This was a really fun book, I liked the way it was written and structured. With the rise of social media profiles and blogs, it felt like I was reading an online post and being stuck because I didn’t want to miss a post. I understood Sydney’s character a lot, freshman year is hard and she handled her challenges as best as she could. I can’t lie, I thought X was Zion - I was completely wrong 🤣.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. From the description — told through social media, texts, etc. — I assumed the formatting of the book would be really innovative and unique, and that’s what made me want to read it. However, most of the book was blog posts which read like regular 1st person narration and therefore didn’t feel like a fresh way of telling a story. The story itself is basic — girl “finds herself” during her first year of college — so the style of the storytelling is what could have set it apart, but it fell short.

Love in 280 Characters or Less was a really fascinating read. I really loved the format of this book! The combination of hearing about Sydney’s life through her own eyes and then through her social presence & text messages is a fascinating one. It really showed the difference between the things we share with the world versus the things we keep to ourselves.

There is also something so touching and meaningful about the friendship between Syd and Malcolm. Going away to a different college from your best friend is something I know I’m not alone in experiencing, and I really felt that this book captured that experience so well. I was so happy to see their friendship hold up throughout the story, even through their tough times.

I would be remiss to not speak about the powerful conversations between Sydney and others about the Black Lives Matter movement and the role of race in everyday life. As a white woman, I have an inherent privilege in not experiencing some of the racially charged pain that Sydney and her peers go through in this story. I’m grateful that this book showcased tough conversations and continued to inspire dialogue about race and the oftentimes casual racism that many black men and women experience.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

While I adored the concept of reading this through text messages, it was a bit slow for me. I preferred a different ending, but I get why it went this way. Watching a young Black woman trying to make her way through freshman year was amazing. It’s tough being away from home for the first time, trying to meet new people and adjusting to your new reality, while also trying to manage the expectations placed upon you. The texting was a bit… awkward because it read more like a face-to-face conversation. In fairness, it’s how I type my text messages, but not how you would expect an 18-year-old to text. Sydney was a phenomenal main character. She was realistic and relatable. I adored Malcolm. The way this was written makes it easy to breeze through this. It’s a little over 300 pages, but a quick read. The book isn’t in Kindle Unlimited, so I recommend buying it (preferably) from your local indie bookstore or requesting it from your local library.

I thought this was a cute YA/First year of college coming of age story about an aspiring writer who finds joy through her twitter account where she connects anonymously with a boy who she hopes is her new IRL crush. Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Elise Bryant. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ravynn K. Stringfield’s “Love in 280 Characters or Less” is a refreshing, heartfelt coming-of-age YA book (may be considered NA with the characters being in college) that captures the beauty, confusion, and vulnerability of a young Black woman stepping into her own power for the first time. Told entirely through blog posts, tweets, emails, and text messages, this inventive storytelling format feels modern, lively, and incredibly authentic—perfectly mirroring the experience of growing up in a digital world.

The story follows Sydney Ciara as she embarks on her freshman year at Coastal Virginia University (CVU). With her best friend Malcolm now miles away at another school, Sydney is both thrilled and terrified by the freedom ahead of her. She leans into her love of writing and fashion, chronicling her new experiences online—where she connects with a mysterious Twitter user, YoungPrinceX, and flirts with the possibility of both online and real-world romance. Meanwhile, she meets Xavier, a fellow student whose charm (and comic book gifts) catch her attention IRL.

Sydney’s journey is one of growth on every level. She struggles with balancing family expectations (a law career her mother envisions) against her own passions, discovers the power and pitfalls of having an online platform, and wrestles with complicated emotions surrounding friendship, activism, and love. Stringfield handles heavy themes—identity, race, activism, and self-doubt—with nuance and warmth, without ever losing the hopeful, sometimes messy energy of a teenager figuring it all out.

The story’s structure—while creative and fun—can sometimes lead to small moments of confusion, especially early on as the timeline hops around. However, once the rhythm sets in, it’s easy to become immersed in Sydney’s world. The format also occasionally skips over emotional beats (for instance, some developments in Sydney’s relationships feel a little sudden), but the overall emotional resonance more than makes up for these small gaps.

The book is a celebration of Black girls finding their voices, choosing themselves, and embracing their passions. It’s also a thoughtful meditation on the pressures of visibility: when Sydney’s personal blog post about a racially charged incident goes viral, she grapples with the unintended consequences of being seen—and the assumption that she must become a voice for others, when all she wanted was to speak for herself.

Overall, “Love in 280 Characters or Less” is a vibrant, deeply relatable story about finding your place, your people, and your voice in a noisy world. Stringfield captures the emotional highs and lows of freshman year—and of growing up—with honesty, humor, and heart. Perfect for fans of contemporary YA that feels modern and real, this book will especially resonate with readers who love stories about creativity, self-discovery, and the complicated, beautiful mess of becoming yourself. Add it to your summer reading list!

I love the premise of this book , finding yourself in this coming of age book! The blog post style was definitely a fun style of reading. It was a thought provoking read and I enjoyed my time reading it!

I absolutely loved this book.
I love the format.
I love the plot.
I love the characters.
This is the perfect novel for anyone that’s learning themselves and the world around them.
Or anyone who simply loves words whether that reading or writing. It’s a true tribute to self discovery and a passion for writing!

This book wasn’t bad I just had a really hard time getting into it. I thought I would really like the blog & tweets (there was a time when I was younger when I would only read books written in journal or letter format) but it pulled me out of the story. I had a hard time connecting to any of the other characters other than Syd.

I will be checking out other books that the author writes.

Love in 280 characters or Less by Ravynn K. Springfield is a comforting coming of age that puts readers into a cozy, yet adventurous mind while reading!

https://www.tiktok.com/@reading.with.madds/video/7491828039236521258?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Arc Review:

Such a powerful and quick read! I loved how this story was told through multiple media posts! A very thought provoking yet light hearted read!

This book felt like scrolling through my own memories of freshman year..... awkward, sweet, confusing. Sydney Ciara is such a relatable main character, trying to figure out college, love, and who she is, both online and IRL. The blog posts and messages made it feel super personal, like I was reading her diary. And as someone who loves fashion and spends way too much time online, I felt seen. If you’re into stories with Black love, digital romance, and a little bit of mystery, you’ll fly through this one.

Love in 280 Characters or Less by Ravynn K. Stringfield is a delightful coming-of-age story that is both refreshing and relatable. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book. Where was this novel when I was in college? I could have really used it!

The story follows Sydney Ciara Warren, a young woman navigating the complexities of college life, identity, and self-discovery. Stringfield does an outstanding job capturing Sydney's voice—it's authentic, relatable, and brimming with raw honesty. I found myself quickly drawn to Sydney's journey, especially since the author cleverly incorporates modern communication platforms like Twitter, texting, and blog posts into the narrative. These elements are not just a gimmick but are deeply integrated into the way Sydney processes her world. It’s refreshing to see how these forms of communication add a unique layer to the storytelling.

What stands out most about Love in 280 Characters or Less is that it's less about romance and more about personal growth. While there are moments of connection and even some budding relationships, the heart of the story is Sydney’s quest to find herself. I appreciated that Stringfield focused on this aspect of college life—how it’s often less about falling in love and more about navigating the chaos of becoming who you are meant to be.

This book is perfect for anyone heading off to college or for those feeling a little lost in life, wondering what direction to take next. It's an empowering reminder that figuring out who you are doesn't need to happen on anyone else’s timeline.

I’d highly recommend Love in 280 Characters or Less to anyone looking for a heartfelt, authentic story about self-discovery, identity, and the messy, beautiful process of growing up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my first ever ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

This book was told from the perspective of freshman, Sydney through texts, blog posts, emails, etc. Because of this, the book moved at a relatively quick pace and you don't have to wait to get far along in the book before getting to know the main character really well. Personally, this formatting of storytelling is not my vibe and I think this factor is what led to me giving this title the rating that I did.

I really appreciated the journey Ravynn took us on alongside Sydney as she navigated her first year of college. Ravynn did a great job of encapsulating the joys and excitements of starting a new chapter while also realistically showcasing the nervousness and awkwardness that can also come with starting fresh and finding your footing in a new environment.

While the formatting is not one that I typically would choose to explore, Love in 280 Characters or Less was an engaging read that kept me entertained throughout.

I've really enjoyed this story. I love books told through non-traditional formats, and seeing both personal and private blog posts, Twitter DMs and feeds, and texts really built up a story of someone struggling to adjust to their first semester of college. What Syd goes through is so realistic. I struggled to find my own place those first few weeks of college, and it's so hard to make friends and put yourself out there. This captured that feeling perfectly in a way I haven't seen in other books following people in college, and I really believe it's because of the format used. The run of consciousness thing with the Tweet threads, how vulnerable Syd gets in her private blog posts, especially considering how open she is with the public ones, it just really worked to get across the difficulties of adjusting to a new environment and finding your place.

Also, any guy that buys someone a comic book just because is cool in my book.

Sydney is starting college at CVU and with that comes total freedom and new adventures. She’s navigating classes, making new friends, trying to hold on to new ones and maybe even finding love. While college isn’t going exactly as planned, her online persona seems to be thriving. What’s a girl gotta do to make it all come together?

I loved how this was told between blog posts, texts and tweets! I felt like this was super relatable as college was so nerve wracking at first. As time goes on, you find your place and I loved seeing Sydney navigate that.

This was based around Sydney’s first year of college, but the message held so much more than that. It asked a lot of really good thought provoking questions and I appreciated how raw it was.

Overall, this was a beautifully written coming of age story!

4/5 ⭐️
Love in 280 Characters or Less by Ravynn K. Stringfield

This coming-of-age story was such a refreshing and adorable read! We follow Sydney through her freshman year of college, and the story unfolds creatively through tweets, blog posts, texts, and inner thoughts. The format made it feel so real and current—I was smiling, laughing, and nodding the whole way through.

The banter kept me engaged and reminded me of my own college days—figuring out who I was, juggling new responsibilities, navigating friendships, and figuring out the world of romance. Sydney’s journey is relatable and heartfelt.

If you love a little slow-burn romance wrapped in a smart, modern narrative, this one’s for you. Ravynn K. Stringfield captured the college experience with warmth, humor, and authenticity.

Thank you for netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC
These opinions are mine and honest.

What a delightful coming of age story about a young black woman juggling the rigorous world of academia, parental expectation, social media influences, first love, and self discovery! I was blown away when I saw this was a debut novel because the writing flowed like water and before I knew it I was turning the last page.

As a near-40 year old woman, I felt nostalgia for a time I took advantage of. That time in a woman’s life when she’s no longer a child but also completely clueless in how to be a woman. I absolutely adored Sydney and her raw, unfiltered view on the world. Soooo many important issues, feelings, and topics are discussed.

As far as the romance, I enjoyed it but I definitely think it took more of a backseat—AND THAT’S OKAY. I loved the meat of the story so much it felt like the romance was just enough.

And can we take a minute to gush over that adorable cover??? I’m loving this current trend!

♡ coming of age
♥ poc fmc
♡ rigorous academia x self discovery
♥ first love

{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

This book gave me a nostalgia feeling. It reminded me of the show moiesha when she would write in her diary, and I like the blog , and text message format. The way the author speaks about living has a black queer women was done great. I was getting confused in some parts of the book with the relationships. This was an okay coming to age read.

This delightful story presents a clever twist on storytelling, weaving its narrative through the modern tapestry of blog posts, emails, texts, and tweets.

At its heart lies a charming tale of a Black girl embarking on her inaugural semester of college, expertly balancing a multitude of experiences.

The innovative format shines, seamlessly addressing profound themes while preserving a sense of whimsy and the delightful chaos that accompanies the college journey. The protagonist's odyssey is both relatable and uplifting as she navigates the exhilarating highs and daunting lows of newfound independence and self-discovery. Through the snippets of digital correspondence, her interactions reveal the richness of her relationships, the humor woven into her daily life, and the hurdles she encounters while juggling academics, friendships, and personal growth.

The author skillfully intertwines humor with heartfelt moments, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the intricacies of contemporary college life through the eyes of a young woman discovering her voice. This distinctive narrative style not only captivates but also provides a refreshing lens on the themes of identity, resilience, and the vital role of community.

With each message and post, readers are beckoned into a realm that feels both genuine and vibrant. The protagonist's journey is a celebration of strength found in authenticity, rendering it an essential read for anyone embarking on their own path of self-exploration.