Scan barcode
elliizzzabeth's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
I'm not someone who is into politics (especially American politics) but for some reason this book drew me to it and I was not disappointed! Despite it being about a political campaign it didn't make the narrative boring and all of the characters made it interesting. It was what Ryan Murphy's 'The Politician' wanted to be.
Benji was definitely the stand out, especially in the audiobook where you get to hear his southern twang. It was also a very authentic look at the trans experience and made it a part of the plot without making it tragic or too sensationalised. Also the relationship was predictable but very cute.
I did have a few issues, mostly that there seemed to be some weird vendetta against the GSA, constantly saying it was 'only full of straight people' but never went to the GSA so how does he know? He says there are hardly any out gay people in the school but how do you know they are not only out to the GSA? I'm not American so maybe that's just a stereotype about them but it seemed a bit sort of gatekeep-y like saying they were the 'real queers'. Also annoyed that jenny gets mad at Mark for not reading her mind? Like don't tell someone you want to give in and then get mad that they let you
But overall it was a very good read!
Benji was definitely the stand out, especially in the audiobook where you get to hear his southern twang. It was also a very authentic look at the trans experience and made it a part of the plot without making it tragic or too sensationalised. Also the relationship was predictable but very cute.
I did have a few issues, mostly that there seemed to be some weird vendetta against the GSA, constantly saying it was 'only full of straight people' but never went to the GSA so how does he know? He says there are hardly any out gay people in the school but how do you know they are not only out to the GSA? I'm not American so maybe that's just a stereotype about them but it seemed a bit sort of gatekeep-y like saying they were the 'real queers'. Also annoyed that
But overall it was a very good read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Alcohol, Bullying, Deadnaming, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Hate crime, Grief, Racism, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Terminal illness and Dysphoria
imstephtacular's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Violence, Classism, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Grief, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Outing, Racism, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Blood
heytherekaity's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
I LOVED this book so much!
**Themes**
On its surface, this book is about politics and queer kids. And while those are definitely big themes in *The [Un]Popular Vote*, I think it's arguably even **more** about privilege and intersectionality, about having faith in and hope for humanity.
**Characters**
My favorite character was Pablo! This will surprise absolutely no one when I tell you that Pablo is extremely laid back, asexual, biromantic, and fat. I also really loved Mark! He felt like a real person, and even when I didn't like what he was doing, I always understood it. Ralph was also adorable, and Nadia and Rachel and Jenny and Benji were all fantastic!
**All the Feels**
I laughed, I cried, at one point I wanted to straight up **MURDER** a fictional character. Basically, I felt ***ALL*** of the feels when I was reading this book. I think the best way to sum up how I feel about *The [Un]Popular Vote* is this quote from Ted Lasso's Dr. Sharon, ***"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."***
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Storygraph
**Themes**
On its surface, this book is about politics and queer kids. And while those are definitely big themes in *The [Un]Popular Vote*, I think it's arguably even **more** about privilege and intersectionality, about having faith in and hope for humanity.
**Characters**
My favorite character was Pablo! This will surprise absolutely no one when I tell you that Pablo is extremely laid back, asexual, biromantic, and fat. I also really loved Mark! He felt like a real person, and even when I didn't like what he was doing, I always understood it. Ralph was also adorable, and Nadia and Rachel and Jenny and Benji were all fantastic!
**All the Feels**
I laughed, I cried, at one point I wanted to straight up **MURDER** a fictional character. Basically, I felt ***ALL*** of the feels when I was reading this book. I think the best way to sum up how I feel about *The [Un]Popular Vote* is this quote from Ted Lasso's Dr. Sharon, ***"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."***
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Storygraph
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence
alyshkalia's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Deadnaming, Bullying, Violence, and Homophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Blood
There is a LOT of deadnaming and transphobia from Mark's father.longlost's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
- 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
5.0
"Sure," he scoffs. "What are you going to do about it?"
I don't know. I barely know why I said it. I meant it as a schoolyard jibe. I didn't expect to have to back it up. But if there's anything I've learned about masculinity, it's that you have to show bravado even when you've got nothing to back it up.
So I smile at him. Bare my teeth. And say, "I'm going to stop you, Henry. I'm going to make sure you lose the election."
Another book where it's clear the author has so much affection for the characters he's created. Jasper Sanchez tells this story with so much power to the queer kids it's about, and as someone who was a closeted queer kid it just. It hits hard.
The book dealt with some heavy topics; the scenes involving Mark and his father's transphobia were hard to read, but they helped show who Mark was and what drove him to fight for a better school. The unwavering support from his mother helped cushion against the pain of Mark's unaccepting father, and the scene whereMark rejects the deal he made with his father and comes out to his friends was an emotional one.
Sanchez states in the Acknowledgements that he "wrote the story [he] needed when [he] was fourteen" - and it shows. Despite its trials, the book and its characters encourage so much hope. The final scenes withMark and Ralph repairing their relationship, and Mark's altering of the student presidential oath to be for the students - they were so inspiring and it felt like that hope for change was in reach.
While I don't have much more to say about it, this book is definitely worth the read.
I don't know. I barely know why I said it. I meant it as a schoolyard jibe. I didn't expect to have to back it up. But if there's anything I've learned about masculinity, it's that you have to show bravado even when you've got nothing to back it up.
So I smile at him. Bare my teeth. And say, "I'm going to stop you, Henry. I'm going to make sure you lose the election."
Another book where it's clear the author has so much affection for the characters he's created. Jasper Sanchez tells this story with so much power to the queer kids it's about, and as someone who was a closeted queer kid it just. It hits hard.
The book dealt with some heavy topics; the scenes involving Mark and his father's transphobia were hard to read, but they helped show who Mark was and what drove him to fight for a better school. The unwavering support from his mother helped cushion against the pain of Mark's unaccepting father, and the scene where
Sanchez states in the Acknowledgements that he "wrote the story [he] needed when [he] was fourteen" - and it shows. Despite its trials, the book and its characters encourage so much hope. The final scenes with
While I don't have much more to say about it, this book is definitely worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Drug use
Minor: Cancer
GRAPHIC: Deadnaming: Mark's father repeatedly deadnames him. Emotional abuse / child abuse / domestic abuse: The way Mark's father treats him definitely qualifies as abuse. Homophobia / bullying / hate crime: The book's inciting incident is a fight that takes place between one of Mark's friends and a group of bullies that results in the friend's suspension because he fought back against homophobic taunts. Violence: Regarding the fight at the start of the book, andmaple_dove's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
I admit, it was hard to get through this book (personal issues likely affected this), but this book was so informative. Please read this book sometime.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Bullying, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
bookshelvesandtea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
5.0
Have you ever thought about running for office? How about running for class president? That’s exactly what Mark does in The (Un)Popular Vote. And turns out the “club français”, which is just an excuse for the queer kids to hang out, can run a presidential campaign like the best political masterminds in the country.
Too bad Mark promised his father to blend in at his new school. Because what’s more important than maintaining a carefully crafted image of their oh so perfect family when you’re a congressman? And Mark, Mark is the exact opposite of what the perfect family image is supposed to be.
When I was 16 I first told someone about being well, no clue what. All I knew was that I was not a cis woman. I was scared to death. And these few lines from the book spoke to me, because to my friends it also was just that easy. And I didn’t trust it for a single second.
““I’m transgender,” I try again. “Transmasculine.”
But *** says, “Okay.” Same tone. Same expression. No judgment.
My shoulders roll back, and my spine creaks into alignment. My body is light, buoyant. Giddy with relief and hope—but I can’t trust it.”
But *** says, “Okay.” Same tone. Same expression. No judgment.
My shoulders roll back, and my spine creaks into alignment. My body is light, buoyant. Giddy with relief and hope—but I can’t trust it.”
If you too are a big fan of YA, especially if you’re queer, do yourself a favour and go read this debut. Even if you’re European like me and have no clue what a class president is supposed to do. If you want to read this novel, please be aware that it does contain depictions of transphobia and homophobia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Hate crime, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
xoodlebooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
4.75
Full review to come.
Things this book has: Trans author, transmasculine main character. Jewish author, Jewish side character that talks a lot about Jewish theology, identity, and intergenerational trauma. Main character with bipolar disorder, but it doesn’t come up much at all. Side character with an anxiety disorder. Depictions of panic attacks. The main character is Catholic. He isn’t very religious, but he used to go to Catholic school, and he had a super eloquent prayer scene towards the end of the book. Emotionally manipulative father. So many good quotes. Diverse cast. Basically all of the main side characters are queer. Some things felt kind of weird / token-y, but maybe I am overthinking it? I am not sure. Academic / extracurricular pressure. Competitive students. The audiobook narrator was really great and had a lot of emotion. They might have pronounced a few words. Either that or the words in question have alternative pronunciations that I am unaware of. Also, there was a bit of Hebrew and Yiddish in the book, but I can’t verify whether or not the narrator’s pronunciation of Hebrew and Yiddish words was good. I really liked this book.
Things this book has: Trans author, transmasculine main character. Jewish author, Jewish side character that talks a lot about Jewish theology, identity, and intergenerational trauma. Main character with bipolar disorder, but it doesn’t come up much at all. Side character with an anxiety disorder. Depictions of panic attacks. The main character is Catholic. He isn’t very religious, but he used to go to Catholic school, and he had a super eloquent prayer scene towards the end of the book. Emotionally manipulative father. So many good quotes. Diverse cast. Basically all of the main side characters are queer. Some things felt kind of weird / token-y, but maybe I am overthinking it? I am not sure. Academic / extracurricular pressure. Competitive students. The audiobook narrator was really great and had a lot of emotion. They might have pronounced a few words. Either that or the words in question have alternative pronunciations that I am unaware of. Also, there was a bit of Hebrew and Yiddish in the book, but I can’t verify whether or not the narrator’s pronunciation of Hebrew and Yiddish words was good. I really liked this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Transphobia
Moderate: Antisemitism, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Biphobia, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Genocide, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Racism, and Xenophobia
More...