Not Enough by Mia Hoddell

Neve Colvin isn’t good enough. As an introvert, her life is a never-ending list of labels and criticism. Pressures to change come from everyone—including the one person she thought would love her unconditionally … her mother. All Neve wants is acceptance, but surrounded by extroverts it’s a wish that’s nearly impossible to fulfil.

For Neve there’s only one solution: anyone disapproving must go. Even if it means only one person will remain.


That person is her lifelong friend Blake Reynolds. He’s seen the fights with her mum, the breakdowns caused by attacks on her personality, and the battles for acceptance. Each time she is left shattered and questioning who she is, he’s the one to collect the pieces of her broken heart. Shielding her from the cruelty is his only concern. But how can he protect her when Neve is concealing a secret so dark?

Blake thinks he knows everything about her, and with their relationship developing, he assumes Neve trusts him fully. However, there is one memory Neve is too ashamed of to share. Revealing it will test Blake’s loyalty beyond what she could ever ask, and Blake is the only friend she can’t afford to lose. He’s the one person capable of dragging her from the darkness plaguing her, but with pressures to conform increasing, even Blake may not be enough to pull her back this time.

Queekie Girl Reads Reviews...

Not Enough by Mia Hoddell

Not Enough begins with the protagonist as a vulnerable character who is Neve Colvin, as the book portrays her life and how it has been treating her particularly her mom. Her life seems to be as if it's not even her own when she feels controlled by her mom as her mom makes assumptions of how her life's supposed to be lived. Neve struggles to find herself where she truly fits in a world where she can feel comfortable, completely at peace with herself. As she looks up and down for the right person who would finally understand every thing that's of her, it only takes a brief moment to piece together that the person was just right beside her all of this whole time.

"They cut deeper than a knife, and the wounds last longer even if they're invisible."

To be honest, at the start of the book was truly absorbing to the fact where Neve was very focused on how she is to herself. She has fought her own battles. Unfortunately, it has slowly consumed her thoughts and particularly how her confidence was slowly draining out of her. I respect her perspective because it feels so very real and she's hurting a lot in that point of her life. The emails she writes back to herself sounds suicidal and I thought that this will perhaps encourage readers not to do such risk but approach a friend when we have deep concerns bothering us that may need a lot of moral support.

I liked the idea of Neve that as an individual, she's an introvert. She's persistent and hardworking to make her own success in life. I believe she has taken lots of risks even though it hasn't been fully developed to her own capabilities because she's still holding on to the fear of losing everyone she loves.

"What's the point in sticking around to suffer more?"

The mother of Neve singled out her only daughter was the most absurd of a mother's trait to have in the whole context. It was absolutely painful for me to read it and I just couldn't handle her attitude towards Neve. I'm literally cringing as I write about her right now. Secondly, after Neve and Blake got together, I just couldn't bring myself to really like the story that much at all which prolong the main story a little to just get to the real point. The happy ending itself made me not that enthusiastic and it just wasn't really that interesting. Blake and Neve eventually worked everything out. I wasn't really moved by it, honestly. I may have to cringe yet again of how the book made me feel overall. I really wanted to love and enjoy and have a pleasant time with the book. I guess I expected too much.

Not Enough didn't connect and made an impact that bring closer to my heart but I suggest that you read the book for those of you who are currently into YA mature/NA contemporary of some sort and you might be surprise how this book might just be the next best thing in your life!

(Actual) Rating 3 of 5 stars