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lindsayst's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
qpitcher57's review
3.0
it reads kind of like the protag is telling you everything personally which i quite like. also enjoyed a lot of the descriptive writing, which ususually takes a backseat with a chatty writing style. environments and especially characters + their appearances are brought to life very well but not the biiigest fan on how certain characteristics are written (like fat people and those who are less conventionally attractive)
as an autistic person im very familiar with masking but havent thought much on how queer people in general do a similar thing, so that was interesting. its very much like a character study and less plot driven so you really got to see how danny and the people around him and their relationships changed over time
i could not freaking stand danny for like half of the book. he sucked. but the thing was that i understand entirely why he sucked and why he had the mindset he did so i wasn't like mad about it or anything. the ending and the resolution of stuff was really nice though, i didn't expect to care that much because of how much time he spent sucking but it was actually really heartwarming
there were some stuff that made me feel not great though. a lot of his treatment from his cishet peers made me mad uncomfortable, and i didn't like that he ends up partly standing up for himself but mostly ends up just taking it. like the scene with his parents where he talks about how he needs them to put in more effort and they just say some stuff about how they love him no matter what but don't treat him any better or defend him from his uncle being shitty. and danny is just like wow <3 thanks guys ur so great <3 THEY DIDNT DO ANYTHING
really good respresentation of what it's like being queer in a cishet society. the microagressions and the way cishets make everything about you being gay but at the same time if you acknowledge being gay then you're shoving it in their face. it was so frustrating to read at times. but that just means that it was done well
i can't say that i really liked any of the characters. like i didnt get particularly attached to anyone. but i'm glad that they're happy and have each other yaknow
overall it's a nice novel and does a good job at exploring stuff. has a lot of references to stuff but you don't really need to get them. very british. don't think i'd reread it, though.
as an autistic person im very familiar with masking but havent thought much on how queer people in general do a similar thing, so that was interesting. its very much like a character study and less plot driven so you really got to see how danny and the people around him and their relationships changed over time
i could not freaking stand danny for like half of the book. he sucked. but the thing was that i understand entirely why he sucked and why he had the mindset he did so i wasn't like mad about it or anything. the ending and the resolution of stuff was really nice though, i didn't expect to care that much because of how much time he spent sucking but it was actually really heartwarming
there were some stuff that made me feel not great though. a lot of his treatment from his cishet peers made me mad uncomfortable, and i didn't like that he ends up partly standing up for himself but mostly ends up just taking it. like the scene with his parents where he talks about how he needs them to put in more effort and they just say some stuff about how they love him no matter what but don't treat him any better or defend him from his uncle being shitty. and danny is just like wow <3 thanks guys ur so great <3 THEY DIDNT DO ANYTHING
really good respresentation of what it's like being queer in a cishet society. the microagressions and the way cishets make everything about you being gay but at the same time if you acknowledge being gay then you're shoving it in their face. it was so frustrating to read at times. but that just means that it was done well
i can't say that i really liked any of the characters. like i didnt get particularly attached to anyone. but i'm glad that they're happy and have each other yaknow
overall it's a nice novel and does a good job at exploring stuff. has a lot of references to stuff but you don't really need to get them. very british. don't think i'd reread it, though.
sarahstanton's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
2.0
literarylinds's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
chelsealovesschnitzel's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Transphobia
Moderate: Racism
Misgenderingpam2375's review
3.0
This book is definitely a stretch for my brain. I'm in my upper 60's from the middle of the US of A and the slang and UK references went over my head. Once I was able to get through that, I enjoyed reading about our main character Danny and how he "makes" it through life.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for this advanced readers copy. This book released for publication on May 10, 2022.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for this advanced readers copy. This book released for publication on May 10, 2022.
bookyanna's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- 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
2.5
The best thing about this novel was the diverse cast of characters; people of varying genders, races, and backgrounds were represented. Danny isn't always a likeable character and I found his passivity in the first half particularly grating, but this is all clearly fundamental to his personal evolution. While I found the representation of queer life from childhood through to adulthood accurate in many ways, it did feel a little lacking in nuance and complexity sometimes. Equally, the end felt a bit twee - life doesn't often tie itself up into such a neat and tidy bow.
dustinsummers's review
5.0
4.5/5 Stars
This was a super friendly, often comedic read! It touched on several issues facing queer people in today’s society. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Nina, the main character’s therapist, who helped break down the effects that the gay experience can have on one’s mental health. Maybe I should go to therapy??
This was a super friendly, often comedic read! It touched on several issues facing queer people in today’s society. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Nina, the main character’s therapist, who helped break down the effects that the gay experience can have on one’s mental health. Maybe I should go to therapy??
marieintheraw's review
2.0
I think this is one of the bigger bummers of the year for me. With a lot of readers saying it was a "queer Bridget Jones diary" I had to know, but unfortunately some of the humorous elements and story telling from our main character fell flat for me.
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own