Scan barcode
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Neil is rude, irritable, and self-centered for a majority of the book. And I wouldn't have it any other way, really. His inner dialogue reminds me a lot of my own at times, especially when I was a teen. But that just makes his story and development that much more satisfying by the end.
There's honestly so much I could get into about this book and the ways it deals with complicated family dynamics, friendships, and other complicated relationships. Even if our main character wants things to be black and white with blame during conflicts, he learns that it's usually a lot more difficult to pin down than that.
And of course, I couldn't write this review without addressing how much I LOVED Wyatt as a character. They're such a loveable person, and it was so fun getting to know them more, bit by bit.
I will say that I do wish
Overall, this book had me audibly reacting at multiple points, from the adorable, to the upsetting, to the downright silly. Despite the convoluted plans and a plot that won't necessarily happen to most people, the characters make it hit home in an authentic way that you can't help but love ā”
Graphic: Homophobia, Classism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Deadnaming
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment
martereadsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, and Body shaming
Minor: Classism
kashrae99'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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment and Transphobia
Moderate: Classism, Cursing, Abandonment, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Death, and Deadnaming
fanboyriot'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: Homophobia, Classism, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Cursing, Transphobia, Alcohol, Deadnaming, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Fatphobia
midnightbelles'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: Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
stacy837'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
4.0
Graphic: Transphobia and Dysphoria
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders
mwhite0226'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
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit
lyd4ever's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
But I like Wyatt, Wyatt is awesome.
Also, I notice how Deaver purposefully made Neil fat. I am glad for the representation but itās hardly ever mentioned and is always sort of subtle. Which I think doesnāt have to be a positive or negative thing, but a lot of fans seem to have interpreted Neil to be slim in fan art. So this isnāt really a comment on the book but the readers. Neil is a fat trans man, stop drawing tall skinny white boys with perfect features.
Graphic: Classism, Dysphoria, and Transphobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Cursing
Minor: Deadnaming
dododenise'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
Then came the third act drama, and I wish that was done differently. I know this book is following all the typical tropes and yet I hoped for a different ending. I hate it every time a romance book does this and this one was no different. I feel like a different ending would have felt nicer and healthier. Especially with Neilās mom I wish it was handled differently. She is still not painted as perfect of course, but the road to forgiveness was entered too quickly. But also Neil and Wyattās relationship could have been given more time to deal with their issues and the way that Neil struggles with his emotions and his relationships. I was waiting for more shared conversations about this in particular.
In the end, I still flew through the pages. It was so easy and light to read that I lost track of time and kept going as long as I could.
And of course, I love the trans rep. Mason does it beautifully and it makes me want to read everything they write. Add to that their writing style that is perfect for me, and you get me gushing all over their books. I saw a lot of myself in Wyatt, both in their experience with their gender and their personality, so they were wonderful to watch and to see them grow.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Deadnaming, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Misogyny, Outing, and Sexual content
raiynnn'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
4.0
Moderate: Transphobia and Vomit
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders