Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan-3.5 stars
(Art of Ace and Karina that was commissioned by the author)
*Deep sigh* Ok so I have thoughts about this book. Conflicting, mixed thoughts. I liked it, but by no means do I think this book is a perfect read. To be honest, there were multiple times while reading that I wanted to DNF because it was just…blah, but I pushed through it because I really don’t like to DNF books, especially if they’re an ARC. In the end, I’m happy that I made myself continue reading because I do think the book, more specifically, the writing gets better.
I’ll start with the good aspects of this book. I loved that this was about a Bangladeshi girl and her struggle with trying to figure out where she fits in with her family, but also her struggle to stay brave and fight for her happiness. I loved learning about her culture, and I loved how there was just so much casual diversity in this book. There are LGBT+ side characters, many POC characters and we see Karina, our main character, try to figure out the best way to handle her panic attacks. Even though I found Karina a bit frustrating at time, I really enjoyed seeing her journey. I also really liked Ace and learning about his family (though I do find his character underdeveloped).
Unfortunately for me, my biggest issue with this book is probably the writing. This is the author’s debut novel and I can tell that in a couple of years she could write some really great books. But this book…well the only way I can explain it is that it reads like a Wattpad/Fanfic. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Wattpad or fanfic. I read both and I’ve even written them. But there is a differencebetween someone who is writing a story on one of those sites versus a published novel. The writing was choppy and fell flat. It reminded me a lot of a first draft or when you’re writing a book but don’t actually know how to follow through with all the ideas that you planted in the book. And so, the writing falls flat, the characters appear one-dimensional and the plot just has so many holes and inconsistencies. I also found the social media slang and pop culture references to be so cringe and just not good. I know that people talk like this every day (I often use twitter slang in conversations with friends too) but it just did not work for me in the book. I think it might be a personal preference but I don’t like when books use pop culture references or lingo because I feel like it dates the book and just overall takes me out of the story. The pacing the book was also very off. There were times that I felt like the plot was dragging and this book felt entirely way too long. And yet I also felt like things moved too fast and didn’t feel believable.
The romance between Ace and Karina was cute but didn’t really feel well executed. Ace is this “bad boy” and talks to no one but for some reason the moment he sees Karina he’s a teddy bear and actually isn’t a bad boy at all? Also I’m supposed to believe Ace is a bad boy because…he wears a leather jacket? He literally wears $300 cashmere sweaters and has probably never lifted a finger to do anything in his life. Baby boy does not sound like a bad boy he sounds like a rich douche who’s trying too hard. Now granted, Ace is the sweetest and I really liked him but I just could not for the life of me understand how someone who the author spends lots of time emphasizing spends no time with anyone, doesn’t talk to anyone and will even rudely dismiss them if they even look at him, takes one look at Karina, the nerdy, quiet tutor and decides “hey I like you and I’m going to drop all of my walls and pursue you relentlessly”? Also, we learn that Ace is actually a secret musician and for me that was the icing on the “is this a one direction fanfic” for me.
Overall, this wasn’t a horrible read it just wasn’t a super great one either. I think many readers will be able to relate to Karina and her story will resonate so many young readers. As for whether or not I recommend this book: well I think it depends on the reader. I think this book will certainly work for some, but not all. I think if after reading this review, you are still curious and want to give it a chance than you should go for it! The rep alone is really great and if you’re looking for a book where you can relate and see characters like you, then this is definitely it. Just go in with low expectations because this book isn’t the most well written and it’s not a perfect read.
*arc given in exchange for an honest review
Ravings of a Booklover 