Reviews - Not Here to Be Liked

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2.48k reviews for:

3.5 stars rounded up because there was definitely a lot to like about this book. I feel like had I read this several years ago, it would have been 5 stars, but where I’m at now it felt slightly weird tonally - one minute deep and philosophical, and the next like it almost felt the need to dumb things down a bit. There were several moments when it felt as if Eliza’s realisations about the nature of sexism were slightly stating the obvious, but again, I’m a few years older than the target audience of this book and I know that the way the book addresses sexism would have been really important to my younger self. My favourite parts were the ways Eliza interacted with her female contemporaries, and the book’s exploration of what it means to be the child of immigrants. Truthfully, I found all that much more interesting than the relationship with Len, but I tend to be fairly picky about the romances I get invested in. I’m glad we’re getting so many male romantic leads now who are kind and supportive, rather than endless toxic bad boys. My favourite character was Serena Hwangbo (who deserves the world). Anyway, if you like reading about cool feminist teenagers standing up for themselves (especially if you’ve just finished Moxie), I think you’d like this book.

iamhereforthebooks's review against another edition

4.0

I have to admit that I was a bit scared when I started this, but I'm glad to say that Not Here to Be Liked was actually pretty good! I think my problem was that all feminist YA books I've read in the past ended up being lectures on how to be the right kind of feminist and I thought this would be more of the same, plus the romance had the potential to be a huge disaster, but I think it was very well handled. The relationship with Len is actually more of a vehicle for Eliza to question her commitment to her feminist ideals and ponder what it takes to be a feminist, in a way that leaves it completely up to the reader to make the decision for themselves. Eliza's relationships with her female friends (old and new), classmates, sister and mom are also explored and I found them very interesting, if a bit underdeveloped in the case of her family. There are a few cute moments, but definitely no fluffiness. Totally recommended

nao12's review against another edition

4.0

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

justinelivre's review against another edition

3.5

C’était super mignon et doux !

J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage d’Eliza qui sait ce qu’elle veut et qui est ambitieuse. J’ai adoré l’aspect féminisme et de voir un personnage féminin différent de ce qu’on a l’habitude de voir. Déjà elle se préoccupe pas de son apparence, des garçons ou des gossip, elle est vraiment centrée sur les problèmes de sociétés et comment améliorer les choses c’est vachement rafraîchissant !

J’ai aussi beaucoup aimé la représentation asiatique et des personnes de couleurs en général ! Sans compter que la petite touche de romance était vraiment mignonne !

C’est pas une romance cliché et les personnages sont originaux !

kikicalloway00's review against another edition

4.0

i was so so excited to read this book after reading the blurb, and wow, it didn't disappoint!!!

and also, it hit a little too close to home. i love the newspaper setting, the feminism theme, the enemies/academic rivals to lovers trope. truly amazing. this book is everything moxie tried to be.

and honestly, it thought me, a white, zillenial european a lot about diversity and such minority groups i didn't even know existed, the representation is so effortless and flawless. AND ELIZA! this girl is so unapologetically herself, she has flaws, she is imperfect, and most of all, she is real. i recognized myself in her, seriously.

this book is so important, especially in this period of time, when girls and women find their power and dare to stand up and lead. even in their high school. and it's so important to see, in this new wave of feminism, that yeah, we can fuck up too, it can be an overkill, sure, but overall, it is fantastic to see when girls dare to rise up to their full potential, dont get discouraged by male ideals and take charge. freaking amazing.

hvanlooncarlson's review against another edition

5.0

This was a surprisingly thought-provoking, coming-of-age story. (This is why I love YA books.) It perfectly captured first love, growing up Asian American, and it really grappled with the complexity of modern day feminism. I was blown away with how Quach was able to have all the characters in the story, even the minor ones, become realistic, nuanced characters. I also enjoyed the discussions of music and literature sprinkled throughout the book. I could really tell the author had studied history and literature at Harvard, if you know what I mean, and I appreciated her humor and honesty. I hope to read more books by Quach in the future!