Author: Charlotte Reagan
Series: -
Genres: Contemporary, YA, LGBT, Romance
Publisher: Inkitt
Source: Paperback
Pages: 219
// Add to GoodReads //
Series: -
Genres: Contemporary, YA, LGBT, Romance
Publisher: Inkitt
Source: Paperback
Pages: 219
// Add to GoodReads //
BLURB:
Juliet represents the road less traveled. Will Lena take it?
Lena Newman is 17, her best friend’s a cheerleader, her boyfriend’s a football player, and as far as everyone is concerned, her life is sorted. But that’s before she befriends the new girl. Juliet is confident, slightly damaged, drop-dead gorgeous and a lesbian.
Lena realizes that her interest goes beyond just friendship. She sets off on a path of self-discovery where the loyalty of those closest to her will be tested.
I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much for sending it to me :).
THE WORLD: It's totally our world with our everyday problems we have, with school issues, college issues, what to do with my life, parent and sexuality issues. In this world we have popular kids, the rebels, the jocks, the artsy kids who draw every breathing moment. We have love issues, dating and so on. So basically you will not need to spend time trying to figure the world out. You live in it.
CHARACTERS: Now let me start by saying that I unfortunately did not enjoy this book
as much as I wanted to and I will discuss the parts I had trouble with
in the Minus section as always.
Even though the book has to my mind, few main characters, the narrator of this story and the protagonist is a girl named Lena. I actually liked Lena, she was an okay protagonist with interesting ideas and personality, however I did not understand where she fit in terms of social school life. She called herself the outcast but her best friend was literally the most popular girl in school, she dated on of the guys from the football team, she literally was on top but she constantly stressed how she didn't fit in with the popular kids (eye roll). We then have Juliet, the new girl in town who causes all sort of trouble for Lena. This character was a big cliche in my opinion. She was this goth/pink punk/pop rock artsy chic who wore black nail polish, A LOT of crop tops and drew in the rain. YES! You read me correctly. There is a passage in the book where it's pouring rain and she just sits in it and draws....oh...my...God! I think she was extremely narcissistic and sometimes unstable. For example, she meets Lena and her friends and Lacey (Lena's best friend, who is another cliche in this book) asks her like a simple human being questions, did her parents like Romeo and Juliet since they named her Juliet. I kid you know, she literally starts to scream something like my mother is dead okay, and yes she loved Romeo and Juliet are you happy now? Are you? I laughed out loud. However, I have to admit, later in the book she gets okay, she is kind of cool even and by the end she again makes no sense.
Then we have a gay couple Lykan and Scott, who to my mind were so obnoxious I literally couldn't read about them. We also have Lacey, the black best friend, who was the total babe of the school, the most popular person in that place, the beautiful black model with a preacher as a father and a secret addiction to sex (hurt my eyes from rolling them at this point). Also there are other characters like Lena's parents, Juliet's father, some guy named Matt who made no sense and bunch of other people who I actually was sad they didn't get more pages.
Even though the book has to my mind, few main characters, the narrator of this story and the protagonist is a girl named Lena. I actually liked Lena, she was an okay protagonist with interesting ideas and personality, however I did not understand where she fit in terms of social school life. She called herself the outcast but her best friend was literally the most popular girl in school, she dated on of the guys from the football team, she literally was on top but she constantly stressed how she didn't fit in with the popular kids (eye roll). We then have Juliet, the new girl in town who causes all sort of trouble for Lena. This character was a big cliche in my opinion. She was this goth/pink punk/pop rock artsy chic who wore black nail polish, A LOT of crop tops and drew in the rain. YES! You read me correctly. There is a passage in the book where it's pouring rain and she just sits in it and draws....oh...my...God! I think she was extremely narcissistic and sometimes unstable. For example, she meets Lena and her friends and Lacey (Lena's best friend, who is another cliche in this book) asks her like a simple human being questions, did her parents like Romeo and Juliet since they named her Juliet. I kid you know, she literally starts to scream something like my mother is dead okay, and yes she loved Romeo and Juliet are you happy now? Are you? I laughed out loud. However, I have to admit, later in the book she gets okay, she is kind of cool even and by the end she again makes no sense.
Then we have a gay couple Lykan and Scott, who to my mind were so obnoxious I literally couldn't read about them. We also have Lacey, the black best friend, who was the total babe of the school, the most popular person in that place, the beautiful black model with a preacher as a father and a secret addiction to sex (hurt my eyes from rolling them at this point). Also there are other characters like Lena's parents, Juliet's father, some guy named Matt who made no sense and bunch of other people who I actually was sad they didn't get more pages.
LOVE: When we meet Lena she is dating a football player Quinn, but when she meets Juliet, she realizes she is bisexual and then begins to date Juliet. We also have Lykan (who I just pronounced as 'laikan' like from the movie Underworld) and Scott, who have been dating for while. Honestly, I didn't believe any of the couples in this book. They were way too much, way too over the top.
PLUS: I'm glad that these books are being written where main character is gay or bisexual and this topic is brought up that kids who feel confused and lost could actually find some comfort.
PLUS: I'm glad that these books are being written where main character is gay or bisexual and this topic is brought up that kids who feel confused and lost could actually find some comfort.
MINUS: Contains spoilers so if you want to read this book do not continue reading! As always numerating things I didn't like: 1. Language - there were so many cursing words and just teenage acting I literally got over annoyed really fast. Every other minute someone was flipping someone off, calling each other bitch, slut, whole, using the f- word and stuff like that. I mean once in a while is okay to make a point or stress it's super dramatic but it was all the time! Also every one in this book was grinning at each other. Literally! No other emotion! 2. Too much of everything - if someone was in love they were IN LOVE. Like I love you so I will marry you! You are my everything! 3. Lykan and Scott's relationship - I'm happy when two people are happy together but they were constantly like kissing each other, touching each other, nibbling and whispering to each other, Scott carried Lykan on his back, Lykan called him babe, he wined and cried and just Oh My God! Oh and then all of a sudden they go and say something really really inappropriate. I just...it was too much for me, again I don't think I need to point this out, but they annoyed me not because they were gay but because everything was too perfect! Vomiting perfect. I mean even if they fought it was that Scott wanted a cat and Lykan started crying because he likes dogs! You get what I'm saying? 4. Juliet and Lena - felt forced, it seemed that since Juliet was the first girl Lena liked they had to be together! 5. Juliet's dads house and the attitude - I mean get this, they meet, Juliet draws in the rain, Lena gives her a drive home and then she stays the night! They met 2 minutes ago and she is dressing in Juliet clothes and sleeping over at her house! WHAT? And Juliet's dad is like 'it's okay you can stay and sleep with my lesbian daughter because you're not dating! So? So what? What is that even mean? As a parent you do not allow anyone to sleep in your child's room it doesn't matter if they're gay or not, if she was straight - no boys allowed, if you're gay - no girls! And I mean Scott and Lykan basically lived in that house, they ran around half naked and stole chocolate syrup to 'play with it later' I just cannot express how many issues I had with this! I do not care if my kid is gay or straight, you do not allow strangers they met TODAY to sleep with them in their bed. 6. Reference to straight people - the whole gang goes on a holiday (for no reason what so ever except for Lena to realize she loves Juliet, which takes 3 pages and then it's back to school), and Lacey and Matt start this repulsive conversation about what they will do to each other since because they are straight they will hook up all week and then they're like 'Oh straight people, I never will understand that'. What? What will you not understand? Just got me so mad! 7. No conflict in this book - There was zero conflict in this book, not between characters, not between parents and kids, not even inside Lena when she realizes she likes girls. This book tried to show that maybe Lena was in pain and confusion but nope nothing like that, she was like oh I like girls okay cool! I dunno I think it should have had this inner confusion to which kids going through the same thing could relate to. 8. Ending - I was beyond annoyed with it. I couldn't believe this book ended the way it did.
OVERALL: Overall, to a person who is just discovering his or her sexuality and wants to read something to better understand what they are going through I would not recommend it. Because this book painted everything in a very bright shade of pink and I'm sure that it's much more complex and unstable to actually come with terms about who you are as a person and who you were born to love.
OVERALL: Overall, to a person who is just discovering his or her sexuality and wants to read something to better understand what they are going through I would not recommend it. Because this book painted everything in a very bright shade of pink and I'm sure that it's much more complex and unstable to actually come with terms about who you are as a person and who you were born to love.
.png)
What did you think of JUST JULIET?
