Tweet Cute

Realistic? Maybe? Cute? Definitely.

In the tradition of Hilary Duff's acclaimed Cinderella Story (2004), classmates Jack and Pepper bond via anonymous messages. Then, another form of social media comes into play: Twitter, as the title implies. Cue snarky personified brands—one of my least favorite things in the world—feuding over grilled cheese. How many ways can Jack and Pepper interact before realizing they're talking to each other? Can their different personas combine into anything other than a mess? Or will the moment of discovery break the spell?I have mixed feelings about this, and here's a few reasons why:- In my opinion, Lord gets how young people talk and use technology more than many YA authors. But, she sometimes misses the mark, and every time I picture Steve Buscemi with a skateboard slung over his shoulder. - Acknowledging that doxxing and BuzzFeed (here Hub Seed, what) and Brand Twitter exist is not enough. There needs to be some stance taken, some criticism or analysis. Lord was more direct about academic pressure than social media, even though the latter is so central it's in the title. What happens when a big verified account targets someone with a fraction of their followers? What happens when a business gets someone young and hip to deflect from scandals by tweeting out the right gif at the right time? How does humanizing a corporation to make it “relatable” distort sense of reality?I'm not asking for Black Mirror (I never am), but if you write a book where technology is so central, why wouldn't you grapple with such questions? Isn't that the point?- I'm always a little skeeved out by that trope where multiple generations of two families are/have been romantically involved.. In all, this brings something new to the table, and I'm sure it'll be a crowd pleaser. I think its main pitfall is biting off more than it can chew. The characters and plot dart around tying up loose ends that didn't need to be introduced in the first place. That leaves it more tense and scattered than it needs to be, and things end up more squished than unpacked. But if you like [a:Alice Oseman 7789423 Alice Oseman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1515091539p2/7789423.jpg], [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 19547856 Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simonverse, #1) Becky Albertalli https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402915678l/19547856.SY75.jpg 27679579], or [b:Eliza and Her Monsters 31931941 Eliza and Her Monsters Francesca Zappia https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476994065l/31931941.SY75.jpg 52586056], you'd probably have fun with Tweet Cute.

The first 50% of the book had me thinking it was very close to A Cinderella Story – probably because I was watching it before reading this book. But while it reminded me of A Cinderella Story at the beginning – their texting to each other, how close Jack and Pepper were to each in other in correlation withe their online anonymous texts; the similarity ends at the texts. Because this is way different than A Cinderella Story. It's being compared to You've Got Mail, which is a movie I still haven't watched.

I thought that Pepper was very me – when she has this sarcastic view on things, and then I thought I was Jack when he admits that he sometimes he doesn't think before he says things. So basically I realised I was all the characters, which sounds like a very YA thing to say

Books, Coffee & Passion
Tweet Cute is the cutest, sweetest YA romance ever!
Pepper moved from Nashville to New York City a few years ago, she struggled to adjust to her elite new school while her family was falling apart but she's an overachiever so she's now top of her class and swim team captain. She doesn't have much time for other stuff besides baking and running her family's fast-food chain, Big League Burger, social media account.
Jack has a very, very popular twin and he's very tired of constantly being in Ethan's shadow. They're identical twins but they have very different personalities. Jack likes to play around with apps, he's a really funny, good guy, works for his family's deli and runs the deli's social media account.
Both Pepper and Jack have inner struggles like any typical teen and I really liked how the story explored their feelings, their expectations, the pressure they were putting in their own shoulders and what they thought their parents expected and demanded from them. Both of them were amazing characters! I'm probably being vague but honestly I don't want to spoil much about this story.
I absolutely loved the Twitter feud, I laughed so much during some of the tweets and I loved Jack and Pepper's antics trying to gain the upper hand. I fell in love with Pepper and Jack and I was very invested in their relationship.
Overall, Tweet Cute was funny, sassy, witty, sweet and emotional. I adored it and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys lighthearted YA contemporary.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded down to a 3

I am surprised by how much I like this book. I do not usually enjoy YA books because I often find the characters immature and the writing style too conversational. This book, however, is written more like an adult contemporary to me. I did not feel at all like I was reading a YA book.

The teenage characters in this book are smart and witty and realistic. They do not feel stereotypical or cliche, at least not the two main characters. Pepper reminds me so much of myself at that age with her focus on being the best and make everyone else happy. And Jack is so funny and kind. They both have real struggles they are dealing with and they deal with them in a way that make senses to me. Nothing in the plot feels unbelievable or too conveniently resolved.

My one complaint is the epilogue. I feel it is unnecessary and too “perfect.” I don't feel the book needed to wrap everything up in such a neat bow at the end. I like the way the last chapter ended. I think it would have been enough to end it there.

Overall, I found this a very cute, enjoyable read. I'll definitely check out any other books that Emma Lord writes.