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davidbythebay's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
My drawbacks were the pacing was a little slow at times and I really didn't like how with each new direct message (DM) on Instagram we began at the beginning of the conversation to see the new message. It just took the wind out of the sails for me. But it didn't happen very often, so that's good. Another quibble is how I know Felix is 17 and all, but damn can he come across a little immature and amazingly single minded. From the fixation on every new possible transphobic suspect to how he can hyper focus on how his dad won't use his name, Felix just comes across as though he is immature masquerading as mature. With his dad, he never once considers the changes his dad has gone through and has to go through. Another gripe is how quickly turns happen with explosive emotional moments and then they seem to disappear - like with (no spoilers!) finding out someone you thought you knew is actually a transphobe and yet it just seems like they are still around in the background with other friends of yours.
Overall, however, it was an interesting take on a suspenseful mystery mixed with a little MM romance love triangle sort of thing, mixed with a self exploration of identity. Just plain identity in all its iterations. I really recommend this to anyone who has felt lost, anyone in the LGBTQ community, or anyone who wants to know what it's like being queer in our "enlightened" age.
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Racism, Sexism, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
diana_raquel'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
4.0
"It's easier to accept hurt and pain, sometimes, than love and acceptance."
Look at me! I'm late for the party! Again! Honestly, because of the hype that this book got when it let's try". Turns out I really liked this book. It has really good character development (especially when it comes to issues of identity). True, sometimes, Felix came across as a little whiny to me (look, I understand that a lot that happened in the book was horrible, and for the most part I was on team "Felix", but there were instances when I was rolling my eyes because I don't have patience for "teen/ schoolyard bullshit"), but I still was rooting for him and I really liked his development as a character because that development felt realistic and measured, not rushed.
Another thing that I really appreciated was the pacing. Things were not rushed and everything fell into place at the right time, giving time to the characters to digest everything good and bad that happened. It also gave time to the readers to get to know the major characters. Also, I couldn't figure out who was the one to outed Felix, and that's a thing that I liked about books that involved mysteries because it gets me engaged in the book.
I think that the only thing a little more negative that I have to say is that I don't agree with the end. Look, this has nothing to do with the book itself because the end actually makes a lot of sense
Spoiler
(but, I'm a sucker for the "enemies to lovers" trope and, because of that, I would prefer that Felix ended up with Declan instead of Ezra)Overall, I really recommend this book. It's a solid story about discovering your identity, perfect for every lover of "YA" literature.
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Outing, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
mme_carton'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
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Outing, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Medical content
yourlocalqueerbookworm'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: Bullying, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Outing
Moderate: Cursing, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
nothingrhymeswithrachel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
emily_mh'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: Bullying, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Outing, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Dysphoria
spearly'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? It's complicated
3.5
But creating our own world, not just for ourselves in our bubble, but one that can spread to those who need it most—one filled with our stories, our history, our love and pride—that’s just as beautiful. That’s just as necessary. Without that, we forget ourselves
When Felix, a trans boy, steps into his school lobby one day, he is shocked to see a galley - of photos stolen from his instagram archive, photos of him before his transition, and his dead name plastered on the wall. Suspecting his rival classmate Declan, he creates a fake instagram account to catfish him and hopefully learn some of his secrets, too, so he can get his revenge.
Queer romance? Check. Great characters? Check. Unexpected attraction? We love to see it.
But it’s not all fluff. Felix Ever After deals with some deep issues, issues that may even be triggering to some, issues like transphobia, deadnaming, homophobia. Felix, despite knowing he’s definitely not the gender he was born, still doesn’t feel like a guy all the time, and struggles to find an identity that fits him. He has to work on his relationship with his father who, despite paying for her gender-confirmation surgery and hormones, still calls him kid instead of his true name, Felix. He has insecurities about whether he is worthy of love, whether he’s even allowed to still be questioning his identity after all that he’s done to prove to the world he is a guy.
This book told a great story, but… personally, everything felt very on the nose; long speeches about privilege, about trans acceptance, about transphobia and racism within the gay community. Of course, these are all things that need to be addressed, especially in this story, but I would have preferred not to have the messages of the book spelled out for readers in paragraphs of dialogue.
There were also some editing things I noticed that made this book feel a little unpolished for me. For instance:
It’s easier, I think, to love someone you know won’t love you—to chase them, knowing they won’t feel the same way—than to love someone who might love you back. To risk loving each other and losing it all.
Is virtually the same thing Felix’s dad says a few chapters later:
It can be easier, sometimes, to choose to love someone you know won’t return your feelings. At least you know how that will end. It’s easier to accept hurt and pain, sometimes, than love and acceptance. It’s the real, loving relationships that can be the scariest.
Or when Felix is worried Declan will recognize his voice after speaking to him on the phone as his catfish persona:
Declan stares straight ahead, listening to Jill. I’m almost too afraid to answer Marisol. If I speak and he hears me, will he suddenly recognize my voice—realize that I’m Lucky?
But then a few pages later, we get this line:
And it hits me—of course, only now does it hit me—that if I speak, he might just recognize my voice.
It’s like Callender forgot they’d already written those specific passages a few pages / chapters before, and added them again. I guess I just feel the novel could have used a few more pass-throughs with an editor.
In any case, I still loved the characters. I loved Felix’s dad, how much he so clearly loved his son and just wanted to get things right for him. I loved Ezra and his fierce defence of Felix against ANYONE who wronged him, I loved Leah and her quiet loyalty, I even enjoyed Declan and his frosty exterior (and his grandpa <3) There were so much more to these characters than meets the eye.
I was especially happy with the turn this love story took! I can honestly say, I was not expecting it. I’m a huge enemies-to-lovers fan, but there was so much more to it than that.
Thank you, Kacen Callender, for bringing me on this journey with Felix.
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Drug use and Misogyny
stevielynne'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? No
3.5
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Misogyny, Racism, and Religious bigotry
massivepizzacrust'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying and Transphobia
Moderate: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Drug use, Hate crime, Racism, and Grief
The main character is outed and deadnamed in a terrible public way very early in the book. We are never told the deadname. During the course of the book he is told terrible things about his gender and identity that could be very triggering.axelstudies's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism