Paula Nguyen > Recent Status Updates

The setup 🤝

😶?

No way I’m already 19% in nothing even happened

Choices have been made
Not good ones I’m afraid

All I know is pain.

I think my thing with Colleen Hoover books is that her concepts, plot twists, and characters are all too interesting for her to execute properly with her writing style; I just want more from such a cool premise but she doesn’t and can’t deliver; I’m still willing to read more of her stuff because it’s entertaining but I doubt I’d find a 4+ star read

I like how it only focused on their lives for that one day idk how Colleen Hoover managed to make that work because when I read the premise I thought it sounded super weird; anyway because of that it felt like weren’t any slow moments so everything was almost equally engaging; 3.5/5 for me though it was wildly angsty and entertaining but there’s just something missing

Probably the best Colleen Hoover book I’ve read the first two were alright maybe someday was def not it; all of her books have cool concepts but sometimes the execution is kind of … corny; I know sometimes that’s the point but I’ll read the dialogue and be like come on people just don’t speak to each other like that wth; a lot of sorts were really melodramatic

How can a relationship be so tumultuous in a single book; this was actually a whole roller coaster I just never knew what was coming next; I should’ve though I’m just bad at predicting plot twists; for some reason I was expecting the incest trope too much Cassandra Clare ig lol

There were a lot of moments where the book was like self aware ahem one bed / fake dating trope; sometimes it’s kind of cringey this one was ok though; I guess I understand why people like it so much but I think it was … ok? Pretty much every romance I read is enjoyable but this one isn’t special or anything except for the setting

*referencing what Kat said about the 🌶🌶 scene* yeah I just don’t see how that’s possible but let’s pretend; rate the 𝓢𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓱✨: 4/5 author knew what she was doing -1 because Cassandra Clare does it better HAH don’t come for me I fr think she writes the best 🌶 scenes but maybe it’s because I’m invested in the characters not because the writing is so great

I like the name Esther Green

I’m really sad that this is the last installment of kiss quotient bc the characters are all so likable; Helen Hoang is prob my favorite romance author tbh; common thing for trilogies to get worse as they goes on & lowkey this one did lol but nonetheless series is still great; this one was probably also the most well-written although the least enjoyable, def less romance centered, which is fine since it was personal

Like 50% of Quan’s character arc was him being Anna’s emotional support which is fine but I also wanted more from him as a character because of what he did in the first and second books; he was definitely a side character to Anna’s raging personal issues and :( he was being great throughout all of it but I want more; also scene where she showed him .. something .. was very strange bc her dad just died

contemporary bell jar ? uh that was the most depressing romance I’ve read since all the bright places wtf; compared to the other two books this one was so … heavy; I can’t say I didn’t like it it was just unexpected even though I saw reviews before I read it; Priscilla (the sister) lowkey reminds me of a certain cousin I have :) 🚩 🚩 wish there was more Quan in it he felt like a side piece

Overall was kind of fun but forgettable; time to get started on Bell Jar and Song of Achilles ig

It almost felt like the beginning and the rest were written by different people; maybe I was just feeling disoriented when I started but wtf was happening?? also it was so obvious that Aaron was into her really early on how tf did she not see it lol like she’d mention a coffee shop in passing and he’d go there and she was like 😮 oh you came bc of me totally not weird at all

The beginning was so bad that I was about to drop it but I persisted and it got better :) tbh I read this just so I can feel included in the Goodreads choice awards bc I’ve read like nothing that’s nominated; I think it’s a little overhyped but it was enjoyable ig; also surprising really long; Aaron is almost exactly like Aiden from Wall of Winnipeg seems like stoic tall man is a very common character trope

uhh chapter 27 👀

rate the 𝓢𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓱 ✨: 3.5/5 a little too drawn out the rest was decent

PAUSE ?? why would he say that 😳

Lol impulsively picked this up bc I saw it on TikTok not expecting much it just seems fun; also 4th book in two days ? I need to chill

lol my favorite part is the romance

Eliza was really likable as a character, some moments annoyed me but overall great strong female lead :) ; the dissatisfaction I have with this story might have been really intentional on the authors part because this is a YA story … but what constitutes a YA story? discussion for another day; I like how it’s definitely the kind of book that gets you thinking and was enjoyable despite obvious faults; 3.5 stars

It’s easy to tell the author is a millennial asian woman just because of the way it was written, the perspective, and how it … kind of stereotyped teenagers and made them do things that just don’t happen :/ ; I also have some issues with Len because he was so passive about everything that was happening even when it was inextricably connected to him?? Like have an opinion have a stance please

The complexity of the topic warranted better written and developed characters imo; it’s fine that they fell into stereotypes but more depth within their stories would’ve been nice? something could’ve been done with the social class commentary too; some of the lines were honestly really good and unexpected but the whole story kind of reminds me of social media activism because it gets so convoluted

surprising really well written and entertaining; I think the author couldn’t really handle the full scope of the discussion they were they were trying to tackle though some of the message got lost on me; the contrast between the stereotypical characters and the unique plotline was kind of jarring because I’ve never read a YA that was so … woke yet basic?

ROAD TRIP READSSSS also didn’t get any of the break reads bc I don’t think I’ll have time to finish any bc IR book and UCs yknow the vibes :( but this one I could speed otw there

:( again

:(