Until You by Penelope Douglas review- NO SPOILERS

Overall Non-Biased

★★★★

Overall Vibes

★★★★

“Yesterday lasts forever. Tomorrow comes never. Until you.”

Jared was best friends with Tate until he had the worst summer of his life. With no one left to turn to, he decided it was easier to turn on everyone else. He started bullying Tate, and that seemed to keep him at bay until she came back from a year abroad, and everything changed.

Plot 4/5

So, for the plot of the book, I gave it the same rating that I gave the first book, Bully, a four out of five. This rating is consistent because this book is Jared‘s perspective on everything that happened in Bully. I was a little concerned at first that it was going to be like reading the same book again, but we got so much more insight into Jared‘s thinking and his perspective, and I was honestly really glad for more insight into his character. Just like with the first book, this was consistent with its plot and didn’t stray from the entire focus. I found myself enjoying this one better than the first one because, as a character, I enjoyed Jared more. 

Structure 5/5

As for the structure, I also gave it a five out of five, just like the first book. Despite being the same story from a different viewpoint, the structure remains intact. We delve into Jared’s backstory, but it doesn’t disrupt the original book’s structure, providing a reassuring continuation of the narrative. 

Characters 4/5

Now, this is where my ratings are going to start to vary from the first book. I gave the characters in this book four out of five, whereas in the first book, I gave it three. I expressed how I didn’t really love Tate as a character. I felt that she was a little bland and that she didn’t have her own personality outside of Jared, so of course, I liked this book a lot more since it was Jared‘s backstory. I could see where he was coming from and why he started lashing out at people. I’m really glad that we got this perspective, and this book made me much more excited for the rest of the series.

“She saw me, the real me, and it was the only time I actually felt like I existed.”

Feeling 4/5

Regarding the feelings, I gave this a four out of five. In Bully, it was hinted that Jared might have dealt with some trauma when he was younger. With Jared’s perspective, we were able to find out most of what happened to him and some of what happened to his brother Jax. I am really excited to read about Jax to get the whole picture, but just from what we did get, it made my heart break for Jared. One of the things I love about these “darker” romances is that they deal with such real topics, and it’s really hard not to empathize with the characters.

Spice 4/5

When asked about the spice, I gave it a four out of five. Tate was not quite as promiscuous as Jared, but Jared definitely had his share of high school experiences. This book was much more spicy than the first book, and I can’t say I was too surprised.

Overall Non-Biased and Vibes 4/5

I gave the overall vibes and the overall rating for this book the same rating, which was a four out of five. I had a really fun time reading this book and overall found myself enjoying it more than the first one. There were details that I felt like I needed in order to understand both of the characters, and I’m so glad I didn’t decide to skip out on this book. If you are worried about it being the same as the first book, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

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