I was super excited to get a sneak peak of one of my favorite (auto buy) authors. This story was just as cute as her other contemporary novels and I really enjoyed it.

This book was just adorable.

I loved the strong controlling character learning to work with her 'enemy'.

A very cute and sweet YA romance between two highschoolers.

I also loved learning more about sea life and how I can help nonprofits!

All of the Jaws culture references were hilarious too. I need to get a Jaws 'pun' poster.

Thank you Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for an advanced copy to provide my sassy thoughts!

I listened to the audio book on the NetGalley app, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!
Fun book, with two parallel story lines that occasionally come together is interesting ways, mostly to Prudence's liking, but not always. She's an angry teen and we come to find out that it's mostly because others don't always come up to her standards. She likes things done her way. Luckily, her laid back and handsome science lab partner, whom she despises, might be able to rescue her from herself.
I'll probably buy this one for my high school library.

Marissa Meyer's Instant Karma is a book that I really appreciated in concept, as I am a judgmental person, and I would love the ability to bring karmic justice to those around me. :)

When Prudence Barnett wakes up with the power many of us would dream of, she begins doling out acts of justice, but it keeps backfiring against the one person she'd love to use it against. What follows is a fun take on the rules of karma and love.

Rebecca Soler narrates this audiobook, and the run time is 14 hours and 14 minutes.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

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!

it bothers me a bit when our heroine is smart, ambitions, and wrong. Girls who are driven are almost always also portrayed as uptight and judgmental. Why can't Prudence be driven and focused but still likeable? This is not a fault if this book alone, more of a general trend in fiction. On it's own, this book is fine. Prue is not especially likeable. She is very controlling and dismissive of others. As we're going to expect, having the power to exact revenge teachers her more about herself than anything else.Pleasant enough if you're willing to suspend your disbelief.

*audio arc provided by Netgalley and the publisher*
I love Marissa Meyer's writing. Her prose and dialogue is very grounded, however, I feel like her writing is more suited to genuine fantasy/sci-fi. The setting of Fortuna Beach was so lovely, and I loved all the bits with the Wildlife Center. The love interest and the side characters were very sweet, if not a little two-dimensional. The main character was genuinely unbearable in the beginning, and it very much turned me off for a lot of the book. Obviously, there is growth, but her judgmental attitude really rubbed me the wrong way. Rebecca Soler always does a great job, and her narration definitely made this book more consumable. I do think the whole "karmic justice" thing was fine thematically, but the overall execution felt very nonsensical- and frankly kind of an unnecessary C-plot. The romance was slow going, but they ended up being pretty cute, and I was rooting for them to make it work. Overall, I would recommend this book if you want a fun, summer hate-to-love romance that goes a lot in to environmental activism and lots of cute sea lions!

I loved this audiobook! Marissa Meyer proves again that she is a master storyteller!! I also really enjoyed this audiobook narrator.

Prudence is a typical overachieving perfectionist and she can also be a little judgmental. She was hard to like at first, quite honestly. I had to constantly remind myself that this was a teenage girl and sometimes they can be a little frustrating. But then she gets this magical power where she can dole out karma (both good and bad) anytime she wants, with one exception . . . her arch nemesis and lab partner, Quint. I loved their relationship and their banter. I also loved the growth that Prudence showed throughout the book. She was so judgmental and annoying and I hated the snap judgments she made of people. I also loved the narrator of this book: she sounded young and put so much heart and soul into the narration. She really made it an engaging read. Fantastic book!

A new YA romance from the author of the [book:Cinder|36381037] series! Instant Karma is more realistic than the Cinder series but still has a touch of the fantastical.

Pru is a type A go-getter high school Sophomore. She's been paired up with the laid back Quint for her marine biology project. When the project doesn't go quite as she expects and she gets a C, Pru is determined to do the project over for a better grade. The teacher agrees, but only if Pru and Quint work together to prove that they CAN work as a team. Pru thinks that Quint is lazy and unmotivated and that it is his fault that they didn't get an A. She wishes that things were more fair and that people would get what they desrve. Pru's wishes for karmic justice come true when after a night of karaoke she wakes up with the ability to give karma payback, whether good or bad. She can't control what happens but she can make whatever will happen, happen. In the meantime, she volunteers at the sea life rescue center that Quint's mom runs with the goal of working with them to get a better grade on her project.

This was a fun, sweet read. It was a nice read to decompress with after this CRAZY news week. I listened to it on audio, so it made it easy to sit back, close my eyes and listen/read.
While Pru starts out as not being very likable (to me at least), I learned to like her by the end of the book as she learned more about herself and how to interact better with others. I loved that Pru and her siblings are all named after Beatles songs (thanks to their record store owning parents). The book had a nice message about being nice to the environment, animals AND our fellow humans.

<b>What to listen to while reading...</i>
Instant Karma! by John Lennon
Come Dancing by The Kinks
Wouldn't it Be Nice by The Beach Boys
Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles
The Beach by The NEighborhood
Daniel by Elton John
Someone to You by BANNERS
Ocean by Elsa and Emilie
Dear Prudence by The Beatles
Electric Love by B0RNS

Rating: 2.5 / 5 stars

Instant Karma was exactly what I expected: Marissa Meyer is an excellent author, but I highly prefer her dark fantasy/dystopia novels to her "realistic" YA tales.


Negatives:
1. Modern Mary Sue's
How does a character with stereotypical flaws teach teenagers any more lessons than those with none? A majority of teenagers (54.2% in a 2009 study) suffer from perfectionism, and although other interpretations of themes could contradict this, learning that there's a "different way to live" after experiencing the effects of supernatural powers is not helpful to 54.2% readers, nor considered relatable in any way.

2. Ironic Plot
For a book concerning perfectionism, there are too many unnecessary side-plots and characters and themes and backstories and oh gosh, I'm suddenly unable to summarize the book because the pages are overcrowded with information and motifs that we're supposed to care about but weren't given adequate time to form a connection with.


Positives:
1. Writing Style
If you disregard the chaotic plot, the writing style is consistent with Meyer's usual: engaging, exhilarating, and encouraging! If it weren't for the author's descriptive and at times raunchy tone, I wouldn't have made it through the entire book!

2. Climax / Ending
As much as I believe the conflict was unrelatable, the ending was climactic and memorable. Who doesn't love to feel the rush of adrenaline as the many, many, many plots come together in one perfect piece? For one reason or another, I was relieved to reach the climax of Instant Karma!

Please remember that these are my personal opinions and if you disagree you can completely ignore me! I hope you enjoyed this book more than I did!

I loved the Lunar Chronicles. I loved the Renegades series. I loved Instant Karma just as much. A new favorite for me. Thank you once again, Marissa Meyer!

I am so glad I started my year off with my favorite author. Even though I was VERY skeptical about this book, I should have known that Marissa Meyer never disappoints me. I am very used to her fantasy books and devour them happily, but this contemporary novel (with a slight dash of fantasy. Not sure I would consider it magical realism though) was so fun!

Prudence gets stuck with Quint as a lab partner, a boy she thinks is lazy and arrogant. After receiving and unsatisfactory grade on her assignment, Prudence is determined to make it up for a better grade, even if that means spending the summer with Quint. However, the more time she spends with Quint, the more she realizes her assumptions about him were wrong. Not only does she come to terms with that, but she also has to do some soul searching and realize that she may be part of the problem as well.

This book was an easy and fun read. There were parts where I thought Prudence was annoying, but at the same time, I had to stop and remind myself that she is a teenager AND if these traits were in a guy, I would think they are "cool and boss level." So I definitely had to check myself a few times. I actually ended up loving Prudence at the end, along with Quint.

I just love how Meyer writes her male characters. They aren't obnoxious, problematic characters that many YA males seem to be. They are well written, flawed humans, but relatable ones. Same with her female characters.

The plot was easy to follow. I did not feel like there was one overall big problem, but small ones that all connected. It actually really worked for this book. It did not explain much how Prudence got the power to dish out universe consequences or how she lost it really, but I suppose it wasn't really important overall.

If you are looking for a fast, easy read. Instant Karma is definitely that!

Ok so this was a fun read with some super cute moments!

I wasn’t sure what to expect seeing as what Meyer has been known for has that added extra of Scifi/fantasy or powers etc so when the “Instant Karma” aspect hit I was like ohhhhh ok. Maybe should have gotten that before but I just hopped into this not reading the back cover.

I think that aspect was handled well and the enemies to lovers was very apparent BUT I will warn potential readers to keep going. Personally, it was around 30% by the time I didn’t hate Prudence as much and up until that point I was rather frustrated with her.

I know the point of enemies to lovers is really being enemies so I think Meyer really pulled that off but it was tough reading some parts when I was frustrated by how awful Pru was at some points.

I really enjoyed the sea life conservation aspect of the story! It added a lot and overall added a lot of depth to the story. Plus the little cast of characters were like able and had depth. I hope we get to learn more about them in future books???

Overall, relatively clean on language romantically which I hugely appreciated! I would definitely recommend this to fans of rom coms and contemporary YA!

My rating: 4.5*


Thanks to the publisher for an audiobook copy via Netgalley! All opinions are my own.

This was such a great audio book. Loved the story and the narrator did a pretty nice job of bringing the characters to life.

Easy coming-of-age comfort food. The "instant karma" plot device doesn't add much, but the characters are endearingly predictable and story moves as a steady pace

i'm used to marissa meyer writing more on the science fiction/fantasy spectrum, so i was intrigued by this contemporary story. but instant karma does have a touch of fantasy. i'm just not sure the concept was executed successfully. one big issue is that the story appropriates indian/hindu culture, going so far as to have an illustrated cover that implies the main characters are persons of color when they're actually as white as can be.

i know there is debate about #ownvoices, but when a white author repeatedly uses diverse perspectives that do not reflect her own experience for her characters' voices that starts to feel exploitative. and maybe if the main character weren't so judgmental and more sympathetic this would all be less problematic, but plotwise it's where the book falls down.

that being said, the narration here is spot on. rebecca soler does a fantastic job voicing a diverse group of characters and does a great job of distinguishing their voices without issue. i enjoyed listening to the audiobook even if i wasn't all in on the actual story.

**instant karma will publish on november 3, 2020. i received an advance listening copy courtesy of netgalley/macmillan audio in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a sweet breath of fresh air. I loved the YA romance story with a twist of magical realism, and these characters. It was nice listening to the audio as well, which was very engaging with great choice of narrator,
Many thanks to Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley for the advance audio copy.

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook from netgalley and the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Instant Karma

Author: Marissa Meyer

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 1/5

Diversity: Karma is in Indian derived concept, but wielded by white characters

Recommended For...: contemporary lovers, people who like bad books

Publication Date: November 3, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual content, triggering amounts of HP)

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Chronic overachiever Prudence Barnett is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her. Pru giddily makes use of the power, punishing everyone from public vandals to karaoke hecklers, but there is one person on whom her powers consistently backfire: Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner and all-around mortal enemy. Soon, Pru begins to uncover truths about Quint, her peers, and even herself that reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed . . . love and hate.

Review: For all the good that the narrator did, this book absolutely sucked. First of all, I saw the comments calling out the book for cultural appropriation and I want to note that their opinions are valid and yes, this book takes a very white character and gives her an Indian power and then takes the concept and twists it into what it’s not. It’s not pretty and that’s not cool of the author to do. Why is it 2020 and we’re giving white characters god like powers that people of another culture invented? Just because it’s Marissa Meyer doesn’t mean that she gets a pass. Anyways, overall I hated the book. The book reads like it should be a villain origin story except we’re supposed to believe that Prudence is a good character. The main character (Prudence) even sucks if you look at this from a villain’s perspective. She’s annoying, overbearing, and very much a young Karen in training. If you work in retail, you’ll despise Prudence and even in the end she doesn’t have that many redeeming moments. She’s still so hard to relate to and I just want to punch her one good time in the left eye. The book took a holier than thou approach when discussing veganism and that wasn’t really checked. The book had too many subplots for a contemporary read. The book is also incredibly boring. I went to court at one point and left the audiobook running for an hour. When I returned, the book was almost exactly where I left off. There was less than 5% progress from the characters while I progressed 7% in the audiobook. I’m also faulting the author on the many Harry Potter references. JK Rowling has been problematic for decades with her homophobia, transphobia, racism, and sexism and authors are still putting triggering amounts of HP in their works, even going so far as to name a prominent animal character after an HP character? Yea, that’s a no for me. The narrator tried and I fell in love with her voice, but other than that, I hated listening to this book.

Verdict: It sucks and is full of problematic content. It’s a swerve for me.

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!