Mike’s Reviews > A Little Something Different > Status Update

Hall is trying to make us believe that Gabe and Lia might not end up together, and even if I thought there was any chance of that happening, I still wouldn't care. Why should I? I barely know these characters. I just want this book to be over. No lightweight, fun romance should be this difficult to get through.

I swear, if I have to read one more chapter narrated by a goddamn park bench, I'm going to light this book on fire.

This is the slowest book of all time. I'm more than halfway through, and we've barely progressed from the beginning of the novel. If this were funny or interesting in any way, that would be less of a problem, but there's basically nothing at all to latch onto here. The only way I could picture this being bearable is if you read the whole thing in one sitting. Really, this should've been a novella.

Gabe and Lena are both very bland characters, Lena in particular. We're also shown their relationship through the eyes of people who have only a mild investment in its outcome. In other words, there's absolutely no reason to hope they get together - they're boring, and the characters only sort of care. This is gimmicky and boring.

Hey, you know what's romantic? Voyeurism! Doesn't it just make you feel more optimistic, happier to be alive?

I feel a little bad hating this book as much as I do, because at least it tries to do something different, and it does have its moments - I've laughed a couple times. But on the whole, it's just so badly-written, and the technique of using multiple perspectives is more juvenile than interesting.

Are there any good new adult books? Like, at all, in existence? Because I legitimately can't think of any. I think the best way to describe this book is obnoxious - the forced sappiness and cheer is really grating on me. It's also - no surprise - terribly written, and its format is less of a way to explore different perspectives and more of a cheap gimmick.