Name: ash (smokedshelves)'s review of This One's for You by Kate Sweeney
Item: This One's for You
Rating: 2
Author: ash (smokedshelves)

Kate Sweeney

A gorgeous contemporary romance about two ex-best friends, Cass and Syd, on a life-altering road trip following the reunion tour of the Darlas—the band Cass’s mom was in when she died. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour, Mary H.K. Choi, and Jandy Nelson. After their high school graduation, former best friends Cass and Syd are gearing up for their futures. Cass has planned to go to college to become an engineer, while Syd—despite the fact that her family thinks she’s messed up her whole life—has lined up a sound internship at a historic music venue. But Cass is keeping secrets. Though his dad has forbidden it, Cass has been playing music, taking trips to San Francisco BART stations to play and make money. Somehow, it’s become a way for Cass to connect with his mother—who was also a musician—who died in a drunk driving accident on the way back from a gig when he was one. But after Syd catches Cass playing at the BART station, and Cass finds out his mom’s old band the Darlas is going on a reunion tour, everything changes. On impulse, Cass invites Syd to the first Darlas show, and without telling anyone, they make a break for it. Turning one show into a cross-country journey, the two former friends throw away all their plans for the future and embark on a life-altering road trip following the tour, keeping it a secret from their friends and family. Along the way, they’ll untangle the messy threads of how they became “ex”-best friends, experience the power of nature and music, and decide what they really want their lives to be. Maybe, through it all, Cass and Syd can find a way back to each other, too.

This One's for You

stephanie 

thank you to penguin teen and viking books for young readers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

aw, man. i really hate to give books that deal with topics like these (grief, loss of a parent, finding your identity) low ratings because these are important stories to have. but uh... i really did not vibe with this story. so i guess, a rant incoming???

cass and syd are estranged friends who go on a roadtrip to follow cass's mother's (who passed when he was a baby) band on a reunion tour. and, the concept seems great. it really does. but these two characters do such a terrible job conversing with each other the entire story that i really didn't feel their relationship rekindle well. nor, did i really believe their platonic (and secret romantic) love for each other before they had their friendship break-up. they just. could. not. explain. their. feelings. not once. it was truly infuriating. to have three-hundred-ish pages of poor communication and then believing that they've sorted out their issues in the end. it's just far-fetched for me.

and let's not talk about how syd (very unfortunately) felt like the next door neighbor manic-pixie dream girl that we all so love (no, we don't). every time they brought up their past, it's always syd pushing cass to do some wild dare. because she's so weird and quirky and not normal! please. let's move on from that. and for that to literally be the source of how they became estranged in the first place. (with a hint of jealousy when cass had a crush on another person, what??) i don't know, maybe i am too far removed from my high school days but like, it feels so immature. but not that cass was much better. he was genuinely a hollow of a human. and i get that's the point by my gosh was it a struggle to read the same thoughts constantly.

basically, both of these teens should have been in therapy for years. and not just for brief times. and also, both of their parents need to do better. everyone in this book is terrible at listening. or talking. or both. i genuinely cannot fathom that a grown adult could not even listen to their name of deceased partner and physically shut down and walk away from a conversation 16 years later. i mean?? trust me, i understand grief is not easy. but like, i guess i see where his son gets it from. my god.

but uh, okay. i guess i have a lot of strong thoughts on this book (more than i expected) and i don't want to sit here writing my own novel all night. but tldr, this was not it for me. i really struggled to make my way through a book that had a promising concept. and that's all down to the extreme lack of communication by any of the characters in this story.

ash (smokedshelves)

thank you to penguin teen and viking books for young readers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

aw, man. i really hate to give books that deal with topics like these (grief, loss of a parent, finding your identity) low ratings because these are important stories to have. but uh... i really did not vibe with this story. so i guess, a rant incoming???

cass and syd are estranged friends who go on a roadtrip to follow cass's mother's (who passed when he was a baby) band on a reunion tour. and, the concept seems great. it really does. but these two characters do such a terrible job conversing with each other the entire story that i really didn't feel their relationship rekindle well. nor, did i really believe their platonic (and secret romantic) love for each other before they had their friendship break-up. they just. could. not. explain. their. feelings. not once. it was truly infuriating. to have three-hundred-ish pages of poor communication and then believing that they've sorted out their issues in the end. it's just far-fetched for me.

and let's not talk about how syd (very unfortunately) felt like the next door neighbor manic-pixie dream girl that we all so love (no, we don't). every time they brought up their past, it's always syd pushing cass to do some wild dare. because she's so weird and quirky and not normal! please. let's move on from that. and for that to literally be the source of how they became estranged in the first place. (with a hint of jealousy when cass had a crush on another person, what??) i don't know, maybe i am too far removed from my high school days but like, it feels so immature. but not that cass was much better. he was genuinely a hollow of a human. and i get that's the point by my gosh was it a struggle to read the same thoughts constantly.

basically, both of these teens should have been in therapy for years. and not just for brief times. and also, both of their parents need to do better. everyone in this book is terrible at listening. or talking. or both. i genuinely cannot fathom that a grown adult could not even listen to their name of deceased partner and physically shut down and walk away from a conversation 16 years later. i mean?? trust me, i understand grief is not easy. but like, i guess i see where his son gets it from. my god.

but uh, okay. i guess i have a lot of strong thoughts on this book (more than i expected) and i don't want to sit here writing my own novel all night. but tldr, this was not it for me. i really struggled to make my way through a book that had a promising concept. and that's all down to the extreme lack of communication by any of the characters in this story.

stephanie &
This One's for You by Kate Sweeney

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