Leider nicht mein Fall

"Slingshot" von Mercedes Helnwein hörte sich gut und erzeugte bei mir Lust darauf, mal wieder ein Buch zu lesen, dass eigentlich für jüngere Leser:innen gedacht ist. Doch leider war das Buch nicht mein Fall.

Gleich der Anfang sorgte dafür, dass ich mich nicht ganz wohl in meiner Haut gefühlt habe. Und dieses Gefühl konnte ich auch nicht mehr abschütteln.

Dabei fand ich es schon sehr gut, dass neben der ersten Liebe auch Freundschaften einen wichtigen Stellenwert im Buch eingenommen haben. Auch wie sie thematisiert wurden, fand ich durchaus überzeugend.

Da für mich der Schreibstil der Autorin aber nicht so richtig rund war und mich einige Sachen inhaltlich gestört haben, war das Buch insgesamt für mich leider eine Enttäuschung.

What to expect with “Slingshot?” Well. At first when reading a 15-year-old Grace tell her teacher he’s fucked up for having a fiancée when he’s her soulmate, I was skeptical. Fast forward the first four slower chapters to set up Grace and Wade’s personalities, and I was gripped.

If you’re a fan of John Green’s “Looking for Alaska,” think similar boarding school vibes with even snarkier authentic teens full of raging hormones and teen angst. Some of the shockingly simple but beautiful imagery will stick with me (ie “her glowing peach iced tea hair”)– Grace’s voice reads sometimes self-centered but often hilariously real to the teen struggles we’ve all faced. I have never read a more authentic account of first time woes and feelings: I was laughing out loud in appreciation.

This book is ending my final sweep of 2020 reads with a bang. Take a chance on this one. 5/5: thank you Netgalley for this amazing ARC!

I'm really not sure how I feel about this book. There were parts I really liked and the teen angst in me was all for Grace trying to figure herself out. The relationship between Grace and Wade was very typical of an all in "first love". Again, I'm just so unsure of how I feel - overall it left me feeling hopeless which is not a great feeling to have. Some reviewers have a problem with the amount of sex and while it does seem prevalent in the story, that didn't bother me. The story dealt with serious teen issues and I appreciated that. I just wish some of the ends had been tied up in prettier bows - but that doesn't always happen in life, does it?

There are times when I feel like I've given up on the YA genre. The stories are all the same and blend into each other, BUT this one, this one marches to its own drum and I loved it. I don't want to give anything about this book away yet, so once it gets closer to its pub date, I will update my review. Lets just say this is a great one!

The synopsis labels Grace as 'unhinged' and I should have paid more attention to that piece of information.

Grace is just an unlikeable character. Hopelessly 'in love' with her biology teacher, Slingshot opens with her yelling, crying and swearing at said biology teacher after finding out her is engaged.

Would not recommend.

Grace is delusionally in love with her teacher and it’s so uncomfortable I cannot keep reading. The summary made no suggestion that this was the case. I would’ve skipped this read altogether had I known.

*Review will be posted on my blog on 4/5/21 closer to publication date.*

**3.5 Stars**
I Liked:
*Grace is a MESS. She’s 15, at a boarding school, unlikable, mean, a jerk, lacking social skills, says whatever she wants to say usual not caring about the consequences and she doesn’t believe in love. In a way she’s courageous, for not giving a crap but in lots of ways she’s afraid (of love) but wouldn’t admit it out loud until Wade and even Beth comes into her life. Also, she and her mom are her dad’s secret family so it’s no wonder she doesn’t believe in love. The blurb says “acidly funny” and all that acid comes from Grace haha!

*Watching Grace navigate all her emotions was riveting and I could not put the book down. She’s all over the place. This girl is in love with her teacher then hates him when she finds out she was basically delusional about it. She pretty much scars a guy she hates, then sleeps with him and then unknowingly breaks his heart. If she went to my high school, this girl would have been getting into a lot of fights – she’s that girl. Despite her psychotic tendencies – I related to her thoughts about relationships, falling in love and sex because the relationships I saw growing up were totally dysfunctional too.

*As for the romance with Wade ~ they start off as unlikely friends. Then best of friends into the possibility of something more and then into love. So it wasn’t instant which was nice, because Grace has a lot of issues but it was a sweet spot in the book. Wade is a good guy but we don’t know much about him until almost the ending. His life is complicated too.

*Bittersweet ending – in true fashion, Grace falls for Wade, has this amazing time with him and it all comes crashing down. One thing is for sure with Grace, who basically hates everyone…she doesn’t hate Wade. And because Wade is so good, she learns to open up a bit…even make some friends and let some in. It’s not a total happy ending but realistic? I think so.

Random Notes:
*Triggers: student/teacher crush (one-sided), abuse, bullying

*Grace crushes on her Bio teacher – hard. She thinks he reciprocates her feelings but ugh…he surely does not. And she basically does crazy stuff to him because she’s angry at him (breaks his pencils, writes him notes, tells him off) ~ this is how we are introduced to Grace and honestly from then on, I knew she needed therapy! This might turn people off to this book right away but seriously, it’s all one-sided.

*Kind of bummed that Grace let all her grades go because of that whole teacher crush heartbreak – obviously this girl is SMART just lacking so much social skills and is almost hungrily studying others around her, hating them, judging them, needing praise (even it’s from some random guy like Derek who she hates) – dooming herself to loneliness because in the essence of it all she thinks her father never wanted her. Doesn’t love her.

*I felt called out when Grace says she was into older music like 80’s/90’s and starts jamming to Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine. 🤣 Talk about nostalgia – that was the music of MY high school years! Yes I’m old, but damn it the music was good!

*This book totally could be a tv series, it’s quirky and dark enough, and Grace is so problematic.

Final Thoughts:
Do not be fooled by this pink, happy book cover…this is not a fluffy, cutesy love story. Grace is a mean, cold, hurt, lost teenager trying to navigate all these feelings of love, sex, and friendship. She takes it out on everyone around her, and then Wade comes along and she tries to be better, for him. This story will not be for everyone, Grace has no filter ~ but she reminds me of someone I befriended in my younger years and things turned out okay for my friend. Moral of the story, we are all flawed, the teenage years are angsty and emotional, but we can still turn out okay.

I try not to give up on books, but I was really tempted too with this book. It was a struggle to get through and it felt like it was not just written about a 15 year old but that it was written by a 15 year old who had no editor.

i’m still trying to figure out how i managed to actually finish reading this book. i was hoping for something that was a little more emotional but instead i got something that was melodramatic. i wasn’t a huge fan of the main character and a lot of the situations were over exaggerated.

this book honestly had a lot of potential. it’s a shame that it didn’t live up to it.

arc provided by netgalley for an honest review

This book was highly disappointing and a very big mess.

Most of the topics in this book were written as if they were for at least an 18 year old but the MC is a 15 year old who at the very beginning is in tears because her teacher doesn’t like her back. If that didn’t start setting some alarm bells, I’m sure that the rest of the book did.

I tried to like Grace but the way she was written made it utterly impossible, Wade was the only reason why I could finish this book but he could not make up for the pure clusterfuck that was this book.

Slingshot is about Gracie Welles, a 15-year-old girl attending a boarding school in Florida where she struggles to make friends and has a complicated home life due to her absent father. Enter Wade Scholfield, another student at Midhurst School, who Gracie saves from the torment of bullies with a lucky slingshot. A friendship, and eventual romance, ensues between the two.

I think a lot of the problems I had with this story could’ve been resolved by adjusting the age of the main characters. While they were described as 15-year-olds, Grace often spoke as if she was 18/19. I also had a problem with the portrayal of sex, smoking, and drugs, especially considering the age range of the readers this book is catered to. The first chapter starts out awkwardly with the character having a crush on the teacher and yelling at him. This book was certainly something and it wasn't done well.

I was really disappointed in this title. Overall it was a love story, but then it was a breakup, and then there was lot of sex talk. And on top of it- an unresolved ending. Pretty disappointing

The protagonist was in interesting and enjoyed how we were introduced to her as a girl hopelessly in love with her teacher and then how she deals with that relationship. I really enjoyed this one

While this book seemed really interesting, I unfortunately had to DNF it as I'm incredibly uncomfortable with reading books where a teenager is infatuated with a teacher.

I’m going to be incredibly honest when I say this book made me pretty uncomfortable. In this climate having the 15 year old character be infatuated with her teacher, while maybe a real thing teenagers thing, isn’t entirely appropriate for a young adult/teen title. Not to mention the mention of 15 year olds, a minor and still in high school having sex with an 18 year old - regardless if they’re in high school or not.

I don't even know what to say about this one except... don't bother. Grace was a terrible protagonist and I lost interest in her within the first chapter, where she's extraordinarily awful to her teacher, who she thought she was in love with. I understand that young people at this age have crushes on teachers, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Grace was an unapologetic jerk who never once came to understand what was wrong with the things she said and did.

It was just very difficult for me to get through this one because Grace was awful to everyone around her and there wasn't anything overly engaging about the romance, which felt very immature and whirlwind. There was a lot of back forth, secrecy, and I just never entirely felt comfortable with anything occurring in this story.

Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein, a YA novel due to be published April 27th, 2021, is a book I was not comfortable with and wouldn't recommend. The premise and concept of the story was uncomfortable; a 15 year old student falls in love with a teacher and then experiences intense anger when the student discovers her teacher is engaged. I am uncomfortable reviewing a book portraying an inappropriate relationship.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the opportunity the review this title.

I don't know what I just read. Also that blurb is kind of true but not at the same time?

My Blurb:
After her crush on her teacher does not end up in a happily ever after, Grace Welles finds herself dealing with the very real possibility of being forever alone at age fifteen. While skipping class to avoid an awkward conversation with said teacher, Grace inadvertently saves the new kid, Wade Scholfield, from Derek McCormick using her skills with her slingshot.
With some advice from too-cool-for-school Beth Whelan, a new relationship with Wade (who really wants to be her friend), and surprising interactions with Derek, Wade's nemesis, Grace finds her 15th year one that will forever change her.

Yeah, there's heartbreak and Wade & Grace are at the center of it. But also this book is more about Grace than Grace's relationship with Wade that ends up breaking his heart. Also the crush on the teacher plays such a large role that it NEEDED mentioning in the blurb. Also Derek and Beth both play significant roles in the story. Derek is the reason Wade & Grace meet. Beth is there offering her advice. They both play way more of a role than the titular slingshot.

I'm all for a protagonist that isn't perfect, but they have to be likeable. Grace Welles was many things, but likeable was not one of them. She's a jerk. She only shows interest in writing, Smashing Pumpkins, and RARELY Wade for the course of the novel. Oh, and Mr. S, her biology teacher, who she crushes on. We find this out in chapter one. When he introduces her to his fiancé, she loses it. IN CHAPTER ONE. Like cussing him out for being a reasonable person and not crushing on an UNDERAGE student. Being mean to the fiancé for ruining her change of being with the teacher. Cue Christmas Break. But this crush continues to be a plot point. Grace actually destroys some of Mr. S's property. She sneaks a letter in his desk because she can. She waits for him by his car to talk. None of this is adequately addressed. First off, student crushes on teachers make me REALLY uncomfortable. I have had peers talk about the attractiveness of teachers (AND I HATE WHEN I HEAR IT). One of my parents is a teacher. It's just VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. Plus this level of stalking and creeping up in the teacher's personal space raises tons of red flags.

But you know what? I kept reading after chapter one because hey, I've heard TONS of good things about this book.

And then Wade enters the scene. He smooths out some of Grace's rough edges. I'm torn between shipping because he seems good for Grace and worrying about him being friends with her. I don't mind his insta-crush because hey SHE RESCUED HIM WITH the titular SLINGSHOT. But at the end of this novel, I'm wondering did they love each other or the idealized version? But Wade, for the most part, was one of the better things about this novel. Beth and Derek provided some interesting things to the plot. (TBH I'm not sure what to think of either of them because they had some good and TERRIBLE moments.)

ALSO WHAT'S UP WITH GRACE'S EXTRACURRICULARS?
We are told that she decided to try out to be a witch in the Scottish Play, which she referred to as Macbeth. We are told she pulled an A in biology. (These two things were to impress the teacher she had a problematic crush on.) We are told that this girl is involved in Model UN. As someone who debated and participated in LD debate, mock congress, and Model UN, to say I was shocked was an understatement. I had to reread that line. Model UN, is not something you can wing. It requires some amount of effort; effort that Grace (Gracie?) is not motivated to put in. Additionally, she randomly tries out for volleyball and gets on the team? The only way these two are possible is if there's literally no one else and she's just there. I don't understand HOW or WHY she was motivated to try out.

Regardless of the blurb not matching what sort of resembles a plot and the mess that is Grace, this book did have some good one liners. However, there were so many issues (the above mentioned) and casual sex and smoking. Also there was an incident regarding a sub not reporting seeing a HIGH SCHOOLER SMOKE. Also I found it difficult to remember that Grace was a Sophomore? Like maybe her actions would make more sense if she was a little older (maybe a Junior)? Probably not, but still. Additionally, Grace had almost no character development. Wade had a little more, but not much. Like these characters are supposed to be the central characters and they didn't really grow? At the end of the book, Grace was still doing some of the same problematic things she did before (like using people). I think Derek was the only character that experienced any character growth. All in all, the ending was kind of disappointing. Not a lot of character growth and the ending didn't really tie up to story. The last chapter introduced a major loose end and I'm really confused to WHY it ended like it did???

All that being said, I wish to thank NetGalley and Wednesday Books (St. Martin's Press) for the eARC. I really appreciated the opportunity to review and read this book.

I received a copy of SLINGSHOT by MERCEDES HELNWEIN. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

FIVE Stars and here’s why:

I loved this story. It’s a must-read for everyone. Gracie is not your typical YA heroine, and that’s what kept me riveted to the book. Her unconventional family and the way she navigates high school as well as her personal life is totally unapologetic, and that’s what makes her the perfect role model for today’s youth. And the use of a slingshot as an emotional support system tool is brilliant. But what kept me turning the pages in a total book hangover, was the heartwarming story of love, friendship, and the will to persevere despite everything. I was riveted by Grace’s voice from start to finish.

Highly recommend.

This is the first ARC I have received and I was really excited about it. Based on the cover and description it seemed right up my alley. I read a lot of YA fiction and romance. I don’t usually find it hard to connect with the characters despite being 10+ years removed from high school. This book was one of only 2 books I have started and not been able to finish in the last two years. I can tolerate a lot in a book if there are parts that keep it engaging enough that I want to finish it. This book unfortunately just did not have enough positives to keep me reading and engaged to outweigh the aspects I did not find enjoyable.

The main character is a 15 year old girl at a boarding school in Florida. The opening scene involves her sobbing because she found out her teacher she is in love with is engaged. While she acknowledges it would be illegal for anything to happen, the plot involving her feelings for the teacher continue. Student and teacher relationships (even one sided ones) is a trope I find it really hard to enjoy or connect with. I think it’s problematic and too much media normalizes or glamorizes it. This is not an actual romantic or sexual relationship between Gracie and her teacher but the pining for the teacher aspect was one reason I found it hard to connect with this book.

The other main reason I couldn’t finish this book was not being able to connect with the main character at all. I made it to about 25% of the way through the book, hoping that there would be good development and I could connect more. I found her personality to be very abrasive and off putting with no redeeming qualities really. I don’t expect characters to be perfect or behave perfectly but I couldn’t find anything likable about this character unfortunately and the way she treated everyone around her was awful. She did not seem 15 either. Her inner monologue did not resonate with being a teenager. It was written in first person narration which I think contributed to why it was hard for me to get through since I didn’t like the narrator. It also reinforced what felt like really outdated tropes and stereotypes about teenage girls (for example you couldn’t eat pizza in the dining hall as a girl or you would be seen as a pig by other girls- you had to eat salads). Another example of a problematic aspect that made it hard for me to be engaged is a character, who is a senior, saying to the 15 year old main character: “Mr. Sorrentino [the teacher] is a man. He has a wiener. You can do whatever you want with him!” I have never heard a teenager use the word wiener and just found that whole sub plot very hard to stomach and not enjoyable to read about at all.

I am sure that there will definitely be people who can connect with this book and character but unfortunately it just did not do it for me! I am giving it two stars because the writing style was fine, there was nothing special about it but it was fine. There was a lot of swearing which just seemed unnecessary and supposed to maybe exemplify how tough the main character was? I didn’t really get the point and some of the language used made it hard for me to get lost in a story.


Thanks to Net Galley for providing the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.