I really enjoyed the author's debut, Lucky Few, and was quite looking forward to this one. And it definitely did not disappoint! Tash (Natasha, but Tash for short) had created a web series called "Unhappy Families". At first, it was just something she did for funsies, with her best friends and some new friends she found to act in the show. But then the series suddenly goes viral, and Tash has to face the ramifications of being pretty famous.
What I Liked:
- The characters. Tash was a very relatable main character, and I really felt for her when the stress of going viral got to her. I imagine I would have felt the same, excited, yet overwhelmed. Luckily, Tash has awesome friends, especially her best friend Jack and her bother Paul. (But sidenote, why is everyone's name 4 letters? That confused me a bit, especially in the beginning.) Her parents also seemed like actual parents, which was great. They were protective, and supportive, and you know, present.
- The relationships Tash had with her friends. She went through a lot of growth especially in terms of being a better friend. She kind of takes her friends for granted sometimes, and I like that she had to navigate how to keep a friendship going when times are hard. It was just very realistic, I feel like it is something everyone goes through, and I loved the way the author handled it all.
- The asexuality rep! Tash is asexual heteroromantic, which means that she does have romantic feelings for guys, but is not necessarily attracted to them sexually. In this case, she has some feelings for a fellow YouTuber, Thom, who... well he is the actual worst, honestly. But that's for you to read about.
- The plot was really great. I loved the concept of the show, and how it is based on Anna Karenina. I kind of want to watch it, basically. And I loved how the cast and crew bonded, that was probably my favorite part. I also liked stuff that happened toward the end which obviously I cannot discuss. But know that there were things I approved of very much ;) And of course, the evolution of the show from unknown to being really popular, and how Tash and the others handled it was great.
What I Didn't:
- The aforementioned moderate confusion, especially in the beginning. Luckily this cleared up as the story went on, but in the beginning, I was confusing Jack with Paul and George with Paul and I felt like everyone had these same one syllable names and I was just lost. But again, this got better.
- I actually kind of wanted to know more about the show! I know this might have been nearly impossible with so much going on in the book, but still, I wanted a bit more of the show, and even the cast.
Bottom Line: Definitely a fan! I loved the story, and the asexual rep. Tash grew so much as a character, too, and I enjoyed reading about her journey.