About the Book- Not here to be liked
Emergency Contact meets Moxie in this cheeky and searing novel that unpacks just how complicated new love can get…when you fall for your enemy.
Eliza Quan is the perfect candidate for editor in chief of her school paper. That is, until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly her vast qualifications mean squat because inexperienced Len—who is tall, handsome, and male—just seems more like a leader.
When Eliza’s frustration spills out in a viral essay, she finds herself inspiring a feminist movement she never meant to start, caught between those who believe she’s a gender equality champion and others who think she’s simply crying misogyny.
Amid this growing tension, the school asks Eliza and Len to work side by side to demonstrate civility. But as they get to know one another, Eliza feels increasingly trapped by a horrifying realization—she just might be falling for the face of the patriarchy himself.
why I absolutely loved the book is because this is perhaps one of those rare books where the character isn’t a chameleon, changing skin as per scenes. She is a character that is too strong Willed and hot-headed and she remains that till the very end.
Read on for our review of the book
Our Review of Not here to be Liked
Well, you definitely can’t say that they didn’t justify the title 😛 The central character is definitely not one that you can like easily. I think the book excels in the way it sticks to the plot and purpose of the book. It doesn’t waver or modify to make it sweeter or appeal to the mass. I guess the author decided that she is not going to tweak what she has to say and that is clearly visible in the book. Which I have to admit is very refreshing. Most of the book may start with a strong female character but then they start modifying the characteristics so much to appear likeable and appeal to everybody’s taste that our strong female by the third or fourth chapter starts appearing as another plain Jane Doe. Come to this book, What I loved and absolutely loved is that the central female character is what she is from page 1 to end. You may hate her or love her but can’t ignore her.
Not here to be liked actually deals with the same thing only. Why should a girl be “nice”? Why does she have to be always polite, smiling and “nice” even if she hates the people around, or she simply doesn’t want to put on a smiling mask? Apart from this question, the other thing the book deals with is Feminism. About how everybody has this notion of “feminism” but nobody has a clear understanding. Everybody has their own views and outlook on what feminism is and none of it matches. There are actually some pretty nice scenes where the central character herself gets a taste of her medicine and her feministic idealistic are put into question.
The topic and the plot may not be the greatest ☹️ I am sorry but that is a sad fact. But why I absolutely loved the book is because this is perhaps one of those rare books where the character isn’t a chameleon, changing skin as per scenes. She is a character that is too strong Willed and hot-headed and she remains that till the very end. I loved that aspect. No Prince Charming is changing her basic nature, There is no societal admonishing to eventually beat out the strong-willed girl to become a damsel which, even the most popular books has done with their female leads.
Just as the book is trying to explain and point out, she is what she is and since humans are not supposed to be from the same cookie-cutter set, everyone comes in a different size, shape, and temperament. Simple as that. No need to fit every girl into a coy, doe-eyed Jane or every male into an egoistic, broody, alpha male. The book purely focuses on the central character, an instance from her high school life and how she tackles it in a purely teenage way. No earth-shattering revelations. No character assassinations. No moral lessons. Just plain everyday facets, some real-life facts all merging to narrate an incident. So I loved the book for keeping it real and not trying to achieve something pointless.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would say that Not here to be liked, may be dealing with topics and viewpoints that are highly debatable and up to different perceptions but the underlining fact is that this book scores in its central characters. As the title suggests, the female lead is not here to be liked. She is what she is. The book is not about magically taming a wild free spirit soul to become an obedient and smiling doll. The book is in fact telling you that leave a person to be their true version why package them in a template form when we all are meant to be different.
Wow, this review went on to become a personal rant on society.🤭 Well my point is that the book in terms of the plot doesn’t have much to offer since it’s basically taking a rotation around one incident. But then that is the whole point of the book. It is more of a character study and coming of age rather than some life-altering incident. It is actually a light on how we evolve and learn as we grow. The reason why you should pick up this book is because of the magic that happens when you don’t tweak your characters to appeal to the mass and let them breathe free.
Squirrel Rating
Book Recommendation
1.The Love hypothesis
2. On the Fence
3. You have a match
4.Scarlett undercover
