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this book was sweet and fluffy. it was a quick read and i enjoyed it.
i don't usually read YA but i could not resist the cute cover.
daniel and chloe were adorable, i liked their friend group as well but ahma was probably my fave character!
thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book
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Overall, it is a cute story that had its own charm which I genuinely enjoyed, but this one won’t be a love for a lifetime book.
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DNF @ 41%. While I appreciate the inclusivity and diversity represented in this book, I find the premise hard to believe and don't think this book is for me. On the surface, this book seems right up my alley. It's YA (one of my favorite genres), includes creatives (I am a maker and part of the online community), and features Asian-American characters (I am also Asian-American). Unfortunately, I had a hard time buying into the plot and wasn't invested in the characters.
Chloe's passion to be an art curator is so random and I would've loved to learn more, but I don't feel like it ever made sense. It all seemed to come so easily to her and I honestly was more interested in her planner obsession than the art exhibit. This is very specific to me, but I also had a hard time buying into her credibility as a curator by the way she described the fiber artists' works. I am no expert when it comes to that medium, but I was very confused by the words she used since I've never heard terminology used like that before.
Daniel wants to makes documentaries. Could be cool, but I just couldn't buy into it. Their non-dates were so disconnected to everything and their conversations seemed stilted. The scene where they shared their snacks was just bizarre and unnatural to me, like it was a commercial for popular Asian snacks that aren't hard to come by in a lot of mainstream US grocery stores anymore. I finally decided this book was not for me when Daniel started listed off his failed dating history.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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I read Artifacts of An Ex by @jchenwriter early, thanks to @netgalley. It doesn’t come out until November, but this YA book is a fun read!
Newly relocated New Yorker, Chloe, isn’t sure what she thinks of LA, and to top things off, her long distance boyfriend breaks up with her via a package of all her things!
This one act turns into the inspiration for an art exhibit, Heartifacts. Plenty of ups and downs as Chloe tries again to be an art curator, while getting to know new friends in a city that might not be all bad!
#ilovetoread #yaliterature #advancedreaderscopy #netgalley
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this was such a fun and easy read!
i love both chloe and daniel, and how they worked through their own problems. my one issue with this book is chloe’s entitlement at times… like when she knows daniel doesn’t want a relationship until she’s fully over her ex but then she goes and kisses him anyway. despite that, i love the progression in their relationship, and i love how they got together in the end.
i really enjoyed inclusion of lgbtq+ characters and other cultural identities as well.
i really enjoyed the book overall, and i will definitely recommend it to my friends!
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I thought that this is was a absolutely amazing Rom-Com. I loved this so much.
I just reviewed Artifacts of An Ex by Jennifer Chen. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]
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This story has many diverse characters throughout which makes it a perfect addition to a library. Teens and above can relate to the relationship themes throughout, nearly everyone has experienced heartbreak at sometime or another. Chloe and Daniel's interactions throughout unfolded at a natural pace and you couldn't help but hope for them to end up together. I also loved the side story of finding the correct recipe for her grandmother's pineapple cakes!
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I struggled with the one a bit. Maybe its the tone, or just the initial set up, but the protagonist's entitlement is a little hard to keep going even with promising premise.
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Chloe goes through a rough breakup and meets Daniel. They have a terrific connection but Daniel doesn’t want to be a rebound again…
Such a cute and fun story! Daniel is wonderful. Feels bad for Chloe… her ex was horrible…. I love how Daniel and Chloe work together and how they help each other. The read it all in one day.
Thanks to the publisher for the arc.
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Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC of "Artifacts of An Ex" in exchange for my honest review. This book was such a quick read. YA is not normally my favorite so some of my faults with this book was really because the character was a bit young for me.
I thought Daniel was a great love interest and his interactions with Chloe were cute however I think I would have loved this book even more if the characters were a bit older for me, I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves YA Romance!
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Artifacts of An Ex by Jennifer Chen was a cute YA romance.
I knew the moment that I read the synopsis for this story that it was one that I had to read.
Jennifer Chen wrote this book perfectly from a teenager's perspective.
She wrote all the thoughts, emotions, feelings a teenager has when it is about a crush.
The characters in this book really make this book stand out.
They are so well-written and have so much depth.
Overall, AoAE is an entertaining, fun and engaging story.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
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This was such a cute story that I really enjoyed! I loved the characters and the multicultural aspects, I feel like it really made the story. The side characters were fun and relatable and the protagonists were so adorable! This was a really fun and well written story and I can’t wait to see more from this author!
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This cover is the cutest thing Ive ever seen and i need to own it asap! This was such a quick, sweet rom-com and I ate it up. It was so entertaining but also cautiously touched upon important topics. This was my favorite read of the month and I can't wait to read more by this author!!
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This was a super quick, super cute book! Chloe moves from New York to LA to help her parents care for her grandmother. She receives a box in the mail from her boyfriend, and he breaks up with her! He sends her all of the objects that he collected during their relationship. This gives her an idea: she will create an art exhibit that features breakup boxes. She meets some new friends that help her setup the display, and she meets a boy named Daniel. Daniel is a filmmaker, and they quickly become friends. Chloe is interested in him, but Daniel holds back because he doesn't want to be another rebound guy. He has a string of dates that result in the girl going back to her ex, and he doesn't want that to happen with Chloe.
As they become friends, they work together on an improved version of the art installation. I found the parts about the exhibit to be very interesting, but it seemed unbelievable to me that a teen could set all of this up, especially because she was new to the city. I liked all of the friends, and I liked Chloe's family, especially her grandmother.
I loved Daniel. He was such a thoughtful character, and I loved his interactions with Chloe. They were sweet together, and I loved their dynamic.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book. I'm a high school teacher, and I would recommend this book to my students for independent reading assignments.
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This book is super adorable. I loved Chloe. She's confident and isn't afraid to go for what she wants. I also loved Daniel who is so sweet and open about his fears. I loved their "dates" across LA and how they found love while overcoming heartbreak.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
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I got about 115 pages in and DNF'D. I wasn't vibing with the characters, plot, or pacing. I didn't care for the execution and this also felt incredibly boring.
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I didn’t realize our protagonist was 16. Oops! This could be a fun premise for an adult story. Stopped at 6%. It definitely reads as young adult. I don’t see it doing well in our libraries.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.
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I really liked this one! I loved the focus it placed on art and artists, it added another dimension to the story. You could tell that Chen truly appreciates art, the descriptions were vivid and evocative. I also really liked the romance between Daniel and Chloe. I appreciated their arc as friends->lovers, even more so because it felt natural. They were adorable together! I really liked this one, and I'd definitely recommend it!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
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After she moves from New York to California to care for her elderly grandmother, Chloe’s boyfriend Jake breaks up with her by sending her a box containing mementos from their relationship. Chloe becomes inspired to exhibit the break up box along with others she receives. At the opening, she meets Daniel, a documentary filmmaker who, despite their strong connection, refuses to become her rebound boyfriend.
The adults in the story, particularly Chloe’s grandmother and parents, and Chloe and Daniel’s friends were so fantastic, they nearly overshadowed the hero and heroine. The diversity of the cast, which included LGBT and non-binary characters, was wonderful.
I enjoyed the focus on various foods and Chloe’s growing appreciation for all things Californian. I liked how her passion for planning was shown throughout the story, and the way Chloe and Daniel collaborated displayed their deep connection. I adored the subplot of the quest to discover Chloe’s grandmother’s special pineapple cake recipe.
At times the story felt a bit repetitive as Chloe continued to revamp and reimagine her show while relentlessly pursuing Daniel. Meanwhile, he made multiple iterations of his film project. Chloe’s ex Jake could have been utilized a bit more to create conflict. Nevertheless, this book is a charming YA romance read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to Wednesday Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.
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Artifacts of an Ex was exactly the fun-loving book that I needed in my life. The characters and romancee were fun and they each had their own, emotional arc to follow. I like that there are a lot of layers to the story, so it didn't feel totally formulaic. All in all, it was a very entertaining book and I totally recommend it.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.