Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Something More

I came to the conclusion early on that I may be too old for this book. Its told from the point of view of a 15 year old and I don't relate to that so it made it hard for me to get through as someone likely outside its target demographic. But I feel like the portrayal and descriptions of some of the female characters, specifically those portrayed as the 'villains' of the story was borderline misogynistic. I did like that all the characters were portrayed as imperfect. It made it feel more realistic.
I also have an issue with the conclusion. It feels like some plot points were left open and most of the everyone except the main character herself and her love interest had no conclusion. What happened with her brother's career? Her sister's boyfriend? Her friends? All these unanswered questions made the ending feel rushed.
It felt a bit like a disney channel show and I can't decide if I meant that positively or negatively.

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amberinpieces's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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readingwithtemperance's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book fully encapsulated the high school experience. There was so much nostalgia and drama throughout. I love how real these teenagers are.

I definitely felt for our MC. Friends/relationships and all of the social confusion that comes along with them can be hard to navigate, let alone on top of trying to keep your grades up AND your family happy.

It made me happy that Jessie found her people in the end though.

I absolutely saw my younger self in her. And this book really helped heal my inner teen a bit.

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looseleafellie's review against another edition

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5.0

This YA contemporary novel follows Jessie, a ‘90s-obsessed Palestinian-Canadian teen who receives an autism diagnosis shortly before starting high school. Determined to fit in with her classmates, Jessie creates a list of goals for the school year, but the attentions of two boys make her go off script.

I’m usually a reader who needs a high concept to get interested in a contemporary novel, and I’m also not a big fan of love triangles. So imagine my surprise when this book pulled me in, made me feel every emotion under the Sun, and ultimately left me wishing I could create a time vortex back to 2015 and give this book to my younger self!

A huge reason I couldn’t stop reading was Jessie herself. She’s one of the most charming, charismatic, relatable characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. The plot itself held my interest, but I’d read a book about her going grocery shopping.

This book joins the very short list of love triangle stories that don’t annoy me, and it’s largely cause it fits the themes so well. Plus, it was fun to see Griffin and Levi embarrass themselves over Jessie. I won’t spoil who Jessie ends up with, but it was who I hoped she’d choose in the end!

Fun fact: I read the last few chapters of this book on my local library’s patio, and I was so engrossed in finding out where Jessie’s story would go that I forgot the patio closed at 5pm, so I had to vault unceremoniously over a large planter in order to get free. So if that doesn’t tell you how gripping this story is, I don’t know what does.

Long story short, if you’re interested in a YA novel full of authentic teenage feelings, an engaging protagonist, and two boys being embarrassingly pathetic over said protagonist, you need to check this out!

CWs: Anti-Arab racism, ableism, toxic relationships and friendships, bullying, cheating, relationship between a minor and an adult, death of a family member, and underage alcohol and cannabis use.

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hnagarne's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

4.25

this one is hard for me to rate because i didn't love it, but i also recognize this is extremely YA. the main character and her friends are all freshmen in high school, and they act like it (props to the author for that). i think this was a bit too romance-y for my tastes; there isn't too much going on in this book aside from the romance, and at times i thought the book dragged on unnecessarily.

however, there was still a lot in this i enjoyed. i loved the protagonist and her friendships with mel & odelia. i loved her talking about autism and masking. i loved her friendship with griffin, and how unabashedly teenager-y she was about her love for levi. the author did a great job, in my opinion, of depicting teenagers.

cw: ableism, racism, bullying, cheating, adult/minor relationship (not depicted), underage drinking/substance use, death of a grandparent

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nadiamasood's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Jessie is a 15-year-old Palestinian-American diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. She’s excited, scared, and wants to keep the diagnosis a secret.

As you can tell from the cover, this book is mostly about awkward teenage romances. It was a quick read and I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did (I’m not a fan of love triangles). Jessie is an endearing character that I can’t help but root for. The story is sweet, funny, and has so much heart. We find Jessie struggle to feel confident with her autism diagnosis, hiding it from her new friends. But eventually, she learns to own it.

I also loved Jessie’s Arab family. I wish there was more about them (and less boy drama) in the story.

This book not only helps neurotypical readers understand Jessie in a deep and meaningful way, learning how to live with someone with autism, but it’s also where neurodivergent readers will feel seen and understood.

It’s an easy read, funny, and relatable. teenagers are going to enjoy this book.

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