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Katy Loutzenhiser

Autor/a de If You're Out There

2 obres 184 Membres 5 Ressenyes

Obres de Katy Loutzenhiser

If You're Out There (2019) 154 exemplars
The Girl Least Likely (2021) 30 exemplars

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I liked the use of strong female protagonists in this book. The story was told from Zan's POV. The author's use of words helped me as a reader really feel Zan's frustration, confusion, and despair of losing her best friend. The mystery itself was interesting. I liked the way the author used Social Media as a way to begin the mystery, along with her reference to CSI and how Zan builds a crime board to figure out if she's really being ghosted or not. The introduction of Logan as the love interest brought a sweetness to the story. If you like mysteries, this is one you should try.… (més)
 
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Z_Brarian | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Dec 12, 2022 |
This one caught my attention from the moment I read the blurb. Your best friend moves away. But you still have phones, social media, etc, so it’s not like she’s disappearing off the face of the earth, right? But when Priya seems to do just that, breaking up with her boyfriend, telling her bestie Zan that she needs space and refusing to call, posting random social media pictures of trees and scenery that frankly anyone could have found and don’t exactly say “proof of life”, Zan starts to worry. What if something really is wrong?

The way this builds tension is really great, Zan and new guy in town Logan slowly sifting through clues, trying to figure out where Priya could be, even though they’re almost completely in the dark. You’re left imagining a host of possibilities, each more terrible than the last. This spins up with some great twists as it nears the end.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
… (més)
 
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KatKinney | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Mar 3, 2022 |
**An audio ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This book has an amazing message. Sometimes, you put yourself in a box. You might not even realize that you’ve done it to yourself. You hit self-imposed limits and shut down when what you need to do is to learn to start questioning these limits. Do you really, truly, not like xyz thing? Or are you just scared of what could happen if you try it? Are you just scared about what could happen if it turns out that you like it?

In The Girl Least Likely, Gretchen learns so much about who she is and who she could be if she stopped controlling and judging herself. It was such a beautiful story to see Gretchen learn and grow, and I hope these lessons can become ones young girls can read and learn through Gretchen. You can be your own self-saboteur, so take a moment and think about what you might be holding yourself back from and why.

My favorite quote and life lesson:
“But I’m starting to think bravery isn’t some miraculous energy force I can hope will arrive one day. It might just be a decision. Honestly, a matter of saying ‘fuck it,’ or ‘why not,’ and then simply doing the thing.”
… (més)
 
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Nikki_Sojkowski | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Aug 26, 2021 |
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I absolutely loved The Girl Least Likely! I devoured the audiobook despite the synthetic voice (which weirdly worked for me this time), and cannot wait to purchase a physical copy for my shelves. Also, if I enjoyed a computer-generated narrator, then I can only image how good the actual audiobook is going to be (which says a lot about the story itself)! Loutzenhiser has created a remarkable story with relatable characters that I would love to be friends with. Gretchen and Sam, Jeremy and the rest of the comedians, Ethan and Natalie - all of them were wonderfully well-written and left lasting impressions.

Gretchen had a seemingly predictable teenage experience... pretended to be someone else while waiting for the other shoe to drop. However, Loutzenhiser adds a few unexpected twists to the story that I did not see coming, and those small additions completely changed the story for me. Gretchen knew her secret identity couldn't last forever, but she enjoyed the anonymity while doing stand-up comedy. She could be anyone - say anything - and it wouldn't directly affect Gretchen. She was wrong of course, because pretending to be someone else was bound to backfire eventually, but she also learned a lot about herself along the way. I really enjoyed following Gretchen's journey and felt like I was a part of her story. I also liked seeing how her character evolved over the course of the book - everything felt authentic and sincere.

While there are multiple love interests in The Girl Least Likely, it never felt like a love triangle. One is an unrequited love, while the other is new and unpredictable. Gretchen uses comedy to sort through her thoughts and feelings - making jokes about her life and those involved - and learns a lot about her family, friendships, and her own pessimistic perspective. Stand-up gave her an opportunity to say her thoughts out loud and express emotions she would normally bury. She didn't feel the need to hide when she was behind a microphone or in front of strangers in an audience, and I thought it was a clever outlet for her fears and insecurities. It was wonderfully unique and so interesting to read about. I love comedy and stand-up specifically, so it was fun to see a character explore those in a YA book.

I'm 85% sure all of the comedians mentioned in this book (the ones that were characters themselves and not just references) were fictional, but I really wish they weren't. Loutzenhiser manages to be funny and write jokes for multiple people. We don't just see Gretchen being funny on and off the stage, but the other comedians participating in the competition, as well as a famous comedian that Gretchen loves. The author manages to write unique stories for each secondary character, while also making them funny in their own way. I loved how diverse their material was, and that each person had a different way of doing comedy. Really, really well done.

I thought I knew how this story was going to play out, but I was happy to be wrong! The conflict was wholly believable and not at all cringey (no annoying tropes here). I hate when a story unfolds in a cookie cutter way, so I was pleasantly surprised when Loutzenhiser veered off course and made Gretchen's experience something totally new and completely unforgettable. If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, keep a perpetual smile on your face, and has characters you'll love to root for - definitely add The Girl Least Likely to your TBR!

Side note: I loved the references to Samantha Bee (Full Frontal) and Parks & Rec.

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin' | Amazon | Pinterest
… (més)
 
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doyoudogear | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Mar 18, 2021 |

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Estadístiques

Obres
2
Membres
184
Popularitat
#117,736
Valoració
3.8
Ressenyes
5
ISBN
18

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