Reviews with content warning for Religious bigotry - All our hidden gifts - La Gouvernante

I loved this book and cannot wait to read the next one! Was it perfect? Absolutely not but it was still well-written. Maeve could be annoying and immature at times, yes, but man oh man... so was I at 16.

What I loved most about <i> All Our Hidden Gifts </i> was that it was a clear and obvious depiction of a teenager with a mental illness. I've seen some other reviews complain that Maeve was too childish or too self-centered. But as someone who struggled with mental health issues, Maeve was a lot like me. I saw myself and many of my friends in her. I think that Maeve has very clear ADHD with RSD. You could also argue for BPD. But no matter what, she was actually incredibly accurate to someone who is struggling with mental health. And we DO see her grow! So much. There's literally a line in the book where she expresses that she learned how to set boundaries and accept the boundaries set by others. That's incredible! That's something even adults don't always learn to do!

Beyond my rant on Maeve being treated unfairly by the readers... I loved the diversity in this book. I loved how different each character was and the representation in the pages. I love Roe so so much. I hope in the next book we see him more comfortable in his gender identity!

But yes, all-in-all, a wonderful read. I am completely pleased to have read it!

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mcdal's review against another edition

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5.0

I cannot remember the last time I was so immediately gripped by a book that I could not put it down. Reading this opened the floodgates of nostalgia, to when I would pace around my room analyzing the mysteries of House of Anubis or when I would laugh at the corny but heartfelt banter of My Babysitter’s a Vampire or even when I’d watch pirated episodes of Trollz on YouTube.

This book was perfectly whimsical, had impeccable humor, and the characters were just so immediately likeable and dynamic. More than anything, what kept me going, what made it impossible for me to put this book down was the characters. I loved every single one of them. I even loved the sappy teen romance which in any other story I would have had little patience for (it does help that there are some critical differences when it comes to the identities of the characters involved though). (Oh, and Maeve has ADHD. Yeah, yeah she’s magic or whatever but also Maeve has ADHD and you cannot convince me otherwise)

I knew this book would be good but I was not expecting to fall in love with it. All Our Hidden Gifts is the fun, melodrama-laden queer urban fantasy romp I have been wanting for ages, and god am I so glad I decided to pick this book up. Even if it did throw a wrench in my to do list for the day lol.

I knew I was probably gonna give this book a high rating but what made it a five stars for me is unfortunately spoilers; what I can say is the ending was so refreshing as someone who has found herself frustrated in the past with similar YA books.

So yeah, this was amazing, the day has disappeared before my very eyes, I have no regrets, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

I gained five years back to my lifespan when the author ended the story saying that forgiveness is never something a person is owed, like I can’t stress enough how having Lily still be mad at Maeve made this book a 5/5 in my eyes. Because yes, no one is obligated to forgive someone who has hurt them, and this is sadly a message too few YA books ever consider. I am so grateful the author in this case understood how trauma and interpersonal relationships actually work.

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laynemandros's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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