I love this book so much. I read this book within days of receiving it. I love the story line and the creativity of advancing the story line. This is a very unique book that I have not read a story similar too. MUST READ.

This was a quick and easy read with a cute premise. Unfortunately, it could have been executed in a better way. This concept had so much potential!

Awww....my students will enjoy this book. They like to ask each other questions. So cute!

I enjoyed this book. It was amazing. I loved that the characters kept asking questions in spite of several mishaps.

The premise of this book looked really interesting, and I think perhaps in its proper format I might have been a little more engaged (I believe the ARC doesn't include the drawings and all the formatting to show the different types of mediums through which the characters speak) simply because visual elements in a book are more rare for me to come across, but I had to quit after chapter 2 (which is 1/4 of the whole book; it's a tiny book apparently) because I wasn't really down for the style. The book's pacing is weird; we are very suddenly thrown into a girl having a clumsy interview and a boy having an asshole-ish one and then for pages it's just dialog between them. I wouldn't mind the dialog, but Paul really grated on me. I felt like it might have helped if we initially had more background on Paul, but he says so little of consequence that I don't know anything about him except that he's apparently a 10 on the attractive scale and has a tear-drop tattoo on his face and just wants $40 really bad. The banter wasn't cute after about 5 pages full of it and my interest in it faded out fast. I guess I was expecting a more introspective exploration of the nature of building relationships, not just a chronicle of instant-message style conversations and really quick-paced third-person narratives in between. I skimmed through the book (which truly is tiny) and didn't really feel any spark of motivation to go back to the 25% mark to continue. The ideas the author plays with are good, but this execution felt off to me. I think alternating POVs between Paul and Hildy would have worked out much better, since the book's purpose is to be very character driven and bounce off of how their relationship forms. I also like that the author is in touch enough to make the characters sound authentic and care about things most 18-somethings in this era care about.

I think there's something to this book, but it just didn't resonate with me due to its pacing, format, and length (it's so tiny that I can't imagine it has the depth and complexity I like seeing in novels that focus on relationships and such). I don't think I'd be inclined to try it out again.

*A free digital copy of this title was given to me by NetGalley to review, but that in no way affects my opinions or what I've stated in my review*

This was an interesting book and I had fun while reading it. The characters were interesting and the writing really drew me in and made me want to keep reading.

I think this is a cute YA novel. I like that this story is based off of a real psychological study, pretty cool.

Oh my god. This book had so much potential. So much. But in the end, it flopped terribly for me.

This book honestly has such an interesting synopsis. Two people meet during a university psychology study. One is doing it just because. And the other needs the money. The study requires them ask each other thirty-six questions, and maybe at the end, they'll see each other in a new light. But both Paul and Hildy are hiding something, and it'll take more than thirty-six questions to break down those walls.

I'm super interested in psychology. And a good contemporary romance is definitely my thing. Honestly, this book was born from a perfect formula. But the one thing that really ruined it for me was the characters. I couldn't stand Hildy. Yes, she was supposed to be quirky and awkward, but for me she was just annoying, stereotypically accident-prone, and unnecessarily rambly. And yes, Paul was that typical I-don't-give-a-damn-about-anything kind of character, but seeing as I am a person who loves sarcasm, compared to Hildy, he actually felt like a breath of fresh air.

Another thing that made this story difficult to get through is the writing style. The blurb says that it is written in the language of "modern romance" and while I get that texting is a lot of socialization nowadays, I really couldn't get a feel for the characters without narration, and I felt like the lack of narration hurt the story by making it harder for me to connect with the characters.

I still really like the plot, but to be honest because of the writing style I ended up skimming a lot of the story. If anything the plot is cliche - but I really don't have anything against that. It was, sadly, the characters and the writing approach that didn't do it for me.

I really enjoyed the format that the author used in this book. Much of the conversation between the two characters is done via Facebook Messenger so it made the book feel modern and more relevant to current day society. The format also made it a much faster read for me as much of it was abbreviated due to chatting (i.e. ATQ = answer the question). Anything that makes a book easier for me to read gets a thumbs up from me lol!

The back-and-forth between the characters was entertaining for me as well. I liked that they did not have very much in common and even though they were able to push each other’s buttons, they both kept coming back to finish the study. I’ve found myself reading a lot of dark books lately (see my review on Final Girls here) so it was nice to read something that was a little bit lighter. That’s not saying that this book did not have it’s serious parts as well – both characters both have secrets that they have not shared with anyone which added a bit of drama to the lightness.

If I had to complain about anything with this book, it would be the ending. I hate endings where you are left hanging, but I guess that is the fun of reading. I’m one of those people who likes closure and this book definitely allows you to imagine how things end up rather than spoon feeding it to you.

Down with smarmy guys and manic pixie dream girls. I started reading this, but just could not come close to finishing a chapter.

The title of this book caught my attention and it is the main reason I wanted to read it. I've read over a third of the book and I'm ready to put it down for now. It hasn't really grabbed my attention. I do want to know the secrets that keeps them guarded, but not enough to continue at this time. I may pick it back up to finish it - just not right now. I'm ready to move on.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a perfect read for me after my last book being a DNF. This novel is completely predictable and doesn't require any brain power.. which is exactly what you want sometimes. A nice amuse bouche after a difficult book to get me back into wanting to read.

I didn't get a chance to download this book from here but I did get an ARC for it from our Adult Services department of all places. This book wasn't really for me. Maybe it was because the ARC I had didn't have most of it's pictures yet? Or maybe it was just to generic for the time I was reading it. The plot is one that's used a lot, especially in YA. It wasn't really new or exciting. The characters were just meh. Nothing really special or memorable. It was predictable and a bit slow. Overall, maybe Teens who are big on this kind of romance will dig it , but it wasn't the book for me.

2 stars because it could’ve been so cute, but....it fell short for me. I couldn’t connect with either one of the characters. They argued/got offended way more than I would’ve thought necessary. I just didn’t lose myself in it nor enjoy it, to be honest. 😕

*I was given an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Originally posted on The Crazy Bookworm
(www.crazy-bookworm.com)

MORAL OF THE STORY:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS AREN'T ALWAYS THE LAST IMPRESSION

10 REASONS WHY I LOVED THIS BOOK

1. Unique concept
Taking 2 people, putting them in a room together and seeing what happens? Um, yes please!
2. Interesting writing style
I loved that the book was written in 'Chat' format. A lot of the book's dialogue is Hildy and Paul literally sitting in a room basically interviewing each other. However, it gets quite intense!
3. Quick read
4. Has Depth
3 and 4 go hand and hand. Although you can enjoy this book in one sitting, it has so much depth. The characters and storyline provide so much heart and soul.
5. Epic characters
Delivering a book in this style can be risky, it can lack "The feels" but that was NOT the case of 36 Reasons. Both Hildy and Paul were very intense characters. In the beginning, we are only seeing the surface, but the author did a spectacular job at letting their stories unfold at a beautiful pace as the experiment progresses and the individual character perspectives are delivered.
6. Not your average contemporary romance
Because average is boring!
7. Thought-provoking
Some of the questions are pretty basic, while others dive right into the soul!
8. Comedic relief
36 Reasons made me Laugh out Loud on more than one occasion...way more! The quips and banter between all of the characters were fantastic. It definitely had a "sitcom" vibe to it. I could totally see this as a Netflix series and me totally binging it!
9. Charming
10. Discovery
It may be a light contemporary romance, but it has so much more! It's about not just about 2 people getting to know each others. It's about 2 characters getting to know themselves.

Sometimes you just need a bit of light-hearted romance and fluff and boy do you get it by the bucket load with Vicki Grant’s delightful novel 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some serious issues that are dealt with in this book but you will have to read it to get to the nitty-gritty of those dramas.

I want to talk to you about love love love. In particular the bourgeoning relationship between Hildy and Paul who both take part in a psychological study. They each have to answer 36 questions honestly and then the theory is that they will fall in love. Except to begin with, they both kind of hate each other. It doesn’t make for a great start to a relationship.

However, as the novel goes on we realise that these perfect strangers are actually rather perfect for each other.

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You by Vicki Grant is the kind of novel that you get fully invested in. You root for these characters and oh my days it is such an easy read. Before you realise it you have nearly finished the book. Honestly, 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You begs for a part 2.

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You by Vicki Grant is available now.

For more information regarding Vicki Grant (@VickiGrantYA) please visit www.vickigrant.com.

For more information regarding Perseus Books (@PerseusBooks) please visit their Twitter page.

For more information regarding Running Press (@Running_Press) please visit www.runningpress.com.

Actual rating: 2.5

I requested this book because I loved the concept that’s presented in the summary. I’m not a huge fan of stories where the characters fall quickly in love, but I do feel a yearning for one every once in a while, they’re fun and quick to read.
This book is quick to read, but not particularly fun the entire time. I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, the characters are kind of mismatched to the point where they annoyed me, but after a while their interactions became better, and I felt like I can finish it. The format is what this book has going for it, the plot is okay, but the characters make it hard to connect to the reading.

A psychology experiment serves as the impetus that drives decidedly opposite Hildy (our protagonist) and Paul (her love interest) together in this YA work by Vicki Grant.

As the book opens, straight-laced and stressed Hildy is being interviewed by a researcher for inclusion in a study aimed at determining whether two people can be made to feel an attachment to each other – aka, forced into a relationship – by posing and responding to a list of curated questions.

Hildy jumps at the chance to participate – because she wants to be in love – and heads off to a room to wait for a partner.

Then Paul arrives. He doesn’t allow the researcher to describe the study. He’s only there for the $40. He doesn’t give an F about…well…anything.

Put ‘em together and what do you get?

Well, if you’ve seen…or read…anything in the meet-cute, rom-com genre, you know the answer is instant attraction.

So, did it work?

Well, yes and no.

Let’s start with the “yes”.

“ur not like most girls. ur not plastered in makeup either. I can see ur skin. I like that”

This seemingly flippant quote – written (by the male love interest of the book via Facebook messenger) in appallingly bad form – sums up what I adored about the boy and girl lead in this book.

You could see their skins.

Metaphorically, of course.

I believe them.

I liked them.

I wanted them to succeed.

See, the likelihood of the grungy artist that our perfectionistic protagonist gets matched with turning out to have a heart of gold and hidden depth is slim to say the least. But I’m willing to suspend my disbelief.

To a point.

Which brings me to the “no”.

I spent the vast majority of my time reading this book thinking, “Oh, this is good. This concept. These characters. 4 cocktails, maybe 5!”

Then…the plot hit the skids.

*Spoiler Alert*

At one point, our protagonist arranges a face-to-face meet up with Paul (who doesn’t have a phone…so hipster of him). They make this agreement to meet right after he tells her how important people being on time is to him.

Obviously, you can guess right away that something is going to keep her from showing up at the meeting.

My problem is not with the formulaicness of something going wrong (Afterall, sometimes stuff is part of a formula because it works) My problem is with what went wrong.

We are expected to believe that our protagonist’s father (who is also her principal and advisor for the drama club) sold her brother’s beloved fish tank on CraigsList, devastating this brother and leading him to run away.

Um, what?!?

Why?

Why would he do that?

What does he have to gain?

*Note – later in the plot we discover something about this brother that is supposed to explain the father’s behavior, but it so, So, SO doesn’t.

Even looking back on the book after having finished it, I still must resolutely say that there is nothing about this action that makes sense. It’s unrealistic and forced and detrimental to the overall quality of the book.

*End Spoiler*

After this point of huge frustration, I read on. Waiting for the book to redeem itself.

Did it?

Meh, IDK.

The character remained strong and the ending was cute, but the wound inflicted by this egregiously bad plot point was simply too gaping to fully heal.

All in all, this book did make me feel….at least marginally… good.

It was an easy, relatively enjoyable read.

If you do decide to read it, just be prepared for an I’m-going-to-throw-this-book-across-the-room-in-frustration part about two-thirds of the way through.

Based primarily on character strength, it gets 3 out of 5 cocktails.

DNF @ 40%.

From the book blurb, I was expecting an interesting (new?) method of telling a story. Instead I just encountered cliché after cliché after cliché followed by a lot of stereotypes and a story full of characters that were rather annoying and that I didn't care about. Cute? Not so much...

Just not for me.

Thanks for giving me a chance NetGalley and Running Press. I do appreciate it!!

When I read the synopsis, the book sounded like a really quick, light, contemporary read which is exactly what I figured I needed in my life in order to get me in the reading mood. It definitely got me in the reading mood, so I guess that's a plus.



Just like many YA contemporary books as of the last few years, this book didn't really wow me. It was interesting to read due to the format and the story being structured around these questions the characters are answering, but it was still lacking. The main characters weren't that unique in my opinion and of course the plot was highlyyyy predictable, as if the case with most YA books. For once I would like to read a YA contemporary where I don't see the plot coming. Is that too much to ask for? It's like every book follows a recipe they think will lead to success, and I just want something different, you know?



Overall, I thought the book was a solid, "alright". It did draw me in and keep my interest, but that might have more to do with the fact that I read the majority of the book in my linear algebra class instead of taking notes and not actually the book itself... If you want a quick contemporary, this is for you. If you're looking for something a little more... you might want to pass on this one.

Three stars for cuteness. I think it suffered from being an ARC. The drawings (and there are many) that will be included in the book were not present. I would have loved to see them, because they sounded hilarious! I don't read a lot of young adult, especially romance, so maybe it's par for the course, but I found it to be too predictable. It doesn't stray too far from the typical boy meets girl, they clash, then slowly begin to understand each other cliche. The awkward girl and the bad boy. I can imagine this story being more appealing to younger millennials.

Hildy and Paul have never met before they're thrown together in a "36 Questions" experiment. In case you're not familiar, the questions are designed for two people to get to know each other in an accelerated manner. You reveal very personal thoughts and memories and get to know a stranger very intimately very quickly. Paul treats it as a joke at first, only having signed up to get the promised forty dollars. Hildy, who didn't even know she'd get paid, is understandably frustrated and wants to do the questions properly. She can't deny the young man sitting across from her is attractive and intriguing, but he's a pain in the butt.

The experiment is derailed and looks like it's going to be a complete fail, but they pick things back up after they leave. A lot of the book is told interview style or through messaging. We get to know more about their lives and why they are the way they are as the book goes on. They both made judgments about each other that may or may not be way off. With 36 simple (and some not so simple) questions, could you fall in love?

I'd recommend this to someone who wants something cute and light done in an original format.

If you've already read this one, I have one thing to say you might identify with... for the love of all that is holy, GIVE ME THE FISH. I'll take care of it.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Perseus Books, Running Press. Thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.