I'm SO GLAD you didn't completely close the chapter in your life that included rant reviews.

i did not even read these books. im just here to hear lily rants about it.

i think the reason why again but better was so similar to anna and the french kiss is because unironically it’s one of christine’s favourite books

The queen has donned her crown once more.

"The only thing this book did again, but better was Anna and the French kiss" Gold

"Forgive me if I'm being insensitive but, aren't you supposed to be dying, sir?" LMAO I really missed your rant reviews, pls never stop!

It’s unfortunate that Lily privated her rant reviews on Savage Thunder and Anna and the French Kiss. Those videos were comedy gold 😭

I really hate this narrative given to people that a significant other is the end-all-be-all of a person. A main character decides to be in this secretive affair with someone in a committed relationship for what reason? It sends this implicit message that we should sacrifice our own self-respect because “what if they’re the “one”?” It’s really a de-humanizing mindset to have for yourself. Like, can I acknowledge being lonely and wanting a significant other and wondering if there is something wrong with your OR EVEN WORSE is when you do know the reason why (because you’re not considered conventionally attractive for whatever reason)... I can acknowledge all of that, but to tell people that romantic attention is worth it even though they’re terrible to you... ugh I hate romanticization of cheating too

You know what annoyed me with ABB? TAKING TAXIS EVERYWHERE IN EUROPE. I am European, travelled all around Europe and not once have I taken a cab, because they not only are a complete scam and very expensive but it's also extremely easy and practical to navigate around Europe with public means of transportation. And you're telling me these 20yo didn't take the. Metro or bus once? For some reason, I found it extremely unrealistic

[SPOILERS for ABB] a large part of what made me DNF Again, But Better was her father's emotional and verbal abuse. He curses her out in public, in front of her friends, breaks her phone...as someone who's grown up with an emotionally abusive parent, that horrified me, but what made it worse was that Shane excuses it. I'm pretty sure that at one point, she even thinks something along the lines of, "some might think it's abusive but I know my parents love me." Whatever the quote actually is, she downplays the abuse and it's never addressed. And how she sat frozen at the table, unable to speak, panicking--I know exactly how that feels. That's a marker of an emotionally abused kid. It's not a bad thing to address abuse in your books, but to dismiss clearly abusive behavior as non-abusive is irresponsible. It'll make emotionally abused kids think that it's normal when it's not. And the fact that Christine poured so much of herself into Shane and then wrote that...is concerning.

Its funny because I've loved Christine for so long, she's like my fangirl side, but you're like my sarcastic realistic side of humor😂😂

The way the camera is set up makes it look like someone else is acting your hands for you

When Christine pretended Shane wasn't her 😂😂😂

the amount of pop culture references in again but better was very annoying too

I like that you're honest without being nasty

At this point, I find it hard to trust books written by people with large followings on social media. They don’t seem to get enough editing, even on the most basic grammatical level.

zenith is probably the worst book i've ever read, it was like a fanfiction version of throne of glass lmao

Again But Better was unbearable for me. The two main characters were so unbelievably selfish and irritating I couldn’t even force myself to be interested in them. I feel bad saying that because there’s clearly a lot of Christine being put into that character because there’s so many parallels to info she’s shared about her life, but honestly it’s true. I sincerely hope Christine didn’t actually treat the people around her like this, especially when it comes to the home-wrecker stuff

PLEASE UNPRIVATE THE SAVAGE THUNDER THAT VIDEO WAS MY SOLE SOURCE OF SERRATONIN

the whole time I read Again but Better, I was getting war flashbacks to Anna and the French Kiss. The book was already horrible with cringy writing and unnecessary pop culture references...but to use the cheating trope.. Why?? Why would an author willingly choose that. The whole book needs to rewritten again..but better

One of the best parts: "Pilot needs to fly himself out of this story." 😂😂

I was so excited about Christine's book, watched all her writing vlogs and have followed her for years. To say I was disappointed in her self-insert fanfic quality story is an understatement. It was only her first novel though so I'm sure she'll improve. I still love her videos don't get me wrong, I just did not find myself drawn into Again But Better.

lily please do not take this down as i will be watching it in the morning. thank you queen ❤️

i picked up ABB like everyone else cause i love Christine. read no reviews, not the description (i do this a lot with a books. and was very disappointed cause it was the book i chose to take on the plane with me 🤦🏽‍♀️. it just read like a wattpad story to me tbh, it felt like the book was dated back in like 2015 and was just stuck there idk

I've been waiting literally years to listen to you trashing Zenith. Thank you so much, 11/10 review

I’m glad for your honest review I feel some people were afraid to admit they didn’t like these books (maybe due to being fans of Christine & Sasha) and try tone down the issues and give it a pass.

imagine being on a ship made of glass, like no privacy at all. Like the entire crew could see someone pooping? I have alot of questions about that

Your comment “well I haven’t really been in the community I’ve just been hangin’ around” is a hell of a self roast. 😂 These are two books that I just knew I wouldn’t vibe with so thanks for reading them so I didn’t have to LOL

I hated the 2012-2015 references in ABB. Every time a HP reference was brought up I cringed 😭 disappointed with ABB, and I was excited for it too.

drop your skin care routine please!!

OMFG THIS JACKET IS ICONICCCC (Literally I remember this jacket from older videos OGG🔥)

"Pilot needs to fly himself out of this story" lmaoo

She was a whole ass doctor and gave that up to be a writer even tho she could have done both in the initial timeline

I love positive reviews but rant reviews are just so much more entertaining to watch, especially if I don't like a book everyone else loves it makes me feel better knowing it wasn't just me who didn't like it. I remember your 2 other rant reviews for that Anna book and another terrible 'romance' one set ages ago or something and they were 2 of my favourite videos that I miss because they were so honest and funny xD

'Anyway, let's continue.' not even a second later: *visible disgust*

yay your rants are back lol

the fact that she is wearing the same jacket she wore in the "shit books that i hate" video LOL

We really need to stop calling negative reviews rants. This just seemed like it was a video with two solid, negative reviews to me. And Again, but better seems like a book I wouldn't read (never even contemplated it) because it's a YA and a contemporary. The only appealing thing is the reset button I didn't even know was a thing. I also have to admit: I've never carried my purse hidden anywhere in Europe (except maybe that one time I was in Barcelona). I just carried a visible backpack otherwise, even in Amsterdam Central train station and the city centre. Granted, it didn't always feel like it was the wisest decision, but I still did it. Amsterdam is kinda like hell even without all the stupid robberies and I didn't have mental space left to think about it a lot. After three years I left to return to a quieter place. I like these reviews. I once made one rant video, but have since privated the thing since I don't want that to define my channel (it's not really active anymore. I'll react to comments but haven't uploaded in like 2 years). I still dislike Caraval by Stephanie Garbor just as much and for the same reasons as I did back then...

It takes two to make zenith 👏🏽😂😭 oof I’m out. I hate cheating stories that make it seem like it’s okay... I can’t deal with anything related to cheating. Miss me with that. That’s on PERIODT❤️

no one really does rant reviews like Lily

damn it's 2020 and we're reviewing Zenith, let's GO, i am so here for this

This is interesting because when I initially read this book, I really liked it; and I read it when it was first released. I was around 19-20, so I was not only really excited to see this type of book but to also support Christine. I also had issues with Shane and Pilot, and how they handelled things, but I always assumed that was because of my cultural differences to the character. But overall, I really liked it. Nonetheless, now that it's been about a year (I don't remember when it was released lol) and I'm 21 and a bit more grown up and matured, I 100% agree with everything you're saying. It's definitely a self-insert book and that does make it awkward to critique, but also it's not an excuse for writing such one-dimensional charatcers who have minimal progression throughout the story. And again, this is no hate towards Christine at all, but her writing seemed as though she was playing out a fantasy for herself, rather than making one to engage the reader. Regardless, I really enjoyed your review :)

That snap/face change at 8:55. Woah. I never thought something like that would be a goal, but...

Lily you are ✨glowing✨

I read the free sample of 'Again, but Better' and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a spoon. It reads like a self-insert fanfic of Anna. Tough to reconcile the fact that Christine got published with a hot mess, which I'm sure her platform made it much easier for her to do, when good authors without platforms struggle to be taken seriously.

"I've never shied away from bashing a book in the past, so I'm not going to shy away now"

I am so glad you came back with some rant reviews this popped into my recommendation after like three years and it brought back so many memories

oh man, i really missed your rant reviews, they seriously are the best. please don't stop!!! ✨

ooooh she’s back, and with the rant reviews... we love to see it ❤️

You were literally the first booktuber I ever watched, and still are my fav!

LOVE watching your videos so much!!!! You just have really great vibes and energy.

i just love hearing you rant about books it’s just so good

You don't understand how much I live for your tea spilling.

thanks for reviewing these books! Their covers are pretty cool, and it's kinda sad the books are so bad.

oof, i sure am glad i didn’t waste any money buying ABB!

you are one of my favourite people on this planet I feel emotional each time you upload on a profound level it hurts me deeper †Han grief but in a beautiful way and I'm crying

This is SUCH a good review, I'm subscribing right now. Honest book talk its a yes from me!

Ahhhh it’s so great to see you again !

Thanks for uploading again Lily! really looking forward to seeing you upload more often :)

I came here hoping for rants and you delivered! You were the first ever booktube channel I watched and the one that got me back into reading (Anna and the French Kiss was good for something!!!)

please don’t stop making these real ass reviews where you don’t have a filter. they’re so entertaining and just so raw i love it :33

I feel completely the same about Again But Better. I was so disappointed in the book and I ended up scanning the last half of the book. I didn’t like Pilot and felt super uncomfortable not liking Shane because it’s obvious that she is Christine and I’ve watched her videos for years. I figure I will give her next book a chance but if I don’t like it, I will give up on her books. As for Zenith, I have been afraid to give it a try but you’re absolutely right that there were two authors, so the blame should not be on just one. I will probably read a book from just Sasha if she gets published again

I absolutely love your rant reviews 😂❤

the queen is back

My God, I've missed these.

I've read ABB and I could relate on some things with Shane: the university stuff, feeling like you're on a path you can't leave but knowing you're not happy with it and just being miserable about it. I read the book at a time when I was going through a shitstorm in regards to my personal and academic life, in conjunction with a parent having a great say in what I do and what I don't do, and Shane's experience with that made me feel seen. That being said, I still had issues with this bookm mainly the cheating aspect. And I also felt so betrayed when in the second half it wasn't actually better. And especially Pilot's character growth was nowhere to be found. That stuff made me so mad and frustrated. And yes, I also had a problem with Shane making such immature and stupid decisions all the time. I facepalmed so hard so many times.

i love your rant videos!

That's okay. My TBR list was getting too bloated anyways. Thanks for steering me away from these books, Lily! You're too awesome!

GIRL we live for these rants

“Throw the whole man out” LOL

I gotta say, I have watched MANY Zenith rants, (they really went around back when it came out) and ive never heard someone specify the things you specified. Thats so sad that the book has worse scenes than I havent even heard of yet lol

I so needed this today! Thanks, Lily! 😘❤️

i started ABB on audiobook on my car rides to uni, i watched christine when i was like fourteen for a while and really liked her and started it because i wanted to see what she had done (even tho i wasn't her biggest fan atm) and oh my .... i had to stop reading bc i would scream to the radio in my car because i couldn't believe what i was listening. never finished, never got to the "good part" ppl told me about, but i feel like you sum up the thoughts i had perfectly lol

So happy to see a video from you again.

welcome back queen

😂😂 your facial expressions are me when I don't get a book!!

Yes, the queen is back again and she is letting nothing slide with these books!

We’ve missed you, rant Lily

Watching Lily = Mood improvement :) xD

While it sucks that the books were poorly written (still don't know how Sasha does on her own) I do look forward to seeing where they go from here. As reviewers themselves I hope the criticism doesn't feel like personal attacks because I do want to see growth. It's not easy to write as well as the books you read and most aren't going to come in hard hitting on the debut. I still like them, even if I don't care for the books.

I miss and love your videos! Especially your rant videos XD I was wondering, do you annotate your books? If you do, could you make a video on how you annotate?

I love your makeup so much

Never heard about you before but this rant is hilarious because it’s so true it hurts 😂

I always thought christine was annoying so it makes sense that her character is like that, she's like the description of every millennial meme

OH WE’VE BEEN BLESSED AGAIN❤️

As soon as you said “I have a comparison” I knew what was coming 😂

but forreal, i've always thought about these books but was nervous about it.

you are SO PRETTY omg

Your rant reviews are so authentic and i love them - saves me from having to read a shitty book 📚 🙂

props to you for finishing the book, I DNFed ABB so hard xD

her rant reviews actually pinpoint the books' morally wrong messages perfectky which is so needed for people to understandable

YAS! We wants _rants!_

i also bought again but better for christine, didn't read any reviews and went into it genuinely excited because i also love her videos.... and yeah it was obvious within 50 pages not only was this not the book for me but was just disappointing in general. the writing was not great but what bothered me more was just like you said knowing how shane is literally christine. it made me really uncomfortable. i didn't like the love interest, i didn't like her, everything she did annoyed me, the romance was a disaster (CHEATING!!!??), i didn't like the time travelling lady, i didn't like the time travel plot. so yeah this was not the book for me but it just goes so much deeper than that. i also DNF'ed this book and it sits on my bookshelf for christine, not for the book. i'm curious to see what her next book will be like but i'm not buying it in physical copy again lol. hoping she at least took some criticism to heart because i never saw her talk about the negative reviews.

i love christine, she is my favorite booktuber and the reason I discovered it in the first place, but i never finished ABB lmao. i do want to say though that the two scenes you described in the end (which i did read, i forget where i stopped reading) are actually realistic. i have really bad anxiety and am 23 and can honestly say i would've acted similarly. i do 100% agree that Shane not involving her friends in her lie was really fucked but her dad was lowkey kinda abusive and shutting down and curling inside yourself is a totally realistic reaction to what happened in that scene. and in the part where she loses her bag, while idk if i could've sat outside the place for 6 hours, i would have been physically sick over that. i would be shaky and upset and in a bad mood and hating myself so i think that that was also a realistic response. again, im not like trying to invalidate your opinion or anything lmao and i do actually agree w a lot of your points, I just kinda wanted to add a different perspective! yikes sorry this is so long, also ilu

the one time I'm not here upon uploading, lily posted a rant review,,,

I haven’t read Again, but Better, but I did read Anna and the French Kiss and I totally agree with why that book sucks. Cheating of any kind that isn’t demonized as you said is just gross. When I read Anna and the French Kiss I was like “uhh why is this supposed to be okay?” It happens in movies and tv shows all the time too. Definitely not here for it. On a positive note, I absolutely love your channel and videos!!

I love how hilarious and thorough your reviews are. You are really talented. Please do more reviews 💜 I quit ABB 3/4ths the way through...just couldn’t push to the end. She was just too immature to take it serious.

I've missed this so much

"Pilot needs to fly himself out of the story." 🛫

Again but Better is Anna and the French Kiss + Just One Day 100%%%%%% but i mean i liked it ?? ahaha (besides the cheating ofc...i dont like that at all but i loved the comedy and the europe vibes)