I already know that people will not like Prudence. This is understandable given how judgmental and control-freakish she is. And if you don’t like her, at least stick around for her redemption story. But if you do not like her, this is probably because you are not a perfectionist. You have no idea what it feels like to have such high standards, you’d rather run yourself ragged than trust anyone else to do a task. You are not baffled by people’s inappropriate behavior and might be good at giving people the benefit of the doubt. You probably think Prudence is an exaggeration, but Prudences live among you! I beg you, if you decide you can’t stand Prudence, to just give her a chance. For the sake of all of us who are trying to protect ourselves by judging others, knowing deep down it doesn’t actually work.

And then there’s will be those of us who relate so deeply to prudence, you will physically cringe at how relatable she is. You will think Marissa Meyer took a magnifying glass to your soul and wrote it out in this character.

whoever you are, however you find Prudence, I hope you’ll go on her journey of discovering the freedom of letting go of control, judging people less, and falling in love.

As for the rest of the novel, it wasn’t air tight and there were a few spots I think people more picky than I am will find they didn’t like. Some subplots were a little weak and I did feel like there were a few loose ends but who knows? Maybe we’ll get a follow up about Ari or Jude!

Overall, I devoured and loved this book. I am so grateful to Fierce Reads for the advanced copy (yay Instagram giveaways!!). As a HUGE Marissa Meyer fan, this book did not disappoint and only grew my love for this author.

With a clench of her fist, Prudence doles out punishment and occasionally rewards. I'm a huge fan of Marissa Meyer and she didn't disappoint; I was immediately drawn into the story of Prudence and Quint. Instant Karma is definitely a YA read, full of teenage angst, awkwardness, ups, downs, first loves, and finding yourself. I thought Prudence's quirks were perhaps a bit heavy-handed but also very authentic. I appreciated the full circle feel of events and that evolution of lesson learning.

Perfectly fine YA romcom with the "karma" twist (which doesn't quite feel like karma - does someone you dislike/are jealous of deserve a broken leg?). I didn't see why that needed to be added to Pru and Quint getting to know each other. Her obsession with grades could have led to them bonding any way.

And maybe it's me being a cranky person, but can we get over the Beatles? Don't get me wrong, they were a wonderful band and I love their music, and I know "kids today" still listen to them, but having an entire family named after their songs? Sigh.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Disclaimer: I DNF'ed this book 57% the way through.
Since everyone seems to love Marissa Meyer's books, I saw an opportunity to review this one and hopped right on board.
Pru is extremly flippent about hurting people and the 'karma' seems to be thrown into the book as an afterthought. Pru is going along and doing her thing when the plot suddenly jumps to karma. For example, someone gets stung by a bee due to Pru's karma and this is the reaction, "Gosh, I hope she's not allergic." Seriously?
At times, the book also seemed really pushy about right and wrong. I'm begging, please give people a chance before getting all judgy. There is only so much I can take from MCs before I want to DNF the book, and Instant Karma surpassed my limit.
I was kinda disappointed when it started using language. Marissa Meyer has been known for mostly clean young adult fiction and it seems that she is using more and more language.
Rating: 1/5
Language: a**, b****
Romance: did not read this far
Spiritual: referances cosmic thanking people, karma
Violence: n/a
*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

Review will be published to the blog on October 3, 2020.

I was hesitant starting this book. I'm used to fantasy by Marissa Meyer. But still I have loved everything else by her so I drove in.

Maybe minor spoilers.

The characters were wonderfully developed. Though Pru did get on my nerves a few times, her actions made perfect sense for a 16 control freak. The rest of the cast was very well thought out.
The plot was freaking amazing. Though I would have loved more romance, that's just me. And the whole supernatural krama powers didnt play a huge role. Just enough to drive the plot forward a bit. However,this book was not lacking at all. Everything was interesting and relevant to the main plot.
Meyer is a wonderful storyteller. I was amazed at how well she captured anxiety, especially for a teenage girl.

This book was cute and fun. And it feels like its one that will stay will me.

I received a complimentary copy of Instant Karma from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

What a great book! With the perfect balance of humor, conflict, animal rescue, and romance, this was a fantastic read. Prudence and her nemisis lab partner Quint are well fleshed-out and easily believable. I loved this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

INSTANT KARMA was such a fun contemporary novel! Prudence is a very organized and determined main character, and in turn doesn't get along well with her scattered and fun-loving lab partner, Quint. Over the course of the summer, they strike up a deal to work together at a marine rescue center, which brings them closer together. I absolutely loved both Quint and Pru; they were written so well and were some of the most realistic teenagers I've read in a while. Their relationship developed perfectly and their dialogue was A+. I also loved the marine center setting. Seeing all the sea lions and otters and other marine animals being nursed back to health was so much fun and an element I was not expecting. The karmic justice aspect of this book wasn't as center-stage as I expected, but its constant presence added a very unique twist to the story and also allowed for Pru to ask questions about herself that sparked a lot of development. I adored this cute romcom and think it is the perfect quick and heartwarming story!

I enjoyed Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles and thought I would like Instant Karma. I was not disappointed. And if you are a Sarah Dessen fan you will enjoy this book. The “instant karma” that main character Prudence (Pru for short) receives after a knock on the head did not add anything to the story to me. The developing relationship between Pru and Quint was the real story and it was fun to watch uptight overachiever Pru become a likable character due to Quint’s quiet nonjudgmental demeanor. A great middle school read.

I absolutely love all of Marissa Meyer’s work, and I am so excited to see her cross over into contemporary fiction with a fantastical twist! I was very eager to read this and it was everything I had hoped for. Absolutely wonderful debut in this genre that I know my clients and students will love. Pru is such a relatable character; even as you can see her making mistakes you totally understand why she’s making them. Quint was the star for me, though, with his kind heart, seemingly infinite patience, and easygoing attitude, I loved getting to meet the animals at the marine rescue and thought the book did a great and realistic job depicting the organization. I used to work at a wildlife rehab and many of the concepts rang true for me, especially the difficulty of not getting emotionally attached to your “patients”—they’re wild animals, not pets. I also appreciated Pru’s large family and their dynamics. Most of all, I loved the concept of instant karma. For a bibliotherapist, it’s the perfect opportunity to have kids think about how we treat each other and what comes from our actions. Pru’s intentions versus Pru’s actions are also a very rich topic for discussion.

Marissa Meyer has been an auto buy author of mine for a few years now. I cannot tell you how often I have pushed the Lunar Chronicles onto others.

When I saw she was writing a YA rom com I knew I needed it. It did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this one. Prudence was such a fun character. Her large family and weird tendencies make her such a likable character.

Quint was the perfect guy for her. Watching their story play out was such fun. I love how Meyer threw in her signature supernatural bits, but that it wasnt over the top. The marine biology aspects were also quite fascinating.

I did wish the pace went a bit faster, bit overall this was a win in my book.

Job well done! Thank you to Fiewel and Friends, MacMillan, and Netgelley for this advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

While not has fabulous as Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles or Renegades series, her latest novel is a delightful treat. An opposites attract tale with a little bit of magical realism combine well.

I've enjoyed everything that Marissa Meyer has written, so when I saw that she was venturing into contemporary romance I was STOKED! And rivals to lovers is my JAM. I've been super excited about this release and I'm so thrilled that I got a read an early copy. Though this book is fullllll of cheesiness and many-a-secondhand-embarrassment-omg-i-am-suffering-moments, it was actually SO MUCH FUN and I really enjoyed it.

I was a bit disheartened in the beginning. Prudence enters this book as an overachieving, holier than thou type, which brings her to clash with her laid-back and seemingly irresponsible lab partner, Quint. But actually, there's times when she's just straight-up unlikable. It definitely took me some time to warm up to her, but by the middle of the book she becomes much more tolerable and her overall arc was really satisfying. Quint, on the other hand, I liked immediately. He's goofy and kind and cheesy as all hell but it was so much fun to read about him! I don't think I've read a single POV romcom in a while, and while I would've loved to have his perspective, I thought he was just as enjoyable through Prudence's eyes only.

The original premise is a bit corny. The "magical karma powers" that Prudence somehow inherits play a fairly small role in the overall story and there's not much substance to it other than to drive home the message of second chances. However, the actual plot was really entertaining. The real story lies in Prudence's volunteer work at the animal center and how she grows as a person, both individually and in her relationship with Quint. I was a bit unsure how well I would actually like Prudence and Quint together since the beginning starts out so rough, but after the initial 30%, they're adorable and so much fun to read about. There are many laugh out loud moments and overall, the second half is just a frickin' joy. Really, really cute and fun!

Pru and Quint are forced to be partners on a school project. She is an overachiever. Quiet more layed back. Their grade is not up to her standards. The summer is spent working at a marine animal rescue. They become friends. I liked the premise of the story. The idea of putting karma out for good and bad. Making that decision. I found it hard to believe they were only sophomores. I though Pru was not likeable. She was self centered. Didn't listen to others. Not a good family member. I was disappointed in Quint and his mother for the way they treated her after the robbery. Not a bad read but Pru learned no lesson. Thank you, Netgalley.

Instant Karma is painfully boring. I’m sorry, Marissa Meyer. But this is simply not up to your standards. It’s a “contemporary romance YA” but it’s 512 pages long and 1/2 of that could have been edited out. It’s about a girl named Prudence forced to work with a boy named Quint on a biology school project about ecotourism and the whole book turns into a save the animals biology lesson that bored me to tears. So. Much. Biology. And animals. Info that the book didn’t need for a YA contemporary romance. I liked the last 25% of the book a lot. But honestly if this wasn’t an ARC I would have never gotten to it because I would have DNF’d this book. They can’t all be winners :(

Instant Karma has a cute premise that will attract young readers. I think I would have enjoyed this concept more if it applied to adult scenarios rather than teenagers in high school. I kept waiting for a big central event to take place instead of the several small instances of karma. The last 10% of the book takes a turn I wasn't expecting with an unlikely whodunit that gets quickly resolved. The story focused mostly on a science project that I personally had little interest in and didn’t realize how large of a role this would play in the development of the plot. I think someone with more of a passion for marine biology and animal rehabilitation would enjoy the subject matter. The instant karma element took a major back seat to the everything happening at the rescue center.

Prudence is a smart, overachiever, who like most is nervous about an upcoming presentation. Will people like me, will I forget everything I'm supposed to say in my presentation, and will my lab partner come through with his end of the project. When the book began, I was on her side. I mean, who didn't have a terrible lab partner at some point? However, as you get further into the book...chapter 2...she is really the character that you love to hate. After a fall, Prudence has the ability to grant instant karma to those she deems deserving of payback for their misdeeds. With her new ability in hand, she decides that she can try to convince Quint, the wayward lab partner, to help bring up their grade.

As the book progressed, I was really thankful for the supporting characters. Jude (Pru's brother), Ari, and Quint really help smooth out Prudence's mean girl vibe. Prudence judges the guilty and instantly doles out their karma payback. However, the reader learns, as does Prudence, that there is more than one side of the story. She learns that karma is always going to throw a different twist into the mix...especially when it comes to the heart. I would totally recommend this book.Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to read the book.

Started off as a good book - evoking strong feelings about the main character ( either you will identify with and love her, or you will feel disdain for her). I admit I stopped reading half way. Not simply because I loathed the main character, but because I’m not a fan of the way underage drinking was handled. It’s definitely not a book I would recommend to my students as they’re 5th and 6th graders.

Most of this book was cute and enjoyable. The chemistry between Prudence and Quint was good. I liked that Prudence, while in many ways annoying, was still likable and redeemable, and learning from Quint really helped her to be a better person. I'm not a huge fan of enemies to lovers, but I thought this one worked so well because rather than needing a redemption arc for Quint, we quickly learn that he's not a bad guy after all, and it's Prudence's perception of him that needed to change. The small mystery arc is built up throughout the book too and comes to a fairly satisfying ending.

The part that I didn't like was the whole "karma" element that the story is named for. Somehow, Prudence seems to get the power to make bad things happen to people who she thinks are doing bad things. The "universe" seems to intervene by making good things happen when she wants bad things to happen to Quint, because he's actually a good person - but it doesn't intervene for anyone else, even though she realizes later that some people weren't really doing bad things. Besides the issue of why or how this happened - which I suppose there is no good answer for from the author, which is why it's never explained - these parts of the book pulled me out of the story every time it happened. If the entire karma plot line were removed, the story still would have been completely intact, and I personally would have enjoyed it a lot more. I'm not sure why Meyer felt the need to rely on a gimmick for this book, especially one that wasn't well thought out. Prudence could have learned all of the same lessons without this power.

That being said, still 4/5 stars because the romance was cute and I mostly enjoyed reading this!

This book was such a fun, magical, sea creature rescuing aka tore at my animal loving heart plus a slow burn enemies to lovers romance! Save a spot on your tbr for this beauty❤

Marissa Meyer's entree into contemporary fiction is a sweet, if somewhat predictable romance. The premise of being able to deliver karmic retribution at will had promise, but is underdeveloped and somewhat extraneous to the story. The premise of that power, and what one can and should do with it and the unintended consequences of doing so is underdeveloped. As a hook to the oil-and-vinegar love story, It doesn't deliver. I also found the large number of pop culture references problematic. As an adult woman, if I know what they are first-hand, it's already past it's prime for my students. Meyer is a talented world-builder, but this one didn't pull me in. It's not poorly written by any means, there are just better choices in the genre with broader representation and meaningful conflict.