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clovetra's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ok, there are many thoughts & feelings, but first i need to preface this saying yet again i hate saying anything negative to a small indie writer! double hate because cynthia so seems lovely & i hate the thought of trying to "disregard" someones work. i will say though this book heavily leans to the Y/A genre, so for anyone wanting to read this, keep that in mind.
now i want to start this off by saying i did not like elsie. i don't think she reaches the realm of protagonists i love to hate, but i will say i found her quite.... insufferable.
like girl....how did you expect ada to act finding her grandma's ex gf without permission..... . some of her behaviours are very..... insane. that's a bad way of wording it but. there's no thought behind elsie's eyes ever. girl does NOT realise actions have consequences. and now that i am almost officially out of the teen age-range, i just cant buy a teen being *this* dumb. like yeah sure im autistic so obv i wouldn't have had the regular shmegular teen experience but.... i just couldn't buy elsie. that was defo my main issue.
another point is how elsie bounces between crushes is so annoying to me. girl what are you doing??? 😠ive defo done that before........... as a child. like fully 12 years old. what are we doing here.
i also found this book to be a bit..... rushed in some aspects? the ending defo felt rushed, and that it went from 0-100 in a split second. some parts of the story dragged on and on and on, for instance with ada & the explanation of the in-universe comic book, and other parts rushed too quickly, like with her po po & uncle! like i want more of that!!!!
i will say tho i love me some queer rep esp with a cultural element. i related a lot with elsie's worry about coming out to her family, but i will say that it wore thin on me the more i progressed through the book.
i truly did enjoy this book and gobbled it tf up! i loved joan, but honestly i found i didn't care about the plot.... i just wanted to read about joan. she captivated me.
ill be real, im lacking words to describe how i felt about this book. on one hand i read it whenever i had the chance & it never felt like it was dragging, and that this was an overall "easy" (lighthearted & comfy) book to read..... but on the other hand it was a bit predictable and lacked substance. i don't know what i was expecting though because this was a very cute read i would defo recommend snuggling under your covers for. i just think this wasn't my style - sadly i think ive started to reach the point where Y/A is wearing thin on me which BREAKS MY HEART!
i reckon honestly if i read this book even 3 years ago i would've loved the shit out of it. but now im an adult doing Adult Things™, this book seems a bit too.... happy? 😠im too cynical and this book was too happy for my perpetually grumpy ass.
i would defo recommend this book its super cute fluff that warms ur little heart!!! im just a massive cynic + im also beginning to realise i don't like the romance genre as much as i used to
anyways cynthia so if you see this thank you for giving us the lighthearted teen lesbian romance society needed.
now i want to start this off by saying i did not like elsie. i don't think she reaches the realm of protagonists i love to hate, but i will say i found her quite.... insufferable.
like girl....
another point is how elsie bounces between crushes is so annoying to me. girl what are you doing??? 😠ive defo done that before........... as a child. like fully 12 years old. what are we doing here.
i also found this book to be a bit..... rushed in some aspects? the ending defo felt rushed, and that it went from 0-100 in a split second. some parts of the story dragged on and on and on, for instance with ada & the explanation of the in-universe comic book, and other parts rushed too quickly, like with her po po & uncle! like i want more of that!!!!
i will say tho i love me some queer rep esp with a cultural element. i related a lot with elsie's worry about coming out to her family, but i will say that it wore thin on me the more i progressed through the book.
i truly did enjoy this book and gobbled it tf up! i loved joan, but honestly i found i didn't care about the plot.... i just wanted to read about joan. she captivated me.
ill be real, im lacking words to describe how i felt about this book. on one hand i read it whenever i had the chance & it never felt like it was dragging, and that this was an overall "easy" (lighthearted & comfy) book to read..... but on the other hand it was a bit predictable and lacked substance. i don't know what i was expecting though because this was a very cute read i would defo recommend snuggling under your covers for. i just think this wasn't my style - sadly i think ive started to reach the point where Y/A is wearing thin on me which BREAKS MY HEART!
i reckon honestly if i read this book even 3 years ago i would've loved the shit out of it. but now im an adult doing Adult Things™, this book seems a bit too.... happy? 😠im too cynical and this book was too happy for my perpetually grumpy ass.
i would defo recommend this book its super cute fluff that warms ur little heart!!! im just a massive cynic + im also beginning to realise i don't like the romance genre as much as i used to
anyways cynthia so if you see this thank you for giving us the lighthearted teen lesbian romance society needed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
naisdayz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If You Still Recognize Me is often compared to the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman, though I don’t really understand why — besides the queer representation and ya/contemporary genre there aren’t any paralells, in my opinion.
I somewhat expected for the fandom-aspect to make me cringe a bit (as in that I’d feel like I’m reading an actual fan fiction), but I think it was executed really well (and realistically).
I was never really able to warm up to the subplot of Elsie trying to find Ada’s grandma’s friend, Theresa. Ada actually put it into words pretty well — it felt pretty invasive, and I didn’t really get why. That part of the book dragged it a bit for me, especially when Elsie used her and Ritika’s holiday to find more clues to where Theresa is. Like, really?
But I’m glad her and Ada talked about it, and Elsie seemed to have learned her lesson.
I really liked the side characters here as well, though I wish some of the relationships would have been a bit more fleshed out, like Elsie’s relationship to her dad.When the real reason for the lack of contact between her family and Uncle Kevin was revealed, I gasped. I need an Uncle Kevin in my life.
Also, during that second to last Interstitial I didn’t realize the letter was from the past, and thought Joan was going back to Hong Kong?? omg
If You Still Recognize Me was a pretty smooth read, even if it had some downs every once and awhile. I loved that, despite this being a romance novel, the platonic and familiar relationships weren’t pushed to the side for the sake of giving the entire spotlight to the romantic relationship. I loved the bond between the different characters, especially Ritika and Elsie.
The book also talks a lot about self-discovery and making mistakes, which I think is very important in a book with characters and an audience this young. It’s normal to not know who you are fully, and to make mistakes, but you have to own up to it.
I somewhat expected for the fandom-aspect to make me cringe a bit (as in that I’d feel like I’m reading an actual fan fiction), but I think it was executed really well (and realistically).
But I’m glad her and Ada talked about it, and Elsie seemed to have learned her lesson.
I really liked the side characters here as well, though I wish some of the relationships would have been a bit more fleshed out, like Elsie’s relationship to her dad.
If You Still Recognize Me was a pretty smooth read, even if it had some downs every once and awhile. I loved that, despite this being a romance novel, the platonic and familiar relationships weren’t pushed to the side for the sake of giving the entire spotlight to the romantic relationship. I loved the bond between the different characters, especially Ritika and Elsie.
The book also talks a lot about self-discovery and making mistakes, which I think is very important in a book with characters and an audience this young. It’s normal to not know who you are fully, and to make mistakes, but you have to own up to it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
evelynyle_88's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Finally after a long time on my tbr, I decided to take this book and started to read it. I feel like this book is so sweet and the story is so heartwarming. I smile everytime I read such cute moments in this book. I love Elsie, Joan and Ritika a lot. And oh! Ada too!
This book is so perfect. Perfect to finish reading it on my birthday with a smile plastered on my face. I need more heartwarming stories like this.
Thank you so much, Cynthia for writing this heartwarming story of Elsie (and Joan; of course!). I must say, I love the ending. Nothing more to say about their dynamic. You are brilliant!
This book is so perfect. Perfect to finish reading it on my birthday with a smile plastered on my face. I need more heartwarming stories like this.
Thank you so much, Cynthia for writing this heartwarming story of Elsie (and Joan; of course!). I must say, I love the ending. Nothing more to say about their dynamic. You are brilliant!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Moderate: Abandonment and Death
Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
rosereadsalot's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So. I really enjoyed seeing such a diverse cast of characters, from different races to cultures to sexualities! This was a deep and meaningful Young Adult book and which I would definitely recommend. It deals with emotional and sensitive topics, including but not limited to homophobia, abandonment, racism and prejudice, grief and loss of a parent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Racism, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
tamarina's review
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
So so so cute this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Racism
sammykat's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book is absolutely beautiful! A gorgeous summer comingnof age LGBT+ romance.
Elsie is beautifully written and her flaws make her believable and loveable. The story links online and in person stories and relationships, and presents challenges across a whole spectrum, from ethnicitiy, family expectations, long distance, abuse, love and types of sexuality, friendship and even through comics and food.
A few moments felt slightly less believable - a couple of times the characters seemed to act younger than 18, which pulled me out of the moment. Although, even when you are legally an adult, it' easy to amke silly decisions!
However, there was mostly just beautiful writing and story telling, and I cried at the ending.
Elsie is beautifully written and her flaws make her believable and loveable. The story links online and in person stories and relationships, and presents challenges across a whole spectrum, from ethnicitiy, family expectations, long distance, abuse, love and types of sexuality, friendship and even through comics and food.
A few moments felt slightly less believable - a couple of times the characters seemed to act younger than 18, which pulled me out of the moment. Although, even when you are legally an adult, it' easy to amke silly decisions!
However, there was mostly just beautiful writing and story telling, and I cried at the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Emotional abuse and Xenophobia
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
The worst thing is that I’ve never been able to figure out whether this sense of being set apart from others is something that I’ve internalized, so that I just feel like I’m unwelcome because of my long history of not fitting in, or whether it’s something that’s really happening to me in the actual moment, that I really am being treated differently, in a way I can’t articulate but can only feel because life has made me uniquely sensitive to it.
I absolutely adored this story about Elsie, Joan, and all of the queer honeys around them! This is everything I love about contemporary YA coming-of-age stories.
Chinese-British 18-year-old Elsie's exploration with her gender expression and her unrequited feelings for her online fandom bestie Ada (biracial Nigerian American) were so incredibly tender and moving. I cannot believe this is Cynthia So's first novel because they masterfully wrote a story with a carefully subdued, but artfully introspective narrative.
This book was packed with so many magical and beautiful themes and tenets of queerness, growth, and community! First of all, I could not get over how delightful the representation of fandom culture was! Elsie and Ada first connected through virtual fandom spaces due to their love of comic book series Eden Recoiling, and end up talking every day, becoming close friends. Elsie's crush that she develops on Ada is SO REAL OMG!
Elsie did "the most" by searching for Ada's grandma Rebecca's long lost "friend," Theresa as a way to impress and make a grand gesture for Ada, but here's the thing. I have been there. I can't sit here and pretend I didn't pull some embarrassingly extra and sometimes invasive bullshit to prove I was good enough for someone I had a crush on, while I was in this state of "PLEASE LOVE ME" and needing validation like air. Simultaneously, it's almost self-sabotage-ing as well, because you then get to say, "See? I'm horrible and they would never like me." It's a pitiful circle of despair and insecurity, and it's incredibly relatable and authentic to being a young adult and fumbling as you figure it out.
Another part of this book that I deeply appreciated was the representation across the board and the diversity of Elsie's family and friends group. There is an ace side character (won't say who so I don't spoil it for you!), Joan, our super hot masc butch lesbian, Elsie who is bi and queer/questioning her gender expression as she navigates a bit of dysmorphia and examining when she truly feels like *herself*, and multiple ethnicities represented too! Elsie's other sapphic bestie Ritika is Indian-British, and I actually think she handled most of the unprompted mess from Elsie very well - she was so direct, honest, and patient lol. I love a cast like this because it represents the world I live in. It represents the world I see when I go to the bookstore, or to the library, or to the shopping mall! I would absolutely watch a Freeform or Netflix tv show about these kids' coming-of-age stories!
Another part of this was the generational representation of elder queer folks, like Rebecca and Theresa.
Something else that really stood out to me was Elsie's ruminations on her past boyfriend, who we learn was extremely toxic and emotionally abusive. She also begins to recognize that he has documented behavior of fetishizing and sexualizing API women, and this is a fucked up truth to contend with, especially as an 18-year-old. Gosh, my heart hurt for her as she realized this in hindsight. This was another reason I appreciate pushing back on the "perfect victim" narrative, because does Elsie's past trauma forgive her current messy behavior? No, absolutely not. It does provide a bit more context for me though, and I appreciate the layers of discomfort and sadness that Elsie was working through introspectively, on top of everything else!
Okay, let me just get to the main romance between Joan and Elsie now, which felt like the warmest hug, and made me feel reminiscent of how I feel whenever I watch Nick and Charlie or Elle and Tao on Heartstopper, or any episode of Sex Education or Never Have I Ever. I felt giddy, hopeful, and nervous! I had butterflies as Joan and Elsie made their ways back to each other, first as friends after seven years of Elsie wondering what happened to her long lost bestie (my god, the miscommunication! the assumptions! the sad girl vibes!), and then again romantically! I smiled so hard when Elsie and Joan share a moment of Elsie exploring gender expression and feels so incredibly affirmed. It's such a unique, magical and humbling feeling.
I am in awe of CS, and will read whatever they write, even a grocery list!
rep: Chinese-British MC, biracial (Nigerian & white American) side character, Indian-British side character, questioning characters, ace-spec side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
briaraq's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! Being bi in a homophobic family is rough, and I'm glad Elsie has people around her to support her, including queer people she can relate to. I didn't have that growing up, and I don't really have that now, but I'm glad that I can read books like this and know that some people irl do have these people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Minor: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, and Racism
fionabond's review
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Homophobia
tejanafeminist's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Long-lost childhood friends, crushes on tumblr besties , elder queers, and beautiful writing about food. Literally what more could I have asked for? Excited to read more by Cynthia So!
(Beware: estranged family is a big subplot of this book.)
(Beware: estranged family is a big subplot of this book.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia