My Fault by Mercedes Ron
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

For the record, I hate this book. I only read it because I heard the Netflix movie was good. My Fault by Mercedes Ron is a typical Wattpad story (I haven’t read any, but I’ve heard a lot about them). It’s about an innocent girl with a dark past who meets a guy who also has a dark past, and they fall in love. In this case, the girl, Noah, is forced to move in with her rich stepfather in California and his handsome son, Nick. You know, the classic ‘stepsibling romance’ trope that’s not creepy at all.
First of all, the writing was so bland and lifeless, it was like listening to the Google translate lady read a dictionary. The sentences were dry and repetitive, and the plot was filled with unnecessary fluff. It was as if the author was paid by the word, and they were determined to reach their quota no matter what. The dialogue was so cringeworthy, my face muscles twisted into a million unnatural positions. It reminded me a lot of Anna Todd’s After series, which is a whole other can of worms. In other words, the writing was so bad, it was almost comical. I found myself laughing at the absurdity of it all. Perhaps the poor quality of writing was caused by the fact that the book was originally written in Spanish, and we can blame the translators, but I highly doubt it because the writing itself was definitely not the only tragedy in My Fault.
If the writing didn’t make you want to burn the book, the characters and plot line will definitely do the trick. Noah is basically another Bella Swan, but with a bit more attitude. She’s so superficial and boring, I wanted to DNF the book a million times. Noah’s inner monologue is shallow and self-absorbed, and it’s almost painful to read. She’s constantly obsessing over her appearance, and she has no real depth of character. She exists solely to be the love interest. The only interesting thing about her is her tragic past, which was the only part of the book that made me feel anything other than complete and utter cringe. Her father was abusive, and she’s still dealing with the trauma of that experience. However, even her past is presented in a superficial way. We don’t really get to see how her past has affected her as a person. She’s just a victim who needs to be saved by the handsome hero.
Nick, on the other hand, is your typical bad boy. He’s a gang leader, he parties a lot, and he has a double life. He also has issues with his mom, but we don’t even get to see her! The thing that really grossed me out about him was his internal dialogue. He treats women like objects, and it’s not just in a casual manner. It’s a deep-seated belief that he holds about women. He sees them as possessions, as things to be used and discarded. It’s not just his actions that are problematic, but also his thoughts and attitudes. What threw me off the most was that his actions with Noah are the opposite of that – he is caring and a real gentleman.
The main focus of the book is the romance between Nick and Noah, which is about as healthy as a potato chip. He’s a walking disaster, and she’s the innocent new girl who somehow falls for him. They’re both attracted to each other, but their relationship is a toxic mess. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion, except the cars are made of glass and filled with explosives. Nick and Noah are constantly hurting each other, and it is so frustrating to watch. It’s like they’re playing a game of “I want you, but I can’t have you” and they’re both losing. It’s not romantic, it’s just headache-inducing. The relationship is a rollercoaster of emotions, and it’s exhausting to follow. One moment, they’re happy and in love. The next moment, they’re arguing and fighting. It’s a never-ending cycle of ups and downs, and it takes a toll on both of them. Noah is constantly trying to fix Nick, but she can’t. He’s too far gone. And Nick is constantly trying to control Noah, but she’s not going to let him. They’re both fighting for their own independence, but they’re also fighting for each other. It’s a complex and messy relationship, and it’s not easy to understand. But one thing is clear: it’s not healthy. The relationship is toxic and destructive, and it’s going to end badly. If you’re looking for a healthy and uplifting romance, this is not the book for you.
Oh, and also let’s not forget the five-year age gap (22 and 17) and the fact that they’re stepsiblings. It’s like something out of a soap opera. I mean, who thought this was a good idea? It’s just creepy. The romance isn’t very spicy, but it’s passionate. The enemies-to-lovers trope is executed poorly, but the tension between them is enough to make you say ‘Dang.’ The book had one plot twist, which was not interesting at all. When it finally got to that point, it was like figuring out that water is wet.
There was one mildly interesting side character, Jenna, but she wasn’t that special. The book made me chuckle a total of three times, and two of those times were because of Jenna. Ultimately, do not read this book. It’s a waste of time. If you want to read about a toxic and questionable relationship, just read the After series. My Fault felt like reading fanfiction written by a 13-year-old. I heard that the second book gets better, but I’m not putting myself through torture just to see where Nick and Noah end up – in the trash can where I would have put my copy of the book if it was not a digital one. If you want to read an actually interesting romance, I would recommend reading Lightlark by Alex Aster or Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
P.S. Allegedly, Noah gets pregnant in the second book (had to throw that out there)… also the second (and third) movies are coming out soon…

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