I Hate You, Fuller James

The plot has been done multiple times, but there are some neat twists here to make it fresh and fun. Wren has learned to stick with her two best friends who are both guys after a disaster at a dance that left her with a cruel and embarrassing nickname. She’s nerdy, but not only knows almost every basketball statistic whether it be high school, college or pro and is able to see what a player needs to do to correct even the most minor fault. When she’s blackmailed into tutoring Fuller James, seemingly obnoxious star of her high school basketball team so he can pass AP English and keep playing, you know where the story is going, but how it gets there is what makes this so enjoyable. Add in a grandfather with early dementia, Fuller’s little brother with a serious but livable medical condition, the requisite mean girls and the major misunderstanding that needs a stellar performance by Fuller, and stir gently. A fast and very enjoyable read.

My first novel by Kelly Anne Blount will not be my last. I must now devour everything she’s ever written. The story is compelling, but it’s the characters that really stand out to me. Too often, the story is really good, but I don’t particularly like the characters, but I fell in love with both Wren and Fuller from the beginning, which is hard when one of said characters is a giant-ass douchebag. But Blount gives us a glimpse into his life and immediately softens our hearts. No matter what he’s done to Wren in the past, his devotion to his family makes him a hero everyone can root for. And anyone who has ever been bullied by the mean girls can immediately identify with Wren. Dumped by her best friend at a middle school dance after an unfortunately embarrassing situation that was only made worse by one Fuller James, Wren distrusts girls and has a small group of friends in high school. Both are the type of guy friends every woman deserves. Wren hates Fuller James so when she is caught on video engaging in a lunchtime food fight with him, both are hauled into the principal’s office. Captain of the boys state-champion basketball team, Fuller may find his senior year riding the bench instead of being scouted by colleges. Wren is on a smooth track to class Valedictorian and the logical tutor for Fuller. Except she hates him. Loathes him. Would literally prefer to do ANYTHING other than spend one second with Fuller James.

It’s clear from this opening scene that this is going to be an enemies to lovers story, but it’s a delicious path they take to get there. Fuller comes to first appreciate Wren before realizing all those years of making her a punchline prevented him from seeing her inner beauty but the outer as well. Not only does she have legs for days, but eyes he could get lost in. Wren sees another side of Fuller when he stops by her house to pick up some notes. This is a side she can’t fully grasp, but it forces her to realize there may be more to this this arrogant, cocky jerk than meets the eye. The more time they spend together, the more they both realized they’ve completely misjudged each other. If only Fuller hadn’t made that stupid, regrettable bet.

Plot
Expertly plotted, most of the story follows a formula that isn’t full of surprises, but the character’s depth and breadth shine through in those moments when the inevitable unfolds. While the plot may not be original, the imaginary friends I made while reading this story react in original ways, bringing a deeper level of enjoyment to a lighthearted romance. The nod the author gives to some of the best romcoms ever, including Say Anything, only made this a tale nearer and dearer to my heart.

The Characters
Simply amazing. I have to remind myself they’re not real, and that is the saddest part of this book. Fuller is fully-developed and has the most complete character arc, because frankly, he needs it more than he needs an A in AP Lit. His journey is both honest and organic as he realizes he’s been far too shallow for too long. Wren is so relatable and though she has her own arc, it’s not as significant as she transitions from the victim of bullying to someone who can hold her head high even through new humiliating events. The best part of the characterization is not only being able to see Wren and Fuller through the eyes of each other, since it’s dual first-person point of view, but also in the eyes of their family members. Nothing humanizes someone more than seeing them among loved ones, who not only love them unconditionally, but absolutely won’t take any of their crap.

Top Five Things I Loved About I HATE YOU FULLER JAMES
1. Fuller. He’s perfectly imperfect, making him a flawed hero who’s easy to love.

2. Wren. She’s so complex and completely relatable. I love how she learns to stand up to her bullies.

3. Hudson. Fuller’s younger brother is both hilarious and loyal. The interactions between Hudson and Fuller bring out the best of Fuller James.

4. Gramps. Wren’s basketball loving grandfather is a breath of fresh air and helps show Wren’s devotion to family in a way that would have been harder without him in it.

5. Angsty romance. Just enough angst without being over the top made this a total page-turner for me.

Bottom Line
A fun romance with amazing characters and a stellar supporting cast.

Let me begin by saying that I’m definitely not the target audience for this book, as I’m a middle aged old lady who writes very smutty romances, and this was a lovely, sweet, extremely un-smutty high school romance! So, that said, I enjoyed this love story very much. It was a light, fast read that checked all the boxes and made me feel all the feels I was supposed to feel.
Wren is a pretty and smart girl who got stuck with an unfortunate nickname and on the wrong side of the popular crowd in middle school through no fault of her own, and can’t quite figure out how to get out; nor can she figure out if she wants to, either. From where she stands, they seem like a mean and shallow bunch, especially her ex-best friend Marissa and her awful jock boyfriend, Fuller James. Through bad luck and some Very Mean Adults, she gets stuck tutoring Fuller so she can keep her spot at a prestigious Science camp and he can keep his spot on the championship basketball team.
<b>What I liked:</b>
The setting–It was very fully developed, very sweet and took me back to my own school days of walking home in the fall and going to sporting events, rushing to class and getting homework done.
The characters–They were also lovingly crafted, with time given to each one so dialogue tags became unnecessary after a while to know who was speaking.
The families–They were sweet and kind, wholesome and loving.
The plot–Like the movies that were referenced, I knew within a few pages that nothing horrible was going to happen, that I would be carried along to a happy ending.
<b>What I didn’t like (“didn’t like” is too strong, so how about “liked a little less”?):</b>
The dialogue–I was a teacher in a high school for fifteen years, in a very small, religious town similar to the one described, and the kids simply didn’t talk like this. There was so much swearing, esp when they thought no adults were listening. The kids in this book said “Oh my gosh” and “Holy buckets,” which I never heard in my classrooms. I do understand, though, that in the world Ms. Blount built, swearing would’ve been out of place. But to to me, the dialogue wasn’t v realistic.
The sexy times–Again, not v realistic to me. In the real world, there would have been so much more. Again, however, these two did just meet, so I understand that they might not just jump right into bed. And in the world she built, only wholesome things could happen. This is definitely a PG-13 world.
The conflict resolution–It happened so fast, and so easily. I’ve been trying to avoid using the C(orny) word, because there’s nothing wrong with taking an emotional bath, if that’s what you were going for. Ms. Blount wasn’t going for horrible levels of angst and terror and heartache. She wanted a lovely ride on a wonderful trope, and that’s what she provided.
I would recommend this to any middle schooler who’s looking for a fun read about what high school should be like.

Many YA books interest adults as well as teenagers, because the characters are multi-dimensional, the banter is sharp and snarky, and the issues are serious, poignant and bittersweet. This is not one of those books. What you see is what you get, here, with relatively simplistic characters, plot and dialogue. There’s nothing wrong with that. This book will appeal to its target audience, while adults can look elsewhere for more challenging material.

I shall begin this review with a fun fact about me… I dont read YA.

I gave up on YA a few years ago after some, lets say, questionable experiences. Poorly written. Offensive to teenagers. Or, in some cases, I just felt like a bit of a pervert, to be honest.

But, after seeing this cover alone, I was instantly drawn to IHYFJ.

Then when I saw that its a modern retelling of one of my all-time favourite movies, Shes All That, not only did I feel extremely old, but I just knew I had to read it!

And Im so glad I did!

I cant wait to read more from this author, but more YA in general.

#bookstagram #booksofig #booklife #ihateyoufullerjames #mustread #YA

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