Tell Me Three Things
Ratings63
Average rating3.8
it was predictable but a fast read for sure- i just don't get how dads in books move on so quickly, and also does he ever shower like????
Absolutely loved this book. The story is so sweet, so cute, and it made me so happy throughout the whole thing.
I loved the semi mystery aspect as well - not knowing who SN is. I really enjoyed trying to see if i could determine which of the boy characters it was.
A very quick read but also a very sweet read.
The main character was interesting, but could have been developed a bit more. Honestly, the last hundred pages could have been the whole book, as that's when there was actually something going on.
2.5 but I rounded up because it was an easy read. The character of SN is cute, but I figured out who they were within the first few chapters. Nonetheless, still a sweet YA novel.
I'm 55, and this book brought me right back to when I lost my mom suddenly at age 17. The author absolutely nails all the feelings that I had, all while navigating high school. The numbness, the feelings, the “just getting from one day to the next”, all of it. I liked the characters, particularly Jessie, and found them to be real and believable. It looks like it's primarily a romance, but ends up being a great coming of age story about a young woman who is trying to figure out her place in the world after her world is upended in multiple ways, and where all these other people fit. The other characters in the novel were also complex, and dealing with their own issues, and likeable. Well done.
If you can't tell by now, I have a deep love for books/movies that have an email/letter format. You've Got Mail was the love story that showed that first impressions aren't everything and that words make a deeper connection that appearances. It's possible to fall in love with someone you haven't seen. I almost did that once. Attachments dug its way into my heart because I remember writing emails like that to my best friend and I wish daily communication still had as many words. In short, I love words and the power they can hold. Maybe its why I'm a reader.
Tell Me Three Things was nothing I expected it to be. I had gone in with no expectations or knowledge of the book. I had heard it mentioned in a few places and I happen to love waffles. They're superior to pancakes. This book was cute, maple sryupy without being overpowering. High school is a difficult time and this book captured it without making it an over-exaggerated stereotype. The characters were real and reminded me of people I knew not to long ago in my own high school days.
I loved this book and I don't want to spoil the plot with my rambling review. Just read it for yourself. It won't take long, maybe a day or two. Its a good light read for a stormy day.
“Stick to your TBR”, they said. “It'll make things so much easier,” they said.
Predictable, but cute nonetheless.
So, I started off this book thinking it was SUCH A TEEN BOOK. And yes, I knew I might not relate to their problems or think them trivial, so this isn't something I would mark the book down for, so there I was struggling on wondering if it would be too much for me when I noticed a spark.
This book really delves into grief, bullying, and just trying to be a teen in this unforgiving world. I think there is a lot of good in this book, even if there is also a lot of horrible stereotypes and some parts that just never seem concluded (the bullying).
Some good: good examples of friends, a potentially healthy relationship, learning to deal with grief, fighting and making up with friends, and honestly, the narrator really conveyed the emotion of the character. I also thought that the music examples weren't too old that they wouldn't be believable for a normal teen to like –something I have noticed lately.
Another thing to add is I think Jessie speaks like a teen and thinks like a teen which while hard for me to hear, may really stick and pull teens in.
The bad: some of it didn't make sense: the bullying so she gets bullied enough to physical violence and then it just....stops??? I thought it would have gotten worse because Liam breaks up with Jem! , how quickly the dad and step-mom move in together without even telling the kids, and then the parents never really being seen or TRYING to make Jessie feel welcome in the house, and seriously how stupid Jessie was about who SN was if you know he is a junior like you why would you keep assuming he was a senior?! Don't even get me started on the "you are early" comment that went RIGHT OVER HER HEAD
Also, the California stereotypes?! Can that just stop already? And why are the mean girls always blondes who “look like twins” are thin, etc. I am so over it. I am not even blonde and I am so tired of this!
So, what else is there to say about this book? I am just so on the edge because in the end, I liked it and the narrator made me connect, but when the end came I was surprised– I didn't think this was a novel about ‘first love' until the author note told me it was. I was waiting for a family dinner that went decently well where we were shown that life goes on, but no- this was a love story.
I guess I wanted more than I got?
Recommend? Yes. I totally would recommend this to people, at the moment I'm not sure who though. I think it is worth the read for teens, especially ones who like lighter novels and romance novels, but since grief is so involved... I am not so certain...
“Not feeling like I belong anywhere has made me crave constant motion; standing still feels risky, like asking to be a target.”
With all that's been going on in the world and especially in my country this week I needed to read something light and sweet to lift up my mood. Nothing better than a good infusion of coming-of-age sprinkled with a bit of romance to do that.
This story has been told many, many times before, it relies on many clichés, so it gets no points for originality, however, the combination of cuteness, angst and humor were in the perfect doses to send to sleep my grumpy critical gnomes and just enjoy the ride. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for mysterious online correspondence stories, after all Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was one of my favorite books last year. Sure, there were some eye-roll worthy moments, at times the humor relied quite heavy on stereotypes about L.A., mean girls, etc. but overall ‘twas a fun book.
I figured who SN was, from the beginning, even though the author kept introduction characters to mislead us, the were obvious signs. It didn't bother me though, I went along with it and waited with excitement for the moment when Jessie would figure it out too.
I have no idea why I enjoyed this so much. But I couldn't put it down and it put a big ‘ol smile on my face. You can picture me like this.
loved it loved it loved it. Reminded me of teenager me in some ways , and she got the whole self centeredness sooo right!!
Loved the ending,too.
I read this for a book club, it was not something I would have normally picked up, but it was the most perfect read. Can't wait to discuss.
Jessie suddenly finds herself moved from her hometown in Chicago to LA. Her mother died and her father has unexpectedly remarried someone he met online. Jessie has to remake her life in a place she doesn't want to be with people she doesn't know or care about. And then she makes a friend in a very odd way: someone inexplicably starts sending her messages. The messages help. And they are funny. And delightful. But who is this new friend?
So then, three things I liked about this book:
(1) I liked the clever conversations both in the virtual world and the real world.
(2) I liked the look at both the meannesses and the kindnesses of the teen world.
(3) I liked the relationships that Jessie developed and how they helped her deal with her mother's death and her relocation.
Two thumbs up. Though I'm not sure about younger teen readers...lots of intensity....