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What I Like About You
by
Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can... but in the real world, it's more complicated. In this debut novel Marisa Kanter explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.
There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.
He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much a ...more
There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.
He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much a ...more
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Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
April 7th 2020
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Popular Answered Questions
L. B. Bugle
No, there isn’t. There might be a few bad words but for the most part it’s fine! Ages 13+
Alexis
Hey! What I Like About You only follows Halle's perspective
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of What I Like About You
I know a lot of you out there, including myself, loved Eliza and Her Monsters, and this book is perfect for you guys. Following a similar route as Eliza and Her Monsters, What I Like About You follows the journey of a blogger rather than a creator, making it easily relatable. The book follows Halle Levitt, aka Kels Roth, who runs a blog about books and cupcakes called ‘One True Cupcake’, and her journey as she meets an online friend in real life and doesn’t know what to do about it, worse, she m
...more
This is definitely a YA book meant for teens. I never rate a book low for the reason that, heaven forbid, a YA book be meant for YA readers.
I’ve always been an advocate that reading doesn’t have an age limit. A book may be marketed as YA, but that doesn’t mean ONLY YA can read it. It just means that YA CAN read it.
The reason why I would say adult YA readers may not want to pick this up, is the constant (and I mean constant), bashing of adult YA readers. It wasn’t necessary and it felt insulting. ...more
I’ve always been an advocate that reading doesn’t have an age limit. A book may be marketed as YA, but that doesn’t mean ONLY YA can read it. It just means that YA CAN read it.
The reason why I would say adult YA readers may not want to pick this up, is the constant (and I mean constant), bashing of adult YA readers. It wasn’t necessary and it felt insulting. ...more
Feb 10, 2020
may ➹
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
read-2020,
contemporary,
annoying,
rep-mental-illness,
pov-female,
young-adult,
arc,
ownvoices,
3-star,
diverse
— read this review and others on my blog
What I Like About You follows Halle, who runs a book blog called One True Pastry using the alias Kels. She loves everything about her online life: a platform to talk about YA books and also bake cupcakes, the ability to work with publishers, and her friend Nash. But everything changes when she meets Nash in real life—who doesn’t know that Halle is actually Kels.
First of all, the most heartwarming thing about this book, to me, is how it portrays the book co ...more
Big thanks to Netgalley for approving me for this title!! 🥰
while my rating seems like i didn't particularly enjoy reading this book, that is NOT entirely the case
The Goods
See, this was really cute and wholesome at moments. I loved how it centered on a teen blogger and the book community. The main character is really involved in books and baking (two of like, my favourite things EVER) and i found so many aspects relatable and a proper, genuine representation of the online book world
The relat ...more
while my rating seems like i didn't particularly enjoy reading this book, that is NOT entirely the case
The Goods
See, this was really cute and wholesome at moments. I loved how it centered on a teen blogger and the book community. The main character is really involved in books and baking (two of like, my favourite things EVER) and i found so many aspects relatable and a proper, genuine representation of the online book world
The relat ...more
DNF.
The main character is a YA blogger. Great. But wait, this one is a teenager who finds adult bloggers annoying. Uh, awkward! She thinks that interacting with them is way too "exhausting." Reading this I felt like that character in a movie who is listening in the bathroom stall while the mean girls gossip about her as they are putting on lip gloss.
In addition, a lot of the plot the book is devoted to very petty online (and offline) drama (some of it over a YA author who doesn't mind having a ...more
The main character is a YA blogger. Great. But wait, this one is a teenager who finds adult bloggers annoying. Uh, awkward! She thinks that interacting with them is way too "exhausting." Reading this I felt like that character in a movie who is listening in the bathroom stall while the mean girls gossip about her as they are putting on lip gloss.
In addition, a lot of the plot the book is devoted to very petty online (and offline) drama (some of it over a YA author who doesn't mind having a ...more
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU is a YA gem and one of my all-time favorite books. Marisa Kanter has such an authentic teen voice, and I fell head over heels for her characters.
The Jewish rep in this book is the closest to my own upbringing, which was so wonderful to see. I also love the way Marisa treats online friendships as the valid, important relationships they are. It's a lovely, special book that made me smile, laugh, cry, and hug it tightly to my chest.
The Jewish rep in this book is the closest to my own upbringing, which was so wonderful to see. I also love the way Marisa treats online friendships as the valid, important relationships they are. It's a lovely, special book that made me smile, laugh, cry, and hug it tightly to my chest.
Mar 02, 2020
Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell
marked it as to-read
I really hope this doesn't do to book bloggers what FANGIRL did to fangirls because... I would be really, really sad if that happened.
Crossing my fingers that this is good.
Crossing my fingers that this is good.
3.5 stars
I actually had picked up this book about a month ago and read 20 or so pages and decided to stop and read something else. Sometimes a book might not be working for you in the moment and it's okay to try again at a later date. I'm glad I gave this one a second chance because I did end up enjoying it. Definitely recommend reading especially if you have a book blog or post about books on social media.
Teenager Halle Levitt has a popular YA book blog but she posts under the name Kels. Her al ...more
I actually had picked up this book about a month ago and read 20 or so pages and decided to stop and read something else. Sometimes a book might not be working for you in the moment and it's okay to try again at a later date. I'm glad I gave this one a second chance because I did end up enjoying it. Definitely recommend reading especially if you have a book blog or post about books on social media.
Teenager Halle Levitt has a popular YA book blog but she posts under the name Kels. Her al ...more
*pounds fist, clamoring for more fluff* this was super cute and perfectly angsty. if you want a book that captures that "teen book blogger feeling" (to an almost scarily accurate effect), definitely check out WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU & Kels/Halle's books & baking prowess!
...more
I received an ARC from Simon Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I'm going to be honest and let you know that this book was not on top of my priority list. I thought the synopsis sounded like bait to book bloggers out there and the author would do some *cringe worthy* "relatable" stuff that would make me want to claw my eyes out. But guess who was severely wrong? Me! This book was relatable in every sense but realistic. Marisa Kanter works in the publishing industry. She knows the ...more
I'm going to be honest and let you know that this book was not on top of my priority list. I thought the synopsis sounded like bait to book bloggers out there and the author would do some *cringe worthy* "relatable" stuff that would make me want to claw my eyes out. But guess who was severely wrong? Me! This book was relatable in every sense but realistic. Marisa Kanter works in the publishing industry. She knows the ...more
Mar 19, 2020
Vee_Bookish // YA Book Blogger
marked it as did-not-finish
Despite the frankly awful cover (a major publishing house okayed this?), I wanted to read it anyway, because it's about a YA Book Blogger. However I was annoyed by the book barely two chapters in I thought it would be best if I just stopped reading it.
I found Halle/Kels to be quite annoying, and maybe it's mentioned later but I didn't understand her choice to be a catfish. I felt after reading her most famous review that if she was a real book blogger, I would honestly find her insufferable. I f ...more
I found Halle/Kels to be quite annoying, and maybe it's mentioned later but I didn't understand her choice to be a catfish. I felt after reading her most famous review that if she was a real book blogger, I would honestly find her insufferable. I f ...more
CW: (view spoiler)
Reading advice: You will want to eat cupcakes so be prepared by making/buying them in advance.
A good edit would have made this a better read for me as it felt really drawn out. The secret identity story went on for an unrealistically and frustratingly long time and my annoyance levels were off the charts. This meant that I didn't really feel invested in any of the characte ...more
Reading advice: You will want to eat cupcakes so be prepared by making/buying them in advance.
A good edit would have made this a better read for me as it felt really drawn out. The secret identity story went on for an unrealistically and frustratingly long time and my annoyance levels were off the charts. This meant that I didn't really feel invested in any of the characte ...more
Filled with delicious cupcake descriptions, relatable teenage angst, and passionate love for books and online friendships, What I Like About You is a love letter to book bloggers everywhere. 💌 As someone who’s been blogging for over 2 years, I loved exploring Halle’s journey towards finding herself while following her personal experience in this much-loved community.
What I Like About You follows the perspective of Halle Levitt, a popular YA book blogger who runs One True Pastry under the alias ...more
What I Like About You follows the perspective of Halle Levitt, a popular YA book blogger who runs One True Pastry under the alias ...more
4.5/ 5 stars
What I Like About You is a debut Young Adult contemporary romance.
This is such a cute YA read! I really enjoyed this book. The girl in this book writes a blog where she combines her love for reading Young Adult books with her love for making cupcakes. She designs cupcakes to go with her favorite YA books.
This book takes place in Middleton, Connecticut. The narrator is Halle (senior in high school - 1st person POV).
Halle loves books and she loves baking. Online she is known as Kels, a ...more
What I Like About You is a debut Young Adult contemporary romance.
This is such a cute YA read! I really enjoyed this book. The girl in this book writes a blog where she combines her love for reading Young Adult books with her love for making cupcakes. She designs cupcakes to go with her favorite YA books.
This book takes place in Middleton, Connecticut. The narrator is Halle (senior in high school - 1st person POV).
Halle loves books and she loves baking. Online she is known as Kels, a ...more
Is it possible for the heart to grow in size cause mine just swelled up.
Gahhh i need more of this trope like seriously if anyone has any recs like this please please please let me know.
4.5⭐️
Oh yeah and full review to come
Gahhh i need more of this trope like seriously if anyone has any recs like this please please please let me know.
4.5⭐️
Oh yeah and full review to come
Mar 26, 2020
Madalyn (Novel Ink)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-releases,
quarantine-reads
*3.5 stars*
I blew through this in two sittings and had a blast. This is definitely one of those books where the main character’s decisions will stress you out the. entire. time., so just be aware of that going in if you’re someone who gets easily frustrated at YA protagonists (personally, I love flawed protagonists because THAT WAS ME as a teenager). There was also a lot of lying, which added to the stress for sure. BUT I loved the friendship dynamics, and I especially loved the warm and fuzzy b ...more
I blew through this in two sittings and had a blast. This is definitely one of those books where the main character’s decisions will stress you out the. entire. time., so just be aware of that going in if you’re someone who gets easily frustrated at YA protagonists (personally, I love flawed protagonists because THAT WAS ME as a teenager). There was also a lot of lying, which added to the stress for sure. BUT I loved the friendship dynamics, and I especially loved the warm and fuzzy b ...more
To him, it's a triangle. But I know it's just a line. It's always been a line.
Not only does this book have a super cute cover; it also has one of the most relatable characters in YA fiction. Most readers will like the sweet "love triangle." But if you're a fellow book blogger or reviewer, you're going to resonate with the story on an entirely different level.
What I Like About You focuses on the life of Halle Levit, who happens to be the daughter of prominent Jewish filmmakers and the granddaught ...more
Not only does this book have a super cute cover; it also has one of the most relatable characters in YA fiction. Most readers will like the sweet "love triangle." But if you're a fellow book blogger or reviewer, you're going to resonate with the story on an entirely different level.
What I Like About You focuses on the life of Halle Levit, who happens to be the daughter of prominent Jewish filmmakers and the granddaught ...more
okay, it’s taken me so long to read this but finally—i have! i had to listen to the second half on audio because i just couldn’t get into it as much as i wanted. firstly, i loved that this is about book bloggers and the community that i’m so familiar with and in love with, it felt so comforting reading about it and understanding it. but, what i didn’t like was how halle/kels went about her identity and hiding it. i just couldn’t respect her, despite her reasoning. she was keeping this secret fro
...more
This was a super cute story about confidence, love, family, friends, and our favorite thing, talking about books!
What I Like About You follows, Halle, a YA blogger with a love for baking who uses the pen name Kels so she isn’t associated with her grandmother who was a well-known editor.
Halle and her brother move in with her Gramps while her director parents travel to Israel for their newest documentary. Halle runs into an online friend who only knows her as Kels and has to deal with the drama t ...more
What I Like About You follows, Halle, a YA blogger with a love for baking who uses the pen name Kels so she isn’t associated with her grandmother who was a well-known editor.
Halle and her brother move in with her Gramps while her director parents travel to Israel for their newest documentary. Halle runs into an online friend who only knows her as Kels and has to deal with the drama t ...more
Will not finish.
(Audiobook stopped at the end of Chapter 2.)
As a book blogger myself, I found the premise of What I Like About You and its focus on book blogging to be promising. In fact, I did enjoy the beginning of the audiobook.
However, once birthright was casually mentioned very early on (I think the main character's parent expresses excitement about traveling to Israel since they "haven't been there since birthright"), I couldn't shake off my discomfort. Especially knowing the terrible et ...more
(Audiobook stopped at the end of Chapter 2.)
As a book blogger myself, I found the premise of What I Like About You and its focus on book blogging to be promising. In fact, I did enjoy the beginning of the audiobook.
However, once birthright was casually mentioned very early on (I think the main character's parent expresses excitement about traveling to Israel since they "haven't been there since birthright"), I couldn't shake off my discomfort. Especially knowing the terrible et ...more
This was so bad. SO BAD.
Literally the only good thing about it was the jewish rep and everything else was just. bad.
So I am an adult in my late twenties who reads alot of YA. I love the language that YA authors use, its simple, easy to access, evocative, dramatic and funny. I think some of the most creative, most intelligent pieces of written media is done in the form of a YA book. I love how YA approach the most difficult of topics (racism, genocide, homophobia, misogyny, etc.) with relative e ...more
Literally the only good thing about it was the jewish rep and everything else was just. bad.
So I am an adult in my late twenties who reads alot of YA. I love the language that YA authors use, its simple, easy to access, evocative, dramatic and funny. I think some of the most creative, most intelligent pieces of written media is done in the form of a YA book. I love how YA approach the most difficult of topics (racism, genocide, homophobia, misogyny, etc.) with relative e ...more
4.5 stars
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This book was cheesy and stupid and ridiculous and overdramatic but I loved it with my entire heart. This was a book about a YA book blogger, and (even tho I don't really blog anymore) I genuinely don't think I've ever felt so seen.
This community, this messy wonderful community, means the world to me, and seeing it in a book was just... mind blowing. The magic and the petty drama, the difficulties and the triumphs... yo ...more
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This book was cheesy and stupid and ridiculous and overdramatic but I loved it with my entire heart. This was a book about a YA book blogger, and (even tho I don't really blog anymore) I genuinely don't think I've ever felt so seen.
This community, this messy wonderful community, means the world to me, and seeing it in a book was just... mind blowing. The magic and the petty drama, the difficulties and the triumphs... yo ...more
D review: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/r...
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This was too freaking adorable for words, and I looooved all the stuff about book blogging, internet friendships, and YA. It was really freaking stressful waiting for the truth to come out - like, among the most stressed I have been in a rom-com - but super worth it and I would pay more than zero dollars for epilogue.
TW: (view spoiler) ...more
TW: (view spoiler) ...more
I really liked this book. It was super predictable, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable for me. I binge-read it in a span of hours, it never hit a slow spot. This was a book about a pair of book lovers, and they had the life I wished I had. (minus the love-triangle drama)
I found both characters in this to be so likeable. They also felt real, and their actions were believable. Halle was frustrating at times because of her refusal to tell Nash her identity, but even that was understandable. ...more
I found both characters in this to be so likeable. They also felt real, and their actions were believable. Halle was frustrating at times because of her refusal to tell Nash her identity, but even that was understandable. ...more
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
What I Liked
-There is a lot of book community nerdiness in this and I liked it. It’s always fun to read a book about a book blogger.
-I enjoyed reading about Jewish culture. Though Halle is Jewish, she wasn’t really raised with religion, so when she lives with her grandfather who is religious, we get to learn right along with her about traditions and etc. I haven’t read a lot of books that include this, so it helps set it ...more
What I Liked
-There is a lot of book community nerdiness in this and I liked it. It’s always fun to read a book about a book blogger.
-I enjoyed reading about Jewish culture. Though Halle is Jewish, she wasn’t really raised with religion, so when she lives with her grandfather who is religious, we get to learn right along with her about traditions and etc. I haven’t read a lot of books that include this, so it helps set it ...more
^^^^ literally me reading this book
Ok guys, this book was freaking adorable! I read it in one sitting and I'm pretty sure I was smiling the entire time. Marisa Kanter created this wonderful, feel good story about young love and the fears teens face showing their true selves. Fantastic debut!
Halle Levitt lives her life online. Online she has a following in the book world. Known for her beautiful cupcake book covers, Halle has created this persona that's larger than life. And she's always been abl ...more
Sep 27, 2018
Sierra Elmore
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
best-of-2020
I was super lucky to read an early copy of this amazing book. Marisa's debut is a complex tale of mistaken (or hidden?) identity, family complications, and first loves, all wrapped up in a sweet, sassy package. Think: a delectable mix of Morgan Matson, ALWAYS NEVER YOURS, and a splash of The Great British Bake-Off (yes, there are PLENTY of desserts to be found!).
The characters and situations ring true, and there's plenty of fandom and blogging references to keep teens fervently flipping pages! ...more
The characters and situations ring true, and there's plenty of fandom and blogging references to keep teens fervently flipping pages! ...more
Predictable, but oh-sooo-cute!
Title: What I Like About You
Series: standalone
Author: Marisa Kanter
Release date: April 7, 2020
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: YA romance
If you liked Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, you just found your next YA fix. I was immediately drawn to this book because the heroine is a book blogger. She also suffers from social anxiety, so she's more than a little awkward in social situations when she's not online. Nerdy/shy characters are my jam, so obviously this book was kind of made for me. While I enjoyed how rel ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A Crazy Little Th...:
What I Like About You (Brinley & Becca)
|
15 | 15 | Jul 16, 2020 09:10AM | |
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Contemporary romance+ main character goes to college. [s] | 5 | 35 | Apr 01, 2020 10:17AM | |
| Goodreads Librari...: please combine / merge | 2 | 19 | Jun 24, 2019 12:33PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Marisa Kanter is a young adult author, amateur baker, and reality television enthusiast. She is the author of What I Like About You and As If On Cue. Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, her obsession with books led her to New York City, where she got her degree in Media Studies and Creative Writing from NYU. Marisa works in the publishing industry to help books find their perfect readers. Fo
...more
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“I don’t know what to say.
That’s the problem with words. In my head, words are magic. My thoughts are eloquent and fierce. On the page, words are music. In the clicks of my keyboard, in the scratches of pencil meeting paper. In the beauty of the eraser, of the backspace key. On the page, the words in my head sing and dance with the precision of diction and the intricacies of rhythm.
Out loud? Words are the worst.”
—
5 likes
That’s the problem with words. In my head, words are magic. My thoughts are eloquent and fierce. On the page, words are music. In the clicks of my keyboard, in the scratches of pencil meeting paper. In the beauty of the eraser, of the backspace key. On the page, the words in my head sing and dance with the precision of diction and the intricacies of rhythm.
Out loud? Words are the worst.”
“I need to make a playlist of acoustic covers from tonight and carry it in my pocket. Songs that will remind me of winding up in a coffee shop in lace sleeves and red lipstick”
—
2 likes
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