2.5/5 This book fell halfway between cheesy and cringey for me. The protagonist, Josie Pie, loves going around telling people about all of her high school accomplishments and letting them know she is kind of a big deal- pretty much every chapter (or so it feels). Needless to say, no one cares. I also did not care. Then there's a subplot where she literally enters the books that she reads, interacting with the characters, etc. That part was interesting, but Josie's "I'm kind of a big deal" hangup didn't allow her to fully embrace this newfound power and left me wondering what the point of the power was if as a reader we couldn't fully enjoy it. I loved the idea behind the Muses, the book power- just wish we could have left Josie Pie back at her high school (where she clearly still belonged) and had a better heroine to go on quests with.

Josie Pie peaked in high school. After her dreams of making it big on Broadway go bust, she’s now working as a nanny in Montana. With her boyfriend and best friend too busy to talk, and her family distant, Josie is stuck wondering if this is as good as it gets. Then one day, she ends up being sucked into a book while reading. Literally. As she realizes that she can be the protagonist in a storybook, maybe she can be the hero in her own life as well. Can she figure out how before she ends up stuck in a novel forever?

This was an interesting read. It has kind of an inkheart premise. It wasn't my favorite Shannon Hale book, I find it kind of hard to connect to the main character but that might relate more to my place in life then the book. I really liked the comic book part.

Let me start by saying I love Shannon Hale's middle-grade books. This book for YA was a different story and I had been really looking forward to reading it. I didn't totally dislike it, but it wasn't love at first reading, either.

I had a hard time getting through it and found it somewhat disjointed. The main character, Josie Pie, was not a solid character and that was a part of the plot point. But nowhere in the book did I start feeling anything for her; she just felt dull and wishy-washy. That's pretty much all I have to say about this book. It was a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy of this digital ARC. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

Kind of a Big Deal is a book about growing up, feeling lost, and searching for your identity after high school.
The main character, Josie, is working as a nanny in a small town in Montana after her dreams of being on Broadway don't work out. She feels like she is losing her friends and her purpose. She starts reading to escape her depression and ends up literally falling into the world of every book she reads.

I think this book will be pretty relatable to lot of young people, especially those who feel like they don't have a direction after high school. Josie feels like she peaked in high school which is an interesting point of view and I think one that isn't explored as much in young adult fiction.

I found Josie's inner thoughts kind of hard to follow and the writing felt disjointed at times. I know sometimes the book was supposed to give you that feeling when Josie fell into the different literary worlds but it got in the way when it happened in Josie's regular thoughts.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read and I think that there are quite a few kids out there who could relate.

This book was a hot mess. The writing seemed incomplete and unemotional. The tone of the book felt like it was trying too hard to be current and progressive and funny and sympathetic. The whole idea was nice, but I didn’t care about any of the characters except for Mia. Then the fantasy aspects were all over the place and felt weird with the rest of the story. I couldn’t decide what kind of book this was. There is some romance, fantasy, comedy, and even some graphic novel in the middle. It’s not written as carefully and beautifully as some of Shannon Hale’s other books.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be honest, it was hard getting through this book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It was more like I couldn't get inspired to care for the main character. She pities herself so much, and there isn't really much of a reason to pity her in the beginning. She keeps saying that she used to be a big deal, but that doesn't seem like a strong enough reason for her to act so pathetic. She isn't mean or horrible; she just isn't very interesting. The plot device of her traveling into books is really cool, and I think that's what helps the story move along. It's much more plot-driven than character, so if you love books and fantasy, then maybe this book will be enough for you.

Omg, Shannon Hale, can we be best friends? The plot of this book is basically a dream. Josie Pie is a dream protagonist. When her life is falling apart and her aspirations have landed her nowhere, she literally finds herself in falling into a book over and over again living as the lead in a variety of genres. I absolutely loved the creativity of this book, and Josie Pie’s voice is one I wanted with me far after it was over. It was like a teenage girl version of The Pagemaster with so much more moxie. Something like this could have the likelihood of leaning into hokey territory, but instead it was delightful every step of the way. Thanks so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book I am sure to have students clamoring to read.

I like Shannon Hale because, generally, her characters are sharp and someone tends to have a warm-hearted, somewhat profound, slightly moving revelation before all is said and done. This book had those elements, but didn't come together at all. Also, I didn't like feeling so anxious about Mia.

Characters need further development. Despite being a popular younger readers author, I don’t think it will appeal to Young Adult readers

This was a cute YA contemporary! I enjoyed the foray into different novels and thought the concept was very cool and unique, but I didn’t fully connect with the characters/feel invested in the romance. Still a light, easy read and fun to see Shannon Hale return to YA!

Shannon Hale is all about living one's fantasies in whatever way a person can. In Austenland, this held the book together and the main character comes out stronger for it. In Kind of a Big Deal, the main character lives out her fantasies by falling into various book plots. The teenage angst, fear of becoming an adult, not knowing what the future holds are all believable in Josie, but the resolution of the story is not. This was a disappointing read where I continued until the end in the hopes that it would redeem itself, but sadly, it did not.

In this clever, magical story, Shannon Hale brings to life what could happen if you fall into the world of a book. Josie is a down-on-her-luck nanny who just moved from Broadway aspirations in NYC to Missoula, Montana. When she starts reading the “tawdry romance” she purchased at the quaint local bookstore, she finds herself literally sucked into the book. This is a cute YA novel that is perfect for someone who loves to read!

Advanced readers copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting reading experience...I wasn't sure what genre I was getting into, but I trusted Shannon Hale for a good story and she (mostly) delivered.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute and a quick read but I had a bit higher hopes based on the summary. It fell a little short for my expectations but interesting premise. Thank you netgalley.