by Lisa Super
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Daphne Bowman, a bookish drama nerd in public school, might never have crossed paths with Oliver, the popular, outgoing mascot for his private school's football team, but one event has bound them inextricably. Daphne's older sister, Emily, and Oliver's older brother, Jason, who were high school sweethearts, committed suicide together seven years earlier.
When Daphne uncovers Emily and Jason's bucket list—a list comprised of their "Top Ten" places to visit before they die—she knows she has to tell someone. The one person who might actually get what she's going through and who might not think it's silly that she wants to complete the list, is also someone she's never spoken to—Oliver Pagano. Throwing caution to the wind, Daphne sends Oliver a Facebook message that will come to change the course of both of their senior years—and maybe their entire lives.
Tackling grief with a wry voice and an unflinching eye, So Glad to Meet You tells the story of two people who, in searching for what they've lost, end up finding what they never knew they needed—each other.
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Diversion Books
Expected Publication date: July 31st 2018
Source/Format: eARC/Netgalley
Pre-order links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | iBooks | Indiebound | Book Depository
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆
My Thoughts:
Sad to say that I am not so glad to have read “So Glad to Meet You”. I expected it to be a not-so typical YA romance with the weight of the main characters’ grief pulling them together but also keeping them from fully committing to a more-than-friends relationship. And yes it is that in some ways but there are lots of disappointing elements here and there:
WEAK MOTIVATION
I get it, they both want to make sense of their shared tragedies so they decided to complete the bucketlist together. But looking back, it seemed so weak to anchor their motivations on the death of their older siblings. The book did not do a good job of making the reader care so much for what’s lost to Daphne and Oliver when Emily and Jason died. Okay, Jason occasionally played catch with the young Oliver. And there’s the casual mention near the end that Daphne looked up so much to Emily to the point of young Daphne emulating her dead sister’s fashion choices. Other than that, Emily and Jason were just a couple of teens who were obsessed with each other and also both were depressed so they kill themselves together.
NOT A RELATIONSHIP TO ROOT FOR
Oliver does not enter boyfriend-girlfriend relationships because, uhm, I honestly forgot the exact reason. Something really vague again about the long-dead Jason and Emily. Oliver’s most defining characteristic is to suffer through lots of blue balls. It’s safe to assume that he posseses a superpower to resist his sexual hormones in the middle of intense make out scenes with the “other” girls vying for his affections. So is Daphne being the little sister of the girlfriend of his dead older brother a justifiable reason to break Oliver’s no-girlfriend policy? Of course not, Oliver is spot on when he said that Daphne “had all the baggage of an ex-girlfriend and he’d never even met her”.
But Daphne is persistent, playing a Goth mystique personality to win Oliver over. While, completing the bucketlist, she knew about Oliver’s commitment issues and yet she often disrespects his boundaries. She creepily went over the lengths of being invited to a house party where Oliver is sure to be attending. Then she flirted and danced with him at that party. And when Oliver blocked her advances with a “Don’t fall for me.”, she got back by confusing him with a fat kiss on his cheek, whispering “I think you’re afraid” and ditching him. There was also this time when Oliver was caught off guard with a spur in the moment kiss from Daphne and although Oliver kissed back, I’m like ew, this is icky and so not consent positive. For me, Daphne’s push and pull with Oliver’s emotions felt more like a sly seduction than pure romantic acts.
In the end, Daphne is just like those other girls who want Oliver to be their boyfriend but she’s way craftier and she played her cards right, so she got the guy. Her being a gothic sister of Emily is just an illusion of depth to her character. And Oliver is just a fellow who goes with the flow. When he finally decided to be Daphne’s boyfriend, it does not feel like that decision came from inside him but more of giving in to Daphne’s Goth mystique seductive acts.
CARDBOARD SIDE CHARACTERS
The book introduced a large cast of characters who did nothing other than be background characters. There’s a potential likable character in Daphne’s sassy bestfriend, Janine. Or potential nuanced antagonists/rivals to Daphne like Katarina and Penny Layton. But these potentials were wasted to give way to completing The List. I am not saying that they have to forego The List because it is the main conceit of the book. I don’t know, I guess you really can’t have the cake and eat it, too. So maybe the book should’ve never mentioned lots of side characters in the first place and just focused on Daphne and Oliver.
Also in relation to this is what felt like a shoehorned diversity. I give props for the book adding LGBTQ and POC characters but like I said they served nothing much to the story.
What’s laughable is that near the ending, all these background characters (aside from Katarina and Penny Layton) played tag with Daphne and Oliver, all looking chummy together. Where did all the insta-friendhip come from? It was so unnatural. It’s like a big musical production where previously unrelated characters are throwing jazz hands to show that they are happy for the main couple.
Oliver is described as brown eyed
Janine, Daphnes’ bestfriend, is Armenian. She is described as brown eyed with long wiry black hair and tan skin. She is a lesbian.
Kyle, one of Daphne’s theater friend, is gay with a boyfriend who is away in college.
Katrina, Daphne’s rival, is green eyed and red-haired.
Penny Layton, Daphne’s rival, is half-Thai.
Joe Valdivia, Oliver’s school friend, is Latino with Spanish-speaking parents.
Mitch Bryant, Oliver’s school friend, is black (described as Kevin Hart lookalike).
My Thoughts:
Sad to say that I am not so glad to have read “So Glad to Meet You”. I expected it to be a not-so typical YA romance with the weight of the main characters’ grief pulling them together but also keeping them from fully committing to a more-than-friends relationship. And yes it is that in some ways but there are lots of disappointing elements here and there:
WEAK MOTIVATION
I get it, they both want to make sense of their shared tragedies so they decided to complete the bucketlist together. But looking back, it seemed so weak to anchor their motivations on the death of their older siblings. The book did not do a good job of making the reader care so much for what’s lost to Daphne and Oliver when Emily and Jason died. Okay, Jason occasionally played catch with the young Oliver. And there’s the casual mention near the end that Daphne looked up so much to Emily to the point of young Daphne emulating her dead sister’s fashion choices. Other than that, Emily and Jason were just a couple of teens who were obsessed with each other and also both were depressed so they kill themselves together.
NOT A RELATIONSHIP TO ROOT FOR
Oliver does not enter boyfriend-girlfriend relationships because, uhm, I honestly forgot the exact reason. Something really vague again about the long-dead Jason and Emily. Oliver’s most defining characteristic is to suffer through lots of blue balls. It’s safe to assume that he posseses a superpower to resist his sexual hormones in the middle of intense make out scenes with the “other” girls vying for his affections. So is Daphne being the little sister of the girlfriend of his dead older brother a justifiable reason to break Oliver’s no-girlfriend policy? Of course not, Oliver is spot on when he said that Daphne “had all the baggage of an ex-girlfriend and he’d never even met her”.
But Daphne is persistent, playing a Goth mystique personality to win Oliver over. While, completing the bucketlist, she knew about Oliver’s commitment issues and yet she often disrespects his boundaries. She creepily went over the lengths of being invited to a house party where Oliver is sure to be attending. Then she flirted and danced with him at that party. And when Oliver blocked her advances with a “Don’t fall for me.”, she got back by confusing him with a fat kiss on his cheek, whispering “I think you’re afraid” and ditching him. There was also this time when Oliver was caught off guard with a spur in the moment kiss from Daphne and although Oliver kissed back, I’m like ew, this is icky and so not consent positive. For me, Daphne’s push and pull with Oliver’s emotions felt more like a sly seduction than pure romantic acts.
In the end, Daphne is just like those other girls who want Oliver to be their boyfriend but she’s way craftier and she played her cards right, so she got the guy. Her being a gothic sister of Emily is just an illusion of depth to her character. And Oliver is just a fellow who goes with the flow. When he finally decided to be Daphne’s boyfriend, it does not feel like that decision came from inside him but more of giving in to Daphne’s Goth mystique seductive acts.
CARDBOARD SIDE CHARACTERS
The book introduced a large cast of characters who did nothing other than be background characters. There’s a potential likable character in Daphne’s sassy bestfriend, Janine. Or potential nuanced antagonists/rivals to Daphne like Katarina and Penny Layton. But these potentials were wasted to give way to completing The List. I am not saying that they have to forego The List because it is the main conceit of the book. I don’t know, I guess you really can’t have the cake and eat it, too. So maybe the book should’ve never mentioned lots of side characters in the first place and just focused on Daphne and Oliver.
Also in relation to this is what felt like a shoehorned diversity. I give props for the book adding LGBTQ and POC characters but like I said they served nothing much to the story.
What’s laughable is that near the ending, all these background characters (aside from Katarina and Penny Layton) played tag with Daphne and Oliver, all looking chummy together. Where did all the insta-friendhip come from? It was so unnatural. It’s like a big musical production where previously unrelated characters are throwing jazz hands to show that they are happy for the main couple.
THE RESOLUTION WAS NOT A REAL REMEDY
They started off as strangers both lost on those seven years of repressed grief. Aside from their inner turmoils, another conflict is that their famillies are understandably different versions of dysfuntional. Then they eventually bonded over a mission to complete The List. And started hitting it of together as a couple and it’s as if their romance magically healed everything. Daphne’s father decided to get into rehab for his alcoholism. Oliver does not resent his family that much. They got acccepted to the colleges that they applied for. Oh wow, let’s all throw some jazz hands again!
OTHER STUFF
The writing is decent with a hit and miss banter between Daphne and Oliver. There were scenes when the characters are full of tears in their eyes, but I felt nothing. The ending does not offer any surprises or big revelations. If there’s anything positive I can say, it is the book’s commitment to The List. That’s it.
Diversity Watch:
Daphne is described as white, blue eyed and raven haired in an asymmetrical bob.Oliver is described as brown eyed
Janine, Daphnes’ bestfriend, is Armenian. She is described as brown eyed with long wiry black hair and tan skin. She is a lesbian.
Kyle, one of Daphne’s theater friend, is gay with a boyfriend who is away in college.
Katrina, Daphne’s rival, is green eyed and red-haired.
Penny Layton, Daphne’s rival, is half-Thai.
Joe Valdivia, Oliver’s school friend, is Latino with Spanish-speaking parents.
Mitch Bryant, Oliver’s school friend, is black (described as Kevin Hart lookalike).
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I'd love to hear from you!
Have you read this book yet? If yes, how did you find it? Do you have your own bucketlist? Tell me some of the things that you've already ticked off on your list. :)
Have you read this book yet? If yes, how did you find it? Do you have your own bucketlist? Tell me some of the things that you've already ticked off on your list. :)
