User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
December Tierlist Vlog is up! Click the link to see the video review of all the books read in December!
The Written Review 
Mary Porter-Malcolm knows two things:1) You can literally find any and all answers within the pages of a good book.
2) Any book published in the last century just isn't worth reading.
Mary spent her entire life deep within the pages of old tomes and classic works...but then
the unthinkable happens.She has to go to
public school.Mary's charter/experimental school at the local college is getting shut down and she couldn't be more horrified.
This
18th century girl is shlumped in with the
21st century kids - and nothing will ever be the same.
So. Thoughts on this one.
I do slightly
like the concept more than the actual book.
I love the idea of an "old soul" having to swing it with the cool kids. It was fun to watch Mary learn how to navigate high school and try (her best) to fit in.
And I enjoyed quite a few of the side characters and subplots of this book - particularly Mary's hilarious family. They were the absolute standout of the series.
However...it felt like sometimes the author was pushing the narrative of "old-fashioned teenager" too much.
Mary's actions/reactions to events began to get over-the-top for me by the first quarter of the book and by the time I was 3/4 through, I was kinda getting tired of her.
I feel like if she was
just toned down a bit more then I could've enjoyed the story more.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Rating: really liked it
The perfect YA rom-com for Jane Austen nerds.As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.
Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking it—and the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself.Okay, so this was super cute. I loved Mary's obsession with classics/period dramas. The references and puns had me DYING. I also liked her big family, and the journey in which she learns how to navigate true friendship. It was actually kind of scary how much she reminded me of ME at that age - fifteen, unbearably naive, lonely, and completely unversed in love.
(Not much has changed, actually.)
However, there were parts where her own naivety made me struggle as a reader. I wished she would have stuck up for herself more.
Now...Alex Ritter. He was amazing! I understand the importance of writing a coming-of-age tale that doesn't involve
just romance, but family, and friends, etc., However, I
needed more moments between Alex and Mary! I felt like if their relationship had been more of the focus I would have fallen head over heels in love with this book.
And lastly, I liked how the novel shed light on what true friendship looks like versus toxic ones. That was an element of the story I could very much relate to.
Overall, I enjoyed this!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a copy! By the Book is officially out now!
Rating: really liked it
I'll just be here, trying to manage my expectations between the beautiful cover and the punny tittle.
Rating: really liked it
First of all, I would say: this book is not for everyone. It's a slow-paced book and the plot was almost inexistent. The main character's way of speaking may also not be engaging, seeing how she spends most of her time immersed in 19th-century literature; people may find this monotonous.
However, I like this just fine which is quite shocking (even myself) considering that I couldn't usually get the hang of this kind of writing and pace most times.
"I tried really hard not to do all the things you're not supposed to do, and I still messed everything up. It's not fair"
I had different expectations when I read this, thinking that romance will be the main focus of this book but it seems like the role is reversed, as this book emphasized more on family and friend values; which I love the big family dynamic in this book. The author gives varied personation to all the side characters, you will find yourself plunge into reading how Mary grew up with her family. You also get to see how different yet the same all her siblings are.
The same could be said for her friends. In a way, they were pretty much characterless but Arden, Lydia and Tessa are all different, it was heartwarming as you watch their friendship develops. Mary also gets to learn about real friendship from them prior to the toxic friendship she was in. This book depicts the reality and difficulties of coming of age; to find their own identities, the peer pressure, the disappointment. It takes a deft hand at truly exploring the turning points on either end of adolescence, and those events that push us to grow up.
Mary herself isn't really likeable. This reclusive classic nerd could appear judgemental and naive some times but then, you wouldn't expect a 15 years old girl to figure everything out; which is why I find myself resonating with this book. Be that as it may, even with the lukewarm romance, I liked Mary and Alex moments as it was just right and sweet.
I am not a classic lover and I can't remember reading much of them but for the most part, I'm sure if I do, I would love this book even more with all the references. So if you're a classic lover, you might want to give this a shot! It's quite a fun read.
[3.75/5]
Rating: really liked it
DNF! at 55% . I just did not like our main female character. She was judgmental and praised for it and the whole book was going nowhere. I felt like there was no plot. I was stuck between being bored and annoyed.
Rating: really liked it
ARC received in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
A personal anecdote for you that, I swear, relates to this book: I work with a lot of ivy league graduates of the scholarly nature and our main character, Mary’s parents are so painfully, triggeringly, pin-point-perfectly depictive of those types of people.
I truly wondered if I would make it through this book with all the eye-twitching I had going on any time her parents spoke.
Mary’s parents have the uncanny ability to overcomplicate when communicating and they are in need of constant validation and awe with their usage of SAT words in normal conversation.
Honestly, that goes for everyone in Mary’s family. Including our narrator. I tolerated it because her voice makes total sense given her upbringing and obsession with classic novels.
The narrator honest-to-goodness threw in the word “erstwhile.” As soon as I read that, my eye started twitching because I have a vivid experience at work in which my boss’s boss tried to come at us with an email communication to the community using that word, and we (in the marketing/communications department) immediately vetoed it.
As I hit the 50% mark, I began to find Mary charming, funny, and observant, which made for a great reading experience and I fell more and more in love with her big, quirky family. Yes, even her parents whose arms must hurt from all the self back-patting.
I grew up in a big family (3 siblings, lots of cousins) and seeing it depicted in books and movies always warms my heart – especially when done well. It’s why I tear up watching Little Women and why I adored To All the Boys I Loved Before. This was no different.
I say the following with both praise and warning:
The writing style is very nobody-talks-like-that-but-we-love-to-see-it Dawson’s Creek meets SAT prep with a lot of Gilmore Girls, but with classic literature references instead of pop culture references. There is even a glossary of literature references made at the end of the book.
You know how there is a Rory Gilmore reading challenge? I totally could see a Mary Porter-Malcom reading challenge stemming from this book.
All that being said, I think this book is very self-aware. I believe (and hope) that it is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, in which case, it is done incredibly well.
And now, I shall gush, because it’s what I do best:
I loved seeing how Mary’s world clashed with contemporary high school – how she interpreted everyday high school drama and how everyday high schoolers interpreted her.
The friend group in this was so, so refreshing. All three girls have such vivid personalities with little focus on looks, which I so appreciated. I seriously WISH I had friends like those in high school. I’m many, MANY years out of high school and I even wanted to hang out with them.
And who would I be if I didn’t talk about the romance in this book?
YA romances can be pretty predictable, but I’m going to be honest, this one wasn’t nearly as predictable as most YA novels I read. There were SO many sweet, swoony moments. The type of tiny moments that are significant simply because of the build-up.
The inclusion of Mary’s diary entries were not extra fluff. They directed the story in significant, but subtle ways. They weren’t boringly long, they were short and sweet, but packed a punch.
When I closed this book (figuratively speaking because I read the eARC for this), I felt exactly how I hope to feel every time I open one… a little giddy, a little nostalgic, and a lot satisfied.
Rating: really liked it
5 out of 5For me, most YA contemporary romance books are either just okay or end up being a huge miss; most of the time I don’t bother to read any unless the premise piques my interest quite a bit.
By the Book definitely caught it the moment I read the synopsis. It appeared to be a fun read but I wasn’t expecting it to be absolutely hilarious and heartwarming.
The most pleasant surprise is how much focus is put on the female friendships. I went in thinking I was
only getting a cute romance, but the friendships between Mary and her friends is the heart of the story. It was such a realistic portrayal of a healthy friendship between girls. It did have its ups and downs but it was never overdramatized nor did it lead to girl-on-girl hate. We are shown that real friends will never ask you to change your authentic self, rather they will aid you in your personal growth. This is such an important message to give to YA readers, especially girls.
The romance did take a back seat but the scenes we get were wonderful! Mary has an eccentric flare to her and Alex, the love interest, never questions or belittles her for it. They were both quite comfortable with each other that made the budding romance organic. The banter between the two was hilarious! They had me laughing out loud throughout the book. Actually the whole book did! This author’s style of humor is right up my alley; it was subtle and not in your face. Mary is such a quirky, funny narrator that any bibliophile will be able to relate to.
Just such an amazing debut! Can’t wait to see what Amanda Sellet releases next! I am definitely recommending this book to younger and older readers alike. It was delightful and heartwarming in every way. This book is probably my biggest surprise of 2020 by far.
Rating: really liked it
Hello Readers! Popping in to say that if you enjoyed BY THE BOOK, there's a bonus holiday short story set a few weeks after the main action on my website. "Twelfth Night" is narrated by the one-and-only Jasper, and is meant to be a small thank-you to everyone who has given this book a chance. As always, I hope it makes you laugh. https://www.amandasellet.com/extras
Happy reading!
Rating: really liked it
The cover attracted me at first but after reading the synopsis and seeing this quote.
"If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself."
Yeah, bring it on girl. Count me in. Looking forward to reading this!
Rating: really liked it
This book should have been perfect for me. A cutesy YA contemporary with a bookish heroine obsessed with the classics...
And yet I’m left feeling underwhelmed.
I read this book but still feel like I didn’t “read” it...
I know. That makes no sense.
Let me try to explain.
Do you ever find yourself going through the motions with a book? That for some reason you remain forever detached from the characters and the storyline? Because that’s how I feel with this book. I never found my feet.
Case in point.
When the romantic interest of the MC was introduced I felt like I had missed something. Like I’d skipped a chapter... and yet I hadn’t? The book had me all confused because the meet cute between the MC and the love interest seemingly happened prior to the novel’s beginning... I learned this A LOT later so for ages I was all at sea. It meant that I couldn’t understand the MC’s feelings about why the love interest was a cad/Lothario style character.
Also.
Do you notice I’m referring to the characters by their function in the narrative rather than by name... that’s because for some reason the names never stuck with me. The characters didn’t feel tangible enough that names mattered... I mean I was over three quarters of the way through this book when one of the younger male characters asked the MC to a school dance and I was shocked... because I’d thought he was her brother OOOPS!
This book wasn’t just about a romantic love story. It was about finding friends that accept you for who you are. Friends that love and treasure you. Friends that aren’t embarrassed by your hobbies but instead admire your passions. Friends that just get you.
And I loved that aspect of the storyline. I loved how the book spent so much time showing how important female friendship is to the development of life skills... except I couldn’t name a single one of the MC’s new group of female friends. One of them had a long-term, long-distance boyfriend I think. And outside that they all just melded into one character for me.
The siblings of the MC were similar. The MC came from a large family. I think seven: two parents and five children... but I could be wrong on this number. Because with the relatively large family size none of the family members truly stood out. About all I took in from the family dynamics was thar there was some sort of drama between the twin girls which I never understood properly.
This book lacked character creation and development imo. There was a fab storyline about finding your feet within your family, your school, your friends, and learning that first impressions may not always give you the whole picture... but these interesting themes lacked any impact because of the weakness of the characterisations.
But every now and then the story would pick up. Something would catch my interest... but invariably a few minutes later I got bored and ended up putting the book down again. It took me well over a week to read what normally (considering genre, page count etc) should have taken less than two days... so clearly this book and I just never really say eye to eye.
Not for me sadly
For more reviews and book related chat check out my blog
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Goodreads
Rating: really liked it
This book was *delightful,* and I can’t even imagine how much more I would’ve enjoyed it if I were a fan of the classics. It was so much more friendship-centric than I had anticipated (think Emma Mills - when I saw in the acknowledgments that they have the same agent I was like OF COURSE) and I loved that the MC was from a big family, because you don’t see that so often and it’s such a fun dynamic. It’s so charming, the MC is so so genuinely and lovably bookish, and I love how many references there are to classics throughout. (They’re enumerated and explained at the end, too, which I loved.) If you love Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, or friendship-centric romance novels, or especially both, I think you will adore this.
Rating: really liked it
a novel of
PROSE and cons....
| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | Reddit | LinkedIn | YouTube |
Rating: really liked it
This was such a cute book! I had a hard time with the language at first, and I almost DNFed after the first chapter. Mary only reads classic literature and the way she talks and thinks reflects this. But as I got used to this style, it really added to the humour and made Mary into a likable and unique character. How many teenagers think and talk like a turn-of-the-century heroine?
The plot of this story is freaking adorable, and I loved the friends she made--particularly the sweet, quiet, and beautiful Terry who is obsessed with true crime. The book isn't just about the romance--it's about Mary finding friends who appreciate her for who she is <3
Definitely recommend this book to bookaholics (particularly those who love the classics) looking for a sweet YA book.
Rating: really liked it
DNF @ 5%. I try to go 25% before I give up on a book, but I couldn't even make it through two chapters of this book. It was just trying way too hard. The main character was insufferable. I will say I'm also a lot older than the target audience for this book, so a younger, quirkier crowd may enjoy this much more.
Rating: really liked it
them: yeah, i was bullied/an outsider back in high school because i was such a book nerd and preferred literature over humans. *sigh* i guess i was just too intellectual for a 15 year old and nobody could understand me at the time...😔
nobody:
them in high school: What caused my steps to falter was that she’d positioned herself at the very center of the room. I might be a babe in the woods when it came to the social politics of Millville High, but a morning had been sufficient to notice a distinct class structure. Not so much in the sense of freshman, sophomore, and so on; this was a hierarchy of position. And right now, the crème de la crème had assembled at the heart of the cafeteria. To insert ourselves among the upper crust on our first day felt presumptuous at best. At worst it would look like we were putting on airs. Getting ideas above our station. Begging for a swift comeuppance. Against this I weighed Anjuli’s rigid posture. I imagined her arriving early to secure us a spot, followed by tense moments alone as she waited for me to appear. Her left arm was crooked protectively around the nearest chair, as though she feared it might be snatched away. Even her hair was on the defensive, the neat braid she’d worn since second grade replaced by a curtain of flowing locks that shielded her face from view.
are. you. fucking. kidding. me.
literally AHHHHHHHHH i'm sooooooooooo mad. i swear to god mary is one of the MOST insufferable, annoying, pompous, self-righteous characters i have EVER come across. she rivals colin craven for the most Irritating Character Award. as someone who was notoriously bookish (i live and breathe classic literature etc.), shy, and a "wallflower" in high school, this book made me want to go back in time and beat myself up. maybe the bullies were right after all....i swear to god if i was like this in high school/talked like this and you hated me - i completely understand.
the ONLY good parts in the book where when alex and some other characters were bitchy to mary because it allowed me to project onto them and pretend that i was bullying her.
