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bloodmaarked's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
i think i had high expectations for excuse me while i ugly cry given the high praise, as well as how much i loved confessions of an alleged good girl earlier this year. while it wasn't nearly as good, probably due to it being her debut, i still had a really lovely time.
darkromancefiend08's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
It was amazing. It was completely sweet and funny. I literally never wanted to put it downš„².
Quinn was a little cringe and a lost black girl. I say lost in the sense that she had a lot of white friends who often just categorised her as white even though she wasn't. She went through most things that every black girl goes through and she never felt like she had enough black friends (to be fair, she didn't have any in the beginning of the book).
Carter is hot, funny, sexy and lowkey reminds me of Malakai from Honey and Spice. Not in the way his character is, but in the way he treats the women in his life and the girl he loves.
Quinn has a journal (note, I also have a diary, need to burn itš), she writes down EVERYTHING in there. Carter accidentally takes it and loses it resulting in someone blackmailing her to do what's on her list. She eventually finds it (spoiler, it's the white bitch who's racist and petty). In the process, she finds who she is without the journal and makes amazing black friends along with a whitey who isn't too bad (jokes, we love auden).
I found myself smiling half the time and laughing in the middle of class so this book was extraordinary. If a book can make me laugh... it has my thumbs up.
Quinn was a little cringe and a lost black girl. I say lost in the sense that she had a lot of white friends who often just categorised her as white even though she wasn't. She went through most things that every black girl goes through and she never felt like she had enough black friends (to be fair, she didn't have any in the beginning of the book).
Carter is hot, funny, sexy and lowkey reminds me of Malakai from Honey and Spice. Not in the way his character is, but in the way he treats the women in his life and the girl he loves.
I found myself smiling half the time and laughing in the middle of class so this book was extraordinary. If a book can make me laugh... it has my thumbs up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Cultural appropriation, and Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse and Racial slurs
halfshook's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
books like these are so important especially in the YA genre. teens absolutely need representation that looks and sounds like them in every aspect of their lives and this book is really good at giving an insight into the Black teen experience especially in regards to their proximity to whiteness and how this affects their livelihoods. and itās also wonderful at depicting a Black teen romance as these can be so hard to come by and teens deserved to see themselves in the books they read.
however, everything else about this book is very mid. the characters donāt feel fleshed out in other aspects especially the side characters (looking at you auden). their relationships move FAST whether thatās platonic or romantic and it just didnāt feel realistic in any capacity. the writing itself is juvenile even for YA especially for characters who are 18. i would look past it if they were 15/16 but this is aimed at the older end of the category and it just does not read like it.
i wanted to like this book unfortunately i didnāt like the characters very much (except olivia she is a delight) and the plot was wrapped up so quickly that it felt like i had blinked and missed it.
however, everything else about this book is very mid. the characters donāt feel fleshed out in other aspects especially the side characters (looking at you auden). their relationships move FAST whether thatās platonic or romantic and it just didnāt feel realistic in any capacity. the writing itself is juvenile even for YA especially for characters who are 18. i would look past it if they were 15/16 but this is aimed at the older end of the category and it just does not read like it.
i wanted to like this book unfortunately i didnāt like the characters very much (except olivia she is a delight) and the plot was wrapped up so quickly that it felt like i had blinked and missed it.
l_reads27's review
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.75
mateusortiz's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.75
mkhudson86's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
sbhumphreys's review against another edition
5.0
I couldnāt shut up about this book the whole time I was reading it. Itās funny, sweet, heartbreaking, and real. Thereās so much going on throughout, but instead of feeling confused and muddled, it feels layered. Quinn feels like a real teenager, and her growth is satisfying and earned. Her POV and voice was so funny and fun to read and again just sweet (and as a recovered painfully shy teen, relatable)
The romance is adorable and sweet. More of this, please.
The parts with her grandmother were personally hard for me, but it was also cathartic. It was one of the heavier details of the book, though itās not a huge part of the narrative since Iād say itās primarily romance.
The themes of casual racism, micro aggressions, and racial identity were also heavy, but not heavy handed. Iām not particularly qualified to speak to how realistic, but I did think it was well done. Goffney did a great job illustrating how thoughtless words and actions can cause real harm, even when you think it a ājoke.ā This story is relatable to any teenager, but I think especially empowering for young black women.
Anyway, 10/10 recommend, more of all of this, please.
The romance is adorable and sweet. More of this, please.
The parts with her grandmother were personally hard for me, but it was also cathartic. It was one of the heavier details of the book, though itās not a huge part of the narrative since Iād say itās primarily romance.
The themes of casual racism, micro aggressions, and racial identity were also heavy, but not heavy handed. Iām not particularly qualified to speak to how realistic, but I did think it was well done. Goffney did a great job illustrating how thoughtless words and actions can cause real harm, even when you think it a ājoke.ā This story is relatable to any teenager, but I think especially empowering for young black women.
Anyway, 10/10 recommend, more of all of this, please.
cici1722's review against another edition
4.0
This was way too cute & wayyyy too real. I got a lot of mean girl vibes but in young black girl. I loved it. I was beaming & gushing over these kids finding themselves & their voices.
canopy_'s review against another edition
4.0
I wish this book had been just a little bit longer. I felt like the relationship between her and Matt deserved a longer ending since they had been best friends. But overall it was really cute and also eye opening.