Sixty-sixth book of 2020
Reading period: Aug 17th 2020 – Aug 21st 2020
Summary
Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life.
Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention.
They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret.
Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?
Rating
Review
Disclaimer: multiple descriptions of panic attacks, depression, talk about a previous suicide attempt, co-dependency, abusive parent.
I like this book. I didn’t read the summary before reading it, but it was the right choice. It was a fast read, very diversified and showed different subjects that are, nowadays, essential to talk about. I like it when there are some excerpts of texts between the two characters and the writing style respect the form. It breaks the writing and immerses you a little more inside the story. The novel is character-driven, and as we read their thoughts, we have a good insight into mental health.
The point that I struggle the most with was the balance between Ridley and Jubilee. For me, Ridley’s parts took a lot of space and were the most interesting to read, unlike Jubilee’s ones which weren’t as long and essential. Her problem is significant but doesn’t feel like it in the story. As I was reading, I completely forgot about her audition as she starts to do too. The mind of Ridley is like dissected in front of our eyes and make his character more realistic.
For Ridley, his relationship with his family is complicated and disastrous for his mental health which is already a big mess. His parents are non-existent, they don’t care about him, he exists only for representation. Every time it was his chapters, I was so sad for him, and I only wanted to help him. I prayed for someone to help him. His relation with his sister is quite different as she tries to help him but doesn’t really know how to do it. I wouldn’t like to be at Riley place as he is so messed up and so divided about his love for Jubilee and his search for approval by his father.
For Jubilee, her relationship with her parents is entirely different. I loved all the random facts that Jubilee and her family know and which she uses to calm Ridley. Her friends are two very distinct characters as they don’t have the same personality at all. They want to protect her but do it a little too much, and sometimes it’s a bit annoying.
The relationship between Ridley and Jubilee starts well. As it develops, it starts to be not as healthy as I thought at the beginning.
Liz.
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