Apparently too many Taylor swift references is a thing.
A relatable book but also so so cringy and delusional

This book is what every young girl needs to read to process and heal from unsuccessful relationships. The main character, Sloane, is in her final year of college and focused on her future and having fun with her friends. When she meets her neighbor, Ethan, she is unprepared for the consequences of their almost relationship. Very relatable for those early relationships that don't quite get off the ground but reshape your heart.

Honestly, I heard about this book from Tik Tok and maybe felt like it got a little overhyped. The writing... isn't great. I feel like it was advertised to me as a story with a lot of emotional depth and sort of "healing" to read about if you've experienced a situationship yourself (which I have). So despite feeling like the perfect target demographic for this book, I didn't feel like I connected with the female main character, Sloane, at all. It felt really hard to defend or even understand her actions and the male protagonist had such little depth to his character that there was no part of me sympathizing with any character in this book.

An ode to those of us stuck bouncing from situationship to situationship, Call It What You Want explores finding love in the modern world and falling for a person despite knowing they can never be who you need. It's frustrating and honest, but for me fell slightly short of my expectations. Don't get me wrong, I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

I originally saw a review of this book on Tiktok and immediately added it to my TBR. Although the storyline is relatable, I felt like it was very YA especially part one of the story which is when they are in college. I felt like it moved from one thing to the next with no real explanation and didn't go into that much detail.

18/01/24/: Its hard to root for Sloane’s and Ethan’s happiness bcause wHY ARE TOU BOTH SO DUMB AND IMMATURE. Sloane’s constant push and pull, and Ethan’s ‘my parents made me this way’ drama gets boring towards the second half of the book. plus, <spoiler>cheating with Ethan, the same guy who BROKE UP WITH YOU IN A TEXT HOURS AFTER SPENDING THE WEEKEND WITH YOU</spoiler> threw me off.

The writing also feels flat, I kinda liked the plot and tho I didnt enjoy the cinstant on and off, I get what the author is trying to deliver. But it seems like she forgot one of the most important rule of writing: show, dont tell. Also, I dont think this book would age well because of the multiple references that would surely date the book a few years down the road (this is giving chevron printed outfits that are described and detailed from books published a decade ago). I also dont find the purpose of giving this book an exact date/year of the events, as this is the only reason I can think of for the multiple pop culture reference throughout the book because a) theres no significant experience unique to these dates that are relevant or even mentioned in the book b) graduating college, uncertainty about the future, and situationships in general are a universal experience and is not unique to the years used here. If she wants to show the time, there are clever ways to let the audience know where we are in the timeline without dropping an exact year. This was a bad move imo.

3.25 stars for the tears i shed (i cry easily) and the quotable quotes.

UPDATE 04/03/24: A bit better, but honestly, still not happy about it. The writing still feels flat, the problems that I had with its original copy was still there. It still made me cry, though. (+.25 stars)

I have mixed feelings going about this book. Because while I recognize this is a debut novel, I couldn’t get past a lot of the immaturity in the storyline and lack of depth in the characters’ development.

Of course, as a reader and as a woman, I was frustrated at Ethan for leading Sloane on. But my concern and frustrations were really targeted at Sloane, for showing desperation for someone who wanted little to no future with her.

The premise of the story had the upmost potential - it just could’ve been executed better. While one of the morals of the story is grasping that “you will never be enough to change him” - I wanted more out of it, especially given how relevant “almost” relationships are in today’s society. This book could’ve been a source of empowerment to women in recognizing their worth.

I really empathized with Sloane’s position - it’s so hard to see it while you’re in the “relationship” and from an outside perspective, it’s easy to be native. I resonated with her reading into the little things and giving them a deeper meaning. After all, it was her first love - she would let him back in and drop everything for him. I admired her vulnerability in admitting she wouldn’t have done it any other way and had no regrets, despite the evident outcome.

I wanted to yell at her that he won’t ever change and that he will continue to hurt her over and over again. But from the outside looking in, I can’t blame her for missing the signs. It hurts knowing that he won’t wake up one day and realize her worth. But most of all, no matter how much he hurt her, she will never hate him and she will always cherish the lessons that came along with that part of her life. I’m really proud of Sloane’s ending - I just wanted *more* development and insight.

“What we had wasn’t something I could ever put into words. It was just us. Call it what you want, but for me it was love.”

"Call It What You Want" by Alissa DeRogatis is a compelling and thought-provoking read that delves into complex themes with sensitivity and depth. The characters are relatable and well-developed, drawing readers into their lives and struggles. DeRogatis' writing style is engaging, making it difficult to put the book down. While some parts could benefit from further exploration, overall, "Call It What You Want" is a captivating read deserving of a solid four-star rating.

this one hits hard! i could relate to sloane on almost all levels. i couldn’t stop reading, i needed to know how it all turned out. i highly recommend this book!

Call It What You Want by Alissa DeRogatis

Rating: 3/5

What captivated me and drew me in to this book was the taylor swift reference on the cover along side the bright pink cover with the white bubbly font that fit well. immediately added to my list!. Unfortunately that excitement quickly faded.

The book seemed to have fallen short of it's expectations. Whilst i do appreciate the overall plot line and what it was supposed to give us, the writing overall fell short and just didn’t capture my attention for me to make me want to read it all. There was a lot of telling, telling us about the characters rather than showing the readers, telling us and giving us the details rather than using emotive language to capture the attention of the readers and make us want to root for the characters. it felt particularly flat in that regard.

There were moments where i was enjoying what i was reading and in particular could find myself relating to Sloane and I enjoyed aspects of it but overall it just seemed to fall short due to the writing and lack of execution of the idea.

I do see potential with the author and as it is her debut novel, she can definitely improve and i would love to see an idea of hers blossom into its full potential!

This was a super quick story and I liked the plot. It wasn’t complicated and I was entertained. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

this book completely mesmerized me. i found myself so much in the FMC and even though not all the stories had happy endings, i appreciated the verisimilitude with reality.

this book gives the opportunity to discover new points of view in relationships. it helps you love yourself and increase your self-esteem.

100% recommended, everyone should read it!

I need to stop reading books just because they reference a Taylor Swift song.

The plot sounded intriguing, but ultimately the book itself felt very surface level. I did not love our main characters and I wish Ethan would have dug deeper into his problems. I felt this book had potential, but ultimately fell flat.

I couldn’t put this book down! This is book and its characters are very relatable, I think almost anyone who has been through a situationship or toxic undefined relationship would relate to many things that Sloan & Ethan go through in this book. Additionally I really liked the friend characters of Graham and Lauren. They are the epitome of what a college best friend is like! The only thing I thought may be missing was maybe more details on Ethan’s dad and potentially more on Ethan’s POV after the breakup.

I definitely recommend this book and am so glad I came across it!

To be 100% honest I could not make it past the first chapter. The writing was not good and the dialogue was cringey. Plus, too many Taylor Swift references already. And I love Taylor Swift. I tbh m this should’ve stayed on Kindle Unlimited. Giving very much “Tik Tok book”.

I am really conflicted as to write this review, as the book is realistic but I read to escape reality. The conversations at the start of the book were really forced and a lot of unnecessary words were used. Seeing the girl go front and back to him every time was really infuriating. The girl really drive me mad. And the way the guy was not communicating at all this book really tested my patience. Sorry but I really didn’t like the book.

”sometimes loving him feels I’m lingering in the doorway of his bedroom, waiting for him to let me in. will he ever let me in?”

i’ve never been in a situationship or anything similar, so i feel like i can’t judge characters and their decisions, however, i do have my opinion on this whole situation. this book was an average book for me. it has something interesting, but at the same time, i couldn’t bring myself to feel anything toward the characters or the plot in general.

Sloane || i don’t know what to say. do i feel sorry for her? no, not really. in some way it was her fault too. she knew he won’t change, but still, she was waiting for him to. he broke her heart three times, and each time she was willing to give him another try. i guess her love was bigger than all his faults and bad decisions. at the same moments, i feel bad for her. she was ready to do anything for him, to prove that she was enough, that he was enough. he did lost his chance.

Ethan || just no. i have no feeling toward this guy. his actions, his words were not proven, not for me not for sloane. why was he torturing her and himself? sure, trauma had an impact on him, but still 5 years…. i really wished he would’ve told her the truth. i really wished he would have left sloane alone, or would go to the therapy!!!!!!

Lauren || personally, i liked her. she was a great friend and she did warned sloane about ethan. i really hope author will write a book for her story.

i tried my best to like this book as much as i can, but it wasn’t the best. maybe with similar experiences i would have felt more toward the book. (still it wasn’t that bad). it was okay as book, but characters were just not it.

would I recommend?
yes and no. if you don’t have anything to read, sure, try “Call it what you want”. if you ever have been in similar situation, yes, i believe you’ll be able to connect to charterers more than i did. if you want to know how it feels to be in situationship, maybe this book is a great option. in other categories, i would say no :)

I actually had this book on my TBR for a while and I was really looking forward to reading it but unfortunately after the first couple chapters I just found that this one wasn't for me. I couldn't really connect to any of the characters and it felt a little juvenile for my taste. However I think this could be a really relatable book to some people and it was definitely well written!

From the Taylor Swift-inspired title to the beautiful cover to the gut-punching prologue, Call It What You Want had me hooked.

When I first started reading CIWYW, I couldn’t put it down. I felt as drawn to Sloane and Ethan’s story as they did to each other - their first meeting, the will-they-won’t-they questions, the monthly snapshots of their situationship, and the friendships and heartbreaks along the way.

If you’re wondering “then why only 3.5 stars?” Let’s dive into that a bit… I think the story is great - I think it’s a story so many women need to hear and to read. It fills the gap between the sweet, happily-ever-after love stories we so often consume, and I’d love to see a refreshed version of this become a Netflix mini series.

Unfortunately, it was hard to stay focused on the story when timelines kept getting mixed up — I had to keep referring back to previous chapter dates and moments in the story to make sure I wasn’t crazy. This wouldn’t normally be such a big deal, but when the story is focusing on a month-by-month play-by-play over the span of two years, the timeline should be rock solid.

After a while, the drinking got old. It felt very repetitive in that each chapter they were pregaming, going out and “oops I drank too much.” I felt the story deserved more depth than that or at least acknowledgement of Sloane’s borderline alcoholism.

After coming off of a week of binging Normal People (Hulu) and One Day (Netflix), this book was exactly what I needed to get me back into the pages and lost in the world of first loves and the hopes and hurts that accompany them.

Despite not being able to rate it higher at this time, I can’t wait for it’s re-release in June so I can snag a physical of copy of it!! I look forward to reading Alissa’s next novel and whatever beautifully, torturous love story she has up her sleeve in 2025.

Thank you @bookedup, @netgalley, and @alissaderogatis for the ARC. All opinions are my own and honest.

Reading this book felt like watching multiple takes of the same scene.
It wasn't just that they had a pattern of on-again off-again, no, there were parts where the author rewrote the scenes from another character's POV just to add a few sentences of inner musings. It was kind of appalling, like, where's your editor?
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I genuinely felt out of breath reading the book, it was like a broken record where the song keeps repeating one part.
I honestly didn't feel that Sloane deserved better, she made her own bed. I'm not a fan of Ethan either, but at least he was honest about his issues. Come to think about it, what Sloane did to Reese was way more horrible than anything Ethan did.
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The dynamic of their relationship was also weird and inconsistent. For example, most of the time, Sloane didn't want to be intimate with Ethan, she literally said she was doing it to please him. However, when she was comparing it to intimacy with Reese, she suddenly started singing praise about how good it felt with Ethan.
To be frank, I think Sloane was rather obsessed with Ethan and not in love with him. She was so desperate to fall in love and once she found someone who was vaguely interesting, she just latched onto him.
For Ethan, he was more enamored with the idea of someone loving him, the gratification of being the most important person in someone's world was the reason he was entertaining a relationship with her.
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Also, for the record, I think Reese should have seen it coming. With the amount of time Sloane thought about Ethan, it's 100% possible that her disinterest showed. If you're denying the obvious signs, it's basically asking for heartache.
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Don't recommend it.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*