Reviews - Dear Wendy | The StoryGraph

1.04k reviews for:

Dear Wendy

Ann Zhao

4.0 AVERAGE

curlyghost307's review against another edition

4.75

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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: Complicated

kay_flowern's review

5.0

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Fantastic book about the asexual / aromantic experience! I highly recommend it.

meggiemusic131's review

5.0

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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: Yes

This book is like a platonic romcom. I absolutely adore the characters. I highly recommend this book to folks on the asexual and/or aromantic spectrum, those who are questioning, and those who want to become better allies to the aspec community. Zhao sneaks in a lot of education while keeping the story engaging. They also explore the challenges of being aspec (ace-/arophobia, lack of representation, systemic privilege for married people, etc.) while also celebrating ace/aro joy!

Content Warnings

jess64au's review

4.0

American Loveless, characters are great.

shayleez's review against another edition

4.5

funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

amf32's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

sagec_13's review against another edition

4.0

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao is a heartfelt and funny contemporary YA story about two aromantic and asexual first-year Wellesley students who get into an online rivalry with each other's anonymous advice Instagram accounts while slowly, and unknowingly, becoming close friends in real life.
Books with asexual characters are few and far between, let alone ones with TWO aroace MCs, so I was so excited to dive into this book. It’s been on my tbr for 2 years now according to Goodreads

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

3.5

funny lighthearted 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: Complicated

I was bored by this. I love when stories take romantic tropes and twist them to center friendship but I tend to hate the Shop Around the Corner plot so it already had an uphill battle and it wasn't done particularly well. It wasn't awful either but kind of meh. It felt like it's goal was relatability which is fun and made me nostalgic for college but not a great storytelling goal. It felt like the asexual version of glee where it is trying so hard that the audience can feel it. A worthy goal but annoying for an adult queer person with a gender studies degree. The narrator would explain concepts she already knows in her head for the audience's benefit. For awhile I thought the book itself would be their gender studies project which explain weird things like that but the plot line dropped off. Jo also pissed me off when she said juxtapose is too big and hard a word for a college class. It definitely feels like a debut book and all the flaws that go along with that but I would be interested if the author took more risks in the future. I just kind of wish it was better.

acciogo's review

3.5

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

rachael_perry's review

4.75

informative lighthearted 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

This book is great. It’s cute, and doesn’t forget what its purpose is. I am not Ace, but my bestie is, and I found myself remembering quite a few conversations we had as kids, that both of these MCs had, through our childhoods.

My one gripe is that it is just a tad long. There were parts that repeated, so if they had cut or altered those sections, it would have been a 5 from me.

More...