Punk 57: Douglas, Penelope: 9780593641996: Amazon.com: Books

"Punk 57" by Penelope Douglas offers readers a gritty and intense journey into the world of young adult romance, earning a three-star review from me.One aspect of the book that stood out to me was its raw and unfiltered portrayal of teenage life. The characters grapple with issues such as identity, friendship, and the complexities of love, navigating a turbulent path fraught with emotion and passion. Douglas does not shy away from exploring the darker aspects of adolescence, resulting in a narrative that feels authentic and compelling.Additionally, the chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, drawing readers into their tumultuous relationship as it unfolds. The push-and-pull dynamic between the characters adds depth and tension to the story, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they eagerly anticipate what will happen next.However, while "Punk 57" excels in capturing the intensity of teenage emotions, I found the plot to be somewhat predictable. The storyline follows familiar tropes and clichés often found in young adult romance novels, detracting from the overall originality of the narrative. As a result, the plot felt somewhat formulaic and lacked the element of surprise that I look for in a book.Furthermore, I found some of the characterizations to be lacking in depth. While the protagonists are well-developed, I felt that certain supporting characters were underutilized and could have benefited from more fleshing out. This limited exploration of secondary characters detracted from the richness of the story, leaving me wanting more from the ensemble cast.In conclusion, "Punk 57" offers a gritty and intense exploration of teenage romance, complete with authentic emotions and palpable chemistry between the protagonists. While the book suffers from a somewhat predictable plot and underdeveloped supporting characters, it nevertheless delivers an engaging reading experience that will resonate with fans of young adult romance. Overall, I would rate it as a solid three-star read.

I might have rated this a 3⭐️ book, but the lower reviews portray this book as being terrible, so I’ll roll with 4⭐️ to hopefully raise the overall.So, I find it slightly cringey to read about teenager sex. I know they were consenting 18 year olds, but they were also still in high school. And that just doesn’t do it for me. Luckily, there wasn’t a ton of smut, and there was enough drama to focus more on the story.However, as a 38 year old woman who grew up on Long Island, I can confidently say that this book was as accurate as possible. Switch pen pal to AOL buddy, and I think I may have lived this life. The banter was normal teenager ridiculousness, including the name calling. None of that bothered me at all.I liked the characters, I enjoyed the story. I had a hunch about the Gillian twist before it became super suspicious. That was a good twist, too! I want answers for Misha and Annie!!! The drama here was great, and absolutely made the book.My biggest irritation here was feeling that answers were vague and just not enough. Starting with Ryen’s dad, her dumpster fire of a mother and sister, Gillian thinking she was invisible a town over, more on why Misha stopped writing (still slightly confused on that), and why Ryen felt so betrayed. I would have been stoked if I were her. I don’t know … just things that made me not “love” this book. But it was enjoyable, it has a good plot, and I enjoyed the actual story.

*Written for Craves the Angst Book Blog*5 “You’re my favorite place.” Stars!The Review:Penelope Douglas absolutely, hands down, writes the BEST Coming-of-Age-Romance with a sexy-steamy New Adult/Adult slant. The message is always clear but told in a unique, relevant way and with characters you can’t help but fall ridiculously in love with, flaws and all.Punk 57 was a captivating story about finding yourself through the pressures of being perfect and realizing that for others to love you, you have to love yourself and be true to yourself first. I ADORED this book!Story/Characters...Ryen and Misha were strangers who started writing each other when they were eleven years old for a class assignment, but as their letters grew more personal, they realized they connected strongly with one another. So well after their class assignment ended, they continued to write, revealing secrets, emotions, hopes and dream, talking about their daily lives, debating likes and dislikes, including song lyrics and sharing parts of themselves they didn’t feel confident in sharing with others.They literally grew up together, but remained separated by anonymity.Seven years later, they have formed a bond like no other, still sharing their lives solely through penmanship. That is, until Misha sees his Ryen across a crowded room at a scavenger hunt his band is throwing, and realizes not everything is as it seems. And when tragedy strikes that same night, he loses himself so wholly, that not even Ryen’s penetrating letters can reach him.Ryen was a hard heroine to love, especially in the beginning, but I think that’s because she represented a side of ourselves most of us have unpleasantly displayed at some point, however briefly, in our lives. She was desperate to be acknowledged. She didn’t want to go through life being invisible. She wanted friends and she wanted to be loved. All of us have wanted that in our lives. She just didn’t go about getting it in the best way. She was young and she didn't know herself at all. She didn’t know who she wanted to be, who she could be. She was vulnerable and insecure and she let the world influence her in a way that made her hard and a little cruel. We’ve all done that in some way. The world has shaped us, changed us from who we might have originally been if bullying, jealousy, hatred and fear hadn’t intervened in our lives.I loved watching Ryen grow. She found the support and encouragement she needed, from Misha, to be her true self. Her inner self was good, honorable and trustworthy. She just had to be brave enough to let her own self shine. And she did. All these things, her flaws AND her beauty, made her a heroine we may not have liked in the beginning but loved in the end. And I did. I loved her character by the end of the book.And Misha. Oh, complicated, mixed up, grief stricken Misha. This author knows how to write a complex, sometimes broken hero. My heart wept for him. He was someone who knew himself well but lost himself after the pain took over. It was beautiful watching him rediscover who he was and what he truly wanted. He found what was important again and he went after it. Even when Misha was being mean, you could tell where it was coming from and it was never really to be malicious. It was to get a reaction and maybe to also let go of some of those heavy emotions bottling up inside him.Lashing out. This was one of the significant themes this book had. Every character, in some way, did it and it’s very true to human nature. I loved that ... how REAL this book was.The Wrap Up:Punk 57 was angsty, sexy, alluring, intense and just plain fun. It had a lot of heart and a lot of emotion between the pages and it had a fantastic, eye-opening story that I won’t ever let go of. I love this author's work. With her amazing and talented writing, she can bring teen and new adult angst to life for any age reader and we’re right there with her characters, on every page, connecting. And when you’re done with one of her books, you just want to start from the very beginning and experience the ride all over again!This book ... definitely a must read!