ARC Review: My Eyes Are Up Here

Author: Laura Zimmermann

Genre: YA Contemporary

Release Date: 06.23.20

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Source: E-arc via Netgalley

My Rating: 1/5 stars DNF

Synopsis: “A “monomial” is a simple algebraic expression consisting of a single term. 30H, for example. Fifteen-year-old Greer Walsh hasn’t been fazed by basic algebra since fifth grade, but for the last year, 30H has felt like an unsolvable equation – one that’s made her world a very small, very lonely place. 30H is her bra size – or it was the last time anyone checked. She stopped letting people get that close to her with a tape measure a while ago.

Ever since everything changed the summer before ninth grade, Greer has felt out of control. She can’t control her first impressions, the whispers that follow, or the stares that linger after. The best she can do is put on her faithful XXL sweatshirt and let her posture – and her expectations for other people – slump.

But people – strangers and friends – seem strangely determined to remind her that life is not supposed to be this way. Despite carefully avoiding physical contact and anything tighter than a puffy coat, Greer finds an unexpected community on the volleyball squad, the team that hugs between every point and wears a uniform “so tight it can squeeze out tears.” And then there’s Jackson Oates, newly arrived at her school and maybe actually more interested in her banter than her breasts.”

I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I’m sad that I didn’t. Although I did love the idea of it, My Eyes Are Up Here failed to hold my attention which ultimately led to me putting it down.

In the beginning I was into it, but eventually as the story went on the plot just got slow and I couldn’t read for more than a few minutes without losing focus. I wasn’t engaged in the story and I stopped connecting with the characters.

And, I am so so sad about this. The idea of this story is important and I was excited to read a book featuring a character dealing with these body issues since I haven’t read one before. I loved the concept and I feel that this idea had so much potential, but the drag of the plot had me falling out of love with the story, and I set it aside.

So, overall, this isn’t a bad book… it really isn’t. The concept is great but as I said, I just couldn’t stay engaged with the story. I reached a point where I wasn’t enjoying it and decided that continuing to read a book I wasn’t engaging with would be a waste of time for me.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen, for providing me with an E-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all my own.