November 9 | An Interesting Concept With Too Much Teen Drama

3.5/5 stars

Fallon met Ben hours before she moved across the country. The two developed a connection and now meet on the same day every year. Ben has used her as his muse for his novel. Fallon begins to question how genuine he’s ben or if he’s been altering the truth just so he can write the perfect plot twist.

I wanted to love this one. Colleen Hoover is a must-buy author for me and for all intents and purposes, this book had elements that worked for me. It was a page-turner (I finished in two nights) and it had romance and drama. I had to keep reminding myself this was new adult fiction/romance with characters that aged 18 at the start of the book and were 23 when it ended. It felt a but like a teen soap opera to me. I didn’t find Ben to be very realistic. Maybe it’s because I just haven’t interacted with many 19-year-old writers. Fallon was a bit more relatable and I got to see more of her emotional turmoil.

I think what didn’t work for me was the fact that Fallon and Ben only interact one day a year, November 9. As a result, the character and relationship development felt stilted. I would get frustrated at their choices because they could be impulsive and ignorant of everything else in life. By the end of the book, I didn’t sense that the two had grown at all. They learned more about each other’s pasts, but it didn’t feel representative of personal growth.

possible spoilers

Lastly, there were some uncomfortable moments that made me wonder if this book should have a content warning for sexual assault. I think it was an attempt to show that Ben is a compassionate and loving human, but instead if was cringey and really uncomfortable. I had to re-read a few paragraphs to make sure I didn’t just miss a part where consent was given. I hadn’t missed anything. I have seen an update that one particular section would be removed, but the library copy I borrowed had it included so perhaps others are luckier than I was.

The premise of November 9 was intriguing and it could have been a hit with me, but it just didn’t work for me.