Addicted to YA discussion

For our December 2023 Stand Alone title we are reading:
Check & Mate By Ali Hazelwood

For now, please do not discuss the story.
However, feel free to chat as much as you'd like about the format you've chosen to read, the blurb, any introduction if one exists, the cover design, and other books you've read by this author.

On the 1st you can begin discussing the contents of the book and things like…
What do you think of it? Who are your favorite and least favorite characters? What's your favorite and least favorite parts?

Remember others will still be reading. Please try and keep spoilers hidden behind spoiler tags!

To comment on something that may be a story spoiler, you can hide it by putting <*spoiler> (without the *) ahead of it, and <*/spoiler> (without the *) after it - eg. (view spoiler)[HIDE ME (hide spoiler)]

Just started it and I think it’s really fun. Can’t wait to see what other people’s thoughts are.

I got this book as a once upon a book club subscription. Can’t wait to start

I'm about halfway done and I'm really enjoying it. I do feel like the writing style isn't very different so far from her adult novels. What do you guys think?

Not my favourite of Ali Hazelwood’s. Also found several grammatical errors and continuity errors that took me out of the story. (I did read it on ebook on Libby) Story almost felt like there was too much going on and lacked the precision storytelling I loved in the STEM books, but I did like the romance quite a bit.

I enjoyed Check & Mate and gave it 4-stars. Thought the cover was cute. I purchased the paperback version from Barnes and Noble. This was my second Ali Hazelwood book. I read the ebook of The Love Hypothesis previously and enjoyed that as well. For anyone interested in my spoiler-free review of Check and Mate, here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I wanted to like this book so much more but it was just okay. I think it could have been a longer and more developed plot but it fell short. The male interest could have been more developed. It almost read teen-like and not YA.

Rudi Reads wrote: "I wanted to like this book so much more but it was just okay. I think it could have been a longer and more developed plot but it fell short. The male interest could have been more developed. It alm..."

I agree! I was so excited for this book, and it was okay but I was wishing for a distinct YA feeling, but it seemed to not fit very well into that genre. The main characters were all over 18 anyway.

I got into Ali Hazelwood’s books earlier this year and became addicted. I pretty much read through them in a short span of time. Those were some pretty good books, with a few minor cringe moments that were a smidge off-putting. However, when I noticed that this came out and it popped up for book of the month, I decided to give it a try.
I should note that I was also going through a reading slump/burn out when I picked this up. Romance books are generally my go to since some of the senselessness takes me out of my head. The second I picked up this book I couldn’t put it down (like stay up obscenely late even though you’ve got to work in the morning but you don’t want to stop). I legitimately finished it in one sitting and I’ve got to say it’s probably one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood books (I might like Love on the Brain a bit more, but that’s because it was my introduction to her books).
Also, did anyone else have the urge to watch Netflix’s “Queen’s Gambit” or is just me? I mean, it has been sitting on my ‘to-watch’ shelf.

Celena wrote: "I got into Ali Hazelwood’s books earlier this year and became addicted. I pretty much read through them in a short span of time. Those were some pretty good books, with a few minor cringe moments t..."

Okay yes I also was debating queen's gambit after this!

Claire wrote: "Rudi Reads wrote: "I wanted to like this book so much more but it was just okay. I think it could have been a longer and more developed plot but it fell short. The male interest could have been mor..."

The Queen's Gambit is very good. Though I would say the themes are only similar.

I seem to be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed it. It had all the angst I want of a romance. The fact that it wasn't very YA didn't bother me, as I read YA as well as adult (and everything in between). Definitely thought it was better than Love Hypothesis, but now I want to read her other books as well

Really enjoyed this one!! Reminded me of Queens Gambit on Netflix which I adored.

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would! I might end up reading more books by this author after this one!