Reviews with content warning for Dysphoria - Felix Ever After

Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

95 reviews

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

4.0

Finished reading: October 3rd 2023

"It's easier to accept hurt and pain, sometimes, than love and acceptance."

I've been meaning to read Felix Ever After for quite some time now... When I needed a banned book for the POPSUGAR challenge, I decided to give in and finally read it. I know that I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but I would recommend this book for both teenagers and adults alike. The topic is such an important one, and it's an own voices story at that; there is no doubt that Felix Ever After has a big impact, and it really is an eye-opener. That said, I do have to say that there were certain aspects about the main character Felix that I didn't like as much. I get his struggles and they are both portrayed realistically and basically heartbreaking. BUT. He is also pretty selfish and vindictive, and the fact that others are hurting him is no excuse to do the same. I can't say that I was a fan of the whole love triangle vibe either, which kind of put a damper on things for me... In fact, I wasn't really a fan of the romance nor how it was developed and incorporated in general. I'm still giving this story four stars though just for its impact and how it can help people discover their identity and tribe.

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knockoffrainbow's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

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bookishperseus's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-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

3.5

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vespera's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

4.0

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lucyeanderson's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

while ya isn’t the main genre i read anymore (which is a weird realisation to come to), i enjoyed this book still! it speaks on a lot of really important topics, and i think had i read this as a teen it would have been even better and relatable - i seriously think this should be required reading in schools as it can be analysed and discussed so deeply. i loved the cast of characters, especially leah and ezra <3 - the diversity is unmatched, with so many different races, ethnicities, social backgrounds and life experiences! i did. find some of felixs reactions and choices frustrating to read - but again probably because i’m reading as a logical adult and this is definitely aimed at the teen thought process. but i thought the book was such a good introduction to queer issues and a personal perspective of a young trans guy! i liked that it spoke on issues such as deadnaming but didn’t include felixs actual deadname - this is where first hand experience and writing from trans authors themselves is literally unmatched and can’t be replicated! i thought the book also discussed well parents who are supportive but still struggling - it made me feel empathy towards felixs father whilst also totally understanding felixs frustrated reaction. overall, though i didn’t vibe with things such as the first person present writing style (just honestly not my thing), i thought this was a wonderful book that would 100% be a lifeline for young queer kids, and should be encouraged if not mandatory reading for sure! 3.75 stars!

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kerryem's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.25

This was such a heartwarming story. I picked up this book from a queer library as a way of promoting banned books, and I’m so glad I picked this one.

But this book was an absolute joy to read. The writing style was simple yet addicting, I found myself saying “just one more chapter” many times. I highly recommend to any queer book lovers of any age but especially to young queer teens of color who are struggling to figure themselves out and where they see themselves in the world.

Beautiful story and a great book to end pride month with.

-*small spoilers?*-

My only reason for not giving it five stars is just because I’m not a personal fan of the ‘catfishing’ trope and just the general YA trend of main characters not being very good friends. It’s not bad at all, as it is the main character’s story and it’s fitting for a young character like Felix to go through this journey to understand who’s important to him. Just my own personal nit-picky opinion with a trend I’ve seen in YA books. Side characters can easily feel like they’ve been written just to further the main characters plot which isn’t necessarily bad, there’s just an extra depth to a story when you can see these side characters and imagine they have their own little life outside the book. But again, not a huge deal, I still completely fell in love with Leah and Ezra.

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