Synopsis
1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.
As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I ❤ Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she’d have on.
To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.
4/5 stars
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My Review
So it’s L.M Augustine week on The Book Lovers and today is review daaaaaaay!
I had heard of Click To Subscribe through the twitter grapevine and when L.M followed me, I checked out his blog and HELLO CHAPTER ONE. From then on, I was so excited to get this book on my kindle that when it was released and L.M Dm’d me about it, it was an instant download.
I actually read Click a few weeks ago but I have been so rubbish at my reviews that it’s taken me this long to write it, but alas, I write everything down so it’s been easy to type and remember everything that I loved from the book!!
From the synopsis, I knew it would be a great read. I love anything to do with technology in books, so when I saw ‘Vlog’ I knew this was a book that needed to be read by me. Nowadays I hardly read YA, but L.M’s synopsis drew me in and how glad am I that I actually read Click to Subscribe?! It’s such a great read, it’s a refreshing storyline and one that I bloody well-loved reading about.
Best friends to lovers? YES PLEASE!! They are one of my favourite storylines yet there is so much included within the storyline that you wonder if they ever will get together. If they really should be together (they should, I was definitely rooting for them) and if they would eventually get together, and that West would realize they are perfect for each other.
L.M Augustine has included everything in Click. There is hilarious banter between Cat/Harper and West, loveable moments, awkward moments, moments where your heart is aching, where you will cry, where you will laugh and moments where you will be smiling so big that you will feel giddy about what you are reading.
The past 6 months havent been the greatest for West. He’s lost his mother, his father is a douchebag and the only friend he has that he can count on is Cat. He vlogs as a way to feel closer to his mother and one day, someone named Harper comments on his video and from then on they form this close bond.
West is such a freaking great character. He’s witty, can give awesome banter back. He’s adorable and he’s dealing with the pain of losing his mother. He’s also in love with a girl he’s never met. How is that for confusion for him?! He’s hurting, and he;s trying to deal with it the best way he can…by vlogging for his mother. Thinking it’s her he’s speaking to. He would actually be completely lost without Cat, his best friend.
We see bantersaurous-rexing between him and Cat and he and Harper and you will fall in love that extra bit with West because of it. But there will be times when you just want to hit him around the head, especially after Cat declares her feelings. He just stares at her, leaving the atmosphere awkward and in turn, you feel awkward because its such a predicament to be in.
Despite his reservations in wanting to know Cat’s feelings for him, we see him think things through. Although it takes a while, we see him confused and scared and angry and upset that he doesn’t have anyone to talk to about Cats feelings and his feelings that are slowly moving to the surface. You wish you were the one to help him through it all. But he gets there in the end. You see him figure out that he loves Cat and he starts to see her differently. although he’s scared, we know that he and Cat are awesome together and nothing will stop the love they have for one another.
I really, really loved Cat. Seriously. I think it was due to the fact that I saw myself in her. How she plucked up the courage to tell West she was in love with him, to never give up on him no matter how hard it became. This was me a few years ago with my best friend. She was the ultimate bad ass but caring best friend and I LOVED her character. I love the fact that although she was knocked back by West, she never, ever gave up on her feelings for him. I completely admired this about her. Normally YA girls aren’t the strongest (unless I’m reading the wrong books), but Cat blew me away. I wanted to be her friend, tell her to keep expressing her feelings for West because deep down, he had to have feelings for her!!! She acted like Harper and if he loved Harper, then he loved Cat too.
She is a brilliant character and even at 16, she knew exactly what her feelings were, that she wanted to be with West and despite the hurt she was put through, her feelings never wavered and she never gave up proving that she is the right girl for West. I applaud her confidence!
You can see the chemistry between Cat and West. Being best friends since they were younger, you kind of have to have chemistry and as they have grown up, you can see it more clearly. At least i could. Despite the fact they are BBF’s, they really do love one another. They are there for each other, especially Cat during the months after West’s mother had died, which was only a few months back. She supports him, she comforts him and you can really see how much she cares for him. There is no wonder that she is in love with him.
West is just too blind to see what is in front of him and at times to just want to smack him around the head and be like “YOU LOVE HARPER WHO IS CAT SO YOU LOVE CAT!” but i could see why he was reserved about it. It obviously had to take time for him to see Cat as more than a friend. In his own time too. To get his head around the fact that Harper doesn’t exist and it is in fact Cat after all the months.
The scene I loved was the ice cream scene. These two are utterly obsessed with ice cream and just reading their banter and their race to who finishes the ice cream first had me in fits of giggles. I am so going to do this with my friends (They probably wouldn’t be up for it but i;ll force them.) You can see how much fun these two have together and it was refreshing to watch West just have a time out from grieving and be the 16 year old boy that he is.
If you have yet to pick up your copy of Click To Subscribe, please do. You wont be disappointed and for a debut novel, L.M Augustine has written a fantastic book. Like technology in books? Like best friends to lovers? like banter and awkward teenage moments? THEN this is the book for you 😀
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About L.M Augustine
Email: authoraugustine@gmail.com
Links to buy Click To Subscribe (Which ya’ll should!)
Z. Elizabeth 