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annabella's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Outing, Bullying, and Transphobia
growing_haru'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
4.5
Graphic: Deadnaming, Outing, Transphobia, and Bullying
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
arielwip's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Deadnaming, Gaslighting, Bullying, Homophobia, Outing, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Drug use and Classism
I found Felix a bitoweatherwax's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Transphobia, Outing, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Rape
divergentpixie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was stunning. Everything about it. It is so real.
The complexities of being a teen. The complexities of being black and queer.
Might be one of my favorite reads. I really related to some of Felix’s struggles. They really hit home. I haven’t cried reading a book in a while.
Felix is a really strong and forgiving person. I could never.
Honestly wish this book was polyamorous lol.
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, and Transphobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Alcohol, and Cursing
Minor: Deadnaming
katrinadimick'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
Graphic: Deadnaming and Transphobia
Moderate: Medical content, Outing, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
jamie_cruz'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: Abandonment, Deadnaming, Outing, and Bullying
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Emotional abuse
epsilina'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
3.5
A bit of background about myself: I am a queer adult who, coincidentally, often goes by the name of Felix. I am nonbinary, and I related heavily to many of the different feelings that Felix experiences, despite our many differences. Some of the things this book does really well is explore the many different ways there are to be queer, and shows that while we may be thought of as a community, we are not a monolith, and there is plenty of internal dispute, bigotry, and conflict. I haven't read many books that directly deal with transphobia within the queer community, so I appreciated that as it's realistic. The book reminds us that we can be better, that we can respect each other's differences and support those more marginalized than ourselves, rather than keeping them down to protect our own privileges. What this book struggles with is the need to cram so many lessons into the narrative. Felix often gives little internal history lessons, folks monolouge about queer theory. I think this book shined the most when it let us learn through Felix's experiences and feelings, rather than by explaining everything. However, I understand that this book is for teens and presumably the author wants to help teens find all the words they need, all the keywords to look more into. I'm sure it's effective, but it does make for a weird balance in the book and takes away from the real emotional moments at times.
Another thing I deeply appreciated about this book was the lesson that loving someone does not mean it's good to be in a relationship with someone. This is a hard learned lesson for so many of us, and it made me wonder if I had read this book when I was younger, would I have thought a little differently about some of the patterns I later fell into for years? I really respected that this was a main theme.
Lastly, I like that the book deals with the way that your gender can be a journey rather than a destination. I didn't have books like this as a teen, or even in my early twenties. Too many people feel shame for not being able to figure out their sexuality or gender, books like this are important.
Overall, I liked this book, but the strange balance between educating and telling a story brings it from a 4 or 4.25 star book down to a 3.5 star for me.
Graphic: Transphobia and Outing
ree_anna'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
Moderate: Deadnaming, Alcohol, Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Outing, and Transphobia
f18'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
3.5
Graphic: Outing and Transphobia
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Deadnaming, and Racism
Throughout the book even though Felix is publicly outed and deadnamed, his birth name is never explicitly said in the text, and so he is never deadnamed to the reader. He is also misgendered and there are transphobic comments but I don't remember ever seeing him get actively misgendered in on the page dialogue (but I could be wrong on that one). Some underage drinking/drug use.