Member Reviews
Thank you to Netgalley and Immortal Works for the advanced copy of the book. This was one of the first books where I realized I was beginning to loose interest in the YA genre. I found the premise to be reminiscent of early 2000s YA books, where the FMC is "ugly" and that's their cross to bear. Brad and Rose's lives were not "over" because Carissa chose to be a jerk. I also think its super weird that a girl would date her sister's ex, let alone her twin's ex.
Just could not get into this. Unfortunately the characters were unlikable and didn't much care for the constant reminders of how perfect Carissa is and also how thin she was.
This was the first book I have read by this author. I will be looking for more from this author! I enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend this book to everyone I know!!
I'm going to start off this review by saying how big of a hell this read has been, unfortunatelly. NOT because of the story or characters, who I grew very fond of, but because of the ARC itself. All throughout the book I found letters, words and even entire lines missing, cutting the story into pieces, some of them misplaced and put in the middle of other. It made the reading experience honestly hard and even made me want to DNF it a lot of times. I'm saying this not as a critique, but rather as something to take in consideration for device compatibility.
Now onto the actual review: Rose and Brad have stolen my heart, not so much as an item but as the beautiful individuals they become through this journey.
When a new reality strikes Brad's life, he realises a change must be made in order to keep on going, to get and feel better with himself, and no, I'm not talking about the breakup. Seeing how his entire perspective on life changes and how he tries to be more compassionate, to follow his passion, even when it comes with a certain loneliness, feels like seeing an old friend getting out of a pitch black hole. I felt his frustration, his fear, and his excitement, and I wish we had seen more of this sometimes.
Rose's side of the story was harder to get into, and I think it's because she didn't want us to do so. She was burying all of her secrets, frustration and shame so deep inside herself, she couldn't even see half of them. It's in the vulnerable moments, when she lets these things come up, when we realise how strong and how incredible she is, and that's one of the reasons why her journey to self love is SO satisfying.
Brad and Rose's romance is not a slowburn. It's the slowest burn of them all, which to be fair, I hated sometimes. Maybe it's because miscomunication is not exactly my cup of tea, or maybe it is because no words are spoken up until literally the last few chapters. In a way, I felt like that kept us from being the first few moments of their relationship. Just a kiss, that's it.
Overall, "Thanks, Carissa, for rouning my life" was cute and fun read, but one that shines because of its characters, not so much due to its story.
This was a really adorable and heartwarming YA read! Rose and Brad were really sweet together and I really enjoyed their relationship
3/5
Disclaimer: thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book. All opinions are my OWN.
When i heard about this book I was fascinated with the concept. First of all because it's a coming of age story, and those are my favorites to read. Second of all, because it's YA and i knew it was going to be cute.
The book follows Brad and Rose, and explores their relationship with Carissa. The first one is the former ex boyfriend, and the second her twin sister. One thing i appreciated about this book is the plus size rep. I think it's important to feature diverse characters and this was well done.
My main enjoyment was the DRAMA. Brad has a plan to get Carissa back at all costs and obviously, it lowkey involves the twin sister.
The book is heavy on the dialogues but i really appreciate it. It's fast to read and the pace is good. The only thing missing was a little more of depth and maybe more development towards the end.
Overall, it was cute and entertaining and i had a good time reading this.
A cute, charming, coming-of-age book. Easy enough to read since it is YA but miscommunication/lack of communication is not my favorite so they balanced out a bit. It's easy to fall back into how it felt to find yourself in high school and to be noticed for good reasons.
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life was an interesting book. For the most part, I didn't like Carissa. She seems to be one of those people who thought she was joking but was just mean to everyone around her. I also didn't like how she kept telling Rose that she was fat and unhappy. They were twins and why does it matter what her size is?
Once Rose goes off to fat camp, to lose weight and truly fall in love with herself, I just felt bad for her. At first, she was completely humiliated, embarrassed, and alone. Along the way, she did start improving though. Self-improvement was such a big journey for her. Sure, she lost some weight and learned to love herself all over again. Yet, she told them that counting calories and gaining weight towards the end was okay. Heck, it could have been muscle for crying out loud.
Then there's Brad. Oh man. I get that his heart was ripped out of him and stomped all over by the love of his life, Carissa. Yet, I just didn't get the vibe that they were right for each other. Soon he learned who was more of his vibe and it just happened to be her twin sister, Rose. Of course, they sort of danced around one another until they finally told the truth. It took forever but I guess that's what you get when one is sent to camp and the other is starting a new job at a radio station.
Either way, they found their way to one another, and I was really happy for that. The drama was meh, but I did enjoy the body acceptance towards the end. Definitely glad that I got the chance to jump into this book and will look forward to next book Dallas writes.
This is a fun (if dramatic) YA book that really shines a light on teenage miscommunication; it has a lot of dialogue but its a cute story and to see heartbreak from a teenage boy's perspective is really interesting!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
This was a sweet high school romance. I would’ve enjoyed this more if I were closer to that age perhaps, but I can appreciate it now even in my 20s. I liked the story line and the character development a lot.
I loved the idea of this book! It sounded like such a sweet YA romance and I was very excited to see how the story would flesh out.
Unfortunately, for me the pacing fell into a slower rhythm near the middle of the book. I lost some emotional investment in the characters because oof, I just needed them to get their acts together! But the ending was a sweet payoff, even if it did feel a little abrupt.
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the growth of the characters and some of the positive messages that the author sprinkled throughout the novel. Fans of clean YA romances will enjoy this sweet read!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the author. All expressed opinions belong to me.
A YA novel that I feel could have been better. It lacks a bit of oomph. A lot of miscommunication and the usual trope makes this an average read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I do not usually read a lot of contemporary fiction, however, I am glad that I read "Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life." The book is a contemporary, ya romance and it definitely made me feel a bit nostalgic for high school. The book opens up just as the characters are about to start high school and the titular Carissa breaks up with Brad and nominates her sister Rose to go on a tv show about weight loss.
I really enjoyed Brad and Rose as main characters. They deal with a lot of miscommunication throughout the book, and usually I am not a fan of this. However, in this book I felt that the plot device was used efficiently and so I didn't mind it. I wasn't expecting to, but I became invested in Brad and Rose's love story. If you're looking for a fluffy, quick-read romance with high school characters and setting, then definitely give this one a try.
In all honesty I wasn’t a huge fan of the trope within this book, I felt it lacked lustre and was a little too cliche for my liking.
I found the character development a little shallow and would’ve preferred a deeper sense of meaning within the story
So I started reading Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life and thought it would be a DNF but I kept reading and I am glad that I did! I really enjoyed this book.
We see Carissa breaking up with Brad and sending in an application for her sister to be on a reality show for weight loss. They are both angry about it. Well, Brad is so whiny and wimpy in the beginning that it almost made me stop reading. Rose is strong but she really has her own inner bully bringing her down. I liked that they both pulled strength from within to better themselves.
Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life definitely feels like a tongue-in-cheek title. Yes, Carissa is a bully and not the nicest but the way she acts and everything she does helps Brad and Rose find their own ways. Carissa, in her own right, has many insecurities and projects them outwards onto her sister. I don't want to give away too much of what happens.
The love storyline was so sweet and I really appreciated the thought that went into it. Dallas Woodburn is a wonderful writer and she really took the time to flesh out the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, Immortal Works, and the author for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
-I think its the unedited version??? The incomplete words bothers me for real
-I find Brad so immature esp at the beginning (understandable but still), good thing he became less immature
-I find Carissa's reason about breaking up is valid, but shes hella manipulative and veeery selfish
-I'm kind of angry and sad on how they treated Rose just because she's not the usual "average" body type. They made it a big deal and clothed it with "I want the best for you" narrative like???? They only made her unhappy, more anxious, and more conscious about her weight. And the freaking camp just ties the knot to my anger; having her join the camp without her consent???💀💀💀
-Im sorry but a I yeeted this book to the DNF pile because it was very hard to read for me
Cute, fun, and quick read. I don't read a lot of YA contemporary but I enjoyed this coming of age romance.
I would recommend giving this book a try.
4.5 ⭐️ for this fast-paced, whirlwind YA romance!
Other than the ARC pretty much removing the letters ‘fi’ and ‘ff’ (😂) this book was fantastic! I read it in one day, the characters were real and well rounded and the plot moved quickly.
I would have liked Holly’s romance to have been a bit more involved as I thought she was a great friend and the relationship felt rushed towards the end.
Lots of miscommunication, and looooong friends to lovers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Immortal Works for providing me with an ARC!
She’s one of those people who, when she looks at you, truly sees you.
What I Liked:
Brad was dramatic, and I found that funny.
I believed that most of the people at the camp were more interesting than the main characters.
The title and summary were what drew me in. The title is funny and made me wonder if it’s meant to be in a negative or positive context.
What I Didn’t Like:
Right off the bat, I hated Carissa.
Brad’s obsession with Carissa was too much.
Love triangles are not my thing, and there are two here.
Overall Enjoyment/Impact:
Rose and Carissa are like night and day, despite them being twins. Carissa is the “perfect” one, and Rose lives under her shadow. Carissa is “perfect” and treats everyone as if they’re beneath her.
The reasons for her choices are that she’s doing what she thinks is best for everyone, but in reality, it is because of her selfish motives.
YAs have been hit or misses for me lately. Although I enjoyed reading “Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life”, I felt it was younger than I preferred. If I had read this when I was younger, I think I would like it more. I wished I had something like this when I needed it. However, the themes are relevant and relatable.
Love it or hate it, reading “Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life” made me feel many emotions. But, regardless of everything, I’m glad I read it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Thank you, NetGalley and Dallas Woodburn, for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I've finished this book last April but I haven't been able to construct any book reviews lately because life happens (thus, affecting my mental health and my productivity. My apologies for that).
I was astonished to have enjoyed another YA romance again after a few years, but more than the romance, it's Rose's journey to acceptance that made me love this book.
At first the book obviously was written for an audience younger than my age but later on, as the story progresses, I didn't feel the YA vibes anymore. I guess at one point in our lives, we can relate to Rose - someone who struggled in accepting herself. I really loved her character in this book.
Despite loving the book a lot, the miscommunication between Rose and Brad sent my another star for the rating away because I do not really like the miscommunication trope. For this story, I think some parts needed to have the miscommunication to build their history since Brad's Carissa's ex, the twin sister of Rose, but for me, some parts felt that the miscommunication is too much already. Nonetheless, this book is still one of my most enjoyed reads this year.
Here's a mini reading thread for this book at my booktwt account: https://twitter.com/semicolonreads/status/1506778544957177856
As always, thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.