i think i do a pretty good job at being able to separate things i would tolerate in reality from things that happen in a book. but for some reason, i just couldnt do it this time. ive read problematic romances before and really enjoyed them. but i just couldnt click with this story.
maybe im just becoming too soft as i grow older and the pent-up angst no longer appeals to me? who knows. but regardless of my lack of connection with the content of story, theres no denying PD can write. so i think i would be willing to give another one of her books a try in the future.

okay, but

This one was just not my cup of tea. I found it a little juvenile even though it had 18+ themes. And yea, it’s a high school romance but I was just over the drama. Heavy triggers with bullying and grief as well so fair warning to those who may be affected.

Pen pals + enemies to lovers? OBSESSED!!!!! This book has everything I love in an enemies to lovers!!! Pen truly gave us angst and tension!!!

this was a super easy smutty read. the characters and their development were good. sometimes, the smut is just too much for me. ryen was a great FMC and her growth was momentous. the ending was shocking! really enjoyed credence much more in my opinion!

I've read a few titles by Penelope Douglas in the past. But I was unable to fully get into this particular book. I did not find the characters or the plot engaging enough for me to want to continue to read.

Misha and Ryen have known each other since fifth grade since they were paired up as pen pals. The thing is that they have never met each other face to face. The arrangement has worked perfectly fine until Misha happens to spot Ryen in person and everything changes.

I have mixed feelings about this story. I genuinely do enjoy a story full of angst and a bit of tension but I think this one was a bit heavy. It is a lot for young adults to be dealing with. At times, both of their personalities are very off putting which made it hard to really like the characters.

Ryen is a bully and she allows a lot to happen around her. Her persona on paper is so different from who she presents herself in person. The contrast makes her unappealing to me. She is young and going through a lot. Misha is no where to be found and she is dealing with Masen (aka Misha). There is a lot to manage between the verbal abuse and personal drama.

The sex between them is explosive. The scenes were explosive and I had a hard time remembering that these characters are supposed to be young adults. I guess the chemistry between them from years and years of getting to know each other spilled out in every word from the author’s pen.

I tend to enjoy the books by the author. This story leans a bit towards darker elements with a hint of taboo. There is edge and sexiness that takes it a different level. Overall, I recommend this story for fans of enemies-to-lovers theme romances.

~ Samantha

Ryen Trevarrow and Misha Lare have been pen pals since the fifth grade. Back in the old days, letter writing was a great way to get to know someone, and these two really get to know each other through their communications. But when they finally meet, they are not really aware of each other as pen pals, and it's like they are two different people. Ryen's personality in the letters is much different than real life, causing all sorts of issues. She's not entirely likable, at least in person. Her behavior throws Misha for a loop and he'll need to deal with it when he ends up in Ryen's school.

There's plenty of teenage angst, high school drama, mistaken identity, rock stars, verbal abuse and steamy scenes. It will make you remember all the bullies you ever encountered in high school. Bullying is a huge theme in this, and it does a good job of showing how bullies create more bullies from the people they bully! This is a book that will definitely provoke some emotions and they may not all be good ones!

This friends-to-enemies story is not for everyone. There are some unrealistic moments, but that was okay for this reader. I wasn't looking for realism. Punk 57 is a darker sort of NA romance and it does straddle the line when it comes to how these two characters treat each other when they are not aware of who they are to each other.

Overall, I thought this was a creative reverse sort of story that hit the mark in spots and didn't in others. It does perpetuate many of the high school myths like mean girls are popular and guys that treat you badly like you. I expected that in this story.

Misha Lare is the blueprint. Even before this book existed - he was the blueprint for the guy every girl with a rebel heart needed to break out of expectations and mediocrity.

Ryan is trapped. By the life that's been built around her and she doesn't know how to break out. Her only freedom was her penpal, someone she could be her real self with. When Misha comes to her school with his own agenda, and amusement for the vandal known as Punk 57, the truth between them comes out: perfect mean girl Ryan was his dream girl penpal. Misha thinks she lied; Ryan knows that she can't let him see the truth. An tense, even cruel, dynamic ensues. But it comes back to one thing; they know each other, see each other, and that connection can't be dimmed by the trappings of their lives.

I love the way Misha and Ryan connect. It's hard not to fall in love with them both, to flashback to your own high school days when all you want to do is scream under the weight of what other people demand of you, and how it feels to find and embrace freedom. It's a perfect albeit exaggerated capture of teen rebellion, first and ultimately true love, and the power of confrontation.

Penelope Douglas made magic with this book.

I enjoyed the pen pal aspect of this book. I'm always a sucker for a relationship that begins through letter writing. Misha and Ryen were set up as pen pals by their 5th-grade teachers and decided to keep writing to each other even after the school project ended. They both agreed not to look the other up and to keep things somewhat anonymous. However, Misha finds a picture of a girl named Ryen online and decides he has to meet her but what he doesn't expect is to dislike what he finds. Ryen has not received a letter from Misha in 3 months and is worried and despite the radio silence she is determined not to give up on him. When a new student shows up at her school and is somehow able to push all her buttons in just the right way. She can't deny her attraction to him but at the same time, she cannot stop thinking about Misha.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ms. Douglas for the opportunity to read this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

I never read this when it was originally self-published, so I can't really say what has changed from then to this re-release. I will say this, though: these are two characters that have to grow on you. They are extremely hard to like at first. I'm pretty much over bully romance books but this one gave the usual formula a twist, having the female character be a bully too. Frankly that's so much more realistic. I recall plenty of mean girls from high school. I would really like to think that some of them have changed for the better since then, maybe even thought about the misery they caused others. Who knows. It's hard to judge a teenager on her lack of maturity at this point. Thinking back I can distinctly recall plenty of things I did that make me absolutely cringe now.

This is not a healthy relationship and both these teenagers (from my dinosaur perspective) are just kind of assholes. Props to them though for making some individual strides towards growth. Particularly Ryen. So anyways I'm glad they're happy but this just reiterated for me that bully books aren't really my scene. I remember really liking birthday girl by Ms. Douglas, so maybe I'll try something else she's written that doesn't involve the bully trope.

I love Penelope Douglas’ books and was so glad to have received a copy of Punk 57 to review. Compared to Devil’s Night, this book is less dark and very wholesome. I really loved the story that Douglas wrote as there is so much healing and personal development that the MCs have. The storyline was unique and entertaining and I read this book fairly quickly. The pacing is fast in a high school seeing of Thunder Bay (setting of Devil’s Night). If you have read the first book of Devil’s Night, I believe readers will enjoy reading this book. This book is told from dual povs of Ryen and Misha.

Ryen and Misha have been pen pals for 7 years until one begins to stop replying. Ryen wants real friends and to be loved but has to put a fake personality. Misha is trying to get answers but begins to fall in love. I enjoyed both of their characters and how their chemistry was built. They developed a lot in this book with their personal self and with each other. There are many side characters, most who I’ve hated because they were mean but we get to meet some fan favorites. The romance is pen pal, friends to enemies to lovers, and bully romance with some steamy scenes.

The ending was well done and I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written and there hasn’t been a book by Penelope that I haven’t loved. Their story is amazing and I love every book they have written especially Birthday Girl. I recommend checking this book out because it’s really great and deserves the hype.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Punk 57 is such a great high school romance! Penelope Douglas always setting the standard and does the same here as well. Punk 57 is Ryen and Mishas story and it’s perfect from start to finish. Penelope does such a great job of depicting the struggles of fitting in at high school. I also found their story to be really unique as they were pen pals for the longest and he also hated her character. It really sets itself apart from other high school romances. I loved Ryne’s character. She felt so realistic to me and I related to her POV so much. Ryen is definitely a flawed character but that’s what makes her great. Misha was equally great as well.

This book really drew me in and several unknowns about the characters, their relationship, and their motivations kepye reading. I finished it in one day! It covers some tough topics and took me back to what it was like to be in those final years of high school, trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be moving forward. It was tough to read in some ways, but also really compelling. Ryen and Misha's relationship was complex, but also simple in the way that relationships are when you're young. This was a satisfying readand my first time reading anything written by Douglas. I'll definitely read more of her work now!

This was my first Penelope Douglas book, and if I had to choose which of her books to begin with again, I would choose Punk 57 every single time.

This story has everything I love from Penelope Douglas, and dark-ish romance in general.
-well-rounded characters
-intense tension
-actual suspense over what will happen between the love interests
-relatable characters in somewhat unrealistic situations

I liked everything about this book, and It was a really nice in- between from ultra-predictable cozy romance and very dark romance.

Not sure why a lot of this reminded me of my high school minus the main characters plot line.
This is about two pen pals who finally meet but only one of them figures it out, the other is blissfully unaware. Fast forward there is someone who is vandalizing the school and of course there’s a new bad boy at the school.
When the most popular girl in school starts hanging out with the bad boy, can she finally be herself?

This was a fun read but please check Tw/CW!
I did like the twist at the end the whole time I was thinking something completely different and I was genuinely surprised. 3.5

Read if you like:
🖤 Dark Romances
🌶️ Lots of Spice
🗣️ Conflict
🧬 Soulmates

This one is spicyyyyyyyy & I am here for it!!!! I’ve been slowly reading more spicy books and more romance with darker themes and I can completely see why this book became a sensation and why Berkley is publishing it now!

If you want a fated/soulmates kind of vibe with intense scenes I highly recommend this one after checking TWs!

Thank you so so so much Berkley for publishing this spicy masterpiece!

Punk 57 is my favorite book by author Penelope Douglas.

The pen pals portion was fun to read their letters and see their friendship grow through the years. Misha and Ryen are explosive together, and I loved watching them banter and bicker and enjoy each other. The story had some darker themes, but overall this is a steamy and fast-paced romance.

There are some triggers: bullying, death of a sibling, drug use, parental abandonment and neglect.

Really loved this romance!

Another great read by Penelope Douglas! This one has sat on my tbr for a while and I’m now kicking myself for waiting so long to read it! I was hooked from the moment I started this one! I didn’t want to put it down, so much so I had to get the audio! I really enjoyed the narrators in this one!! I will say this one was pretty spicy for high schoolers! This one took lots of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming! There were many moments when I got caught up feeling the feels in this one! You also get some surprise appearances from some past favorite characters. I wasn’t ready for this one to end!!! Overall a fantastic read that I definitely recommend!!

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas offers a captivating premise: two penpals who have corresponded for years, only to discover that their long-awaited meeting falls short of their expectations. The narrative delves into the complexities of their relationship, exploring themes of bullying and intense tension.

I chose this because of the popularity on TikTok... New Adult is not the genre for me. I felt no connection to the characters, they felt shallow and mean.