I want to give this a 3 because I really did love Nathan and Joni's journey but there's too much that I can't look past.
Initially, I dnf'd this pretty quickly because Joni's immaturity and irresponsibility were very annoying at first. Instagram ads pulled me back, and I gave it another shot. Joni's behavior was slowly explained, and I began to understand and enjoy her more. I enjoyed that Joni and Nathan are neurodivergent. I liked that they developed a friendship before a romantic relationship. It was really sweet and didn't feel forced. I liked how Nathan's honesty taught Joni to be more honest with herself and recognize her value as a person, not just a body. Their support of each other was beautiful and I enjoyed watching them fall in love. It was so effortless and heartwarming.
Spoilers and rant below.
What drops this below a 3 is the lack of consequences for what Carrick pulled at the gala and everyone's reaction to it. Joni was a minor, drugged, r*ped, and filmed without consent. Carrick shared that video with his entire family. He distributed CP and that's fine? I was waiting for a fight, Nathan to completely cut ties, legal repercussions, anything to acknowledge the heinous behavior. Instead Carrick is basically the hero by the end. Nathan tells Joni that Shawn lied and exploited her, but it's really not talked about again. The Hunts still hold it against her even though she was a victim and they viewed CP. I feel there was a lack of support from her family after they learned what happened. Even Joni still kind of blames herself. The narrative surrounding that video and Shawn's abuse was harmful and wrong.
During the gala scene, Nathan's behavior was unacceptable. He stayed silent as the woman he loves was reduced to the dirt on his family's shoes and then walked away. I don't care if he was hurt by her keeping it from him. He allowed her to be humiliated, disrespected, and dehumanized in the worst way, but his pain was more important in that moment. Nah. And his explanation for leaving was bullshit. Joni should not have forgiven him so easily.
And Shawn. He felt like a caricature. Like the cartoon villain just waiting in the shadows. Had he been stalking Joni off the page? He shows up out of nowhere and then disappears until we need more conflict. There were hints throughout about how he'd make his final appearance, but there was so much going on that his plot line was forgotten background noise. His appearances and darkness compared to the rest of the plot felt out of place. I think there was enough conflict to be explored within the Hunt family and the Zola family. Shawn's plot line was gratuitously violent and monstrous.
