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elerireads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? No
3.0
Sweet and enjoyable - I read it really quickly - but the plot was a bit nothing-ey. I'm sure this will be important to a lot of people because of the representation, and I'm very glad it exists. But honestly I'm wracking my brain for anything specific to say about it in a review and coming up empty which isn't a brilliant sign. I liked that the people with good intentions slipped up on pronouns and stuff occasionally - it felt realistic whereas I have seen sometimes in media where the "good" characters immediately get the hang of it and it just seems more than a little bit unrealistic. Anyway it was a relatively light (apart from that beginning), easy read which was what I needed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Islamophobia, Mental illness, and Child abuse
jachnax's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
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
This is the first book that accomplished to tear me up. Maybe because I read it in a very emotional moment idk. What I do know is that I couldn't put this down either. This is also the first book ever that I read in one sitting. Normally my brain does not have the attention span to read 100 pages in one sitting, but this book was so damn good I stayed up until 3 am just to finish it and fuck up my sleep schedule.
This book is so important and I am so thankful that it exist. Everything feels so real and very well described. As someone that experiences panic attacks myself, this is the first book where I can say 'yep that is exactly what it feels like'. I am in love with this book. This book deserves 6 ⭐️. It deserves everything. All I can really say is to please read this book because it handles so many important themes so very well. I honestly just can thank Mason Deaver that they wrote this and I will from now on read anything they will publish.
Additional Content Warnings:
Misgendering, Mental illness, Therapy content
This book is so important and I am so thankful that it exist. Everything feels so real and very well described. As someone that experiences panic attacks myself, this is the first book where I can say 'yep that is exactly what it feels like'. I am in love with this book. This book deserves 6 ⭐️. It deserves everything. All I can really say is to please read this book because it handles so many important themes so very well. I honestly just can thank Mason Deaver that they wrote this and I will from now on read anything they will publish.
Additional Content Warnings:
Misgendering, Mental illness, Therapy content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment
haydemoone's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Transphobia
sky_lar's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
miri42's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment
Moderate: Eating disorder, Outing, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Deadnaming
jesse_5's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Vomit
corin_134340's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
americattt's review
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
“You always point out the problems with the paintings or the drawings. But what about the things you got right?”
“What about them?”
“Don’t they mean something?”
His words make my stomach drop. I don’t know, maybe he’s right. But I don’t think he realizes how difficult it can be to forget all the mistakes when I know they’re my fault. When I know I should have caught them. “It’s hard to be proud of something you messed up, even if everything around it is perfect.”
“Don’t ignore the problems,” he says. “Learn from them. But also, don’t knock what you get right. Every success deserves a celebration.”
“What about them?”
“Don’t they mean something?”
His words make my stomach drop. I don’t know, maybe he’s right. But I don’t think he realizes how difficult it can be to forget all the mistakes when I know they’re my fault. When I know I should have caught them. “It’s hard to be proud of something you messed up, even if everything around it is perfect.”
“Don’t ignore the problems,” he says. “Learn from them. But also, don’t knock what you get right. Every success deserves a celebration.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Dysphoria
Minor: Child abuse
asipofcozy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
At the end of I Wish You All the Best I was left wanting more. More of Ben, more of Nathan, more of the dynamic between everyone because I absolutely adored this book. That beginning left me feeling so many things - anger, connection, frustration, hurt, jarred. And throughout the book I felt like I was being swept away with so many emotions and following along with Ben and their feelings.
What I think this book does really well at is showing the other side of reality and coming out. We are starting to really see an uptick in LGBTQIAP+ literature (which I am very grateful for). However, many of the books out there portray a lot positive coming-outs, which we need to feel hopeful, but at the same time we also need the ones where there isn't a positive coming out, like in the case of Benji coming out to their parents and being kicked-out.
I am not saying we shouldn't have all the positive examples of coming-out but for some of us coming-out was not a positive experience and we are left wondering, hoping will it get better? How can we move on from this? Can we still be accepted? Benji feels all of this and more, struggling through anxiety and depression and fear of coming out ever again. I connected with them on such a large scale.
My only critique would be that I wanted more, I wanted more of the characters, of the ending plot, of Nathan and Benji. More of Benji growing and gaining confidence. However, it seems like there is a Novella that is available to us so definitely picking it up :).
What I think this book does really well at is showing the other side of reality and coming out. We are starting to really see an uptick in LGBTQIAP+ literature (which I am very grateful for). However, many of the books out there portray a lot positive coming-outs, which we need to feel hopeful, but at the same time we also need the ones where there isn't a positive coming out, like in the case of Benji coming out to their parents and being kicked-out.
I am not saying we shouldn't have all the positive examples of coming-out but for some of us coming-out was not a positive experience and we are left wondering, hoping will it get better? How can we move on from this? Can we still be accepted? Benji feels all of this and more, struggling through anxiety and depression and fear of coming out ever again. I connected with them on such a large scale.
My only critique would be that I wanted more, I wanted more of the characters, of the ending plot, of Nathan and Benji. More of Benji growing and gaining confidence. However, it seems like there is a Novella that is available to us so definitely picking it up :).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Transphobia, Homophobia, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Outing
Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
Also contains some body dysmorphiamortalmarz's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
Oh wow! I can't believe how much I cried and enjoyed this. First of all, romance genere is probably not the overall branching umbrella for this. It's fantastic and reminded me of me. The trials and tribulations I went through with my own sexual and gender identity and that's what so well done about this book. Despite the underlying story of could-be romance, the true focus is seeing how an enby child can come to terms with themselves. Support systems and welcoming family.
You even erase Ben's former and embrace his true. It's beautifully written. Took forward to more from the author
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Child abuse