Penelope Douglas - Punk 57

Penelope Douglas - Punk 57 

2 ⭐

Genre: Romance, YA, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Romance 

Pages: 343 

Format:  Kindle 

Publisher: Penelope Douglas LLC 

Date Published: 21st October 2016 

Book Blurb: 

Misha

I can’t help but smile at the words in her letter. She misses me.

In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever…

And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.

Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.

We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?

Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?

F*ck it. I need to meet her.

I just don’t expect to hate what I find.

Ryen

He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha neither would be a stretch.

Without him around, I’m going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It’s my own fault. I should've gotten his number or picture or something.

He could be gone forever.

Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.

My Review: 

Honestly, this is probably the worst book I have read this year. So, I found this book thanks to Bookstagram and its obsession with it. It was described as brilliant and rather spicy friends to enemies to lover’s romance and I thought why not, I will read it as it does sound like my cup of tea. However, it was painful to read but I didn’t DNF’ed it (because I hate DNF’ing books).

The story follows Ryen and Misha, two pen pals, who only keep their friendship alive with letters. They haven’t met each other in real life and haven’t even seen what each other looks like. This friendship lasted more than eight years. However, after the family lost Misha stops writing letters and Ryen feels lost as he was the only true friend that she ever had. However, soon after Misha stops writing, a new boy starts in Ryen’s school, who is very rude, sexist and mean to Ryen. Ryen finds it a challenge to change his mind, whilst trying to find out what happened to her Misha.

Firstly, this book dragged so much, especially the long and barely necessary dialogues. Secondly, it was so sexist with the main character slut-shamming and name-calling his love interest. Not to name slut shaming between all the females in the book, backstabbing and fake friendships. Every character in the book seems to get away with being sexist or mean or rude and no one challenges that or changes their behaviour. Thirdly, the bullying. The main character Ryen is a bully because she was bullied as a kid and bullies everyone as she wants to be popular. Her love interest is also a bully who bullies her but she just romanticises and sexualises his bullying. Fourthly, the sex scenes were just too graphic and cringe. It did at times feel like I am reading 50 Shades of Grey. It was a bit too much, and it's so not realistic, especially since they are all teenagers. Lastly, all of the female characters either backstab each other or bully each other, whilst male characters are using girls for their amusement and treat them like they are things that can be used and abused. That was the worst part of this book, honestly.

What I did like about this book is that it reads quite quickly and that I finished it quickly. It was not for me and I disliked it so much.

Overall: This book is so problematic. It sends so many wrong messages to teenagers, especially about sexism, bullying, romanticising of abuse, and course sex. A book like this should not be marketed towards teenagers as it gives such a wrong message of romance and love, as well as friendships. It is more an adult book rather than a YA romance. I cannot believe that this book is so hyped on Bookstagram and BookTok, whilst being so problematic. Additionally, it is clearly not a romance book, it is a book about romanticising abuse and sexism. 

About the Author: 

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into nineteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alone's, Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, and Tryst Six Venom. They live in New England with their husband and daughter.

https://pendouglas.com/