Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for Marissa Meyer’s newest, which isn’t anything like her other YA books. Control freak, Type A Prudence and her laid-back lab partner Quint do not get along. At all. But when a poor final grade threatens to jeopardize her GPA, Prudence agrees you volunteer at Quint’s mother’s sea animal rescue center in exchange for a redo. A summer of second chances, karmic interference, and maybe even love follows. Super cute. Recommended for grades 6+.

INSTANT KARMA is an overall charming YA contemporary. Prudence is finishing tenth grade and completely fed up with her biology partner, Quint. When he shows up late to class again on the morning of their important presentation, Prudence is ready to throw him under the bus and admits that he only did the report, and she did the model, poster, props, and presentation herself. This ends up backfiring, and her grade reflects the lack of teamwork. The teacher agrees to allow them to redo it, but only if they do it together.

After a karaoke song, Prudence slips and falls, hitting her head. After that, when she clenches her fist, she seems to be able to dole out instant karma with bad things happening to people who are up to no good and good things for the opposite. However, this ability leads her to feeling guilt, because who is she to judge?

As she spends the summer volunteering at a sea animal rescue to try to convince Quint to give her a second chance, she learns more about why it matters and the value of what they do. She also has a lot of ideas that might really help them out - if only she can make it happen.

What I loved: This book has a lot of complexity in the plot and characters. There are some interesting themes around money and the value of possessions/what is really important, challenges of family, ethics around animals and the environment, and the need for empathy and perspective in judgments of others. The instant karma was an interesting twist, but I actually enjoyed the rest of the story more - although Prudence was not really likable at the start, she is still growing up and learning, and I loved the way we see her character grow and endear her to the reader.

The book gives the reader a lot to think about in terms of businesses and non-profits and the ways that they may financially struggle. In addition to the other themes, this would be a perfect choice for a book club with so much to discuss and delve deeper into.

What left me wanting more: In some ways, I felt like there was almost too much going on with the storylines, and we don't quite get resolution of all the branches, though the major ones are tied off. I think I would have appreciated spending a little more time on one specific path, rather than chasing so many. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed. There are some bad things that happen, and the resolution was too fast for my taste. I would have liked a bit more to flesh it out.

Final verdict: Overall, INSTANT KARMA is a charming YA contemporary that brings important themes to the reader. Be prepared for a book you'll want to talk about and think about after the last page is turned.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is very different from Marissa Meyer's other books, so her fans might be surprised. I didn't like it as much as, for instance, the Lunar Chronicles, but I admire her for trying something different. The story is predictable (even beyond the romance elements) and it's nothing too mind-blowing, but it's a light, fun teen romance that provides a good escape.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for an advanced copy of Instant Karma.

The premise behind this young adult contemporary romance where "a girl is suddenly gifted with the ability to cast instant karma on those around her – both good and bad" sounded fun but unfortunately the execution was lacking for me. I occasionally read YA but writing felt too juvenile to me.

I couldn't stand the main character - Pru and I saw another review call her a "Karen in Training" and the perfectly describes my feelings.

I received a digital arc and an audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What if you suddenly had the ability to cast instant karma on the people around you, rewarding those who do good and punishing those who do wrong? Prudence, a judgemental, over-achieving, perfectionist, never thought this could even be possible until it happened to her. The only person she just can't seem to get her powers to dole out punishment to is her annoying lab partner, Quint, who is consistently late, a bad speller, and everything else that Prudence can't stand. When Prudence doesn't get the grade she hoped for on their big lab assignment, she is willing to do whatever it takes to raise her grade, causing a series of events that unveils who Quint truly is, who Prudence has the ability to become, and the difference between right and wrong.

I really didn't enjoy the reading experience of this book. Like at all. I was so miserable for the first 60% because Prudence is so incredibly unlikeable AND the story just feels like it drags on forever. Prudence definitely has some character development over the course of the book, but it was really hard to look past how pretentious and judgmental she was for most of the plot. And I also have to question... who in the world doesn't understand the point of rescuing animals? I would for sure question that person's morals, as I question Prudence's. She even has the audacity to tell a grown woman how to do her job and as someone who actually works with grants and fundraising, that got under my skin.

Another annoyance of mine was the fact that Prudence really had a minimal reaction to her brand new "superpower". I think most people would have just a little bit more of a reaction if they could just suddenly do something like control karma.

I really love Quint. He is just so wholesome and good and I'm here for that. He's not perfect and doesn't always communicate well, but overall I really liked his character.

I spent so much of the book dreading the part where the romance begins because I just couldn't stand Prudence. However, towards the end, I will admit the romance was pretty cute.

This story may very well work for lovers of enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn YA rom-com stories. However, be wary that if you can't handle judgey, pretentious main characters, you probably won't like this book. I also think that this could've easily worked the same or better as a slightly shorter story because the first half dragged on and on and on. SO overall, I think Instant Karma definitely has its audience, I just don't think I'm that audience. 2/5 stars.

Genuinely adorable, Instant Karma is a fast, fun read--and it's a contemporary YA, hurrah! Fans of Tweet Cute as well as fans of Morgan Matson, Kasie West, etc. will eagerly devour this. Instant Karma will also be perfect for getting YA fans who avoid contemporaries into the genre as Marissa Meyer is such a well-known and respected YA author. I can't wait for this to come out and convince contemporary YA skeptics that yes, novels set in the real world as just as awesome as fantasy!

what a cute book and really loved pru and quint. I loved that she thought that she was doing it all --maybe she was doing it or the universe was letting it happen. I would loved to have seen her help save her parents store or another couple in the book with Jude. I liked learning about the animals and that she was able to help save the day with doing the fundraiser for the center and get a good grade in the class and find some romance.

I wanted to love this. I love everything else Marissa Meyer has written, but this one fell flat. I had a very difficult time getting into it from the beginning. Protagonist Prudence is purposefully insufferable, so that she can learn a lesson by the end of the book, but she's so insufferable that I wanted to spend time with any other book when it was an option. It took me weeks to get far enough in it that I was more willing to see where it was going. Prudence is so insufferable and it's increased when she gets the ability to punish or reward people based on their behavior because, suddenly, she is right in all things. I recognize that this is all purposefully done to come to the point the builds throughout the plot. I needed some small redeeming quality from her that made me cheer for her growth, and I didn't find it. It's an enemies-to-lovers with the enemy part being fairly one-sided. Some elements of the plot are unusual and not ones I've seen in a lot of YA, but overall, this was disappointing.

This book was so fun! Like one of the funnest books I have read this year. Pru, our main character, felt like a miniature version of me. The budding romance was not forced, it felt real and messy and awkward and marvelous. The conflict, I know there has to be some in a book, was believable and heartbreaking. I was so mad with and for Pru. I even learned more about sea wildlife, which I haven't since a marine biology class in high school. It was super cool to learn more about pinnipeds with Pru, it wasn't preachy or a forced insertion of nonfiction information. So well done. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Feiwel & Friends for the Instant Karma ebook.

I LOVE Marissa Meyer so I was so excited to read this. It was a little slow at first, because Prudence, the main character, is just so annoying. It might be because I'm older, but even if I were 16, I probably would still think she's a little annoying. I know that that is just her character, but it is kind of infuriating reading from a character's perspective that you just hate.
Despite all of this, this was a really solid contemporary! I really enjoyed learning about the marine life facility. I don't really know much about them, and I know that Meyer researched a lot for this, because of how thorough it was, and at the end she noted all of the research she went through for this book. After I got used to Prudence's character, I really started to enjoy the book!
I also like how Meyer didn't just make this a contemporary about saving a marine life facility, but also added a touch of "magic" with the "Instant Karma" power that Prudence somehow gains. I do wish that the power was a explained a little more. It was never really explained and it went away without too much explanation too.
Overall, the romance was super cute, and I really enjoyed learning about all the marine life things and seeing Prudence turn into a slightly less annoying character.

Prudence is nothing if not dedicated to her school work, but her biology partner Quinn seems to be the exact opposite. She's sure that's why she ended up with a C on their final project, and she is determined to spend summer break fixing that. Her work leads her to the sea animal rescue center Quinn has mentioned and where, it turns out, he works. There she not only learns all about sea animals, but she and Quinn finally begin understand each other and grow closer.

Telling the book from Prudence's perspective is interesting, because she's not the most likable heroine. She is super relatable though if you're a competitive and perfectionist person, and it's really nice to watch her grow as a person. Not only that, her romance with Quinn is pretty cute to watch. Quinn himself and the supporting characters like Ari and Jude are pretty awesome. And I also liked that book really touched well on socioeconomic troubles, as well as the little bit of mystery that came into play at the end. My only quibble about the book was that Prudence's magic power of dropping instant karma on people really doesn't seem like it needed to be in the book at all in order for her to experience the growth she did. I think it could have been left out entirely and I would still have enjoyed the whole story just as much. It was fun and sweet just as it was!

I started but did not finish this book which is a huge disappointment since I love Marissa Meyer. I just could not stand the MC Prudence. I will still recommend it to teen readers who are looking for contemporary books.

I was worried, after I didn't love Renegades (though was, and still am, a massive fan of The Lunar Chronicles) but Instant Karma was a knockout - I loved Meyer's voice and this was such a cute fun romantic comedy.

This was a fresh, enjoyable take on the enemies to friends trope. Pru and Quint could not be more antagonistic at the beginning of the book and it's a pleasure to see the evolution of their relationship. They don't move out of enemy territory base on chemistry or one big moment, but instead it feels like a real relationship where their perceptions slowly change, they learn enough to become friends and then, maybe a little more. Adding in an element of "instant karma" is just like the cherry on top of the sundae. I like that you see karmic rewards as well as punishments and that even Pru faces some of her own karmic punishments for some poor decisions and judgments - Marissa Meyer does a great job getting the point across here without making it seem obvious or feeling the need to overexplain to readers. The story had two engaging, likeable characters plus a dash of fun with karma and cute seals and otters, I couldn't ask for more.

Prudence is type A with a drive that is reminiscent of Sandra Bullock's character in The Proposal. Her classmate Quint is... not. He's often late to class-- even on the day of their Big Project Presentation. Suffice it to say that they didn't enjoy being lab partner this year. So imagine Quint's surprise when Prudence shows up at his mom's sea animal rescue center to volunteer for the summer. With the help of a temporary ability to mete out karmic justice at her discretion, Prudence learns that Quint --and others-- is more than her one-dimensional judgments led her to believe. In fact, second, third, and 512th impressions might just lead to unexpected warm-fuzzies and great make-out sessions.

Instant Karma follows the same theme that Meyer explores in Renegades: the world isn't black and white, there is more than good and bad-- but with a slight twist: don't let first impressions or singular judgements color your perception of a person. Honestly, when I realized that similarity, I was a bit disappointed. I loved that theme in the superheroes archetype because it was different and turned the trope on its head, but it felt tired and overdone in this genre.

I will still order this for my YA collection, but only because of the name recognition and because it'll be a good read-alike for Jenna Evans Welch's YA romances.

PS Rebecca Soler is the voice actor for the audiobook, and she perfectly executes it, as is expected.

I loved this book right from the beginning. Prudence and Quint are both loveable and relatable characters. This was such a quick read. I definitely recommend reading Instant Karma, you won't regret it.

This was my first Marissa Meyer book and I was not disappointed. I won this free ARC in a contest and was pleasantly surprised! The idea of being able to provide either good or bad karma on someone is so intriguing. This is a fun read and I think fans of Marissa Meyer's will truly like one as well!.

"This. Is. So. Unfair. Maybe I can talk to the principal? Surely this can’t be allowed?"

I have so many feelings and none of them are good. 

This story is about Prudence Daniels and Quint Erickson. She’s a narcissistic “Karen” in training and he’s an animal loving sweetheart. I honestly do not see them working out, but I digress. The concept of this novel was so appealing. I’ve never read anything by [author:Marissa Meyer|4684322] before and I was looking for a cute YA romcom. And for the most part it delivered. It was super cute and the idea of hitting your head after singing Instant Karma by John Lennon and getting powers to serve instant karma when needed was genius. 

To bad Prudence is the most narcissistic, immature, selfish, arrogant, narrow minded human being alive. I could go on, that’s how much I disliked Prudence. Of all the people in the world to be granted this power she should not have been it. I’m surprised she didn’t become this massive villain with all that power. Even though she kind of did. Maya is the popular pretty girl her brother Jude has a major crush on. When she over hears her talking about not returning his affection but defending him to her friends. This girl literally told them to stop making fun of him. She called him sweet and kind but not her type. Prudence took it upon herself to punish Maya. Not liking someone back is not cruel or deserves punishment. I had so many feelings about this. So many. Again, not good ones.  

Prudence was literally a Karen in training. She felt justified in the instant karma she dealt out AND didn't learn anything from her experience. If anything it gave her an even bigger head.

I've never read anything by this author before, my biggest critique wasn’t even the very dislikable Prudence (because she was bossy but will make an awesome politician or business person in the future, hopefully use that big brains of hers for good) but the number of pages in this book. There were at least 20 side stories inside this story. 

Side note, unrelated to the book. Have any of you watched the 13th floor? This guy wakes up bloody and doesn’t remember killing someone. We later find out that it’s all fake. Like people are living inside simulators. But there's more than one. So people are living inside people, that are inside people, inside other people. It’s some very dark Inception shit. This is how this story felt!!! I was reading one story with so many little stories inside. Like a story, inside a story, inside a story. You get the picture. I was not a fan of this. Every character had it’s own story literally within the story. Ari, Prudence’s only friend, had many stories. How they met. Her parents money. Her car. Her music collection. Each part was pages long. Seriously, just Ari had her own book within this book. Does Marisa Meyers not have an editor? Does she need to find a better one? These pieces did not belong. They should not have been here and worst of all, did nothing to help the plot or story move along. If anything it added unnecessary stops. They were so unnecessary!! Just write a series Marisa. Focus!! Focus on the main characters in this story and write about all the other people later. It could have very easily been a 200 page book, not this run on monstrosity that never ended. It was so frustrating. 

What was awesome and I quite enjoyed was Quint's mother’s animal center, The Fortuna Beach Sea Animal Rescue Center. I loved everything about this addition to the story. How it taught me about sea animals and how these centers care for them. I also loved their biology project and teacher Mr. Chavez. I really enjoyed reading a story where teenagers are smart and want to make a difference in the world. As an educator this spoke to my soul. Kids are smart and capable and brilliant. I loved how the adults in the story also believed this. Kids are the future, literally. And the adults in this story know that. The grown ups in this story were also pretty amazing. Genuinely cared for the kids and gave great advice.

"In life," he says, speaking slowly, "we rarely get to choose the people we work with. Our bosses, our peers, our students, our teammates. Heck, we don’t even get to choose our families, other than our spouses."

Did Prudence listen or even attempt to understand. No. She was above teamwork and group projects. How dare her teacher give her advice.

I digress, again.

I also loved how these characters had passion. Passion for music, animals, projects, of sharks, didn’t change the fact these teenagers were living a healthy life full of possibilities. They were thinking of college. They were getting summer jobs. They felt so normal. This is what kept me reading.

I know I’m being over critical of Prudence but she really rubbed me the wrong way. She was a sophomore in high school!!! I equally feel like she’s too young (immature) and too old (jaded and arrogant). She confuses and angers me.

I do feel that teenagers are going to love this story because of the teenage shenanigans, the siblings, and friends. It really was a cute story. I also really enjoyed their teenage activities and most of all Quint, Jude, and Ari. If you can get past Prudence (I could not) this will be the perfect summer read.

I absolutely LOVE everything Marissa Meyer does! Her storylines and themes are always spot-on, and I find myself relating to every one of her protagonists. I would have liked to see more about the lives of the other characters.

I met Marissa Meyer at a book signing event with my child several years ago, so I was excited to see this new book coming out. And a little excited that I got to read it before my kid!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very fun read. I will say that given the name "Instant Karma," I was expecting more out of the karma storyline. I felt like it took a while before that even came into play, and then the storyline of Pru working at the animal rescue and figuring out Quint took over the whole book. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I really liked that aspect of the story, but I would have liked to see a little more development of the karma part as well.