Wednesday Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Please Send Help. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Please Send Help continues the saga of lifelong friends Ava and Gen, as they suffer through the pitfalls of being separated by miles. Their internships are in different cities in different states, so the pair provide each other a running commentary on their daily lives. In between the quips and the sarcasm, the real friendship of Ava and Gen takes shape.

The first book, I Hate Everyone But You, was unique in its format, as Gen and Ava communicate via text message and emails. Unfortunately, Please Send Help is more of the same and, with the newness worn off, the story becomes stagnant. There is nothing really new here, so readers of the first book with not discover anything earth shattering. Please Send Help was a quick read that may appeal, in particular, to those who meet the target demographic. Texting and social media loving teens will enjoy the banter between friends, especially because of the familiarity of the chosen communication format.

Please Send Help made me smile and was a super quick read. I really enjoyed the banter between Ava and Gen, and it was clear they knew each other really well. Their conversations felt realistic and their situations were relatable. They had their disagreements and fights, but those never lasted very long. Their friendship was more important to them than whatever they were fighting about, and I liked how self-aware they seemed to be. They apologized when they did something wrong, and they were quick to forgive for the sake of their friendship.

I've rewritten this paragraph ten times trying not be too spoilery, but I feel like it's an aspect that should be addressed. Okay, eleventh time's the charm... one of the characters has sex and gets more than they bargained for (stop here if you don't want specifics). I think it's great the author's chose to address sexually transmitted diseases, because it's something that real people deal with every day. It's also not a topic I've personally come across while reading YA, likely because it's not an issue most people want to discuss. I thought it was handled well and offered a different perspective.

I liked the overall story, and seeing how the two main characters progressed over time, but I never felt connected to them. They're both struggling with serious issues (mental health, alcoholism, depression, anxiety), and I wish those things had been expanded on a little more. I appreciate what they authors were trying to do, but I also felt overwhelmed my how much was going on throughout the book. It was like they tried to take every touchy subject and cram them all into one book (therapy, boss hitting on an intern, LGBTQ, homelessness, corruption in politics, family bias in business, a ménage, plus the things I mentioned earlier, and others I've already forgotten).

As far as connecting with the characters... it's just hard to do when you're only reading text messages and emails. There's very little depth to those, and we don't really see how the characters are feeling, just what they say they're feeling (and we all know that our perceptions of ourselves can be a little skewed). It also felt like the topics were all over the place, and sometimes I got lost in their conversations.

Please Send Help was an interesting read that I often found humorous, although I wish it had delved deeper into the characters and their individual stories. Also, the ending felt rushed and a little too convenient. There's an epilogue that's super short, but somehow manages to tie all of the loose ends together. Maybe if this had been more than just conversations, it would have worked better for me, but in the end I felt like the story just stopped without really going anywhere (a problem I seem to be having with a lot of books lately). It didn't feel open-ended, just open.

Side note: I didn't read the first book, but I don't think you need to.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on July 16, 2019.

PLEASE SEND HELP is a charming and raw sequel to Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin's I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU. It follows Ava and Gen as they enter the world of post-college first jobs in New York and Florida. I love the continuation of the formatting of e-mails and texts to tell the story and the dialogue is as hilarious as ever.

It's great seeing how these characters have matured in both their lives and in their friendship. PLEASE SEND HELP managed to avoid so much of the drama that irked me in the first book and a lot of that is thanks to the incredible development we have seen both of these characters have made since I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU. I felt so proud of Ava and Gen as a reader as they struggled with more issues in young adulthood but stayed true to themselves and continued to find out what is important to them. You can tell that these characters have settled into their relationship more and know that nothing can tear them apart. They're doing their best and I love that.

Sensitive issues are handled with humor and with heart and I think the authors managed to walk the line there with few bumps in the road. The settings of NY and FL were explored well, although a bit dramatized, and gave great life to the story - almost acting as characters themselves. The secondary characters were eclectic while also being true to the type of people you find yourself around when you're exiting college and entering the world. It was awesome to see how their relationships with these new characters helped Ava and Gen continue to learn.

I would highly recommend PLEASE SEND HELP to anyone who has read I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU. But honestly, you could probably read this book without reading the first one and it would still be enjoyable! But with the context of I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU in mind, it's great to see how Ava and Gen have grown and continue to evolve.

P.S. - As someone trapped in Florida, I related to Gen so much. This is the most real: "I’m clearly flourishing in my isolation. Florida is my new natural habitat. Humidity is cleansing! The constant threat of a gator attack is thrilling! Our governor is probably only homophobic as a bit! That last one is probably too optimistic."

4 stars!

Please send Help by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin is the 2nd book in the I Hate Everyone But You series. I really enjoyed this book, I often found myself laughing out loud. I did not read the first book in the series, but did not feel lost. This whole book is made up of texts and email between two best friends. Ava and Gen, one located in Florida, the other in New York City. One is rich with supportive parents, the other one has dysfunctional parents. One is straight the other is gay, bi, or both. I did not love every word of this book, but isn't that how it is between friends? There were times I want to shake both of them, and yell, wake up. I am so glad I read this book, and I will be going back to read the 1st book in the series, I hate everyone but you. I highly recommend this quarks book for an unique read.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

In theory, Please Send Help is a story I would love. It’s an epistolary novel about two best friends right out of college who have to figure out their path into the world. However, this book really did not work for me on a number of levels.


Please Send Help CoverIn this hilarious follow-up novel to the New York Times bestseller I Hate Everyone But You, long distance best friends Ava and Gen have finally made it to the same time zone (although they’re still over a thousand miles apart).

Through their hilarious, sometimes emotional, but always relatable conversations, Ava and Gen are each other’s support systems through internships, relationship troubles, questionable roommates, undercover reporting, and whether or not it’s a good idea to take in a feral cat. Please Send Help perfectly captures the voice of young adults looking to find their place in the world and how no matter how desperate things seem, you always have your best friend to tell it like it is and pick you back up.(Goodreads)
Goodreads

Please Send Help needs trigger warnings for discussions of alcoholism, heavy drinking in the main character, catfishing, homophobia, sex without disclosing STD, sex with direct supervisor, and shitty bosses.

I’d like to start with what I liked about Please Send Help. The voices in both main characters really felt like they were two women who’d just graduated college. They were young and true to themselves, even if I didn’t actually like either of them. They were both entirely self-centered and didn’t actually listen to each other even though they didn’t really ask for advice from anyone else that might have been able to help.

I liked the conversation about STDs that they had, and that it turned out well enough for Ava. I also liked that her parents were like “well, okay, here’s how we can help. What do you need?” It was wonderful.

Everything Gen did just made me want to ask her “what the fuck?” Like, literally everything. Ava was a more reasonable person, but neither of them were very good for each other. That was my main issue with this book. It was about how they were supposed to be perfect friends for each other because they both screw up, but honestly, even around the screw ups they weren’t good friends to each other.

I really didn’t love the entire plotline with Coralee. Gen basically outed her at a party with her boyfriend and then had a threesome and expected them to invite her to stay the night. Then she threw a lamp, and then threw away her entire career. It’s a whole mess. I honestly do not recommend this book unless you’re into very, very immature adults making terrible life choices.


ABOUT PLEASE SEND HELP
Title: Please Send Help

Series: I Hate Everyone But You Book 2

Author: Gaby Dunn, Alison Raskin

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Length: 320 Pages

Release Date: July 16, 2019

Rating: Not Recommended

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Fiction

Representation: queer main character, character with STDs

I didn't like this book as well as I liked the first one, but I did like Ava better in this book. She definitely came into her own and had more of a unique voice. I didn't feel Gen changed at all, and that's terrible considering this book takes place during their first year post college.

There's so much of a double standard in these books I don't even know where to start. Everything liberal = good and desirable, everything even faintly conservative = bad and terrible. How dare a church run homeless shelter not allow two lesbians to share a twin bed there! (No, I don't believe in conversion therapy, but that part of the book was super muddled, especially since the authors picked on the Methodist church, and if they had done ANY research they would know that the Methodists are probably one of the most gay friendly denominations out there). So many of Gen's views are hypocritical, and that's what she blames everyone else of being throughout both books.

I know lots of people don't like the format, but I love epistolary books and find them fast, fun reads. I think if the authors would have stuck with the humorous, more endearing parts of these books rather than trying to cram an agenda down readers' throats, these would have been much more enjoyable reads overall and I would have been able to recommend them to people. As it is, unless you are a firm believer in the kool-aid these authors are promoting, I don't think you'll enjoy these books very much.

First things first: When I requested this book from NetGalley, I had no idea it was a sequel. Despite my qualms, I decided to read it anyway, and I"m glad I did. While it might have been nice to have read the first book, not having read it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this cute, quirky, quick read. (More on this later...)

<em>Please Send Help</em> is written entirely in texts and emails between two best friends, Ava and Gen. Recent college grads, both are now facing grown-up life as they pursue their career dreams. Ava, in New York, is interning with a comedy show, dying to gain real-life experience as a writer while working her (unpaid) butt off. Gen, in Florida, is trying to break into serious journalism, but the only job she could find is at a small-town newspaper with nothing much at all to cover and no room for advancement at the family-run paper.

Ava and Gen have history together, and their bond is immediately apparent. Ava is coping with anxiety that stops her in her tracks from time to time, and because of Ava's previous experiences related to mental health, Gen tends to worry about her well-being -- especially once Ava gets disastrously involved with her older boss, who's so clearly a player who preys on young interns. Meanwhile, Gen is bi, out and proud, from a dysfunctional family and with no parental support whatsoever, trying to find connections as well as a juicy story in a backwards, socially conservative town where she has no chance of fitting in.

I loved the humor of the texts. Both Ava and Gen are wickedly, crassly funny, even when freaking out, making absurd decisions, or talking about insane events in their lives.
<blockquote>Tabby finally gave in to her gluttony and came inside. I jumped up and shut the door. She did NOT like that but I have put vodka on all of my scratches so I'm sure I'm fine.</blockquote>
These two are definitely not perfect. But they get one another, and they're there for one another -- and even when they ignore good advice or act out in particularly questionable ways, they still are there to comfort, pick each other up, and kick a little ass if that's what needed to shake some reality into each other's minds and hearts.

Genre/library shelf-wise, I'm not quite sure where I'd put this one. NetGalley lists it as teen/YA, but since the characters are 22-ish (I think), I wouldn't have thought to consider this young adult. (Side note -- why are young adult novels mostly about teens and not about actual young adults -- which is what Ava and Gen are?) So sure, put it on the YA shelf if you want, but just know that it's about women in their 20s figuring out life, sex, STDs, and more. Not what I'd typically consider teen fare!

<em>Please Send Help</em> is heaps of fun. I'm glad I wasn't put off by finding out it's book #2. Now that I've finished it, I think I'll try to track down the first book (<em>I Hate Everyone But You</em>, set during Ava and Gen's college years). I'd imagine that the topics of the girls' families, mental health, sexuality, and more are explored in greater depth in that book, whereas here they're mostly backstory to the struggle to be independent and start a career and a life in a new city.

BUT, please don't feel that you can't read <em>Please Send Help</em> without reading the first book! <em>Please Send Help</em> works perfectly well as a standalone. I'm living proof that you can read this book without any prior knowledge of the characters and their stories. I really did feel like I got to know Ava and Gen through this book, and would love to hear what happens next in their lives! *fingers crossed for a book #3*

Ava and gen have graduated from college and taken up their first "real" jobs, but they still live thousands of miles apart. There are more relationship antics, office drama, and attempts to find oneself in this book, and I had a really good time reading it! Gen and Ava are distinct characters and it was good to see Ava make some Gen-like mistakes and Gen to make some Ava-like concerned decisions. A great slice of life story from the perspective of two very different 22 year olds. I don't think the ending sets itself up for a third book, but I would love to see more from these characters!

3.5 stars
I had a good time reading the first book in this series, and as continued fans of Gaby and Allison I was intrigued by the next book. This one was unfortunately not quite as good as the first one, but I did still enjoy reading it.

The choice to age them up so much for this second book was unexpected. I thought it would've been fun to read a book where they are comfortable in their college experiences and to see them deal with sophomore/junior year. It also might have helped the feeling of "missing out" you kind of get with this book. Gen and Ava reference a bunch of things that happened in between this book and the last that we never got to see, and that coupled with the fact that this is completely told in emails/instant messages where we are told things after the fact just makes you feel a bit removed from the story.

As for the characters themselves, I appreciated their diversity where both of them are Jewish & Ava deals with anxiety and depression, while Genevieve is bisexual. However, Genevieve is kind of the worst? I don't remember being quite so annoyed with her in the first book, but in this one HOO boy. The way she treats Ava is so annoying and hypocritical, and her level of self sabotage is something else. Both scenarios the characters were put in were kind of ridiculous, but I could believe Ava's to some extent. Gen literally moves a homeless person INTO HER HOUSE!? Which to be honest made for a fun reading experience but also the words "what the heck" were just playing in a loop as I was reading.

Overall while this does deal with some heavier topics this was a fun, light, read with a bit ridiculousness added for *charm*. If you liked the first one, I say continue on although you might not love this one. If you didn't like the first one, probably skip it.

More like a 3.5 star read. I thought this was a fun read and I loved the focus on friendship, especially long-distance friendships. I also loved the email/text format, which made the book a really quick read. My primary issue was that I didn't realize this book was a sequel until I started reading. I still enjoyed Ava and Gen very much, but I felt like I was missing some of their backstory, etc. Please Send Help is definitely readable without having read the first book, but I think I would have felt more of a connection with them if I had read it.

Upon first looking at this book; the title and what it was about, I was thinking it would’ve been more of a Mental Health’s contemporary kind of thing… which is not. I also wasn’t prepared for this book to be entirely written on the email & text-messaging format; which I do like however, as it make it easier and quicker to read.

However, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get myself to move on much onto the book.. even if I do kinda relate to the MCs as I did move out 3hours away from my bestfriend before attending High school; we did just that. Though in our time it wasn’t emails; but texts, MSN chatting (boy is that old..) and videochats – we even mailed each other a letter every month of all that we doodled while in class.

The book in itself was not a bad book, I would’ve been able to finish it.. and I do plan to come back to it, it’s not a throw-onto-the-dnf-not-to-be-seen-again case here; it’s just that i’m being a mood reader and what I really feel like reading at the moment isn’t that specifically ..

Ava and Gen, first introduced in Dunn and Raskin's I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU have graduated from college and are trying to make it in the real world. Ava is an intern with a late night talk show in New York City and Gen is the newest reporter at a tiny local newspaper in Florida.

While the authors grapple with some interesting issues of adulthood, graduating from college, family financial stability and how it impacts the first choices we make out of college, and work relationships, this would not be a popular one with younger teens. It feels much more like New Adult than YA. The banter between the two characters is entertaining and the references are numerous and relevant, but neither Gen nor Ava is terribly likable, particularly if you haven't already read I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU.

If you enjoyed "I Hate Everyone But You" then you'll enjoy this one too.

Here Ava and Gen are fresh out of college, entering the real world older and (a little bit) wiser than before. As this period of life is a little fresher to me than being a college freshman, I was able to relate to their struggles this go-round a little better. I continue to love the themes of female empowerment, queer issues, money issues, and of course friendship. Hope this series keeps going!

Okay, let me leave you out of suspense…. Five stars! I am absolutely in LOVE with Please Send Help! I read I Hate Everyone But You from the public library a year or so ago, and when I saw this title on Netgalley, I knew that I had to request this book before I chickened out and convinced myself I wouldn’t get it! My favourite characters are back, baby, and they have even more of life’s hurdles thrown at them than before!

Let’s start with their relationship! In any novel, there is some point where you go “what? But that’s so unrealistic!?” Well, not here, folks! Ava and Gen remind me too much of myself, and my friend Beth, I’ll leave you to figure out who is who, though. I mean, I’m definitely not the one that overthinks while Beth is telling me to just chillax and live my life, and to be young while I can. Pfft. I felt that Ava and Gen have matured as characters, but not so much that I have lost who they were from IHEBU. Their relationship has stayed so true to what I remember, and can I say realistic one more time?

I am still surprised by the fact that I can be so totally invested in a story and two (and more) characters by a set of emails and texts? IOn theory, the writing would get boring and monotonous but I just felt that the book was so easy to read, and entertaining! I found that the emails and texts gave me more insight to characters than dialogue would. Especially because it is easier to A) Ignore people B) Say things to them and C) Lie when you don’t have to see them.

If it’s not obvious already, you need to go read this book, and make sure that you don’t skip "I Hate Everyone but You" in the process! The characters and relationships and writing style and levels of realistic interactions were all executed so well! I will be rereading this in the very near future!

firstly I would like to say thank you to net galley fo approving my request of this book. very grateful

this book is a sequel to Gaby Dunn's and Alison Raskin's book I hate everyone but you, I really enjoyed that book and the format of the story that it is in, which The form of writing is in texts and emails back and forth between two friends who have been best friends since forever and they are called Ava and Genevieve. sadly for me this second book wasn't as good as the first book and I just wasn't really connecting to this story as much as the first book. for me at points throughout this book I just didn't like some of the things both of the characters were saying in some parts and I just wasn't really feeling the story aswell which is a shame because I was very excited to read this book .

in this story I just found the characters not likeable at all yes at points I did enjoy but most of the time they both just seemed to be really petty at points and even though they were both in college they both acted way younger in some aspects definitely in the romantic relationships they go through in this book, I definitely was more fond of Ava than Gen because I could understand Ava's issues but most of the time she just didn't listen to Get when she was given her advice aswell.

one part I did like is that even though this friendship is definitely not the best in many ways with how Ava and Gen treat each other I did like that in the end the friendship overided the romantic interests because there is nothing worse when the character has been friends with someone for so many years and then once a guy comes into there lives they ditch the friend, I'm so happy that that didn't happen and the friendship ruled in the end.

overall this book is a 3 stars it was a okay quick read that was a bit disappointing aswell.

In the second installment of this series, I continue to be impressed by how Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin manage to tackle some pretty serious, important content while still producing hilariously funny, lighthearted books.

I was initially made aware of these books after listening to Gaby give an interview on the Glowing Up podcast, immediately thinking, where can I find more from this fantastic woman? That led me to the Just Between Us podcast, hosted by Dunn with Raskin, who co-authors this series. The podcast is a bit up and down, but it pointed me toward these books, for which I’ll be forever grateful.

Gen and Ava’s story takes on a lot of heavy topics, but the tone mostly remains light. This book (like it’s predecessor) is also incredibly heartwarming without being sappy or precious.

Having learned a bit about the authors through their podcast and other media, it’s clear that Gen and Ava are autobiographical to an extent. Generally speaking, I tend to hate when authors put too much “me” into a book, but Dunn and Raskin have managed it flawlessly.

Here’s my only gripe: We jump from first semester of college in the first book all the way to post-graduation in the second book. Which means we could have had like 7 more of these in between. Allison and Gaby, I won’t be mad if you want to go back and fill in the details on what I’ll refer to in the mean time as “Gen and Ava: The Lost Years.”

I love these books. They are just so honest and refreshing and fun. The format (texts and emails) is appealing to reluctant readers, and although some of the subject matter (this one includes discussions regarding casual sex, STDs, and minor drug use) is much too mature for my middle school students, I know many high school students (and adults) that would enjoy Ava and Gen and the hi-jinks that fill their lives. They both have hilarious voices and senses-of-humor, and yet they are easy to tell apart while reading.

There are also some really timely topics addressed, as well: LGBTQ rights, gender equality and sexual harassment in the workplace, and class/economic status discrepancies. And though they are serious issues addressed in emotional ways, they don't take away from the light, fun tone of the novel.

I am SO hoping that there will be a third book featuring Ava and Gen--but I'm not sure what that would look like based on the ending of this one.

I didn't read the first one, so maybe that's why I didn't relate to the characters?
I did like the format, I like a switch up from time to time, but overall I struggled to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Please Send Help by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin
Overview: Ava and Gen have been friends forever, and now they're long distance friendshiping (finally in the same time zone at least). In this story told through emails and texts, Ava and Gen offer each other moral support as they traverse the ups and downs of life at 22. Overall: 4

Characters: 4 Ava and Gen both have a lot going on in their lives, and they handle these situations with varying degrees of success. Ava is living in New York working at a late night show. Office politics take her anxiety to new heights, and she makes her fair share of mistakes. What I really liked about Ava, though, was that no matter how catastrophic the scenario was or how overdramatic she got, she was always able to put a new spin on the bad things in a way that was not peppy and sort of annoying but refreshingly realistic.
Gen, on the other hand, is a lot more out there. While Ava navigated a lot of more practical situations, Gen moves to Florida to work at a conservative newspaper that is nothing like her extroverted, bisexual self. In her attempts to make herself feel more at home, she bounces from outlandish activity to outlandish activity. I never really got to connect with her because her plot lines were so over exaggerated.
I also love that sprinkled in with the villains in their respective lives they both found great friends to help keep them grounded when a hug couldn't be sent via text.

Plot: 4 This book is wacky and out there, and that's something that took me a minute to get used to. Gen's plot feels like it bounces from fighting the newspaper to the bar to the cat she took in off the street without taking to the vet first. While the early twenties period of life seems to be marked by instability and mistakes, Gen's story seemed to be reduced to very little to play it up for laughs.
I really enjoyed Ava though. She's taking on the big city totally lost and full of anxiety. She navigates pitfalls and bumps in the road with some dramatics but also a centered core from office romance gone wrong to a bad boss to feeling isolated and out of place.
I do love how the story revolves around a really strong friendship that exists purely over the internet. I feel like a lot of friendships get invalidated if you can't see each other often, but technology really has allowed friendships to overcome distance and even make people closer.
Also, I've seen conflicting things about whether this is a standalone or a sequel (I've seen both), and I think reading the first book would offer a lot more context about their college time, but if you haven't read the first one yet (like me), you'll be totally fine.

Writing: 3.5 Firstly, I really loved the format. It fit with their comedic style very well and quickened the pace. I also like how comfortable the friendship feels. They have amazing chemistry, and I love how it's centered on them navigating their separate lives together instead of all about their tumultuous friendship. It's also great that they were able to address some serious issue without making the book sad. Ava embraces her life and learns to be more comfortable with herself. There's discussions of finances, alcoholism, STDs, and mental health in a way that's respectful of the gravity but not overwhelming.
My only negative note was that at the beginning, I found myself struggling with some of the sort of off comments that the characters say. There were some demeaning things about mental health and other topics that made me almost put the book down and decide it wasn't my thing. Luckily, as the book progressed, that issue seemed to disappear.
Finally, I do want to say that it excites me so much to see books with older characters stepping into the adult world for the first time. While I don't see 22 as YA (since it's become synonymous as teen), as this is being billed, I'm excited to see that Wednesday is making space in their line up for books with college/just out of college characters. Hopefully, if these stories do well, we'll see enough of them to finally build a category of its own.

I struggled to interpret an actual plot to this one other than the fact that it examines long distance relationships. I just don't think the format really worked for me. I found the characters t0 be stereotypical and the same old same old. Although, it does put some good themes out there to discuss such as homophobia in religion, coping with anxiety, LGBTQ+ homelessness, STIs, etc.