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ziggyreadz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i really liked charlie, it was so nice to see someone neurodivergent and anxious (like myself) grow into himself and become more comfortable with time. i wish he had stayed a bit truer to the beginning of the book — when he had more strict boundaries around overstimulating things — because i feel like that would have honed in on the themes of the book better.
dev i was a little more unsure about. in the first half of the book he was great, but his denial of his feelings/charlie and his’ relationship got old after a while. i have complicated feelings about him (and by extension the ending) because on one hand, i feel he should have been punished more by the narrative for being kind of shitty (and that would have made a more realistic and interesting ending), but on the other, i couldn’t tell what was him vs. his mental illness, and i also found his arc to reinforce the core message of the book.
i thought the premise was really fun and i enjoyed learning about the girls on the show (i definitely cared less about the other producers, but that may be because i listened to the audio book and dev’s reader would do incredibly obnoxious voices for those characters).
the ending made me very emotional, though exactly what emotion, i’m not sure. it was a mix of frustration, excitement, relief, anger, happiness — i consider it a win.
i know this is sort of par for the course for these kind of modern rom-coms, but some of the quippy dialogue was grating, though i felt it was kept at a minimum (comparatively).
the way the book talked about mental health was definitely better than the standard, but not the best it could have been — it was a little simplistic. still, i felt it was subversive and interesting.
would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good lgbtq rom-com!
Graphic: Mental illness and Cursing
Moderate: Biphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual content
quillyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Sadly, it just wasn’t for me. 🫠
There were some nice elements, but a lot I couldn’t forgive. Porticularly the portrayals of Charlie’s anxiety and panic disorders, and Dev’s depression. I know these are complex, varied conditions. But to me, it felt stereotyped and unrealistic. But, it was good to see some representation for two guys that struggle with mental health conditions, support each other, and eventually seek the help they need to start recovery.
It just feels a shame that so much of the plot relies on miscommunication (or complete lack of communication), and there is little character development until the close. 🤕
Felt like a bit of a slog tbh!
Graphic: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Vomit, Ableism, and Cursing
Minor: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
foxmochi's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Ableism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
av0universe's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Biphobia
Minor: Homophobia
andiezzzz's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Biphobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Racism, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
walrus420's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Ableism, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
allonsyahhlee's review
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Vomit, Cursing, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Homophobia
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Mental illness, Ableism, Alcohol, and Biphobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Minor: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
bexi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
As someone who has chronic depression and OCD (and likely an undiagnosed anxiety disorder), it was so nice to see the topics handled respectfully. Obviously I can't speak for an entire community because there are different types of depression/OCD/anxiety and people have different experiences, but generally speaking I thought it was accurate. I cried multiple times while reading this because I felt so seen, especially in regards to depression.
My favorite part of the book was how the author explored neurodivergency and love. My disorders have definitely made me feel unworthy of love, just like the main characters--and that includes platonic and familial love, not just romantic. It's so important for neurodivergent people to experience stories where the characters are loved not despite their disorders but are loved and accepted for who they are as a whole. 💜
Graphic: Mental illness and Ableism
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Racism and Cursing
bootsmom3's review
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Ableism, Biphobia, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity