What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter is a story about a love triangle that really only has two people in it. I normally shy away from books about social media or books since they are generally cringey, but this one has a little more depth to it. I enjoyed the balance of wholesome moments with more heavy ones, but the main character became a little bit frustrating. The love triangle is meant to be a nice tension, but since Halle brings all the drama upon herself and technically has the power to end it at any time, it is difficult to feel sorry for her. However, I still liked the overall concept, and I enjoyed reading the book.

What I Like About You by Marisa KanterTitle: What I Like About You
Author: Marisa Kanter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Rating: four-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can... but in the real world, it's more complicated. In this debut novel Marisa Kanter explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

Amazon “Book “iBooks” “Bookshop.org”

❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃


Review: What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

This book follows Halle, a popular book blogger who moves to a small town. She is friends with a graphic novelist named Nash online, and when she ends up at his school, she finds herself falling for him in real life. The only issue is that Nash doesn’t know Halle’s real life identity, and his feelings for her online persona start to hold him back. There are many interesting details in the story such as Halle’s parents being prominent documentary directors and the fact that she is a book blogger. The book also has a good mix of fun and seriousness since the wholesome moments are juxtaposed with the main character grieving the loss of her grandmother. It is a pretty far-fetched story, but these elements make up for it.

❀ Authentic Main Character

There is great representation through the characters in the book, and they feel realistic for their age. Halle is Jewish, and I could appreciate how hard she works to maintain her blog. That being said, she is such a frustrating character since she refuses to share her true identity with Nash. She has multiple opportunities to tell him the truth, and her brother reminds her of this, but she continues to complain about what she did as if she can’t undo it if she tried. It is hard to sympathize with her in that sense, especially since she outright lies to Nash, pretends not to know anything about him despite them being best friends online, and then ghosts him. However, I did like her authentic voice.

❀ A cute story

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter is a cute story about online relationships vs. real world relationships. I enjoyed the book’s representation and its more serious themes, but Halle’s drama with Nash was not easy to sympathize with. I did enjoy the book despite this frustration, but I am hesitant to recommend it since it is not for everyone.

About Marisa Kanter

Marisa Kanter

Marisa Kanter has worked in publicity for major publishers and covered YA books for MTV. Currently, she works in sales, on the distribution side of the publishing industry. She can often be found searching for the best iced chai in NYC, or reading on the 3 train. What I Like About You is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Published by The Candid Cover

Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.

29 thoughts on “What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter”

  6. Ashley Montgomery says:
    Reply

    Sounds very interesting. I was wondering how a love triangle could only consist of two people. I was initially turned off because I don’t like love triangles but this is very different and I’m curious to know what happens.

  7. Azia says:
    Reply

    I’d heard about this one! This sounds like it might be a good read despite the MC’s strange decision to not…reveal herself? I’m confused. Sounds like an easy-fix situation haha. I kind of want to see how it all goes down.

  8. Ellie Di says:
    Reply

    I usually like books about books (and everything that revolves around them) so I’d probably like this novel…I’ll add it on my TBR list! I really enjoyed your review because I can tell that you actually liked it, even if you’d have gladly slapped the protagonist!

  12. Lisa Walker says:
    Reply

    Thanks for the review! I’m getting this book for my daughter. It sounds like a book she would really like!

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