This book was everything you want in a YA romcom: fun, entertaining, super cute, lots of awkward and exciting teenage emotions, and, most importantly, teens making a difference. I love the way Meyer takes a romantic comedy and makes it really mean something by adding really important topics like environmental awareness, animal rescues, volunteering to improve the community, and surprisingly deep questions on morality. Everything starts light and fluffy but turns into something much more. Our MC has a lot of character development throughout the book and she learns so much which I think would be wonderful for young readers to see. The only real negative thing I felt about the story was the whole karmic justice power. I feel that, at times, our MC abused the power, other times the universe went a little overboard with their punishment, and many times our MC conveniently forgot she even had it and went days/weeks without using it? I just know that teenage me being given this power.... it would've been the forefront of my mind, at all times, and it would have been part of every decision I made (because, if you have the power to deal karmic justice, shouldn't you use it justly because then karmic justice may come after you? Vicious, vicious circle...)

It took me a bit to get into this story, but when I did, I really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were well-written and the relationship was believable. I would like to revisit some of the secondary characters and hear their story.

I was really excited for a new Marissa Meyer novel, especially one that takes place in our contemporary world. Well one could call this a typical rom-com, there's the additional element of giving the main character karmic powers. I don't feel like the balance of rom-com elements and fantastical elements was executed well. For example, we don't start getting typical rom-com plot points until a third into the book. Then, the fantastical elements aren't mentioned for the second third of the book until Pru loses them at the end. Having these two elements made the book weaker overall because they were always battling for plot points instead of enhancing the plot line. I hope the next Meyer rom-com fits in better with what already exists in the genre.

I loved this so much! One of my new favorite YA contemporaries, but I can't say I'm surprised as Marissa Meyer has been a favorite author of mine for a while! Although Prudence was a bit annoying in the beginning- mainly because how could rescuing animals NOT be your heart's desire- she had wonderful character development. I loved Quint from the moment he was introduced. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a misunderstood bad boy! And his name! Love Jaws! I highly recommend this book, it will tear your heart out but is also so so wholesome! I guess I'm also a sucker for books about animals haha!

Instant Karma was a cute, light-hearted young adult contemporary romance, especially for those who love Pride and Prejudice. While Prudence can be a grating narrator in the beginning of the novel, she grapples with what it means to be a good person or a bad person. Her self-delusion makes what could be a bland story into a self-deprecating, warming character revelation. I would definitely recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book. I've been a fan of Marissa Meyer for a while, even did my dissertation on the Lunar Chronicles.. This was different than what she's published before but no less enthralling. I was completely invested in the characters, their plight, and possibly the best two people that hate each other in the beginning kind of plot line that I've read in a while. There was even a bit of magical realism involved as well which was a fun addition to the story.
I absolutely recommend.

I loved the characters in this book. This is a YA romance, and it is even good for middle school. Prudence is one of five siblings all named after a Beatles songs. The story is based one Pru who is the type A, control freak, overachiever who,is put with the biggest slacker for the final ,Amir grade for their biology class. Of course it turns out to be a disaster, and Pru cannot allow Quint to leave her with a C. She has to persuade him To work together to make money for the local no -profit animal rescue. He doesn’t want to spend another minute with her, of course. So, she has to show him that she can work to rescue the rescue. Quint is not what he seems. He may be late all the time, and he may be flaky...there are reasons and Peru’s newfound ability to see Karma work shows her not to judge a book by its cover. Good coming of age story about how it is never too late to change the path you are on. And it is always better to work with someone than to shoulder the burden on your own.

I really liked Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer -- I had been introduced to her with the Lunar Chronicles and enjoyed them (but it lost be a bit on the fourth of the series). While her books (after writing Cress) failed to really grip me, I was happy to read through Instant Karma in one sitting. It was a bit difficult to read through the eyes of an overachiever, Prudence's strong character that at times was hard to like which I found endearing. It's refreshing to come across characters that aren't wholly good or bad; just like normal human beings. It's relatable, and honestly provided me with a new outlook on sea life animal rescue. Definitely would recommend to fans of Marissa Meyer and anyone interested in a wholesome story about putting yourself in someone else's shoes.

This is an excellent summer read! A typical opposites attract romance, with characters who initially dislike each other but are then forced to work together. Despite it being a traditional romantic trope, it is still a very enjoyable read that is not too heavy, but has some real heart to it.

This was a cute and fun book to read. The karma powers that Prudence finds herself with give this book a refreshing twist from your typical romance/drama. The only things I didn't like about this book was that the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for me, and that Prudence was a bit hard to connect to at first. She definitely goes through some major character growth but it's hard to feel sympathetic to her in the beginning as she's almost too over-exaggerated of a character. However, I still found the plot compelling and it was a quick read.

*I WAS PROVIDED A DIGITAL GALLEY VIA NETGALLEY IN RETURN FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

I was so excited to read this book and really thought I'd end up liking it, but now I'm left disappointed.

This book started off really well. Pru--our main character--seemed somewhat relatable, and the book got right into the plot. It was about 10% of the way through when things started to go wrong.

For one, the MC is actually full of herself past this point. Pru deems it necessary to cast bad karma on anyone who is mildly inconveniencing her or doing something that she thinks is unnecessary or wrong. She doesn't bother listening to anyone whose opinion or circumstances differ from her own, and she expects everyone to cater to her every need if something bad happens. I was honestly on her side for the first 10% of the book, but past that, I started to agree with the other characters that she acted like a prude.

On top of that, the writing in this book is mediocre at best. I expected more from Marissa Meyer, considering she's usually pretty good at wrapping readers up in the pages of her books, but this one just didn't do it. The plot was also affected by this, as the instances in which Pru's "bad karma" power (?) repeated small and unnecessary incidents on people.

All in all, I can say that I'm glad this is a standalone. If there were another book of *this*, I'd be fairly concerned.

I have loved Marissa Meyer’s previous books so I had high hopes for this one. It was interesting to see her writing style in a contemporary genre. I really didn’t care for the main character and didn’t change my mind until pretty close to the end. I also thought it was a bit odd that the main point was the MC having the power to enact karma but that was a tiny part of the book. She only used those powers a few times and the story was more focused on the development of the MC and her growing romance. I did get a little sucked in, but overall it wasn’t very memorable and I thought it was just okay.

Woah, Marissa Meyer does it again! I literally could not put this book down!

Pru is a type A student who can’t trust anyone to help her. This lands her in hot water in her marine biology class, but luck is on her side when she’s able to redo the project with Quint. Her pessimistic attitude makes her miserable to be around. When she slips and falls she learns that she can grant instant karma. At first I really wished I had the same super powers, but Pru quickly learns that you don’t always know the full story!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

This is a favorite author doing her best work - Marissa Meyer does YA romance well but her characters are so well drawn. Can't get enough of her work.

Oh i just adore anything written by Marissa Meyer! No matter what type of genre she's writing she always publishes the best book!
This was a cute and funny read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is a cute romance, and I love Marissa Meyer. I will continue to buy/read all of her books no matter what she writes. However, I had a few issues with Instant Karma:

(1) In the book, the main character (Prudence) seems to get powers that provide Karma. I don't think that plotline really gets played out; it's a minor piece to the story. I thought she should have faced the consequences for using those powers.

(2) Prudence volunteers at a wildlife rescue foundation, and part of her volunteering feels like a soapbox that the author needs to address.

(3) I want my rom-com protagonists likeable, so this might be a personal issue. I didn't like Prudence for a majority of the book. At one point, she is called, "Self-absorbed. Critical. Judgmental. A hypocrite. Selfish." I agreed with all of the points.

At about 75% of the way through the book, the plot thickens, and I cared a lot more about the conflict. I loved the last 25% of the book. When I got to the end, I thought.. yeah, this is why I like Marissa Meyer's writing.

Instant Karma is the story of Prudence Daniels. After a bump to her head, she seems to have the ability to give instant karma to those around her who have done some injustice. Pru sometimes abuses this newfound power. One person who seems immune to her karma is Quint, a classmate who is her nemesis. After getting a low score on her Science project with Quint, she wants to improve her score by redoing it. In order for that to happen, Quint and Pru need to team up and work together. Pru ends up volunteering at the facility run by Quint's mom. Throughout the summer, Pru learns more about Quint and herself.

I love that Marissa Meyer came out with a contemporary romance book. It's different than other books of hers that I have read. While I was not a huge fan of Prudence at the beginning of the novel, she grew on me by the end. I enjoyed seeing her transformation throughout the book while also reflecting on her beliefs and actions.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a chance to read and review this title.

Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite authors, so when I heard she was writing a contemporary YA book, I couldn't wait to read it. Instant Karma did start off slow in the beginning, but once the story hit its stride, I was unable to put it down. The main character, Prudence, was flawed and unlikeable from the start, but also incredibly relatable. I loved the representation of a curvy main character in fiction, something I don't get to see as often as I'd like. The twist at the end was somewhat predictable, but satisfying nonetheless. Overall, Instant Karma is the perfect summer read: lighthearted and sweet, with just enough plot to keep me interested.

Instant Karma is not a book in a genre I’d typically read, but I’ve enjoyed Meyer’s past books so I decided to give it a shot. If you are someone who also doesn’t typically read contemporary YA books but are curious about it because of the author’s previous books, I would say definitely give this a shot!

Prudence (named after the Beatles song!) is singing Beatles song Instant Karma when she hits her head and starts to be able to control how people get rewarded and punished when she sees people doing positive or negative things. The book starts out with her mostly punishing people, because Prudence is a perfectionist who is often quick to assume the worst, as shown when she’s completing a group project at the beginning of the book and automatically assumes that her partner, Quint, is a slacker who will do a bad job which ultimately leads to her getting a poor grade. While being able to reward or punish people instantly through powers might make people think this isn’t a true contemporary book, the mystical element of it is never really explored, it is never the point of the book. Instead, it is mostly about Pru learning about herself and giving people more chances because of how complex people can be. It is easy to see something and interpret it wrongly, or to judge without knowing the full picture. Pru at the beginning is a difficult character to root for, but intentionally so. Quint was such a sweetheart.

The best part of this book, however, was the sea life rescue and rehabilitation center, and all of the ocean related things. The love and passion for the center just shone through the book and gave it such a unique spark.

Marissa Meyer always writes such compelling stories it's hard for me to stop. Though it's a long book, I read it in under 24 hours. I enjoyed story quite a bit. However, I wasn't totally sold on the characters. I never really loved Prudence. At fifty percent through, I just barely started to like her. She was a difficult character to like, especially in the beginning. She didn't like her siblings but for her twin, she didn't like animals, I never saw her be a good friend to Ari (though I'm sure she was off page). The only thing she cared about were her grades and she was absolutely annoying about her science grade. Her fear of public speaking wasn't enough for me to feel empathy for her, maybe because even though she feared it, she succeeded at it and was the best presenter in the whole school. I never really fell in love with her in the whole book, which meant I never really fell in love with the romance angle of the book because I never saw what Quint saw in her.