REVIEW: All the Feels by Danika Stone

 

‘All the Feels’ by Danika Stone is for every fangirl and guy out there! This book will, in fact, bring all the feels

All the Feels is for every person that has ever been part of a fandom! Danika Stone perfectly captures what life is like as fangirls and guys, from Twitter conversations to attending your first con. This book will, in fact, bring all the feels!

The blurb:

College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life.. And her last tangible connection to her deceased father. Thus, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can’t. Deal.

Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a call that ignites the fandom.

But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life, and her disapproving mother’s new boyfriend. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to get away from it all.. And figure out what (and who!) she really wants.

We meet our main character, Liv, after she has watched the latest movie in her favorite series, Starveil. Her all-time favorite character, Spartan, has just gotten killed off and Liv is a mess. The way she describes her feelings is incredibly relatable. Her best friend, Xander, who is with her tries to be comforting but Liv says it best, “Xander would never understand what this felt like: watching your favorite character die.”

As Liv is grieving for Spartan, her pain is just so honest and real. I couldn’t help but relate to her either. I’ve grieved over many of my favorite character’s deaths and it is never easy because they become a part of your life, and when they are gone it’s hard to deal with “real life” again. Which Liv is forced to go back to living her life as her freshman year of college is beginning soon. She’s not that motivated though, she’s a little unsure of herself and what she even wants to do with her life.

So of course she spends all her extra time on her social media pages engrossed in the Starveil fandom. She can’t deal with crying anymore, so she becomes determined to make herself feel better by creating #SpartanSurvived. Unexpectedly, her little idea blows up within the fandom and Liv is full of hope again.

As we are getting to know Liv better, we also get to know more about Xander. Xander is confident, charming, and incredibly unique in his steampunk attire. All the Feels is such a diverse book without trying too hard to be diverse. I loved the fact that Xander was bi and proud of it because I feel like we don’t get enough of those characters in books.

Xander helps Liv in such a sweet way when it comes to both school and her fandom. This book definitely brings some swoon-worthy moments through this slow-burn romance! Seriously, Xander is just the best and I loved getting to know him. He brings something out of Liv that only he can.

As the story continues and Liv is navigating both her real and fandom life, the opportunity to attend DragonCon with Xander comes up, and she ends up taking it. This is when the story becomes a lot of fun because Stone perfectly captures all the feelings one has when they attend their first con. All the good, bad, weird, awkward, and fun experiences about cons are all in this book.

Of course there’s conflict and problems that spring up as the story comes to a close, but in the end everything was solved in a great way. Liv finds a way to balance both her real and fandom life, and I loved seeing how well she developed by the end of the story. The only downfall to this book was the fact that her grief from her father’s death is linked to Starveil in a way, but it’s never fully developed. I wanted a little more when it comes down to it, but I was still able to enjoy Liv’s story.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book because I just want to hug it forever! Danika Stone is a brilliant writer. Her dialogue was perfection. She built very real and likable characters, even with their flaws.

If you are a fangirl or guy, please give this book a try! I promise you won’t regret it! Being a part of a fandom is portrayed in such a positive way through this story, and I couldn’t help but appreciate that. All the Feels goes on sale on June 7th, so make sure to pick it up then!

One for the fangirls & fanboys!

4.5
Plot
Characters
Writing
Theme/Message

All the Feels delivers a unique plot, but there were a few things left undeveloped. Through Danika Stone’s writing this world was fully brought to life with her wonderful characters. I really enjoyed how likable and relatable they were. They portray being a part of a fandom in a positive way and I appreciated that.

"And she is the reader who browses the shelf and looks for new worlds but finds herself." - I'm a writer who enjoys telling you all about the things I love, which includes a lot of books!

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3 Comments
  • SAULMARQ • 8 years ago

    Sounds interesting! I’m wondering how it stacks up to Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell…? I loved that book haha.

  • Anna • 8 years ago

    I NEED HELP!!!! I am doing a report on this book for school (and loved it to death) but I borrowed it from a friend and don’t have it anymore…I need to know what that jerkey guy with the blonde hair’s name was! I’m desperate!!!!!