I hit send so soon so the review I was in the middle of didn't save. This is the mixture of light and fun and heavy that I look for when I read a YA Contemporary. A New favorite and def a top 10 read of the year so far! One star for the characters in this book because they were a combination of raw and fun. One star for the plot- at first glance, the plot to this book might seem like it's your basic run-of-the-mill YA novel, the more you read, the more the plot unfolds, and I didn't want to stop reading. One star for the writing. The writing of this book was well done, and it really helps tell the narrative. One star for the romance. There are two romances in this book, one main romance, and a side romance and they were both so cute. One last star for personal enjoyment. I had so much fun with this book and I could not stop smiling while reading.

Oh boy, after several books without much to say, this one finally opened the floodgates.

I listened to the audiobook on a whim because even though I don't read a lot of YA, I was drawn in by the premise and adorable cover art. At first, I was reminded why I don't love YA -- there was a lot of the social commentary common in the genre these days, and it was a little lacking in depth, but I was in it for the cozy vibes and Charlie's journey to self-acceptance. Why do we need all the social commentary? Give me the story and let me come to my own conclusions.

This book presented one of the most frustrating characters I've ever encountered: Charlie's mom. Boy, did this woman drive me up a wall. While Charlie was waaaaaayyyyyy too hard on herself, with the mom she had, things honestly could have been a lot worse. Charlie's mom gaslit her, belittled her, and generally took no accountability for her own actions, instead labeling Charlie as "disrespectful."

I was hoping for redemption for Charlie: To stand up for herself. There was somewhat of a catharsis on that level, but not enough to really experience the kind of change I wanted for them both. Oh well.

Charlie's best friend Amelia was easily the stand-out of this book. Amelia was the kind of friend we all deserve: supportive, nonjudgmental, and able to apologize and adapt when she's done wrong. I was glad to see Charlie have such a wonderful support system in Amelia, and their friendship was easily one of my favorite things about the book. Charlie's extended family was great, too.

Despite the social commentary every few pages (which felt like a 2020 version of an afterschool special), I got into a good flow through the first 3/4 of the book, but around the 75% mark, things took a turn for the complicated. At last, Charlie ends up with Brian, and despite having built up her confidence, she suddenly turns into a puddle of mush who finds self-worth in having someone adore her. I was conflicted: I get it, I've been 16 before, and another part of me thought that this is a messy message for anyone who doesn't have the perspective to see it for what it is.

The ending dragged on for far too long -- the conflict should've been nearly wrapped up by the time Charlie and Brian got together, but it felt like we went back to the drawing board toward the end. Most of the conflict could've been wrapped up with a few conversations.

Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the book. If the ending had been wrapped up more neatly (and with Charlie standing up for herself), I would've rated this higher.