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alybrst's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
2.5
It was entertaining in a "this is a shit show" kind of way. I liked the ending tho.
books_and_bryn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!!
mishbookish's review against another edition
3.0
Oh god I had such mixed feelings while reading it!
I am from a south Asian families and in some ways I could relate to the family pressure but it felt like it was over and above and in a way cringy sometimes. I liked how June grew as a person making decisions for herself and standing up but it wasn’t enough to make me fall in love with her. The title can be misleadingly because anyone who jumps into this book without going through Blurb and reviews will think about how Boys were impacting June’s life but this book is so much more about that that it almost foreshadows the boy part.
Anyone who looks young adult teen drama can give it a read and I hope you love it more than I did.
Thank you NetGallery for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange of honest review.
I am from a south Asian families and in some ways I could relate to the family pressure but it felt like it was over and above and in a way cringy sometimes. I liked how June grew as a person making decisions for herself and standing up but it wasn’t enough to make me fall in love with her. The title can be misleadingly because anyone who jumps into this book without going through Blurb and reviews will think about how Boys were impacting June’s life but this book is so much more about that that it almost foreshadows the boy part.
Anyone who looks young adult teen drama can give it a read and I hope you love it more than I did.
Thank you NetGallery for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange of honest review.
doremelodie's review against another edition
2.0
Is it bad that the only take away I got from this book was that I should have read it before I took my AP Chinese exam so I could use some of the idioms. Oh, and that sex is never the answer. So I guess this book was worth reading. But June seemed so childish and selfish, yet she made so many adult decisions that (in my opinion) really ruined her self worth and self image.
jasminesbooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.0
amethyst's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
veepa's review against another edition
4.0
thank you to netgalley and peachtree publishing for the arc!
this book is advertised as follows: "a high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of asian american identity and teen sexuality."
it certainly delivers on most of that! this book is messy, in the best way. and it dives into asian american identity and teen sexuality. the only part i disagree with is the funny part because while i did enjoy this book more than i thought i would, it wasn't really funny at all. to be frank, it was quite serious at times. and that's not a bad thing!
june, our main character, is pretty complex. she has a lot of things influencing her from her parents to her sister to more. she lacks validation from her family and tries to find it within the men she "dates" (who all turn out to be not the best in some way or another). as a (south) asian living in the midwest, i could relate to june about her struggles with living there. she constantly feels like she isn't asian enough because of her upbringing and i relate to that a lot. neither of us were surrounded by people of our own cultures throughout our childhood. anyway, june was flawed and messy and i liked that. sometimes it can be almost tiring to see picture perfect ya characters who get their happily ever after and it was kinda refreshing to see one who didn't and was quite messed up. but june is 18. it's ok for her to be messed up. she shouldn't be expected to have her life together.
i feel like this book is one of those you just have to read to understand. i enjoyed it since i'm in the target audience (an asian american teenager) but it was a read where i can understand why people might not like it. i would say, give it a shot! but remember, it's not a book with a hea.
also, side note: that cover is absolutely gorgeous oh my
btw: there are plenty of trigger warnings so i'll list the ones i can think of under
- pregnancy scare, the bf also wasn't 100% supportive of june's decision to take the morning after pill
- microaggressions/racism
- explicit sexual scenes
- toxic relationships (romantic, familial, and platonic)
- alcohol/drug use, they are 18 when they do it (which is the age for most of the world) but they're based in the usa so it's technically underage
- age gaps? kinda? june's friend, who's a high school senior, is dating a 23 year old
this book is advertised as follows: "a high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of asian american identity and teen sexuality."
it certainly delivers on most of that! this book is messy, in the best way. and it dives into asian american identity and teen sexuality. the only part i disagree with is the funny part because while i did enjoy this book more than i thought i would, it wasn't really funny at all. to be frank, it was quite serious at times. and that's not a bad thing!
june, our main character, is pretty complex. she has a lot of things influencing her from her parents to her sister to more. she lacks validation from her family and tries to find it within the men she "dates" (who all turn out to be not the best in some way or another). as a (south) asian living in the midwest, i could relate to june about her struggles with living there. she constantly feels like she isn't asian enough because of her upbringing and i relate to that a lot. neither of us were surrounded by people of our own cultures throughout our childhood. anyway, june was flawed and messy and i liked that. sometimes it can be almost tiring to see picture perfect ya characters who get their happily ever after and it was kinda refreshing to see one who didn't and was quite messed up. but june is 18. it's ok for her to be messed up. she shouldn't be expected to have her life together.
i feel like this book is one of those you just have to read to understand. i enjoyed it since i'm in the target audience (an asian american teenager) but it was a read where i can understand why people might not like it. i would say, give it a shot! but remember, it's not a book with a hea.
also, side note: that cover is absolutely gorgeous oh my
btw: there are plenty of trigger warnings so i'll list the ones i can think of under
Spoiler
- dubious consent kinda? her first sexual experience was... strange to say the least. she did technically say yes but she was clearly in pain and he didn't really stop so?- pregnancy scare, the bf also wasn't 100% supportive of june's decision to take the morning after pill
- microaggressions/racism
- explicit sexual scenes
- toxic relationships (romantic, familial, and platonic)
- alcohol/drug use, they are 18 when they do it (which is the age for most of the world) but they're based in the usa so it's technically underage
- age gaps? kinda? june's friend, who's a high school senior, is dating a 23 year old
ptg's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
june was such a realistically immature + impulsive teenager & i so strongly disliked her for it most of the time </3 the author made her incredibly believable to the point where i was (head in hands) cringing through 2/3 of the book begging her to not make the majority of the decisions she did!! still, her messy behavior made me truly appreciate the moments where she acknowledged her mistakes (as well as the flawed actions of others) & reflected on herself… though those moments often appeared rather abruptly, & sometimes without any lasting effect on her behavior
readbyalyssa's review against another edition
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
2.5
fonkun's review against another edition
5.0
A solid 4.5 stars.
When I read the author's note at the beginning -- "It is my hope that reading about June's experiences might spare some girls the hurt of learning these lessons firsthand, even if they don't share her exact background" -- I knew that I'd love this book. And I did. And I loved it even more when the main character quoted Grey's Anatomy -- "Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need. He is very dreamy but he is not the sun. You are."
Boys I Know reminded me of [b:Queenie|36586697|Queenie|Candice Carty-Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539882662l/36586697._SY75_.jpg|58334513] but for teens. Boys I Know follows June Chu, a Taiwanese-American teenager, through her senior year of high school as she figures out where to attend college, while dealing with overbearing parents and the many toxic "relationships" she finds herself in. I found June's story realistic and genuine -- June is the "just good enough" girl in academics and to her parents and love interests. June's coming-of-age journey moved me and in all honesty it's a book I'd have loved to have when I was younger when I struggled with self-esteem issues and strict parents. Despite being YA, Boys I Know tackles hard-hitting topics that affect teens but which parents rarely talk about with them, including Asian fetishization, the concept of being in love with the idea of a person instead of the actual person, and the feeling of not being "Asian" enough.
There's alot to love about Boys I Know, but what tugged at my heartstrings the most is the author's discussion of how "tiger parenting," albeit well-intentioned, affects children's self-esteem and, in turn, relationships.
"Who would I be if I had different parents? Would I be happier? My parents' constant criticism affected me in ways I was only starting to fully understand. If I'd felt more loved and accepted at home, maybe I wouldn't have spent so much time trying to find it in other places. Their impossible standards made me desperate to please everyone but myself, hiding my own pain just to preserve the pretense that I was doing okay so I wouldn't be rejected again."
I've been mulling over this for quite some time and this is the first time I've read a fiction book that addresses this, so thank you Anna for bringing this book into the world. I can't wait for the physical copy to have a place on my bookshelf!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher, Peachtree Teen, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the author's note at the beginning -- "It is my hope that reading about June's experiences might spare some girls the hurt of learning these lessons firsthand, even if they don't share her exact background" -- I knew that I'd love this book. And I did. And I loved it even more when the main character quoted Grey's Anatomy -- "Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need. He is very dreamy but he is not the sun. You are."
Boys I Know reminded me of [b:Queenie|36586697|Queenie|Candice Carty-Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539882662l/36586697._SY75_.jpg|58334513] but for teens. Boys I Know follows June Chu, a Taiwanese-American teenager, through her senior year of high school as she figures out where to attend college, while dealing with overbearing parents and the many toxic "relationships" she finds herself in. I found June's story realistic and genuine -- June is the "just good enough" girl in academics and to her parents and love interests. June's coming-of-age journey moved me and in all honesty it's a book I'd have loved to have when I was younger when I struggled with self-esteem issues and strict parents. Despite being YA, Boys I Know tackles hard-hitting topics that affect teens but which parents rarely talk about with them, including Asian fetishization, the concept of being in love with the idea of a person instead of the actual person, and the feeling of not being "Asian" enough.
There's alot to love about Boys I Know, but what tugged at my heartstrings the most is the author's discussion of how "tiger parenting," albeit well-intentioned, affects children's self-esteem and, in turn, relationships.
"Who would I be if I had different parents? Would I be happier? My parents' constant criticism affected me in ways I was only starting to fully understand. If I'd felt more loved and accepted at home, maybe I wouldn't have spent so much time trying to find it in other places. Their impossible standards made me desperate to please everyone but myself, hiding my own pain just to preserve the pretense that I was doing okay so I wouldn't be rejected again."
I've been mulling over this for quite some time and this is the first time I've read a fiction book that addresses this, so thank you Anna for bringing this book into the world. I can't wait for the physical copy to have a place on my bookshelf!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher, Peachtree Teen, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.