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accidentalbookishchaos's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
There are so many problems with this book. Like so many. I have 4 main complaints:
1) the writing was C+ and seemed aimed at a far younger age group than I expected. (Like 13-14)
2) Dre did all the heavy lifting for Dean for a while, and I don’t like that the book pushed that it is someone else’s responsibility to educate someone.
3) Inattentive type ADD is not a thing. It is ADHD inattentive type or ADD (which is not a term used by psychologists anymore). This is coming from someone with ADHD and a mom who is a psychologist and given her a speech on this so so many times.
4) The ace rep. I love seeing asexual rep, butDean seemed to fulfill stereotypes. There are many references to aces being robotic, but that is how Dean appears anytime he talks at length about asexuality.
There are so many more things I can go on about, but I actually need to sleep. Now the one thing I found redeemable:
Dean at the beginning, though, and what he came to realize about his parents is something I can relate to deeply. That probably wasn’t an aim of the book, but I’ll still acknowledge it. I come from a very Republican family and had to go through some of the same struggles realizing how much I disagreed with what I was raised to believe.
1) the writing was C+ and seemed aimed at a far younger age group than I expected. (Like 13-14)
2) Dre did all the heavy lifting for Dean for a while, and I don’t like that the book pushed that it is someone else’s responsibility to educate someone.
3) Inattentive type ADD is not a thing. It is ADHD inattentive type or ADD (which is not a term used by psychologists anymore). This is coming from someone with ADHD and a mom who is a psychologist and given her a speech on this so so many times.
4) The ace rep. I love seeing asexual rep, but
There are so many more things I can go on about, but I actually need to sleep. Now the one thing I found redeemable:
Dean at the beginning, though, and what he came to realize about his parents is something I can relate to deeply. That probably wasn’t an aim of the book, but I’ll still acknowledge it. I come from a very Republican family and had to go through some of the same struggles realizing how much I disagreed with what I was raised to believe.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Outing
Minor: Religious bigotry
hmatt's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I've had it out from the library for ages and just needed to get through it. At first wasn't sure if it was the YA-ness or the actual writing that was turning me off, but after finishing, reflecting, and looking into reviews... it's the writing. It felt a lot too much like trying to both ramp up the politics of RW&RB and also shy away from being too controversial. Many identities and concepts were thrown in just to have them there, imo (... Mexican-American family dynamics... Demisexuality). I think I had high hopes for this and I wanted to like it more while reading it, but it just didn't get there. Would recommend reading Dante & Aristotle and then RW&RB instead, if you're looking for these vibes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia
Minor: Mass/school shootings and Religious bigotry
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