This was such a fun YA book! I loved the themes of environmental concerns and caring for wild animals as well as the power to yield karma on others.

This was a solid YA rom-com. I lost interest in the middle of the book but by then I was so in love with the characters I had to finish. Rebecca Soler did an incredible job with the narration. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

Charming fantasy magical-realism tinged YA romance, with a nice side dish or personal growth, karaoke, and marine mammals. The plot was relatively straightforward and it was clear where things were headed, but the characters were all interesting, flawed, and fun to know. I could easily see this becoming a movie.

I really enjoyed this book! The audiobook was so well done. The narrator really brought the characters to life and I found myself gasping and laughing out loud with her, which was kind of embarrassing when I was listening at work. I LOVED LOVED LOVED how much this book focused on the rescue center. I don't live by a beach and have only been to the beach once in my life, but I do live in the mountains by a national park and am a huge supporter of protecting the wildlife there. So to see something like that, but with sea creatures, was really amazing.

I was really impressed by Meyer's ability to write contemp. She did so great with YA fantasy, when I saw this I will say I was skeptical. I was very wrong. This was amazing. The romance is slow burn, but so worth it. I loved all the side character's, too. I really hope she decides to do more in this town, because I feel that Jude, Ezra, and Ari need their own books!

I will warn that what I will say next might be a tad spoilery, so if you have gotten this far with me and don't want to know, please don't read.

I think the book would have been fine without the karmic power. Half the time it was forgotten anyway, at least by me. It is a cool idea and concept, but it had no real impact for me.


And last, I have never watched Jaws. But after this book, I do think I will have to just to see Quint's name sake!

(3.5/5) This was a super cute YA contemporary, which is exactly what I was looking for. I enjoyed the slow burn love to hate relationship. Seeing a wild sea life rescue was exciting. I liked that we got to see a lot of family involvement, which isn’t always the case. I found the build of the relationship and the progression of the story arc to be believeable and I appreciated that. *ARC provided by NetGalley for review.

Before I even started this I just KNEW I would love it. If you know me, you know I’m a huge Marissa Meyer fan, and contemp romance is my favorite genre, and since this combined the two, I was expecting to give this 10 stars. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite make it…

First things first, I LOVED the narrator. Rebecca Soler is one of my favorites. I fell for her when I first heard her narrate the Lunar Chronicles series. I loved how she was able to make the characters have a unique sound. I’m assuming that’s got to be hard when you’re only one person. Voice actors are cool, yo.

I also really liked the plot. I don’t know what I would do with all that power. Having the power to give exact Instant Karma on someone (whether they deserve it or not) seems like a huge responsibility. Like in the book, I would hope that the Universe would intervene in case I got it epically wrong or something. No matter how old I am, I don’t think I’m old enough to make those types of decisions.

To piggyback off that, I also liked the conflict that came out of the plot. The book was a bit long, but I thought for the most part, it was interesting because what they were doing was so cool. (I wish I could see the sea turtle thing up close. That would have been awesome.) But when they finally got to the conflict at the end, I thought it was a good way to make them “break up” and get back together. Although I wasn’t a fan of how mean one of them was to the other. Even if they DO seem like that sometimes.

However, I was not a fan of the main character. She was so judgmental and I couldn’t stand it. I guess that came with the territory of doling out karma, but still. She was like that BEFORE the powers were bestowed upon her. I did like that she admitted that she was in the story, but it was so far in the story, that by then I had already made up my mind about her. As for Quint I liked him at first, but he ended up being just as judgmental and I didn’t really care for him either. I wish the characters were different.

This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting…. I wanted so much more… But it wasn’t terrible. It was ok. But with Meyer I was expecting it to be more than ok. Hopefully this isn’t her last foray into contemp magical realism with romance. With a bit more “practice” I’m sure she can get this to 5 stars as well.

Prudence Daniels is a type A personality, especially when it comes to her grades. That is all about the grades. So when she’s paired up with Quint Erickson for their biology project, she knows she’ll be doing the bulk of the work. Quint is difficult to work with, when he shows up to class at all. They have to give a presentation and write a report on how ecotourism can help their town of Fortuna Beach, and Prudence has put a lot of work into coming up with ideas to draw tourists to town and get them interested in helping the local marine life.

The day of the presentation, Quint shows up late with their paper, interrupts Prudence’s presentation, and ends up getting a higher grade from their teacher than Prudence did. She got a C. She never gets Cs. Prudence asks for a chance to raise her grade, and her teacher agrees that she can redo the project over summer break. But—isn’t there always a “but”?—Quint has to agree to be a part of it too.

It’s not until after school that Prudence asks Quint to redo the project. She’s hanging out at her favorite restaurant with her best friend Ari and twin brother Jude, and Quint is there also. When she asks Quint to redo the project with her, he refuses. But when a karaoke song ends with a near-concussion, it’s Quint who comes to Prudence’s rescue, making sure she’s okay.

The next day, when Prudence finally reads the report that Quint had put together, she realizes that he had come to the project from a completely different perspective. She was looking at how the local business could benefit from the ecotourism. Quint came at the project to show how it could benefit the local animal rescue. Prudence is surprised to find out that her town has an animal rescue, and she decides to spend some time over her summer vacation finding out more about it.

A stint as a volunteer there, along side the once-hated Quint Erickson, opens Prudence’s eyes to a life outside of everything she had known before. The more she learns about the rescue and the work that Quint had been doing there, the more she realizes she may have been wrong about him. She may have been wrong about a lot of things.

Instant Karma is a young adult rom com with lots of heart. This is a long book with a lot going on, but the characters are interesting and the action keeps things moving along. There is a little magical realism, a lot of snark, some karaoke, many adorable rescued sea creatures, and a very determined Prudence making things happen. Author Marissa Meyer has gifted us a charming story about learning to see beyond our own noses, and I recommend it to rom com fans of any ago.

I got to listen to the audio book for this one, narrated by Rebecca Soler. As a long book, the audio version comes in at over 14 hours, so it’s not for those looking for a quick listen. At the beginning of the book, Soler’s narration is laced with derision and contempt. In other words, she captures Prudence perfectly. As the book goes on, and Prudence opens up to the world around her, that contempt softens. I thought Soler’s narration was spot on for the character, if maybe a bit slow. I thought about speeding it up, but for me, the point of listening to the audio is to hear how the narrator chooses to imbue the words with emotion, and speeding it up ruins that effect.

I really enjoyed getting to listen to this book. It was an investment, just because of the length of the book, but it was a journey well worth taking. Instant Karma is a fetching romance with lots of smarts, lots of hearts, and lots of seals. And sea lions. And maybe even a yellow submarine.

A copy of the audio book for Instant Karma was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer
Narrated by Rebecca Soler
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Teens & YA
Release Date: November 3, 2020

Instant Karma is a young adult novel by Marissa Meyer. I am a huge fan of The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer so I was so excited about this book!

Let me start by staying, I loved the narration by Rebecca Soler. She did such an incredible job bringing the story to life!

I thought the storyline was good and the idea of being gifted instant karma was a great supernatural twist. Also, there was a little cozy mystery (magic) thrown into the story which made me excited.

This made me feel all the feels...I laughed, I cried, I got a little mad. I enjoyed how the story was about to touch me on an emotional level.

I'm so grateful to Marissa Meyer, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Slight Spoilers ahead. I did try to keep it vague as possible. This was a disappointing read for me. I had high hopes especially since I recently read Cinder for the first time. I am not ok with women being spoken down to and then she apologizing to the male and accepting him. Smh. If I was reading a historical romance I would have been ok with this situation (especially if it was a old school bodice ripper). Oh well, I’ll definitely continue reading other books by this author since this author is a master writer.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for a review. So.......unpopular opinion of this book. It was just a meh for me. It took me until about half way through until I really felt invested in this story at all. The second half was a little better as far as the romance and then of course the scheduled fall out that is essential in a rom com situation. I like that this book focused on marine conservation as I grew up near the ocean and this was something that I started learning and feeling very passionate about at a young age. Honestly the whole concept of this book and the whole karma thing was a miss for me. It also really bothered me that after the fall-out that the hurtful things Quint says to Pru, that she just takes him back and even apologizes for her behavior even though she did nothing wrong. This was the first book by Marissa Meyer that I have read and was really excited to read it. The narrator for the audio book was delightful and showed all the right emotions in her voice at the right time. So I do recommend the audio book for sure! Overall this was a 3 out of 5 for me....just a meh.

Instant Karma by Marissa Myers is so much fun. Enemies to Lovers trope is a favorite of mine. It was very satisfying to watch the relationship develop. I enjoyed the characters especially the family dynamics. The narrator was fantastic. I would highly recommend the audiobook to reluctant reader. Thanks Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

First off, I LOVE that Rebecca Soler is BACK! Rebecca Soler seems to be the narrator for all Marissa Meyer novels and I LOVE her. She's so dynamic and fun as a audiobook narrator. I fell in love with her voice in the Cinder series and I am stoked to hear her narrate Instant Karma.

If the universe gifted you with the power to judge people as worthy of instant karma or not, what would you do with these new found powers?

Prudence has to present to her class on eco-tourism. She's prepared. She's done the research. She has props. BUT her lab partner fails to show up and she needs the moral support as the thought of presenting to her class gives her anxiety. Quint has his reasons for not being in class on time... not that Prudence would know because she took over the project and doesn't allow him a word in edge-wise. He makes it before the end of the presentation, but it's not enough to save their grades. In a burst of karma, their teacher grants them the summer to redo their project.

Music and the Beatles swirls around Prudence and her family. Sea animals and Jaws bubbles around Quint and his family. A storm of instant karma is brewing around our two young protagonists. Sophomore year is hard, but it just got harder with a chance to redo this project over the summer. Prudence starts volunteering at the sea animal rescue and discovers some gems, some treasure and some scandal. Quint discovers there's more to Prudence than hard work and a nose to the grindstone.

Other than the Beatles and Jaws vibes, this story has a Pride and Prejudice jam woven into its vinyl as well. Adorably chiche and cute.

Recommended for: fans of Jaws, fans of the Beatles, fans of Pride and Prejudice, YA romance fans, animal rescue lovers, sea animal lovers, beach goers, believers in fate/karma

I love Marissa Meyer, and her take on a contemporary romance was a hit! I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of my favorite books of the year. It’s the sweetest YA rom-com. I got to listen to the audiobook, and this narrator is quickly becoming one of my favorites- she did a phenomenal job!

Prudence, our MC, is a teenager living in a coastal town. She’s a hard working, overachiever who struggles to see the best in those around her. Her infuriating lab partner, Quint, is her exact opposite in most ways. After a strange accident complete with a head injury, Pru finds herself with the ability to enact instant karma on those around her. Although it’s exciting at first, she quickly realizes there is more to the consequences than meets the eye. As Quint and Pru spend the summer together to fix their end of year science project, Quint shows her how to view the world with a less judgmental lens.

Admittedly, Prudence is pretty unlikeable at the beginning- and having once been a teenage girl I found this completely believable. However, she has great development throughout the story. I loved the setting and background characters. Pru and Quint work at a sea-animal rescue shelter, and I loved that it took a prominent place in the story. Quint is a dream- I loved how he brought Prudence out of her shell and introduced her to a world and way of thinking she’d never considered. The idea of instant karma had me thinking about life right along with Pru, and how so many of our choices have a farther reaching impact than we realize.

This was the perfect, light-hearted rom-com, and really should be made into a movie!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest review!

Prudence is an overachiever. She is always making list, doing projects. She is a perfectionist. Quint is her lab partner and has been absent almost all year. When they get a C in their assignment, Prudence is set to re-do the project over the summer. But the more she gets to know Quint the more she realise that not everything is as we see it. Prudence and Quint will learn to work together and will really know each other. A great audiobook and a great story

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes these two were twatwaffles. Yes, I said it. Twatwaffles. That doesn't meant that they eventually became likable but it did take a long time for me to think that. In Instant Karma you will meet Prudence and Quint.

Prudence was one annoying girl. Very stubborn and quick to judge anyone within her town. Which means, she judged Quint all day every day. It doesn't help that they were partners on this huge project. Yes, he was late but she never really asked why on the matter. All she did was get mad. Talk about horrible communication skills.

Eventually they sort of became a thing one night. Yes, over night they sort of stated that they had a crush on one another. Not sure what Quint saw in Prudence because the girl annoyed me throughout the entire book. Then with a snap of a finger, they are back to square one: enemies.

The romance and drama was okay. Nothing really drew me in but I will state that the 'villain' in this book was a monster. A money whore. It was about time for someone to catch them in the act and man.. the acting was horrible at the end (from the 'villain').

In the end, I tried it out. I wanted to like it a lot more and it did have some cute moments - like the animals - but other than that... it was just okay in my mind. If the characters were less annoying and frustrating... I probably would've loved it all. Maybe even liked it a bit more.

I have to admit, it wasn't love at first sight with these characters. They could get on my nerves as each frustrated the other pretty efficiently. Our FMC, Prudence, was very controlling and a perfectionist. She judged Quint for being late multiple times and not showing up on time for their big presentation in front of the class. Now, I get why she would be upset, I would have been too but it took her a while to try and understand and get to know Quint. They never really made a team until she found out his family was actually running the town's animal shelter and that Quint was actually helping and working a lot. When she volunteers to try to get information in order to get a better grade, things happen and they finally give themselves a chance to know each other without being so annoying ahah.

Overall, this was a pretty nice read and I was never bored. It kept me interested and I loved the themes and setting of this book. It changed from your usual YA romance.

<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

I received an audiobook copy of Instant Karma through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Instant Karma is a young adult romance about a girl, Prudence, who is suddenly gifted with the ability to to cast instant karma on those around her. Pru uses her new found power to exact karma on those who she thinks are doing wrong and rewarding those she perceives as being right. But everything is not always as we see it, right and wrong is not a matter of black and white. It’s those shades of grey that throw Pru for a loop as she starts to see how her karma has affected those around her. During all of this, Pru is also discovering who her lab partner, Quint, really is. Love and hate are more similar than Pru thinks and her dislike for Quint turns into something else.

Instant Karma is an entertaining YA romance that takes you on a journey of karma. I enjoyed getting the chance to listen to this book. At first, I honestly couldn’t stand Pru and her holier than thou attitude, but as she starts to break out of her ‘my way or the highway’ mentality, I truly began to love her. The characters are likable for the most part and the story is entertaining. This is your typical cute YA romance and once you get into it, it is hard to put down/stop listening to. The narration was very well done in the audio version. It is worth the time if you are a YA fan.

An absolutely adorable book! This book is about Prudence who, after getting a bad grade in Biology with her lazy and always late lab partner - Quint, volunteers at an sea animal shelter and learns about karma - the good and the bad, and more about adorable sea life creatures like sea lions and sea turtles. Definitely a great YA novel about how you might not always understand why, but karma always gets you in the end. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone in search of a good and easy read.

The supernatural karma part of this book was actually the only part I didn't love. I really really loved the actual storyline. Sweet and fun middle grade (high school) novel.

Instant Karma is an adorable young adult romance with a little magical realism sprinkled in for fun. We follow Prudence "Pru", who is very driven and also a little self-involved. She is partnered with Quint as a lab partner who is seemingly her complete opposite. Pru thinks he is lazy and irresponsible. After getting a less than ideal grade on their group science project, Pru tries to convince Quint to redo the project together and actually do it together this time to get a better and more cohesive project and grade. Pru starts volunteering at Quint's mom's sea animal rescue center to get Quint to redo the project with her. They quickly realize that maybe they don't know each other as well as they thought. Oh, did I mention that after a slight head injury that Pru has acquired some type of karmic magic that allows her to invoke karma on those around her?

This was such a fun read and I loved watching Pru and Quint go from friends to lovers. They both end up being completely loveable characters and so were all of their family and friends. There were so many great elements in this story. The ONLY reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that I think it could have been a little shorter, but it was still a truly adorable and feel-good read.