Firstly, as always, I will start off with my NO SPOILERS review:
See Me After Class follows the story of Greer and Arlo. Greer, a twenty four year old woman, gets a job at a prestigious public high school after a rocky interview due to a disagreement with an unknown staff member. Despite this, the principle of the school, Nyema, grants Greer the job. From the get go, Greer senses a dislike coming from her department head, Arlo Turner, yet she doesn’t know why. Over the course of the novel Arlo and Greer get into a series of arguments, mostly over Arlo’s clear distaste for Greer. But in true romantic novel fashion, all of their fights are packed with tension to the point where the reader is quite positive that their fighting could turn into full on passion at any moment. I loved this book. Arlo’s character truly displayed an emotional arc throughout the story, and Greer was both passionate and fun. The accompanying characters were evolved and it made me excited to hopefully read their future stories as well. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun romantic read.
Now my review WITH SPOILERS:
So let’s just begin with saying that this book was a fun ass read. Meghan Quinn always brings comedy into her books and this book was no different. Greer held her ground as a character and never truly let Arlo push her around. She was able to push him to becoming a lighter and more open person through all her pranks (the blue pee scene was seriously hilarious and Gunner and Romeo were absolute perfection throughout the book. But I digress.). Arlo was so uptight and set in his way, and being able to watch his journey as he opened up and came to terms with his intimacy issues was very interesting to read. I really love the way Quinn writes her characters, specifically her men, because I feel like the hero of her story are what a lot of straight women want: an emotionally open and sensitive man who is also still strong and and grounding for them. Another thing that stood out to me was the conflict in Greer and Arlo’s relationship. They had fundamental differences in how they approached teaching, and this was a huge problem in their relationship, especially after Greer almost lost her job because of Arlo’s review. But I think the biggest value in this conflict was the way Quinn sought to solve their differences, and ensure a happily ever after, while also maintaining the credibility and beliefs of the characters. Neither Greer nor Arlo truly change their outlooks, yet they are able to see each others perspectives and accept them, while even taking pointers from each other on how they both could be better educators. I’m not gonna spoil how Arlo gets Greer back but let’s just say I swooned a little. I also really enjoyed all of the supporting characters and I cannot wait to read Stella and Romeo’s story because I already know it’s gonna be good!
My Likes and Dislikes: I really like how much effort Quinn puts in when writing her characters. She makes every character truly important to the story and it makes me want a book for every character so I can delve more into who they are as a person. I did have one dislike but it doesn’t even really count. From previous stories of Quinn, you get snippets of both Walker and Lindsay and I always wanted them to end up together. I don’t know why lol. But in this book we find out she’s with Gunner and I really loved that match so my disappointment lasted all of two seconds. I do really want to read their story though so I hope we get it!
Favorite Character: Hands. Down. Keeks. I mean come on. She was so smart and funny without even trying! She literally cracked me up. Plus she was vital in getting Arlo and Greer back together by showing Greer that Arlo wasn’t entirely wrong and that she was being more defensive than she should be. I love Keiko, and again, I really want a book for her because I’d love to dive into her psyche!!
Favorite Quote: “Although, as the human race, we consider our individual selves to be astute in our daily practices, perhaps the truth is, we’re not. Growth is key to happiness. Growth might hurt at first, but the anguish is worth it in the end.” -Keiko
Meghan Quinn, See Me After Class, pg. 389
Would I Read It Again? ABSOLUTELY. I will be buying the paperback version of this book. And I’ll probably reread my favorite parts all the time.
Karlien's Corner 