is here:
https://youtu.be/UYbIu28Noq8 ...more

upd: this just in: this mess of a book is a nyt bestseller. which is obviously the only reason why it was published. so basically you can publish your dumb wattpad self-insert which hasn't been even properly edited👌 oh wait no you can't, you don't have 400k subs on youtube
(yeah im bitter because i know so many people who are actually great writers and they get rejected while querying, while this absolutely mess wouldn't have ever seen the light if it wasn't for those youtube subs, fight me)
revie ...more
revie ...more

4.5 stars! This story was the literal perfect blend of cheesy and sweet all in one, and it was a great story to kick off my trip in Europe. For some reason, despite the title, I wasn’t expecting the jump in timeline back and forth?? And then I stayed up until 3am finishing it because I just HAD to know how it would end after that! ;) I saw Christine in every crack and crevice of this story, and loved it.

*groans for 200 years*
I should preface this by saying that I’ve been a fan of Christine for a number of years. She is still a favourite of mine to watch on Booktube and will most likely continue to be a favourite. That being said, I found this book mind-numbing, annoying, and it read like a Wattpad self-insert fanfiction.
~ spoilers ~
Let’s start with the blatant self-insert Christine that is our main character, Shane. Shane is an extremely awkward young adult who is trying to follow her dream of ...more
I should preface this by saying that I’ve been a fan of Christine for a number of years. She is still a favourite of mine to watch on Booktube and will most likely continue to be a favourite. That being said, I found this book mind-numbing, annoying, and it read like a Wattpad self-insert fanfiction.
~ spoilers ~
Let’s start with the blatant self-insert Christine that is our main character, Shane. Shane is an extremely awkward young adult who is trying to follow her dream of ...more

Update: February 11, 2019
pretty sure i'm late to the cover art reveal BUT I MUST SHARE MY FEELS DESPITE NOT KNOWING A THING ABOUT THE INSIDE CONTENTS. i live for overanalyzing art. ps. this is all speculation from a literature nerd.
- see how the division between the white and blue is fluid and not a blunt line in the middle? it appears to be a swaying transition into life as an adult in a new country, suggesting tentative steps to try new things in london. the drastic change in colour could be s ...more
pretty sure i'm late to the cover art reveal BUT I MUST SHARE MY FEELS DESPITE NOT KNOWING A THING ABOUT THE INSIDE CONTENTS. i live for overanalyzing art. ps. this is all speculation from a literature nerd.
- see how the division between the white and blue is fluid and not a blunt line in the middle? it appears to be a swaying transition into life as an adult in a new country, suggesting tentative steps to try new things in london. the drastic change in colour could be s ...more

May 04, 2019
V. A Court of Wings and Ruin is NEW ADULT/EROTICA but Goodreads editors won't tell you to include it in the choice awards
rated it
it was ok
UNSAFE READ FOR THE ROMANCE SAFETY GANG. SAFETY INFO AT THE BOTTOM OF MY REVIEW. WHY CAN'T "AUTHORS" STOP TRYING TO ROMANTICIZE DISLOYALTY AND CHEATING?

Yet another New adult book labelled as YA.
Main character is in College and her language and her conflict is of an adult woman. An immature woman, but an adult nonetheless. And at times she uses strong language. Again, but better is not vulgarly explicit as other books marketed as YA that are in reality New adult (*cough A Court of Mist and Fury ...more

Yet another New adult book labelled as YA.
Main character is in College and her language and her conflict is of an adult woman. An immature woman, but an adult nonetheless. And at times she uses strong language. Again, but better is not vulgarly explicit as other books marketed as YA that are in reality New adult (*cough A Court of Mist and Fury ...more

DNF @ 200 pages
Bleh, I wanted to love this book but for real this was starting to put me in a slump. I absolutely love Christine, she’s the first booktuber I ever started watching and she’s a huge inspiration to me, and a huge part of the reason I started my own channel. But this book was just not for me.
I was not a fan of this writing style- it read like cheesy YA or fanfic or something. There were times where Shane felt sooo relatable to me (mainly the quotes about her family making fun of he ...more
Bleh, I wanted to love this book but for real this was starting to put me in a slump. I absolutely love Christine, she’s the first booktuber I ever started watching and she’s a huge inspiration to me, and a huge part of the reason I started my own channel. But this book was just not for me.
I was not a fan of this writing style- it read like cheesy YA or fanfic or something. There were times where Shane felt sooo relatable to me (mainly the quotes about her family making fun of he ...more

Jun 08, 2019
♛ may
rated it
did not like it
Shelves:
in-the-trash-you-go,
clichéd-to-death,
bye,
n-o-p-e,
300-pgs,
standalones,
yawn,
contemporary
i'm SUPER bummed right now bc i was EXPECTING such a fantastic book but the story was really disappointing and the dialogue was so immature and the characters felt so juvenile, ughghghghg
basically it felt like i was reading badly written fanfiction and i am Sad
rtc ...more
basically it felt like i was reading badly written fanfiction and i am Sad
rtc ...more

Jan 12, 2019
NickReads
marked it as to-read
I am reading this just because Christine wrote it, because she is an amazing person.

Dec 05, 2017
Vicky Again
marked it as to-read
28 September 2018
Oh WOW look at this cover! Not what I expected, but I really love the colors (the green is GORGEOUS). Illustrated covers are awesome!
7 August 2018
but OKAY ALSO WHAT IS THIS--LONDON YOU SAY i am a stereotypical American of course i like British things (shh let's not talk about the revolution). and second chances!!! and British things!!! and feeling like a boring person (because who DOESN'T feel like their life is repetitive?)!!!
5 December 2017
Although I'm always somewhat hesitant ...more
Oh WOW look at this cover! Not what I expected, but I really love the colors (the green is GORGEOUS). Illustrated covers are awesome!
7 August 2018
but OKAY ALSO WHAT IS THIS--LONDON YOU SAY i am a stereotypical American of course i like British things (shh let's not talk about the revolution). and second chances!!! and British things!!! and feeling like a boring person (because who DOESN'T feel like their life is repetitive?)!!!
5 December 2017
Although I'm always somewhat hesitant ...more

another book i picked up “before bed” that basically stopped me from going to bed because i couldn’t put it down. 😂
anyways, i genuinely adored again, but better. i was constantly surprised by the turns of the plot and the character choices. i loved getting to know shane and her friends, and i loved getting to watch her grow so much over the course of this story.
side note, but the time period this is set in is literally the exact year and semester that i studied in london, and it was so so fun ...more
anyways, i genuinely adored again, but better. i was constantly surprised by the turns of the plot and the character choices. i loved getting to know shane and her friends, and i loved getting to watch her grow so much over the course of this story.
side note, but the time period this is set in is literally the exact year and semester that i studied in london, and it was so so fun ...more

DNF few chapters into part 2.
I started reading Again, but Better on 5/6/2019 and finished it on 5/8/2019. This is a book that I shouldn’t pick up based on the cover because the cover is cute. Right away I enjoyed the humor, especially when Shane slapped Pilot on their walk to the grocery store. I like that this book focused on an introverted girl who has a hard time making friends let alone dating. Being an only child, she does what her parents wants including doing the pre-med major in college ...more
I started reading Again, but Better on 5/6/2019 and finished it on 5/8/2019. This is a book that I shouldn’t pick up based on the cover because the cover is cute. Right away I enjoyed the humor, especially when Shane slapped Pilot on their walk to the grocery store. I like that this book focused on an introverted girl who has a hard time making friends let alone dating. Being an only child, she does what her parents wants including doing the pre-med major in college ...more

I happen to love rom coms with the specific magical element that is present in Again, But Better so I really enjoyed this. (Seriously, just check my Netflix list.)
My thoughts were a roller coaster while reading - meaning that there would be things happening that I'd immediately hate, only to turn that opinion around once they were more developed and explained. For instance, I thought the pacing was odd. The first part is very wordy and it takes a long time to get to The Main Plot Thing. But once ...more
My thoughts were a roller coaster while reading - meaning that there would be things happening that I'd immediately hate, only to turn that opinion around once they were more developed and explained. For instance, I thought the pacing was odd. The first part is very wordy and it takes a long time to get to The Main Plot Thing. But once ...more

What. A. Disaster.
I was provided an ARC from Raincoast Books in exchange for a honest review.
Let's begin with that I'm a very fair person. I had no prejudice against Christine Riccio as an author and I was legitimately intrigued and excited to read this debut novel from her. I read Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and I didn't even find it as bad as everyone painted it as. I thought it was entertaining and the writing was good. But Again, but Better, a novel by another famous booktuber made me so aggrav ...more
I was provided an ARC from Raincoast Books in exchange for a honest review.
Let's begin with that I'm a very fair person. I had no prejudice against Christine Riccio as an author and I was legitimately intrigued and excited to read this debut novel from her. I read Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and I didn't even find it as bad as everyone painted it as. I thought it was entertaining and the writing was good. But Again, but Better, a novel by another famous booktuber made me so aggrav ...more

Dec 06, 2017
Mothman
marked it as to-read
12/6/17
Saw some Discourse TM on twitter and wanted to throw in my 2 cents that no one will probably read but I just wanted to throw out this perspective anyway. Putting it under a spoiler cut so you don't have to see it if you don't want to. :P
(view spoiler) ...more
Saw some Discourse TM on twitter and wanted to throw in my 2 cents that no one will probably read but I just wanted to throw out this perspective anyway. Putting it under a spoiler cut so you don't have to see it if you don't want to. :P
(view spoiler) ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: Again, But Better by Christine Riccio - Restarting February 19th 2022 | 74 | 159 | Feb 28, 2022 06:48AM | |
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Romance. A girl goes abroad with a boy named Pilot. [s] | 4 | 582 | Apr 20, 2021 09:41AM | |
Challenge Corner: Again, but Better by Christine Riccio -> Starting June 14th, 2020 | 6 | 8 | Jun 20, 2020 11:46AM | |
Bookalicious Book...: Again, But Better Group Thread | 6 | 14 | Feb 10, 2020 06:15AM | |
Addicted to YA: Again, But Better | 17 | 230 | Jan 26, 2020 11:59AM | |
Addicted to YA: Discussion Leader Sign Up: Again, But Better | 3 | 61 | Dec 15, 2019 06:28PM |
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Christine Riccio has been on a quest to encourage more humans to read since the third grade. No one really listened until she started making videos about books on Youtube in 2010. Now her channel PolandbananasBOOKS has over 390,000 book-loving subscribers. She makes comedic book reviews, vlogs, sketches, and writing videos chronicling the creation of her own novel. She’s also one of the three YouT
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Articles featuring this book
Move over tribute volunteers and chosen ones. There's a new wave of heroes in town.
This year, the young adult category is...
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2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Shane. Interesting name for a girl,” he teases. I narrow my eyes. “Pilot. Interesting name for a human.”
—
53 likes
“It’s weird how we have to get a little older to realize that people are just people. It should be obvious, but it’s not.”
—
44 likes
More quotes…