I have to be honest, it was hard getting through this book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It was more like I couldn't get inspired to care for the main character. She pities herself so much, and there isn't really much of a reason to pity her in the beginning. She keeps saying that she used to be a big deal, but that doesn't seem like a strong enough reason for her to act so pathetic. She isn't mean or horrible; she just isn't very interesting. The plot device of her traveling into books is really cool, and I think that's what helps the story move along. It's much more plot-driven than character, so if you love books and fantasy, then maybe this book will be enough for you.

I wanted to enjoy this book and I have it a number of chances. I just didn’t connect with the main character, Her over the top personality would have been easier to read in a non-Covid mindset. I’m going to guess it’s me not the book that made this one not work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Shannon Hale's foray into contemporary YA with a bit of a fantastical twist was definitely not like anything I've ever read before. Josie may have peaked into high school, which she dropped out of in her senior year to try to make it on Broadway. Now she's taken a nannying job and moved with the family to Missoula, and isn't quite sure how to construct her life away from her friends, her boyfriend, and her ideas of stardom. We get clear signals that Josie has actual talent and that her dreams are not out of the realm of possibility, but she is also very hard to sympathize with as she dwells on her failures. And when she starts getting sucked into the plots of the books she's reading, how does she define herself? Hale has a lot of interesting ideas in this story, but it did not quite work for me as a reader.

Omg, Shannon Hale, can we be best friends? The plot of this book is basically a dream. Josie Pie is a dream protagonist. When her life is falling apart and her aspirations have landed her nowhere, she literally finds herself in falling into a book over and over again living as the lead in a variety of genres. I absolutely loved the creativity of this book, and Josie Pie’s voice is one I wanted with me far after it was over. It was like a teenage girl version of The Pagemaster with so much more moxie. Something like this could have the likelihood of leaning into hokey territory, but instead it was delightful every step of the way. Thanks so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book I am sure to have students clamoring to read.

I like Shannon Hale because, generally, her characters are sharp and someone tends to have a warm-hearted, somewhat profound, slightly moving revelation before all is said and done. This book had those elements, but didn't come together at all. Also, I didn't like feeling so anxious about Mia.

Characters need further development. Despite being a popular younger readers author, I don’t think it will appeal to Young Adult readers

This was a cute YA contemporary! I enjoyed the foray into different novels and thought the concept was very cool and unique, but I didn’t fully connect with the characters/feel invested in the romance. Still a light, easy read and fun to see Shannon Hale return to YA!

Shannon Hale is all about living one's fantasies in whatever way a person can. In Austenland, this held the book together and the main character comes out stronger for it. In Kind of a Big Deal, the main character lives out her fantasies by falling into various book plots. The teenage angst, fear of becoming an adult, not knowing what the future holds are all believable in Josie, but the resolution of the story is not. This was a disappointing read where I continued until the end in the hopes that it would redeem itself, but sadly, it did not.

In this clever, magical story, Shannon Hale brings to life what could happen if you fall into the world of a book. Josie is a down-on-her-luck nanny who just moved from Broadway aspirations in NYC to Missoula, Montana. When she starts reading the “tawdry romance” she purchased at the quaint local bookstore, she finds herself literally sucked into the book. This is a cute YA novel that is perfect for someone who loves to read!

Advanced readers copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting reading experience...I wasn't sure what genre I was getting into, but I trusted Shannon Hale for a good story and she (mostly) delivered.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute and a quick read but I had a bit higher hopes based on the summary. It fell a little short for my expectations but interesting premise. Thank you netgalley.