I really wanted to fall head over heels with this book. The cover art is one of the best I have ever seen, and the summary on the book flap made this sound like an adorable coming-of-age story. But by the end, the character development and story fell flat.
Summary
For Cathleen Phillips, the stars rule her entire life. With a passion for astrology, she chaotically navigates life with one eye on the stars and one eye on her unrequited crush—her best friend Allison. But when Cathleen starts crushing on new student Morgan, a Gemini (the worst of the signs), she will have to reconcile how much of her fate is written in the stars, and how much power she has over her own life.
What I loved about this book
I have never read a more unique writing voice before. Cathleen is awkward, chaotic, and at times very cringey, something the author portrays beautifully in her writing. Cathleen’s narrative voice is filled with hyperbole, unique phrases, and hilarious slang (gooseberries!) that made this a fun read. All of the slang and play-on words are so hilarious and unique; you just have to read it to get it.
What I didn’t love
Maybe I am just turning into a crabby old lady, but Kat’s teenage antics annoyed me. Her disregard for other’s feelings, her constant complaining, and the fact that (spoiler) she BURNED HER HOUSE DOWN WITH A STRAIGHTER and then PROCEEDED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE NEW HOUSE THEY HAD TO MOVE INTO had me punching the air in frustration. And with all of this teenage angst and flaws, it never felt like she learned her lesson or decided to strive to be a better person in a satisfying or tangible way by the end.
I also hated the mean girls, mainly her best friend and her cousin. The rudeness and bullying was almost comically overdone, and maybe I am just too sensitive, but I didn’t like reading about it.
Conclusion
Never Trust a Gemini has such an amazing concept with a unique writing style, but the characters were unlikeable and two-dimensional. There was so much potential for Kat to develop into a more responsible and empathetic young adult. But I also recognize that this is a book written for young adults and I am not the target audience for this work, so the fact that I was not a fan of this novel could be more because this book wasn’t written for me rather than any flaw of the writing.
Despite not loving this book, I look forward to reading more from this author. Woolf has a strong control of the narrative voice and is a hilarious writer, so maybe a novel targeted at adults would be more enjoyable for me.
I give this book a 6/10, with one point solely because of how amazing the cover is.
If you have been interested in reading this book, pick up a copy and form your own opinions. I truly believe this could be someone’s favorite book and that I am the wrong audience, so don’t let this review sway your decision to read this book.
If you have read this book PLEASE let me know! I need someone to talk to about it! I haven’t seen this book being talked about anywhere, and I would love for someone else to pick it up so I could hear their thoughts.
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