DNF @ ~15%: I made the decision that 2021 was going to be the year of putting down books when I knew that they weren't going to be for me, and this one fit that description pretty quickly out the gate. I originally wanted to read this book because I loooooved Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles back in the day, so when I heard that she was putting out a mostly contemporary story (my favorite genre) I hopped right on it. Unfortunately, this one really didn't work for me the way that I hoped it would and I am bummed! Being inside the main characters head annoyed me SO MUCH from page one and I knew that not even listening to the audiobook (narrated by the amazing Rebecca Soler and was fantastically done, tbh) could save this reading expereince for me. Overall, while this book clearly wasn't for me, I do think that if you enjoy a younger leaning YA story with a sassy/snarky lead, there's a good chance that you will probably still like this and I do recommend checking it out if you're interested!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Marissa Meyer and ATE UP the Lunar Chronicles series but I didn't love this one. Much like I didn't quite enjoy "Heartless."

I do really dislike the times when I strongly dislike the protagonist and this was the case here. I really didn't like Prudence and, quite frankly, she never grew on me. Quint salvaged the story for me.

Regardless, I wasn't in love with the characters and didn't care much for what happened to them. So, this one was just okay.

Marisa Meyer is an instant buy for me. Loved the Lunar Chronicles. Her Renegades series was such fun. But Instant Karma, was not what I expected from her.

Prudence is burdened with being lab partners with lazy, always late, unbearable Quint Erickson. After Quint almost fails to show up for the final project presentation and she get a C due to their lack of teamwork and science, Prudence fights to get a do-over. She literally screams at her teacher for it. She plans to dedicate her entire summer to re-do the assignment whether or not Quint decides to work with her or not. Oh, and after hitting her head during karaoke night, Prudence can now enact instant karma on people who she thinks are terrible.

Only Prudence is the worst person in this entire book. Well, second worst.

Honestly, if Prudence wasn't a self-entitled, self-centered, uppity person the 75% of the novel I might have liked it more. While there is a redemption arc for her, there is too much of the novel with her unbearable narration and opinion that just makes her utterly dislikeable even when she does start to have redeeming qualities.

The pace is so slow, too much exposition, and all the characters did nothing for me. Even Quint, our obvious love interest, was just so un-interesting. As far as enemies-to-loves tropes go, Quint and Pru just weren't that great. There was just too much attitude and fighting between the two of them that it left a bad taste in my mouth and failed to go even even with the inevitable relationship came to fruition. The way the instant karma plot device was sprinkled into the book took me out of the story. I couldn't grasp the idea that this terrible girl gets to decide who deserves karmic punishment. It is never truly explained why she gets it to begin with and that just bothers me.

I think I only enjoyed the last 10% of the book and all scenes where the universe basically hits Prudence upside the head.

Honestly, Marissa Meyer should stick to her guns and stay away from contemporary.

Instant Karma isn’t what I would typically expect from Marissa Meyer but her unique and captivating style of telling a story is still evident here. There’s something about Marissa’s writing that brings the characters to life so well you can’t help but drastically fall in love with them. And that I did. I loved seeing Prudence develop for the better and become someone who I could admire. And that’s what I feel is Marissa’s strong point, portraying characters who are able to realize their faults and initiate change for the better while telling a story that is heartfelt and fun.

The story was very cute, a rom com type that reminded me of my favorite teen movies when I was younger. I’m sure younger me would consider Instant Karma one of her favorite books, however now me thinks it was cute but nothing that really stands out. The story was adorable but didn’t ignite the overwhelming sense of feeling that I look for in contemporaries these days. I definitely think younger fans of contemporary novels would absolutely love this one though!

Interesting concept...would have been an interesting plot if it had been the main plot as advertised. However, Meyer chose to focus primarily on the volunteering at the marine rescue center plot, which in of and of itself is not a bad way to go. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, but kept waiting for the "girl has sudden power" plot to become the primary one. Would recommend it as a romance rather than a sci-fi/fantasy bit.

LOVE this book. Such a fun read for tweens and teens. Easy to relate to! I mean who doesn't wish they could have some control over karma. And who hasn't been totally annoyed by someone and then you figure out you like the person.

While I adore Marissa Meyer’s ability to build worlds and tell stories that make readers clamor for more, I have to say this was not my favorite of her books. While initially intrigued by the potential for this storyline about a girl who wakes up with the ability to mete out “instant karma” to those around her, I found it hard to connect with controlling and overbearing Prudence. When a project with partner Quint does not yield her desired grade, Prudence is indignant and will settle for nothing less than a project redone exactly as she envisions. A lighter touch with Prudence’s perfectionistic “my way or the highway” attitude would likely have gone a long way. I do, however, look forward to reading anything and everything she writes in the future!

I read several chapters of this books but ended up not finishing it. The plot was not very engaging and the characters seemed one-dimensional. The main character seemed to go out of her way to be snooty and was unlikable. I understand that this probably sets her up for some major character development later on, but it was a bit too heavy-handed at the beginning. Even after reading the first few chapters there was little action; it was all backstory and setup.

I hate to leave a negative review like this because I really loved the Lunar Chronicles and Renegades series by Meyer, but I felt that this book did not live up to the hype or the caliber of writing she displayed in her first two series.

Didn't work for me. I thought maybe seeing the author working in a new genre would bring it all together but it just wasn't for me.

I'll be honest. I wanted to read this just because Marissa Meyer wrote it and didn't even know what it was about first. Unfortunately, this kind of humor and plot line with the karma and the way it was handled just didn't work for me. The writing was good but I never connected with it.

I ended up not finishing this book due to some problematic content of this novel.

I heard that this book discusses the idea of karma and an extremely western and stereotypical way which is not okay.

I also have only seen mediocre review so I do not think I would start to enjoy this read.

I would like to thank Macmillan for providing a copy of this novel via NetGalley as part of the Publishers Weekly Grab a Galley sweepstakes. Instant Karma is a fun YA contemporary romance with a magical twist. Prudence Daniels receives a bad grade on a biology project she did with her lab partner Quint Erickson. Her teacher allows her to revise it under the condition she gets Quint's approval. This results in her working for an animal rescue center and becoming much more invested in it than she would have ever thought possible. At the same time, she mysteriously receives the power to enact karmic justice on people around her as she sees fit. There is a lot of insight into the work that animal rescue centers do. There are also some really good messages at the core of the book. There is the sentiment of not passing judgement on others without knowing what struggles they may be going through. There are also realistic portrayals of young people dealing with and overcoming anxiety. Other notable ideas that are well executed in the book include recognizing strengths in others and accepting that others may be better at certain things than we are. I also felt the love story was believable. Instant Karma is a fun, well done YA romance with many great intentions due to its successful tackling of teen anxiety, marine conservation, and not judging a book by its cover.

I really enjoyed Instant Karma. The characters were really well written and the plot kept me interested. I thought the writing was also really well done. This was so different then what Marissa Meyer has ever written and I was definitely impressed!

The perfect light young adult romance with great balances of humor with romance! All of Marissa Meyer's books feel slightly different and this one was no exception. A bit fantasy, but a whole different world with karmic justice. Fans of Marissa Meyer will love this and newcomers that just want a bit of young adult romance will find enjoyment as well.

YOUNG ADULT

Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer; Feiwel and Friends, 400 pages ($18.99) Ages 12 and up.

A girl discovers the power to inflict instant karma on anyone she notices misbehaving - only to find the universe has something surprising in store for her – in this entertaining enemies-to-friends romantic comedy from the author of excellent fantasy series "The Lunar Chronicles."

Prudence (named by her vinyl-loving parents for Beatles tune "Dear Prudence") is a tightly-wound overachiever who can't abide the sloppy, tardy ways of her lab partner, Quint (named for the shark hunter in "Jaws"). When their joint final project gets a C, the teacher allows them to do it over on the condition that they actually work together. Prudence is surprised to discover that Quint has hidden depths: he is often late to school because he spends hours volunteering at the sea animal rescue center his mother operates. He is also a very gifted wildlife photographer.

Meyer has crafted a uniquely unsympathetic love interest in Prudence, but the gradual humanizing of Prudence through her rescue work with animals makes the romance more credible. Save this one for the beach next summer.

I wasn't sure I liked this story at the beginning, but it grew on me as I grew to care about the characters. Prudence, the main character, tells the story from her perspective. She is a perfectionist who has been partnered with Quint Erickson, the chronically late student, to work on the final project for the year. She knows she can't count on him for anything. As the moment arrives for her to begin the presentation alone, her nerves almost get the better of her, but she manages to begin when Quint arrives. Prudence is furious at Quint's lack of understanding and what she sees as lack of cooperation and preparation. The resulting grade for her part was not the A she envisioned and what ensues is Prudence's pursuit of a better grade through summer work. Prudence learns why Quint is chronically late and always tired as the story continues, and as readers, we are treated to a lesson on marine biology and environmental challenges to California sea life, as well as as bit of mystery and intrigue. It's a great story, a bit slow-paced at the beginning, but it picks up steam rather quickly. I loved Quint's character and the way Prudence learns that she is not always the smartest person in the room. Her hectic family life with a twin brother and three younger siblings is intertwined throughout the story along with scenes in her parents' struggling vintage record store. All of the pieces to this enjoyable story are brought together in a satisfying ending. I recommend this book for 7th grade and up.

This was a very cute book, and I loved the various references to The Beatles’ music throughout the story, too! It was fun watching the two main characters go from enemy lab partners, annoyed by the other’s negative tendencies to friends who find a way to work together to help the marine animals they both care about. The karaoke and the magic ability to weird instant karma on any poor, deserving soul was just icing on the teen romance cake!

A cute story of first crushes and love, being an over-achieving student and learning to love yourself and others. The main character is dealing with all of these things - and she is driven by the desire to achieve and always be the best - to a fault. Prudence is determined and very bright, but she is also very judgmental and hard on those around her who do not have her same drive and goals. Prudence is paired with Quint, the slacker in her eyes, to complete a class project and when things don't go as she planned - Prudence is on a quest to set things right and is suddenly gifted with the ability to inflict instant karma on those around her - bullies and rule breakers - but not Quint - even though Pru feels that he deserves to be punished for his disregard for promptness and responsibility. Throughout the book Prudence is judging others and expecting them to live up to her standards and rules. When she is thrust into Quint's world instant karma may just turn around and give her what she deserves. I found this to be a fun read with some great information about ocean ecology and saving the sea creatures. Of course it is a bit sappy but a nice clean teen romance. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my personal opinion and rating.

I was hesitant to read this book because I am not typically a fan of fantasy. However, Marissa Meyers does a good job of putting in some magical realism with the main character, Prudence, having the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her after a bump on her head. While the instant karma was cute, I don't think it was necessary for the story! I was much more invested in the characters and their interactions/love connection that the little bit of magic in the story. The story was good, cute, enjoyable, and an easy read.

Instant Karma is an unputdownable book! I started and finished it in one day. When it began, I thought it was going to be another cliche teen romance book, but I was so wrong. I should never double Marissa Meyer! The story is plotted perfectly, so you keep being led through the book wanting more. I loved the characters, the plot, and the writing. A perfect feel-good novel!