Boy, do I have thoughts about this. First. I want to say that this wasn't BAD. There are a few good things the author did great, and the first of those things would be the relationship between Clara and her father. I loved their interactions! You rarely see a parent be an active, well, parent in books and I enjoyed seeing them together. Adrian was hilarious! I just loved seeing them come together and work through things.
I also liked how the friendship blossomed. Sure, it was beyond rocky at first and I was ready to fight, but nothing is better than a hate to love friendship. Clara and Rose were at each other's throats but I loved how they slowly came around to each other!
Now the main thing I did not like: Clara. She was straight up childish and I could not stand her obnoxious attitude. It got better near the middle of the book, but it felt like she had no development at ALL, especially towards the ending. She's selfish and does not care about the consequences her actions bring and it just makes me livid!!! The ending was so unsatisfying that it ruined the whole book for me.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maruene Goo is a reminder that covers matter, and synopses are everything.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo is a heartwarming contemporary romance while working at a family owned Asian food truck for the summer.

***Note: Deciding not to review this book since I am no longer interested and I just need to get this book off my feedback list.***

I always enjoy a Maurene Goo book even as the titles always get a song stuck in my head and The Way You Make Me Feel was no exception. I liked the cast of characters though felt that much was left unresolved by the end. There were open issues with Clara's mom and what would happen when she returned to school at the start of the year. And lets not forget the lawsuit brought up by her friend against her new boyfriends family that was talked about and then never mentioned again. This made the ending a little less satisfactory then it could have been. And while I did like the romance between Clara and Hamlet by the end I felt there was such a missed opportunity to have a F/F romance between her and Rose who had way more chemistry together. Overall, this was a fun read but it just lacked that extra spark to carry it over the finish line.

DNF REVIEW • I had the highest of hopes going in to THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL by Maurene Goo. I'd heard great things about her previous books and was in the mood for a YA contemporary. Plus, I love food in fiction -- so I couldn't resist a book where the heroine works in her dad's food truck! Goo's writing immediately hooked me; unfortunately, her heroine didn't. I don't love pranks on a good day, so it was really hard for me to connect with Clara. She made me feel so old and reminded me of why I don't gravitate towards YA as much anymore. Her actions and attitude towards others were so juvenile and made me incredibly frustrated/ I found myself side-eying her + the story more than I was enjoying it. For that fact, I decided not to finish reading the book. I do think it's a situation where I wasn't the right reader for this particular character and story, so I wouldn't dissuade someone from picking this up it if appealed to them.

This was really cute and just what I needed. It was fun, but had some deeper undertones to it. I definitely need to read more of Goo.

My favorite Maureen Goo book! I absolutely loved this story and how it was written. The whole premise was fun while still talking about serious issues like parental abandonment. I really loved Clara as a character, flaws and all. I loved her relationship with not only her dad, but with Rose as well. AND THE ROMANCE. HAMLET?! Swoon worthy.

This was a really cute story. Clara's growth through the story is organic and refreshing. I like that she wasn't a perfect character and that her dad was the one that stuck around.

DNF at 6%.

I feel so terrible but I have to put down this one for now. I do think it's more about me than the book itself. I couldn't get into the story and I found myself bored with it. Maybe someday I'll revisit this and give it another shot. But for now, I'm afraid I'm not finishing it.

I really enjoyed this one for many reasons. 1) The food truck. All the delicious descriptions of the food! 2) Enemies to friends. I loved how two very different girls found common ground through food. 3) The family. I loved Clara’s dad and had so much respect for his hustle and the relationship he built with his daughter as a single-dad. This was a light, quick read with feel good vibes.

I absolutely loved this book! It was one of my favorite books of 2019. I loved the food truck setting and all of the characters were so unique and well developed.

***4.5 STARS***
Review will go live on LAIROFBOOKS on 3/9/2020, links will be added.

THE 411...

This book will forever go down in my little corner of the universe as THE book that snuck up & delivered such a beautiful message of finding yourself and the connections we make along the way. Our MC Clara Shin is known as the school prankster & she sort of thrives on being disruptive. When one of her pranks goes a bit too far, she comes face to face with her archenemy. Rose Carver is the polar opposite of Clara, she's very rigid and serious about her academic journey. Rose has made it very clear to Clara that she can't stand her chill laid back approach to school. This last confrontation ends up getting a bit physical and both girls get heir parents called. Clara's dad is a single parent trying to run a successful food truck in hopes of one day opening his own restaurant. It's his idea to have the girls hash out their issues by working together at the food truck. The Way You Make Me Feel serves up delicious Korean-Brazilian dishes, teenage drama, cute romance, new found friendships, and parent/child relationships. 

THOUGHTS...

At first glance I thought I was getting into a cute light hearted Contemporary & to some extent it is but at a further glance, it's so much more. Clara doesn't know why she's never taken school all that seriously however in her efforts to maintain a relationship with her mother, she discovers some truths about herself. I loved seeing the teens & parents in this story take on the hard task of introspection, facing that which drives them to behave a certain way. There's discussion of the after effects of separation, academic pressures, anxiety, as well as the challenges of parenting for a single dad. My favorite aspect of this book revolved around the father/daughter relationship, Adrian gets all my love for being a rockstar Dad. Those that have been around my blog long enough know I have a weakness for father/daughter bonds as I had an amazing one with my own. Adrian doesn't pretend to be perfect, he's just a single dad trying to get back on track with providing some structure for his teen daughter. He's known as the cool, fun, handsome dad & that worked for some time but he has a what I call "get real" moment. Finding a balance between Cool Dad vs. Tough Love Dad which he handles so well! On the topic of writing I will say there were times where Clara's attempts at sarcasm felt a bit awkward. I don't think the humor hit home with me & at times I sort of just looked past it. Instead I took away the bigger message and that's that the road to self discovery is a journey worth making.

Maurene Goo writes some really fun YA contemporary novels and I have more of her books sitting on my TBR, but The Way You Make Me Feel didn’t work for me quite the same way I Believe in a Thing Called Love did? I’m just going to be straightforward about this book. Ain’t got no time for a review full of fluff.

Clara Shin is the class clown and definitely qualifies as a troll too. (Big difference between the two, I’m not gonna get into it.) Thanks to re-enacting Carrie‘s bucket dump when she wins prom queen, she’s stuck working her her dad’s food truck with her worst enemy Rose Carver. All of their animosity stems from when Rose caught Clara smoking in the bathroom in ninth grade, which got Clara suspended, and Clara spent the next few years being The Worst to Rose in response. I loved their friendship when it came together and they got over themselves, but for how much bad blood was between them, it felt like things came together too quickly.

Still, my favorite moment of the book: once they become friends, they go see The Exorcist in a cemetery and Clara trolls Rose by sending her a gif of Regan’s head spinning around.

Honestly, most of the character relationships that form over the course of the novel come together a bit quickly.

What stuck most with me was a vicious remark Clara made early in the book. Page 79: When someone places a vegetarian order, Clara tries to cook it in a skillet she hadn’t washed since using it to cook some meat. When Rose rightfully gets onto her for that cross-contamination, Clara snaps at her with “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. They’ll just have to wonder why their food is suddenly more delicious. Hint: pork.”

Was she being this flippant just to make Rose angry? Probably. But this is a sort of malicious carelessness is about more than Rose. Clara could actually cause people harm! In the food industry, you do your best to avoid cross-contamination and listen without question if someone tells you to use something else instead of X ingredient (i.e. soy milk instead of regular milk). You don’t know if they have food allergies and they shouldn’t have to explain any food allergies just to get what they asked for. Even before her character growth, Clara is characterized as caring about her dad’s business, so her attempt to sabotage it like this is baffling to me. It never comes back around either.

It seems like I’m complaining a lot, but I swear I enjoyed the novel! Clara’s romance with Hamlet is cute, her character arc is impressive, and it’s a fun read. It’s definitely not my favorite Maurene Goo novel, but this is only the second of four so far. Like I said, Goo writes fun YA contemporaries and one of them not being my thing is just how it goes sometimes.

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What's more perfect than a cute ya romance mixed with all things delicious- And with the best father-daughter relationship? Nothing, that's what. This was 100% delightful and heartfelt, I loved the entire story and even the open ended ending. Sure, this had a fun plot, but what made the book 5 stars for me was all the relationship dynamics.

My favorite part of the book was the friendship that bloomed in a very unexpected place- think enemies to loves, but in the non-romantic way. It was very much the odd couple, with Clara being the irreverent prankster who blows through life and lives day by day. And then we have the straight-laced one, who is very serious and conscious about her life and choices and her impact on others. They are so opposite, but I loved their dynamic and the unexpectedness of the situation. I went into the story thinking this was a romance, and while there was a romance that takes place, it was not the main focus of the story (at least in my opinion). Instead, the blossoming friendship was the best relationship in the story.

The Way You Make Me Feel had the best father- daughter relationship I have ever encountered in any YA book- actually, probably any book period. There was one part with some emails (you will know if you read the story) where my heart just about melted at the love Clara's dad had for her and the concern he showed for her feelings. I love that there was actual invested parents in this YA story and I think more should show involved families.

But yes, there was an adorable, completely heartfelt romances in the story too, one so sweet I practically melted. The love interest, Hamlet, is hands down the best book boyfriend a girl (and a reader) could ask for, earnest and real. He was kind and thought of others, at times related to a happy eager dog. I always thought I go for the bad boys, but I can honestly say this easy going, honest, thoughtful boy won my heart.

This is my first Maureen book (yes I am late to the party and I own all of of them!) and I loved it so much. I can't wait to jump into all the rest of the author's books and I highly recommend this for YA Contemporary fans, foodies and food truck fans as well as people who love quirky self- aware characters.

Maurene Goo delivers solidly readable, humorous titles for the YA library shelves. The diversity is an added bonus. Even if some of the plot twists are fairly evident early on, it is still bound to be a popular checkout.

This was amazing! I envy the relationship Clara has with her dad (who is my favorite character in this book, actually, which never happens). It made me smile and laugh and I worked hard to not cry, which I succeeded at doing! I don't love LA, but this book makes me question that. Maybe I need to go back! Loved this.

I am appalled that I haven’t read Maureen Goo before! She is a gem!

This story had me laughing out loud at Clara’s antics (prom prank, hello!!) meanwhile connecting with her on an emotional level.

Clara lives with her father, while her mom is a social-media influencer. Which means she’s not there a lot and Clara sees her just a few times a year. Also, her dad, I think in a way to compensate, has been a lax parent. Well, when one of Clara’s pranks land her in trouble, her father finally has to lay down the law.

Which results in a summer of enlightenment and hardships, love, and new friendship where Clara least expected it. There is so much character growth with Clara; as well as her nemesis-turned-friend Rose.

I feel like Clara was one of the most realistic teens in YA that I’ve read in a long time. What a breath of fresh air!

I absolutely, positively loved reading Maurene Goo’s The Way You Make Me Feel! Our main girl Clara Shin loves pulling pranks at school, but after one prank goes too far and involves her nemesis, Rose Carver, her plans for her entire summer goes up in flames. Now Clara’s sentenced to work her father’s food truck with none other than Rose herself. Only, maybe Rose isn’t as bad as she thought and a friendship between the two starts to blossom.

Clara would definitely be considered an “unlikable” character, but I loved that part of her and watching her character development over the course of the novel with help from her new bestie Rose and the cute boy Hamlet. Seriously though, Hamlet is so cute and nerdy and sweet and wow there just needs to be more soft boys in YA. Clara’s relationships with each of her parents were great, and I especially loved Clara’s dad—one of the best parents I’ve read in YA. Also, Clara’s mother is an Instagram influencer, which is so current and relevant for today’s teens. The Way You Make Me Feel really did feel like a love letter to LA and I loved the diversity all of the characters. It’s a delightful novel full of friendship, family, growing up, and good food. This book is definitely a summer must-read!

The summer is not going the way Clara pictured, not even a little. After getting into some trouble, her dad decided she needed to straighten up by working in his food truck, the KoBra. But it's not just her, she's stuck working with Rose, a classmate she has nothing in common with. Can she make it through the summer with her identity intact?

The Way You Make Me Feel was a delightful summer romp. The relationship between Clara and Hamlet was seriously cute, and I loved the way Clara's relationships with her dad and Rose grew over the course of the book. Maurene Goo really captured the feelings of summer and of growing up.