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Starburst Effect
Lily Rosemont hat es nicht leicht. Ihre Eltern lassen sich scheiden, und in der Schule wird sie gemobbt. Allen voran von Noah, dem größten Idioten der High School und Lilys Nachbar. Das Blatt wendet sich, als Noah einen Sportunfall hat, und sein Traum, professioneller Footballer zu werden, platzt. Plötzlich gehört auch er zu den unpopulären Schülern. Als Lily mit ihm für ein Schulprojekt zusammenarbeiten sollen, das über ihren Abschluss entscheidet, stellt sie das vor eine große Herausforderung. Schon nach kurzer Zeit wird Lily allerdings klar, dass Noah nicht der ist, für den sie ihn gehalten hat. Aber kann sie ihm wirklich verzeihen, nachdem er doch ihr Leben zerstört hat?
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2022
99 people are currently reading
921 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Oram
33 books4,380 followersKelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
July 5, 2023
Ich bin es von Kelly Orams Büchern ja gewohnt, aber dieses Buch hat mich wirklich so sehr vom Hocker gehauen. Es ist so viel mehr als ein Young Adult Roman. Es ist eine emotionale, tiefgründige Geschichte über Mobbing, Akzeptanz, Selbstfindung und alles dazwischen. Ganz ganz große Liebe vor allem auch für Tami Fischer, die das Hörbuch gelesen hat, und es geschafft hat, dass sich zehn Stunden angefühlt haben wie eine. Einfach nur so so toll und eine riesige Empfehlung! <3
June 8, 2022
“My accident gave me a new prescription on life. My friends ditching me showed me who I was, but you…” […] “You show me who I want to be. You make me better.”
3.5 ⭐
The Starburst Effect is a cute YA romance that explores several deeper topics, the most prominent one being traumatic brain injury. Though a bit messy, I liked the narration and how the book made me feel everything the main characters were going through.
I just wished certain parts of the story (the most interesting ones in my opinion) were explored even deeper and in more detail. But other than that, I enjoyed this read quite a bit and I finished it in a record time.
Perfect for any time you want to read about high school sweethearts going through some serious challenges and coming out of it stronger.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Starburst Effect by Kelly Oram in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 ⭐
The Starburst Effect is a cute YA romance that explores several deeper topics, the most prominent one being traumatic brain injury. Though a bit messy, I liked the narration and how the book made me feel everything the main characters were going through.
I just wished certain parts of the story (the most interesting ones in my opinion) were explored even deeper and in more detail. But other than that, I enjoyed this read quite a bit and I finished it in a record time.
Perfect for any time you want to read about high school sweethearts going through some serious challenges and coming out of it stronger.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Starburst Effect by Kelly Oram in exchange for an honest review.
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March 9, 2023Rezension folgt zum ET 💕
July 19, 2023
Kelly Oram hat sich schon mit einigen Geschichten in mein Herz geschrieben. Dieses hier hat mich echt sehr emotional gemacht. Es wird hier ein Thema angesprochen, dass wirklich einfühlsam von der Autorin an den Leser weitergegeben wurde. Ich habe es ab der ersten Seite geliebt. Mason, Lilys Bruder ist echt toller kleiner Junge, aber auch Lily selbst ist ein unheimlich einfühlsamer Mensch und eine wunderbare Freundin. Es war wieder ein wundervolles Buch.
5 Sterne
5 Sterne
May 15, 2022
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.
When I saw Kelly Oram was releasing a new book, I jumped at the chance to read it. She's one of the handful of YA authors that I still enjoy reading. Her writing is engaging, and I love the stories she creates. I enjoyed The Starburst Effect, but I wasn't quite prepared for the rollercoaster of emotions it took me on.
This book didn't start off in the easiest of ways. Lily's parents were in the midst of divorcing, and she was being bullied by her neighbor and other classmates. Nothing was going well for her even when it seemed things might be looking up. Lily tried to cope the best she could. She was strong for her younger brother, but she also shrank inside herself. Lily was depressed. Her best friend Zoey was the only one who seemed to notice, and she did her best to support Lily. Then, Noah is injured, and everything changes for him and Lily. He's no longer the star football player and king of the school, and Lily is the only person who is willing to stand by him and help him through his new reality.
I'm going to be honest. This story was MESSY. There is so much to break down and sift through when it comes to my feelings on it. Lily was a good person. She wasn't without her faults, but maybe too good at some points. Lily was way more forgiving than I think I could have been at seventeen, especially when it came to Noah. She showed maturity beyond her years. Sometimes I thought she was too forgiving and too helpful. Sometimes I thought her friends had some valid points. But, when it came down to it, I loved how accepting Lily was and how she knew what she wanted and what was possible for her.
Here's some more honesty for you... I hated Noah from the start. I wasn't even sure I wanted him to be able to redeem himself. He was so cruel and unkind to Lily. He led the pack, and I didn't even want to know why he chose to bully Lily. I hated that it took a severe injury and social status change for him to change. I did find the subject of his traumatic brain injury and the starburst effect interesting. I would never wish an injury like this on someone, but he did come out a better person. By the end, Noah had won me over.
Lily and Noah were very sweet together. I was surprised that she could forgive him enough to fall for him. I wasn't sure I was going to like them as more than just friends. I might have actually preferred this story without the romance (Weird comment for me, I know.) just because of how horrible he was at first. That probably would have taken away from the great ending, though. I really loved how Lily's and Noah's paths turned out separately and together.
There is a lot of bullying in this book. Some of it is name calling. Some of it is intimidation. Some of it is physical. It was all hard to read. I hated all of the mean characters. I felt so bad for Lily, and I could understand her reactions to it. Her best friend Zoey tried to stick by her side and help, but it wasn't easy. I liked Zoey's attempts, but there came a point where I could only be mad at her even when I understood her actions.
Another character that made me mad was Lily's mother. There's one specific moment where she expects Lily to contact her own father to watch her younger brother. That was something the mother should have done. She also expected way too much from Lily without trying to have the dad help out. It was frustrating for both Lily and me. Oh, and since I mentioned her dad -- he should have done better as well. The only parents in this book that I loved were Noah's. Susan and her husband were amazing for Noah and for Lily and her younger brother Mason. Mason deserves a shout out, too. He was a great little brother.
I feel like this review has been all over the place. It's been hard to put all of my feelings together. This book made me angry, frustrated, sad, hopeful, and happy. I rarely cry when reading books, but this one brought tears to my eyes. I felt so much for Lily and wanted what was best for her. Heck, I even felt sympathy and pride for Noah by the end. While I would categorize it as a tough and emotional read, I couldn't put it down and enjoyed where the book took me.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
When I saw Kelly Oram was releasing a new book, I jumped at the chance to read it. She's one of the handful of YA authors that I still enjoy reading. Her writing is engaging, and I love the stories she creates. I enjoyed The Starburst Effect, but I wasn't quite prepared for the rollercoaster of emotions it took me on.
This book didn't start off in the easiest of ways. Lily's parents were in the midst of divorcing, and she was being bullied by her neighbor and other classmates. Nothing was going well for her even when it seemed things might be looking up. Lily tried to cope the best she could. She was strong for her younger brother, but she also shrank inside herself. Lily was depressed. Her best friend Zoey was the only one who seemed to notice, and she did her best to support Lily. Then, Noah is injured, and everything changes for him and Lily. He's no longer the star football player and king of the school, and Lily is the only person who is willing to stand by him and help him through his new reality.
I'm going to be honest. This story was MESSY. There is so much to break down and sift through when it comes to my feelings on it. Lily was a good person. She wasn't without her faults, but maybe too good at some points. Lily was way more forgiving than I think I could have been at seventeen, especially when it came to Noah. She showed maturity beyond her years. Sometimes I thought she was too forgiving and too helpful. Sometimes I thought her friends had some valid points. But, when it came down to it, I loved how accepting Lily was and how she knew what she wanted and what was possible for her.
Here's some more honesty for you... I hated Noah from the start. I wasn't even sure I wanted him to be able to redeem himself. He was so cruel and unkind to Lily. He led the pack, and I didn't even want to know why he chose to bully Lily. I hated that it took a severe injury and social status change for him to change. I did find the subject of his traumatic brain injury and the starburst effect interesting. I would never wish an injury like this on someone, but he did come out a better person. By the end, Noah had won me over.
Lily and Noah were very sweet together. I was surprised that she could forgive him enough to fall for him. I wasn't sure I was going to like them as more than just friends. I might have actually preferred this story without the romance (Weird comment for me, I know.) just because of how horrible he was at first. That probably would have taken away from the great ending, though. I really loved how Lily's and Noah's paths turned out separately and together.
There is a lot of bullying in this book. Some of it is name calling. Some of it is intimidation. Some of it is physical. It was all hard to read. I hated all of the mean characters. I felt so bad for Lily, and I could understand her reactions to it. Her best friend Zoey tried to stick by her side and help, but it wasn't easy. I liked Zoey's attempts, but there came a point where I could only be mad at her even when I understood her actions.
Another character that made me mad was Lily's mother. There's one specific moment where she expects Lily to contact her own father to watch her younger brother. That was something the mother should have done. She also expected way too much from Lily without trying to have the dad help out. It was frustrating for both Lily and me. Oh, and since I mentioned her dad -- he should have done better as well. The only parents in this book that I loved were Noah's. Susan and her husband were amazing for Noah and for Lily and her younger brother Mason. Mason deserves a shout out, too. He was a great little brother.
I feel like this review has been all over the place. It's been hard to put all of my feelings together. This book made me angry, frustrated, sad, hopeful, and happy. I rarely cry when reading books, but this one brought tears to my eyes. I felt so much for Lily and wanted what was best for her. Heck, I even felt sympathy and pride for Noah by the end. While I would categorize it as a tough and emotional read, I couldn't put it down and enjoyed where the book took me.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
March 4, 2024
I... did not love this. I found most of it to be problematic. Most of the ‘funny’ bits were when the MC is laughing are at Noah’s expense. When he gets words wrong, or says something socially inept and awkward… those are the ‘laughs’ when Noah and Lily are together. Because Noah has an acquired fricking brain injury, so that should totally be where the humour comes from. Honestly, it’s very ableist and condescending a lot of the time. It got a little better towards the end after she’d talked to his therapist and doctors, but it was still pretty patronising.
The only characters that were made to be likeable were Lily and Mason, and even then I found her spineless and annoying. She never said what she was thinking and had a very holier than thou attitude the entire time. Her willingness to forgive everybody no matter how crappy they’d been or what they’d done to her just made her seem unrealistic. The bullying and everything else in here is pretty extreme, and I do think it went too far at the start. I was not rooting for this couple At. All.
But.. it did make me bawl my eyes out. As far as heart breakers go, this one knows exactly where to hit to rip you to shreds. Because it was a lot for Lily. And she didn’t deserve anything horrid that happened to her, and she had to keep picking pieces of herself up anyway. But mostly little Mason. I cried for Mason.
The only characters that were made to be likeable were Lily and Mason, and even then I found her spineless and annoying. She never said what she was thinking and had a very holier than thou attitude the entire time. Her willingness to forgive everybody no matter how crappy they’d been or what they’d done to her just made her seem unrealistic. The bullying and everything else in here is pretty extreme, and I do think it went too far at the start. I was not rooting for this couple At. All.
But.. it did make me bawl my eyes out. As far as heart breakers go, this one knows exactly where to hit to rip you to shreds. Because it was a lot for Lily. And she didn’t deserve anything horrid that happened to her, and she had to keep picking pieces of herself up anyway. But mostly little Mason. I cried for Mason.
December 8, 2024
12/07/2024: Reread!
06/14/2023: Reread!
Cue the waterworks because this book had me in a grip of emotions. I honestly wasn't expecting this book to hit me so hard in the feels but I was a sobbing mess while reading this. And just to be clear, that's a good thing because this book was amazing.
I've read Oram before so I wasn't surprised by how much I adored and connected with her writing style. She has a very smooth and polished style that I really love. Before I started this book I was a bit skeptical if this was even going to work for me. I was intrigued by the premise and the synopsis definitely piqued my interest but I wasn't certain if this type of story and I would mesh well. I needn't have been worried though because this story blew me away. I was so impressed with the storytelling and how the plot was executed.
The characters in this book really make this book stand out. They are so well-written and have so much depth. The character development was insanely personal and thorough. The characters felt so real and tangible. All of the secondary characters in this book also brought a layer of depth to the story and added a balance that just fit perfectly in the story.
I am not personally familiar with traumatic brain injuries but I felt that the disability representation was respectful and accurate. It was clear that the author put in the time to research the topic and presented a realistic depiction for her story. She was thoughtful and sensitive about the topic and made it feel wholly genuine and authentic in her story. I was impressed.
I also felt like the bullying aspect in this book was also written in a realistic and sensitive way. It could potentially be triggering for anyone that has experienced bullying but Oram is compassionate while staying true to the facts. She doesn't pull her punches but she is also very tactful.
Don't get me started on the romance in this book because LAWD. Be prepared to cry yourself a river when reading this. This love story is truly one of the great ones. The way that Noah and Lily come together is tragic and full of pain but it is also beautiful and uplifting. I love how Noah and Lily were a spot of strength in each other's lives. They truly brought out the best in each other and, my god, it was heartwarming. They had a natural chemistry that was undeniable. I loved that Lily just got Noah and didn't have a hard time communicating with him as other people did. She saw past his disability and saw Noah. Thinking back on it to write this review just makes my heart ache because it was so beautiful.
Forgiveness was also a huge theme in this story. Not only between Noah and Lily but there were many characters that sought forgiveness for various reasons. It was a really emotional read but so satisfying.
Overall, I want to shout my love for this book from the rooftops because wow. If you love impactful stories that touch your heart and have immeasurably memorable characters then you'll want to pick this one up ASAP. I really can't express how much I adore this book. This book packs on the feels and you will be grateful for all the emotions you experience and all the tears that you shed while reading this.
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06/14/2023: Reread!
Cue the waterworks because this book had me in a grip of emotions. I honestly wasn't expecting this book to hit me so hard in the feels but I was a sobbing mess while reading this. And just to be clear, that's a good thing because this book was amazing.
I've read Oram before so I wasn't surprised by how much I adored and connected with her writing style. She has a very smooth and polished style that I really love. Before I started this book I was a bit skeptical if this was even going to work for me. I was intrigued by the premise and the synopsis definitely piqued my interest but I wasn't certain if this type of story and I would mesh well. I needn't have been worried though because this story blew me away. I was so impressed with the storytelling and how the plot was executed.
The characters in this book really make this book stand out. They are so well-written and have so much depth. The character development was insanely personal and thorough. The characters felt so real and tangible. All of the secondary characters in this book also brought a layer of depth to the story and added a balance that just fit perfectly in the story.
I am not personally familiar with traumatic brain injuries but I felt that the disability representation was respectful and accurate. It was clear that the author put in the time to research the topic and presented a realistic depiction for her story. She was thoughtful and sensitive about the topic and made it feel wholly genuine and authentic in her story. I was impressed.
I also felt like the bullying aspect in this book was also written in a realistic and sensitive way. It could potentially be triggering for anyone that has experienced bullying but Oram is compassionate while staying true to the facts. She doesn't pull her punches but she is also very tactful.
Don't get me started on the romance in this book because LAWD. Be prepared to cry yourself a river when reading this. This love story is truly one of the great ones. The way that Noah and Lily come together is tragic and full of pain but it is also beautiful and uplifting. I love how Noah and Lily were a spot of strength in each other's lives. They truly brought out the best in each other and, my god, it was heartwarming. They had a natural chemistry that was undeniable. I loved that Lily just got Noah and didn't have a hard time communicating with him as other people did. She saw past his disability and saw Noah. Thinking back on it to write this review just makes my heart ache because it was so beautiful.
Forgiveness was also a huge theme in this story. Not only between Noah and Lily but there were many characters that sought forgiveness for various reasons. It was a really emotional read but so satisfying.
Overall, I want to shout my love for this book from the rooftops because wow. If you love impactful stories that touch your heart and have immeasurably memorable characters then you'll want to pick this one up ASAP. I really can't express how much I adore this book. This book packs on the feels and you will be grateful for all the emotions you experience and all the tears that you shed while reading this.
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June 18, 2022
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Starburst Effect was interesting. It definitely had its pros and cons. For example, it took me a while to get into it. Don't get me wrong, it definitely ended on a happier note, but it didn't start off on one. In this, you will meet Lily. Now she's constantly bullied by these pretentious assholes. So, it was definitely interesting to see when one of them gets a swift kick from karma. Okay, I lied, it was interesting when they all got their own dose of karma.
Lily isn't the only one suffering throughout her senior year. Nope, Noah gets seriously injured and ends up with a disability. Even though he's her biggest bully, she is the only ally he has. Mostly because his friends are huge assholes and ditch him. It also doesn't help that they start bullying him either.
I'll be honest here, I hated so many people in this book. I don't condone bullying - ever. Especially when it comes to someone's disability. It hit a little too close to home because my brother was bullied a lot in school. It was because of his disability too and no one - not even teachers - knew how to deal with him or the situation. So, yeah, this just reminded me of the bullshit he went through and how I couldn't do anything about it since I was in a different school at the time.
Besides my past, I liked how Noah was different after the accident. He felt sorry for how he treated Lily and how his friends treated her. Even though he doesn't remember everything that happened, I think their time together helped grow a pretty strong bond between them. Of course, there's still lots of drama but people started to see how shitty they truly were. Popularity isn't everything if you are giving up who you are in the process of finding friends.
In the end, I'm honestly happy that I got the chance to jump into this. I do wish that the ending wasn't so rushed though. Still, it was good and made me emotional.
The Starburst Effect was interesting. It definitely had its pros and cons. For example, it took me a while to get into it. Don't get me wrong, it definitely ended on a happier note, but it didn't start off on one. In this, you will meet Lily. Now she's constantly bullied by these pretentious assholes. So, it was definitely interesting to see when one of them gets a swift kick from karma. Okay, I lied, it was interesting when they all got their own dose of karma.
Lily isn't the only one suffering throughout her senior year. Nope, Noah gets seriously injured and ends up with a disability. Even though he's her biggest bully, she is the only ally he has. Mostly because his friends are huge assholes and ditch him. It also doesn't help that they start bullying him either.
I'll be honest here, I hated so many people in this book. I don't condone bullying - ever. Especially when it comes to someone's disability. It hit a little too close to home because my brother was bullied a lot in school. It was because of his disability too and no one - not even teachers - knew how to deal with him or the situation. So, yeah, this just reminded me of the bullshit he went through and how I couldn't do anything about it since I was in a different school at the time.
Besides my past, I liked how Noah was different after the accident. He felt sorry for how he treated Lily and how his friends treated her. Even though he doesn't remember everything that happened, I think their time together helped grow a pretty strong bond between them. Of course, there's still lots of drama but people started to see how shitty they truly were. Popularity isn't everything if you are giving up who you are in the process of finding friends.
In the end, I'm honestly happy that I got the chance to jump into this. I do wish that the ending wasn't so rushed though. Still, it was good and made me emotional.
April 2, 2023
The Starburst Effect by Kelly Oram ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book is such a unique and realistic description of high school. It was very emotional and relatable. Most people simply are mean and rude just because they can. They just don't understand how it affects the one they're targeting.
The accident was a real eye-opener to Noah who bullied Lily for no apparent reason. He got permanent brain damage which left him with several mental disabilities. His friends abandoned him and he was in the same level of social circle as the 'Trash' he had nicknamed Lily.
I loved Lily, Mason, and Susan the most. I was a bit reluctant about Zoe, but I was right about her anyway. Lily was such a patient and understanding character, it was really heartfelt. Her struggles and experiences were so inspiring.
Noah eventually won my heart like he won Lily's. The author did an extraordinary job expressing Noah's frays dealing with his problems. I am really impressed by the ending of the story and the character developments in the previously disliked characters of mine like Lily's mom, dad, Zoe and Austin.
Overall, it's a wonderful book and I'd really love to read more of Kelly's novels.
This book is such a unique and realistic description of high school. It was very emotional and relatable. Most people simply are mean and rude just because they can. They just don't understand how it affects the one they're targeting.
The accident was a real eye-opener to Noah who bullied Lily for no apparent reason. He got permanent brain damage which left him with several mental disabilities. His friends abandoned him and he was in the same level of social circle as the 'Trash' he had nicknamed Lily.
I loved Lily, Mason, and Susan the most. I was a bit reluctant about Zoe, but I was right about her anyway. Lily was such a patient and understanding character, it was really heartfelt. Her struggles and experiences were so inspiring.
Noah eventually won my heart like he won Lily's. The author did an extraordinary job expressing Noah's frays dealing with his problems. I am really impressed by the ending of the story and the character developments in the previously disliked characters of mine like Lily's mom, dad, Zoe and Austin.
Overall, it's a wonderful book and I'd really love to read more of Kelly's novels.
July 14, 2022
BASIC FACTS:
Pages: 304
My rating: 4
Genre: ya
Protagonist Ages: 17
Pacing: slow but good
Plot Rating: 4
This book is about how judgement doesn’t allow people to get to know each other. It’s about forgiveness. I am sorry to say this, but even after reading this very cute and sweet book my favorite book is Cinder & Ella by the same author. But don’t get me wrong: I loved this book too and it is entertaining and I already recommended it to a gr friend of mine and will recommend it in the future.
The Characters: Names and descriptions of the persons
Summery: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
July 25, 2022
The Starburst Effect is the name given to the aftereffects of a traumatic brain injury. While the point of impact will bear the brunt, the ripples and aftereffects will spread out. In this book, Oram allows us some insight into what happens after such an event.
Lily is a senior, and wants to go to college to study journalism. Unfortunately, her best friend has become obsessed with fitting in, her parents are constantly arguing and she lives next door to Noah, the star quarterback, who is responsible for the bullying she experiences on a daily basis. When Noah is injured during a school football game he is put into a coma for months, and then has to learn how to do the most basic things.
Not, perhaps, wholly believable but Noah and Lily end up becoming friends when he returns from hospital. While this shift might seem rather unlikely, it offered a valuable insight into their lives and experiences. It was hard not to fall for Noah after seeing how he copes with these new experiences. The cruelty shown to both these characters was hard to take, but they are great together. A timely reminder that we never know what others are going through, and taking time to think of their circumstances might make a difference.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.
Lily is a senior, and wants to go to college to study journalism. Unfortunately, her best friend has become obsessed with fitting in, her parents are constantly arguing and she lives next door to Noah, the star quarterback, who is responsible for the bullying she experiences on a daily basis. When Noah is injured during a school football game he is put into a coma for months, and then has to learn how to do the most basic things.
Not, perhaps, wholly believable but Noah and Lily end up becoming friends when he returns from hospital. While this shift might seem rather unlikely, it offered a valuable insight into their lives and experiences. It was hard not to fall for Noah after seeing how he copes with these new experiences. The cruelty shown to both these characters was hard to take, but they are great together. A timely reminder that we never know what others are going through, and taking time to think of their circumstances might make a difference.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.
June 4, 2022
So excited to be reading a new Kelly Oram book! It's felt like forever since I've read a new book of hers.
Overall, I enjoyed this a lot. I read it in less than a day because I couldn't put it down. Noah and Lily's story was both heartwarming and cute, and many moments had me smiling.
One caveat that I'll add is that while I love books with disability representation, I'm always a little hesitant about books by authors that don't have that disability or don't have at minimum a personal connection to that disability.
I don't personally know anyone who has a connection to someone with a TBI, and in the acknowledgements Oram noted that she didn't interact with anyone with a TBI directly during her research. It does seem like she interviewed people who knew someone with a TBI, which is still good but not quite the same as interviewing those directly impacted by a TBI. Because of this, I'm not sure how accurate the portrayal of Noah's disability was.
That being said, I do think Oram portrayed Noah's situation with nuance and in a way that wasn't overly positive or "inspirational," and nothing stood out to me as glaringly problematic. I'd be very interested in seeing what others think about the TBI representation.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Overall, I enjoyed this a lot. I read it in less than a day because I couldn't put it down. Noah and Lily's story was both heartwarming and cute, and many moments had me smiling.
One caveat that I'll add is that while I love books with disability representation, I'm always a little hesitant about books by authors that don't have that disability or don't have at minimum a personal connection to that disability.
I don't personally know anyone who has a connection to someone with a TBI, and in the acknowledgements Oram noted that she didn't interact with anyone with a TBI directly during her research. It does seem like she interviewed people who knew someone with a TBI, which is still good but not quite the same as interviewing those directly impacted by a TBI. Because of this, I'm not sure how accurate the portrayal of Noah's disability was.
That being said, I do think Oram portrayed Noah's situation with nuance and in a way that wasn't overly positive or "inspirational," and nothing stood out to me as glaringly problematic. I'd be very interested in seeing what others think about the TBI representation.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
December 16, 2023
Hab mich sehr gefreut, endlich wieder was von Kelly Oram zu lesen!
Lily will eigentlich jut ihr letztes Jahr an der Highschool überstehen, doch dann lassen sich ihre Eltern scheiden und sie wird Ziel einer Mobbingattacke in der Schule. Ihr größter Widersacher: Noah, der ausgerechnet ihr Nachbar ist. Nachdem dieser jedoch einen schweren Sportunfall erleidet, soll ausgerechnet Lily mit ihm in der Schule zusammen arbeiten. Doch seit dem Unfall ist Noah ein anderer Mensch und Lily muss sich entscheiden, ob sie ihn vergeben will.
Vor allem im ersten Drittel habe ich so mit Lily mitgelitten. Sie musste mit 17 eine sehr große Bürde tragen, indem sie für ihren kleinen Bruder da sein musste. Zusätzlich wurde ihr das Leben in der Schule zur Hölle gemacht. Sie war mir von den Figuren echt die sympathischste (mit ihrem Bruder Mason), denn sie stand immer im Zwist zwischen ihrem Leben und derer anderer.
Bei Noah bin ich sehr zwigespalten. Einerseits habe ich sehr mit ihm mitgelitten nachdem er den Unfall hatte. Doch er wirkte oftmals sehr Besitzergreifend und fast toxisch.
Ebenso toxisch empfand ich die Freundschaft zwischen Lily und Zoey.
Die Geschichte, vor allem das Thema, fand ich gut und spannend. Zu Beginn hatte ich etwas Angst vor dem Trope dieses Buches, doch es hat sich nicht bewahrheitet. Sie zeigte, wie schwer es sein kann, sich selbst zu akzeptieren und das beste aus seinem Leben z machen. Allerdings wurde das letzte Drittel meiner Ansicht nach etwas zu konstruiert, was Drama anging, bis es zum Ende hin doch eher toxisch wurde.
Insgesamt mochte ich die Geschichte von Lily und Noah sehr gerne. Vor allem die Thematik nach seinen Sportunfall hat mich sehr überzeugt. Dennoch erwiesen sich viele Beziehungen in dem Buch als toxisch, was ich sehr schade fand. Aber ein großer Lichtblick der Geschichte waren gleich 2 Crossover zu anderen Büchern der Autorin, weswegen ich ganz bald mit Alice in Lala Land starten muss!
Lily will eigentlich jut ihr letztes Jahr an der Highschool überstehen, doch dann lassen sich ihre Eltern scheiden und sie wird Ziel einer Mobbingattacke in der Schule. Ihr größter Widersacher: Noah, der ausgerechnet ihr Nachbar ist. Nachdem dieser jedoch einen schweren Sportunfall erleidet, soll ausgerechnet Lily mit ihm in der Schule zusammen arbeiten. Doch seit dem Unfall ist Noah ein anderer Mensch und Lily muss sich entscheiden, ob sie ihn vergeben will.
Vor allem im ersten Drittel habe ich so mit Lily mitgelitten. Sie musste mit 17 eine sehr große Bürde tragen, indem sie für ihren kleinen Bruder da sein musste. Zusätzlich wurde ihr das Leben in der Schule zur Hölle gemacht. Sie war mir von den Figuren echt die sympathischste (mit ihrem Bruder Mason), denn sie stand immer im Zwist zwischen ihrem Leben und derer anderer.
Bei Noah bin ich sehr zwigespalten. Einerseits habe ich sehr mit ihm mitgelitten nachdem er den Unfall hatte. Doch er wirkte oftmals sehr Besitzergreifend und fast toxisch.
Ebenso toxisch empfand ich die Freundschaft zwischen Lily und Zoey.
Die Geschichte, vor allem das Thema, fand ich gut und spannend. Zu Beginn hatte ich etwas Angst vor dem Trope dieses Buches, doch es hat sich nicht bewahrheitet. Sie zeigte, wie schwer es sein kann, sich selbst zu akzeptieren und das beste aus seinem Leben z machen. Allerdings wurde das letzte Drittel meiner Ansicht nach etwas zu konstruiert, was Drama anging, bis es zum Ende hin doch eher toxisch wurde.
Insgesamt mochte ich die Geschichte von Lily und Noah sehr gerne. Vor allem die Thematik nach seinen Sportunfall hat mich sehr überzeugt. Dennoch erwiesen sich viele Beziehungen in dem Buch als toxisch, was ich sehr schade fand. Aber ein großer Lichtblick der Geschichte waren gleich 2 Crossover zu anderen Büchern der Autorin, weswegen ich ganz bald mit Alice in Lala Land starten muss!
June 30, 2022
Complicated, Emotional
It's been awhile since I've read a YA book, especially one by this author. Author Kelly Oram is really good at creating characters and situations that are layered and complicated with plenty of emotion. This story felt real. It played out like a movie in my head. I was drawn to the characters and felt emotionally invested.
My takeaways: we really need to stop bullying. It's not okay at any age, for any reason. Try knowing people and understanding them, especially if they seem different than you. Loyalty is an awesome trait to have!
Content: bullying. Mild violence. Kissing. Swearing.
It's been awhile since I've read a YA book, especially one by this author. Author Kelly Oram is really good at creating characters and situations that are layered and complicated with plenty of emotion. This story felt real. It played out like a movie in my head. I was drawn to the characters and felt emotionally invested.
My takeaways: we really need to stop bullying. It's not okay at any age, for any reason. Try knowing people and understanding them, especially if they seem different than you. Loyalty is an awesome trait to have!
Content: bullying. Mild violence. Kissing. Swearing.
June 18, 2022
4.5 stars
This is the first book to make me cry in a while. It's emotional and centers around some tough issues, like bullying, divorce, traumatic brain injury and the resulting disabilities. For how much Noah is a bully at the beginning, I quickly changed how I felt about him when I saw him struggling and how much he changed. I've worked with kids that had TMI's before and it's unbelievable how a person can change so much. I thought this was a pretty realistic portrayal and appreciated the author's research.
Lily is having a pretty terrible senior year. Her parents are divorcing, putting her in charge of her brother, and she's getting bullied at school. I was angry about the bullying and wish she would have gone to administration to give them a chance to intervene. When Lily's biggest bully gets severely injured, they have a chance to do their relationship over. Lily being able to forgive Noah and move forward was big of her and not everyone could have let the past go. She became a relatable character after this, seeing her debate about what's most important and whether holding on to anger is worth it.
Noah is sweet and soft after his injury and I just wanted to protect him from everyone who was mean to him. I cannot imagine how frustrating and difficult it would be to overcome all of the obstacles Noah has and he does it with a smile most of the time. He and Lily were perfect together and I loved that she helped him help himself.
The ending was a bit rushed and felt unrealistic, which is why I knocked off half a star. I would have liked it to play out a bit longer, rather than have everything come together on one day and then end. Other than that, fantastic read with adorable main characters and an emotional plot.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Bluefields and NetGalley for the copy
This is the first book to make me cry in a while. It's emotional and centers around some tough issues, like bullying, divorce, traumatic brain injury and the resulting disabilities. For how much Noah is a bully at the beginning, I quickly changed how I felt about him when I saw him struggling and how much he changed. I've worked with kids that had TMI's before and it's unbelievable how a person can change so much. I thought this was a pretty realistic portrayal and appreciated the author's research.
Lily is having a pretty terrible senior year. Her parents are divorcing, putting her in charge of her brother, and she's getting bullied at school. I was angry about the bullying and wish she would have gone to administration to give them a chance to intervene. When Lily's biggest bully gets severely injured, they have a chance to do their relationship over. Lily being able to forgive Noah and move forward was big of her and not everyone could have let the past go. She became a relatable character after this, seeing her debate about what's most important and whether holding on to anger is worth it.
Noah is sweet and soft after his injury and I just wanted to protect him from everyone who was mean to him. I cannot imagine how frustrating and difficult it would be to overcome all of the obstacles Noah has and he does it with a smile most of the time. He and Lily were perfect together and I loved that she helped him help himself.
The ending was a bit rushed and felt unrealistic, which is why I knocked off half a star. I would have liked it to play out a bit longer, rather than have everything come together on one day and then end. Other than that, fantastic read with adorable main characters and an emotional plot.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Bluefields and NetGalley for the copy
January 19, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of The Starburst Effect. This is my opinion and honest review of the book.
This book was just adorable. I'm not one to read much YA, but the premise drew me in and the story did not disappoint. Lily is somewhat of an outcast, her parents constantly fight and are on the verge of divorce. Lily is pretty much raising her younger brother and juggling her friendship with her best friend Zoey. She is also being bullied by the most popular boy in school named Noah, who happens to be her neighbor. When tragedy strikes during a football game, Noah is left with brain damage and in the hospital for quite some time to recover. Once home, he starts to befriend Lily and her younger brother Mason. Lily has her guard up, as Noah used to be her bully. As the story unfolds, Lily realizes that Noah has changed and is not the same person he once was. A bond is formed between the two, as Lily and Noah work together to write his memoir about his recovery.
This was a huge enemies to lovers story and I have to say I enjoyed it.
This book was just adorable. I'm not one to read much YA, but the premise drew me in and the story did not disappoint. Lily is somewhat of an outcast, her parents constantly fight and are on the verge of divorce. Lily is pretty much raising her younger brother and juggling her friendship with her best friend Zoey. She is also being bullied by the most popular boy in school named Noah, who happens to be her neighbor. When tragedy strikes during a football game, Noah is left with brain damage and in the hospital for quite some time to recover. Once home, he starts to befriend Lily and her younger brother Mason. Lily has her guard up, as Noah used to be her bully. As the story unfolds, Lily realizes that Noah has changed and is not the same person he once was. A bond is formed between the two, as Lily and Noah work together to write his memoir about his recovery.
This was a huge enemies to lovers story and I have to say I enjoyed it.
May 18, 2022
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"Changes in personality are common with traumatic brain injuries. Memory issues, cognition problems, emotional outbursts, mood swings, fatigue, headaches...the list of possibilities is endless."
Man, I definitely closed the ebook thinking "what the eff did I just read?" which is not a thought that I typically have with YA romances. Let's talk about it.
I'm relatively new to Kelly Oram. I've read her novel Serial Hottie, which I actually quite liked, and her novella Sixteen Kisses, which was honestly kind of trash. So, a pretty mixed bag with my relationship with the author so far. Unfortunately, I think The Starburst Effect only served to further my confusion.
The summary does a good job synthesizing what it's about, so I won't bother re-hashing that. The TL;DR is that Noah bullied Lily before suffering a traumatic brain injury and now he's really nice and wants to be her boyfriend. That's a pretty epic simplification but it gets the job done.
From a technical standpoint, this book definitely needed a few more rounds of editing. On top of several grammar and spelling issues, there are basic continuity problems. For example, in one chapter Lily comments that she's never been inside Noah's house before when she was literally in it like, one chapter previously.
Now to the content -
The plot of this book is all over the place. Granted, it's a romance and is pretty character-driven, so I wasn't expecting a really developed plot. But like, even the book they're meant to be working on together is just a plot device. We're given no context for where Noah got this idea or why he decided to ask the school to help him pursue it. We're not shown any of the writing processes, besides having a few interviews be alluded to, and it really only comes up in the context of their relationship and its various dramas.
Lily, our MC, has a strong case of "not like other girls" syndrome. Like, there wouldn't be a book without that premise, it is pivotal to the text. I could put up with this, but it immediately knocked some of my enjoyment off that Oram relied so heavily on this trope.
Noah, our main man, is by far the most interesting character and I would've enjoyed getting to see a bit of his POV honestly. He's recovering from traumatic brain injury and will suffer from brain damage for the rest of his life. However, while I am hardly an expert, the way Noah behaves after his accident felt unrealistic to me. With the exception of a few moments where he was less than perfect, Noah is basically an epic sweetheart who sees the blessing in his injury, has a great attitude, and only really experiences some of the less trying symptoms of his condition (EG aphasia, which was honestly written in a cute way). Again, I'm no expert, but I've heard anecdotally that the mood swings suffered by people with this condition can be pretty rough, and a cursory Google supports this. Now, am I saying Oram didn't do her research? Absolutely not; I'm sure she did. But I think this is a YA Romance and we're supposed to love Noah, so some of the more trying parts of his condition were maybe, smoothed over? Please note - I could be way off base about this so if anyone has a TBI survivor in their life (or is one themselves) please feel free to correct me in the comments.
Most importantly, I did not feel the romantic chemistry between Lily and Noah. I thought they made wonderful, supportive friends, but I just didn't feel the tension that comes from romantic and sexual chemistry. This is 10000% personal opinion and didn't factor into my overall rating but definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book.
Okay, I've been pretty critical so far. What works in The Starburst Effect?
I wouldn't have expected this from what I've read of Oram previously, but this book has some interesting philosophical questions. Noah suffers something horrible but comes out of it a better person. Does this mean his injury was a good thing? What's it like for Noah to essentially wake up being a totally different person than he was before his coma? I appreciated that Oram didn't try to answer all these questions, but instead let the text raise the ideas for the reader to mull over.
While I didn't enjoy reading about it, the drama between Zoey and Lily rang pretty true to standard-high-school-girl-beef.
The best part of this book was the family dynamics between Lily, her brother, and their recently divorced parents. I really enjoyed Mason, her brother, who was by far the most legit character in the text.
In summary, a unique book for its sub-genre, but missed the mark for me by quite a bit.
"Changes in personality are common with traumatic brain injuries. Memory issues, cognition problems, emotional outbursts, mood swings, fatigue, headaches...the list of possibilities is endless."
Man, I definitely closed the ebook thinking "what the eff did I just read?" which is not a thought that I typically have with YA romances. Let's talk about it.
I'm relatively new to Kelly Oram. I've read her novel Serial Hottie, which I actually quite liked, and her novella Sixteen Kisses, which was honestly kind of trash. So, a pretty mixed bag with my relationship with the author so far. Unfortunately, I think The Starburst Effect only served to further my confusion.
The summary does a good job synthesizing what it's about, so I won't bother re-hashing that. The TL;DR is that Noah bullied Lily before suffering a traumatic brain injury and now he's really nice and wants to be her boyfriend. That's a pretty epic simplification but it gets the job done.
From a technical standpoint, this book definitely needed a few more rounds of editing. On top of several grammar and spelling issues, there are basic continuity problems. For example, in one chapter Lily comments that she's never been inside Noah's house before when she was literally in it like, one chapter previously.
Now to the content -
The plot of this book is all over the place. Granted, it's a romance and is pretty character-driven, so I wasn't expecting a really developed plot. But like, even the book they're meant to be working on together is just a plot device. We're given no context for where Noah got this idea or why he decided to ask the school to help him pursue it. We're not shown any of the writing processes, besides having a few interviews be alluded to, and it really only comes up in the context of their relationship and its various dramas.
Lily, our MC, has a strong case of "not like other girls" syndrome. Like, there wouldn't be a book without that premise, it is pivotal to the text. I could put up with this, but it immediately knocked some of my enjoyment off that Oram relied so heavily on this trope.
Noah, our main man, is by far the most interesting character and I would've enjoyed getting to see a bit of his POV honestly. He's recovering from traumatic brain injury and will suffer from brain damage for the rest of his life. However, while I am hardly an expert, the way Noah behaves after his accident felt unrealistic to me. With the exception of a few moments where he was less than perfect, Noah is basically an epic sweetheart who sees the blessing in his injury, has a great attitude, and only really experiences some of the less trying symptoms of his condition (EG aphasia, which was honestly written in a cute way). Again, I'm no expert, but I've heard anecdotally that the mood swings suffered by people with this condition can be pretty rough, and a cursory Google supports this. Now, am I saying Oram didn't do her research? Absolutely not; I'm sure she did. But I think this is a YA Romance and we're supposed to love Noah, so some of the more trying parts of his condition were maybe, smoothed over? Please note - I could be way off base about this so if anyone has a TBI survivor in their life (or is one themselves) please feel free to correct me in the comments.
Most importantly, I did not feel the romantic chemistry between Lily and Noah. I thought they made wonderful, supportive friends, but I just didn't feel the tension that comes from romantic and sexual chemistry. This is 10000% personal opinion and didn't factor into my overall rating but definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book.
Okay, I've been pretty critical so far. What works in The Starburst Effect?
I wouldn't have expected this from what I've read of Oram previously, but this book has some interesting philosophical questions. Noah suffers something horrible but comes out of it a better person. Does this mean his injury was a good thing? What's it like for Noah to essentially wake up being a totally different person than he was before his coma? I appreciated that Oram didn't try to answer all these questions, but instead let the text raise the ideas for the reader to mull over.
While I didn't enjoy reading about it, the drama between Zoey and Lily rang pretty true to standard-high-school-girl-beef.
The best part of this book was the family dynamics between Lily, her brother, and their recently divorced parents. I really enjoyed Mason, her brother, who was by far the most legit character in the text.
In summary, a unique book for its sub-genre, but missed the mark for me by quite a bit.
May 13, 2022
I am decidedly a Kelly Oram fanatic, and would happily read her shopping list if she deigned to publish it, but don't let that diminish what I am about to type.
This may be one of her best books ever. I am not huge on the redemption of jerks trope, but somehow she had me sobbing for both MCs towards the end of the book.
This story is up there with Cinder and Ella for creating characters so heartbreaking and real, while showing how awful and wonderful humans can be to each other.
Also, bonus for all the Easter eggs to her other books.
Definitely recommended, but bring tissues.
This may be one of her best books ever. I am not huge on the redemption of jerks trope, but somehow she had me sobbing for both MCs towards the end of the book.
This story is up there with Cinder and Ella for creating characters so heartbreaking and real, while showing how awful and wonderful humans can be to each other.
Also, bonus for all the Easter eggs to her other books.
Definitely recommended, but bring tissues.
May 26, 2022
What happens when the school’s quarterback and biggest bully is shunned by the in-crowd and made fun of after a football injury? What happens if the girl next door was his biggest bullying target, but everything changes after his injury? Dig into this well-written YA Contemporary to find out!
The Starburst Effect is both the title of the book, and another way to say concussion, or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Noah, the love interest, was the captain and quarterback of his high school football team until he got knocked down really hard during a game, resulting in a concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury. Author Kelly Oram does a great job showing how serious the TBI is and the many ways it creates challenges in Noah’s daily life. The concussion is handled realistically and it respects the fact that Noah has retained his knowledge, it’s just being accessed differently.
The TBI, and all its cognitive and psychological challenges, give Noah a new perspective on everything in his life, and he doesn’t mind that his former friends turn on him. The in-crowd and top bullies in the school, his ex-girlfriend and fellow football teammates, now laugh at his expense, at how different he seems. But it doesn’t bother him. It’s when Noah gets close to Lily, the girl living next door to him, that the bullying bothers him – because his former friends are bullying her.
Lily has never done anything to the high school jock living next to her; she has no idea what won his attention and contempt. It seems that being neighbors put her at the disadvantage of being nearby when the school’s most popular crowd comes and goes from Noah’s house, and Noah himself starts the most vicious of all the bullying – right before getting injured on the football field.
Lily is facing multiple challenges all at once, she’s losing friends due to the bullying and she’s taking care of her younger brother, all while trying to pretend that her parents deciding to get divorced doesn’t bother her so much. She may even be losing scholarship opportunities for college because she’s closed herself off in order to cope with it all. She desperately wants to go away for college and escape all the bad things happening all around her, so she joins forces with Noah in a school sanctioned Independent Study, to help him write a book about his TBI experience.
As Lily gets to know post-accident Noah, she realizes that his values and priorities have truly changed. Despite her best efforts, sparks fly between the two of them, and the PG romance that follows is sweet and heartwarming.
#TheStarburstEffect #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. Read more reviews! http://dreamerjbookreviews.blogspot.com
The Starburst Effect is both the title of the book, and another way to say concussion, or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Noah, the love interest, was the captain and quarterback of his high school football team until he got knocked down really hard during a game, resulting in a concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury. Author Kelly Oram does a great job showing how serious the TBI is and the many ways it creates challenges in Noah’s daily life. The concussion is handled realistically and it respects the fact that Noah has retained his knowledge, it’s just being accessed differently.
The TBI, and all its cognitive and psychological challenges, give Noah a new perspective on everything in his life, and he doesn’t mind that his former friends turn on him. The in-crowd and top bullies in the school, his ex-girlfriend and fellow football teammates, now laugh at his expense, at how different he seems. But it doesn’t bother him. It’s when Noah gets close to Lily, the girl living next door to him, that the bullying bothers him – because his former friends are bullying her.
Lily has never done anything to the high school jock living next to her; she has no idea what won his attention and contempt. It seems that being neighbors put her at the disadvantage of being nearby when the school’s most popular crowd comes and goes from Noah’s house, and Noah himself starts the most vicious of all the bullying – right before getting injured on the football field.
Lily is facing multiple challenges all at once, she’s losing friends due to the bullying and she’s taking care of her younger brother, all while trying to pretend that her parents deciding to get divorced doesn’t bother her so much. She may even be losing scholarship opportunities for college because she’s closed herself off in order to cope with it all. She desperately wants to go away for college and escape all the bad things happening all around her, so she joins forces with Noah in a school sanctioned Independent Study, to help him write a book about his TBI experience.
As Lily gets to know post-accident Noah, she realizes that his values and priorities have truly changed. Despite her best efforts, sparks fly between the two of them, and the PG romance that follows is sweet and heartwarming.
#TheStarburstEffect #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. Read more reviews! http://dreamerjbookreviews.blogspot.com
July 5, 2022
I liked this book a lot. 3.5 stars. It had a very unique premise, with the bully-turned-hero following a personality-changing traumatic brain injury his Senior year.
His transformation was completely believable. His regret was entirely sincere and I was on board with Lily forgiving him. I loved their interactions. I felt like the author did a relatively good job of painting him to be a whole person inside and still having a lot to offer in an equal partner relationship.
Still, the book was very heavy, especially with the severe bullying happening to a few characters.
The heroine is tormented by bullies at school, dumped by all her friends, her parents divorce, neither her mom and dad are available (emotionally or physically), she basically has to raise her 10-yr old little brother (who is an ADORABLE side character btw- and I don’t even like child characters in books!), she thinks she can no longer attend college away from home, and her life just all around sucks.
It was super depressing.
There are a LOT of tears in this book from multiple characters, and I felt like crying myself sometimes.
There’s a period when there’s some happiness that diminishes all the sad in her life, but that ends in a horrible negative-motivation trope that I hated. Then, with practically a page left to the book, that hurdle is finally cleared and everything is happy.
I liked the ending, but it was too little too late. I still had resentment toward the hero who hurt her for 5 long weeks. I’m a huge fan of forgiveness, but I had a hard time reconciling how they could still be a-okay after what happened, and at the end I still felt betrayed on behalf of the heroine. At the same time, I understood that they had to prove themselves…
I don’t know. When the book was good, it was so good. But when the book was sad, it was super sad. And I don’t think the good outweighed the sad. Not in page count and not in the emotional toll.
There’s a lot of emotional pain and betrayal to work through. A lot of necessary forgiveness, and at the very end even though she forgave both of them quickly, I actually still resented the best friend (don’t be roommates with her- you can’t trust her anymore, Lily! Move on!) as well as the hero, sadly.
And I don’t like that feeling.
So my dissatisfaction makes me sad. Because I really enjoyed the book until that last part. If it just hadn’t lasted so long in the book… then I guess it wouldn’t have been so traumatic for me.
As soon as the hero heard the heroine confess to his mother, he should have changed his mind, but it took longer, and maybe that’s what bothered me most.
Anyway, I think this is a “it’s just me” case. Others may be totally satisfied at the end.
The writing was exceptional. Some editing errors but they didn’t bother me too bad. The feels were tangible! I felt all the emotions the characters had. And those characters were so fleshed out. It was a great book in that regard.
It also had some very uplifting themes. Like overcoming trials, forgiving, redemption, swallowing pride, kindness, loyalty, and supporting people with disabilities, to name a few.
Also, as I said, I loved Lily’s relationship with her sweet little brother. That was so tender.
So in a nutshell, I really liked it with a big caveat.
Content:
Language- minimal swearing (2 b-words, no f-words)
Sex- no sex or talk of sex, or sexual innuendo at all. Some kissing.
I read this on KU
Cover- just okay.
His transformation was completely believable. His regret was entirely sincere and I was on board with Lily forgiving him. I loved their interactions. I felt like the author did a relatively good job of painting him to be a whole person inside and still having a lot to offer in an equal partner relationship.
Still, the book was very heavy, especially with the severe bullying happening to a few characters.
The heroine is tormented by bullies at school, dumped by all her friends, her parents divorce, neither her mom and dad are available (emotionally or physically), she basically has to raise her 10-yr old little brother (who is an ADORABLE side character btw- and I don’t even like child characters in books!), she thinks she can no longer attend college away from home, and her life just all around sucks.
It was super depressing.
There are a LOT of tears in this book from multiple characters, and I felt like crying myself sometimes.
There’s a period when there’s some happiness that diminishes all the sad in her life, but that ends in a horrible negative-motivation trope that I hated. Then, with practically a page left to the book, that hurdle is finally cleared and everything is happy.
I liked the ending, but it was too little too late. I still had resentment toward the hero who hurt her for 5 long weeks. I’m a huge fan of forgiveness, but I had a hard time reconciling how they could still be a-okay after what happened, and at the end I still felt betrayed on behalf of the heroine. At the same time, I understood that they had to prove themselves…
I don’t know. When the book was good, it was so good. But when the book was sad, it was super sad. And I don’t think the good outweighed the sad. Not in page count and not in the emotional toll.
There’s a lot of emotional pain and betrayal to work through. A lot of necessary forgiveness, and at the very end even though she forgave both of them quickly, I actually still resented the best friend (don’t be roommates with her- you can’t trust her anymore, Lily! Move on!) as well as the hero, sadly.
And I don’t like that feeling.
So my dissatisfaction makes me sad. Because I really enjoyed the book until that last part. If it just hadn’t lasted so long in the book… then I guess it wouldn’t have been so traumatic for me.
As soon as the hero heard the heroine confess to his mother, he should have changed his mind, but it took longer, and maybe that’s what bothered me most.
Anyway, I think this is a “it’s just me” case. Others may be totally satisfied at the end.
The writing was exceptional. Some editing errors but they didn’t bother me too bad. The feels were tangible! I felt all the emotions the characters had. And those characters were so fleshed out. It was a great book in that regard.
It also had some very uplifting themes. Like overcoming trials, forgiving, redemption, swallowing pride, kindness, loyalty, and supporting people with disabilities, to name a few.
Also, as I said, I loved Lily’s relationship with her sweet little brother. That was so tender.
So in a nutshell, I really liked it with a big caveat.
Content:
Language- minimal swearing (2 b-words, no f-words)
Sex- no sex or talk of sex, or sexual innuendo at all. Some kissing.
I read this on KU
Cover- just okay.
August 1, 2023
I was scrolling on my kindle one day trying to find some books to read, and I come across this book. The cover and title were catchy (Not that you should judge a book by it's cover!), so I read the summery and as soon as it mentioned a tragic accident, falling head over heels, and a boy who was forever to change a girls life, I caved and downloaded the book. I stared reading and instantly I fall in love with the book.
We enter Lily's house and instantly we learn her home life is not stable. Her mom is drunk as drunk, and her dad is barely home. That's a 0/10 guys, 0/10. So naturally, when her dad walks in the house her parents begin arguing, wanting to be in her house is the last thing Lily wants to do. I think she's definitely relived to receive a call from her best friend, Zoey. She takes her call outside and sits on the curb chatting. A minute later, a truck comes to a very fast stop right where Lily is sitting and nearly gives her a heart attack. I mean, I get scared very easily so maybe I would have actually had one. But anyway, the truck driver is the school bully and Lily's next door neighbor-Noah. Noah's that popular guy whos hot, cocky, and the starting quarterback. But he's mean. No question about it. Until his accident.
Then suddenly he's this nice guy, the guy under the face he put on for school. Suddenly he's not popular anymore. And suddenly...him and Lily hit it off. Not at first, because Lily doesn't trust him and still has a lot going on in her life. Slowly though, she gets to know Noah and all his trials while dealing with a best friend breakup, her family falling apart, and looming college.
I like this book because it has some mystery to it you know? We don't know everything about anyone until we read farther into the book. The suspense is wonderful, the background is heart wrenching, and the feelings the writer has you feeling..just wow. I'm very very impressed with this book.
It does cover some crazy stuff though. It was a bit uncomfortable for me to look into this girls life without feeling like I was spying on her. She goes through some rough stuff.
Another thing is that there is some mild swearing, but there's no explicit content. I think it would probably be rated PG if it was a movie. Over all-I love this book. 10/10.
We enter Lily's house and instantly we learn her home life is not stable. Her mom is drunk as drunk, and her dad is barely home. That's a 0/10 guys, 0/10. So naturally, when her dad walks in the house her parents begin arguing, wanting to be in her house is the last thing Lily wants to do. I think she's definitely relived to receive a call from her best friend, Zoey. She takes her call outside and sits on the curb chatting. A minute later, a truck comes to a very fast stop right where Lily is sitting and nearly gives her a heart attack. I mean, I get scared very easily so maybe I would have actually had one. But anyway, the truck driver is the school bully and Lily's next door neighbor-Noah. Noah's that popular guy whos hot, cocky, and the starting quarterback. But he's mean. No question about it. Until his accident.
Then suddenly he's this nice guy, the guy under the face he put on for school. Suddenly he's not popular anymore. And suddenly...him and Lily hit it off. Not at first, because Lily doesn't trust him and still has a lot going on in her life. Slowly though, she gets to know Noah and all his trials while dealing with a best friend breakup, her family falling apart, and looming college.
I like this book because it has some mystery to it you know? We don't know everything about anyone until we read farther into the book. The suspense is wonderful, the background is heart wrenching, and the feelings the writer has you feeling..just wow. I'm very very impressed with this book.
It does cover some crazy stuff though. It was a bit uncomfortable for me to look into this girls life without feeling like I was spying on her. She goes through some rough stuff.
Another thing is that there is some mild swearing, but there's no explicit content. I think it would probably be rated PG if it was a movie. Over all-I love this book. 10/10.
August 30, 2022
The book cover was the first thing to get my attention. It’s so cute, right? The author’s a familiar one too – I’ve read a couple of Kelly Oram’s contemporaries and I enjoyed the romantic comedies best, namely The Avery Shaw Experiment & If We Were a Movie.
The Starburst Effect has all the vagaries of high school – the popularity hierarchy, the turmoil and angst of being a teen with a kind heart, trying to do the right thing while being harassed by the bully next door. You can’t help but empathize with Lily who has a little brother to look out for.
Noah is your typical jerk, gorgeous, popular, a jock, and a bully. I wanted to punch him for everything he put Lily through. Then the accident happens. And everything changes. Noah learns firsthand the repercussions of his actions and the meaning of kindness and true friendship rather than the fake life he’d been living.
This story is a rollercoaster of emotions. It will make you angry and sad, make you laugh and cry. It’s filled with poignant emotions and a realness that will tug at your heartstrings.
Stay tuned.
∼Lyn
Posted on Blog
*Thanks to NetGalley e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2022
I'm really shocked that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to, specially that I am very familiar with the author and I really like her writings
The story is about Lily, she is in her senior year at high school but nothing is going her way in any area of her life, her parents got a divorce and she is being bullied by her classmates in school, specially by her neighbor QB Noah, but suddenly Noah get hit while he was in a match and he gets a brain injury, and that changes his whole personality and he begins by making it up for Lily for all the times he bullied her by helping him write a book about his experience and that sets them both in a journey of self discovery and learning the true meaning of love, care and true friendship
I really didn't get Noah and Lily's relationship, it felt so forced and unnatural that I really couldn't root for them .. and Zoey ?? ugh !! let's just say I couldn't care about any of the characters in this book (maybe Noah's Mom and Mason ) but I felt mostly bored while reading the book
I liked that the book ended in a very good note which is rare in books nowadays and it's extremely clean and emotional that reminded me of Simone Elkeles writings .. I hoped it would be better but it was an OK read for me
The story is about Lily, she is in her senior year at high school but nothing is going her way in any area of her life, her parents got a divorce and she is being bullied by her classmates in school, specially by her neighbor QB Noah, but suddenly Noah get hit while he was in a match and he gets a brain injury, and that changes his whole personality and he begins by making it up for Lily for all the times he bullied her by helping him write a book about his experience and that sets them both in a journey of self discovery and learning the true meaning of love, care and true friendship
I really didn't get Noah and Lily's relationship, it felt so forced and unnatural that I really couldn't root for them .. and Zoey ?? ugh !! let's just say I couldn't care about any of the characters in this book (maybe Noah's Mom and Mason ) but I felt mostly bored while reading the book
I liked that the book ended in a very good note which is rare in books nowadays and it's extremely clean and emotional that reminded me of Simone Elkeles writings .. I hoped it would be better but it was an OK read for me
August 5, 2024
Going forward, I think Kelly Oram will be my go-to author for YA books.
This book was so good. It had a lot of difficult issues but never got too bogged down. There was so much growth in certain characters, and I loved seeing it.
5 Stars
Content: kissing, divorce, scattered language, bullying
This book was so good. It had a lot of difficult issues but never got too bogged down. There was so much growth in certain characters, and I loved seeing it.
5 Stars
Content: kissing, divorce, scattered language, bullying
June 23, 2025
Just finished reading this (was lucky enough to be given an ARC), review coming soon but let's just say I enjoyed it quite a bit
February 21, 2025
I got half way through this book and I just couldn’t finish it, it was so bad
June 16, 2022
4/4.25 ⭐️
When it came to The Starburst Effect, there was going to be no stopping me from wanting to read it. Especially with having been a fan of Kelly Oram since first discovering her through her book Cinder and Ella.
From the get go Kelly had me drowning in all the feels that The Starburst Effect kept throwing my way, with Lilith ‘Lily’ Rosemont and Noah Trask’s story.
More than a few times, all within the first 25% the emotions got to me so much, it had me on the cusp of tears. Which was unexpected to say the least.
But then again with a narrative that was overly emotionally charged all throughout, due to the touching on some sensitive subject matters, and the situations and events that took place it wasn’t all surprising.
When it came to Lily you could see she was going through a lot due to her struggles with the bullying and problems at home with her parents divorcing.
It had my heart breaking for her seeing her break down and turn in on herself, even with her best friend trying to help and support her she was mostly going at it alone. Causing her more pain and sadness. And even though she tried her hardest to cope, you could see it was taking a toll on her causing her life to fall apart.
As for Noah, while he did make me hate him in the beginning with his behaviour towards Lily. After the accident you start to see a different side to him, giving him a reality check. Seeing how he use to be prior to his accident that left him with TBI (traumatic brain injury), with now having to deal with the changes his life faced. The biggest being his position in popularity plummet to the bottom, leading to a fall out with his friends.
Taking into consideration their lives and the changes that came along the way, led to being put through a rollercoaster ride of a journey that was full of many ups and downs from all the drama and angsty-ness. As well as ultimately an outpour of emotions, which wasn’t surprising when you took into account everything Lily and Noah both were dealing with in their lives individually and when they eventually came together. Of which Kelly ensured was made clear and known with Lily, since the story was told through her perspective.
Though IMO it would’ve been even better if it was dual POV, allowing us to see an in-depth look into Noah’s thoughts and feelings through his perspective.
While Lily and Noah may have started out as enemies, as the story went on especially after the accident we see their dynamic change. Making them go from enemies to friends to even something more as the story developed further. It allowed their relationship to be explored through the in-depth detail presented, whilst being showcased through an evenly pace. Seeing as there was many bumps and hurdles for Lily and Noah to overcome together and individually before they could move forward together. Though mostly in Lily’s case, since she was the one who had the power in her hand for forgiveness.
So Kelly definitely had me loving the moments where she brought in the other characters from her other books/series set in different worlds, by mentioning them in the story. Mainly because those were some of my favourite characters from my favourite books of hers. And it gave us a the tiniest peek into them with the update.
Kelly Oram definitely delivered with Lily and Noah’s story, creating a deeply beautiful, inspiring storyline that showcased growth with overcoming obstacles and hurdles thrown in the way. It was what made The Starburst Effect a great read overall.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When it came to The Starburst Effect, there was going to be no stopping me from wanting to read it. Especially with having been a fan of Kelly Oram since first discovering her through her book Cinder and Ella.
From the get go Kelly had me drowning in all the feels that The Starburst Effect kept throwing my way, with Lilith ‘Lily’ Rosemont and Noah Trask’s story.
More than a few times, all within the first 25% the emotions got to me so much, it had me on the cusp of tears. Which was unexpected to say the least.
But then again with a narrative that was overly emotionally charged all throughout, due to the touching on some sensitive subject matters, and the situations and events that took place it wasn’t all surprising.
When it came to Lily you could see she was going through a lot due to her struggles with the bullying and problems at home with her parents divorcing.
It had my heart breaking for her seeing her break down and turn in on herself, even with her best friend trying to help and support her she was mostly going at it alone. Causing her more pain and sadness. And even though she tried her hardest to cope, you could see it was taking a toll on her causing her life to fall apart.
As for Noah, while he did make me hate him in the beginning with his behaviour towards Lily. After the accident you start to see a different side to him, giving him a reality check. Seeing how he use to be prior to his accident that left him with TBI (traumatic brain injury), with now having to deal with the changes his life faced. The biggest being his position in popularity plummet to the bottom, leading to a fall out with his friends.
Taking into consideration their lives and the changes that came along the way, led to being put through a rollercoaster ride of a journey that was full of many ups and downs from all the drama and angsty-ness. As well as ultimately an outpour of emotions, which wasn’t surprising when you took into account everything Lily and Noah both were dealing with in their lives individually and when they eventually came together. Of which Kelly ensured was made clear and known with Lily, since the story was told through her perspective.
Though IMO it would’ve been even better if it was dual POV, allowing us to see an in-depth look into Noah’s thoughts and feelings through his perspective.
While Lily and Noah may have started out as enemies, as the story went on especially after the accident we see their dynamic change. Making them go from enemies to friends to even something more as the story developed further. It allowed their relationship to be explored through the in-depth detail presented, whilst being showcased through an evenly pace. Seeing as there was many bumps and hurdles for Lily and Noah to overcome together and individually before they could move forward together. Though mostly in Lily’s case, since she was the one who had the power in her hand for forgiveness.
So Kelly definitely had me loving the moments where she brought in the other characters from her other books/series set in different worlds, by mentioning them in the story. Mainly because those were some of my favourite characters from my favourite books of hers. And it gave us a the tiniest peek into them with the update.
Kelly Oram definitely delivered with Lily and Noah’s story, creating a deeply beautiful, inspiring storyline that showcased growth with overcoming obstacles and hurdles thrown in the way. It was what made The Starburst Effect a great read overall.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2022
I loved the YA vibe of this one while still tackling the hard topics as there were several to juggle. Noah Trask is Lily Rosemont's neighbor and tormentor. He doesn't miss an opportunity to put her down, especially in public, being that he's the star quarterback of the football team and one of the most popular and good looking guys in school. As for Lily, her life is imploding piece by piece. As if it wasn't enough that the boy she was seeing decided he wanted to see someone else without telling her, she's now become an obvious social pariah at school. The bullying is nonstop and cruel, with the intent to make Lily humiliated and ashamed. The taunting certainly achieves its goal, no thanks to Noah instigating it and having his crew take over.
When Noah has a serious accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), he has to start all over from scratch. Lily is approached to inquire if she can help Noah with an independent project that will require them to spend a lot of time together. I understood her conflict because why should she go out of her way to help someone who made her life miserable? Noah doesn't remember that part before the accident, but he is certainly appalled that he behaved that way. I do admire and respect Lily, that despite all of her hardships, she stuck with her morals and always took the high road no matter what the consequences were. She dealt with a lot of aftermath that most other teenagers would've completely crumbled apart from. As much as she hated how everything seemed to be tearing her apart, it also made her stronger in a way that she didn't notice until much later.
The whole experience of Noah and Lily interacting to become friends and more was an eye opener for both of them. As the reader, it seemed obvious to empathize with Lily because her family is struggling, her friends are ditching her, people don't want to associate with her and she's not welcome to any parties. However, watching Noah's struggles through Lily's eyes also depicted a different journey altogether on Noah's behalf, where simple things were so easily taken for granted. He needed a lot of assistance and he was constantly frustrated and wanted to be more independent. There's also a big lesson in forgiveness, which was not just between Noah and Lily, but with so many other characters, too. Maybe Lily was too soft-hearted and forgiving for some, but I think she held her ground well and made her voice heard, yet was able to understand the futility of hanging on to bitterness and resentment. If anything, other people and their actions did not define her and while there's closure in all regards for those disputes, a little part of me wanted her to hold her grudges a bit tighter or give people a harder time in asking for lenience. Noah, on the other hand, had a very interesting character transformation. He went from being hateful and despicable to someone we can all empathize with, even endearing and sensitive, to a person that everyone could be inspired by. This book definitely caught my attention regarding all of the various characters and relationship arcs happening and certainly only hope for the best for Noah and Lily in the future.
When Noah has a serious accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), he has to start all over from scratch. Lily is approached to inquire if she can help Noah with an independent project that will require them to spend a lot of time together. I understood her conflict because why should she go out of her way to help someone who made her life miserable? Noah doesn't remember that part before the accident, but he is certainly appalled that he behaved that way. I do admire and respect Lily, that despite all of her hardships, she stuck with her morals and always took the high road no matter what the consequences were. She dealt with a lot of aftermath that most other teenagers would've completely crumbled apart from. As much as she hated how everything seemed to be tearing her apart, it also made her stronger in a way that she didn't notice until much later.
The whole experience of Noah and Lily interacting to become friends and more was an eye opener for both of them. As the reader, it seemed obvious to empathize with Lily because her family is struggling, her friends are ditching her, people don't want to associate with her and she's not welcome to any parties. However, watching Noah's struggles through Lily's eyes also depicted a different journey altogether on Noah's behalf, where simple things were so easily taken for granted. He needed a lot of assistance and he was constantly frustrated and wanted to be more independent. There's also a big lesson in forgiveness, which was not just between Noah and Lily, but with so many other characters, too. Maybe Lily was too soft-hearted and forgiving for some, but I think she held her ground well and made her voice heard, yet was able to understand the futility of hanging on to bitterness and resentment. If anything, other people and their actions did not define her and while there's closure in all regards for those disputes, a little part of me wanted her to hold her grudges a bit tighter or give people a harder time in asking for lenience. Noah, on the other hand, had a very interesting character transformation. He went from being hateful and despicable to someone we can all empathize with, even endearing and sensitive, to a person that everyone could be inspired by. This book definitely caught my attention regarding all of the various characters and relationship arcs happening and certainly only hope for the best for Noah and Lily in the future.
October 22, 2025
"My accident gave me a new prescription on life. My friends ditching me showed me who I was, but you...You show me who I want to be. You make me better."
*3.5
This was honestly just a really sweet story. It is one that I know that only a few years ago would have been an easy five stars for me but I'm sticking with a comfortable three. The drama felt a little above and beyond even for a high school story--and I remain curious about why the main girl was bullied in the first place. (Not that bullies need a reason but it is just so random for her to be targeted and I always want a reason for stuff so maybe that's my own problem). I really did love how the romance developed and how the author treated mental health--yes there were humorous moments but the author made sure to emphasize that although you are living differently you can still live. (if that makes sense).
The romance was honestly just really sweet and I loved her full love and support for him. He was very conflicted throughout the whole story but she did her best to stand by him and be patient with him--it was very mature for a YA story.
The theme of divorce was five stars though because it was legitimately heartbreaking and, I felt, well written. (My parents are not divorced so I am not speaking with an expert opinion). Lily's (FMC) parents really made me mad because they made her take on a whole lot considering her age and also just having them fill in the basics of being a parent. Her little brother Mason, my favorite character, really made me tear up a few times but I loved his relationship with Lily especially as they both grappled with the divorce and with their less than reliable parents.
I want to end this review though with the theme that I think should not have been a part of this story. Forgiveness. Especially in regards to Lily's best friend, Zoey. I really do understand her motivations but Lily seemed to forgive her rather quickly considering how she spoke about Noah and how she abandoned Lily when she really needed a friend. I felt like Zoey barely tried to make it up to her and then suddenly at the end she was like "oh lets be friends again. Sorry." and Lily was like, "OK, cool." Maybe I am just a bitter, grudge-holding person but although forgiving someone is one thing, I would not allow them back into my life. But that's just me.
(The whole forgiveness thing reminded me of the end of the Chinese drama "Meteor Garden." IYKYK--although that was on another level.)
Overall, it was worth the read and made me excited to read Kelly Oram again. After rereading If We Were a Movie and going from five stars to one star in only a matter of a few years, I was really nervous. But this book was cute and did make me tear up a few times so it must have been doing something right. I definitely recommend reading this at least once.
Content: there is some language throughout, mild sexual innuendo, f/m kissing scenes but nothing too graphic, bullying, divorce, traumatic brain injury from sports
*3.5
This was honestly just a really sweet story. It is one that I know that only a few years ago would have been an easy five stars for me but I'm sticking with a comfortable three. The drama felt a little above and beyond even for a high school story--and I remain curious about why the main girl was bullied in the first place. (Not that bullies need a reason but it is just so random for her to be targeted and I always want a reason for stuff so maybe that's my own problem). I really did love how the romance developed and how the author treated mental health--yes there were humorous moments but the author made sure to emphasize that although you are living differently you can still live. (if that makes sense).
The romance was honestly just really sweet and I loved her full love and support for him. He was very conflicted throughout the whole story but she did her best to stand by him and be patient with him--it was very mature for a YA story.
The theme of divorce was five stars though because it was legitimately heartbreaking and, I felt, well written. (My parents are not divorced so I am not speaking with an expert opinion). Lily's (FMC) parents really made me mad because they made her take on a whole lot considering her age and also just having them fill in the basics of being a parent. Her little brother Mason, my favorite character, really made me tear up a few times but I loved his relationship with Lily especially as they both grappled with the divorce and with their less than reliable parents.
I want to end this review though with the theme that I think should not have been a part of this story. Forgiveness. Especially in regards to Lily's best friend, Zoey. I really do understand her motivations but Lily seemed to forgive her rather quickly considering how she spoke about Noah and how she abandoned Lily when she really needed a friend. I felt like Zoey barely tried to make it up to her and then suddenly at the end she was like "oh lets be friends again. Sorry." and Lily was like, "OK, cool." Maybe I am just a bitter, grudge-holding person but although forgiving someone is one thing, I would not allow them back into my life. But that's just me.
(The whole forgiveness thing reminded me of the end of the Chinese drama "Meteor Garden." IYKYK--although that was on another level.)
Overall, it was worth the read and made me excited to read Kelly Oram again. After rereading If We Were a Movie and going from five stars to one star in only a matter of a few years, I was really nervous. But this book was cute and did make me tear up a few times so it must have been doing something right. I definitely recommend reading this at least once.
Content: there is some language throughout, mild sexual innuendo, f/m kissing scenes but nothing too graphic, bullying, divorce, traumatic brain injury from sports
June 3, 2022
The Starburst Effect was a roller coaster of emotions and high school drama. I was very invested in how this novel turned out and was satisfied with the ending, even if it was just this side of too perfect.
There will be spoilers ahead!!
Our main character is Lily, a high school senior who is having a rough time. Her parents are always fighting, her neighbour , Noah, is the most popular kid at school and bullies her relentlessly and she just wants to finish the year and go to college. Lily is a reporter for the school paper and, after a humiliating confrontation Noah and his friends, attends a game so she can report on it. Noah is the star player and winds up with a vicious head injury. He winds up in a coma and wakes up with brain trauma and is a completely different person.
My heart felt like it was continually breaking for Lily. I was so invested because I just wanted her to be happy SO BADLY. Lily’s parents do divorce, but then she gets stuck taking care of her younger brother as neither parent really steps up to the plate. She deals with this with relatively good maturity all while dealing with the continual bullying at school and the eventual breakdown of her relationship with her best friend. Everything works out for her in the end, even if she had to compromise on what she initially wanted for her future.
I was NOT a fan of Zoey or of her parents. Zoey was the epitome of a fair weather friend and I wish that Lily didn’t apologize to her/take the blame as much as she did. Zoey was so concerned about being popular/fitting in that she pushed Lily into situations that made her uncomfortable and dropped her like a hot potato when she started dating Noah. Her parents were both so absorbed in themselves that they didn’t see how their children were suffering.
Noah, while an absolute jerk at the beginning, won me over after his accident. He was genuinely remorseful for what he’d put Lily through and wound up getting a taste of it himself. I admired his ‘water off a ducks back’ mentality, however. He came out of his accident with a mature mind frame and didn’t seem to give things like popularity or others opinions much credence because he had other things to worry about. I found myself rooting for him.
This book was heartfelt, well written and interesting. I felt like I was back in high school and I felt for the characters. The book was not cringey at all. My only critique is that I feel like everything wrapped up a bit too nicely in the last chapter. Smiley parents, best friends again, Noah and Lily back together. It all just seemed a bit much. But it made for a happy ending and Lily deserves all the happiness in the world at this point. I’d definitely recommend this book to others who are looking for a good high school drama with and enemies to lovers flavour.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
There will be spoilers ahead!!
Our main character is Lily, a high school senior who is having a rough time. Her parents are always fighting, her neighbour , Noah, is the most popular kid at school and bullies her relentlessly and she just wants to finish the year and go to college. Lily is a reporter for the school paper and, after a humiliating confrontation Noah and his friends, attends a game so she can report on it. Noah is the star player and winds up with a vicious head injury. He winds up in a coma and wakes up with brain trauma and is a completely different person.
My heart felt like it was continually breaking for Lily. I was so invested because I just wanted her to be happy SO BADLY. Lily’s parents do divorce, but then she gets stuck taking care of her younger brother as neither parent really steps up to the plate. She deals with this with relatively good maturity all while dealing with the continual bullying at school and the eventual breakdown of her relationship with her best friend. Everything works out for her in the end, even if she had to compromise on what she initially wanted for her future.
I was NOT a fan of Zoey or of her parents. Zoey was the epitome of a fair weather friend and I wish that Lily didn’t apologize to her/take the blame as much as she did. Zoey was so concerned about being popular/fitting in that she pushed Lily into situations that made her uncomfortable and dropped her like a hot potato when she started dating Noah. Her parents were both so absorbed in themselves that they didn’t see how their children were suffering.
Noah, while an absolute jerk at the beginning, won me over after his accident. He was genuinely remorseful for what he’d put Lily through and wound up getting a taste of it himself. I admired his ‘water off a ducks back’ mentality, however. He came out of his accident with a mature mind frame and didn’t seem to give things like popularity or others opinions much credence because he had other things to worry about. I found myself rooting for him.
This book was heartfelt, well written and interesting. I felt like I was back in high school and I felt for the characters. The book was not cringey at all. My only critique is that I feel like everything wrapped up a bit too nicely in the last chapter. Smiley parents, best friends again, Noah and Lily back together. It all just seemed a bit much. But it made for a happy ending and Lily deserves all the happiness in the world at this point. I’d definitely recommend this book to others who are looking for a good high school drama with and enemies to lovers flavour.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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