Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Cosola
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sworn enemies find a spark in cute but lackluster romance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE, Alison Sanger dedicates her life to being the best at everything she does. She has her intense, laser-like focus trained on becoming class valedictorian and getting into Harvard. Her nemesis at school, Ethan Molloy, has the same goals, plus all the same classes and extracurriculars as Alison. In other words, every aspect of her school life involves competing with Ethan, all day, every day. The two have spent most of high school bickering constantly, never exchanging a civil word. When a former class president drops the ball on his class's 10-year reunion, the school principal assigns Alison and Ethan the job of organizing it at the last minute. This gives the duo another opportunity to fight and try to one-up one another. With every aspect of their lives and futures meticulously planned out, both are surprised when an encounter takes them from hated rivals to heated romance. How could this happen? What else don't they know about themselves? Alison begins to reevaluate everything she thought about high school, her future, and her own feelings. She starts to learn that maturity isn't knowing exactly what you want, but rather having the emotional intelligence to take things one step at a time and reevaluate your goals and feelings as you move through life.
Is It Any Good?
In this cute but often tedious teen romance, academic rivals are shocked when their hatred turns to attraction. What's Not to Love has a fun concept and the writing is engaging in spots, but the overall execution falls flat, and the book is simply too long. Alison and Ethan are difficult to like and relate to. The story is told from Alison's point of view, and she has the same thoughts and fights with Ethan over and over. Her fixation on competing with him borders on unhealthy. Their squabbles are supposed to be witty and sharp and demonstrate their simmering passion, but they're mostly tiresome. The emotional connection isn't there, so the romance comes out of the blue and isn't believable. The characters do experience some emotional growth, but it happens too late in the book to make for a totally satisfying read.
However, the authors do a good job of shining a light on the consequences of striving to achieve at all costs. Too many teens spend their lives pushing to achieve for the sake of achievement; every step is a setup for the next step. At what point do they learn for the sake of learning and enjoy the present? While drive and ambition are admirable qualities, a balanced life is a healthier one. These ideas are expressed well in the story, and there are some nice passages about what emotional maturity really means.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way academic achievement is portrayed in stories like What's Not to Love. Should high school be about getting to the next step, like college or a good job, or about becoming an emotionally well-rounded person? Do you think only working toward great grades can leave a person feeling unfulfilled?
High school is only four years of a person's life. Why do you think it is such an important time for people? Why do you think people often say, "It is the best years of your life"?
Do you listen to advice from others? Do you consult other people when trying to figure out big decisions?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Viking Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : April 20, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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