truly painful and pointless and I cannot believe I read the whole thing. It was sweet but it almost read like fanfiction and not even in a good way. The way they spoke to each other felt to forced and corny.

When you think about the different ways we apply filters, it starts to feel as if it would be quite difficult to live the unfiltered life.

In Emerald's case, filters help her cope. Her social media posts filter a life that is anything but perfect, anything but charmed, and make it appear to be enviable. She doesn't let anyone see what's really going on, not even her mother's overdose, which forces Em to spend the summer in Ireland with her grandmother.

She also filters the truth about her father. He's her hero, yet he's so busy with work that he all but ignores her. She feels, to an extent, abandoned by him when he leaves her in Ireland while her mother is in rehab.

She filters her friendships, letting the popular clique control how she treats others. Even the citizenship award she wins seems filtered. Did she deserve it? How could she if she is worried that her "friends" will disown her for forming a friendship with a (very) unpopular girl?

When Em goes to Ireland, she meets Liam, and for a while, both of them apply filters. He doesn't want her to know the truth about his family, nor does she want him to know about hers. Orlagh Collins builds their relationship with detailed, loving strokes, making you feel Liam's instant attraction to Em and her growing awareness of him. She makes you feel those heady, obsessive first days of a new romance, just as she makes you feel a gnawing sense of anxiety over some issues that Em and Liam will face.

There are some wonderful laugh-out-loud moments in this book, just as there are some that are achingly poignant. A late scene, in which Em confronts her father about something, feels like a gut punch. You know how heartbroken Em is about what she knows and what she finds out, yet you also kind of feel for her dad.

This is a wonderful YA book, perfect for people looking for a teen romance with some major external conflict. Em is delightful, and Liam is worthy of her.

I wasn't really sure what to think about this book, but it sounded interesting. While I didn't hate it, I didn't really care for it either. The story was okay, but I didn't really feel like I could connect with the characters, and felt like they didn't live up to potential.

I have to admit that my expectations were pretty darn low for this book after seeing initial early reviews. I was determined to give it a shot still because the premise definitely intrigued me. The main character is sent to an "isolated, wi-fi-free beach town," which is right up my alley.

It was a little hard to read because there were a lot of British and Irish words (slang words?) that I didn't understand. Usually I have no problem with this when I read books that are set overseas, by authors from those countries, but it was a challenge here. I think the egalley said that they would be "Americanizing" it for the final copy in the US though.

Emerald and Liam were okay characters in the beginning, but I wasn't drawn to them at all. I knew there would be some family drama and angst but I wasn't overly interested in learning too much more about it. I wasn't grabbed early on in the book and didn't have motivation to continue, unfortunately. I had to stop reading.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Social media has trained us to "filter" our lives. Picking the parts we want people to see, and carefully projecting the desired image. Emerald had become an expert at filtering her life, but when her mother almost died, Em learned that she was not the only one in her family, who was hiding things.

I so loved this book! I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I smiled a whole heck of a lot. There was a bunch of "weighty" stuff explored, but the two things that stood out for me in the story was the family dynamics and the romance.

Em was struggling with her home life. Her father actually did her a favor by sending her to stay with her grandmother, because Em finally had someone taking care of her. It was quite lovely seeing the bond between Em and her grandmother renewed, and Gran was a pretty special lady, who had been paying the sins of her son for some time. I was really happy she and Em were able to find some comfort in each other.

Liam had a pretty decent home life. He had an incredible mother, a nosy, but loving sister, a baby sister, who he adored, and a dad, who eventually grew to understand his son a little better. Sometimes it was really intense in Liam's house, but this family had been through a lot. They lost a lot, but they always had each other.

Now for the BEST part - the romance. This was a first love romance, which is one of my favorites. There is just something about seeing people feel those things for the first time, and sharing all those experiences that are so new with each other. I swear, I was smiling like a fool.

I was so grateful that this story was told in alternating points of view, because it was fantastic being in Liam's head. He was just such a sweet cupcake of a boy, and I was instantly in love with him. I also enjoyed seeing Em drop the filter and be legit with Liam. Being with him gave her things that she was looking for and things that she needed - love, support, and the freedom to just be. She was able to bare her soul without judgement, and Em needed someone like Liam in her life more than she thought she did.

There were a bunch of other things I really liked too:
•I love Ireland, and was happy to spend time in this Dublin seaside town.
•I was fascinated by the slang. I learned a lot of new words.
•I was pretty thrilled with choices Collins made for Em's family. I needed that more than I thought I did.
•A grand gesture!!! Anyone who knows me, knows I get all soft from a grand gesture.
•The ending left me so happy and satisfied.

Overall: A lovely story of first love, which left me drying my happy tears.

This book was fun to read; I wasn't blown away by it but I enjoyed it for what it was...if anything it just really made me want to return to Ireland...if I am being honest.
The story between Liam and Emerald is cute, filled with cliches, but cute none the less. I just wish that there was more of the story after the climax happened...if that makes sense. I wanted more from Emerald, especially more from her family, than what I got...but overall I was happy with the story.

No Filter by Orlagh Collins out on March 6
Overview: Emerald's summer is ruined on the last week of junior year. Her best friends betray her, her mother gets admitted to rehab after Emerald is forced to revive her, and her father ships her off to Ireland to stay with his mother, who Emerald hasn't seen in five years. Though she goes unwillingly, when she meets rising college freshman, Liam, her summer, and possibly her life, starts to take a turn for the better. The two lovers, unwittingly Romeo and Juliet, face plenty of challenges, both together and individually, as they fight to love each other. Overall: 4.5

Characters: 5 I absolutely loved reading about Emerald and Liam. The duel narrative is very successful here. Emerald has remarkable growth throughout the book from a girl who sees the world through Instagram filters to a young woman open to taking it on for herself. She must deal with her mother's addiction, her strained relationship with her grandmother, and the freshly developing controversy around her father.
Liam has another set of relatable problems. After his dad lost it all when his construction company bankrupted, his father has expected Liam to study and follow in his footsteps. He's deluded himself and Liam, partially, into thinking that if Liam can be a successful contractor, the generations of family business lost won't have been for nothing. But Liam wants to be a musician, even if he won't allow himself to realize it. He needs an outside prospective like Emerald to awaken his mind to the possibilities the world has to offer.

Plot: 5 I had a hard time putting this book down at night to go to bed. The pacing and alternating chapters were set to perfection. There was the perfect balance of fulfillment of expectation and surprise, and the course she set her characters down allows for fresh trials to replace those they manage to conquer until the end where the reader learns just how much can be overcome for the chance of a happy ending.

Writing: 5 I'm a huge fan of Collin's style. As I mentioned above, she nailed the mechanical aspects of writing. She managed to perfectly execute the duel narrative structure, as I mentioned above, which is far from an easy feat. Liam and Emerald both have such strong narrative voices and authority to have a part in sharing the story.

This book really bugged me at first. In fact, I almost DNF'ed it. Between the difficult to understand accents and purely disgusting point of view towards social media, it took a lot to make me power through this book, but I'm glad I did. While the first half was a challenge, the second half was fantastic. Liam and Emerald as characters unfolded before themselves and each other, pushing buttons they didn't know they had. When they learn of the tumultuous connected past of their families, Liam and Em have to decide what matters, old feuds or new romances? This book is about forgiveness, second chances, and learning the power of the truth even when you or others around you are blind to it.

I loved the idea of this story. It was entertaining, fun summer romance with a twist. I don't want to give anything away but I didn't see the twist coming and it really made the story a bit more dynamic. I love the differences between the dialects, it was fun to experience. I didn't fall completely in love with the characters enough to care about their relationship, which I think is a downfall in a contemporary story. But I did enjoy the setting and story enough to be interested in finishing the book.

If you know me, you know I love romances. Plain and simple. First love stories especially. There is something about first love that just strikes a chord within me as the reader. No Filter is just that, my cup of tea – a first love, contemporary, coming of age story. This had all of my favorite YA literary elements in one. Needless to say, I read this in practically one sitting (with minor breaks to refresh my cup of tea).
Now for more of the literary specifics. I really appreciated the fact that Emerald’s photo (in the opening chapter) was something less scandalous than other recent reads I’ve encountered. I’ve come across a great deal of “sexting” pictures that were later used as ammunition in break-ups or shared out of sheer ignorance. Emerald stood up for a classmate who was being bullied (sort of) and her friend group viciously turned on her by posting a *very* unflattering photo of her; “Bryony has purposely used a horrible shot of me fixing my knickers through my dress. I look like I’m scratching my bum!” This is something realistic that speaks to something within a wide array of people, wanting to put your best foot forward (on social media, using the right filter or finding the most flattering angle), then feeling vulnerable when someone (who is supposed to be a friend) shines a negative light on you. Pictures online last forever and the popularity of posts can become problematic. Additionally, the backlash of a “friend” doing this makes it ten times worse.
Later, when Emerald’s mother sets off a chain reaction (which I won’t elaborate on for fear of spoilers), she acknowledges that there are far worse things in life than a bad photo. While an unflattering image is something that can potentially cause stress, there are much more important things in life. Emerald was able to keep herself grounded. Yes, there is some angst in the story (although not overly done/just the right amount). But, for the most part, Emerald is pretty down to earth.
A good story is nothing without good writing. The details in this book demonstrates some spot on writing. For example, Emerald’s eyes aren’t green. There is a certain irony in that. The little jokes like this really resonated with me, making me take a moment to laugh or smile at random intervals. Plus, the title for each chapter are worth paying attention to. This style also made for easy reading. The comedic mixed in with the serious allowed for a more satisfactory rollercoaster ride.
However, I do have one issue…the party. This might be nitpicky, but I am going to flag this. MINOR SPOILER ahead. Oh my goodness the party. I understand Emerald is having a bad day between her mother, being forced to spend her summer with her grandmother, and friends cutting her off (via social media), but getting absolutely wasted at a party with complete strangers is just asking for trouble. True, Liam is a great guy, who takes care of her, but still. As a woman, this is something that struck me. There are always horror stories about girls going to parties taking drinks from strangers and that is exactly what Emerald did. One second she is a smart girl, then in the next she is accepting drinks from strangers without a single moment of hesitation? On one hand, her mother’s issues may account for this. On the other hand, her mother’s issues are the exact reason she shouldn’t be drinking, doing drugs, or smoking. If you saw someone spiral out in front of you, would you really be that willing to follow in their footsteps? I just found this scene troubling. But, then again, I’m not a big fan of these types of parties in general, so it may have just jumped out at me for that reason. The writer in me understands that Liam is her saving grace. He is sweet and cares for her in this moment of need. However, the reader in me wishes that this was accomplished in a different way.
No Filter is a dual point of view story and it certainly nails both voices. Emerald is English and almost two years younger than Liam, who is Irish. I really appreciated how Collins captured both of their unique perspectives, tones, and voices. Plus, they each perceived things differently, which was not only a key plot point (no spoilers here!), but also added to my love of them as individual characters and not just as a couple. Their backgrounds were also fleshed out and offered secondary and tertiary storylines that contributed to the overall plot.
Now, for the love story. Saving the best for last. Liam and Emerald were absolutely perfect together. Once they started dating, I wasn’t going to sleep until I finished the book. Emerald is able to trust Liam with her secrets and Liam is able to learn from Emerald. Being able to speak openly and honestly in relationships is so important and this is something that No Filter does especially well. The novel depicts a healthy YA relationship. Two people who learn about one another and accept each other’s faults and all. What more could a reader ask for? As a romance lover, I approved of Emerald and Liam. I ship it! I completely ship their relationship.

*Please note there is underage drinking, drug references, swearing, and sex. I would recommend this book for older YA readers, fourteen and up.

I had hopes that this would be a cute and easy story...but the characters and the content were just ok at best. The beginning of the story was ok, but confusing to figure out who was who, and why I cared about them.
The writing felt sloppy and the characters were not easy to get to know either. I didn't like the use of drugs and alcohol, like that's where he really liked her because he puller her hair back so she could throw up? Why can't there ever be teen stories that don't have to involve underage drinking and parties. Can't we get any YA books out there just to promote a better way of behaving? On top of that, there wasn't a lot of character development to start the book and then it was just lacking with the plot and keeping my interest. The only "good" thing we can say is that it's great to not let social media rule your life. The big reveals at the end were mediocre at best.
Just not something I would want to recommend, thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.