This book may have been something I possibly could have liked in middle school or early high school, but for me now, it seems a bit juvenile.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I don't know how I got this book because I'm not a big fan of contemporary YA. I am just a little bit too old for the intended audience so I have a hard time connecting and enjoying the story. However, this one wasn't bad! I thought the flow of the story was good and honestly, very realistic. One of the aspects I really enjoyed was the ending. I felt like this book really portrays how a first relationship can happen. It's a lot of learning and this book definitely depicts this. There were some frustrating moments of course but I really felt like it portrayed what it wanted to accurately. The beginning on was a little slow but once the story got rolling, I really couldn't put it down. My biggest issue was all of the references. Seriously, it was overkill and every time one was made I felt myself getting irrationally annoyed. It was just overboard.

Eliana and Dmitri are definitely two completely opposite characters. However, as soon as Eliana sits nexts to Dmitri, there is a connection. I really felt like the depression was well represented for Eliana. Honestly, at first I had a hard time liking her character but the more I read, the more I understood her. It's definitely a great representation of how someone like that could be easily misunderstood and it was very well done. Poor Dmitri who was so oblivious to many things. I also thought his character was well represented of someone who thinks they can help. Overall, their relationship was definitely realistic and I enjoyed how they were written.

GIRL ON THE FERRIS WHEEL was a great representation of the ups and downs in a modern high school relationship following Eliana and Dmitri. Eliana deals with depression and anxiety while Dmitri is overall very confident and secure. While I enjoyed this book for the most part, there were a few issues I had. For one, we had very little time following their actual relationship. For most of the book, they weren't really together. I want to avoid spoilers so I won't get into details about why or when in the story, but I was just very disappointed with the amount of time they actually spent together. To me, their relationship seemed very rushed (despite this) and insta-lovey, which always throws me out of the book and makes it seem not realistic. The characters also seemed very young to be sophomores in high school; their dialogue and behavior was very immature for the age they were supposed to be, which also made the story seem unrealistic. Dmitri in particular really got on my nerves. Finally, there were so many Harry Potter references. I get that it's a huge part in many people's lives, mine included, but even if you bar all that has been said by the author, it is just still too many references. Like, we get you watch the movies over and over, now talk about something else, ya know? I did really appreciate the depression and anxiety rep. I can't speak first-hand on the accuracy of depression, but I did think it was handled and discussed well. I also liked that Dmitri's family was Greek and the culture that was discussed about their family. This was overall a good read, it just had a few things that didn't sit well with me.

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t flow with me. It’s written like it’s for the younger side of YA which put me off but would definitely appeal to the right audience. I appreciate the depression representation but sadly didn’t have anything else that particularly stood out to me.

The “Girl on the Ferris Wheel” was a fun YA contemporary romance that accurately speaks about depression.

There are many moments that I enjoyed in the story. The first thing which stood out for me was how realistic and relatable the author made the storyline. The plot, along with the characters, feel like reading a book of your next-door neighbors. You can easily connect with the characters and empathize with them. Then there is the sweet romance between Dimitri and Eliana. The two of them don’t have the perfect relationship. Besides, their friendship starts on a humorous, awkward note in a washroom setting. But they have charming chemistry.

Eliana is a complex character and pretty much drives the storyline. I loved how well and accurately the author portrayed the character’s depression. On the other hand, Dimitri is the guy you immediately love because of his charm and eagerness. I loved the lengths he went through to prove his love for Eliana. I also loved Yia Yia’s character and the Greek terms that Dimitri’s family used in their dialogues.

Also, many moments in the story stood out for me. I love their movie date night where they watch “Psycho” or where he tries to serenade her. The song Dimitri writes for her is also sweet. On a side note, the author makes numerous pop-culture references that are very entertaining!

However, I felt the book ended abruptly. There were quite a few things that I felt did not get resolved. For instance, Dimitri’s parents are racist, and Daisy is a nasty character, but there is no closure to their plotlines.

Apart from that, this was a cute story that I recommend if you are in the mood for a lovely contemporary Young Adult novel.

I have been contemplating what to say about this book. It wasn't horrible. There were just several things I didn't like about it. For one, I am just not a fan of open endings. This may work for some, but not for me. I felt like there was also a lot of forced focus on the characters religions and way too many references to movies as well as multiple trigger warnings which other reviewers have covered.

What I did like was the topic of depression. The characters were 10th graders and it is important to talk about depression. Eliana struggled to get out of bed some mornings even when as an outsider looking in-- her world seemed to be going great. Clearly, this was not the case. We got to see her struggle and the struggle her boyfriend, Demmi faced when trying to help her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the #gifted copy of the book.

Man, was this book a letdown. Not only was there anti-blackness, sexism and antisemitism, but the Harry Potter references were annoying and unnecessary. By putting Harry Potter references in your book, you might as well just say that you care more about a fictional story--that wasn't even that good--than you do about transgender people. I will not be picking up books from these authors in the future, and I surely hope they take the time to think about and understand what they did wrong.

*Thank you to MacMillan and Netgalley for the E-Arc!
TW: misogyny, depression, anxiety, sexism, racism, anti-semitism

Spoilery-content below.


Listen, y'all. I feel conflicted.
It's the morning after I've finished this book and I'm still trying to gather my thoughts. While this book had its cute moments, it had a lot of bittersweet and unexplained moments. I felt like there were a lot of "telling" not "showing" moments, and I really feel like Dmitri was done dirty.
While this book also has some accurate depression representation, the way its handled feel unfulfilled. In the beginning she doesn't take advantage of the therapy she's being offered, she clearly doesn't want to do the mental leg work, and at times, yes I understand. However, when I was that age, if I was able to talk to someone about it, I would. Even now. In terms of how it's handled via parentage, not well. Her father is adrift with his own issues, her mother is the 'tough love' type which often causes more damage than aid. She's treated like a second parent to her siblings, and even that story arc isn't resolved in any way.
Even with her ex-friends, it's not resolved. It's just 'daisy's a b*tch' which YES she is, but...I feel like it would've been satisfying to have some kind of moment there.
When it came to Dmitri, his parents are clearly racist. YiaYia is THE BEST character in this book. It made me super uncomfortable every time his parents spoke, because of the very blatant anti-semitism and anti-blackness.

Also wtf with all of the Harry Potter references! We don't need those references in 2021!!
How about Dmitri being totally left in the dark and by that he's doing ALL the unhelpful things. I also feel like he didn't get any help from his parents regarding dating, how to act around females, but he was SO DAMN SWEET. He was a literal marshmallow that went from soft and squishy to burnt and crusty.
I mean all in all, the relationship itself was not meant to last because of their constant miscommunication and the fact that they didn't talk about anything serious. When, when I was 15 I was having very serious conversations about everything with my friends. Dmitri really did love her, although his love was misconstrued and caused him to do foolish things in the name of love.

All in all, I really feel unfulfilled. This book wasn't BAD, but it didn't leave me with resolve. I feel like something went wrong in this book somewhere during the writing process, and it didn't get fixed.
I laughed, I cried, I related SO HARD, but...that's it.

I really enjoyed reading Len's previous book Hard-Wired, so when I saw that he co-wrote another YA novel, I was very excited about this touching, realistic, and sweet story.

Girl on the Ferris Wheel gives us two alternating POVs. Dmitri and Eliana come from very different backgounds and have very different personalities. Quiet, insecure Eliana has four other siblings and a stay-at-home dad, whose DVD rental store went out of business, while Dmitri is a second generation American Greek with a close-knit family, trying to integrate into American life and at the same time keep their distinct culture. Dmitri is a drummer in a band and a movie buff. He is also friendly and outgoing, which helps him to navigate high school social life with a lot of confidence and ease.

One of the best things about this book is that it provides a realistic representation of what it's like to live with clinical depression and what it's like to love and support a person with it. Eliana was briefly hospitalised and when she came back to school she found hersef almost isolated as a lot of her friends decided it was too complicated and awkward to be around her. Eliana's struggle with her depression is written in a heart-breakingly honest way. Her inner dialogue is fascinating, with some hilarious runaway comments on what is happening at the moment and some dark moments with repetitive self-depreciating thought patterns.

It was interesting to see both perspectives on Eliana and Dmitri's relationship with all the excitement and ups and lows of figuring out the other side's feelings and opinions. Depending on your own experience, you might find one of the characters more or less relatable, but they are definitely realistic and memorable, and both of them go through a lot of growth and development. There is a wonderful cast of secondary characters, including Eliana's best friend Janina, Dmitri's surprisingly perceptive younger brother Niki, and adorable grandmother Yia Yia.

The only thing that didn't work for me was the abundance of Happy Potter references, although I appreciate that being able to get and relate to well-known references (or the opposite, some obscure movie quotes) is a way of establishing a connection, finding your own tribe, which is a part of teen life.

I would definitely recommend this book. First romantic relationships aren't easy, because we still need to learn the importance of communication, but they are also exciting and genuine- like this book.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by Xpresso Tours. Thanks to Feiwel & Friends for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3 stars

The Girl on the Ferris Wheel was a realistic YA contemporary about high school life, first love, culture and family. It also has good representation for anxiety and depression especially through the lens of a young adult. There were some pretty sombre and raw moments with Eliana's depression that were heartbreaking and hard-hitting but I thought it accurately represented what it's like living with mental illness, at the same time without being overwhelming particularly for the younger audience this book is targeted to. Through Dimitri and Eliana's story, the authors perfectly highlight the highs and lows that come as part of the teenage package. They capture that blend of cynicism and hope, and a sometimes endearing and sometimes irritating brashness of character, but also the sweet and funnily awkward moments between friends, first loves, and family.

As I'm not the target audience for this book, I personally had a difficult time also fully connecting with Dimitri and Eliana--there were certainly relatable moments but I swung between liking them and finding them frustrating throughout the read. Eliana, in particular, was a character I'd hoped to connect with more especially as someone who has experienced the same mental health issues from that age, but frankly, she was mean and I found her bitterness (mainly towards her dad) quite scathing. I really enjoyed reading about Dimitri's big Greek family. Does it feed into the stereotype of conservative, loud and rambunctious Greek families portrayed in the media? A little bit, yeah, but in contrast to Eliana's toned-down family interactions, Dimitri's family brought such life to the page and it was so refreshing. I especially loved his Yia Yia and his younger brother, Nicky, and I wished we got much more time with those two because they were so loveable!

Eliana and Dimitri's relationship, a first for both of them, played a central role in the story and it really threw me back to the awkward firsts of my own high school relationships--the first date, first kiss, first time holding hands, first butterflies and heart swoops full of nervous excitement. It was quite nice and also funny! They definitely had their sweet moments that had me going 'aw' but at the same time, most of my frustration was a result of their relationship due to a lack of communication, as well as how these two (re)act. I won't go into details because that leads to spoiler territory, but I'll say that while I did become irritated with these two, I knew I was observing them through my current (older) lense, and the more I thought about it, I realised that I probably would've reacted similarly in certain instances when I was a teenager. Ultimately, despite a lot of teenage drama, angst and heartbreak, I was quite happy with how the story ended for both our characters. It brought a happy sense of peace and contentment and I thought it was the perfect way to end the story.

This is a really sweet and really genuine book. Eliana and Dmitri are trying to navigate their first serious romantic relationship while also dealing with all the life stuff that comes along. It's worth noting that this book skews to the younger end of the spectrum. This is certainly not a bad thing, it's just a thing that I felt I should mention since people have different preferences.

Eliana reminded me quite a bit of myself at that age. She cannot even fathom that Dmitri might actually have feelings for her, mostly because she's got some pretty low self esteem happening. She has also been going through some very serious mental health struggles, which obviously contribute heavily to her view of herself. Most of her friends ditched her when she had an inpatient hospitalization a year prior, which is both infuriating and sadly realistic. Her family life is also a bit messy, as she has had to take on a bit of a surrogate parenting role for her younger siblings. Her mother works constantly to make up for the fact that her father... well, he does nothing. It's clear to me that he is suffering from some kind of mental illness as well, but it infuriated me that it became Eliana's problem. She does at least have one incredible ride-or-die friend, Janina. And thank goodness for her, she is the support that Eliana needs, and I am so glad that she exists in this book.

Dmitri is... look, things are a little easier for Dmitri. He's got a really solid family (including his grandmother, Yia Yia, who I adored with my entire being), even though they can be a little out of touch and judgmental. Dmitri, basically, has a lot of growing up to do, which I think can be said for plenty of young people. He is a good guy though, with good intentions. And he is genuinely open to learning and growing, which is most important.

And that is truly the crux of this story: Growing, learning, and challenging yourself to do better. Eliana must come to terms with her own mental health, and her own needs and wants independently and in terms of relationships. There is, thankfully, appropriate discussion on why it's so important to understand that no one can fix you but you, so I applaud the authors for that.

Bottom Line: Ultimately, I found the book to be a very realistic take on first loves, family relationships, friendships, and growing up.

Girl on the Ferris wheel was a sweet story, packed with layers of depth and emotion. The book follows Emilia and Dmitri’s POVs as they navigate through high-school life.

High school is definitely one of the toughest periods of a person’s life. We get to meet new friends, lose some older ones, find our deepest passions, struggle with self-doubts, have crushes, and sometimes even fall in love. (Maybe a thousand times, too? Hehe) I’m so glad that the authors of Girl on a Ferris Wheel painted a very real picture of high-school – it made me connect to the characters from the very beginning of the story.

Emilia and Dmitri were both fascinating characters to read about. Emilia’s depression is one of the key themes of the book, and it was handled pretty well for a YA novel. Her emotions and self-doubts were expressed perfectly throughout the book, so we got to see an in-depth view of mental illness in teens. Her character development was evident throughout the story. I do wish there were fewer parts about her doubts regarding Dmitri’s feelings thought. It felt repetitive at times.

Dmitri was a sweetheart. It was refreshing to see a male POV, especially in a YA novel. I don’t think many books really explore how the people close to a depressed person feel, so many thanks to the authors for including Dmitri’s thoughts in the book too! It broke my heart to see how he struggled to be with Emilia but didn’t give up. He was a bit unobservant about the wrongs in his relationship with Emilia though. I expected a bit more maturity and character development from his side.

Overall, Girl on the Ferris Wheel was a well-written novel, with many important themes. 3.5/5 stars from me!

Girl on the Ferris Wheel” is great for those who enjoy short, easy contemporary reads with positive representation of anxiety. Eliana and Dmitri were both great characters on their own, but for me they lacked chemistry. When the synopsis says that all they have in common is a love for film, I guess you should listen to it.

Eliana is at first very whiny and manipulative. She manipulates her guidance counselor into leaving a class based on one bad grade. Somehow, I found her less whiny with Dmitri, which is often the opposite with romances. The anxiety and depression representation in this book was very good for a YA. It was very clear how Eliana and Dmitri’s miscommunication on the subjects affected their relationship.

There were several instances where I found myself wondering if this really was a YA book. Sometimes, it felt geared toward middle grade, other times the themes were too mature for a middle grade novel.

Overall, “Girl on the Ferris Wheel” explores depression and anxiety through “love-crossed” teenagers with communication issues.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

TW: Mention of suicide

Girl on the Ferris Wheel is a contemporary novel about Eliana and Dmitri, who are total opposites navigating first love. Eliana is an introvert living with depression, and Dmitri is very outgoing and confident. It was very interesting to see their relationship develop since they were so different.

I didn’t connect with this story that well, but that isn’t because it wasn’t a good book. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more at a younger age, but it’s still a really sweet story. There were a lot of times throughout the book that I found myself frustrated with Eliana or Dmitri for things that could have been fixed through communication. Having said that, it was very realistic, especially for a first love story.

Overall, I think this would have been a book I really enjoyed when I was just getting into YA toward the end of middle school and the beginning of high school. It’s a very realistic book about first love, and I actually really appreciated the ending. I think it’s important for young adults to see that sometimes the most important part of a relationship is how it helped you grow as an individual.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started this book. I thought it might just be a cute fun cliche romance but what I got was a rollercoaster of emotions and a really insightful narrative about love, heartbreak, mistakes and how anxiety and depression can impact it all.

This book follows two characters in a dual POV. Eliana is a Jewish girl that battles with depression. She loves movies and has a sarcastic and dry witty sense of humor that I really connected to. Dmitri is a easy-going friendly Greek boy in a punk rock band.

Obviously, the story follows the both of them as they navigate their relationship and struggle with their own problems. It was so easy to read and honestly really fast paced. I related to both the characters in certain ways whether it be their inner turmoil or their family relationships or being a little hard-headed.

I definitely wanted to punch the characters in the face a lot because–since they’re teenagers– they have the fault of assuming that everyone can read their minds and as a result they tended to do things that DIDN’T HELP. Usually I’m not a fan of the whole ‘miscommunication’ kind of trope but this book was addicting and I really couldn’t put it down even when I felt like it was going to be trainwreck (of emotions).

I think that this book being told in dual POV was so perfectly done because we got to see what each character was really thinking about the relationship. While one was thinking it was totally perfect, the other felt trapped and bored and like they weren’t being understood. It was just a really emotional rollercoaster getting to know both these characters, flaws and all.

I’m not an ownvoices reader at all so I can’t really comment on the representation, but I really related to the family aspects and the inner workings of their minds. Their thought process was just so engaging and even when I was angry at the characters, I still felt like I really understood why they would do whatever they did.

If you enjoy movie commentary, writing songs to impress the love interest, dropping out of classes because why not, walking like…everywhere, the magic of first dates, and interesting family relationships I would definitely recommend this book. I think you’d enjoy this book if you’re looking for a really interesting discussion about depression. Pick this book up if you’re ready for a few laughs, probably some angry and irritated screaming, punk rock bands, sarcasm, best friends, and the best grandma ever.

Halper and Vlaho took me on an emotional ride while navigating first love with Dmitri and Emilia. It reverted me to high school when insecurities were often at their pinnacle and love was thought to conquer everything. They successfully captured the ins and outs of a relationship, from the butterflies and sparks to the tears that often accompany the pain and confusion. While the book focuses on first love and a first relationship, many of the messages that can be taken away from Dmitri and Emilia’s relationship is universal to all relationships: relationships are hard and communication is key. And, oftentimes, to put our best foot forward in a relationship, we have to learn to love ourselves first.

Emilia’s battle with depression was an added layer to her character and the relationship. I thought it was depicted fairly well, providing both the perspective of the person suffering from depression as well as someone who loves the person suffering from depression.

Overall, I think Halper and Vlaho pretty much nailed it. It’s written well and I greatly enjoyed it. In terms of age level, it might fall at the lower end of YA fiction but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be enjoyed by those older—again, I enjoyed it a lot.

This book was simply not good.

I will say some of the redeeming parts of the book were getting to read how depression manifests in some young people and how it affects them. Also Yia Yia's character was a big highlight. She reminded me of my elementary school friend's Yia Yia who was just as loving and funny.

There was a lot of push and pull in Eliana and Dmitri's relationship and it was interesting to see how miscommunication really affected their relationship. I also appreciated the ending of the book, and think it did the characters and their experiences justice.

Now on to everything I disliked. The amount of Harry Potter references in this was actually absurd. Even if JK Rowling wasn't transphobic, I did not need multiple references in all of Eliana's chapter. I know it's a cultural phenomenon and is important to Eliana, but as someone who hasn't read or seen them, it was just way too much and completely took away from this book by constantly bringing the series up. This book also read younger than the 10th grade. The characters almost seemed a little too naive at times to be fifteen.

Also, I don't know why so many books need the reader to know that the protagonist's family is anti-Black and racist, but I promise it was not necessary at all in this story. The authors could have mentioned that Dmitri's family would have preferred him to date within his own culture, but instead we had to be subject to reading about his dad called a Black waitress a racial slur in Greek and his family being relieved his new girlfriend wasn't Black. I promise Black people understand how much we're disliked and hated. We don't need to be reminded in a YA romance.

Overall, this book didn't do much for me. I would hope they made some changes for the finished book, as I read an advanced copy. If you want to read something that talks about young people with depression and has an added cultural element like this book, I would just read Darius the Great is Not Okay.

Thank you to Netgalley and Xpressotours for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When it comes to this particular book, there are a lot of trigger warnings for depression, verbal abuse, and for an empath, this is a book that you will have issues with. For me personally, this book was something that I was intrigued by throughout the story, however at the end of it, it took a turn for the worse emotionally. But thankfully the lesson presented itself in the sense of romance cannot save you from yourself, you save yourself. There's Greek and Jewish representation, there's concerts, there's a ton of movie and Harry Potter references, and first love. The main issue I had or at least one I haven't commented on was that the boy was a bit too abrasive. Too rough on the girl in my personal opinion. I know he is a high school boy who was in puppy love, but not taking no for an answer was too much. There was also a ton of miscommunication involved but again high school contemporary. Overall though, it was a book that kept me on my toes, I would recommend it for someone who could relate to either leading character, but to keep in mind that it can be a rough road. Because of these points, I have to give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars

Girl On The Ferris Wheel tackles depression, anxiety, and first love all within the span of Eliana and Dmitri’s sophomore year of high school. The inner thoughts of Eliana are exactly what go through my own depressed and anxious mind. It made me really feel connected to her. Seeing it from Dmitri’s POV though had me in tears in one particular part because it made me feel awful about how those around me must feel when I’m having those periods of ‘I hate life’. It was tough to hear the struggle.

Also, Dmitri is truly the oblivious teenaged boy (sorry for the stereotyping). He misses so many relationship bumps and the mood turn, which makes complete sense and also makes me want to smack him. I know mental illness is an internal sensation that is often masked by the person suffering so others are not ‘burdened’. But when you have your younger brother (Nicky who I adore) saying ‘hey, something’s up’ and you can’t see it, this some disconnect happening. And that happens ALL THE TIME in relationships. While beyond frustrating, it makes sense and the side characters are there to smack some sense into him.

Eliana’s character development was powerful but Dmitri’s was non-existent. This review is kind of sounding like a Dmitri hate party so I want to clarify that Dmitri is a wonderful character. He is perfect for the role he has in the story and I wouldn’t want him to be changed at all.

Overall, this was a great tug on the heartstrings book that reminds me of All The Bright Places. I do recommend this for anyone looking for a bumpy young love story filled with movie and Harry Potter references!