Reviews - This Is Me Trying

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190 reviews for:

This Is Me Trying

Racquel Marie

4.19 AVERAGE

bioteacherbooknerd's review

4.0

dark emotional sad tense 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: Complicated

This book touched on some pretty heavy topics such as suicide, grief, depression, family abandonment and more. This was a book full of rich emotion and complicated characters just trying to navigate growing up. I appreciated how the characters both came to their own realizations about things going on in their lives instead of relying on each other to “fix” things. I will definitely continue to think about this book because of the well written characters.

jenn_37's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kmartbooks's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

This is a moving and introspective YA novel that delves into the heavy themes of grief, love, and guilt. The story centers around Beatriz and Santiago, two former friends who are grappling with the aftermath of their friend Bryce's suicide years previous. As they try to reconnect after years of estrangement, they must navigate the complex emotions that come with loss and the lingering pain of unresolved guilt.

This has an unflinching portrayal of the messy, often contradictory feelings that come with grief. Beatriz and Santiago's struggles feel authentic and their journey toward healing feels poignant. The characters are well-developed, with each of their struggles portrayed in a way that feels relatable.

While This Is Me Trying is undoubtedly a YA book, its themes resonate on a universal level. The story offers a compassionate and nuanced look at how young people cope with loss and the difficult process of trying to rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy. It's a book that doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of grief, making it a powerful read.

This novel will particularly resonate with readers who appreciate stories that tackle tough issues with sensitivity and care. While it's about grief, it's ultimately a hopeful one and focuses on healing. Young readers dealing with grief may find it especially meaningful.

So grateful to Feiwel and Friends for the opportunity to read and review this title. Thank you for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own and this review is voluntary.

queeerlybeloved's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful 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

this book was equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. this is a story of grief and loss, and also a story of love and living through that grief and loss.

Bea and Santiago are two sides of the same flawed, emotional, beautiful coin, finding ways to deal with the complete upending of their childhoods. they lose so much, but then gain so much from finding each other again.

the side characters (most of them, anyway) were lovable and flawed and dealing with their own heartache. i loved them.

and so many lil queer moments i wasn’t expecting!

wholeheartedly recommend this one, and recommend taking your time. be gentle with yourself. 🤍