This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group - Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have never read a Marissa Meyer book that I did not like and this one where it took a complete 180 and went in the direction of finding passion for a career rather than love. Pru was a chronic overachiever and wanted to do her best at everything without any site of a career. Now when she volunteers at a local rescue center for sea animals, Pru discovers her love for sea creatures especially otters and the animals and then of course meeting Quint the polar opposite of her. When her time grows from volunteering at the rescue center she grows more and more fond of Quint and the otters are not the only things she loves, that is truly Instant Karma.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Well, that’s a cute premise! And a satisfying story to go with it, actually. I was skeptical to begin with, just based on the grudge I have against book characters who are so willfully obtuse about that which is clear to the rest of us. I mean, Prudence, god love her, can be really freaking annoying. But, truly, thank god for Quint. He definitely smooths out a lot of her pain-in-the-ass-ness, if you will. It’s sweet. 💜📚

Marissa Meyer is a YA author best known for The Lunar Chronicles, her science fiction fairytale quartet that spawned a graphic novel sequel duology and a handful of short stories set in the same universe. Since their publication, Meyer has published a handful of other titles, but Instant Karma is her first foray into realistic fiction. It's a YA romance, set in a Florida beach town just when summer is getting started. 

Prudence is not just an over-achiever, she's the over-achiever. Unfortunately, her lab partner, Quint, is the worst kind of slacker, and after a disastrous final project, Pru is determined to resubmit their assignment. However, their teacher won't accept it without Quint and Pru's input, and Quint is not inclined to spend his summer on schoolwork. Pru makes him a deal, but to hold up her end, they have to spend a lot of time together- like, a lot.

Not only does Prudence have to spend an unfortunate amount of summer with her nemesis, after a weird karaoke accident she finds herself the instrument of karmic justice. Pru realizes that with a gesture, she can dish out the universe's recompense on anyone, and they will be rewarded or punished. Unfortunately, it isn't up to Prudence to decide what people deserve, and karma can really be a bitch. When faced with the consequences of karmic retribution, Pru has to to figure out if the upside of instant karma is worth the potential fallout. 

This book runs a little long for a YA realistic fiction title, and it definitely takes a while to get into. Prudence is an unpleasant, off-putting character, difficult to like. She has a tendency to judge and write-off others, and while she certainly has her moments, she's not the best character in the book. Quint is more interesting, he has a lot of depth to him, and I enjoyed the parts with him most. The story does work, as Prudence is written to be unlikable, but it could have been a bit more subtly done. It's supposed to be a big deal for Prudence to realize that she's wrong and she's been making snap-judgements, but the reader picks up on that from the third chapter. The pacing isn't great, the story drags its feet for the first half of the book, and then picks up and doesn't stop running.

The pacing problem comes from the book trying to do too much- this is a stand-alone novel, and it doesn't have the space for character development a series does. There are too many sub-plots, which leaves the novel feeling bulky without adding at all to the narrative cohesion. The karma aspect of the plot is underdeveloped and seems as though it was put in just to justify some of the plot-twists rather than as a novel concept. It reads more like a romantic drama than anything else, which does work for the story. 

While the book certainly has its flaws, Meyer's fans will certainly enjoy it. The book is just as romantic as her previous work, and it's a pleasant read. There are a lot of really fun characters, and the setting is really inventive, but it's not what you might expect from the premise. The book veers less towards supernatural justice and more towards environmentalism, which isn't a bad thing, but certainly isn't something expected, given the cover and the publisher summary. 

I did like the Pride and Prejudice-like relationship between the two protagonists. Their animosity is amusing, and it's fun to watch that slowly melt away. There are some pretty great side characters, and overall, the story holds together and ends satisfyingly.   

Instant Karma will be available for purchase November 3, wherever books are sold, or at your local library. The reviewer was provided with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The back of the book plot description of a girl who gets the power of making sure karma happens is not much of the book. Still, I really really enjoyed this YA summer romcom.

Karma is much more of a metaphor/theme throughout the book, which is really interesting still, as Pru discovers how unfair it is to judge people based on their worst moments or when you don't know motivations and the whole story. (view spoiler) The "supernatural" aspect is introduced then really not utilized and never explained and honestly I think was a stronger book because of that. Prudence does so much personal growth in other dimensions, like not being a control freak and recognizing other types of intelligence that I didn't want to waste any time with her exploring her super power or wrestling with her conscience about if she caused any bad things. I was pleased that while the animal rescue center was central to the story, we didn't get bogged down in minutae (and this from the woman who LOVES minutae in books) or become swept up in that story rather than Pru's as a whole. It's a well focused book.

This is just a perfect summer book, taking place in a beach town from the second to last day of school onward. During this pandemic, I haven't been able to get to the beach and probably won't even be able to do our usual September trip. This honestly filled some of that craving with this summery beachy vibe. There's only a little bit at the beach, but biking everywhere and hanging out at the restaurant and planning summer jobs all screamed summer for me in a kind of nostalgic way.

Pru and her siblings are all named after Beatles songs, and while that's usually a too cutesy thing that is really annoying, it actually worked here. It was the correct name choices to show the parent's priorities and loves without having them give their kids horrible names for a fandom. (I have read so many books where a character named Luke reveals his middle name is Skywalker, why is this almost a trope now) I love in media when a child's name says something about the parents, it's such an underrated character shorthand. It also gave Pru and Quint something to connect over.

My one quibble is the ending, which involves a few week time jump, skipping over some important emotional stuff I would have liked to spend time on. [ And then I feel Pru forgave everyone really quickly for accusing her of stealing over a thousand dollars. We're told and shown this is a small town atmosphere where everyone knows each other at least by sight and she is treated pretty badly by several characters because of this accusation. (I get that we aren't supposed to really like Morgan, but her attitude in the record shop was pushing me to my limit.) For someone so ambitious, this accusation could really harm her future, even if it isn't on any official record. I really wanted some groveling, of any sort, from anyone. Rosa is more focused on the mission of the Center, not the business, but she is an adult that should have paid attention to literally any of this and yet gets no blame for either putting it entirely on the shoulders of a teenager or being wrong about it. If the answer can be solved by a simple firstname lastname google, then she should have done due diligence. Honestly, I could do an entire blog column judging the actions and parenting in middlegrade and YA novels. (hide spoiler)]

So if you like Marissa Meyer's stuff for the scifi/fantasy aspects, you won't find that here, but her writing remains captivating, and her worldbuilding is just as interesting in a real world setting. This town feels realized.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary YA novel and kind of different for this author. I loved the hate to love relationship that developed and felt the characters were very real. I hope Ms. Meyer will continue to write in this genre.

Prudence Daniels can't wait for the school year to be over. She's been saddled with the WORST lab partner ever, Quint Erickson, and if there were such a thing as karma, she'd ace their big project while he'd fail, considering he can't even bother to show up on time for their presentation. When they get a disappointing C on the project, it feels like the world is conspiring against her. Pru can't help but notice all the other small ways the world seems to reward the "bad" and beat down on the "good." Then she hits her head after a freak accident involving karaoke, spilled soda, and her nemesis Quint, and when she wakes up, she mysteriously has the power to bring down instant karma on anyone she sees with the snap of her fingers. This karmic power along with a determination to re-do her science project with the insufferable Quint, shapes Pru's summer in ways she could never have imagined. Marissa Meyer's foray into contemporary YA is funny and sweet, mixed with a conservation message and a sprinkle of magic, that will have instant love from her loyal fantasy/sci-fi fans and appeal to the contemporary romance camp who won't be able to resist her take on the enemies to something more storyline.

I picked up this book because I’m a fan of the author, and thought it would be a decent read. Starting out I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but after a few pages the book was hard to put down. The author captivated me with a fun, yet engaging story with fleshy characters that made you love them. I loved the depth of each character, they were not just a character from a book, it felt like you knew these characters. Beautifully done, wonderful story, with such an amazing message to not make snap decisions on people but to get to know them and see their stories. Great book, would highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I have to be honest: I found this underwhelming and predictable. I know Meyer's fans will flock to it, though, and I anticipate that it'll do very well at my library. Good for middle schoolers who want to read a cute high school love story.

This was a cute, light read for summer. Prudence is a character who embodies the concept of "great power requires great responsbility". After a concussion grants her the ability to enact karmic retribution on her community, Pru finds herself wondering about what makes someone a good person. Is she a good person for punishing someone who made fun of her brother? Or is she a bad person, because the punishment caused that person to lose a valuable family heirloom? Woven into the storyline is a sweet romance, a seal and sea lion rescue, and the vibrancy of summer time at the karaoke bar. The Beatles are also featured throughout the story. The ultimate villain of the storyline felt a little unearned, but the final resolution was satisfying.

Having never read any of Meyer’s incredibly popular titles, I jumped at the opportunity to change that. Contemporary with a tiny touch of fantasy that I go back and forth on whether it works. I disliked the main character throughout the story, but still found the overall story to be a quick page turner. The romance feels believable for teens. There’s a lot of information about marine life, which is different for this kind of book but I think it works and will draw in some readers. Entertaining if a bit repetitive.

From Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles, Heartless), this is a contemporary romance with a tinge of magical realism. It's a fun rom-com where the main characters, Prudence and Quint have undeniable chemistry. Appropriate for middle-school.

What would you do if you gained the power to dispel instant karmic justice? Would you use your powers wisely?

This question (and others) is just what Instant Karma seeks to answer in a fun, fast-paced romance starring Prudence Daniels. Prudence, called Pru by friends, is horrified to learn that she has earned a C on her final biology project, a grade she blames on her lab partner, Quint Erikson. Quint is late, inattentive, and seemingly does not care one iota about his grade. After an ill-timed fall at karaoke later that evening, Pru finds out that she can influence the karmic justice in the world. She takes gleeful pleasure in doling out justice as she sees fit, but does Pru really have the right perspective for this power? At the same time she is dispensing justice, Pru and Quint begin an unlikely partnership to complete an extra credit assignment that will raise their final grade. As Pru begins to learn more about the consequences of her judgments, and works with Quint at his family's animal rescue center, she comes to see that maybe people are more complicated than seen at first glance.

This was such a fun novel to read. Marissa Meyer is always wonderful at crafting a story and this was no different. Initially, I must confess that I didn't care for Prudence. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher and she seems like she'd be a challenge to have in the classroom, or maybe it's because I was that overachieving, hyper-controlling student....who can say. But Prudence grows on you as you keep reading, in part because she is very much a real person. She doesn't always make the best judgments. She is ofter overbearing. But she works so hard for what she believes in. She is willing to try new things. And most importantly, she is willing to both admit when she is wrong and learn from her experiences. Prudence fights for what is important. I loved seeing her journey and her growth in this novel and come to realize that karma is a lot more complicated than she thinks. Her relationship with Quint was so much fun to explore, and I loved all of the descriptions of how her brain worked when she goes off on a tangent. Although there are some awkward moments (I may have taken a break at one point because it was too much teen angst) overall this was such a fun read. Highly recommended if you like romance, happy endings, the Beatles, and/or cute sea creatures.

This was a book seeded in the knowledge that there is always more to a person than what appears on the surface. After getting a poor grade on their final project, lab partners Pru and Quint are stuck together for the summer to (maybe) try to raise their grade. In the process, the uncover not only more to each other, but karmic energy and quite possibly romance. I enjoyed the larger lessons of giving others the benefit of the doubt and especially the marine biology lessons sprinkled throughout.

I couldn't finish this book unfortunately. I was really excited by the premise, but I ended up hating the characters. Prudence was just so unlikable and unpleasant to everyone around her. She continually harped on everyone, and acted like a selfish brat, so I really hated the idea of her of all people deciding who should be affected by 'karma'. I hope that the story ends with her learning a lesson about putting herself in others' shoes, but I couldn't get far enough to see if that happens. I think the book has a lot of potential if you can get past how awful Prudence is at the beginning of the book.

I truly wanted to give my best when reading this book, but this was a disappointment from Meyer’s usual narrative arc.

Pros:
Nods to The Beatles and music classics
Cute sea life descriptions (otters! Sea lions!)
Advocacy for marine life
An interesting theory of granting instant karma

Couldn’t get past:
A narcissistic and self-serving protagonist
A great plot twist with the antagonist, but too fast and too little detailed (why wasn’t this developed more fruitfully across the book?)
Quint being the love interest, but a fairly flat character despite attempts to grow his persona

I do see some of my middle schoolers enjoying this book, but I would hope for more from this story. Thank you for the chance to give an honest review of the ARC, Netgalley.

When I heard Marissa Meyer (author of one of my favorite fairytale retellings The Lunar Chronicles) was going to be writing a contemporary romance novel, I freaked out! The synopsis had me already in love and the cover is just so cute!

The idea of being able to give instant karma (and yes, it’s related to the song) to anyone was just a really fun idea! I knew going in that it was going to be a fun romance (and guys… it’s rivals to lovers YAY!) but I did expect that her new power would play a bit more of a role. And while it did have an influence to the story, there wasn’t as much of it as I hoped!

I thought Prudence was a really interesting and flawed character and I really enjoyed reading in her point of view knowing that she had a lot to learn. It was great seeing her slowly realizing her flaws and seeing her growth! And being around Quint? ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.

Quint is the kind of person that I would probably have problems with too if I were to ever meet him in real life because I saw a lot of myself in Prudence. It’s easy to fall into a one sided point of view and it was great to see that there are multiple sides to a story through Prudence’s POV.

When I went in, all I knew was that it was romance and that there was some sort of “magic” involved, so I was so pleasantly surprised to see that there was a lot to do with the environment and marine life in this small beach town.

I loved seeing Prudence interact with her friends and her family. Everybody’s relationships to the main character were really great and I’m a huge fan of sibling relationships so getting to see that was also fun! Honestly, I’m not a big fan of super small towns, but this book made me really want to live in a small beach town!

This is perfect for someone who wants some fun rivals-to-lovers high school summer romance! If you enjoy beach life, The Beatles references, karaoke mishaps, excellent character growth, amazing banter, scuba diving, and absolutely adorable seals (er… sorry, sea lions!)! You’ll love this if you love fundraising parties, photography, girls with lots of ideas, misunderstandings leading to drama, and family and friendship!

This was a cute rom-com that will mostly be enjoyed by young adults (more so than those in the "new adult" category). It feels very high-school, and won't transcend age groups in the same way that similar books have, like "Tweet Cute." All of the essential YA themes are present: self exploration, making mistakes, coming of age. Overall enjoyable but a bit long, maybe too heavy on drama.

I love Marissa Meyer and this book was a lot of fun. It started a little slow compared to her series but the characters were fun and fully realized and I enjoyed spending time with them.

Meyer's take on a summer romance novel, but for YA audience is a winning shot. The characters of Pru and Quint are well developed and the reader is drawn into their relationship, the push and pull of love/hate. The underlying themes of family, and the importance of the environment are strong, and help add to the "magical" plot. When Pru figures out that she has the ability to give someone "instant karma", is it a good thing or a bad thing? Should Pru really be interfering with the natural force of the universe? Overall, it's a great read and gives more to the reader aside from just the magical theme.

I liked the original premise of this book and I enjoyed imagining what I could do with a power like that. Unfortunately most of the book fell pretty flat. The romance wasn't very romantic,, the villain was really underwhelming, the climax was meh. What bothered me most was when Pru was accused of theft by two people previously painted as super great folks. It seemed really harsh and not believable. Also, the swiftness with which Pru was all "hey it's totally fine you accused me of a horrible crime let's make out" was concerning. Girls need to learn to demand positive relationships not toxic ones.