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harmeeperhan's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual assault
abnormal_shadow's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
5.0
I loved this book. I love to see queer people in situations usually predestined for heterosexuals. I like to see there struggles and the way there gender identity plays a role that. Its refreshing as a queer person myself to finally see my own inner turmoil reflected in the characters I can relate to. Really good first quuer book and I can not wait to delve into this genređź’–
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Biphobia, and Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, Racism, Drug use, Alcohol, and Sexual assault
nineinchnails's review against another edition
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
3.5
hmm not feeling her it felt super slow and anticlimactic until the very end BUT STILL A FUN READ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Outing, and Homophobia
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Racism
dannothedino's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Outing, Alcohol, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Biphobia
Minor: Sexual harassment, Genocide, Classism, Cancer, Colonisation, Rape, and Sexual assault
chaos_and_chapters's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Outing, and Homophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Cursing
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Violence, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death of parent, Genocide, and Sexual violence
amandaredinger's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, and Sexual content
Minor: Addiction and Sexual assault
rosesandproses's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
I read this book after watching the movie on Amazon, and it is a much different experience than the movie. If you watched the movie, you will enjoy the book, but they have some very key differences. I mean all this in the most neutral way: I enjoyed both in different ways.
Alex is the POV I kind of love to hate because he is a little shithead, although I imagine if this were told from Henry's POV or switched between them, the pacing would be much slower. I love the pace of this book, and it makes me more confident in my own preferred writing style that leans on vinettes and not always a perfect flow from event to event.
I mean, I saw the movie first, so I knew generally how the story would go and end, but I enjoyed watching the events unfold with the nuance and extra detail of the book that just doesn't fit so well in a two hour movie.
And yeah this is largely a romance novel, and a damn fine one at that, but as someone who was closer to the characters' ages at the time of the 2016 and 2020 elections when the novel takes place, I really appreciated the role of politics in the book. I laughed at the jokes, screaming "too soon!" to myself sometimes remembering how the reality of those situations went down.
The use of articles in this book is also excellent. The role of the media, newspapers, magazines, tabloids, social media, etc is so central to the story and McQuiston uses them brilliantly. None of these pieces felt out of place. Even the format of including text and email conversations is just *chef's kiss* and blends well into the storytelling.
Love the representation in this book as well. It's just sort of there. There's callouts to different aspects of characters where it's important (especially because politics), but characters exist as whole people and not token minorities.
Love this book. Borrowed a copy from a friend but will probably be buying my own to reread. I feel like this really changed how I look back on those particular elections in the real world and gives them a bit of a silver lining instead of the dread I usually saw them in, which is definitely not what I was expecting from a romance novel.
Alex is the POV I kind of love to hate because he is a little shithead, although I imagine if this were told from Henry's POV or switched between them, the pacing would be much slower. I love the pace of this book, and it makes me more confident in my own preferred writing style that leans on vinettes and not always a perfect flow from event to event.
I mean, I saw the movie first, so I knew generally how the story would go and end, but I enjoyed watching the events unfold with the nuance and extra detail of the book that just doesn't fit so well in a two hour movie.
And yeah this is largely a romance novel, and a damn fine one at that, but as someone who was closer to the characters' ages at the time of the 2016 and 2020 elections when the novel takes place, I really appreciated the role of politics in the book. I laughed at the jokes, screaming "too soon!" to myself sometimes remembering how the reality of those situations went down.
The use of articles in this book is also excellent. The role of the media, newspapers, magazines, tabloids, social media, etc is so central to the story and McQuiston uses them brilliantly. None of these pieces felt out of place. Even the format of including text and email conversations is just *chef's kiss* and blends well into the storytelling.
Love the representation in this book as well. It's just sort of there. There's callouts to different aspects of characters where it's important (especially because politics), but characters exist as whole people and not token minorities.
Love this book. Borrowed a copy from a friend but will probably be buying my own to reread. I feel like this really changed how I look back on those particular elections in the real world and gives them a bit of a silver lining instead of the dread I usually saw them in, which is definitely not what I was expecting from a romance novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault and Drug abuse
Mention of sexual assault but no explicit description,knitwitofthemonth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
undecidedpersonality's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Outing, Cursing, Grief, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Racism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
Minor: Biphobia, Child abuse, Transphobia, and Colonisation
a_kt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
I don't normally read romance novels but the last book I read was really long and a bit of a bummer so I needed something of a palette cleanser, if you will. I saw the trailer for the Amazon Prime adaptation of this and thought I'd give it a go.
First off, here are the aspects of this book I really enjoyed: Mainly, it was easy. This book isn't some world-view-shattering triste on geopolitics or queer representation or anything like that. It's a star-crossed starry-eyed bubblegum romance about two people that fall in love and struggle to be together due to their circumstances in life. That's what it is on the surface, and that's what it remains throughout the entire book. The characters are funny, endearing, and well written if a bit unrealistic, encroaching on parodies of personalities. The leads, Alex and Henry, have a relationship that grows and develops organically. The book is written from mostly Alex's POV, and watching him come to terms with himself, his feelings, and his identity seemed really well done for me personally (please note: I do not identify as lgbtqia+ so I have no idea if this part of the book was realistic or not). Lastly, the book does get pretty spicy at parts, and I thought the spicy parts were tastefully done without coming across as too voyeuristic.
The aspects of the book I didn't much care for: the ending dragged, and I mean, like, seriously dragged on. No spoilers, but there is a bit of a reckoning in the book, as you can probably expect, and the amount of faff in this book to wrap everything up just keeps going and going and going. The story reached, what I thought was a natural conclusion, and to my surprise there were 3 more chapters and 100+ pages left! This made me realize the pacing of the entire book is a little wonky. Alex and Henry are pretty much thrust together by the end of the first chapter, their relationship has a bit of a slow burn before becoming exponentially involved with each other, then there's the conclusion of their story which carries on at a snail's pace. It's a bit weird, but maybe that's par for the course for romances, I'm not really sure. Overall though, not a huge criticism and it didn't really detract from my enjoyment.
In the end this book is pretty much exactly what it's advertised to be. It can get pretty cheesy, on the nose, and even a little... cringe?? at parts, but overall it's a good story. Frustrated wish fulfillment with the US's (maybe the world's) current political climate wrapped up in a pretty safe, feel-good love story.
First off, here are the aspects of this book I really enjoyed: Mainly, it was easy. This book isn't some world-view-shattering triste on geopolitics or queer representation or anything like that. It's a star-crossed starry-eyed bubblegum romance about two people that fall in love and struggle to be together due to their circumstances in life. That's what it is on the surface, and that's what it remains throughout the entire book. The characters are funny, endearing, and well written if a bit unrealistic, encroaching on parodies of personalities. The leads, Alex and Henry, have a relationship that grows and develops organically. The book is written from mostly Alex's POV, and watching him come to terms with himself, his feelings, and his identity seemed really well done for me personally (please note: I do not identify as lgbtqia+ so I have no idea if this part of the book was realistic or not). Lastly, the book does get pretty spicy at parts, and I thought the spicy parts were tastefully done without coming across as too voyeuristic.
The aspects of the book I didn't much care for: the ending dragged, and I mean, like, seriously dragged on. No spoilers, but there is a bit of a reckoning in the book, as you can probably expect, and the amount of faff in this book to wrap everything up just keeps going and going and going. The story reached, what I thought was a natural conclusion, and to my surprise there were 3 more chapters and 100+ pages left! This made me realize the pacing of the entire book is a little wonky. Alex and Henry are pretty much thrust together by the end of the first chapter, their relationship has a bit of a slow burn before becoming exponentially involved with each other, then there's the conclusion of their story which carries on at a snail's pace. It's a bit weird, but maybe that's par for the course for romances, I'm not really sure. Overall though, not a huge criticism and it didn't really detract from my enjoyment.
In the end this book is pretty much exactly what it's advertised to be. It can get pretty cheesy, on the nose, and even a little... cringe?? at parts, but overall it's a good story. Frustrated wish fulfillment with the US's (maybe the world's) current political climate wrapped up in a pretty safe, feel-good love story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia and Racism