Better Together by Christine Riccio

Hey book lovers! I’m here with a book review for Better Together by Christine Riccio. I’m going to be upfront here, the first third of this book was wishy-washy. I didn’t think I was going to make it through the entire book. HOWEVER, I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. It’s not a 5-star read for me, but a fun, easy, read for the summer that will leave you with a smile on your face as you pick up the phone to call a sibling, family member, or friend. Do people still use phones? I do, but, hey, I’m old.

bet-ter:
1. of a more excellent quality
2. to make more complete or perfect

to-geth-er:
1. in one place or group
2. connection, union

I read a digital advance reader’s copy from Netgalley.

About The Book 📚

Title: Better Together

Author: Christine Riccio

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Suggested Reader Age: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Sisters, LGBT, Retelling, Realistic Fiction

Rep: bisexual

Triggers: child neglect, absent parent, anxiety, divorce

http://www.laurenhannah.net/book-trigger-list/

About The Author

“Christine Riccio has been on a quest to encourage more humans to read since the third grade. No one really listened until she started making videos about books on Youtube in 2010. Now her channel PolandbananasBOOKS has over 390,000 book-loving subscribers. She makes comedic book reviews, vlogs, sketches, and writing videos chronicling the creation of her own novel. She’s also one of the three YouTubers behind BOOKSPLOSION. Originally from New Jersey, Christine graduated from Boston University in 2012 with a degree in Film and TV and now lives in Los Angeles, CA. Other hobbies include hot yoga and oatmeal.”
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13984436.Christine_Riccio

My Review

› Jamie and Siri‘s parents divorced when they were 6 and 4 years old. Their father left with Jamie, seeking a better life in California, their mother stayed with Siri in New Jersey. Siri’s ballet career that she worked for her entire life is gone down the drain after a back injury. She’s too independent, too shy, too set on having everything perfect, she enrolls in a “Rediscover Yourself” retreat. Jamie lives in California. She dreams of being a successful stand-up comedian. After bombing her first real show, she’s encouraged to sign up for a “Rediscover Yourself” retreat…And then, the sisters run into each other – literally. Siri is baffled. Here, in front of her, is the Jamie that her mother had convinced her was an imaginary friend. Yes, their mother told HER CHILD that she had imagined her older sister, Jamie. Siri attended therapy for YEARS to learn how to let go of this “figment of her imagination”.

After getting to know each other, they make a “Parent Confrontation Trap” plan. They change each other’s hair and clothes to look more like the other. Siri will return to their dad in California, Jamie will return to their mother in New York. While on a hike in the woods the day before their expected departure, a trail leads them to a cabin with a magic box glitter bomb. They wake up the next morning in each other’s bodies! Now they can do a “Freaky Friday” and a “Parent Trap” all in one!

As they get to know more about the opposite parent and the other sister’s life, they learn more about themselves while also developing a cute romance. Siri crushes on Jamie’s best friend Dawn, and Jamie lets down her walls to let Zarar in. Everything builds up to the moment where they reveal themselves to their parents, and deal with the fallout.

› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 6
I’m not a fan of Siri as a person’s name, but the character development is pretty good. There’s definitely strengths, flaws, internal and external conflict. The main characters have backstory and motivation, however, I would have liked to see more development of the side characters.

› Atmosphere: 4
I could never picture myself in any setting. There is a lack of description, world-building, emotion and mood.

› Writing Style: 3
The writing style drove me up the wall.
“intercourse this” instead of F*^& This. And “excrement” instead of S*$! WHY. And why do it like 100 times throughout the book?!
“sigh escapes my lips” – why, was it locked in there?
Unbelievable dialogue from a flashback of four-year-old Siri. I’m an Educational Assistant, I’ve worked with children in many capacities since I was twelve, and no four-year-old has ever spoken that well. My son is identified as gifted, and he didn’t speak like that as a Kinder.

› Plot: 4
The plot is predictable, the climax was boring. The ending was okay. Definitely not a page-turner.

› Intrigue: 7
Although it was not a page-turner for me, I did still want to keep reading.

› Logic: 4
A few things didn’t make sense, and I had to re-read parts because they were confusing. The thing where their mother convinced Siri that Jamie was a figment of her imagination! WTF!!! This was not dealt with properly in my opinion. That is TRAUMATIC!

› Enjoyment: 7

Average 5

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★

› Final Thoughts
• Inspired by The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday, Better Together is about sisters getting to know each other, themselves, and confront their parents in an attempt to unite their family.