- #1
I have so many conflicting feelings about this novel.Let me explain, while trying not to spoil anything. Still, if you're EXTREMELY particular about getting NOTHING spoiled, then skip to the TLDR.So, we have a world-weary and jaded protagonist who has been in a precarious and unfair situation for the last 6 years while he desperately struggles to get money for his mother's surgery.Meanwhile, we have a ML who's deeply regretful of their break up and wants to get back with the protagonist even if at this point he doesn't understand why they broke up in the first place.Their dynamic is great, and it made the first few chapters extremely fun to read through.Now here's where we get to the problem: They're in a reality show with "19 days" in the name.And then MC's problem that has been tormenting him for 6 years gets completely solved by the second day.That then triggers ML to know about the problem and as such, understand their break up and begin their reconciliation.And then... That's it! There's no other major point of conflict involving them for literally the rest of the novel, as if the reality show just magically fixed all the unadressed issues in their relationship to the point where their reconciliation has practically no bumps.So we get a novel that starts feeling like we're reading the extras from chapter 40.Only after the reality show ends does a point of conflict resurface, but it's actually entirely centered on a side character and it has nothing to do with MC, and the reality show ends around chapter 80. So when way over half of the main novel is over.I kept reading through my boredom because I'd originally fallen in love with MC's characterization and kept waiting for the novel to get back to him, but it seems the author was determined to dodge character development like it's the matrix.TLDR: Maybe if you're looking for simple fluff, it'll work for you. But I personally felt like I got promised more than just fluff and then the novel completely failed to deliver on it. Which is all extremely disappointing, since the earlier chapters showed such promise.
