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jeleigh16's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wanted to absolutely love this book. I enjoyed it, but there were things about it that kept me from giving this 5 stars. The main issue I found was the consent issue. There was more than one character forcing themselves on another character in the name of teenage lust. If the book didn't have that element or they'd more strongly communicated about that difficulty in their relationships, I would have had an easier time with it. The representation of various experiences of these teens during the late 80s/early 90s in NYC during the AIDS epidemic was well done though and the ending does bring the themes together nicely. It certainly showcased what it means to learn to be a part of this thing we call community.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Excrement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Cancer, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Grief, Outing, Medical content, and Racism
Minor: Gun violence
bbri's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Would never have finished this if not assigned for book club, but it ended up being kinda good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Terminal illness
Minor: Fatphobia
calamitywindpetal's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Racism
jada1_5's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Let's start with the things I liked. The character felt realistic, facing real challenges and facing them like real people; the writing was beautiful and not annoying all the time... but still. It did get me to cry, so extra points. Now, let's get to the not-so-good part. I don't think this book got into how annoying Art was even before and after fixing his relationship with Judy like he made his problems everyone else's problem. The scene with Reza and him at the movies was something else. Like imagine talking to and over someone you say you love like that and how his gayness trumped everything that was a problem in this book like people dying, the also rudeness of wanting Reza to have sex with him without thinking about Reza's true feelings about it was actually disgusting. If you can look past some of the things with Art and see him from Reza and Judy's point of view, it gets better. And let's be honest; there are better LGBTQ+ books. Just read some more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Fatphobia
hope_is_reading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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: Death and Homophobia
Moderate: Terminal illness, Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
brookey8888's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Wow was this book moving.
I cried multiple times and just felt for the characters. This story is so important to learn about what activist did for the queer community and how things have changed,but how much still needs to be done. I don’t know why I didn’t realize this might be sad when it’s set during the AIDS epidemic. I really liked our characters(for the most part). I just like the growth and courage they all had. The family relationships in this were so sweet for the most part. Now Art was not that likable at times which is the point, but it was so hard to read his POV sometimes(also he’s a teenager so it makes sense). I also didn’t really love the ending. It was bittersweet to me, but realistic.
I cried multiple times and just felt for the characters. This story is so important to learn about what activist did for the queer community and how things have changed,but how much still needs to be done. I don’t know why I didn’t realize this might be sad when it’s set during the AIDS epidemic. I really liked our characters(for the most part). I just like the growth and courage they all had. The family relationships in this were so sweet for the most part. Now Art was not that likable at times which is the point, but it was so hard to read his POV sometimes(also he’s a teenager so it makes sense). I also didn’t really love the ending. It was bittersweet to me, but realistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Medical content, Death, Abandonment, Body shaming, Outing, Racism, Bullying, Fatphobia, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, and Violence
ofpagesandparagraphs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Terminal illness
Moderate: Fatphobia, Medical content, Death, and Racism
Minor: Sexual content
punchofwishes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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 simply adored this book. As an enthusiast for queer history and especially 1980s queer history, this was a wonderful, heart-wrenching experience. I loved the characters, especially Uncle Stephen, and the plentiful references to real protests and events. The pop culture I was not as familiar with but the characters’ love made me not mind as much. While some parts were a little didactic I found it rather endearing. Also considering how many people are unfamiliar with queer history having (semi-)educational material that’s appealing is important. Great read and made me want to dive right back into some nonfiction books concerning the era.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Medical content, Vomit, and Fatphobia
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
empathetic, youthful yet wise, like a love story celebrates love, queerness, and the life-saving and life-changing power of art, all while being grimly realistic w/ the context of the AIDS epidemic as well.
i could feel nazemian's passion and love for art - esp music - and its power thru this novel. there's music in many pivotal scenes, either as a new spark, comfort or celebration for the characters. an aspect of the book that i also rly like despite its grimness is the depiction of AIDS and queer life + activism: there's no romanticization of the former here, no mincing words w/ the ugliness and destruction of the disease, while the courage, rage, and sense of community of the latter are inspiring and serve as a reminder of what it took to get here. it's a revelation to see that, amid the staggering losses, many queer folks still soldier on thru sheer love and desire for a better future.
as for the characters, i like them all individually but have some issues when its comes to their relationships w/ one another. each makes sense in their own way despite - or bc of - their complexity, but tgt they make me frown in confusion sometimes. i actually rly like uncle stephen and the parents - the former and his wisdom make me tear up a few times - basically most of the side characters. however, imo the main trio is too far up their own asses a lot of the time, making their supposed friendship and dedication to one another a lil questionable.
and i dont get why art and reza start to like each other in the first place, aside from the fact that each is the first eligible gay dude of the same age that the other ever comes across. also whats up w/ that ending..art's decision seems to come outta nowhere and it's confusing bc he lets reza go way too easily despite being so in love w/ him; the whiplash is sth else. ig i wouldve liked there to be more explanation on important character decisions, instead of them just showing up in a new chapter when it's already been decided, for example w/ reza's decision to finally have sex w/ art after being afraid for months, and art's decision to go san francisco. i wanted to read their thought process on these things bc theyre such major decisions, and there just wasnt any or enough of that in the book esp towards the end.
despite the shortcomings of some of its narrative decisions, the novel's still an important one that not only sheds light on important topics like AIDS and queer activism, but also one that celebrates art and the queer community. in short, a book that embraces both the challenges and joy of being queer.
i could feel nazemian's passion and love for art - esp music - and its power thru this novel. there's music in many pivotal scenes, either as a new spark, comfort or celebration for the characters. an aspect of the book that i also rly like despite its grimness is the depiction of AIDS and queer life + activism: there's no romanticization of the former here, no mincing words w/ the ugliness and destruction of the disease, while the courage, rage, and sense of community of the latter are inspiring and serve as a reminder of what it took to get here. it's a revelation to see that, amid the staggering losses, many queer folks still soldier on thru sheer love and desire for a better future.
as for the characters, i like them all individually but have some issues when its comes to their relationships w/ one another. each makes sense in their own way despite - or bc of - their complexity, but tgt they make me frown in confusion sometimes. i actually rly like uncle stephen and the parents - the former and his wisdom make me tear up a few times - basically most of the side characters. however, imo the main trio is too far up their own asses a lot of the time, making their supposed friendship and dedication to one another a lil questionable.
and i dont get why art and reza start to like each other in the first place, aside from the fact that each is the first eligible gay dude of the same age that the other ever comes across. also whats up w/ that ending..art's decision seems to come outta nowhere and it's confusing bc he lets reza go way too easily despite being so in love w/ him; the whiplash is sth else. ig i wouldve liked there to be more explanation on important character decisions, instead of them just showing up in a new chapter when it's already been decided, for example w/ reza's decision to finally have sex w/ art after being afraid for months, and art's decision to go san francisco. i wanted to read their thought process on these things bc theyre such major decisions, and there just wasnt any or enough of that in the book esp towards the end.
despite the shortcomings of some of its narrative decisions, the novel's still an important one that not only sheds light on important topics like AIDS and queer activism, but also one that celebrates art and the queer community. in short, a book that embraces both the challenges and joy of being queer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual content
moiracoz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
i actually loved this so much the only reason it does not get 5 stars is some of the description were a little weird
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Fatphobia